This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!

John the Baptist, 16th century, Greek

 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

- Mark 6:14-29

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out from Capernaum and came to His own country of Nazareth, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Herod hears of Christ -- and he believes He is John the Baptist risen from the dead.  John did not have any miraculous works associated with his ministry, but Herod believes miraculous powers are at work because he was raised from the dead.  Thus, my study bible says, he fears John more dead than alive.  King Herod is the son of Herod the Great, who slew the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  Herod is technically a governor, but popularly called king.

Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."   Elijah was expected to return and to work signs before the coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).  The Prophet, my study bible says, is interpreted by some to be a reference to the Messiah, the One whom Moses foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15), while others interpret it as simply meaning a new prophet had arisen.

But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."   We're given a parenthetical explanation for the events that have taken place between Herod and John the Baptist.  John complained that Herod's marriage to Herodias was not lawful according to Mosaic Law, because his brother Philip was still living. 

Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.   Interestingly, Herod recognized John's holiness, and heard him gladly.  That Herod, with his wealth and soldiers, feared John, a man who lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair (1:6), is a testament, my study bible tells us, both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, as they held him in the highest esteem (11:32).

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.  We're given the background story on why Herod fears John has come back from the dead.

In the tradition of the Church, John is called Forerunner.  In Orthodox icons, he's often depicted with wings.  He was the herald, the messenger of the Kingdom -- as the root meaning of angel in Greek is "messenger," and John is truly a messenger of God.  In addition, he lived an "angelic" lifestyle; that is, one dedicated wholly to the kingdom of God.   According to tradition, John not only was the Forerunner, the messenger or herald of the coming of the Messiah into the world, but John's martyrdom also allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades; He was the forerunner of Christ there as well as on earth.  What a bloody and sordid death John received as martyr.  The king knows he is a holy man, and regrets what has passed, but nevertheless because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse Herodias.  One might simply imagine the place in which John was held, the beheading that comes simply by request of a young woman at a birthday party, and the vicious request for his head to be served on a platter.  The family of Herod was known as a particularly bloody and vicious dynasty when it came to internal power disputes.  Herod the Great, who gave the world the second temple and other marvels of building and construction, was also known as a brutal and violent ruler even in a world where brutality and violence were expected among its rulers.  The holy John is killed in this environment, at the hands of such people.  It's a rather awful story, with the hideous request of John's head on a platter coming from a girl who pleased with her dancing.  It's a sordid, brutish death that is given to one who dies as a martyr, a holy man who is the greatest and last of the Old Testament prophets, and who will also become forerunner for the souls in Hades.  In the context of our world, we may be used to hearing of sordid or brutish deaths, stories of sad ends and seemingly meaningless violence, bloody killings associated with crime, or drugs, or the breakdown of a social order, of neighborhoods, of communities.  But our modern thinking tends to link ends with how a person lives their lives.  We are frequently led to think that a well-lived life will guarantee that we avoid the evil of the world and its brutishness.  But that's not quite the picture we get from this story, nor of the story of Christ.  Both John and Jesus will speak the truth that creates hostility and violence from those with power.  John has annoyed Herodias with his condemnation of her marriage; it's an indictment of the means by which she ascends into her own position of power.  The religious leadership will find their own way to rid themselves of Jesus whose ministry not only criticizes their methods but threatens to usurp their places among the people.  In the 16th century Greek icon above, John refers to the relic of his severed head, and speaks to the Lord in heaven.   The scroll in his hands reads, "Seest Thou what suffer those who censure, O Word of God, the faults of the unclean. Not being able to bear censure, Lo Herod cut off my head, O Saviour."  Neither John nor Jesus die deaths that are "pretty" or "peaceful."  They are given over to the hands of those who kill even impersonally, whose expertise is to set an example in a violent world.    But it defies our understanding of "the good life" to understand that these deaths in such gruesome circumstances cast no aspersions on those who receive death in this way.  Christ died between two thieves, in a way meant for the worst of criminals, but those circumstances do not diminish Christ -- nor do the sordid circumstances in which John died say anything about John.  Rather these men suffer for the Kingdom, and pay the ultimate price for it.  Jesus Himself is the price for all of us out of this world of retribution and suffering and violence.  That is, He becomes life itself for all the faithful, the instrument of grace that lifts us out of the world of a sordid type of justice and into the Kingdom instead.  Worldly thinking allows us to taint the holy with violence, but the holy redeems everything and violence and evil cannot truly touch it.  John and Jesus serve a kingdom of everlasting life for each of us, even through their deaths; it is they who transfigure the world.  Let us not be deceived by the brutish and sordid and violent; evil is nothing.  This is one of the most powerful lessons we can learn; our lives are not cheapened by the world and its cruelties.  It is God who gives us our true purpose and value, our alliance with Christ that illumines all meaning and life.

