Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done

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  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but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

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.

- Luke 22:39-51

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

Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."    Christ's agony, my study bible notes, is an expression of His human nature.  His human will is expressed through His desire to take this cup away.  But He submits His human will to the Father, and reveals His divine will to be one with God the Father's.  Moreover, Christ's agony teaches us about our own struggles as His disciples; we seek to submit our will to God's, even as we pray "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (see 11:2).   My study bible quotes Gregory the Great:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."  He willingly takes on and expresses our humanity in Himself, and thereby conquers weakness.  But moreover, His understanding and message is that all things are in the hands of God.  This goes hand in hand with His teaching to the disciples, "Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Only St. Luke the physician gives us the story of this healing.  Christ has a way to go to His Passion, and it is not through violence.  There is also a spiritual meaning perceived in Christ's action:   Christ gives people the ability to hear the truth and thereby come to salvation (see 8:8, 14:35).

How do we know what God wants for us?  How do we know what God's will is, and what God wants us to do?  It seems to me that the one thing we can do always is pray as we have been taught:  "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (11:2).  This prayer is not an abstract plea or petition.  It is a personal prayer (although corporate in nature, as we pray to Our Father in heaven).  This is not merely about some future time that might happen to someone else in some future generation or age.  It is about the kingdom of God which lives within us, and which we seek to live through our worldly lives.  Today's reading specifically exemplifies that struggle, as given to us in and through Jesus Christ and His life in the world.  He struggles with what He knows the Father wants from Him, but His human nature is completely contrary to what He is asked to do.  And this, as my study bible says, becomes our own struggle.  There are times in our lives when we pray to know what God wants of us, and we come to find -- when we give up all our ideas of what we "should" do and "should" want -- that what God calls us to will take us outside of worldly expectations, social rules, family assumptions about good behavior, and everything else we know and believe to be nominally "good."  In our struggle to be faithful, there will be times when we will need to follow Christ in His footsteps, although our own sweat may be like great drops of blood falling to the ground, there is something we know we have to do and with which we need to follow through because it is our "hour" to do so.  We live in a modern world that might quite frequently call upon us to do something that seems good, but is not the place where we live God's will and God's kingdom lives in us.  We may find that living such a life calls upon us to do things that seem like we're going about things wrong-headedly:  a call to mercy might not bring us immediate monies or remuneration of a different kind, a "no" to someone may seem like it's unkind or socially awkward, a changed value system may call us to stand out among family or friends.  But this is what it is to seek to dwell in this Kingdom and follow the Father's will for us.  St. Paul says of this strange way of living the Kingdom, "We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (1 Corinthians 4:12).  Can we imagine the conflicts going through Jesus at this time in His agony?  What will become of His followers?  He knows that going to the Cross will be a "stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:23).  And yet, it is what the Father asks of Him.  It is what He has repeatedly warned the disciples was coming.  In faith, He will go where He is asked to go, although every impulse within Him focuses the other way.  God will call us each in a unique way to bear our own crosses.  We, of course, are not Christ Himself, but we will be asked -- in one way and another -- to participate in His life.  Through this participation our lives will be shaped, we will find ourselves changed, and looking back on the pathway we're given, we'll find that despite all our expectations to the contrary, God had a plan.  The times when we refuse that will and give in to the worldly pressures will turn out to be obstacles that later need to be overcome and revisited, and they will call for courage on our part.  This is my experience.  Let us pray, "Your will be done," and live that Kingdom in the world as best we can, and follow Him.  Let us note that an angel comes to strengthen Christ, in response to His prayer.  Moreover, it is prayer that He chooses at this time of struggle, and prayer to which He exhorts His followers in this terrible time of temptation.  These examples teach us how powerful prayer really is -- and what it means to be truly awake to the present moment of our lives.

Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat

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

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

- Luke 22:31-38

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

And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."   But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  When Jesus says to Peter, "Satan has asked for you,"   you is plural, meaning all of the disciples.  When He tells him, "But I have prayed for you," you is singular, meaning that Jesus prays particularly for Simon Peter for just this purpose, to strengthen your brethren.  My study bible says that as Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  Strengthen your brethren is referring not only to the other disciples, but to all of the faithful until Christ's return.  In John 21:15-17 we may read the passage regarding Jesus' phrase, when you have returned to Me, and Christ's particular words to Peter at that time.

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."    Christ gives a warning of the open hostility to come.  My study bible comments that the sword isn't to be understood literally (compare verses 49-51), but rather is a reference to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  St. Ambrose provides an additional meaning.  He writes that to give up one's garment and buy a sword refers to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  As the disciples are thinking literally of swords, Jesus ends the discussion with an abrupt, "It is enough!"  In modern parlance, we take it to mean "That's enough!" or "Enough of this!"  (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41).

Jesus speaks of times of both testing and hardship.  But in the discussion of the meaning of "sword" and the disciples' misunderstanding, we are given to understand that the testing is going to demand of them the strength and the "battle" of following the commandments of Christ, and not responding through conventional means to hostility.  We continue to live in this time, when our faith may be tested, and we are to understand discipleship on the same terms.  Our mission is to follow Christ's commandments, not to take matters into our own hands, with our own understanding of resources and retaliation.  My study bible refers us to Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12, in which St. Paul tells us to "take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," and reminds us that "the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Our weapons have more to do with soul and spirit than merely battles of physical power and might.  They touch into human beings more deeply and work in different ways than military weaponry.  They also allow us discernment, and touch the heart of others.  For the heart and soul and mind and spirit are the realm of the kingdom of God, in whom we "live and move and have our being" and which dwells within us and among us.  We may not immediately understand the effects of words and teachings, nor the power of the Spirit at work among us and through the word of God, but over time it creates its effects.  One may observe the biblical examples of the fulfillment of prophecy:  some, such as Isaiah, were fulfilled centuries later, in the coming of Christ and the eventual spread of Christianity to the known world.  Christ's prophecy of the destruction the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem came a generation later, in 70 AD.  Each of these prophesies are made regarding the fulfillment of the effects of our rejection of the word of God.   In a positive sense, we can look back upon our own lives and the changes wrought in us by that word and the experience of a journey in faith.  That is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.  We may not see such effects immediately; everything takes time to manifest.  But we can be certain that this power is at work in us and in our world.  And we note that my study bible remarks that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  This is the reality of a spiritual struggle, and what is called "spiritual warfare" in our world.  Jesus tells Peter, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  Let's note the different things we're taught here from His words:  Satan has asked for all the disciples, that he may sift them as wheat, to crush and destroy them.  But in this battle Jesus takes up the weapon of prayer, which He uses to strengthen the faith of Peter, so that in turn when Peter returns to Christ he may strengthen the disciples.  This is the battle and the battleground.  We will be faced with struggles, temptations, hardships, even hostility when we seek to live our faith.  But our weapons are primarily those of prayer and faith, and the word of God.  See St. Paul's list of spiritual weaponry, what he calls the "whole armor of God,"  at Ephesians 6:10-17.  St. Paul reminds us that this is a battle over hearts and minds and souls and spirit, and the weaponry and our own conduct in this "war" must fit the conditions and the battlefield.  We must understand Christ, follow His commandments.   In this light we must consider especially His teachings on the use of power and greatness among His disciples in yesterday's reading, above, for these teachings are part and parcel of how we are to conduct ourselves in the midst of an ongoing war.  If words of war and weaponry frighten, or stir up a history of misuse and heresy and false images meant for cinema and superstitions, we should not let that deter us from understanding the spiritual truth of these teachings.   We are faced each day with easy temptation, to cut corners, to ignore the power of our own integrity and truth.  We're tempted to practice hypocrisy, to let slip a discipline in remembering God, to discount the impact on our own souls of worship practices and prayer, even to deny that our words mean something and have effects on others.  Our egos may be flattered by those whom we cannot trust, or we're taken in by social "rules" or habits to which we think we must conform.  Christ reminds us of the importance of each minute and our awareness of what we're really about, the significance of our choices, and what each moment can hold in terms of what is truly needful.  St. Paul tells us that the struggle is not "against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."   As St. Peter would discover, we don't know what forms our temptations or difficulties will take; they are often subtle and surprising and work as a snare on our own ignorance and weakness.  We may only come to ourselves when we are overwhelmed by something quite bitter, and we feel "sifted as wheat."  Let us not be foolish or confused; what Christ offers us is redemption and meaning, and each new generation must find its own way to discernment and the wisdom that is offered.

