Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

"But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  Those you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.  Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.  And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

- Luke 11:37-52

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus preached, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light." 

And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you."  Jesus is marveled at by the Pharisee because He has not performed a ceremonial washing before dinner.  In response Jesus speaks about the inner life of a person, and the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who were known for their piety and strictness in observance of not just the Law, but also the many traditions they had built up around it.  But severity can lead to what is called "legalism," whereby the letter of the law may be observed, but a deeper sense of God's mercy ignored.  My study bible says that because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  Therefore, leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1).  To give alms of such things as you have is to live simply with humility before God and the practice of charity -- then all things are clean to such a person.

"But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  Those you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  To practice tithing of these small things (all manner of herbs) and to ignore the weightier matters of justice and the love of God is to fail to hit the mark of the fullness of the Law.  Woe, according to my study bible, is a term indicating a complete and devastating destruction (6:24-26; see Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Jesus goes on to condemn the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who glory in their own superiority and social standing before others.  Jesus rather compares them to hidden graves, full of death unseen and of which others are unaware.

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."  This lawyer understands the implications of what Jesus is saying, and Jesus does not back down from His criticism.  The lawyer impose burdens upon others, but do not help them bear those burdens.  Again, the criticism is of a lack of compassion for others, and of self-righteousness that substitutes for true righteousness.

"Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation."  The prophets are those who have repeatedly come throughout the history of Jewish spirituality, to call the leaders and the people to repentance, to turn back to God.  Jesus' criticism of the leadership is in the style of a prophet, although He is Son who is sent to us to call us all back to God.  Here Jesus accuses these men, part of the religious leadership, of being the true children of their fathers in the sense that it was their fathers who responded to the prophets by killing them.  Cyril of Alexandria comments that they are indeed preparing the tomb of Christ Himself.   Zechariah, according to some Church Fathers, was the prophet at the time of Joash the king (2 Chronicles 24:20-22).  Others say this is a reference to the father of St. John the Baptist, who according to tradition, was also murdered in the temple.

"Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.  And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  According to patristic commentary, the key of knowledge is Christ Himself, who is the "key" to the understanding of Old Testament Scripture, in the light of His ministry, Person, and teachings.  The response of the scribes and Pharisees is simply to seek to find ways to accuse Christ.

Jesus speaks to the hypocrisy of the leadership  My study bible also addresses this subject in the context of the Church today.  I use the Orthodox Study Bible in my commentary, and it notes that these warnings given by Christ to the Pharisees, scribes, and lawyers are not simply important for all Christians regarding their own practices and traditions, but that they are especially important to Orthodox Christians.  The Church has maintained the ancient practices of tithing, sacred vessels, holy rites, and following the tradition handed down by the fathers.  It notes, "These practices can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ, or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation."  The practices of hypocrisy and legalism are with us as much as they ever were.  We even, in the context of today's social media culture, see a great deal of socially acceptable images of compassion done for show, while other matters of "justice and the love of God" go undone for those under the radar of popular media attention.  Indeed, the love of God itself is neglected as it may be unfashionable.  It is important that we understand our human fallibility in this respect, and in particular that it is only a true sense of humility about ourselves that will allow us to live as Christ teaches.  If everyone sees you support a fashionable cause, it doesn't mean the justice God wants you to see has been addressed.  "Good deeds" are not those things that are added up on a calculator to prove you're better than others, particularly if they are in service to a sense of social superiority.  There we are squarely back in the territory of the men whom Christ addresses, who crave the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Perhaps what is most important here is something that is easy to miss, and that is Christ's true sense of urgency and desire to save these men.  He not condemn them simply to condemn or to exercise judgment.  He is rather trying to save them from judgment.  His rebukes are made from love (Revelation 3:19).  Christ's cries of "woe" are warnings of what is to come without repentance, and they follow in His preaching in yesterday's reading (above).  He is the Son who is sent to call all back to God, just as the prophets and apostles were sent by the wisdom of God.  What is important is that although circumstances may have changed throughout history, these words still apply to us, no matter what our nominal faith may be, whatever it is we put our faith into.  Without compassion and mercy, we have missed the mark.  If our actions are done simply to be seen by others, we have missed the mark.  Let us consider His words:  all things are clean to those who give alms of the things they have.  Even a prayer in secret for one whom others may overlook is such an almsgiving, an offer of forgiveness made to God, a kindness given as shared love of God.  Of these capacities we all may share in abundance, but we must cultivate the humility to do so.

When your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness

And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light." 

- Luke 11:27-36

Yesterday we read that Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.  When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  My study bible notes that these verses are read on most feasts of the Virgin Mary.  Jesus is correcting the woman from the crowd, but not by denouncing His mother.  He rather emphasizes her faith.    People who, like Mary, hear the word of God and keep it, are blessed, in Christ's words.  My study bible also notes that the Greek word menounge/μενοῦνγε, which is here translated more than that, is rendered as "Yes indeed" in Romans 10:18.  It corrects by amplifying and expanding, not by negating.

