The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes

 Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

- Mark 12:1-11

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men' " -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"   My study bible explains the parable in the following way:  The man represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews, to whom Christ is speaking, who are entrusted to care for the people.   Each servant in the parable who is sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  The beloved son refers to Christ Himself.   When the Son is killed and cast out of the vineyard, it is understood on two levels:  first, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha was outside of the city gates in Christ's time), and secondly that Christ was crucified by foreign soldiers, not by those of His own vineyard.  The others to whom the vineyard will be given are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.

Perhaps the most striking thing about this parable as told by Jesus is what we would call today the "entitlement" of the vinedressers.  Their own outlook is through such a materially-oriented lens that they can't see anything but this property -- and it is most decidedly simply looked upon as property.  That is, not something to care for, not something to steward well, but something to own, to possess, and to selfishly exploit singularly for personal gain.  All in all, a pretty unimaginative sort of outlook that only understands the material and nothing more.  There is not even a sense here of cultivating the property for the future, merely a sense of possession.  But the parable goes beyond  mere possession and into entitlement:  they forget altogether that it is not theirs to claim ownership of.  It belongs to the landowner who leased it to them.  So limited is the vision of those who lease this vineyard that they can only focus on what is in their hands.  They decide to ignore the fact that it is the owner of the land who actually planted the vineyard, set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower -- thus making the property worth something in the first place.   All they can think about is the value that they have in their own hands.   They have no respect for the person who is the owner of the property, who did the work and investment, who leased it to them.  And there is really the sense of entitlement, and where such a commonly found modern problem lies:  the pure focus on the material, and the selfishness engendered by such a perspective.  There is no room for relationship to anything:  not to the land itself, to the crop and its growth, to the investment in the land, and to the one who did all the work and leased the property to them.  There is no regard for the servants of the owner, nor for the son.  A purely material outlook does not respect the values that exist beyond this perspective.  There is no sense of the good except how one is materially and immediately profited.  All of this is entirely in contrast to the goodness of the vineyard, the goodness of faith, the goodness that God wants us to understand about our lives.  When we forget where we come from, we lose sight of the great gifts we have -- the fact that they are gifts at all, and that there is a Giver.  What are the fruits the vineyard owner wants?  God asks us for fruits of the spirit.  That is, things which are intangible, beyond material, which infuse all of life on every level and give us meanings and motivations in the world.  We could consider the material something that exists to give these realities manifestation and expression.  St. Paul names such fruits as "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).  These are the things which Christ has asked us to cultivate throughout His ministry.  They are the true aims of faithfulness.  All the "activism" in the world is not going to replace the internal work necessary for such fruits, the action of the Holy Spirit, the love of Christ, and regard for the Father that brings these fruits into being through experience and transcendence.  They are the things that must come first, because without them any form of fixing up the world, so to speak, falls flat and fails because vision is so limited and motivation is false.  The best plans fail to produce the goodness of the true fruits.  Let us bear in mind Jesus' condemnation of the religious hypocrisy that also falls into this category (Matthew 23:13-39); His warnings apply to all of us today.  The prophets come to call people back to God, over and over again.  And we note that the parable gives us the Son as the final One who is sent in that holy lineage of servants.  What do you have to give Him?

By what authority are You doing these things?

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men' " -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

- Mark 11:27-33

Yesterday we read that the day after His arrival in Jerusalem, when Jesus and the disciples had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.   And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt   in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men' " -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Jesus is not a Levitical priest.  Having just cleansed the temple (yesterday's reading, above), Jesus is quizzed by the chief priests, scribes, and elders as to His authority to do so.  They are what we can think of as the regulators of the religion and religious practices, the arbiters of its standards and practices.  My study bible says that Jesus confounds them with a different question about John, as he is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, to those who reject His ministry.  Both the elders' question and Christ's question require the same answer -- so it would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  My study bible adds that by not answering them directly, Christ teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.