I am among you as the One who serves

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

- Luke 22:24-30

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

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study bible comments here that this small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed to them (see yesterday's reading, above, in which the first Eucharist has been instituted).  Christ corrects His disciples -- first by comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they considered to be an abomination, and then by contrasting them to Himself.  Christ serves us although He is Lord of all.

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

Throughout the whole of the Bible, there is repeated reference to God's work which in some sense turns the worldly order upside down.  Isaiah makes a prophesy of the downfall and transformation of the kingdoms who oppose of Israel, and their eventual worship of the Lord.  But even in Zion, there is trouble for those who did not call upon the Lord in the time of trial.  He writes of the proud and mighty, "Indeed the Lord of hosts will cast out and destroy such a man, and take away your robe and glorious crown, and cast you into a large and unmeasured country.  There you shall die, and there your beautiful chariot shall be brought to dishonor and your master's house trampled.  You will be taken from your stewardship and position" (Isaiah 22:17-19).  The Greek Septuagint version of Psalm 34:10 reads, "The rich became poor, and they hunger; but the ones seeking after the Lord shall not lack any good thing."  Hannah's song reflects this influence of the Lord turning the world's order upside down, as when she sings, "The bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength."  See the whole of her song at 1 Samuel 2:1-10.  Out of all of the examples we can choose, we must pick Mary's song, called the Magnificat (after its first word in Latin), which Luke gives us in the first chapter.  Mary sings, "He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty" (see the whole of her song at Luke 1:46-55).  In giving us the Beatitudes (found in both the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, and the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6), Jesus invokes a sense of the world turned upside down, in which the poor are blessed, as are they who mourn and are meek.  Here in today's reading, He speaks of the kind of Church He wants, the representation of the kingdom of God, in which He contrasts the worldly power of the Gentiles with the kind of power He wants from His disciples, citing Himself as their example:  "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  St. Ambrose comments on Christ's pronouncement that they will become judges that they "will rebuke error with virtue."   Christ's way is not meant to be the way of the world.  God's work in us will startle and surprise us.  We, also, may be "turned upside down" and our thinking is changed through the work of prayer.  Things we once thought we had to live by are toppled over, and we come to see a different way.   God's power is not like worldly power.   God's power does not merely manipulate and control, and in participation in His Kingdom, Christ also asks us to share in that power and allow it to work through us.  We may be called upon to bear a cross.  We may respond to unkindness with gentleness and righteous behavior.  And in difficulty, we may find there is a grace for us -- a way to see that has to do with perceiving what God holds for us even in hardship.  But it is this way of life, and these sorts of experiences, that actually give us "good judgment."  Jesus notes that these disciples are the ones who have borne the greatest faith, the ones who have continued with Him in His trials.   This is the key to understanding how we come to know God's power: we stick with our faith through all things, meaning that in humility we endure, and we live to experience and to see the changes God can make in our lives and in our world.  We welcome the insights, contrary to worldly expectations, which our faith has for us.  We can look at the world and all of the images we create for ourselves, but there is one place in which we dwell, where we look for the truth of who we are.  We look to the One who serves to teach us where we need to be and who we need to be.  Let us remain blessed in that place, though it is not necessarily the way of the world. 

