Then He spoke many things to them in parables

 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up and because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 13:1-9

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His confrontation with the Pharisees (who accused Him of casting out demons by the power of demons, and then later asked Him for a sign of His identity as Christ):  "When an unclean spirit spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up and because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Jesus begins speaking in parables, and at this point in Matthew's Gospel, we are given the parable that explains it all.  My study bible says that in the Old Testament, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Psalm 126:5, Jeremiah 31:27-30, Hosea 2:21-23, Joel 3:12-14), as this was a part of daily life.  Here, Jesus reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower in the earth, who had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.

Chapter 13 gives us the beginning of Jesus' preaching in parables.  We can ask ourselves why He develops this style of preaching at this point.  Certain significant things have happened.  The confrontation with the Pharisees (see the past three readings) has cemented their decision to be rid of Him.  It's clear that their hostility to Him will simply continue.  His break with them is also clear, as His response is simply to support and defend His ministry, and to scathingly tell them that "an evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign."  His own forecast of their future response to Him is clear in yesterday's reading, above, when He speaks of the unclean spirit that goes out and finds seven others, more wicked than himself, to dwell where he was first.  Things will go from bad to worse.  This deepening crisis of division between Himself and the religious leadership is the backdrop to today's reading, in which great multitudes are gathered to hear Him.  This will be another thorn in the side of the leadership.  Jesus' popularity is like that of a modern day pop star.  He has to get into a boat to preach to the people on the shore.  He's looking for "a few good men," as the expression goes.   He says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  His preaching in parables is designed to engage those whose hearts respond, and wish to find more.  He's not going to spell it out, except to the disciples in private.  He's not there for debate or argument.  His words are the seeds that fall where they fall; it's up to us what kind of ground they fall on.  The parable indicates to us that not every word falls on good ground.  They tell us of Jesus' awareness that all will not simply come to faith.  Neither will He compel anyone to that faith.  At this point, before reading the explanations Jesus gives to the disciples, what do we think of this parable?  What do the birds who pluck the seeds represent to us?  What does "stony" and "shallow" ground constitute to you?  How does it feel to be scorched by the sun, in the brilliant light of day?  What are the thorns that choke life before it can take hold?  All these things tell us something -- and more than something.  Over the course of a life they may come to have more meaning. With experience they take on tones that reflect what we've been through or seen.  We learn the importance of depth of rootedness in a time of great challenge.  We learn what it means to nurture faith, and why that is important.  We cultivate something in life for a reason.  Jesus leaves it up to us to respond, to take responsibility for what we hear.  What is it that you hear today?

When an unclean spirit spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none

 "When an unclean spirit spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

- Matthew 12:43-50

On Saturday we read that Jesus told the Pharisees (who had accused Him of casting out demons by the power of the ruler of the demons), "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 "When an unclean spirit spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  Jesus has just given His sternest words for the Pharisees who've blasphemed the work of the Spirit, accusing Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub (in these passages in Matthew called the "ruler of the demons").  Here is an even stronger warning.  My study bible tells us that when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, they did not repent of their impure ways, and an unclean spirit took up residence in their hearts (Deuteronomy 31:20; Psalm 105:34-39).  Therefore we must guard our hearts.  Unless there is full repentance and the Holy Spirit dwells in a person, an expelled demon will return with others and reoccupy its abode.  Once again (as in Saturday's reading, above) we have a powerful irony.  It's the Pharisees who've just accused Jesus of using demonic power.   After He defended Himself, they demanded a sign to prove that He's the Christ.  Again, that demand received strong dismissal and condemnation from Jesus.  Here, He warns them that even if they repent of their particular accusation now, without a true change of heart, they will simply continue down the same bad road, becoming worse than their current state.

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."  My study bible says that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  He points to a spiritual family based on obedience to the will of My Father.  It also notes that in Jewish usage the term brother can indicate any number of relationships.  (This remains so in common language across the Middle East.)  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  Mary had but one Son:  Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here are either stepbrothers, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, or cousins.  As Jesus submits His mother to the care of John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), we must consider this in context of the society of the time.  It would be unthinkable if Mary had had other children to care for her.

Jesus' teaching to the Pharisees is interesting, because it indicates that repentance isn't just a "one-time" action.  We may repent of particular behaviors or incidents in our lives, and this is not to suggest that we must dwell on them.  Rather, repentance (which means literally "change of mind" in the translation of the Greek word metanoia) is something that is greater than a one-time change of heart.  It's an ongoing state of mind, a continual process at work within us.  That is, Jesus' words, as they do elsewhere, indicate that we are on a road going somewhere, that faith is a journey, not a one-time decision.  Jesus has given us the prayer to Our Father, in which we pray, "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  In us, the work that affirms this petition is ongoing, daily, just as we pray daily.  To guard the heart is to be alert to our purpose and commitment, to live our faith even to the point of being aware of our thoughts, our considerations, and actively seeking that will and the work of the kingdom in all things that come to us.  Jesus' words to the Pharisees remind us that life isn't about a one-time decision.  Rather, faith takes work, we're on a pathway somewhere, on a journey, and awareness and mindfulness are called from us about who we are and what our lives are about.  He takes this a step further when He proclaims that His mother and brothers are among His disciples, that "whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."  This isn't to dismiss His family nor to be disrespectful to them, but to proclaim the reality of the Kingdom, and the relatedness of all those who participate in this active work of faith, of seeking and doing "the will of My Father in heaven.'  When Jesus teaches, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," He's given us similar instruction.  The word translated as "way" is a word that means "road" in Greek.  This "way" is a pathway, a lane, a road, a street.  It is an ongoing route which we're always in the midst of, and in which we're always going to make choices as to direction.  Jesus' warnings to the Pharisees about ongoing choices teach us about our faith and what it asks of us.  Like a commitment in marriage, it's not about one day and one choice or declaration, but an active commitment that takes daily work and awareness.  It continually needs shoring up, protection, and the effort that the goal of whole-heartedness asks of us.  It's the fullness of the "life" and "truth" He is and offers, and we are invited in with whole heart as active participant.  This is the real work of faith. 

Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things?

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

- Matthew 12:33-42

Yesterday we read that one was brought to Christ who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!"   Here Jesus evokes the same thoughts spoken earlier by John the Baptist, also referring to the judgment to come.  In chapter 3, John called the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him for baptism, "Brood of vipers!"    He commanded them, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance," and warned that "even now the ax is laid to the root of the  trees."  He told them, "Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."   Brood means "children."  To be called brood of vipers is to suggest their deception and malice.  In contradistinction to their accusation that Jesus casts out demons by the power of the ruler of demons (see yesterday's reading, above),  brood of vipers also indicates that these religious leaders are under the direction of Satan.

"How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  In Scripture, my study bible says, the heart refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, and the place from which spiritual life proceeds.  It says that when God's grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts.  On the other hand, however, when malice and evil capture the heart, one becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion.   Although these men think nothing of using their power as religious leaders to make any accusation they choose, Jesus warns them that for every idle word men may speak there will be required an account of it in the day of judgment.  In the strongest terms possible, Jesus teaches us that our words matter.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."   Jesus has already provided many signs of the presence of the Kingdom.  But the Pharisees, my study bible tells us, show their wickedness by demanding yet another sign as "proof" of His identity.   Jesus doesn't cater to those who demand a sign out of wicked intent.  In His response, He indicates that the only sign to them will be His Passion and Resurrection.

 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  By calling them adulterous, Jesus is using the language of the Old Testament prophets for Israel when Israel was unfaithful to God (Jeremiah 2; Hosea 2:2-13).  Once again, there's an irony here, as it is the Pharisees who've just suggested that Jesus casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub.  In the Old Testament, it was Elijah who scathingly condemned King Ahaziah for seeking the word of Beelzebub rather than the God of Israel (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Jesus cites examples of foreigners from the Old Testament who revered the word and works of the God of Israel, saying that in the judgment they will rise up in condemnation of this generation of Israel's leadership (see Jonah 3, 1 Kings 10:1-13).

Jesus teaches us that our words are important.  They mean something.  Often we hear "idle words" all around us that are full of venom, suggesting to us that brood of vipers isn't a concept so very far away at all from what we know.  We see around us, and experience it vividly through social media of all types, a kind of sea of disruption and disregard.  Divisiveness seems to permeate society more greatly than in the past.  As old types of cohesive forces shrink, the things that divide us become stronger.  In the United States, studies have shown a greater and greater polarization based on political outlook, and more specifically, political party, over the past several decades.  While racial and ethnic divides, religious affiliations, and other traditional forms of "belonging" are less strong than in the past, a deeper prejudice and suspicion of those in "the other party" has grown.  We are increasingly likely to live in areas segregated by political affiliation, and we see outright hostility toward "the political other" in many ways.  There are other forms of expression of deepening hostility that are equally troubling, particularly when they take on forms of bullying, which can happen over any issue when one person becomes a target and is deliberately isolated from others.  When we think of Christ's teaching here, that we will give an account of "every idle word" in judgment, it should pull us up short and cause us to pay attention.  If "by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned," then how much more should we pay attention to what we say, and take our own words more seriously than we do?  Jesus is speaking to the men who condemn Him, who blaspheme the work of the Holy Spirit, but how can we shrug off condemning and judgmental words that come out of our own mouths?  How can we not look around and see slander and heartbreak as a result of casual words that are full of hate or malice?  If this becomes the substance of our social conversation, Jesus' words warn us, then what are we inviting into our society?  It's not an accident that in yesterday's reading, Jesus' words to the Pharisees warn, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  In the Greek, the emphasis on gathers and scatters is prominent.  To gather is "synagon," to scatter is "skorpizei."  Both words are spiritually suggestive.  One suggests the "synagogue" where people gather to worship the God of Israel.  The other suggests "scorpion" (and is related linguistically because of the nature of its "piercing" tail), an animal used often as metaphor for a devil.  "Diabolos," the word for devil in Greek, means to slander or backbite.  But it's compounded from words that mean to "cast through" -- to sever relationships.   These words suggest to us what evil is and does:  it traduces people and destroys relationships with slander and malice.  In this reading from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compares hostile, abusive language to the statute against murder.  Idle words, those used carelessly and thoughtlessly, and that do tremendous harm, are not simply things to dismiss.   They work against the goals of the good, against what "gathers."  Jesus' words in today's reading are anything but "idle."  He gives us warning on the strongest possible terms, that if we don't watch what we do and say, even in a supposedly meaningless internet conversation, let's say, then we may find ourselves as those cast out -- regardless of what other affiliations we may claim for ourselves.  Let us consider the power of words and what they indicate about the heart.  It's never too late to start to pay attention, to give an account sooner rather than later.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

- Matthew 12:22-32

Yesterday we read that when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had begun plotting how they might destroy Him,  He withdrew from there (see Wednesday's reading).  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust."

