If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."

- Luke 22:54-69

Yesterday we read that, coming out from the Passover supper, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then he said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  My study bible explains the paradox and poetry of the Scriptures, at work even at this low point in the story of Christ and the Church.  A girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  My study bible says that this, as symbol of our fallen state, is overcome when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (24:1-10).

And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  Peter's fear is so overwhelming that neither Christ's prediction (verse 34) nor the crowing of the rooster signals a call to repentance, but only Christ's gaze causes him to weep bitterly, according to my study bible.  St. Ambrose of Milan is quoted, who writes that nevertheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  We see the contempt with which our Lord was treated.  We should understand His condescension to be one of us, to be with us, so that He may bring us all into His Kingdom.  Even as divine Lord, Christ experiences the demeaning and degrading experiences that we may suffer.  Added to these facts, this is also a picture of blasphemy.  But we should consider that these same men -- and the centurion in charge of them -- may also come to repentance and be included in His flock (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, Luke 23:47).

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Particularly during the time that Jesus was teaching daily in the temple (earlier during the Passover festival), Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer, because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).  At this time, it is as if Jesus is declaring judgement; the time for His effort at dialogue with them is over, as they will refuse to respond either way.  Their minds are made up and hearts are hardened against Him.  His final statement is a declaration that He is equal with God.

In today's reading, we're witness to the power of darkness which Jesus spoke about in yesterday's reading (above).   Jesus is mocked and violently abused by the soldiers.  Moreover, when it comes time for Him to be questioned, He straightforwardly acknowledges His inability to get a fair hearing:  "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go."  In the midst of what He knows to be certain conviction, and to those who will sit in judgment against Him who have already decided their verdict in advance, Jesus tells the truth.  It's like a conviction He teaches to each of us that no matter how hard things look, we need to face facts.  Jesus will not waste His time attempting to coerce these men to change their minds.  But He does present one more extraordinary fact to them:  He declares His divinity and equality to God.  He tells them, "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Ironically enough, and of course just as Christ knows full well, this is the "evidence" they need to convict Him of blasphemy.  But in this case, Jesus is telling the truth; He is declaring the extraordinary fact they don't want to hear and don't want to know -- but it is nevertheless a statement which they can and will use to convict Him of the crime of blasphemy, for which they will attempt to have Him put to death by the Roman state.  What is important to know here is that Jesus stands in His truth.  While it appears from all human perspective that this is Christ in some sense "giving in" to these people, giving them what they want in order to convict Him, the tables are turned.  It is He who judges, and His word that judges.  When Christ stands in this truth, it is those who censor Him for it who convict themselves.  Let us keep in mind Christ's abandonment even by one of His closest apostles, the one who speaks for the rest of them, Peter.  The human Jesus is entirely alone.  And yet, He testifies to His truth.  He at once accepts the facts of the matter that are stacked all the way against Him, and He still tells His truth.  We know who Christ is, and the power that He wields as judge and arbiter and the one who gives us the word of truth.  But He also stands in for us, when we may find ourselves in such an unjust position.  We may be abandoned and alone, and surrounded only by those vicious enough to convict us for their own personal reasons.  We find ourselves with those who are not willing to give us a fair hearing.  But, with God, and in a prayerful acceptance of the realities with which we are surrounded, even in the worst of circumstances, we stand in our own truth with only One who judges; that is, Christ.   In an existential sense, this is where we are all the time -- and all the rest of the things we may or may not take for granted make no real substantial difference to us when it comes down to who we are face-to-face with Christ.  That is to say, in this place of terrible abandonment, Christ is neither alone nor without His truth.  He has come to this place simply for us, and so that we know when we may stand in this same place He is with us, and that it is His judgment alone that really counts.  When we are tried in the most difficult and desperate of circumstances, we find Him and the Holy Spirit, and with them God the Father; we take up His courage and His truth, we follow His ways, knowing He was there before us and is yet there with us.  Jesus alone tells us His truth.  The real question is how we can stand in that same place and find our truths with Him.  As we go toward the days we celebrate His birth, let us come to terms about just what it is that determines our truths and our worth, and remember that when all might be against us, it is only His judgment that counts.

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly

 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then he said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

- Luke 22:39-53

Yesterday we read that after the Passover supper the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then he said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  This is Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane.  My study bible says that it is the product of His human nature.  When He asks that the cup be taken away, He is revealing His human will.   But He submits His human will to the Father, and in so doing reveals that His divine will is one with the Father's.  Moreover, it gives us a model for ourselves:  each one of us must submit our own will to God's will (11:2).  My study bible explains that thus Christ willingly takes in Himself the voice of weak humanity, and thereby conquers weakness.  It quotes the commentary of St. Gregory the Great:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  This healing is mentioned only in the Gospel of Luke, the physician.  My study bible says that it indicates the manner in which we are to treat our enemies.  By patristic tradition, there is also a spiritual meaning here, in which we understand that it is Christ who gives people the ability to hear the truth and thereby come to salvation (see 8:8, 14:35). 

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."   In the New Testament, the understanding of light and darkness features prominently in various sayings of Jesus.  While He taught His truth openly in the temple, these men were afraid to seize Him before the people.  But here in the darkness there is the power of darkness, that which seeks to hide from the Light (see John 3:19-21; 13:30).

