I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

- Luke 10:17-24

Yesterday we read that after Jesus made the decision to start His journey toward Jerusalem, He appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'   But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."   I saw Satan fall describes an event that took place before the creation of the world, says my study bible.  Five times Satan set his will against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; see also Revelation 12:7-12).  Serpents and scorpions are images of devils and demons; they are things which carry poison and cause pain to human beings.  These are part of the power of the enemy, who is the evil one.  In the Lord's prayer as given in Matthew 6:13, Jesus teaches us to pray, "Deliver us from evil," or from "the evil one" (it can be read both ways in Greek).   The Greek for this word translated as "evil" is poneros, which literally means the one who causes pain, is hurtful.  That pain includes burdens of harsh labor and toils in its meaning.  But again, Jesus reminds us that it is not power that is ours personally nor that we should rejoice over. Rather it is His power shared with us as a work of grace, and our true rejoicing is that our names are written in heaven, and that we may participate in the kingdom of God.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."  Here Jesus Himself rejoices over the power of grace at work in the world, and gives us a true taste of the joy we should know in gratitude for such gifts.  He teaches us their true value in His words.  Babes, says my study bible, are people of simple faith and open hearts (see 18:15-17).  This is the power that has worked through Christ, in whom is vested all power by the Father -- and Christ reveals the Father to whom He wills.  What we need to understand is that many prophets and kings have desired to see what these apostles -- and through their work, we also -- see and hear. 

Here is really the great good news that the Virgin Mary understood at the Annunciation, when she said in what is known as the Magnificat, "He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty."  Her own song was reflective of the songs of others before her, such as Hannah, and so this is a theme that has echoes throughout spiritual history and the work of God in the world.  Jesus Himself rejoices in Spirit at the work of the Father through His own ministry, saying, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."  At that which our Lord rejoices, in the Spirit, in prayer between Father and Son, we can truly take time for awe.  It blesses His ministry and sanctifies the work of God in the world that is always truly surprising.  And more than that, it means that Satan has fallen like lightning, the one who oppresses with toils and hard labor and pain, who enforces only the power of materialism and conquest and murder and all its association with death in many dimensions.  (That is, a purely material perspective minus a relationship to God, to Christ.)  This is the great victory in which all should rejoice.  And yet, how do we neglect the gift of this good news, God's grace in the world?   Let us understand its awesome power in our lives and its blessing.

The kingdom of God has come near to you

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'   But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

- Luke 10:1-17

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village. Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."   And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Jesus appoints seventy men to go out as missionaries; that is, apostles.  We note that, like the Twelve, they are sent out two by two.  They are sent out before Him, and as such they will go out to every place where He will go on His way to Jerusalem, preparing the people with good news of the Kingdom.  Although not as well known as the Twelve, these Seventy were true disciples, true apostles, says my study bible, whose labors carried the message of their Lord throughout the Roman Empire and beyond out into the world.  Among them were many who are prominent in the tradition of the Church, and their histories in each place they went became notable.  One of them was Barnabas.  He was a Jew of the tribe of Levi, born in Cyprus to wealthy parents.  He is said to have studied under Gamaliel with Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle.  He was originally called Joseph, but was named Barnabas (Son of Consolation) by the apostles (Acts 4:36), as he had a rare gift of comforting people's hearts.  When everyone else was terrified of Saul, he sought him out and brought Paul to the apostles.  Barnabas was the one first sent to Antioch with Paul.  But a dispute over Barnabas' cousin Mark, whom Paul didn't have faith in at the time, but Barnabas wanted to take on a missionary journey.  Later they were reconciled (Colossians 4:10).  Barnabas, according to many accounts, was the first to preach in Rome and Milan, but was martyred in Cyprus, and buried by Mark at the western gate of the city of Salamis.  Another prominent apostle among the Seventy was Titus, whom Paul called his brother (2 Corinthians 12:18) and his son (Titus 1:4).  Titus was born in Crete and educated in Greek philosophy.  But after he read the prophet Isaiah he began to doubt the value of what he had been taught.  After hearing the news of the coming of Jesus Christ, he joined others from Crete who were going to Jerusalem to see Him for themselves.  After he heard Jesus speak and saw His works, the young Titus joined the disciples who followed Jesus.  He was baptized by the apostle Paul and worked with and served this great apostle to the Gentiles.  He traveled with Paul until Paul sent him to Crete, and made him bishop.  My study bible tells us that it's said that Titus was in Rome when St. Paul as beheaded, and he buried the body of his spiritual father before returning home.  In Crete, Titus converted and baptized many people, governing the Church on that island until he passed at the age of ninety-four.  There are many less prominent people among the Seventy who nevertheless are mentioned several times by St. Paul and who became bishops in various cities.  Simeon (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3), for example, was the son of Cleopas (the brother of Joseph, the betrothed of the Virgin Mary) succeeded James as bishop of Jerusalem.  Barnabas' brother Aristobulus (Romans 16:10), preached in Britain and died peacefully there.  Those mentioned here are representative of the Seventy, who planted the Church throughout the world.  Many became bishops, all were apostles and foundations of the Church, as my study bible puts it.

Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  My study bible points out that Jesus says we are to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them. 

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."   To call them lambs characterizes the sacrificial life of the apostles, and of all those who follow Christ, the Lamb of God.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow Christ (John 15:18), whose predatory aggression knows no peace.

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  Matthew's Gospel reports Jesus as saying, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  Here the Good Teacher explains exactly which behaviors constitute such a disposition.  My study bible points out that twice here Christ commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  It has a twofold significance.  First, they must be content with whatever is offered, even if it is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or ascetic dietary disciplines.  It notes St. Cassian the great Desert Father, who says that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  When he asked why, the elder replied, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave ofyou, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, my study bible tells us, the ascetics would obey Christ's command here and His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2).

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'"  Here is the gospel message.  It's not merely that there is a Kingdom in the future, but rather that this kingdom of God has come near. 

"But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  What are they to do with those who reject them and reject their message that the kingdom of God has come near?  They are to wipe off the dust of the city from themselves as a rebuke, and to re-iterate the message.  But Judgment, we note, belongs to God, and that day refers to the day of Judgment.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades."  My study bible points out that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  By contrast, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24).  Instead, these are judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  We recall also Christ's response to the question posed by James and John in yesterday's reading, about bringing fire down on the Samaritan town which would not receive Christ.  Jesus told them, "The Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."

"He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  As even a little child received in the name of Christ bears His image (9:46-48), so those who carry the message of Christ into the world also bear His image and name within themselves. 

What we understand of power we can derive from these Scriptures, and Jesus' teachings to His apostles as He sends out the Seventy.  They are to be humble and courteous, never "trading up" for better housing or accommodations, accepting all that is put before them as gracious gifts of their hosts -- whoever will receive them.  But when they encounter places which reject them and will not receive, they are to wipe the dust from themselves in rebuke and go to the next place.  There is a distinction implied here, between those who are sons of peace and those who are not.  Their peace is a kind of greeting, a blessing, a part of God's grace in the world which is acting in them and upon them and being brought to others.  They bring the Kingdom with them, and those who reject their good news are refusing to receive that Kingdom and Christ Himself.  All of this is simply an ongoing action awaiting the time for Judgment.  All things are in God's hands and await that day.  And although we speak and read today of these first Seventy who are sent out before Him on His journey to Jerusalem, in a very true sense this is the time in which we still live.  The message goes out, the Kingdom lives within us and we may bear Him and His name within us and among us, and there are those who will reject and even persecute those who love Christ and accept His will, His life, His mission, and His message.  We await that day, the day of Judgment, as all of this is in the hands of God and judgment is not up to us.  We may walk away from those who reject, even "wiping the dust" from ourselves, but our lives must be merely about living this gospel and being true to what He has taught us.  To learn to be wise as serpents and simple as doves is still a part of the mission.  To learn humility above all, and true graciousness, must be a part of this mission, as from all these come real justice and right-relatedness among people.   His power remains His power; it may work through us, we may bear it within ourselves, and certainly that power is at work in the message and remains through that day of the Judgment, but it is not ours as personal possession or property.  It is, rather, the grace in which we may participate, for which we pray -- and the peace He gives to the world.  Let us be a part of this Kingdom in the world, and live it as He taught us.