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Once again we observe Jesus performing the signs expected in the time of the Messiah, and so the people ask, "Could this be the Son of David?"

Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  Beelzebub was the name used by the Jews to ridicule a god (Baal) worshiped by the Philistines.  It means the prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies" (see 2 Kings 1:2-16).  Here, he is called the ruler of the demons.  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.  Jesus puts it very succinctly and in a clear picture:  He is the stronger man.  Satan may be strong, but Jesus is the stronger.  So much so, that His statement about Himself is absolute:  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  This is a statement not only about power, but also about the centrality of His Lordship.  He is the One around whom all others will either gather or scatter.

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."  Here Jesus invokes the Trinity.  His earlier words speak of Himself as the One around whom all either gather with Him or scatter in separation.  But surprisingly, in this next sentence, He speaks of the Holy Spirit.  He has already taught (in the previous chapter of Matthew), "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Where one of the Trinity is, so are the others.  My study bible says that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit; that is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  It says that a sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity they know already (especially the Pharisees) from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven because it comes from a willful hardness of heart.  It is, in fact, a refusal to accept God's mercy.  The Fathers of the Church, my study bible adds, are clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable" sin; nor does Jesus call it "unforgivable."  St. John Chrysostom tells us that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Jesus makes such a declaration, my study bible adds, knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and are beyond repentance by their own choice.

Just prior to today's passage, we read the words from Isaiah (in yesterday's reading, above) which are applied to Christ.  He is the Servant who will suffer for us in His service.  In yesterday's post we noted that my study bible says the Servant of Isaiah applies not only to Christ, but also to all who follow Him.  What we read in today's reading gives us an idea of the graciousness of God, of Christ Himself.  First He makes succinct and clear statements declaring His greater power than Satan.  So much so, that His power is not merely greater than a "strong man" (Satan), but His power is central to all that is:  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  But in the very next sentence, Jesus speaks not of Himself personally and His personal power, but rather of the work of the Spirit.  He makes this doubly clear when He says that "anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."   As the human Jesus, a figure all are coming to know, He may be criticized.  But that which comes from what they know to be divine, the work of the Holy Spirit (Who proceeds from the Father -- see John 14:16, 26; 15:26), is another matter.  Jesus introduces into the text the ties between Father, Son, and Spirit.   What is truly blasphemous is that which will profane the work of God the Trinity in the world.  Ironically, it is the Pharisees who will bring charges of blasphemy upon Jesus, for which the Sanhedrin will declare He should be put to death.  Throughout Matthew's Gospel, we have been reminded of the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' life and ministry:  He is born of Mary by the power of the Spirit, John the Baptist declares that He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, and then later sees the Spirit resting upon Jesus at His baptism (1:18, 1:20, 3:11, 3:16).  It is the Holy Spirit who sends Jesus to the wilderness to be tested and tempted (4:1).  In the prophecy of Isaiah, from yesterday's reading above, it is declared of Christ, "I will put My Spirit upon Him."   The Holy Spirit has been present and at work all along in the Gospel, as the Spirit has been at work within the salvation history given to us in the Old Testament Scriptures.  Jesus reminds the Pharisees what they are dealing with, warning them about blasphemy themselves.  In the realm of the powers in use here, there is the truly strong, and it has been so throughout the tradition by which their "sons" also practice exorcism.  Jesus gives us a stark image to remind us of the powers that lie beyond the world and are also at work in the world.  He invites us in the strongest terms to make a choice, reminding us once again that we will serve one thing or another -- wittingly or unwittingly.  We should consider the choice regarding who or what we serve to be the most important one we make.  We remember that later He will teach that the Holy Spirit will be our Helper, sent to us in our own journey of discipleship and service.

Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!

 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
And in His name Gentiles will trust."

- Matthew 12:15-21

Yesterday we read that Jesus went through the grainfields on a Sabbath.  And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"  But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."  Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.  And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.  And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?  Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."  Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust."  At this point, the Pharisees are plotting how they might destroy Jesus.  My study bible says that our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Among the reasons for His secrecy are:  the growing hostility of the religious leadership, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as a worldly political leader, and Christ's desire to evoke genuine faith that is not based solely on marvelous signs.  The Servant of Isaiah ("My Servant whom I have chosen," verse 18 of today's passage) refers first to Christ, and by extension all who follow Him, my study bible tells us. 