He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

- Mark 6:1-13

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had crossed over the Sea of Galilee again to Capernaum, a great multitude gathered to Him; and he was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched his garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when he had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.   But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.   Jesus' own country is Nazareth in Galilee, the place where He was raised from childhood.   These are people in the synagogue who know His extended family.  (Brothers and sisters are terms frequently used for extended family and relatives such as cousins, nephews, and step-siblings both in Scripture and by custom in the Middle East.)   Their familiarity with Him and His "place" among them makes for a difficult adjustment to the reality of His ministry, and so they are offended at Him.  My study bible points out that the double response of being both astonished and offended happens frequently with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).   Jesus' rejection in his own country foreshadows the rejection by the whole Jewish nation at the trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  This saying by Jesus, that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house appears in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24, John 4:44).  Even Jesus marveled because of their unbelief.  The other occasion upon which we're told Jesus marveled is at the faith of the centurion (Matthew 8:10, Luke 7:9).

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.   Mark tells us that the twelve were sent out on this first apostolic journey two by two.  In Matthew's Gospel, the apostles' names are given in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled with whom (Matthew 10:1-4).  We note the careful humility with which they are to accomplish their mission, which Jesus spells out quite explicitly and deliberately.  To stay in one house until they depart means not to "trade up" for better lodgings as they are accepted in a place.  Any rejection is simply to be met by shaking off the dust under their feet as they depart from there, as a testimony against them.  To anoint the sick with oil has not merely medicinal value but also sacramental value, my study bible notes.   It says, "As God's healing power is bestowed through creation (5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14)."

It's interesting to note that Jesus marvels twice in the Gospels.  One incident is with the rejection of His townspeople in Nazareth.  The other is at the faith displayed by the foreigner, the centurion, when Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Matthew 8:10).  This word for marvel in the Greek has as its root the same word that's used in common modern language for "miracle."   (That He can do no mighty work due to the lack of faith in Nazareth is the Scriptural language for miracle.)  Marvel means in the context of the Scripture to cause amazement and wonder and astonishment.  That people marvel and wonder and are amazed is one thing.  But when Jesus Himself marvels we really have to be struck by this story.  How can the "knower of hearts" marvel?  What is it He is wondering at, this Creator who has assumed a fully human life and still remains divine?  He knows full well in advance that Judas plans to betray Him, He seems to know all that will happen, and a number of times we're told that He knows what is in men's hearts.  And so, why and how does He marvel at these times -- at the lack of faith of His townspeople in Nazareth, and at the great faith expressed by the centurion?   I'm certain that great theologians have pondered this question and perhaps have an answer that I am not aware of.  But to me this "amazing" phenomenon suggests that God knows each and every thing about us -- but that the great depth and mystery of faith is truly left  to something deep within us that answers with acceptance or rejection.  It almost seems as if the text is telling us that Jesus' incarnation as Messiah, this great cosmic mission that is at the center of all history, opens up revelations to amaze even the Creator Himself.  How human beings respond to the "God-man," Christ, becomes a revelation to all of Creation, and even to the Lord.  Oh, I am certain that in the fullness of the reality of the Trinity, all things are known; but nevertheless, human free will does indeed remain an intriguing mystery.  It is the boundary that God will not cross, for God does not compel us to love God.  Jesus' messianic mission as the Son who is both fully human and fully divine sets off sparks and ripples that continue to amaze, to create wonder, and, I personally imagine, to dazzle a universe via the human responses it creates and builds.  (Today's reading, after all, gives us the first apostolic mission, in which Christ's power is shared with those human beings whose faith is such that they grow from disciples to apostles.)  Jesus Himself said He didn't come to bring peace but a sword, and in this division between the faith of the centurion and the lack of faith of His townspeople, we can see what He's talking about.  So much depends upon just our response.  Can we overcome the "worldly" influence of familiarity or set ways of thinking or values we need to discard?  The centurion has himself been able to do so in having faith in Christ and Christ's power.  Jesus' fellow townspeople have not, and so His power does not work among them -- there is no human faith to connect with His power to heal.  Let us marvel as well at this tremendous mystery of both our creation and Creator -- the One who has given us so much contained within us, and who depends upon us to return His love.   God knows our hearts.  The question of faith asks us if we can "know" God.