What is malice?  What does it do?  My study bible speaks of not answering those who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.  Malice begins with a particular aim, to destroy or to cause harm.  It is rooted in a kind of evil intention in the first place.  One wonders what an honest approach to Christ would look like.  But in these men, the chance to question or to converse with Jesus isn't approached in such a spirit.  Rather, they feel threatened by the crowds who follow Christ, and so a rivalry is already in place, and motivation is complicated by their sense of threat.  They simply wish to be rid of Him.  The question about John the Baptist is an important one, because neither were these men supporters of John's mission, although John was extremely highly regarded by the common people as a true holy man.  Luke's Gospel tells us that while even tax collectors went out to be baptized in John's baptism of repentance, the Pharisees and scribes did not (Luke 7:29-30).   The thread of conflict and rejection runs steadily between these men and both John's and Jesus' ministries.  Malice becomes an important part of our story because it tells us about our own potential to fool ourselves, to mislead ourselves and to be misled by others.  It focuses attention on intention.  It tells us about the essential importance of self-knowledge as we approach questions of great difficulty whose answers may disappoint and trouble us.  Malice is the opposite of truth-seeking.  It does not hold an open mind, and does not practice self-control.  It seeks to do harm.  We may be outraged and scandalized by things we hear, by conduct that threatens our way of life, but malice never does anyone any good.  It neither defeats a false purpose nor does it save truth.  It cannot reveal truth because it is not a product of the One who is truth (John 14:6).  If these men were asking their question in good faith, Jesus would answer in kind.  Let us consider, then, as we look around ourselves, what truly makes for healing in a world beset by its problems.  Do we approach perplexing circumstances in the spirit of truth, or one of malice?  Prayer is an essential reinforcement of our intention to find truth; it goes straight to the heart and asks us to know ourselves and to seek to forgive, to give things up to the hands of God.  It asks us to honestly seek to know where we ourselves need to change, and what we need to stand up for.  Malice presents us with a stark contrast:  what is it to serve God with our questions and challenges, and what is it to serve selfish purposes instead?  Let us remember we seek to serve the Person who  is Truth, even when that Truth will tell us that we need to let go of something we think we need.  Everything depends on what authority we truly follow.

Let no one eat fruit from you ever again

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

- Mark 11:12-25

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples came to Jericho as they traveled toward Jerusalem.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  That it was not the season for figs means that the fig tree had sprouted an early full foliage.  This would indicate readiness for a first crop, but this tree had borne no fruit.  Finding not a single fig, Jesus condemns it.  It's a figurative act; in Scripture a fig tree is often a symbol of Israel (Hosea 9:10), my study bible notes.   The tree looks beautiful and promising.  But there is no fruit, a kind of image of response to Christ's ministry.  So the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people, who are called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43, Galatians 5:22-23).

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals which people purchased for sacrifices.  The money changers were trading Roman coins for Jewish coins.  The Roman coins bore the image of Caesar (worshiped as a god), and so were considered to be defiling to the temple.  The cleansing of the temple, my study bible tells us, points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  Each person is considered a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).  Therefore it is also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of "earthly" matters.  This is Jesus' first act, after His entrance into the Holy City (Mark 11:1-11).   Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."   My study bible says that the cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act, which signifies the judgment of Israel.  It says that the disciples need to learn that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).  These apostles will establish His Church, which will ultimately be filled with both Gentiles and Jews.  They need assurance that they are following His will.  The fig tree will be an image fixed in their minds for the future.

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."   My study bible notes that while it is not recorded that an apostles literally moved a mountain, patristic commentators are clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen.   (There are certain saints said to have made crevices appear in mountains.)  Furthermore, not everything that the apostles did was written down.  Beyond its literal meaning, Jesus' promise is an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  Theophan comments, "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.  The inclusion of the command to forgive reminds us that it is not our will we pray be done, but God's (Matthew 6:9-10).

What is a miracle?  Is it a kind of miracle that the fig tree withered so fast?  Jesus' withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act, but we must always remember that it is a prophetic act given to us by the Son.  It is Christ who has taught us something, and holy power at work.  Since it is He who has taught us to pray to Our Father, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we can assume that in the withering of the fig tree Jesus is following the Father's will, as He does in all things.  Here is the key to prayer:  St. Paul teaches that "the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27).  The withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act as it comes from that which is the Law, in a sense, the command of God.   It is an expression of the fact that God has come into the world as incarnate human being.  Christ's ministry has first come to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, those whom He loves.  But the response -- at least from the leadership -- is rejection.  We know also that in various towns where great works were done by Christ, His ministry has also been rejected (Matthew 11:21).   It is one thing to be astonished at His healing power, but another to bear spiritual fruit.  When the power of God is at work in us or amongst us, its rejection is more than simply a "no" to something we're not ready for:  our rejection becomes a refusal of an opportunity, of a kind of command, of a power that will have repercussions in our lives.  This is the essence of a prophetic act:  that God acts and our response to accept or reject has a deep and profound impact on our lives, our reality, our time and place, our future.  We reject life itself, a truer and deeper reality than what we see and know in a temporal sense.  Saints are those who so align their will to God's purposes at work within them, that holy power infuses their own prayer, their capacity to act.  Prophecy works not through a depth of understanding alone, but through this type of devotion, full dependency upon God's power and the work of Christ and the Spirit in the world.  Let us consider what it means to truly serve, and the power that is in that service -- especially when we pray to our Father, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