What does it mean to be a servant?  In all things, we have seen that Jesus defers to the will of His Father in heaven.  He teaches us to do likewise.  In the one prayer He has given us, we are taught to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  This is the first petition of the prayer, a kind of prime orientation for all of His ministry, and for what we understand that we wish to serve with our own lives.  As my study bible says, the Servant of Isaiah refers first to Christ, but also by extension to all who follow Him.  Christ places tremendous emphasis on service, on being a good servant.  He will instruct the disciples repeatedly on the importance of being a good servant.  When the disciples dispute among themselves about who will be greatest in the Kingdom from among them, Jesus tells them, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (20:25-28).   He will repeat this teaching in chapter 23:  "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (23:11-12).  He will give them parables about good servants and bad servants (see 18:21-35, 24:45-51, 25:14-30).  He will give examples in still other parables of those who serve faithfully and suffer or lose their lives for it, in this parable for example.  Throughout Matthew's Gospel, Jesus will give us examples of servants as positive models for what a good disciple must be, and as the example He will set Himself, especially in His death on the Cross.  It is this supreme act of service that creates redemption for a universe, a way of life that saves and heals and redeems our own suffering in life.  It is His act of service that separates for us what is essential and what is not essential; it is this act of service that destroys death by death, gives us life, and helps us to see the transcendence possible in any situation we face in life.  Jesus' service is one done with compassion and mercy, but it is also one done to uphold the highest standards of meaning and dignity.  It brings us true goodness, and gives us the gift of joy in its fullness.  All these ways are given to us to teach us about what it means to be a servant, His way, and to follow in His footsteps.  In the modern world, we don't put much stock in service or servitude.  We tend to exalt or admire those who set their own paths, create their own businesses, a sort of independent personal glory, claiming something for oneself.  But service reminds us that we are not creatures who create like God does, out of nothing.  Whatever we perceive from the world as good, whatever we wish to imitate or follow, the things we find around ourselves from which we learn all become somehow things that we serve.  An idea, a person we admire, even the bad or false teachings we may mistakenly follow for a time, all of these things become things we serve.  Our very natures create in us an attitude of service to things we may never think twice about, to ideas we don't necessarily examine well, to assumptions and assertions we never question nor possibly even become aware of within ourselves.   Human beings serve all kinds of things all the time.  What He is asking of us is that we become consciously aware of what we serve and how we serve -- that we begin to understand what it is to dedicate ourselves to the highest good and to serve that which will in turn reward us with good.  We deceive ourselves with thoughts of absolute independence, rather than understanding the discernment, discipline, and dedication Jesus advocates as that which will put us in right relationship with God, with the world, with our own well-being in a wholistic sense of who we are as human beings.  Let us consider that He knows our nature better than we do.  Let us find the way to be good servants, and accept His way as His disciples.  It is the wisdom and the love He gives us that teaches and leads the way, for our joy.

Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.  And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"  But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.  And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.  And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?  Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."  Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

- Matthew 12:1-14

Yesterday we read that Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father.  Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath.  And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"  This is a very rigid kind of legalism that the Pharisees express.  The Law allowed for plucking a few heads of grain in a neighbor's field (Deuteronomy 23:25).  But the Pharisees accuse Jesus' disciples of "reaping" which is unlawful on the Sabbath.  In recent readings, it has become clear that the leadership is not only now critical of John the Baptist, but is in the process of rejection of Jesus and His ministry as well.  Perhaps they are looking for things by which they might further accuse His ministry.

"But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?"   Jesus provides Old Testament examples of blameless "violations" of the Sabbath.  He demonstrates that the law is not absolute over human need or service to God, my study bible tells us.  The partaking of the showbread by David and his men (1 Samuel 21:5-7) prefigures the Eucharist -- which in the Old Testament was forbidden to anyone except the priests, but in Christ is given to all the faithful.

"Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."   Jesus goes forward in His arguments with the Pharisees, asserting that the Author of the Law is Lord over all of it.  As Lord, my study bible says, He teaches that mercy takes precedence over regulations, ordinances, and ritualistic observances.

Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.  And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.  And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" -- that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?  Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."  Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.   Here is an immediate example where the exceedingly rigorous application of the law leads to contradiction.  The law allowed for the saving of the endangered life of an animal (property) on the Sabbath, and yet the Pharisees will seek to criticize Jesus for healing a man.  Once again, we observe Jesus assertively challenging the Pharisees on this point of the mercy that must be a part of those who honor the Lord:  "Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."   But the Pharisees respond to this direct challenge with a more determined effort to destroy Him. 