What is the power of darkness?  This is the hour when that which seeks the darkness strikes; it desires to work in a way that is hidden, and does so for a particular reason.  Jesus tells a truth that the people wish to hear.  When He engages in open controversy in the light, teaching daily in the temple, He does not do so in order to stir up a mob, nor to seize power under false pretenses, nor to sway people with lies.  But the power of darkness is that which embraces manipulation of all kinds, including violence and lies.  What we are given in today's verses of Luke's Gospel is not so much an exposition on darkness and light, as it is the quite essential teachings of Christ for how we seek to cope with the actions of the darkness, the times of its power, and its hour.  Most noticeable are  simply Jesus' repeated teachings to the apostles:  Pray that you may not enter into temptation.  When He finds them sleeping, after His own strengthening through prayer, He repeats this teaching to them:  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  What stands out in today's reading is Christ's teaching to us for coping with the times of darkness and its power:  Prayer.  This is the first way to shore up strength and personal reserves for coping with the times when we are under tremendous personal stress and difficulty.  These will always be times for us of temptation.  Think about the challenges one faces in life.  Perhaps our greatest challenges are those times of terrible stress and fear.  We might be faced with a healthcare crisis, either for ourselves or for someone who we love.  We may be in the middle of a family drama at the time of the death of a loved one, always a stressful time no matter what the circumstances.  Perhaps we find ourselves as a victim of a crime, or a loved one or a friend.  Maybe there is a different and frightening threat involved in some aspect of our lives.  Holidays themselves can be stressful and trying, particularly for individuals coping with addictions and family trauma.  In every single case, prayer can be understood as recommended by Christ (and as reported by Luke the physician) as our first and last resort for coping with the times of darkness, times when we are threatened by something that gives rise to terrible fears.  It is important to punctuate these times with remembrance of God through prayer, because it is through prayer that we find ourselves bolstered to make the difficult decisions, and as Christ says, to keep the temptations away for falling into error and stumbling with our own human frailties.   Taking time out for regular prayer is a must for such times, such as during a hospital vigil, for example.  Prayer has a way of feeding our reserves of strength, shoring up our better natures, giving us the courage to make difficult decisions in hard circumstances -- particularly when temptation abounds during times of darkness and we are coping with the effects of evil in any form.  Practices such as prayers of the Hours (see this page on my blog for an example),  or intermittent prayer of any type are helpful.  One can do an internet search for prayers written for specific hours of the day (such as Compline or Vespers) or for specific occasions.  There are types of prayer which suit all times and every personal need and individual capacity.   Even the stressful time of shopping for gifts for Christmas -- a time meant to be joyful, but reported by so many to be otherwise -- is a good occasion for intermittent prayer.   A short phrase repeated to oneself at any time in silence (such as the Jesus Prayer or "Lord have mercy") may be a helpful practice for getting us through it in gratitude.  This season, while we celebrate the birth of our Savior, can also be a time of disappointments, old hurts revisited, and a feeling that we are missing out on what others have.  In today's reading, in this reporting of the worst of times, both Jesus' example -- His action of prayer -- and His repeated teaching to the apostles, are the best ways to understand the true medicine we need for our souls to help us make the best choices, even in the worst of circumstances with seemingly only bad options all around.  Let us consider, as we head into the holidays, that we live in an imperfect world.  We don't practice magic.  Instead, we have faith and the tools and weapons of prayer, the whole armor of God, that He gives us and teaches to us.  They are with us and ready for us always. 

Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

- Luke 22:31-38

Yesterday we read that when the hour had come for the Passover supper in the upper room, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this this thing.  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  Jesus addresses Simon Peter in the beginning of this statement.  But when He says Satan has asked for you, that "you" is plural, indicating all the disciples.  Jesus' statement to Peter, I have prayed for you, however, is singular, meaning that Jesus has prayed particularly for Simon Peter.  My study bible notes that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  Strengthen your brethren echoes Christ's words to Peter in John's Gospel, after the time referred to here in the prophecy of Peter's denial of Christ three times (see John 21:15-17).  Jesus will tell Peter, "Feed My lambs."  It is a reference not simply to the other disciples, but for all the faithful until Christ returns.

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  Jesus' ominous words summon up the new time of persecution, beginning with the treatment of their Leader (see John 15:20-21).  He quotes from Isaiah 53:12, referring to the Suffering Servant of God.  My study bible comments that the sword is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51), but refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  St. Ambrose also is cited here, who adds an additional meaning.  He comments that to give up one's garment and buy a sword refers to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  As the disciples are thinking of swords literally, Jesus immediately ends the discussion with the words, "It is enough," which is better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41). 