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."   Jesus speaks about the sign of Jonah.  My study bible says that the "sign of Jonah" refers first of all to the fact that the rebellious people of Ninevah were willing to repent at Jonah's preaching; and secondly, that Jonah coming out of the great fish is a prefiguration of Christ rising from the tomb (Matthew 12:40).  By contrasting the repentance of the Ninevites to contemporary leadership of the people, Jesus says that there is a failure to repent at something which is far greater -- Christ's preaching and Resurrection -- which will result in their judgment.  Regarding the Queen of the South, see 1 Kings 10:1-10.

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."  These statements are found in the Gospels in other contexts (such as in the Sermon on the Mount; see Matthew 5:13-16, 6:22-23).  This reinforces our understanding that Jesus used metaphors, figures of speech, and important reflections in many different contexts and throughout His preaching.  Indeed, in Luke's Gospel, the parable of the Revealed Light has been told by Jesus in chapter 8 (8:16-18), after He gave His disciples the parable of the Sower.  Here, as elsewhere, this reference to a lamp and light are given in the context of how one hears the word of Christ, and also responds -- whether or not the light of His words and teachings are taken in and lived and become a part of one's very character.

Jesus makes a serious case about how we listen, what we are willing to hear.  It's in the context of spiritual truth, and in reference to Himself and to His mission.  But when He speaks of light, and a lampstand, it is important that we note that He calls all of us to responsible hearing and listening to truth.  Repeatedly in the Gospels, this is the point that He will make.  In particular, this point is made today to the religious leaders, who are the ones prepared to hear what He has to say, and to understand the authority that He bears.  He likens Himself to the prophet Jonah, and compares His audience in His home country unfavorably to the foreigners who repented at Jonah's preaching, and to the Queen of the South who heard and was awed at the wisdom given to Solomon by God.  How we hear and how we understand spiritual truth is a kind of mystery.  It points to the fact that we don't really know the full depths of ourselves as beings created in the image of God.  How much is the work of grace?  How much is our choice?  But clearly, Christ points to a mechanism of choice that is at work within us.  A "hardened heart" is one that has steeled itself against the light of truth, that has walled itself off in order not to take in this light and to acknowledge what the light would expose.  It is one that avoids opening itself up to change and transformation (in other words, to repentance) and to living the life that would reflect that light.  Jesus gives us repeatedly the message that we are responsible for how we hear, and that rejection of light or truth offered counts for something.  After telling the parable of the Revealed Light, Jesus told His listeners, "Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him" (8:18).   In the case in today's reading, Jesus warns the leadership that their demand for a sign or proof results in judgment.  The Cross tells us that forgiveness is always on the table.  Jesus never stopped reaching out to those whom He wished to save.  But it's important to understand, in the context of both today's reading and yesterday's, that continuing to travel in the same bad direction, refusing repentance or change of mind, also expands the effects of refusal, taking us down a wrong path even to the point where we're incapable of questioning ourselves and our assumptions.   Our own darkness may be further darkened by seeing with a "bad eye" -- just as He preaches here our "whole body" may become "full of light" when the eye is good.  For these men, the danger is that even one greater than Jonah or Solomon will not be able to teach them anything, as their faith is only in themselves.  It should be noted here that there is an allusion to the "evil eye" in Jesus' statement, when He warns against a "bad eye."  The word in Greek (πονηρός) which is translated as bad is really the word for "evil."  An evil eye denotes envy, and this speaks to the motivations of those who demand a sign (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10).  To whatever extent we bear this responsibility for how we hear or take in that light, Jesus gives us quite solemnly the awareness that our choices have serious effects within us, and for our ultimate destination.  Each moment offers us a choice of direction, darkness or light -- and an option for more of one or the other to become very part of our being and what we bring into the world.  There is never a time when we don't make this choice about our lives, or a time when our choice doesn't count.

When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, "I will return to my house from which I came"

 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

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

- Luke 11:14-26

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

And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the the demons."    Beelzebub was a name used by the Jews, meant to be satirical and derogatory, for a pagan god of their enemies, Baal.  (Beelzebub means "the Lord of the Flies.")  But here the name is used as a direct reference for Satan.  Those who accuse Jesus are most likely scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 12:24).

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. Repeatedly in the Gospels, Jesus is asked for a sign.  This is usually to prove His authority to the religious leadership.  But a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see 4:9-12).

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges."   Exorcism was, of course, known and practiced in the Jewish tradition.  Jesus replies to their charges with something quite logical:  Why would Satan cast out Satan?  And if I do this by the power of Beelzebub, then how do your own exorcists cast them out?