Jesus' championing of the law of mercy becomes a point of contention for which He will eventually give His life.  Jesus speaks frequently of the use of power and authority as that which must be in service to all, especially within the framework of believers and those who follow Him in discipleship.  But in readings that describe events like the ones in today's Gospel passage, we see Jesus using power and authority in a decisive and assertive way.  In defense of the principle of mercy, Jesus is unstinting in His criticism of the leadership that refuses to serve mercy with its application of Law.  In that sense, they refuse both the Author of the Law (the Lord) and the Son of Man (His name for Himself as Messiah).  He will vigorously defend His disciples against false criticism, just as over the past few readings we have also read His defense of John the Baptist (see Saturday's reading) and also of His own ministry (Monday's reading).  Here in today's reading, Jesus "goes to the mat," so to speak, in defense of the will of the Lord, in which the fullness of justice includes mercy.  When He states that there is One greater than the temple, He clearly speaks of "the Lord" the Pharisees know from Scripture, but He is also speaking of Himself as Lord Incarnate.  In this role He proclaims mercy, and reminds the Pharisees (for the second time in Matthew's Gospel) that "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6).  They can speak all they want to of regulation and rules built up around the Law, but nothing can supersede the aim and goal of the Law, which is the manifestation of God's love and will for good for human beings. Ultimately, both the Law and Jesus' ministry aim for healing.  That is, healing on many levels:  healing of individual and of community.  Without mercy, the message comes to us, there is no healing.  Mercy comes to us in many forms.  Forgiveness comes to mind as something that heals community and individuals, relationships outside of oneself and the soul within as well.  The practice of mercy is a form of God-likeness.  It does not contravene justice nor is it meant to; rather, mercy completes justice.  Without it, Jesus shows us in today's teaching, real justice, real righteousness, real healing, does not happen.  Let us take His teaching to heart and understand that He has already told us He is our physician.  In a reading from chapter 9, He replied to the critical Pharisees, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means:  'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."  His is the fullness of the Law and its aim, and remains so for us today.   Jesus finds what needs healing, and this is why we turn to Him for our ailments at all times.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls

 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father.  Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

- Matthew 11:25-30

In Friday's reading, John the Baptist's disciples had come to Jesus with a message from John (who is in prison).  After John's disciples had departed, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John, vigorously defending him (Saturday's reading).  In yesterday's reading, He continued His criticism, both against those who now judge John and those who fail to acknowledge Jesus' ministry, particularly among the leadership:   "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by her children."  Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes."  My study bible cites Blessed Theophylact, who comments that God has hidden the mysteries from the wise of the world, not out of malice toward God's creatures, but because of their own unworthiness.  It was they who chose to trust their own fallen wisdom and judgment rather than God.  Moreover, it is out of love, my study bible says, that God withholds this revelation from those who would scorn it so that they do not receive an even greater condemnation.  (See yesterday's reading, above, and Jesus' pronouncement about judgment upon those who witnessed mighty works and still rejected His ministry.)  

"Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father.  Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Jesus attributes all things in the surprising unfolding of this ministry to God the Father.  There is a particular relationship here that expresses our faith and that which will infuse the Creed and Councils to come in the centuries that follow.  Jesus states His direct relationship to the Father, but also how revelation works to human beings. 

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."  My study bible notes that Jesus' yoke is submission to the Kingdom of God.  A yoke could be seen as a sign of hardship, burdens, and responsibilities, it notes (1 Kings 12:1-11, Jeremiah 27:1-15).  But in Christ, the yoke is easy, because the power of God works in each person.  Moreover, the reward is infinitely greater than any effort human beings make.  The Greek word translated as gentle means power or strength under control, without undue harshness.  To be lowly in heart means to have a humble heart.  The same word is also translated as "meek" in 5:5:  "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." 

 It's my belief that notions of courtesy and "gentleness" (as in a gentleman or gentle lady) come to us from the life of Christ and His teachings.  Or perhaps one might say that He sets an example to aspire to imitate.  This word in Greek that is translated as "gentle" or "meek" means, as noted above, a type of strength under control, one who does not lose his temper nor act with undue harshness.  This is in great contrast to the examples of power or "lordship" in Jesus' time, particularly in the great kings and rulers of the world.  He Himself notes the contrast between the power and authority of His Kingdom and that of worldly kingdoms, when He tells the disciples, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (20:25-28).   Throughout the reading of the Gospels, and over the time of His ministry and preaching, Jesus "fleshes out" for us what it means to be meek and lowly of heart, to be gentle on His terms, to possess the kind of authority and strength that is of the Kingdom.  He lives the life He wishes to show us, from the beginning and to His death on the Cross.  He gives us an image of what that means.  To be humble and meek ultimately means that one serves God just as Jesus sets the example of total loyalty to the Father, a complete and powerful faith -- where even in the midst of rejection and what He knows is coming in His ministry, He accepts it all as given by the Father.  His is a "strength under control."  While He criticizes deeply those who reject both John the Baptist and Himself, and indicates the depth of judgment to come (especially regarding those who know better), His is the type of image we endeavor to follow, of strength under control.  He will do what He is commanded to do, to the death that awaits Him, for the greater good and the salvation of all.  The paradox here is that this understanding is given to the meek and humble, to "babes" rather than those given titles of understanding and education and knowledge of the Scriptures.  The wise and prudent have failed to grasp this ministry, and the knowledge they would possess is revealed to those who are like "little children" in their lack of formal education.  The Kingdom reaches where it will reach, and all is in the hand of the Father, and the Son who knows the Father, and those to whom the Son desires to reveal His Kingdom and His work.  The depth here is in the revelation of humility as the key to this Kingdom.  He seeks those who have the humility to serve His authority,  those who are like Him, "lowly of heart" and willing to live the kind of meekness He teaches.  This will inform the monastics to come, those whose discipline (as "disciples" or "learners") is to attain the heart that is capable of receiving Christ and that which Christ wishes to reveal to His children.  Let us remember, in this world of vast social media and the pressures it brings to us, what true strength is in Christ's sight, and how far humility goes to take us into the Kingdom.  Those proclaimed the "wise and prudent" of the age remain with us, and His easy yoke remains for those who know the value of the One who is gentle and lowly of heart.