What are the effects of betrayal?  Somehow, like the act of temptation and betrayal of God's loving word in the Garden (Genesis 3), it opens up a kind of Pandora's box, unleashing all sorts of unwarranted and unforeseen evils and subsequent betrayals that accompany it.  One act opens up all the possibilities of the others, exposes vulnerabilities and other temptations, weaknesses, betrayals, and potential for harm.  The injustice in one circumstance opens up all the possibilities of the others.  One may think that is a bit simplistic, or overblown.  But if we take a good look at how life and circumstances unfold in our world, we may find that we can't underestimate the possible effects of a single act.  One considers abuse in childhood and what that can inflict, and conditions it may create for further harm to others in the future.  At the very least, such actions create obstacles for the child to overcome, lasting full well throughout adulthood.  It's no secret that the temptations such abuse opens up for the victim in his or her future life range from the self-destructive to that which causes grave harm to others.  Every new hurt opens up scars from the past and the accompanying need for understanding choice, self-control, and seeking the grace of God for all things.  That is one simple example, but we can consider Judas' act of betrayal and what it opens up for all of the apostles.  Our Lord is the Suffering Servant, the One who is sacrificed for all of us.  He endures more than physical suffering, pain, and death, but undergoes also the betrayal of all of those whom He loves, the people for whom He's been sent.  He will be spat upon and "numbered with the transgressors," treated to a horrific death by crucifixion like the worst criminals of the Roman Empire.  All of this forms a scandal, a stumbling block, that asks those of us whose faith is caught up in this story of our suffering Messiah to choose for Him, for His way through this world in which there are so many temptations for betrayal.  It is Christ to whom we turn for the way through it all, and the saints -- particularly His mother, Mary the God-bearer -- to whom we turn in the pain we, too, may experience through betrayal of one sort or another.  Let us consider what that word betrayal implies.  It's more than a specific act of one friend with another.  Rather, it applies to all conditions and circumstances in which trust is broken, and the love of God and God's teachings that may be involved in that trust.  A child trusts a parent to care for them, a spouse depends upon a marriage partner, a friend to a friend, and the faithful look to their Church and its members for faithful adherence to the love of God and God's teachings about how to live that love.  Betrayal will continue to come to us in all kinds of ways, and so does temptation.  Our job is not to exterminate temptations and betrayals from the world, for this task is impossible.  Rather, Christ shows us the way:  our task is faith and fidelity.  We look to our own loyalty and love of Christ, to the things He teaches us, to carry our own crosses as He's taught, and to do so with the one greatest weapon we have:  humility.  In this is the world saved, and not in endless efforts to eradicate all potentials for evil -- for by our own example and acts of love and faith we create potential for the good to spring up out of it, possibilities of the fruits of the Spirit with which we build up God's people and life in this world in potentials for good that supersede all those for evil.  In fact, the Cross itself teaches just that:  that the good may transfigure acts of harm and evil in this world, producing Resurrection and eternal life and all of life's possibilities even from the most heinous and monstrous of evil acts.  Let us consider, then, the power of the Cross and what it teaches us:  that life must spring forth through faith even out of evil circumstances we're given, and continue in that faith.  Christ and His saints know our suffering, for they've all been there before us.  Let us find their way to contribute to the love of the world.

This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me

When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this this thing.

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

- Luke 22:14-30

Yesterday we read that the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and the captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.  Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And he sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will met you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  My study bible says that the root of Christ's fervent desire for this Passover is the fact that this meal is the occasion for imparting the mysteries of the new covenant to His followers.  This event also inaugurates the great deliverance of humanity from sin through the power of the Cross. 

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  The first cup is the conclusion of the Old Testament Passover meal that Christ eats with His disciples; my study bible points out that this fulfills the Law.  Until the kingdom of God comes means until the Resurrection of Christ -- at that time He will again eat and drink with His disciples (24:43; Acts 10:41).

 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."  The Greek word "eucharist" is the root of the word translated as gave thanks.  This word immediately came to refer to both the Liturgy and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  My study bible notes that before the end of the first century, a teaching manuscript called the Didache refers to the celebration of the Liturgy as "the Eucharist."  In AD 150, St. Justin says of Holy Communion, "This food we call 'Eucharist,' of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing [holy baptism] for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ commanded us."  Jesus teaches:  This is My body.    St. Justin writes regarding the Church's acceptance of the truth of Christ's words, "that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."  For many churches, including the both Eastern and Oriental Orthodox and various Western denominations, Christ's words continue to teach a spiritual and sacramental Mystery, and mean that His body and blood are mystically present so that all may partake of Him and participate in His sacrifice.  No other explanation -- either an attempt to rationally define the nature of how this happens or to give it a purely metaphorical significance -- adequately reflects His teaching as repeatedly found in the Scriptures (see John 6:51-66, 1 Corinthians 11).

"But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this this thing.  We note that Judas is also invited to the table for this mystical supper.  Jesus is seeking by all means to save him, and continues to give Judas a chance to repent even at His arrest and following Judas' kiss of betrayal, when Jesus asks him, "Friend, why have you come?" (Matthew 26:50).   My study bible says that Judas' unworthy participation leads to his utter destruction (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-30; compare to Esther 7).

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study bible calls this a small-minded dispute among the disciples, and says that it is entirely out of place in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed.  He corrects the disciples first by comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they themselves consider to be an abomination.  Then He contrasts them to Himself, who serves all even though He is Lord of all.

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  My study bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan, who writes, "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  My study bible adds that the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but by the witness of their own lives.   Since, as indicated in verse 16,  God's kingdom begins with Resurrection of Christ, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23). 