What do you want Me to do for you?

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

- Mark 10:46-52

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And he said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem.  Encountering a blind man is symbolic of a humanity fallen into sin, or what we may rather term the things that separate us from God, make God hard to "see."   In a parallel vein, the restoration of sight to the blind was a sign expected to be performed by the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18; 35:4-5).  My study bible says this was a power God had reserved for Himself (compare John 9:32).  As God is light we can see both the literal manifestation of that truth in restoring sight to the blind, and the figurative in liberating (redeeming) humanity from whatever holds it hostage and keeps us from fulfillment of our image in God.    Bartimaeus calls Jesus Son of David, a messianic title.  This tells us that Bartimaeus had faith that Jesus was indeed the Christ.  There is also a patristic spiritual interpretation to this miracle.  Jericho was a low-lying city associated with sin and all manner of evil, crime and danger -- in Luke's Gospel, the story of the Good Samaritan (a foreigner) who helped a man besieged by robbers who injured him takes place in Jericho (Luke 10:30; 19:1).  It symbolizes fallen humanity.  Christ passing through Jericho is an image of the Incarnation.  Jesus restoring sight to Bartimaeus parallels the restoration of humanity to glory.  Having been made whole by Christ, my study bible says, human nature can now follow Christ on the road to the Kingdom, symbolized by our Lord's subsequent entrance into Jerusalem (11:1-11).

What does it mean to be unable to see?  In our story, Bartimaeus clearly "sees" something, even while he is still blind.  He knows, or at least has a strong, urgent hope, that Christ can help him and give him what he needs.  He has a faith that opens his eyes, in other words, to the hope that his eyes may be opened by Christ.  That is a kind of nutshell hidden "in plain sight" in this story.  It is not only the Messiah that delivers us from what ails and holds hostage, but it is our faith that makes that possible, that gives us the urge to make connection with our Redeemer.  Atonement and redemption in various contexts can often blind us to the reality of what a Redeemer is.  A deliverer or redeemer is a champion, someone who liberates or frees us what from binds us.   In the time of Christ and earlier, we can think of the endless skirmishes and battles between kingdoms and tribes.  Slaves were often those peoples who were simply conquered by others.  Even in the Middle East today, we can see active hostage taking as part of warfare.  A redeemer is one who liberates, who pays the ransom for a hostage in order to free them.  If we are speaking about a humanity held hostage by the evil in the world, then we can see a great parallel here to the healing by Christ.  Humanity awaits its redeemer and liberator.  All the things that ail us keep us blind to what life could be, what we could be, what our Creator wishes for us, and all the potentials contained within the image in which we were created.  In the Incarnation, it is Creator who comes as Liberator -- to free us from the "strong man" because He is the stronger.  Jesus Himself gives us precisely this parallel when He responds to the accusation that He casts out demons by the power of the devil ("No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house" - 3:27).  The power of evil is a kind of blindness that manifests as a fetter or chains, a stumbling block, that which binds us and keeps us captive to something.  It manifests as hopelessness and despair, a lack of faith, an inability to find solutions to problems, to think outside of the box or the bind we seem to be in.  It keeps us from seeing.  It is darkness itself that limits, stifles, and dictates there are no alternatives.  It is the opposite of creativity, opposed to the energies of grace which are of the Creator.  Christ is the hope of the hopeless, and His saints the same (particularly an attribution of the Virgin Mary) precisely because of faith, and the connection that faith makes to the energies of grace, to Creator and thereby to what is hidden from us in our darkness and blindness.  When we struggle against an unseen enemy, even forces which seem to be within ourselves, impulses we can't understand and that work like demons within us, it is hope and faith that sustains to try again, to find a new way, a gleam of an idea where we hadn't looked or thought to see before.  Faith knows we have another day to try again.  Faith gives us a chance to find a way out, a way through -- when the world will shut us out and tell us we're finished.  So often, it is faith we need to take courage and face the fears that keep us stuck, so we can try a new way.  Isaiah tells us the truth of God whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways.  Bartimaeus finds his Redeemer, and so may we do likewise, with the hope He extends to us, His way. Note that the patristic spiritual interpretation tells us this is just the beginning of the road.  Only God can say where we may go with Him (see 10:27, in yesterday's reading).  Only He can show us what life may look like in the Holy City and what we ourselves may be like as one who lives in it.  That's what the road is for.

Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And he said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 - Mark 10:32-45

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  Jesus gives the warning for the third time to His disciples regarding what is going to happen in Jerusalem, at the end of what is known as Holy Week.  My study bible says that His repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they were would face.  It adds that this also confirms that Christ was going to His death of His own will and choosing.   The disciples are both amazed and afraid as Jesus now boldly leads the way to Jerusalem (compare to 7:24, 9:30).

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And he said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."   The disciples have already been addressed by Christ regarding an understanding of service after they had disputed among themselves who would be greatest in His kingdom (see Monday's reading).  Here James and John still seek what my study bible calls temporal power and glory, which is unfitting for a disciples and shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup as he drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, as He was completely immersed in it, but it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  That Jesus predicts John and James will participate in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.  When Jesus tells them that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give, it means they are not His to give arbitrarily, although His authority is full.  They will be given to those for whom God has prepared them.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that no one could possibly sit as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom.  In the Church, the Virgin Mary is called most blessed among women (Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist the greatest born of women (Matthew 11:11).  

  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  Once more, when all are gathered together, Jesus emphasizes the priority of service among them.  They must serve one another, and the first shall be slave of all.  He contrasts the power of those who lord it over one another with the kind of authority of His Church.  He Himself will set the example.  The phrase for many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

What does it mean to serve all, or be servants to one another?  What could it mean to be slave to all?   In Greek, the word for "servant" is diakonos, from which derive the English word "deacon."  Its root has to do with kicking up dust, most likely scurrying to be of help, assistance.  In a sacred sense, it implies ministry.  The Greek word for "slave" is doulos.  Its root means to serve the will of another, to belong to another.  If we look at these meanings, we understand that Jesus is speaking of serving one another in the same sense that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves; we seek to help one another.  To serve all is what He Himself does, even giving Himself as ransom to liberate others, as perhaps a slave would do in ancient times.   If we are the use the attitude of Christ, one of helping one another, what does that look like?  What picture do we get?  Certainly it is a contrast to competition in its starkest sense, in which our sole goals and aims are to "lord it over one another."  Rather, Christ expresses the idea of organization as one of mutual support.  Elsewhere He extends this to mutual correction (Matthew 18:15-17).  It does not merely imply a kind of mutual admiration society.  Rather it implies organization that is for the good of all, of each.  The way in which we may serve all is to wish the best for one another, and in Christ's view, our "best" is not a goal of power or prestige, but an internal one of discipline, correction, and growth in the virtues of grace and truth.  In supporting such growth and clear-eyed perspective, we help one another to be fuller members of the Kingdom, attaining to the things that God has prepared and desires for us.  If we were to change our point of view to reflect such fullness, what would it mean in terms of the ways in which we relate to one another?  There is humility in understanding that we are all on this same road or journey of holiness.  We've always got our work to do.  How can we share this road in a better way than we do now?   It will always give us fuller vision for the future, and so much to grow into, at every stage of our lives.

Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

- Mark 10:17-31

Yesterday we read that Jesus left Capernaum and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."    In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."   And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  This wealthy young man comes to Jesus for advice.  He considers Jesus to be a "good Teacher."  Jesus' answer, my study bible says, doesn't deny that He is the Christ, but is designed to lead the rich man to this knowledge.  Jesus' first response is to cite the commandments (see Exodus 20:12-16, Deuteronomy 5:16-20).  The young man is devout, and has kept the commandments from his youth, but senses that he still lacks something.  My study bible says that formal observance of the commandments doesn't make one righteous before God.  This man has an earnest desire for eternal life.