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and he was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched his garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when he had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

- Mark 5:21-43

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus led the disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee, they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and he was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Jesus is once again back on "home ground" in Capernaum.  We can see the crowds that throng Him, and the renown that is His.   Even one of the rulers of the synagogue comes to Him when his daughter needs to be healed.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched his garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  This woman's story is full of pathos -- and quite literally so.   To write that she suffered many things from many physicians is literally in the Greek to use the word pathos, meaning both suffering and being afflicted.  In that sense, Christ, the One who will suffer, heals our afflictions and suffering.  And it is her faith in Him that heals her, as His own words remarkably testify to all.  Her connection with Him is made complete in her truthful confession.  Through her faith, her reconciliation to Christ, she is healed of her affliction.

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when he had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  Again, the emphasis here is on faith.  The words of the world are dismal:  "Your daughter is dead."  They tell Jairus he should not trouble the Teacher any further.  But Jesus gives him hope:  "Do not be afraid; only believe."  What we observe Jesus doing in this story is shoring up faith.  He takes only His closest disciples with Him, the ones who form the inner circle, who were present at the Transfiguration.  Those who wail and weep inside the house ridicule Christ and His statement that the child is sleeping.  He puts them all outside, while He takes only the parents and His three disciples. 

 There is a traditional spiritual interpretation of the story of the woman with the blood flow.  In it the woman is seen as symbolizing human nature in general.  As my study bible puts it, "Humanity is in constant suffering and subject to death, symbolized by the flow of blood."  The physicians who couldn't cure her stand for the various religions of the world, as well as the Old Testament Law, which were unable to grant life to humanity.  Through Christ we are freed from suffering and bondage to sin.  In another kinship between the story of this woman and of Christ Himself, we recall (as was alluded to above) Christ's own suffering and affliction.  His Passion is, in the same sense, a universal experience of humanity, freely shared by Christ as part of His fully human life.  And as the flow of blood is symbolic of death, we also are to remember His death and Resurrection, the transfiguring power of the Cross and of Christ's suffering.  In this sense, God has fully participated in our lives in this afflicted world, so that we may fully participate in God's life.  Jesus says as much when He tells Nicodemus, in John's Gospel, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  Ultimately, all suffering and affliction is contained in the life of Christ and particularly in His Passion -- suffering, death, and Resurrection.  And it is through His redemptive mission and voluntary death and suffering and Resurrection, that we may also find redemption in our lives.  We are enabled to participate in the energies of God's love through this saving power of God's life which has been given and lived for us.  It really does not matter what situation we find ourselves in, there the life of Christ awaits our attention and participation.  There is a way to rehabilitate our lives through the exchange of the life of "the world" -- that world of the negative voices that deny faith and ridicule Christ -- for the life of Christ.  But just as Christ went up upon the Cross, so we, too, have to take up our own crosses, and that is not an easy nor a simple thing to do.  It may involve sacrifice on our part.  Perhaps the outcome we wanted isn't really where God takes us, or what is truly best for the soul.  We must work to accept the outcome God has in mind, and give up the things we think we want.  Christ gave up His very life as Jesus; He went before us.  But He took on all the suffering and affliction of the world so that He can also take on what afflicts and causes us to suffer.  The power of the Cross is right there, but depends on our voluntary acceptance of His offer and His life for us.  Let us remember that He does everything to shore up faith in today's reading; faith is the crux that bears us forward.

He asked him, "What is your name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many"

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

- Mark 5:1-20

Yesterday we read that on the same day when He spoke of His parables, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.    Here is the "other side of the sea," the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee from the home base of the disciples.  This is strange country, indeed.  Here dwells a man who needs to live among the tombs, and even there he is out of control, uncivilized, untamable.  Even chains cannot hold him.  His destructive pattern extends also to self-destruction, as night and day he was both in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  He is, perhaps, a picture of life far away from the "civilizing" aspects of Mosaic Law, left to fend for himself against the afflictions of demons.   This country of the Gadarenes was still in Galilee, and is an area with many Gentiles living among the Jews.