"But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  My study bible explains that the finger of God is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  Here is another argument by Christ, refuting claims that He casts out demons by the power of demons.  The strong man in his example is Satan, and it is only a stronger -- Christ -- who is able to defeat him, take from him all his armor in which he trusted (all of his weapons and battle gear for protection), and then divides his spoils.  Satan, my study bible says, holds sway over the fallen human race (as "the ruler of this world"), but Christ is more powerful (see 1 John 4:4).

 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  Jesus' statement here is a categorical one regarding His supreme and central authority. and spiritual power.  My study bible says that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  It continues that those who work in opposition to Christ are different from those who work in good faith toward His purpose, but are not yet united to the Church (see 9:46-50). 

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."  The Old Testament prophets repeatedly worked to cast out rebelliousness among the people in preparation for Christ.  My study bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, in saying that those who refuse to receive Him are left open to the wickedness of seven other spirits or demons.  We should remember that seven is a number symbolizing completion, of fully going over into evil.

Jesus' final statement in today's reading is a rather extraordinary one, but it is a telling psychological insight about repentance, about personal change.  We can't do it if it's not voluntary.  Christ is speaking in the context of exorcism and the influence of the demonic on human beings.  He first categorizes Himself as the "stronger man" with regard to the demonic, all that is under the influence of Satan.  In truth, it seems, we can't clearly know the effects of Christ's Incarnation in terms of the susceptibility of human beings to the influence of the demonic.  Clearly, He here claims His power as greater.  But human beings are still susceptible to influence from what is around them, to loneliness, to personal and hidden selfishness, secret vices, and a host of "treasures" that have to do with inner demands not met in the rigorous light of faith.  What Jesus suggests is that without a true repentance, even if an exorcism should be done, the last state of that person is worse than the first.  It's a suggestion that holds true psychologically if we observe with experience, that the things we really haven't dealt with might be externally "shown" to be gone, but without real repentance or "change of mind" (as the Greek word metanoia literally means), there will be a sort of doubling down on old behaviors, habits, beliefs.  We remain blind to ourselves and blind to what is better.  To truly change, there is a powerful ally at hand, and that is found in the grace of God.  Here is where Christ's ministry brings what is truly powerful in our lives:  a sense of humility before God, the help of forgiveness and mercy, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the commands of Christ for living our good life in communion with Him.  Without this kind of rigorous honesty with ourselves and our own need for help and insight, how do we find what personal transformation really means?  In my perspective, we need all the help we can get to find ways of seeing that are different from what we know, a point of view that is capable of reflecting what the "Stronger Man" can help us to see from His perspective.   Without such internal work, Jesus warns us through the Gospels, we are left with the dangers of hypocrisy against which He rails:  those who are like "whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27).  We seek the renewal of the Christ, the One who constantly makes all things new.  Let us look around at our world and observe what works and what doesn't, what changes and what does not.  Let us also note the times we see human behavior in a state decidedly worse than the past, and ask ourselves why.

Our Father in heaven

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

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

And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you,  will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

- Luke 11:1-13

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

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

He said to them, "When you pray, say:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name."  The first words of the prayer establish the Father/son relationship for us that is a reflection of the Father/Son relationship within the Trinity.  That is, just as Christ is Son, so we each, male and female, have the capacity for sonship (and therefore to be heirs) of this Kingdom.  My study bible says that Christ, the Son of God, grants us the privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  It notes that as a "son of God," the Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God as Christ does the Father.  This is a saving and personal relationship, a communion that only comes by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).  Hallowed means "holy," while Your name indicates the presence of God which extends throughout God's kingdom and all that may belong to it, similar to anything which bore the seal of the Emperor.

"Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  This second line of the prayer establishes what we pray for:  that the presence and reality of God's kingdom be manifest on earth as it is in heaven, which fully includes God's will.

"Give us day by day our daily bread."  Daily is a misleading translation.  In Greek, the word here is epiousios, a special word found only in the Gospels and in the Lord's Prayer alone.  It means literally "above the essence" or "supersubstantial."  That is, a kind of bread that contains more than simply bread.  My study bible says that the expression daily bread indicates not merely bread for this day, for earthly nourishment.  Rather it is the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, for the nourishment of our immortal soul.  The living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself.  So, in this prayer, Christ directs us to ask not only for material bread for physical health, but for the spiritual bread for eternal life (John 6:27-58).   We ask to be nourished with the bread that nourishes us as members this heavenly Kingdom manifest on earth.

"And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us."  Sins and debts are interchangeable as concepts; these are spiritual debts (see Matthew 18:21-35).  My study bible makes note that the request to be forgiven is plural, which directs us to pray always for the forgiveness of others.