You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."   And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

- Luke 9:51-62

On Saturday, we read that on the next day after they had come down from the mountain of Transfiguration, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  In our previous reading, Jesus was asked by the disciples about those who are not of their group, but whom the disciples saw casting out demons in His name.  Jesus also taught the disciples about the importance of receiving even a little child in His name.  All the reading stressed the essential nature of faith in connection with Christ.  Here, they encounter a village that is set against Him, because He is on His way to Jerusalem (to His Passion, death, and Resurrection).  The disciples ask what they should do in response to this refusal to welcome Christ.  It is yet another opportunity for correction:  the manner of spirit they are of is in the mission of Christ:  He has come not to destroy people's lives but rather to save them (see also 6:9).  In the understanding of the work of the Spirit in the world, it is people's own rejection of salvation that is destructive to them.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."   And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  My study bible notes that there is a cost to discipleship.  Here are three of those costs as revealed by Jesus.  First, the disciple lets go of personal or earthly security.  If the Lord has nowhere to lay His head, then neither will the disciple.  Second, there is nothing -- even the honor due to parents -- that can stand as an obstacle to serving the Lord as one is called.  Third, a disciple cannot delay in accomplishing the good that Christ demands.  We don't look back to our old way of life. This is the way to dwell in the kingdom of God.

Similarly to the reading from Saturday, today's reading teaches us about the working out of our faith in the world, our actions we take in accordance with faith.  Jesus is on a mission; He has warned the disciples what they will face in Jerusalem.  But here in today's reading we are told it is time for Him to be received up, and that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.  We may think of this ultimate destination of Jerusalem as something signaling the end of His ministry, and yet we are only in chapter 9 of 23 in Luke's Gospel.  It is on this journey of faith with Christ that the disciples will continue to learn what manner of spirit they are of, and how they must conduct themselves as future apostles and leaders of His Church in the world after He is no longer with them as the human Jesus.  So their encounter with the Samaritan village is significant in terms of their learning what they are to be about, and how they must conduct themselves as His representatives.  Their faith does not ask of them to destroy, but to save.  The decision to accept or reject this salvation lies within the hearts of human beings, and it will carry its own weight when Christ judges.  It's an important lesson to learn, that all judgment is in the hands of Christ.  We all need to learn what manner of spirit we are of, in order to conduct ourselves properly in His service.   And then follow in today's reading the teachings of discipleship.  Personal security is not always going to be primary in following Him.  Our need is to respond to His call, before all else, and everything in our lives falls into place behind this immediate loyalty, no matter its importance.  And when we get that call, we respond.  Christ intervenes in time at our particular moments for a reason, and our hearts are open in response to Him.  All of these things are part of the requirements of discipleship.  We note by the juxtaposition with those Samaritans who would not receive them, that the responsibility lies with us to be good and faithful servants, and not necessarily to spend our time in coercion or other forms of forcing others to faith.  We remember His call, we embrace our mission, and judgment is left to Him whom we would desire to serve well.  Just as He is focused on His mission, with the steadfast setting His face toward Jerusalem, so we keep our focus on Him and the mission He has for us.

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."

Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

- Luke 9:37-50

Yesterday we read that, about eight days after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ,  Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  Jesus gives a rebuke to both the disciples and the crowds ("O faithless and perverse generation"), reflecting this point in His ministry and the response of the people to Him here.  While the disciples' faith was incomplete (Matthew 17:19-20), my study bible notes that Christ's rebuke is also to the crowds, whose faith was weaker still (see Mark 9:22-24).