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.   He lacks one thing, a willingness to exchange whatever it is that holds him back from taking up the cross, and following Christ for the life He offers.  My study bible says that nothing is gained unless such a sacrifice is given freely.  It adds that the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  This follows on the teachings in Tuesday's reading to the disciples, in which Jesus taught that whatever keeps them from proper humility in service must be discarded.  For this young man, wealth had such a grip on his life that his hope is to sell what he has and give to the poor, and be free to follow Christ.  We note that this is presented by Jesus not merely as sacrifice, but exchange:  he will have treasure in heaven.  A commentary by St. John Chrysostom says that giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions to this man.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."   There are many commentaries and interpretations of the saying Jesus offers here.  Some say that rather than camel the word used was Aramaic for "rope" (which is similar in sound).  Other suggest that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which a camel might be able to squeeze if first all its baggage was stripped, symbolizing wealth and possessions.   There is an expression used in the Talmud "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But my study bible comments that whatever the phrase refers to, it's clearly meant by Christ to display the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  The disciples show by their astonished response how stunned they are by what He teaches, especially when they ask, "Who then can be saved?"  But with God's grace all things are possible.

Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  Peter speaks for the apostles when he notes "we have left all and followed You."  My study bible says that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children here.  Rather, it refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family, according to commentary by St. John Chrysostom.  It also means, my study bible adds, that one may have to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  The promise of a hundredfold return (again, in keeping with the language of exchange) of houses and relatives is not meant in a worldly or earthly sense but rather a spiritual one:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, sisters and brothers in Christ, houses of worship and fellowship.

As noted in commentary above, Jesus speaks of an exchange.  There's practically no telling which of our "possessions" will stand in the way of taking up the cross and following Christ.  As we read on Tuesday, Jesus could be speaking of elements of personality, habits, or selfish tendencies that need to be sacrificed for the mission of the Church.  That was in His teaching to the apostles about their own competitive tendencies as they argued for position with one another.  Here, this young man wishes for eternal life and Jesus asks him to exchange his way of life for the one offered in following Him.  He promises him treasure in heaven.   As St. Chrysostom indicates, this advice is specific to the young man.  The things we are asked to give up in exchange for the life Christ offers to us may vary from individual to individual and specific time to specific time.  This is not something that is predictable, but is the product of grace at work in us.  When Jesus says that "with God all things are possible," He's speaking of this steady constant influence upon us when we seek to walk in faith.  One by one, there will be things that come up in our lives for us to make choices over.  Each will present us with a question of what is more important, this thing we hold dear (which could be absolutely anything, from a personal fondness for a way of thinking to parts of our lives to which we are deeply attached, habits, relationships, or possessions) -- or our walk with Christ, our faith and hope and trust in where He leads us.  This is discipleship.  It is the process of life and faith.  None of these things are easy, because what we sacrifice or exchange is something to which we are deeply enough attached that it may form a stumbling block to the fullness of life offered in Christ.  We may need to strip away something before we understand where we're headed, and the fullness of the replacement in exchange.  But in so doing, we find faith increased, as well as dependency upon Christ.  It is always a walk toward something, a journey to the life He offers in exchange.  What would you give for your freedom to follow Him?

Of such is the kingdom of God

 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."    In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."   And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

- Mark 10:1-16

Yesterday, Jesus continued His teaching to the apostles after they had been disputing among themselves as to who would be greatest in the kingdom:  "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is god, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

  Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."    In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."   The Pharisees test Jesus with an issue that was subject to debate in Jesus' time:  divorce.   (See Deuteronomy 24:1-4.)  In Jesus' teachings on marriage, He regularly condemns divorce.  This was in contrast to the easy access to divorce under Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in His time.  Instead, Jesus' emphasis is on the spiritual and therefore eternal nature of marriage.  In Matthew's Gospel, a caveat is mentioned  ("except sexual immorality" - Matthew 5:32).   But let us pay attention to Jesus' words here; He specifically attributes Moses' allowance to hardness of heart.  Emphasizing the example of permanent monogamous marriage (as in Genesis 1, 2), divorce in this view is an allowance for human weakness.   Let us understand He is addressing men (women could not initiate divorce) and their treatment of women.  What is clear either way is that marriage, as a holy institution, can be destroyed by sin, by abuse.  In such cases, even in the early Church, divorce was permitted as corrective measure of compassion.   See also Malachi 2:15-16 as an admonition to men.