The concept of Christ's Incarnation is bound up with the mystery of the Eucharist, and inescapable for us.  He tells us, "This is My body which is given for you," and "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."  There are at least two things which spring up at us from Christ's words.  The first is His solemn declaration regarding His body and blood in the broken bread and in the cup.  This is a specific declaration, a reference that is vivid and made so that we will remember it.  Secondly, He is declaring that His body is given for us, and His blood is shed for us.  Not only does this imply that His death on the Cross makes Him our Passover, sacrificed once and for all time for us.  It also gives us the understanding that by partaking of this mystical Eucharist, this giving thanks for what He has done for us, we also are to participate in that sacrifice.  He teaches elsewhere that we, too, are each to take up our crosses and follow Him (see Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27).   Moreover, John's Gospel makes this participation even more explicit, and Jesus' language ties this participation to the wine of the Eucharist in the metaphor of the vine and branches, when He teaches His disciples, "Abide in Me" (John 15:1-8).  Our very lives, and all that we are as beings in this world, is tied up in our faith.  Like Christ, we also devote whatever we are and have to this Kingdom, and consecrate that sacramentally by participation in the Eucharist.  We do not separate our creation into components, but understand that body, soul, mind, and spirit are one.  It is a way of declaring that we are to follow Him, to be like Him, to take up our own crosses daily and follow in His footsteps, whatever way that means in our personal lives.  He is the firstfruit, and we follow as those who bear fruit, as He explicitly indicates in this passage cited in John's Gospel.  This is why the Eucharist is at the center of our faith, and was so from the beginning.  As such, and especially at this time of the year when we enter into festivities marking Christ's Nativity, let us consider in particular the meaning of the word Eucharist, that its root is the Greek word for giving thanks.  St. Paul writes, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15).  Many have remarked that giving thanks itself is a form of worship.  It invites us to "remember God."  To give thanks is to remember where our Source is, the gift not only of who we are, but also of every element of what it means to be a person:  from spirit and soul to body and blood.  Our giving thanks via the Eucharist not only allows and enables us to remember Christ, but it give us communion with Him.  Through the Eucharist, we remember His Incarnation and we may participate in His very life with Him, becoming also servants and members of this Kingdom with Him.  He is the firstfruit, and we become also part of this vine, branches, and fruit.  Therefore this reading comes at the very time of the year when we must consider how gratitude is part of our wholeness.  We are not disjointed beings, stretched between body and blood on the one side, our capacity for abstract reasoning on another, mystical connection to God at yet another, and the soul another point on in a scattered and disjointed plane of identity.  Christ offers us just the opposite:  this central, unifying cup that gives us purpose and function, that gathers all that we are and even all that we may be or become into this ground of being which includes the fullness of His Incarnation:  both divine and human, eternal and temporal, limited yet infinite, the One who was both crucified and resurrected, the Lamb who was slain and yet stands on the throne of the kingdom of heaven (Revelation 5:6).  This is the slain Lamb who conquers, who is Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 17:14), and with whom we are raised at the last day (John 6:39-40).  All of this is contained in the Eucharist, as our partaking of it contains the promises of the crucified and risen Christ, the Lamb slain who yet rules.  He invites us to participate in His life and its fullness, and to abide in Him.  The Eucharist is the way that He has given us to do this; let us not minimize all that it is, and promises to us.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover

 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and the captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And he sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will met you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

- Luke 22:1-13

In Tuesday's reading, after Jesus' long discourse on the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and His second coming, He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you maybe counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.   My study bible explains that the Passover (Pascha/Πάσχα in the Greek) is the celebration of the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt and the deliverance of God's people from bondage (Exodus 12:14).  In remembrance of this event, the Jews would slaughter an unblemished lamb to be eaten with unleavened bread.   It notes that this is a prefiguration of Christ's Passion, in which the only-begotten Son of God is slain in order to deliver His people from their bondage to sin and death, and then is raised to lead them into the eternal Kingdom.  In the West, this event is commemorated as Easter, known in the East as Pascha (the primary term referring to the death and Resurrection of Christ).  

And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and the captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.  According to the commentary in my study bible, Satan does not enter a person except by the person's consent.  It explains that the reason Satan chose Judas and none of the others is that Judas had a place for Satan in his heart, while the others did not.  Luke explicitly mentions that Judas was numbered among the twelve, which emphasizes for us the readers the depth of betrayal involved -- and how many are being betrayed.  My study bible comments that this shows us that a religious position is worthless if it is not accompanied by faith and virtue.

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And he sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will met you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.  Again, my study bible comments on the term Passover here.   "Passover" can refer to the original event of the ancient Jews, the celebration of that event, the food that is eaten, or the lamb that is slain.  According to patristic commentary, Peter represents zeal and John represents spiritual understanding, the two virtues with which we are to partake of Christ's supper.