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."   God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13).  Temptations are from the evil one, the devil.  My study bible explains that temptations are aimed at the soul's giving in to the sinful passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5).  No one lives without encountering temptations, but here we pray that great temptations; that is, tests beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), should not come to us.  We pray also for deliverance from the evil one.  In Christ's role as Redeemer, He is also Liberator and Deliverer.  We pray for our true spiritual freedom.

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

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you,  will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  My study bible points out that the Greek verbs translated ask, seek, and knock indicate a continuing action.  They would be better translated as "keep asking," "keep seeking," and "keep knocking."  It notes that God responds to us when we persistently ask for things that are good.  Bread, fish, and an egg are images of life.  They symbolize the gift of the Holy Spirit (see John 14:13-14; James 4:3). 

Jesus guides us to persistent, consistent prayer.  St. Paul teaches that we should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  In the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father, we are given Christ's prayer for us, explicitly in response to the request from His followers.  It is, in some sense, therefore, the perfect prayer, and one central to worship services.  Its framework gives us an understanding of Christ's mission, and our own place as faithful.  We pray to our Father in heaven, and it is a prayer for the full manifestation of His heavenly kingdom in this, our world.  We do our part as well in this plan, by forgiveness, an exchange, understood as the forgiveness of debt.  We ask for the supersubstantial bread that feeds us not only for our own health, but for life in this Kingdom.  We pray that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  It gives us an orientation of where we are and who we are, and the activities and energies in which we are directly participating as sons and heirs by adoption.  Moreover, Jesus gives us the direction of continual and persistent prayer.  Participation and communion in this Kingdom through prayer means that we keep asking, seeking, and knocking -- and that our participation is through the grace of the Spirit, the plenitude of which He guarantees we will receive.  The goal here for His followers becomes clear:  this is a spiritual reality in which true followers desire to participate.  The name of God the Father is hallowed, and we who wish to participate in this Kingdom seek the grace and holiness of the Spirit in our own lives.  How do we get there?  Let us consider His commands for persistent prayer, asking and seeking and knocking -- as well as our petition in the prayer, that we wish to be forgiven as we give up to God the debts of those who've sinned against us.  This is membership in the Kingdom, what it means to participate, and to grow in communion.  Let us pray this prayer always, remember what we ask for, and the reality in which we seek to live, and to bear within us. 

One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her

 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

- Luke 10:38-42

 Yesterday we read that a certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."  Mary and Martha are the sisters of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Jesus (see John 11:1-44).  All the stories of these sisters and brother reveal a family to whom Jesus was very close, even a deep and personal love between all of them.  Moreover, the stories that involve these sisters all reveal consistent and distinct characteristics belonging to each one.  In both John's Gospel and here in Luke, Martha is the one concerned with the duties of hospitality, while Mary is the more contemplative, paying attention to duties of spiritual devotion.  My study bible says that Martha is not rebuked for serving, but rather for complaining and for being distracted, worried, and troubled.   In following Christ, it notes, we serve in order to facilitate the spread of the gospel (see Acts 6:1-4).

Martha and Mary give us two distinct "types."  Both are close to Jesus, and beloved of Jesus.  Even in the narrative of Lazarus' death and resurrection (John 11:1-44), it is Martha who goes out to meet Christ as He is approaching their home, while Mary remains seated inside, the proper position for mourning.  This story here in Luke gives us a picture of another time, when Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, and stays in their home.  The stories of Martha and Mary, and Jesus' evident deep connection to them (John tells us that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; see John 11:5) give us a picture of women's roles within Jesus' ministry.  Although women played mostly supportive roles, and were not given the role of apostle, their presence in Jesus' ministry and in the early Church is exceptional and notable.  Also in John's Gospel, it is Mary Magdalene to whom Christ first reveals Himself as risen Lord (John 20:11-18).  She is called the Apostle to the Apostles, a title of the greatest honor.  Moreover, the Gospels make it clear that not only were there always women traveling with Christ throughout His ministry, and supporting that ministry (see, for example, Mark 15:40-41), but also the Epistles of St. Paul teach us the prominent place of women in the early Church.  When Paul sends loving greetings with each letter, the majority of these are directed to women in the Churches, indicating their important role.  Indeed, in the Roman Empire, when the Church was a growing and persecuted sect, one of the most common criticisms of Christianity was that it was a religion of "women and slaves."  Many of the greatest early Church Fathers were children of pagan fathers and Christian mothers.  From these historical facts we can conclude that this story of Martha and Mary is a perfect example of the organic workings of Christianity and its growth.  Jesus' intimate moments with these women reveal a closeness and tenderness that is all about this beautiful spiritual gift that was precious to women, just as Mary's role here in this particular story reveals the soul of a woman every bit as important and essential to God through Christ as any man's.  When Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her, it is a clear statement of approval, and filled with meaning for each one of us.  It teaches us about Mary's good judgment, her deep desire for the wisdom and truth He teaches, and a soul whose true longing must be accounted as good.   In the stories of the early Christian martyrs, we find as many -- if not more -- stories of women as men, many of them young women who, rather than be married and play a traditional prominent role as matron, prefer death for their faith to life without it.  These are stories not only of devotion and extraordinary faith, but they are also stories of powerful choices made by women.  It is these women, as much as any other factor, who were responsible for the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire.  At heart is the capacity for being like Mary -- choosing that good part, which would not be taken away from them.  We have perhaps lost the thread of understanding of what it means to possess and choose for one's own soul that good part, and the powerful role women were offered through Christianity.  But let us never lose sight of what Christ brings to us,  His love and true friendship for both of these sisters, and the powerful choice for that good part that feeds our souls remains on offer to all of us.   The results of such a choice will always be extraordinary, even as the historical times shift and change.  It's important to note that throughout the Middle East, hospitality is of the utmost importance, and therefore the honor due to Martha that is understood here.  But Jesus offers us what He calls that good part, which shall not be taken away from us.