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

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

- Luke 22:14-23

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

 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  My study bible says that Christ has a fervent desire for this Passover because this meal will give the mysteries of the new covenant to His follows.  Also,  it will inaugurate the deliverance of humanity through the power of the Cross.    In this solemn moment He is clearly acknowledging His suffering and death to come, and Resurrection in the kingdom of God.

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."   My study bible indicates to us that this first cup is a conclusion of the Old Testament Passover meal that Christ eats with the disciples in order to fulfill the Law.  Until the kingdom of God comes is about Christ's Resurrection -- at that time He will eat and drink with His disciples as noted in the Scriptures (24:43; Acts 10:41).

And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."  The root of the Greek word for gave thanks is "eucharist."  My study bible says that this word immediately came to refer both to the Liturgy and the sacrament of Holy Communion.   Before the end of the first century after Christ's birth, a manuscript called the "Didache" ("Teaching") refers to the celebration of the Liturgy as "the Eucharist."  In 150 AD, St. Justin writes of Holy Communion, "This food we call 'Eucharist,' of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing [holy baptism] for the forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ commanded us."  Christ tells His disciples, "This is My body."   From the beginning the Church accepted Christ's words as true, "that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus" (St. Justin).  For the Orthodox East, this was and remains simply a mystery, as was the Incarnation itself by the power of the Holy Spirit.

"But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it had been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  We note that Judas is also invited to the table for this mystical supper.  My study bible notes that Jesus is trying by all means to save Judas.  It is Judas' unworthy participation that leads to his destruction (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-30; compare Esther 7).

My study bible comments that it is Judas' "unworthy participation" in this first Eucharist, the mystical supper given by Christ, that leads to his destruction.  He has a chance to repent, to "change his mind" (as the Greek word for repentance in the Gospels, metanoia, literally means).  He intends to betray Christ, and he follows through.  He does not return to the flock, He does not return to Christ when he realizes what he has done, but takes matters into his own hands.  He does not return for confession and even possible reconciliation (Matthew 27:3-5).   To our modern ears this seems harsh, unmerciful.  How is it possible that the endlessly merciful Christ would not somehow manage to save Judas?  Why does he meet his own self-destructive end, even for the betrayal of Christ?   It seems to me that our modern ears somehow do not take the mystical reality of Christ's words and teachings for great substance.  That is, the realities behind the teachings, the words, the actions, the choices of each of us somehow do not register as significantly as they should.  Judas eats of this first Eucharist, even while he plots to betray Jesus to His suffering and death.  What we might fail to grasp within each of our choices is the significance of the betrayal of spiritual truth and power.  Does Christ's mercy simply mean that we can ignore our own sins?  Does it mean that we don't need to take seriously the power of our own words and choices,  because Christ's mercy is always present to us?   Somehow, it seems to me, we frequently tend to diminish the power of spiritual truth because of our understanding of Christ's infallible and unfailing mercy, always present to us and always reaching to us.  It is as if this inexhaustible mercy negates any need for self-responsibility, our own process of change and transformation -- metanoia in the Greek, "change of mind."  A change of mind is a depth of change within that is more than simply a decision that we have erred.  It is a commitment to do differently, to be different, to think differently.   Christ's mercy does not negate the power of our own choices.  It does not mean that our refusal of such mercy is without consequences in our own lives.  In a modern context, we quite frequently have an understanding of what it means to be a decent and good person, but outside of the spiritual realities of the teachings of Christ.  We know what it is to be good and kind to others, to be respectful of persons.  We know the importance of charity.   We debate about healthcare and the right of healing to all.  We have a proliferation of social rules governing how we should behave toward one another.  All of this is complete outside of any context of faith or religion at this point in a secular society.   But where does that leave our understanding of the power, authority, and consequences of spiritual truth and our refusal to hear it?   Where does that leave us in terms of the realities of our souls, what touches us most deeply, and especially the true power of choices?  Because we understand behavior that is derived from the use of abstraction, principle, reason, it seems that we can discount the spiritual reality behind these truths.   Where is the soul, and where is the spirit?  How does all of this truly impact us at levels deeper than that which we normally perceive and perhaps ignore completely in our day-to-day lives?  These questions remain important, because as long as God or faith is a concept that remains outside of intellectual reasoning or abstract thinking, we can easily discard God as just another concept, a different way of thinking, an abstract idea, a theoretical model.  And that is to discard the reality of the spiritual underpinnings of our very lives and creation.  The Incarnation itself teaches us something essential about God:  part and parcel of our lives, inseparable from all that we are.  So it is with the mystical supper, and the work of the Holy Spirit in this mystery.  We may not be able to prove this reality under scientific conditions, we might not be able to make a study of what is truly a mystery, but that very mystery is part of our very lives.  As St. Paul said to the Athenians of their unknown god, quoting two Greek philosophers:  "'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'" (Acts 17:28).  It is the reality behind the truth taught that we are concerned with here, and without participation in and awareness of that reality, we lose.  By mere abstraction, by subjecting everything to our own perspective of reasoning alone, we lose, because we lose our participation in that which we don't see and control, and which may be constantly seeking to get our attention, to help us to grow in understanding, and deepen our spiritual awareness of who we are and need to be -- and where we need to go.  Christ's mercy is never-ending.  It is always there.  He died on the Cross for all, for each, and for Judas as well.  But without our attention, we fail to realize what we do, where we really are.  Outward works can so easily become mere hypocrisy, good intentions devolving to harmful practice.  What we truly need is something deeper and bigger than we can reduce to our own abstracts.  Let us consider what we lose when we fail to take that seriously.  Mystery means there is more than meets the eye, more than we can quantify or reduce to an abstract -- and yet even that remains present and working within and among ourselves.  Let us never take it for granted or fail to acknowledge and respect it.