It is interesting to note the careful, explicit preparations and instructions given by Christ for His Passover Supper (at which the Eucharist will be instituted), underscoring the importance and significance of this time.  The other time we read of such detailed instruction before an event is in the preparation for the Triumphal Entry (see this reading).  As such, they suggest what is called in Greek kairos/καιρος, a significant time, an "acceptable time to the Lord" (2 Corinthians 6:2), a moment when our worldly time is specifically intersected by a divine event.  The entrance of the Messiah/Bridegroom into Jerusalem is one such event, the Passover/Passion and momentous sacrifice of Christ, made once for all of history and all the world, and memorialized and re-enacted forever via the Eucharist, is another.   It is an indication of a time of fulfillment.  Like the birth of Christ, the divine interrupts human history to reveal an essential truth.  It's important to consider Pascha/Passover/Easter and its meaning for us.  Christ fulfills the Passover with Himself as the Passover, the Lamb slaughtered once and for all, and for deliverance of all of the world (John 3:16).  This moment is one of transfiguration, one that changes meanings and values, by revealing what is at the center of history for all of us who call ourselves faithful to Christ.  It's important to understand the notion of sacrifice and its purpose.  In John's Gospel, Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain" (John 12:24).   Jesus is the "firstborn" who offers Himself so that the "firstfruits" may be revealed, with Himself first of all (Revelation 14:4).  Jesus feeds us with us His Body and Blood, to produce something new in us and among us.  This is a purpose of transfiguration, for the whole world, and we don't yet know its fullness, but we are in the midst of its effects, which we see only partially.  St. Paul writes, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12).  What we must understand is that the purpose of sacrifice is just what Jesus describes when He speaks of His own sacrifice:  it is for fruition.  It is so that we may grow and produce fruits unseen and unknown, incalculable in their fullness -- and through time.  Faith is just as Christ describes His sacrifice:  it is planting seeds for growth and harvest.  It's no accident that the parable of the The Sower is the first He gives, and that the parables of wheat and harvest, even of weeds which mimic the good wheat, all form the notable foundation of His preaching and use of parables (see Matthew 13).  What sounds to us like something grim is in fact nothing of the sort.  Sacrifice is the work of an infinite God of goodness, meant so that we may harvest an incalculable -- even eternal -- abundance.  This sense of sacrifice cannot fit into notions of payment:  there is no way we could possibly pay for the gifts we're given, and they are given freely, as the prerogative of an unlimited God.  Payment is a far too confined concept to understand this process and how our lives work together with God's grace.  Let us consider that when we sacrifice for our faith, we are following in the footsteps of the Firstborn, the One who shows us the way.  Do you take time out for prayer?  Do you make a priority for your faith before other things?   Is there a time for gratitude rather than the constant pursuit of worldly goals?  These are just some examples of that kind of sacrifice:  what we give our time and effort for, what we put first before we rush toward something else.  Let us remember the purpose He gives us.  On that notion hinges so much of what we are capable of doing with the gift of our lives.

Watch therefore, and pray always that you maybe counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man

Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you maybe counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

- Luke 21:29-38

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His prophesy regarding the destruction of the temple during the devastation of Jerusalem, and also regarding end times:  "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who hare in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  Again, today's reading is a combination of prophesy regarding what is to pass in Jerusalem within a generation's time, and the end times of His return.  We know what happened in Jerusalem in year 70; but Christ's words apply to the entire era since His Resurrection.   My study bible suggests that this generation refers to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church.  There are ways in which His specific warnings (see the readings from Saturday and Monday) directly teach the specific destruction that will come to the temple and to the city.   But the warnings of wars, famines, and other natural disasters ring true for the entire era.

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you maybe counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.  These words are given the greatest emphasis in patristic commentary.  My study bible says that Christ's purpose in this discourse isn't to make us experts on end-time prophecy.  Rather, He gives us this prophecy in order to make us aware of our need to watch, and to pray always.  In the original Greek text, this reads that we must watch at all seasons, and pray always that we may have the strength to escape these things that are coming to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

At the beginning of Jesus' discourse, right after His vivid prophecy of the images of the destruction of the temple, Jesus taught that "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven."   Nearly all of these things are events with which we are familiar.  In some sense, we may even say most of them characterize our times.  They are things we hear about on news broadcasts.  So we may infer that the teachings Christ gives here warn not simply specifically about the terrible destruction that is to come in Jerusalem, but also that they apply to our own times.  The destructive power of war becomes ever more destructive.  Proxy battles between large powers rage, even without troops present from the countries supplying weapons to both sides.  Today extreme destruction is possible through remote telecommunications, as are assassinations and bombings via drone strike.  Violence and displacement of populations through warfare and related violence takes place in our world at a greater rate than ever before, with refugee crises involving far greater populations as a result.  We could safely say that in a time of such instability, even "fearful sights" have become something with which we have become all too familiar.  In Christian history, there have also been reported various signs from heaven, but these have been associated with revelation of God's help to Christian faithful (for example, Constantine's vision at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, which led to the end of Christian persecutions by the Roman Empire).   As our era has unfolded, which continues to include persecutions in various places, let us consider what this means for us.  When we see fearful sights, tremendous and growing violence, growing fears of natural disasters, let us consider that it is a time to remind ourselves of Christ's words.  His commands to us are simply to watch and to pray always.  We're not to be fearful, we're not to indulge in end-time speculations and fantasies.  We know what we are to be about; we have work to do as His good servants, as His disciples.  This word for "watch" in the Greek of the original text means being alert and awake, not sleeping.  It means to be vigilant, ready to act.  The emphasis here is on what we are to be doing, following His commands.  He gives us a proper work to do, and as His disciples we should take that seriously.  This is the opposite of fearful behavior; it is rather to live with full purpose, all the time.  Let us always keep this in mind, particularly when we see sights designed to simply make us afraid.