Wisdom is justified by her children

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

'We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.'

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by her children."

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." 

- Matthew 11:16-24

 On Saturday we read that as John the Baptist's disciples departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before you.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by her children."  Jesus likens the response of the leadership (and the fickleness of the crowds who follow) to a popular children's game.  The children would divide into two groups; one pretending either to play musical instruments or sing, and the other responding in a way opposite of that which would have been expected.  Jesus draws a parallel to the leadership who responded with criticism both of John the Baptist as being too ascetic and to Jesus as being too liberal in mercy and joy.  And yet, as He pointed out in the reading from Saturday, they had all gone out to see John when he preached repentance in the wilderness (see Saturday's reading, above).  That wisdom is justified by her children teaches us once again to look at the fruits of ministry; they justify both John and Jesus, regardless of their different appearance and style.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  My study bible says here that it is a far greater sin to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him than never to have known Him at all.

 In today's reading, we get Jesus' scathing remarks to those who reject ministry and the work of God in the world, and of wisdom.  They are like children playing and taunting, shallow and with no depth nor understanding.  And worse, there are those who have seen great works of power, and yet who still reject the message of the Kingdom.  It is an acknowledgement in the Gospel of rejection, of those who cannot accept what is within their midst.  Certainly Jesus is implicating the leadership, who seem focused only on criticism of surface appearances, and cannot see the substance and truth of what is happening, even if mighty works are done in their cities.  It's an indication of how deep rejection can go in the face of truth staring us in the face.  It's also a teaching to us about the kind of complacency that trusts only in our own self-interest, in our "places at the table."  Jesus touches on such a theme when He speaks scathingly of those in high places:  "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation" (Luke 20:46-47).  It comes down a question of what we put our trust into.  Do we go by the shallow surface of appearances, so easy to criticize and judge?  Or do we judge with good judgment?  Do we reach down into a place where we put our trust in something deeper, something into which our prayer life leads us?  Jesus teaches us to refrain from surface judgments, and not to judge by mere appearance (John 7:24).  In Matthew 7, Jesus has said, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" (7:1-3).  When judgment of others rests on surface appearances, it too often serves selfish ambition and complacency.  We avoid doing what we ought to be doing, practicing awareness of ourselves and our own state of mind and heart, and insist that we can ascribe motive to others without 'judging good judgment.'  The one way that Jesus teaches over and over to find good judgment is through the fruits of those who come to us as prophets of one thing and another:  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" (7:15-16).  In today's reading, Jesus gives us a positive version of these statements when He refers to both John's and His own ministry:  "But wisdom is justified by her children."   He and John bear very little surface resemblance to one another, in many dimensions.  Jesus eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners; John is extremely ascetic, dedicated to a life of poverty in his love of God.  But both serve the same wisdom.  Many of my readers may be familiar with the great Byzantine cathedral called Haghia Sophia, or "Holy Wisdom," built in Constantinople in the sixth century and still standing.  In the Greek tradition, "Holy Wisdom" refers to Christ.  That is, the wisdom of the Lord who was at work in the world throughout the Old Testament foreshadowing Christ, and Incarnate as Jesus Christ in the New.  St. Paul also calls Christ "wisdom" (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-24).  In both Hebrew and Greek, the word for wisdom is feminine, and thus given a feminine article and pronoun.   Jesus is teaching us to grasp wisdom, to come to know it, and to know her children, no matter how varied and different they may seem to us.  It is only this way that we can practice "good judgment," to make discernment, and to understand the reality behind what we see.  Too often we are deceived by our own desires, our limited viewpoint, the fear of losing our own place, particularly in the eyes of the world.   It remains essential that we understand, in a world beset by images and bad judgment, and constant criticism tearing down all and sundry without thought, that we know that "wisdom is justified by her children."  This must be a part of our faith, that which we cling to, pray to, and in which we seek to participate in the life of Christ and the communion of saints.  There we begin, and there we find what is truly good for us, and for the world.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before you.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples (before their first apostolic mission), He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of is disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  John's disciples have just come to Christ, asking Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  This question has come from John, who is imprisoned in Herod's castle.  A natural reaction to those familiar with the Gospel so far would be to question whether or not John had perhaps changed his mind.  After all, it was John who recognized Jesus as the Christ when Jesus was baptized, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  (See this reading.)  But Jesus' ministry is not what was expected of the Messiah.  He hasn't publicly declared Himself.  He will cultivate a kind of faith that responds with the heart, and so His response to John was to quote from the prophet Isaiah, and the signs of the time of the coming of the Messiah, which are manifest in Jesus' ministry (see yesterday's reading, above).   Here, Jesus seems to address the crowds and this natural questioning of John's possible change of heart because of the question of John's disciples.  John has not changed his mind at all, but wishes his disciples to be given direction to Christ.  Jesus demands of this crowd to consider what they went out into the wilderness to see when they went to John.  A reed shaken by the wind is a description found in 3 Maccabees of Ptolemy Philopator, a king of Egypt, as he was smitten by the judgment of God for his persecution of the Jews.  Jesus asks them if they thought John was one who would bend with the wind, a person clothed in soft garments and therefore not used to struggle and difficulty.  Jesus says ironically, of John who is imprisoned in a king's house (the palace of Herod Antipas), "Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  He is challenging the crowd to know John and to understand him, and He goes on to praise John and establish his place in the story of salvation.