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  Even as all are amazed at the majesty of God, Jesus takes the opportunity to remind the disciples of His Passion which He has already told them about.  My study bible says that His repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face, and to assure them that He was not powerless (and they have just seen a demonstration of His power), but went to the Cross willingly.  Here He adds a new detail, that He will be betrayed into the hands of men.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Here we may possibly speculate that the disciples surmise Jesus' Kingdom may be manifesting shortly, given His prediction of confrontation.  Their immediate thoughts are to worldly power and personal position.  In contrast to a selfish interest, Christ points to a little child as the model of discipleship.  My study bible says that the virtues embodied in a little child for discipleship in His Kingdom are humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In the tradition of the Church, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted as this child in icons. 

Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."  Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, emphasizing the effects of his conscience in response to Jesus' correction about who is least and who is great, above.  But St. Ambrose comments that John expects full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either interpretation, says my study bible, Christ's response shows that those acting in good faith are not excluded -- even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  But we note also that it is faith that makes the connection and does the true work of discipleship.  John's comment indicates that the others were acting in Jesus' name.  Jesus will also say, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters" (11:23).

Faith is the theme in today's reading.  We start with Jesus' declaration when His disciples had trouble healing a young boy:  "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?"  This message is directed both at His disciples and at the crowd; it is the lack of faith in both that creates the difficulty and impacts on the efficacy of the healing.  We note that the levels of faith vary; the disciples lack a certain degree of faith in Christ for this, the crowds have a greater deficit.  But it is faith that somehow makes the connection for the works of grace in the world to manifest.   In this we can take confidence, as Christ's words teach us that it is so, and we have read of so many accounts in which Christ attributes healing -- spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical -- to faith.   See, for example, this reading and this one.  In both of those readings, faith not only creates healing and gives peace, but in fact creates right-relationship and restoration to community.  It touches on all things, on everyone.  There is a different kind of faith demanded in the verses that follow the story of the healing of the boy.  The disciples must hear and accept the word of Jesus' prophecy of His death, His betrayal.  They can't take it in.  To do so requires a great acceptance of extreme contradiction from a human point of view.  How can the Christ, invested with so much power, be betrayed into the hands of men?  They fear even to ask Him about this thing they can't understand.  The paradox is just too great.  They dispute over which of them will hold the highest position in Christ's Kingdom, and Jesus has something new to teach them, contradictory to human systems of position and greatness.  They must be like little children; and he who is least among them will be great.  They are to see Christ Himself even in a small child who comes to them.  It demands faith to accept such things, because faith is required to accept ways of thinking that so contradict what we know from our worldly lives.  How is it possible that the least is the greatest?  And then there is the faith that must teach us about the nature of faith itself.  Those who are not among these disciples, but who have faith in the name of Christ are also on their side.  In short, faith asks us to stretch ourselves, to include new concepts and ideas that we otherwise would not have considered.  Faith asks us to stretch our minds, and to incorporate things which are contradictory to what we know, that bring us into paradox -- into things that seemingly cannot exist at the same time.  But in Christ, all things come together, all things intersect.  When we follow Him, we are invited to understand life as mystery and deepening levels of what we are taught to expect and to accept.  This is the journey of faith, and it is evident through all of the story of the Bible.  In our own lives, we will find faith tested all the time, and challenged in our assumptions and knowledge of the world through our experience.  But faith asks of us to expand and to grow and to find new expectations, even of ourselves and our capacity for acceptance and endurance.  We're asked for faith before we know the outcome of that faith.  We're asked to trust Him.  In this we must persist with courage.

This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. 

- Luke 9:28-36

Yesterday was Ascension Day.  We read that, after Jesus' suffering and death on the Cross, and Resurrection, the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.   Today the lectionary resumes from Monday's reading, in which Peter confessed his faith that Jesus was the Christ (see But who do you say that I am?)