Go and do likewise

 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

- Luke 10:25-37

Yesterday' we read that the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  Importantly, these are the two commandments named as the "greatest commandments" by Christ when asked (Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34).

But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."  My study bible says that Jerusalem is the place of peace, symbolic of communion with God.  On the other hand, it notes, Jericho was renowned as a place of sin (see 19:1).  To fall among thieves, it adds, speaks to the natural consequence of journeying away from God toward a life of sin (see John 10:10).  So often our indulgence in what we know to be wrong leads us to cheat ourselves.

"Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side."  Some have commented that these prominent religious figures in the story are following prohibitions on the touching of bodies or blood.  My study bible comments that titles and positions are meaningless in God's sight when good deeds do not accompany them.  It quotes Cyril of Alexandria:  "The dignity of the priesthood means nothing unless he also excels in deeds."  That the priest and the Levite do not help the man also indicates the failure of the Old Testament Law to heal the consequences of sin.

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion."   The Samaritan is a despised foreigner, an outsider, a stranger.  As one with compassion, he is also an image of Christ.  My study bible cites John 8:48, commenting that this figure is like Christ who "came down from heaven" (Creed) to save even those in rebellion against Him. 

"So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'"  There are sacramental images contained here, which my study bible gives in the following explanations.  In the bandages, there is an image of the baptism garment, which gives us remission from the wounds of sin.  The oil of chrismation gives us new life in the Holy Spirit.  Wine symbolizes Christ's divine Blood which leads to eternal life.  That the Samaritan put the wounded man on his own animal suggests Christ bearing our sins in His own body.  The inn is like the Church, often likened to a hospital, in which Christ's care is received.  Christ pays the price of that care (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23). 

"So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  Here is an absolute crux of Christ's teachings to us:  that it is we who must take the initiative to follow His commands, to go and do likewise. 

The parable of the Good Samaritan appears only in Luke's Gospel.  It is the beautiful illustration of the commandments cited here by the lawyer, upon which Christ has said "hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:40).  But here in the illustration of the parable, Jesus takes the Law and the Prophets further, to mercy.  In the ancient world, the base of all healing balms (and the costly perfumes we read about in the Gospels) was olive oil.  This is no doubt the base for the oil used as healing unguent by the Samaritan in the story.  In Greek, this word is ἔλαιον/elaion.  The word for mercy is ἔλεος/eleos.  In Greek, with the exception of the final letter (which indicates gender or neutral object), these words for "olive oil" and "mercy" sound exactly alike.  In the oil of chrismation, symbolizing the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, we have the perfect symbol for mercy or grace -- and so we have the unmistakable parallel given to us in this parable in Luke.  So what does it mean that Christ calls us to "go and do likewise"?  He is teaching us to take the initiative to follow His commands, to be a neighbor.  It's quite similar to His instructions in the Sermon on the Mount (and in Luke, in the Sermon on the Plain; see this reading).  When Jesus preaches that we should "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you," what is this but a call to initiative?  He gives us dramatic statements to indicate that we must not simply follow the crowd, but rather follow the commandment for loyalty to God first, and the expression of that love extended to others.  In the story of the Good Samaritan, the very notion of "neighbor" becomes something Jesus says is something we are capable of initiating ourselves through our loyalty and love of God.  Like so many of His complaints against the religious leadership, the story also speaks against religious prohibitions that exclude the practice of mercy, such as when He asked certain scribes and Pharisees, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"   Let us note here that, similarly to that incident, Jesus speaks to a lawyer who knows full well the Law, and obviously takes its practice seriously.  If we are going to follow Christ regarding His urging us to the practice of mercy, how will we take an initiative where circumstances or surroundings do not lend themselves to such practice as common?  Where do we begin, and how do we begin?  What is grace, but an extension of a kind of hospitality?  Let us note more meanings hidden in the text here, as even our English word "hospital" is evolved from the Latin word for inn -- hospitale.   Christ seems to be asking us to allow our love for God to draw us out of the crowds, from being mere followers, and to create a kind of leadership among His followers which is based on the initiative of the practice of mercy.  He asks us to allow our love of God to take us beyond what we already know.  How can you extend this in your life?  To what conclusions does it lead you today?  In a world which seems only to ratchet up its desire for hostility, how does an act of mercy stand out among the others?