"But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before you.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Jesus affirms that John is a prophet in the lineage of the Old Testament, but he is also even more than a prophet.  He is the forerunner, the messenger who goes before the Christ, fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi.  In the tradition of the Church, these words extend even after death, as John goes before Christ into Hades, to prepare all who have come before.  Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.  He is, as the greatest prophet, the fulfillment of all righteousness of the Law.  But there is something much greater that is now at hand, and within the ministry of Christ -- and that is the presence of the kingdom of heaven.  My study bible says that the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in it are greater than John was without it. 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."  My study bible notes that there have been several interpretations given of this passage.  What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and that the violent take it by force?  Some have said that this refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others say that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Still others have said that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer violence on the Cross.  But St. John Chrysostom writes that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  Jesus seems to imply this when He says that "for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."   The time of prophecy of the Kingdom has ended with John, the prophet to end all prophets.  At this time the Kingdom is present, manifest, and those who wish to enter in seize it with all their might.   This word for violence in the Greek is used only twice in the New Testament, and both times in a positive sense.

"And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does, my study bible tells us.  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76), and his destiny was similar.  (Malachi prophesied that Elijah would return before the Messiah and the coming of the Kingdom; see Malachi 4:5-6.)  Jesus uses the words of the prophets to indicate to the crowd that they need spiritual ears to understand the fulfillment of this prophecy in John. 

It's interesting to see this aspect of Jesus' persona:  strong and vigorous, and vigorously defending John to the crowds.  He appeals to their understanding of John's character, asking them what they went out to see when they all flocked to John in the wilderness (see Matthew 3:4-12).   We hear Jesus in a strong and bold key, claiming something powerful for John, and yet also proclaiming the boldness of those who now enter the Kingdom, with violence and force.  Jesus uses a voice of irony, nearly sarcasm, when He asks them if they went out to see a reed shaken by the wind, or one clothed in soft garments -- and declares that indeed, those who are clothed in soft garments are in king's houses.  It's also a testimony about the rulers of Israel, who seem to blow with every wind, and appease only worldly power.  We hear a Jesus who is neither soft nor a reed blown any way the wind blows.  This is the voice of vigorous defense and clear debate, a voice of bold proclamation and courage in the face of the oppression that has begun by the state and the powers that be, in the face of the imprisonment and soon-to-be death of John the Baptist.  This is Jesus who fully manifests all aspects of what it means to be human, and to use all His human capacity for exhortation and encouragement and a positive force.  He does not come into His Kingdom with an army for physical battle.  He does not call upon God the Father to send Him thousands of angels to force His Kingdom on the world.  But in His mission He also does not shrink from telling the truth, from the boldness of declaring what is what, of colorfully challenging complacency and lack of faith.  This is also the Jesus we're asked to imitate and to remember:  one who praises a positive kind of assertiveness, and the zeal for the Kingdom, the earnest and deep desire that sees and seizes the time when the "kingdom of heaven is at hand."   Spiritual understanding is a real and powerful force; it is not "ethereal."  It is not the stuff of fantasy or dreams.  Its truth is something that shatters every other power, that overturns all human or worldly plans, that permeates all things.  It is the strength and vigor of this reality that Jesus brings and challenges the world to hear, if we have ears to hear, if we can find a way to know and understand this reality He brings, His Kingdom.

Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of is disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 

- Matthew 11:1-6

Throughout chapter 10 of Matthew's gospel, Jesus has chosen the twelve and is preparing them for their first mission.  In yesterday's reading, He told them:  "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.    He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of is disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  According to the Church Fathers, John the Baptist asks this question in order to guide his own disciples to Jesus.  My study bible says that undoubtedly, John's own faith was strengthened through the response given by Jesus (in the verses that follow).

Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  Jesus names the signs predicted by Isaiah which would accompany the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5-6, 61:1).   Jesus performed these miracles in the presence of John's disciples (Luke 7:20-21), my study bible says, so that they could see with their own eyes works that only the Messiah could do.