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who hare in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

- Luke 21:20-28

Yesterday we read that, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, Jesus said, "These things which you see --- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who hare in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  Jesus' prophesy of the Roman Siege of Jerusalem is vivid and graphic.  They are images of the urgency to flee, to take the warnings seriously.  They would be fulfilled in AD 70.  The early Church thereby escaped and survived this devastating event. 

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  Jesus' description of end times and His return is mixed with the warnings about the destruction and devastation to come after a generation to Jerusalem.   That the powers of the heavens will be shaken indicates a tremendous cosmic event.  The one thing that is clear about Jesus' return, coming in a cloud with power and great glory, is that it will be an event known to all when it happens, unmistakable to the whole world. 

As is consistent with descriptions of the end times found elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus' prophecy mixes events concerned with the destruction of Jerusalem (and the Second Temple) which would take place a generation after He speaks, and the time of His second coming, which we yet await.  For all kinds of reasons, these two things coincide with one another, not least of which is the tremendous shift involved from one covenant to another, and Jesus' words in John's Gospel that "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth"  (John 4:24).  The destruction of the temple is a type of manifestation of this truth, a sign that God is not in one place or another, nor in one building or another, but that God's kingdom is within us and among us (17:21).  Jesus' Resurrection begins the end times, in which we now live.  We are all familiar with "wars and rumors of wars," nations rising against nations, devastation, famines, earthquakes, persecutions which Jesus warns about.  But of one thing He wishes us to be certain:  our faith.  When He returns, we will all know it and it will be unmistakable and obvious to all.  We are to endure through all things, and count all experiences as possible opportunities for witnessing.  Persecution is not the true end, nor is death by martyrdom the true end.  We must remember what we are to be about, as His good servants, and as those who have been made aware of the reality behind all that we will see and experience.  What Christ gives us, then, is a focus and a way to see.  No matter what happens or befalls us, He seems to teach, there is a way to think of our lives and our purpose, and that derives from faith.  Fear is not the purpose of these prophetic warnings.  Rather, His purpose is the opposite:  to give us a way to live through them and know Whose we are and what we are to be about.  He gives us a point of reference for all things, including our very identities, and perspectives from which we live our lives.  When we face conflict or even world-shattering experiences, let us remember what He tells us about ourselves and our hearts.  He gives us the true center of our own being from which we are to view everything.

You will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your soul

 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see --- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."

So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."

Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

- Luke 21:5-19

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to the scribes in the temple, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "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."  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see --- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."   I think we really cannot imagine the stunning effect of Christ's words.  The temple had been rebuilt and expanded by Herod the Great (father of Herod Antipas).  Herod the Great was so famous for his grand building projects he was also called Herod the Builder.  The temple at Jerusalem at this time was considered one of the wonders of the world, both for the scope of its architectural ambition, and for its great beauty.  Moreover, for these who listen to Christ, we must consider that for the Jews, the temple was the place where God dwelt.  This is unthinkable, world-shattering news.  Jesus' prophecy was fulfilled one generation later, in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.  Christ's prophecy became quite literally true, as the soldiers believed there was gold between the stones.  Only a fragment of one retaining wall was left, now called the Western Wall.

So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."    As we can see by Jesus' words, the destruction of the temple is inseparable from the idea of end times, and therefore of His return.  The chaos that will result from the destruction of the city itself is unimaginable.  But the first concern here is that there will be those who claim that Christ has returned, and His first warning is to His disciples not to believe them, not to be deceived.

Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake." Jesus warns of violence to come, both man-made and natural.  He also speaks of fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  All of these things, like the destruction of the temple, are extremely frightening, destabilizing, terrifying.  And on top of that, Jesus speaks to His disciples of the persecution for them that is to come, both from their own people the Jews (synagogues) and from the Romans (prisons).   They will be brought both before kings and rulers (again, authorities of both Gentiles and Jews).  Despite the fearful sights and terrifying ordeals, Christ's emphasis here is on endurance, and reliance upon their faith in Him, even through betrayal by parents and brothers, relatives and friends, and the certain threat of death for some of them.   Moreover, they will be hated by all because of their faith and association with Christ.   The main emphasis Christ's gives this scenario where all the world is shaken, and nothing is certain, is that it will be an occasion for testimony.   The word here in the Greek is μαρτύριον/martyrion, which means testimony (or in verb form, to testify).  It is also the root for witness, from which comes the word "martyr."

"But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."   Again, we must take a good and clear look at Christ's emphasis here.  It is on the transcendence and ever-present reality of the kingdom of God and their membership in it.  His emphasis is on endurance, forbearance, patience -- and the all-precious possession of their souls.