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve

And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.   Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

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

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

- Luke 21:37-22:13

Yesterday we read that, after Christ's prophecy regarding both the destruction of the temple (during the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD) and of the end times, He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.   Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.  Jesus teaches in the temple daily for the people; at night we're told He stays on Mount Olivet, as with other pilgrims who've come to Jerusalem for the Passover.

 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  The Passover, my study bible explains, is the celebration of the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt and the deliverance of God's people from bondage (Exodus 12-14).  In remembrance of this, an unblemished lamb would be slaughtered and eaten with unleavened bread.  My study bible comments that it is a prefiguration of Christ's Passion, in which the only-begotten Son of God is slain in order to deliver His people from bondage to sin and death, and then is raised to lead them into the eternal Kingdom.  In the Greek of the Gospels, Passover is Pascha/Πασχα, and for the Easterm Orthodox, Pascha is the primary term for Christ's death and Resurrection, known as Easter in the West.

 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.  My study bible tells us that Satan doesn't enter into a person unless there is at some level consent.  The reason that Judas was chosen and none of the others is that Judas had a place for Satan in his heart, and the others did not.  The fact that it is emphasized by the text that Judas was numbered among the twelve underscores the depth of betrayal.  It teaches us that religious position has no value if it is not accompanied by faith and virtue.

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"   And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.  The term Passover, my study bible says, can refer to the original event itself (the events recorded in Exodus 12-14), or it can refer also to the celebration of that event, or to th efood that is eaten, or also the lamb that is slain.  According to patristic commentary, Peter represents zeal and John represents spiritual understanding -- these are the virtues with which we are to partake of the Lord's Supper.