When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.   The word worshiped is translated from a word that means literally to become prostrate toward someone, an attitude and position of worship.  Contained in the meanings of the word is the sense of kissing the ground of worship before the object of worship (It is indeed a word often used to mean "worship.")  However we wish to interpret this particular word, the conflict between what this man truly desires and what the demons want is clear.  The large herd of swine are evidence that those in this region are not Gentiles but rather apostate Jews, fitting in with the theme of a kind of abandonment of what is best for human beings or at least for "God's people."  The text would seem to indicate that for financial considerations, they've taken on swine-herding as a practice.  In this context, to send the demons into the swine is "fitting," as they are considered unclean animals in the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).   The name "Legion" gives us a further sense of oppression and occupation by enemy forces, the military might of the demons multiplied where God is not honored, as a Roman legion consisted of several thousand men.

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  Those who herd the swine care less about the value of this restored human being than they do about the value of their swine.  My study bible says that the fact that this man did not perish under the influence of the demons (for we know their destructive activity, as evidenced by the mass suicide of the swine), shows that he was still under God's protection.  It also tells us of the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.

One thing we can notice about today's reading is that Christ has a job for this man who's been tormented by the demons all this time.  His life was indeed, among the dead, so to speak -- as the one place he was fit to live was among the tombs.  Not only that, but as a Jew, he was in this place where other Jews had abandoned the Mosaic Law, and clearly preferred that Jesus leave because of the loss of their swine.  The apparent healing and restoration of this man meant much less in terms of sheer value.  I think it's important that we note that Jesus has good counsel for him, that he must go to the Decapolis (a region of Gentile influence, and mixed populations of Gentiles and Jews) and tell his friends there "what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."   He will testify, there is a new life before him, and not simply a return to the old.  He is one redeemed from this place of abandonment, of those who have abandoned their own faith practices, and who don't care about his well-being and welfare, but more so about the value of their swine.  We must read this story in the context of the Jews and Jewish practices, and not merely in terms of some kind of modern context of what foods or animals are considered to be clean.  We'd be wise to remember that St. Paul writes of Judgment, "For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel"  (Romans 2:12-16).  We would do well to remember that the Gospels were written during the times of the early Church, in which Gentiles were already participating.  The comparison here is between those who would abandon God in favor of their material good, and in so doing, abandon this human being and also reject Christ.  The message of the "civilizing" and restorative nature of the love of God is clear, as is the "incomparable value of human beings," as my study bible puts it.  We can respond to the holy with the type of fear shown by those who have lost their swine, or we can follow Christ, leave behind those with values that do not truly support human welfare, and find our places in His call for us.  This remains the choice before us, and we will find just such situations every single day around us, if we but look for them.  We are always faced with such a choice, even if history changes the context in which we see it.

Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?

 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" 

- Mark 4:35-41

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."   And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  And with many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"  Power over the elements is another sign of divinity at work, that Christ is divine.  At the same time, the fact that Christ needs sleep is a sign of His full humanity.  My study bible says that, as in this case with the disciples, God often permits difficulties into our lives in order to perfect and strengthen our faith.  The image of Christ and the disciples in the boat is a traditional illustration of the Church itself.  My study bible says that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see his protection more clearly.  Christ's rebuke of the storm is also an illustration of His calming the tempests in the human soul.

I'm always struck by the quality of this passage (and the one that will follow), how in some sense it is like the "adventures" in the Greek myths, such as that of Odysseus or Jason.  The disciples set off, following Christ's commands, across the sea.  This is the Sea of Galilee, which several of His disciples know very well as they are fishermen whose home is Capernaum in Galilee.  But this journey is different; here they are asked to cross the sea into strange territory, unfamiliar to them.  This, I find, is a kind of perfect parallel to the spiritual life, where God will lead us to growth of both our faith and thereby enhanced capacities for virtue, such as strength or courage.  It's an odd, sort of paradoxical reality, but the more we depend on God, the greater our capacity for manifesting the strengths that come with faith.  All tests and difficulties seem somehow "designed" so that such an outcome of greater faith and enhanced virtue -- particular that of courage or strength -- is possible.  Just like the apostles in today's reading, we may struggle through terrifying challenges, that ramp up our emotions and bring out even our deepest, most frightening fears and needs we think we have.  But through the work of God, we somehow come out the other side, with something more to us, a greater independence of "the world" and what we thought we needed, and a greater dependence upon God, upon Christ.  The world of psychology reveals that we may have deep-seated fears within us; today's reading teaches us that these are only human, part of the experience of human beings in the world.  But there is more, there is a faith that connects us with something deeper, bigger, transcendent -- and which runs through all things.  There is a thread which we need to follow, and Christ's words we need to reflect upon, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"   We mustn't forget that these disciples are on the journey of a lifetime.  Once they become His disciples, each new challenge will be a challenge to their faith.  One of them will succumb to his own disastrous impulses and betray Christ.  But the "adventure" that starts here is one that goes through their lifetimes.  Their struggles will become greater, and the rewards and outcomes also greater -- bigger than the lives of a handful of men from Galilee, including a few fishermen, could have conceivably become by worldly standards.  Yet, here it is, here is their fear, and Christ with them.  Let us remember this picture when we feel terrified if we are confronted with our deepest fears, and know that Christ is with us, and will see us to a different destiny than one we could imagine for ourselves, even through the challenges, even when everything else seems to let us down or abandon us.