I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven

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

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

- Luke 10:17-24

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

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."   The seventy apostles return with joy.  Jesus takes joy in the sharing of his holy power with human beings, those who are laborers for the harvest.  Once again, what we are told by the Gospel is about a type of hidden warfare going on; in Christ's mission into the world, He enlists human beings as participants in this battle, which is not like worldly battle but one of hearts and minds, and based in love.  My study bible says that the reference, I saw Satan fall, is a description of an event that took place before the creation of the world.  Five times Satan set his will against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; see also Revelation 12:7-12).  Serpents and scorpions are allegorical images of the demonic.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."   Jesus continues to rejoice over the sharing of holy power with human beings, the revelation possible for us, and our participation in the life of the Kingdom He offers.   This is a sharing in the life given from the Father to the Son and in turn to those human beings who may share in and understand the revelation given to us.  It is all about the working of grace in the world.  My study bible says that babes are people of simple faith and open hearts (see 18:15-17).

How can we understand the joy of Jesus?  His newest apostolic mission, these Seventy whom He has recently appointed (see yesterday's reading, above), return with joy, as the holy power invested in them by Jesus has come to fruition they have experienced and seen for themselves.  Jesus tells them nevertheless, not to rejoice over such power, but that their names are written in heaven.  That is, because they share in the joy of heaven, as members of the Kingdom.   Jesus alludes to a battle which my study bible suggests has taken place before the creation of the world.  Nevertheless, its effects are seen and felt, and continue, with human beings at the center of the battleground.  And we are invited to participate in this battle.  I wonder if we today can calculate the reality which is revealed here and given to us in the words of Christ and in the actions and appointment of the Seventy.   We don't always generally see or measure these effects, from a modern perspective, in the terms that Christ names.  But we can look around at our world and most clearly see all types of evil effects.  The demonic that makes its presence known through Scripture functions to create varieties of affliction, hardship, pain, hostility, and aggression toward human beings.  Christ, by contrast, shares His power in grace, through faith, with the ultimate boundary respected as the free will of human beings.  He offers us participation and membership in a Kingdom, in which not only He but also God the Father become a part of our own reality, our identities in this shared participation, an ongoing energy present within us and among us.  We can look around at the world and see the things that typify demonic behavior in the Gospels:  abuse, affliction, aggression, hostility, hatred, coercion, manipulation, a total lack of respect for the basic integrity that free will gives to a human soul as endowed by Creator.  But it's not enough to wonder at the presence of evil.  What is important to understand through the Gospels is precisely what Jesus teaches His apostles to rejoice over:  that their names are written in heaven.  That is, that they may be participants in this Kingdom through faith, that they may serve God through faith in Christ -- that they may live through His love, grace, and truth.  This remains the pillar and cornerstone of our understanding of the battleground.  It's not about the things that we see with a limited perception of events in our world.  It is rather about finding that internal pole of faith, finding our own participation in this living grace and God's energies at work in the world, and remaining within the conditions of discipleship Christ has taught us.  This is a difficult task, but one nevertheless that remains with us 2,000 years after Jesus' ministry and teachings He's given us, which remain true and living for us.  Let us understand that He still sends us out as sheep in the midst of wolves, with instructions on how to live as those sheep who belong to Him.  His language and teachings are those of humility, of truth, of strength, and hope, and perseverance.  St. Paul instructs us in the fruits of the spirit, which remain hallmarks of our participation in that Kingdom and in His grace.  Can we live them for ourselves?  Let us remember this battle was won long ago, but that in real time, in our time, Christ invites us in to participate His way.  The choice lives within us, day by day.