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."   And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.   It seems ironic that Jesus has just used the example of little children to say, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me" (Monday's reading), here the disciples rebuke the parents who bring the children to Christ.  Theophan comments that they were rebuked because the little children were "unruly" and because they thought that children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  Instead, Christ emphasizes that little children are an example of those who will inherit the kingdom of heaven.  He provides the perfect example of His teaching in the earlier reading.

In all ways Jesus emphasizes the humility necessary for true leadership.  He is preparing the disciples for the time He will not be with them in the flesh.  Let us note this consistent teaching from the time He heard them disputing among one another regarding which ones would hold places of greatness in the material kingdom they believe is coming (see Monday's reading).  Although Christ has warned them twice that He will suffer and die, and rise on the third day, they still don't know precisely what that means.  In preparing them for the leadership of His Church, Jesus' great emphasis is on humility and service.  Here, the example of divorce also serves to prepare them with an understanding of gracious behavior that is meant to appeal to all -- and to all men in particular.  The nature of marriage as instituted by God becomes a question of the use of power in this example.  Should a wife be dismissed for failing to appeal in just any way, or is marriage meant to be more than that?   Marriage as permanent monogamous institution, in which "two become one flesh" is not simply a hierarchy of possessor and property, nor is it a question of material wealth nor simply a means to expanded family and standing.  It is holy, and the holiness is in the relationship of the two.  Clearly women were not only lower in social standing, rights, and capacity for power in the time of Jesus, but make careful note that Jesus' grace extends also to little children.  He gives us a way to see that is not based on a purely material perspective, but asks us to use the lens of spiritual understanding for our lives and conduct.  We're not seeing correctly with a "worldly" perspective.  The perspective that Christ adds is one that we call "gracious" now.  It is the command He gives us all for proper relation and understanding of the value of human beings.  That we are spiritual in origin and nature, of one whole with body, soul, and mind, gives us Christ's perspective on marriage and on relation to the little children who stand as examples of those who may enter the kingdom of God.  There is a continuity in this perspective, from the understanding of the true nature of marriage given in Genesis (reflecting our spiritual nature and creation by God) to the present day, when notions of human rights have expanded in light of cultural acceptance of Jesus' basis for the value of persons.  Let us honor fully our true natures with our lives as He has taught.

Everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.'

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.'

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where

'Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is god, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

- Mark 9:42-50

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples left the area of Caesarea Philippi and passed through Galilee, but He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  Jesus speaks of the little ones in the context of the disciples' responsibilities as the future leaders of His Church.    This is a continuation of His discourse from yesterday's reading, in which He addressed the disciples' arguments with one another over who would be the greatest in His Kingdom -- in other words, their dispute over who would have the highest positions of honor in what they likely think is a worldly kingdom to come.  His primary teaching is on the essence of humility as requirement for greatness.   Their charge will be the little ones; my study bible says that "little ones" include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  These are the ones who will populate His Church; from the great to the least, the disciples must be servants of all.  In yesterday's reading, He told them that to receive even a little child in His name is to receive Him, and whoever receives Him receives also the Father who sent Him.

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where  'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'"  What is it to have ascetic discipline in the Church?  In Jesus' words here, it is everything.  Humility is only possible through self-knowledge and constant discipline, exercise if you will, to beware of our own weaknesses to behaviors that can't uphold this mission in the world.  A hand may want to take something that doesn't belong to it, to abuse someone lower in power and stature.  A foot goes where it shouldn't or perhaps strikes a blow, an eye is cast upon something one may covet.  Each speaks to a proper boundary crossed, an abuse of another -- most likely one with less power, a "little one."  What Jesus is teaching here will remain of central importance to the faith and should never be forgotten.  To be good disciples, we need always be aware of our weaknesses and the discipline necessary to spiritual growth in His image.  To be true leaders requires this kind of watchfulness and a willingness to sacrifice our own failings that get in the way of the grace He teaches.  The repeated quotation is from Isaiah 66:24.   Repeated three times, this warning about abuse, the capacity to mislead for selfish purposes, is the most dire Jesus will give.  It applies to all of us. 

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."   We will all be tested; each one of us must struggle to be aware of our own weaknesses and temptations, and do something about it.  My study bible says that we're tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).   Every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt is a quotation from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.   We must remember to whom we owe our loyalty, and let that awareness "season" all our relations with others.