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.   The events in today's reading constitute what is known as the Transfiguration.  The two men, Moses and Elijah, speak to Jesus of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  The word translated as decease is exodus in the Greek, which literally means "departure."  My study bible tells us that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, because Christ, according to His own words, is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  The term exodus reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover and is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  This revelation of the events of the Transfiguration also tells us that His death on the Cross was not simply imposed on Him by outside forces, but rather that it was a voluntary offering of love.  My study bible suggests that no arresting soldier could withstand such glory if Christ had not consented (Matthew 26:53).  An Orthodox festal hymn of Transfiguration declares, "Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could bear it, so that when they saw You crucified, they would understand that Your suffering was voluntary."  There is another parallel to the Exodus story here, in Peter's declaration that they should make tabernacles (or tents) for Christ, Moses, and Elijah.  During the years of Israel's exodus, the people dwelt in tents or tabernacles, impermanent structures.  The Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot) commemorates this time, and is the feast of the coming Kingdom.  In Christ, this Kingdom is revealed and dwells among us and within us.

What is Christ's glory?  The Transfiguration tells us that while He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  It's a holy light that was revealed to these disciples through Jesus' clothing which reflected an impossible brightness.  Mark tells us that His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them (Mark 9:3).  These brilliant and dazzling visions are images of glory.  But when Jesus speaks of His own glorification, He speaks of the hour of the Cross.  A strange paradox for human understanding, and yet it is the divine understanding of glory that we seek.  And in this understanding and definition, that hour of Christ's glory is the hour of His sacrifice for love and for the kingdom of God to be manifest and available for human beings, so that we may be a part of it even as we live in this world.  That is what such a sacrifice is all about, and true glory means the depth and weight of significance, value, and immeasurable greatness.  This is the full meaning of the sacramental life to which He calls us when He says that we, too, should take up our crosses daily and follow Him.  Glory is something essential to think about, because in this understanding of glory is also all that is good and true and beautiful.   To think about glory asks us to redefine our lives and our understanding of greatness as that which is found in the true beauty of love and mercy, as it may radiate through human beings who wish to participate in this glory of Christ's life and Kingdom.

Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age

 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

- Matthew 28:16-20

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."  Here Christ declares His authority -- that is, the authority that was His by nature in His divinity is now also possessed by His glorified human nature.  In Him, human nature has now trampled the final enemy -- death (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).   Here is the interesting, even fascinating, juxtaposition:  as Jesus declares His overwhelming authority, there are those who worship, but some doubted.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . . "  This is called the Great commission.  It is the Lord's final commandment given on earth to His disciples.  It is to be lived out in the Church until He returns again.  My study bible says that making disciples cannot be done on the strength of man, but only in the power of God.  The power of the Resurrection isn't only for Jesus Himself, but rather it is a gift to all believers for christian life and mission.

". . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.  Christ Himself is always present in each believer and in the Church -- both personally and in the Holy Spirit, because neither one can be separated from the other.  Jesus is with us now, and forever, and to the ages of ages.  This is something that we must never forget, in any and all circumstances.

It's an awesome thing to ponder Christ's authority, that it is not simply His divine authority per His divine nature that He is speaking of, but rather it now also includes the glorified human nature of the Incarnate Christ.  Why is this an awesome thing?  It indicates the capacities for which human beings were created.  How can glorified human nature share this power of the ruler of the universe?  It is so much greater than we can ponder that the possibilities are limitless for us to consider what it means.  And this was the truly staggering fact that awed the classical world when it learned about Christ:  that humanity was revealed through Him and His life to be so much greater than could be imagined -- fit for the glory of the Lord.  For the early Church, this tremendous news was also reflected in veneration of His mother as saint, the one through whom the Holy Spirit worked to produce a child who was also God.  In these realities made manifest through God at work in the world, in the mission of Christ as Incarnate Son, all human beings are lifted up as potential carriers of the Kingdom and of true majesty and beauty, because Christ has dignified humanity with the crown of divinity in Himself.  If all that is too staggering to think about, consider simply that we are made for grace and for glory, and that is the good news indeed.  His Incarnation, suffering, death, and Resurrection teaches us what we are made for, where He wants us to follow and be with Him.  Today is Ascension Day, and we commemorate this farewell which is not at all a farewell, but rather a promise that He is with us always.  Amen. 

Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

- Luke 12:22-31

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  So He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us day by day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.  So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a  serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  As in yesterday's reading, today the lectionary skips forward to chapter 12, in preparation for Ascension Day tomorrow.

 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind."  My study bible says that here Jesus warns us against anxiety, but not against thoughtful planning.  Our deepest dependency for physical well-being is on God, and only indirectly on food, drink, and clothing.  Anxiety over earthly things demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care, a note tells us.  Jesus' words here remind us of the love of God, and the care of God, even for the ravens and the grass.  And to God, we who may bear the Kingdom into the world are of so much greater value.  Therefore our first priority is our dependency upon and relationship to God before all other considerations, planning, and concern.

"For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things."  The nations of the world are the Gentiles, who worship idols and therefore remain consumed by dependence upon earthly things.  This is an idea of connection to "worldly" material power, rather than dependency upon God.  To depend upon God is to be free of dependencies which base all our well-being and self-awareness on worldly circumstances.  But again we note that this is not an extreme form of rejection of material life at all; Jesus reassures us that our "Father knows that you need these things," making God's care intimate and personal.

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."  Here is the central theme of Jesus' teaching, the kingdom of God.  All His preaching is focused on this.  My study bible says that, calling us to be free from anxiety about earthly things, Jesus directs us to look to heaven, secure in the faith that God will provide needed earthly blessings.

We may be tempted to read Jesus' words as rejections of material life.  But then again we must remember God is creator of all the world, our bodies as well as our souls, and everything about the world itself.  To reject material life is to reject God's own creation. Rather, we are asked to make a distinction between material life and materialism.  These are two different things.  On the one hand, we can see the world as created by God and ourselves as stewards in it, asked to make wise decisions about the protection, care, and prolonging of the good qualities of life -- and not only for human beings for but for all the life of the world.  But if we look at that phrase, for the life of the world, and find it in Jesus' teachings, we read John 6:51:  "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."  This is directly impinging on our understanding of our material lives, as it conveys to us the entire sacramental understanding of Christ.  We seek  the kingdom of God, meaning that it is this dependency, and goal, and drive that sustains and builds and enhances our own ability to be good stewards of the world, and to know how to use wisely our material goods and manage properly our needs for them.  We have a choice:  a completely selfish perspective based on materialism, a purely materialistic perspective on our lives and the life of the world.  Or, we seek the kingdom of God, which may direct how we use, live, work, and share the beauty of the world, how we value its goodness in particular as a gift from God, and how we relate to one another on every level of life in the world.  All we have to do is simply look around to find ourselves easily persuaded that there are selfish ways of using power in seeking material goods, and there are also ways of balancing that understanding and power and by seeking God's wisdom and perspective first in doing so.  Our dependency is there because it is that direction that makes all the difference between a world guided by our own selfishness and its destructive potential, and a world in which we may build something of value and beauty that recognizes our need for righteousness; that is, right-relatedness to all the world and everything and all others in it.  That is, the whole of the life of the world.  Let us remember His gift and sacrifice, and ask ourselves to what extent we are meant to follow in His footsteps for the life of the world.  The anxiety we are asked to put aside is anything that stands in the way of our primary dependency and recognition of that dependency upon God, and our deep desire for God's kingdom to manifest in the world, as we were taught to pray in yesterday's reading:  "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2). 

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  So He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one."

And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.  So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a  serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

- Luke 11:1-13

Yesterday we read that it happened, as Jesus was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."  Then he said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.   But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."  Today's reading, in preparation for Ascension Day on Thursday the 25th, skips over to chapter 11.


Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."   Teach us to pray is an expression of universal longing to be in communion with God, my study bible teaches us.