There are many interpretations of end time scenarios, from popular media and films to new theories seeming to spring up all the time.  But there are a few things we understand from the tradition of the Church and from the patristic viewpoint on all of the Scriptural references to them (Eschatology).  First of all, the end times are not simply what might "be coming" in the future.  The end times began for the world with Christ's Resurrection; they are the times in which we now live.  The persecutions and wars against which Jesus warns did occur within that generation that was to come.  The destruction of the temple most certainly occurred in AD 70.  But the warnings about wars and upheavals, pestilences, even persecutions do not apply only to that time; neither does the warning about natural disasters, or even signs in heaven.  These statements apply to the times in which we live and have been living for 2,000 years, this era in which we await His return.  So rather than focus on the prophecy (which will continue in the readings for Monday and Tuesday as well), let us consider Jesus' emphasis here.  It is not on the shock value of the prophecy, nor is it on a specific time-frame.  In fact, He avoids that altogether; we have not been given a time-table of any kind.  Jesus' emphasis is on our work, behavior, and preparedness at this time.  As we will read, He will emphasize our practice of virtue, our awareness of His purposes and commandments for us, and especially our alertness to the times.  He gives us these prophecies so that we don't sleep, so that we are always aware of what it is we are to be about as His good servants, and prepared for the challenges that may come in this time.  He gives us a clear "gameplan" -- the events we experience may present opportunities for witnessing, for testimony.  Some may even be asked for their very lives.  But by our own patience we will possess our souls, no harm shall come to a hair of our heads:  meaning by this that we are protected in that heavenly kingdom, our places and the fullness of our lives remain there.  The wars and signs, pestilences and terrifying disasters are signs of one thing:  a kind of spiritual battle that is taking place behind everything we see and experience.  They are forms of imagery used to tell us of "war in heaven" in the Revelation, and come to us from far earlier, in the Book of Daniel.  St. Paul writes frequently about this as well.  But we shouldn't let the images take over our understanding of what this means for us, where our own emphasis should be.  Nor should we forget that we are living now in the "end times" -- and that the whole of our era since His Resurrection constitutes this time.  As we await His return, consider what your life is all about.  If His return were to happen tomorrow, what is your personal emphasis today?  What is it that you wish to contribute to the world?  What gives your life purpose and meaning?  What is that precious soul that you possess, and how do you retain that possession in His sight?  These are the things He asks of us; they require of us courage, patience, forbearance, insight, understanding, wisdom, and most of all awareness.  He wants us not to go through our lives unaware of these spiritual realities, but rather living them.  Where is your witness?  Let us remember we testify simply by the ways in which we choose to live and make our choices.

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "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."

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

- Luke 20:41-21:4

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Jesus and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"   After verbally fencing with the leaders in the temple while they questioned Him, Jesus now goes on the offensive, so to speak, with His own perspective and gospel message.  In this vein, He quizzes them with a kind of riddle they dare not answer, as the logical conclusion is that He is God incarnate.  Here, the first reference to the LORD applies to God the Father.  The term my Lord is a reference to Christ.  My study bible adds that this question is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity, and yet David's Lord in His divinity.  The belief of the leadership is that the Messiah is a man; yet David, as king of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "Lord" except God.

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "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."  The emphasis here in Luke is on the ambition and greed the scribes embody, and their absorption in the externals, the image they make before others, which results in hypocrisy.  Jesus suggests here that their hypocrisy is linked to greater condemnation.  Think of it:  as characterized by Jesus, these men place all emphasis on the external, their image before others, while He makes sure His criticism is said in the hearing of all the people.

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  In contrast to Jesus' criticism of the scribes, He praises this poor widow.  My study bible says that in the patristic perspective, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but rather by how much is kept back.  That means that this poor widow is counted to have given a tremendous gift.  She has kept nothing for herself.  Those who give out of their abundance but have plenty back for themselves have not given so much as she.

Among the many names of Jesus is "Heart-knower" or "Knower-of-hearts."   When the disciples must choose another to replace Judas, there are two men nominated.  In Acts 1:24, they are about to cast lots.  The text tells us they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen . . .."  The English phrase is translated from a single word in the Greek (καρδιογνώστης/kardiognostes); it's really two words put together, literally meaning "heart-knower."  In Psalm 139, the Lord is addressed as the One who knows more about us than we can know about ourselves.  Verse 23 declares, "Search me, O God, and know my heart."  In today's reading, Jesus not only shows Himself as the "Heart-knower" but His entire emphasis is on what is in the heart.  As Lord of King David, Christ is truly the heart-knower; He is the only One to whom David has to answer and give an account of himself.  When Jesus criticizes the scribes, the emphasis He places is on what is in their hearts; or more specifically, what is missing here.   His criticism stems from their emphasis on image and externals:  long robes, greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, and the pretense of long prayers.   Finally, Jesus turns and singles out a poor widow, even while the rich are putting lavish gifts into the treasury.  He praises her gift as more than all.  In each of these examples in today's reading, Jesus is urging us to learn what truth is beyond the superficial, beyond the image created as appearance.  The truth, He says, is in deeper meanings, insights into the heart and the choices that people make.  Take a good hard look at the heart of King David, who knows who his Lord is.  David's spiritual understanding was not limited to expectation of One to come who was connected only through human lineage.  Everything we know about David, and particularly the Psalms attributed to him, teaches us that he lived his life with a clear awareness at all times of the God he loved, and God's presence in his life, God's face before him.  Therefore we can always read in the psalms the great emphasis on the heart and the state and condition of the heart.  The emphasis is on the full picture of who we are, in the depth of the heart.  Today's reading begins with a question designed to open up the identity of Christ Himself to those who have been interrogating Him.  It expands into criticism of the life lived for image on the part of the scribes; that is, a life lived on the surface, for what others see.  Finally He peers into the depth of the heart of the poor widow; comparing her to others who give lavish gifts, He praises hers as "most of all."  The message is that Jesus wants us to dive deep, not to live on the surface -- that what we see of life most often isn't the full picture at all.   He invites us into better judgment:  to get to know ourselves, to live in this depth of reality which only comes from humility, so that we may better discern life around us.  Jesus sees the truth of the widow, and invites us into that truth, teaching us to find who we are in the sight of God.  It is only there that we come to know ourselves, and by extension to begin to better perceive others.  Where does your relation to the world begin?  Can you dig under the surface as did King David before God, when he wrote, "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom" (Psalm 51).  Everything comes from this place where we know God's love, and may be granted the wisdom of truth in the inward parts, so that we may truly see as Christ asks us to see.