We have to remember the context which Jesus addresses:  immediately after they're told that Jesus will suffer and die and rise on the third day, the disciples are disputing with one another over who is going to be greatest.  That is, who will have the positions of honor in the worldly kingdom they think is coming.  Jesus must prepare them for the Church, for the time in which He is no longer with them in the flesh.  How are they to be the pillars He wants them to be?  The first mission is service which comes only through humility.  They must receive even the littlest child as if they receive Him, and the Father who sent Him.  Considerations of levels of power and rank are the furthest thing from how He wishes them to conduct themselves.  They dispute with one another; they must learn self-discipline.  What they want, what they seek for themselves, the positions they want in this kingdom they suppose is coming -- and all that might accompany such -- will be subjected to a fire and must be seasoned with the salt of loyalty to the One whom they serve.  Sacrifices made involve a willingness to do away with selfish motivation, the things that get in the way of serving the least among them.  Modern life doesn't seem to ask us for this type of self-sacrifice, unless possibly we're speaking about losing weight so we look good (and yes, for our health), or training for an athletic event, or the discipline we need to perform our jobs.  But in a spiritual context, Jesus' goals of ascetic discipline are all about an internal kind of work and training.  He asks us to be aware of our impulses that cause excess, abuse, exploitation, the crossing of boundaries, trespassing where we're not to go.  In their competition with one another, the disciples dispute who will be greatest.  But He asks them instead to discipline themselves with loyalty to the goals He gives them, loyalty to covenant and Creator who loves and is found even in the little ones of least stature, even in the little children.  This kind of discipline and training involves looking to ourselves for the places in which we're tempted to trespass, for our own weaknesses.  It's not all sweetness and light; the grace He offers clearly works hand in hand with our own responsibility to cooperate and grow in this covenant, in light of our loyalty.  We may be blessed, but grace is a kind of fire.  It is an energy of God within which we stand and are transformed -- or resist its urging to cast out what is not helpful.  This is internal work, spiritual struggle, and part and parcel of the faith.  Grace comes together with the need to follow where it leads, the urging for personal change.  What is the discipline of faith?  Let us remember the salt of love and loyalty, the fire of God's love which tests and purifies, the peace with one another He asks.

Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

- Mark 9:30-41

On Saturday we read that when He came to the disciples (from the Mount of the Transfiguration together with Peter, John, and James), He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  For the second time in Mark's Gospel, Jesus predicts to His disciples what is going to happen to Him - His death and Resurrection.  My study bible notes that this shows them that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.   Again, after a dispute (He returned from the Transfiguration to find His disciples disputing with some scribes in Saturday's reading, above), Jesus withdraws, not wanting anyone to know He was passing through Galilee. 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   Perhaps because they believe that Jesus' warnings indicate that the manifestation of the Kingdom is near, the disciples dispute (out of His hearing) who among them would be the greatest in the Kingdom, a concern for worldly position rather than a focus on the dire news Jesus has given them.  My study bible calls it a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, emphasizing the virtues that are required for greatness in His kingdom.  My study bible names among those virtues humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.   Greatness, in this picture, is the capacity for service, humility, and love without regard for position -- and the capacity to see Christ and the Father in those of the least worldly standing who are received in His name. 

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."   One patristic commentator (Theophylact) suggests that John's comment is a regret, expressed after hearing Jesus' teaching on receiving even "little children" in His name.  On the other hand, St. Ambrose comments that John expects full obedience to accompany these blessings.  But either way, Jesus' response teaches that none of those acting in good faith are excluded, even if not currently numbered among the disciples, my study bible tells us.  Theophylact writes, in a commentary on this story in Luke, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."   (On those using Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16). 