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me

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

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

 - Luke 10:1-16

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

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  As in yesterday's reading, we observe Jesus' actions as He heads toward Jerusalem, as Christ the King coming to His Bride, the Holy City.  He sends out seventy other apostles, as a king would send out emissaries before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  There are many stories in Church tradition about the Seventy; they were prominent hand-picked men known for their devotion and perseverance.  One among them was Barnabas, whom my study bible says was a Jew of the tribe of Levi, born in Cyprus to wealthy parents.  He is said to have studied under Gamaliel with Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle.  He was originally named Joseph, but was called Barnabas, meaning Son of Consolation, by the apostles (Acts 4:36), as Barnabas had the gift of comforting people's hearts.  My study bible adds that it was he who sought out Paul when everyone else was afraid of him, and brought him to the apostles.  Barnabas is the one first sent to Antioch together with Paul.  This relationship was broken only when Barnabas wanted to take his cousin Mark together with them on a missionary journey, but Paul at that time did not yet trust Mark.  Later they were reconciled to one another (Colossians 4:10).  My study bible notes that many ancient accounts say that Barnabas was the first to preach in Rome and Milan, but was martyred in Cyprus, and later buried by Mark at the western gate of the city of Salamis.  Another one prominent among the Seventy was the apostle Titus, whom Paul called "brother" (2 Corinthians 12:18) and "son" (Titus 1:4).  Titus was born in Crete and educated in Greek philosophy, but after he read the prophet Isaiah, he began to doubt the value of what he had been taught.  He joined some others from Crete who were going to Jerusalem to see Christ for themselves.  After he heard Jesus speak and saw His works, he joined Jesus' followers.  He was baptized by St. Paul, and worked with and served Paul in his role as apostle to the Gentiles.  He traveled together with Paul until Paul sent him to Crete, making him a bishop.  My study bible notes that tradition says Titus was in Rome at the time of the beheading of St. Paul, burying the body of his spiritual father before returning to Crete.  There he converted and baptized many, remaining bishop until he rested at ninety-four years of age.  Many more among these Seventy would become prominent in the Church, such as bishops Aristarchus (Acts 19:29; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24), Sosthenes (Acts 18:17; 1 Corinthians 1:1), Tychicus (Acts 20:4; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7; 2 Titus 4:12; Titus 3:12), and Simeon (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3), nephew of Joseph, and successor of James as bishop of Jerusalem.  Aristobulus (Romans 16:10) was the brother of Barnabas; he preached the gospel in Britain and died peacefully there. 

Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Christ instructs us to pray not only for the harvest of those who follow Him, but also for the laborers who will go to  them. 

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  My study bible says that the image of lambs speaks to the sacrificial life of the apostles, and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves are those who would seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  The instructions to the Seventy remind us of Jesus' earlier instructions to the Twelve (9:1-6).  Both sets of instructions emphasize humility in their conduct.  My study bible points out that Jesus twice commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  This has a double significance.  First, they must be content with whatever is offered to them, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of the hospitality of others takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  This notion of hospitality extended to the early monks of the desert.  St. Cassian the Desert Father is cited by my study bible as saying that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  His host told him (somewhat paraphrasing the words of Christ), "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again." 

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  Here is the gospel message in its truth.  It's not only that there is a Kingdom in the future -- it's that the kingdom of God has come near.   It remains important to consider what it is that we reject when we refuse to receive this message.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   In Luke's reported Sermon on the Plain, Jesus strikingly gave for "woes" in addition to His beatitudes (see this reading).  Here also, Luke includes "woes" which Jesus pronounces for the cities that reject the testimony of the presence of the Kingdom.  My study bible says that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  By contrast, those people who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in this regard (John 15:22-24).  They are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).

There is a lot to consider in today's reading.  Jesus sends out the Seventy, yet more laborers for the harvest, sent out like emissaries before His face as He sets His course for Jerusalem.  The presence of the Emperor or any of his official state representatives denoted the presence of the Empire, and so it is for Jesus.  Those whom He sends out as apostles bring the Kingdom near to the people they encounter on their journeys.  Again, as with the sending out of the Twelve, we note the humility with which Jesus' emissaries or ambassadors are meant to conduct themselves.  Hospitality is the highest rule; acceptance of whatever is put before them, and whatever lodgings are offered is a core instruction by Christ.  But there is an important kind of power at work here, an imperative that also is a sort of hospitality -- and that is the response we give to the gift that is offered.  To be offered participation in this Kingdom is to be offered the gift of life itself, and more.  It is life in abundance, everlasting life.  It is life in all the possible aspects of renewal one could contemplate, and beyond.  To reject this grace isn't simply to pass on something, to mutter, "No, thanks," as if in polite company.  It is, instead, to reject something necessary to our souls.  It is a rejection of the fullness of life, of the gift made of Christ's power and authority which He lays before us, offering us participation in it.  How can we grasp what we lose when we turn down this offer?  It is something beyond our capacity to estimate.  Let us consider the laws of hospitality and how far they extend into our very nature as human beings.  Communion and grace are the very substance He offers us, to make a part of ourselves; to refuse is to deny our true nature.  To accept is to find ourselves.  How do you participate in this harvest which is ongoing?