To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." 

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

And with many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

- Mark 4:21-34

Yesterday we read that again Jesus began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And he said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that  'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"  And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit; some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."   This continues Jesus' teaching on the meanings of the parables, and the purpose of the parables (see yesterday's reading, just above).  My study bible says it's a call to attentive listening and discriminating response.  Jesus has been emphasizing the "spiritual ears" of the heart, and our understanding.  Here the indication is that we must not only hear but also hear properly.  The promise here is that more will be given to those who respond with open hearts.  These will grow in understanding.  My study bible quotes mark the Ascetic:  "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you." 

 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  This parable is found only in the Gospel of Mark.  Here, my study bible tells us, the kingdom refers to the whole span of God's dispensation or plan of salvation.  The man is Christ, and the seed is the gospel (as in the parable of the Sower, yesterday's reading, above).  In this reading of the parable, that the man sleeps indicates Christ's death, from which He will rise.   That the man does not know how the seed grows shows Christ does not manipulate man's response to the gospel, it notes, but rather each person is free to receive it and let it grow in his own heart.  The harvest is the Second Coming, when all will be judged on their reception of the gospel.  Of course, the parable bears resemblance to all levels of growth of the Kingdom; we can see in its illustration that of the Church, of groups of believers, as well as for individuals, and God's work of mercy through all things where the word is received.

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  According to Theophylact, the mustard seed represents the disciples -- who began as a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  As with all parables (and the previous one above), it can be read and applied to other levels of faith -- such as that which enters a person's soul and causes an inward growth of virtue.  My study bible says, "This soul will become god-like and can receive even angels."

And with many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.   What is hidden in the parables?  To unbelievers, they remain bewildering.  But to those with simple faith, as my study bible notes, these stories which use common images reveal truth in ways they can grasp, as they were able. 

What is quite interesting to note about today's reading is the emphasis on experience in Christ's teaching.  One may often note (as we did in yesterday's commentary) that Christ's healings and their effectiveness are often attributed -- by Christ Himself -- to the faith of those who  are healed or those who help.   There are times when Christ exclaims at the lack of faith, which renders holy power ineffective, such as in this passage, in which Jesus' exclamation, "faithless and perverse generation" is leveled at all present.  There must be a connection made between the holy power of God and the faith of human beings for its free action.   As noted in yesterday's reading, regarding what human beings may grasp in the parables and what they don't, God respects human free will.  In today's reading, we see the action of the Kingdom represented in these parables.  Even to grasp the meaning of the parables requires a certain level of faith, a sense in which one's heart is open to receive this word (and the Word).  With experience, the parables and Christ's words teach us, this depth of meaning grows.  In some sense, the full emphasis on experience is complete, as faith itself is a type of experience that helps us to grasp the images and examples in the parables that illustrate how faith works in us and among us.  This emphasis on experience means, as my study bible has noted above, that the knowledge here isn't of an esoteric type which is available only to those with formal learning and knowledge.  Rather, it is open to those whose hearts are open to Christ, who have an experience of faith, however little or great.  It is open to the heart which has "spiritual ears" open and listening.  That is why our faith isn't merely a moral code we may follow, or particular "principles" of behavior, or as simple as following a political party or not.   Jesus says, "With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  This may seem incredibly "unfair" by standards of common demands for equality.    How is it that some people, just by virtue of an internal disposition, receive the benefits of this Kingdom, and others do not?  But we can ask ourselves the same question about all kinds of things for which we must pay attention, or be disposed toward receiving or grasping.   Moreover, as each is a child of God, we are led to understand that the choice is made through the free will of each person -- at a depth within ourselves I find utterly mysterious.  This is why Jesus' explanations to His disciples are not at odds with which characterization of those who fail to grasp meaning.  What drives one person to seek this Kingdom and sell everything else in order to find it, while so many others would ignore its value?  This is a deeply mysterious question, and the parables -- and Jesus' use of them -- give us a hint that this phenomenon and how it works is known, understood, and accepted, and is "as old as the hills," as the expression goes.  Some will love God, and love Christ -- but the world will do as it does, and may be entirely blind to this Kingdom and its works.  All of this is freely acknowledged in our reading of the text and Jesus' words.  Neither should we be dismayed or shocked when we find the world so.  Rather, we pay deeper attention to the promptings of faith, to that mysterious silent language in the heart that keeps us urgently seeking the reality of this Kingdom, the "burning" in the heart that quickens as we hear spiritual truth and find it in Scripture.   If we may seem to be alone at times in doing so, let us understand these parables were given specifically to separate those who will passionately care from those for whom they mean little or nothing.  Let us be truly attentive to His word, as we are able.

Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And he said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that

'Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.'"

fAnd He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit; some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

- Mark 4:1-20

On Saturday, we read that after Jesus had chosen the twelve disciples (who would become His first apostles) they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so much that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."   So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house.   Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  If we review the recent events in the growth of Jesus' ministry, our main understanding is of its enormous and seemingly explosive growth.  Great crowds come to hear Him speak (so much so that He's afraid of being crushed by those who crowd in to simply touch Him), and the people come from Jewish communities from every region -- from Jerusalem and Judea, to Galilee, to Tyre and Sidon, and also from east of the Jordan.   He has also chosen the twelve disciples with whom He begins to share and invest His power.  It is at this point that He begins preaching in parables.  Parables were widely used and well-known before Jesus' use of them, but as the Word Himself, He is paramount in His use of the universal language of these simple stories that convey so much on so many levels, and continue to do so as one recalls them throughout a journey of faith.  They are images that are drawn from daily life in the world to "represent and communicate the deep things of God," my study bible says.  "Parables give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9)."  But parables are not obvious to everybody who hears them; they require discernment, a kind of listening with spiritual "ears to hear" (as Jesus will repeatedly emphasize with this phrase).  And, as my study bible notes, even then, not all will have the same degree of understanding.

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And he said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that  'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.'"  Jesus quotes from Isaiah (see Isaiah 6:9-10).  He makes it clear that parables are meant to draw those who want the things of the Kingdom, who wish to enter into its mysteries, and to leave the disinterested to their own devices, so to speak (see also Romans 1:24, 26).  It doesn't mean that God causes spiritual blindness in those who would otherwise be faithful.   God permits a self-chosen blindness.  My study bible says, "They did not become blind because God spoke through Isaiah, but rather Isaiah spoke because he foresaw their blindness."

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit; some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  It's interesting that Jesus first asks the disciples, "Do you not understand this parable?"  It is a question that teaches us that even among those destined to receive the greatest faith, it comes gradually or in fits and starts -- and also relies on the Holy Spirit, from whom more understanding will come after Pentecost.  In the powerful and mysterious ways in which parables are designed to work, we can also reflect that these men who as yet do not understand completely will be the ones who will bear the fruit Jesus speaks of here.   In the parable, Jesus reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower, foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.  We note the gradual picture of faith given by Christ, and the possibilities of falling away; faith is a lifetime journey, that always holds new challenges, new beginnings, and new opportunities, and struggles.

In another irony, and reflection of the text itself, we can see that although Jesus is speaking of Himself and revealing Himself as the Sower, or the Messiah, He is also speaking of these men to whom He reveals the contents of the parable.  They are those who will struggle through all things for their faith.  One will betray Him.  Many will bear tremendous fruits, and to varying degrees, as indicated in His explanation of the parable.  As is always the case with Christ, whatever He teaches, even if it is nominally about Himself -- as God, as Messiah, as Son of Man -- it also teaches His followers about themselves.  We could say that He, and the whole of Scripture, teaches us about ourselves.  He depicts our struggles, the life of faith, and the constant road that discipleship calls upon us to negotiate and to take.  All of these things in the parable:  the word snatched away by Satan, the stony ground that will hold no root, the thorns -- that represent the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in:  all of these things may be pitfalls on our own journey of faith, and a part of our own experience.  And there's another deep and reflective irony here as well:  it is faith that helps spur our understanding, something deep within us that makes a kind of connection to the life of Christ and the life of the Holy Spirit.  Just as Jesus attributes so many healings to the faith of the healed, so here healing and understanding, entering deeper into the mysteries of faith, are also clearly connected.  In fact, the translations of the quotation Jesus uses from Isaiah read alternatively, "Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them," and "Lest they should turn, And I should heal them."   The tie between understanding and the reception of the Kingdom is not one that is purely intellectual or obscure, but it's a reflection of the presence of the Kingdom.  There is a kind of synergy, a human-divine connection, that is responsible for this understanding, this faith, and the reality of the life of the Kingdom.  God may do the work, but it cannot happen without something deeply inside of ourselves which accepts and desires this presence and participation in the Kingdom.  This is a great mystery, but one the parables are designed to open up within us.  Let us take it to heart that Christ speaks of the spiritual life as a struggle, and remember that the journey of faith isn't a one-time simple answer, but one that sees us and makes a kind of dividing line through all things, whose center is in the heart.  Our free will means God will accept our choice for blindness and deafness, but faith and hope mean God's offer is always there.  He who has ears to hear, let Him hear the word.

Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother

 And they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so much that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."   So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house. 

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

- Mark 3:19b-35

Yesterday we read that after the Pharisees began to plot with the Herodians against Him,  Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

And they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so much that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."   Here is a response to Jesus' fame; it is unseemly, in some sense, to His extended family.  And there is also the hostility of the rulers in Galilee which must alarm them -- and now His ministry is far beyond Galilee, across all communities of the Jews.  For the most part, they cannot understand Him or His ministry (see also John 7:1-9).

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."   So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house."  Beelzebub, or Baal, was the prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies," a scathing term used by the Jews for a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).   Here the scribes call this god the ruler of the demons.  Jesus speaks of individuals and factions fighting one another in a kingdom.  My study bible says that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  We note that until now they Pharisees were plotting with the Herodians (those who support Herod, ruler of Galilee) against Him; now the scribes come from Jerusalem to attack Him.   Christ, as liberator, can bind Satan the "strong man." 

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."   Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, my study bible says, is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  To sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But they know the divine activity of the Holy Spirit from the Scriptures.  This will not be forgiven because it comes from a willful hardness of heart, and a refusal to accept God's mercy.    My study bible goes on to say that the Fathers of the Church state clearly that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin," nor does Jesus ever call it "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, such blasphemy would be forgiven if a person repented of it.  Jesus makes such a declaration knowing that those who are blaspheming the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that they are beyond repentance by their own choice.

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."  Jesus' relatives haven't yet understood His identity and mission, according to my study bible.  But more importantly, Christ -- as His ministry is expanding -- is pointing to another type of family, that based on a spiritual unity in obedience to the will of God.  He doesn't condemn His family nor is He putting them down in some sense; rather He is affirming the communion of those who love God.  Here it should be noted also that brother in the traditional usage in the Middle East (and indeed, in Scripture) can refer to a number of extended relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of Elimelech, his cousin, as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (1 Kings 20:9).   Since Mary had one child, Jesus, it is assumed here that these brothers are either step-brothers (sons of Joseph from an earlier marriage, as he was an older man when Mary was betrothed to him); or they are cousins.  At the Cross, Jesus commits His mother to the care of John His disciple (John 19:25-27).  This would be unthinkable in their culture if Mary had other children to care for her.   And indeed, such an act itself affirms Jesus' discussion of family as union in spiritual reality.

As Jesus' ministry and fame expands, so does the understanding He gives of what the Kingdom entails.  There are those outside of it, and those inside of it.  Every unity is based upon the will of God, and those who seek to do and live this will.  The active will of God in the world is the Holy Spirit -- the pure, active living mercy of God at work in the Person of the Spirit.  To love the Spirit is to embrace the family that Christ calls us to.  To call the Spirit's work somehow evil is to truly blaspheme against God, to commit a type of sin that is the most serious Jesus will ever name.   His teachings in this regard speak to us of a type of perception it is important to honor, to cultivate, and to understand.  How can we know the active love and mercy of God at work?  It is this to which He calls our attention and asks our focus.  This is the goal for which all of our worship practices orient us.  It is the purpose of constant prayer; indeed, even of studying the Scriptures.  And if we but think about it in the context of today's passage, this is the true goal for which the scribes and Pharisees endlessly study Scripture, and somehow they have missed it.  They call Jesus' work in the world the work of demons.  They claim He heals and casts out demons by the power of Satan, of Beelzebub, the "ruler of the demons."  In their jealousy and envy, their rivalry to Christ, it is they who resemble the world of demons -- their irrationality gives us a clue to that.  There is no logic and no sense to what they say and the accusations they make against Him.  Somehow it is among them that the center cannot hold, so to speak, and truth is nowhere to be found.  They are blind even to the good He is doing.  We go back to His question to them in Thursday's reading, which they refused to answer, but met in stony silence:  "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"   Where is the love of God, the embrace of the work of the Holy Spirit?  It is this question we must constantly ask ourselves in today's world, in which we are bombarded with messages about what is "correct" and what is not.  We can look around ourselves, and in our world, and see what does good and what does evil, what saves life and what kills -- what needlessly divides and makes false accusation only to serve material power.  We must constantly be on our guard about the same deceptions, perhaps magnified in greater strength by the destructive power modern methods of rule allow, such as weapons and telecommunications and the spread of falsehoods upon which people are encouraged to act.  Oh yes, we live in a modern world with the same temptations, perhaps even magnified, but Christ still stands in the middle of it.  He still calls us to the unity of family in the Holy Spirit, in the love of God and seeking to do God's will above all else.  Beyond that, He still calls us, as good servants, to discernment, and to understand of every would-be prophet, any wolf in sheep's clothing, that by their fruits you shall know them.  We are called to be His ever-watchful and alert servants -- and to truly know Whom it is we serve.

The unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. 

- Mark 3:7-19a

Yesterday we read that it happened that Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  Jesus withdrew because the Pharisees and Herodians (of Galilee) are plotting against Him.  We get a taste of His fame, which is now also in Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, all to the south of Galilee.  But also those from Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region north of Galilee, come to Him.  There are so many people crowding round that Jesus must have a boat ready in case He should be crushed by the crowd, as simply touching Him is seen as healing.  Once again, although the authorities are plotting against Him, and He continues to spread His ministry to obviously great public acclaim, it is not the time to reveal His messianic identity; thus He forbids the spirits to speak.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.   We get a sense of the unfolding of Jesus' ministry.  There are so many coming to Him, and His fame has spread throughout the regions of Jewish communities.  He appoints twelve in order to distribute and share His power -- to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  The names of the disciples aren't the same on all lists in the Gospels, as many people had more than one name.  Judas is always referred to as the one who betrayed Him, reminding us that the Gospels are written with the perspective given after Pentecost. 

Mark's gospel moves very quickly.  It is the shortest of the Gospels.  But it gives us a sense of the important "scenes" of Jesus' ministry, giving us a perspective on its significant events and how it unfolds.  Jesus' fame spreads very quickly.  As hostility to His ministry begins among the authorities, so grows His greater fame, and so spreads the word about Him to all regions of Jewish communities.   It's at this turning point that the twelve are appointed.  It's very significant that Jesus' power is shared, because it gives us a sense of His authority, His central place and divine identity.  It's important to note how Jesus goes about His ministry.  He doesn't wait for others to approve, He doesn't explain His identity as Messiah.  He preaches the Kingdom, as He's been sent to do.  He goes where God the Father has sent Him to go.  He heals and He casts out demons.  He uses His divine power.  But He never explains His messianic identity, and in fact He forbids the unclean spirits from identifying Him.  We've repeatedly discussed, in this blog, the reasons for such secrecy and lack of fanfare about His identity:  the hostility of the leadership, the people's misunderstanding and false expectations of the Messiah as political leader, and the importance of genuine faith that is not coerced in any way.  But Jesus is also teaching us clearly about living the Kingdom, the life of the holy.  He just does it.  He lives it.  He doesn't wait for the world to accept Him first.  He doesn't try to convince everyone He's "right."  He doesn't even explain His actions.  And, at least until the end of His ministry, when the authorities grow hostile in one place, He simply moves forward to the other places He must go.   Understanding will come via faith to those who can accept His ministry.  When accused, He will loyally defend His followers, His disciples and John the Baptist.  And He will stand up for Himself when it comes time to spar with the leadership.  But He makes no prior justification of why His ministry will unfold as it does, and no excuses.  It teaches us a lesson about the life of the Kingdom.  Is there something that needs doing?  Are you called to study Scripture?  Is there an impulse for prayer?  Does God ask you to live a certain way?  Christ is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, but He calls each one of us to also be good servants, to respond as His servants to what is necessary.  He doesn't ask us to wait for the world to accept our beliefs, or to convince everyone else we're "right," nor to expect that everybody will approve.  He calls us to live the life of the Kingdom, as His servants, as His friends, alert for where and how we can simply do so.  There is no great ideological struggle we need to engage in -- but there is a truth at work, the truth of the mercy and love of God, which we seek to serve, for He is the Person who is Truth.  If we are to be like Him, we live like Him, and we serve His truth.  In this way we express His life in the world, and participate in His life as He asks us to.  This is what is truly necessary -- not useless debate and fruitless argument.  Let us be alert and ready and wakeful servants, responding quickly to His call -- and learn from Him.