It's interesting to think about Jesus' statements here.  First He once again warns the disciples that He will be killed, and on the third day He will rise.  They can't truly take in this news, but somehow they understand its significance -- so much so, that they enter into dispute among themselves about who would hold the greatest position among them.  It's as if the sin of pride, a focus on competition, takes immediate precedence among them.  Even in the midst of bad news, it follows here that humility becomes the foundation for what will come next.  Everything they do must be done in His name, and all received in His name must be received as if receiving Christ Himself, and the Father.  In this sense, while they hear news of His death to come, there is an expansion of His living ministry in the ways in which they will receive those who are to come after His death.  "His name" will expand in even the least who are received, His presence assured in them.  In the teaching that comes afterward, they learn that His name expands to include even those not among their own immediate flock who act in good faith.  This holds true even to the extent that "whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."   The name of Christ, and our faith in the reality of His presence, assures an expansion of His work in the world, His ministry.  Sincere faith works as a network, spreading among us, and in the work of the Holy Spirit.   We note how faith is expressed through mercy, working on behalf of others ("casting out demons," working "a miracle"), extending even a cup of water in His name or to those who belong to Christ.  Through faith we are a part of something that extends without barrier, save where that faith does not exist.  Through faith God's kingdom is within us and among us.   It is in the work of the Holy Spirit, likened to the wind by Jesus, which blows where it wishes, and we cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes (John 3:5-8).   In Jesus' description here, the smallest gesture, done in His name and for one who belongs to Him, becomes a manifestation of grace, of blessing.  In this teaching, then, there is no limit placed on this Kingdom, save the capacity for faith.  Wherever there is the love of Christ, there He is among us and within us.  We carry His name, we extend it to others, we receive Him in even the least of these.  These are the assurances we need to know about His presence, His family among which we may number ourselves and within which we dwell.  Like the true neighbor in the story of the Good Samaritan, let us note that such a life requires only our own initiative, we need wait for no one to invite us in; the door is opened to those who can respond with love and faith in His word.

Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." 

- Mark 9:14-29

Yesterday we read that six days after Peter's confession of faith and Jesus' revelation to the disciples that He will suffer and die (Thursday's reading), Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.   And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  In Scripture, sickness is often connected to demonic activity.  Perhaps what we should consider in all of Jesus' healings is the possibility that conventional medical treatment, such as it existed, either had no means or had failed to resolve the problems that are brought to Jesus, such as was, for example, explicitly the case in the story of the woman with the twelve years' blood flow (see this reading). 

He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."      Jesus' question ("O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?")  is directed both at the nine disciples who remained behind as He took Peter, James, and John to the mount of the Transfiguration (yesterday's reading, above) and to the crowds.  But Jesus specifically rebukes the father for placing blame on the disciples, when it was his greater lack of faith that prevented the boy's healing.  My study bible points out that Jesus effectively defends His disciples in front of the crowds (and we note there were scribes disputing with them) but later rebukes them privately, which teaches us that we should first correct people in private (Matthew 18:15-17).  This kind, my study bible says, refers to all powers of darkness, not simply those which cause a particular illness.  To banish demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting.  There is no healing and no victory in spiritual warfare without all three.

One thing that is always striking about this particular story is the malice that seems to be evident in the demonic activity of this disease.  The father tells Jesus that from childhood, "often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him."   This deliberately destructive power is reflective of the demons who left the man called Legion and into a herd of swine, causing them to rush down a cliff to their destruction (in this reading).   There is a component to the illness, at least that we read about in the story, that implies malice, a destructive power at work, and thus we get a taste of spiritual battle involved here.  The antidote to this is Jesus' compassion, invoked by the father who says, "But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  We are dealing with a problem, even a force, against which this father feels entirely helpless to protect his child.  Even the disciples apparently cannot help him, and Jesus affirms the difficulty when He says that only prayer and fasting could help in such a case.  The power of faith, then, becomes the central issue here, as the conversation between Jesus and the rest implies.  Jesus' rebuke, "faithless generation," and His teaching to the father, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes," put us in a place where faith becomes the potent force that relieves suffering imposed by a cruel enemy.  The father's desperate (and tearful) reply, "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!" then becomes a cry of humanity struggling against what we experience materially in order to put faith and trust in the more seemingly intangible hope of Christ.   There is the battle between what we think we're told by our senses in the world and the bigger truth given to us by a God of love.  We're caught in the middle when we can't see the way forward, when we struggle with baffling suffering that seems to have no cure, no fix.  There are times when the suffering can be amended and alleviated, and there are times when we are called to face and pass through suffering as we bear a cross in faith -- but both scenaria offer us the  power of faith to transcend our own limitations through that faith, through Him.  The struggle of life -- of the cross -- becomes the struggle of this father, the place in which we find ourselves needing help with our unbelief in order to confront and resolve our own limitation.  Christ's compassion is not only the help we need, but also the guidance for helping ourselves with tools such as prayer and fasting.   Modern medicine offers us many options not available to those who were ill in Christ's time, but compassion and faith remain always necessary and the struggle ever-present.