John the Baptist's self-stated mission has been to prepare Israel for the coming of the Lord.  He is the one who first made the statement, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (see this reading).   Jesus has repeated it in His ministry (4:12) and also given instruction to the twelve to proclaim it as they go on to their first mission (10:7).  In this sense, we get a clear image of the importance of John the Baptist to this story.  His words echo through Jesus' ministry as they are also part of the work of God in the world, the Holy Spirit working through each mission.  This unfolding also gives us an image that applies to the whole of Scripture, including the Old Testament, as all bears witness to the common work of God in the world, and human beings as laborers in this harvest, as Jesus told His disciples just before He chose the twelve (see this reading).  John is understood by tradition to be the last and the greatest of the Old Testament-type prophets, and so he gives us an idea of continuity, of what it is to 'enter into others' labor' (John 4:38).  He gives us a picture of the communion that goes through all things and people, knows no time limit, and is neither barred by spatial limitations.  The one thing required is human beings whose hearts are open to the mission in their own time and place, and to the grace that is at work through us.  Jesus has given us the prayer called The Lord's Prayer or the Our Father, in which our first petition is "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  And here is the mission.  This is the truth of John's mission and of Jesus' mission, and it will be the truth of the mission of the apostles upon which they've just been sent out.  We get an idea of our own lives and our place in this cosmic system of salvation when we understand the role that each person plays in the story of the Gospels and throughout the Old Testament.  Each may enter into this mission.  Each may play a role in spreading the message, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  It is here and now, present with us.  We simply must "turn around" (repent) to see it, to realize it, to have its reality more deeply planted in us and to carry that Kingdom with us in the world.  This is how we receive it and pay it forward.  John is in prison at the time of the events we read about in today's Gospel passage.  He is shut up in Galilee in the palace of Herod Antipas, and perhaps is prepared to understand that this is where he will die.  He approaches the end of mission, and the one thing necessary is that he direct his disciples to the place they need to be, to the Coming One.  This is the mission for us as well, for Christ is still the Coming One, "The One who is and who was and who is to come" (Revelation 11:17, 16:5).  In the infinitely creative work of the Spirit, we each may play a role in that mission and participate in the life Christ offers, the life of the kingdom of heaven, and bringing it into the world.  This is the here and now, the always-present, the mission into which we, too, may enter into others' labor.  How do you play your role?  Remember that even those who offer a cup of water in the name of a disciple will have their reward (see yesterday's reading, above).  Our mission need not be grand or great by worldly standards nor met with great fanfare; this is a question of how we live our lives and whose judgment we meet within ourselves at all times.    "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me

 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.    He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

- Matthew 10:34-42

In our readings in Matthew chapter 10, Jesus is preparing those twelve  He has chosen to send out on the first apostolic mission.  (See readings from Monday and Tuesday.)  In yesterday's reading, He continued:  "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.  Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword."   My study bible notes that just before Jesus' most violent death on the Cross, He promised peace to His disciples.  But the existence of evil, it says, necessitates spiritual warfare.  The earth to which Christ came was under the authority of Satan (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4).  Therefore it is essential that Christ wage war against the leader of vice with weapons of virtue (Ephesians 6:11-18).  Another note in a similar passage in Luke reminds us that there are two kinds of peace.  There is a false peace, which is a shallow harmony that results from ignoring issues of truth.  But genuine peace is a reconciliation to God through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  Genuine peace has division as a byproduct, because not everyone wants truth.  In the fallen world, my study bible says, divisions are necessary for truth to be manifest (see 1 Corinthians 11:18-19).

"For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'"  This fulfills the prophecy of Micah 7:6, from which Jesus is quoting.  In addition to its literal meaning, which my study bible says has been experienced in the Church since the time of Christ, the picture of the older generation being divided from the younger generation also symbolizes the rejection of the new covenant by followers of the old covenant, as well as the spiritual struggle between our old, sinful state and our renewal in Christ (see Ephesians 4:20-24).  It is a picture of spiritual struggle in many dimensions.

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.   He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."   Jesus Himself is the fulcrum, the central figure around which all else gathers meaning and relationship (12:30).  He boldly places Himself as Son in this position, and teaches what it is to be a disciple.

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."  Here is another extension of meaning which is given through relationship to Christ.  My study bible says that apostles are ambassadors who represent the Lord.  Therefore, all who extend help to them are showing mercy directly to Christ, and will receive God's reward (see 25:40). 

Jesus' life isn't something we can limit to a set of circumstances or events that happened 2,000 years ago.  Here He quite clearly indicates that the life that is in Him, and that which commands discipleship, has an extension and a meaning and a presence that goes far beyond what we normally think of as the life of a person in this world.  Christ Himself becomes that which gives meaning and value and relationship.  His truth ("I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6) becomes the truth that is the center dividing line between all things and against which all else is measured and given meaning.  Indeed, as the quotation from John indicates, He is that truth.  St. Paul writes, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  And Jesus is also that Word (John 1:1).  His Person, His presence, fills things with meaning and gives us a dividing line between all things, even to the point of our closest relationships.  His call is for a loyalty that comes between everything, even piercing to the division of soul and spirit, as St. Paul says, and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart.  The power of God's word gives us true relationship and teaches us about both love and peace.  What is love, if it is not measured against the love He teaches us?  Relationships have all kinds of flaws and faults, but it is God who teaches us the measure of our love.  It is the Lord who gives us a sense of how precious are our souls, how beloved we are in God's sight, even when others fail us.  There is a transcendence here that asks of us to see more clearly what is what, and gives to us things the world cannot give.  We are asked to align ourselves with that love and with that presence, to live and dwell in it, to participate in it.  It extends its meanings and values to us, illuminating everything else, and extending itself to our deepest relationships which stand or fall depending on that reflection.  Do we have love?  Do we need His truth a little more deeply?  Where do our loyalties lie -- and where is our peace to be found?  This is what it is to take up His cross and follow Him.  We understand our lives by His light.  We shed that light upon others.  To reject or accept is to know what choice is, and where division lies.