So He said to them, "When you pray, say:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  In yesterday’s reading, Jesus asked Peter, “But who do you say that I am?”  Everything about Jesus’ identity tells us something, also, about ourselves.  Here, the Father-Son relationship within the Trinity reveals our potential relationship with God. Christ, the Son of God, grants us the privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  My study bible tells us that as a “son of God,” the Christian (male and female) is called to love, trust, and serve God as Christ does His Father.  We learn loyalty and love from His example.  My study bible notes that God is not our Father simply because He has created us.  He is only Father to those in a saving and personal relationship, a communion that only comes by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).  This is the fullness of love possible with God, a fullness that extends so deeply in its love that it conveys and gives us identity.  In that identity, we become those who carry the Kingdom in the world; our most devout wish to bring the kingdom here, and that our Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

“Give us day by day our daily bread.”  Daily is a misleading translation of a Greek word that was coined specifically for this prayer.  It is found nowhere else in Greek literature.  That word is epiousios, which means quite literally, “above the essence,” or “supersubstantial."  Daily bread therefore is meant to mean not just bread for today, nor for purely earthly nourishment.  This speaks of the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, the holiness of life in the Kingdom with which we seek to nourish our immortal soul.  My study bible tells us that this living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself.  In the Lord’s Prayer we aren’t asking simply for material bread for physical health.  We ask for the spiritual bread of eternal life (John 6:27-58).  There can be little doubt about the eucharistic meanings of this daily bread.

“And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.”  We see the reciprocal action implied here, not for the first nor the last time in the Gospels that Jesus will convey such an idea.  The concept of sin as debt also figures repeatedly, to forgive is to let go, like taking something off the books.  This refers to spiritual indebtedness.  We no longer seek reciprocity for the debt, but rather for the forgiveness – and our negotiation is brokered by and through the Father.    It is the Father through whom every good and perfect gift comes.  We note this is in the plural; we are to pray always for the forgiveness of others, my study bible teaches us. 

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  Temptations come from the evil one, the devil – and not from God.  Temptations, says my study bible, are aimed at the soul’s giving in to the sinful passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5).  No one lives without encountering temptations, but we pray that great temptations – that is, tests beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), do not come to us.

And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs."  Jesus gives us a parable after the prayer, in which He demonstrates God's faithfulness to those who are in need and who pray with persistence.  Tradition has interpreted midnight to be both the time of our death and also a time of great temptation.  The friend, says my study bible, is Christ, who, as our only source of grace, provides everything we need.

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a  serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  Jesus is not content simply to give us a parable about persistent prayer, but He also indicates clearly here those things that a disciple prays for:  the gift of the Holy Spirit and all that may encompass in our lives.  In Greek the verbs that are translated as ask, seek, and knock imply a continuing action.  They could be more accurately be translated, “keep asking,” “keep seeking,” and “keep knocking.”  My study bible says that God responds when we persistently ask for things that are good.  Bread, fish, and an egg are all images of life.  They symbolize the gift of the Holy Spirit (see John 14:13-14; James 4:3).

What do we ask for in prayer?  What is prayer for?  To continue to keep asking, seeking, and knocking at the door of heaven ("I am the door") is expressive of a drive to discipleship and the deeper movement into communion with God.  We are invited into mysteries to great to fathom and too deep to predict.  We are given a key to a kind of way to find ourselves in this realm of the kingdom of God.  In Christ, we find out who we are.  Through repentance, we discard the things we find within ourselves that really are not what belongs to that identity we have in Him and that He seeks to bring us.  In what is called the Prayer of the Hours, written by St.  Basil the Great, we pray to Christ as He "who calls all to repentance and salvation through the promise of good things to come."  When we pray, no matter what we pray for, we keep in mind that the real goal of all Christian worship is union with God.  Whatever it is that we need to get there, it is that for which we fervently and persistently keep asking and seeking and knocking.  We don’t know how Christ will draw us forward into that journey, nor what paths and parallels and twists and turns we will experience as we are drawn forward into the love and longing of our Father for our love.  It is, indeed, a long and also daily journey, in which we take up our cross and ask for the daily nourishment we need.