For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him

Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

- Luke 20:27-40

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus preached the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people -- for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.  So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.  Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:  Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Show Me a denarius.  Whose image and inscription does it have?"  They answered and said, "Caesar's."  And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.  And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.   Jesus confirms that there will be a resurrection, but that the Sadducees are mistaken in their assumptions about what that means, and even the nature of eternal life.   The party of the Sadducees was a wealthy landowning aristocratic class from around Jerusalem.  After the Siege of Jerusalem this party would no longer exist.  Through this question, they reveal their assumptions about the doctrine of revelation, in which they did not believe -- that it was a continuation of earthly life, including earthly marriage.  Therefore they mock it with an absurd scenario.  But, as Jesus says, they are ignorant of the Scriptures, which reveal a complete transfiguration of life in the resurrection.  My study bible says this makes their earthly question (and others like it) irrelevant.  In addition, they don't understand how Abraham and his sons can be alive in God even if they are physically dead.  My study bible also remarks that it is the clear teaching of Christ that the souls of the faithful who has left this life are sustained before the face of God in anticipation of the final joy of the resurrection.

What is the resurrection going to be like?  I think that we can hardly imagine it, as Jesus tells us that life beyond this world entails a distinctive transfiguration, transformation, to another life of a completely different nature.  Jesus says they neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.   What that seems to indicate to me is that all relationships are changed; the very nature of "family" no longer applies.  Blood relation and connection through social contracts are not that which creates communion.  Rather, those "who are counted worthy to attain that age" (as Jesus puts it) are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  Therefore our very nature changes should we be among those who are counted worthy to attain that age.  How can we have any idea what this means?  So much of what we base relatedness or relationship upon will shift with such a tremendous change.  Surely, a life lived in an awareness of the embrace of the love of God will go a long ways to prepare us for this communion.  Christ calls us to an awareness of a type of relatedness while we yet live in this world that reflects the communion He brings to us, the awareness of how faith creates "right-relatedness" -- which is another term for righteousness.  His encouragement in yesterday's reading (above) to "render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" becomes a beginning step, a practice, an initiation and encouragement to begin to enter into the kind of life of the resurrection that He describes, in which how we relate to others, and to the world around us, is determined by this identity in faith.  It is His entire mission, somehow, and the message of the gospel He brings, to initiate us into life in this Kingdom, even as it may be lived -- within us and among us -- while we are still here in this world.  The Sadducees are clearly quite worldly-minded.  Their Scriptures were the Torah (or the Pentateuch), the first five books of what we call the Old Testament.   Therefore their faith is for the most part based purely in the Law.  Their place among the ruling council is determined through property and lineage, especially regarding the maintenance of the temple.  No wonder it is hard for them to grasp the concept of resurrection, and easy to ridicule.  But if we pay attention to Christ, we are all asked to "go there," at least to begin to understand ourselves in the sense in which we may participate in the resurrection, in this eternal life Christ teaches about.  On what do we base our identity?  How are we sons of God?   If so, what is it that we stand to inherit?  Moreover, how do our lives reflect that truth of the communion established through this Kingdom and this nature we might live out in the world?  Does it change the ways that relate to the world and to one another -- even the nature of how we treat property?  In this light, we are stewards of the created world, given to us by a gracious God in whose image and likeness we are to grow.  Therefore, questions concerning the nature of resurrection and eternal life are not that far from us, after all.  They concern our very nature, the core of identity we may wish to reconsider for ourselves, and more particularly, what we consider to be rooted in our faith and the love of God.  With so much emphasis on "family values" in our churches and in religious life of all stripes in the world, one would think that possibly better emphasis would be placed on the quality of those relationships we have -- and even just what constitutes family in a deeper sense.  If our identity is to be rooted in God who is love, then what does that say about who we truly are, and how we are related, or in communion, with one another?  Let us reconsider our own identities in light of Christ's teaching, and reorient our priorities.  Where is the devotion of our heart and soul and strength in this light, and how does that shape the basis of our point of view?  There is a lot to consider in Christ's answer, and also in the ignorance of the Sadducees who ask it.  Somehow their blindness to the end that is coming to their very identities is fitting as signal of their blindness to the eternal life of resurrection and what it means.  Let us learn for ourselves what it may mean to us, and our own blindness to what is, so that we may turn away from putting all our faith in the purely worldly.   That would include notions of family values that are only all about this world and exclude the fullness of our true nature.