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God

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

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

- Luke 9:51-62

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

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  The Gospel is at a turning point; Jesus has chosen to go to Jerusalem, toward His hour of glory, the Passion and the Cross.  Like a worldly king proclaiming his advance, Jesus sent messengers before His face, His disciples.  The notion of face here is one which a modern world does not quite grasp as did the ancient.  The face of the emperor was His very person, His identity, power, and authority, and the extent of his rule -- whether it was on a coin or statue, it was treated the same.

And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Somehow the very journey to Jerusalem marks this pilgrimage.  We recall that Mark tells us Jesus has named James and John "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17) and here they display the qualities for which they are perhaps named!   Cyril of Alexandria comments that as they are journeying toward Jerusalem and all that will happen there in Holy Week, Jesus prepares the disciples for the rejection they will meet there, and in the world as apostles, and teaches them what manner of spirit they are of, how they must conduct themselves.  John and James no doubt still expect the imminent manifestation of a worldly kingdom (Mark 10:35-45), and as such they conduct themselves as emissaries of a powerful king, together with their expectations of the Messiah.  St. Cyril comments that Jesus rather teaches them the longsuffering and patience they will need.

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

Today's reading is all about the discipline that goes into the formation of one who wishes to call themselves a "disciple" of Christ.  Jesus teaches about sacrifice.  There is first of all the expectations of James and John, the Sons of Thunder.  Indications from the Gospels lead us to believe they expect the imminent manifestation of a worldly kingdom, and not only that, but a great worldly kingdom, one which would no doubt rival and displace Rome as it is the kingdom of the expected Messiah.  Moreover this expected kingdom is to be imbued with all the hallmarks of great spiritual power:  they suggest that they call down fire from heaven upon the heads of the Samaritan villagers who refuse to receive them.  But this no doubt disappointing experience is meant to teach and prepare the disciples for something altogether different.  By the time they enter Jerusalem, and at the end of their week there, will be another story entirely, and one from which they will go on to martyrdom and suffering:  James will be the first among the Twelve to be martyred, John will go on to exile and great age, giving us his Gospel, Epistles, and the Revelation. (Whether these are technically written by John himself or his disciples really doesn't make a difference; it is John who has given them to us.)   Following upon this rejection by the Samaritan village on the journey toward Jerusalem, there are various encounters that teach all of us (including Jesus' disciples) more about discipleship.  Those who also wish to follow Christ are put to the test.  Can they go without security as does Christ?  Can they make the sacrifices He is willing to make?  A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above the master, Jesus tells them in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:24-25).  As they continue, Jesus Himself issues the command "Follow Me" to another would-be disciple on the road.  But this one replies, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  What a hard saying!  And yet, for all the many early centuries of Christianity, this command was understood in particular for those who would devote themselves wholly to Christ, men and women in the monasteries.  Even our closest worldly ties to family come second to discipleship to the Lord.  Can we moderns understand this?  Is it possible for us to find such courage or strength?   It is only possible to reconcile such a command when it is understood that it comes from God who is love and who teaches us love as His greatest command.  The next example follows closely and in a similar vein; the would-be disciple says, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus replies, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."   My study bible suggests that this command regards the delay of doing or fulfilling responsibilities to God.  But there is a deeply ironic echo here of an Old Testament passage, that of Lot's wife.  Lot and his family are led to escape a terrible punishment upon a city, an image such as perhaps James and John Zebedee have in their minds.  They were told, "Do not look behind you."  But Lot's wife looked behind him and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17-26).  Christ, quite to the contrary, forbids any notion of such punishments as the disciples go on their missionary journeys.  We would do well to reconcile these passages by understanding that the disciples are to leave all such judgment to God; as St. Paul writes, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19).  The times and circumstances between these Old and New Testament examples may be quite different, but the message of discipleship and following the commands of the Lord remains the same.   The commands of the Lord take precedence over other considerations.   We really can't possibly understand such discipline unless we understand that Christ calls us to a deeper and higher love.  We're not asked to reject our loving ties with others, but rather to discipline ourselves to God who is love (1 John 4:8).  We are asked to grow in God's likeness, but the difficult struggle of faith is neither easy nor simple when we are asked to make choices between the compelling requirements of faith and the sentimental attachments of our worldly lives.  Jesus calls us to an expanded love, a life in which He offers us a new commandment:  that we love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).  Christ calls us out of the familiar and beyond to something more, a love we can't learn except through His discipline, which involves carrying our own crosses day by day (9:23).  He calls us to an acceptance of what we cannot change, and yet the courage of action He teaches.   He calls us to the discipline of a life of faith in which our love is not simply a response to those who have shown love to us, but rather one in which our loyalty to Him calls us to forbearance and patience, to forgiveness and lack of vengeance, to a higher duty to the message of love in His mission of salvation.  And sometimes, that is a life that calls us to leave behind what we already know and love.  That takes quite some kind of discipline indeed, a long learning journey on the road with Him, His way.