The events which begin to be described in today's reading are not simply the happenstance of 2,000 years ago in Jesus' final week of His worldly life.  Scripture records for us events of significance that exceeds simple historical value.  Commemoration of such events as the original Passover, and of its fulfillment in the events of Holy Week and Easter, tell another and more full story about spiritual reality, and our own lives as faithful.  That is, to some extent, as we each are called to carry our own crosses in life ("If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" - 9:23), we may also "live" reflections of these events in our own lives.  They echo throughout the fabric of personal experience in the lives of the faithful.  Yes, Christ's Passion and Resurrection happened a single time once and for all -- and for all humankind.  Nevertheless it remains true that each of us are called to participate in His life and Kingdom, and that we each may find ourselves in circumstances and experiences that recall to us what He did first and for all of us.  That Satan enters into Judas is another piece of the reality that may also be reflected and echoed in our own lives.  Although the defeat of death (and Satan) is clear through the Cross of  Christ, nevertheless the end times have not yet manifested; we still live in a world in which human beings have somewhere deep inside each one of us a will, a volition, a heart that can consent one way or another to love God or not.  As such, each of us may have experiences of evil in our lives.  Experiences of betrayal can echo the shocking depth of choice -- and personal destruction -- we see in Judas.  Betrayal is a kind of pain that we can understand as the destruction of trust -- and faith is, in fact, trust.  When we are talking about a betrayal of faith in goodness itself -- in God, then betrayal becomes truly evil, destructive, an act against goodness, righteousness, justice, love.  These realities happen in the events of the Passover Week 2,000 years ago, but do so at such levels that they continue to echo and ripple through the experiences of the faithful in practicing their faith.  Such has been the experience of the Church and its saints throughout the centuries, those both known to us and unknown in the struggles for their own faith.  What we can count on is that should we also go through such struggles, we must never lose sight of the fact that this happens for a reason and purpose, and that reason and purpose is salvation for all, and for the life of the world.  When we follow in faith and find our own betrayals and hardships and crosses to bear, we can known and understand that we share and participate in our Lord's Passion as He has gone before.  These reflections in the life of Christ go both forward and backward in history, with His Passion, death, and Resurrection in the center,  even as the story reminds us that His Passion is the fulfillment of Passover.    Christ's Passion is reflected in the Psalms He will pray on the Cross (see Psalms 22 and 31), and through the Old Testament Scriptures the Church has always seen "types" we know fully in Christ.  But we should not forget that we also are called to participate in the fullness of His life, and to take up our own crosses -- and to see our own difficulties in this light of faith.  As the Psalmist reminds us, "Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway" (Psalm 85:13).  If we live to Him, in faith and love, then our own sufferings take on meanings and strengths that run deeper than our experiences of this world.  He goes for us into His Passover, His Passion, so that we may always remain with Him (John 12:32).   "Come to Me," He says, "all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).  We give to Him our burdens -- of betrayal, hardship, injustice, cruelty, abuse, abandonment, loss, death, and suffering -- so that we may be healed even in the depths of our souls to which His salvation can reach.  He doesn't look away from our lives but reaches into them for each of us, even as we may share in His.  Christ does not invite us into a "perfect" worldly life, but rather into a good fight.  He invites us to be truly healed.  As so many have found, it's not the battle scars in the end that matter.  It's not about winning in a conventional sense of that word.  It's not about what everybody else is doing.  It's all about what you decided in your heart to stand up and fight for.

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

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

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  

- Luke 21:29-36

In our current readings, Jesus has been teaching in the temple in Jerusalem.  He has been in disputes with the leadership, being tested by those who seek to trap Him.  He began to give a warning prophesy to His disciples about the destruction of the temple that was to come a generation after His Passion (see Friday's reading).  On Saturday, we read that He taught them, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectations of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

 Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."   This generation seems to have a double meaning.  The events of the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem will come to pass within a generation; but this generation also refers to all believers at all times, my study bible explains.  It is the generation of the Church, and not only those alive at the time of Christ.

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  Here is the warning that the Day of His return will come unexpectedly, and as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  The bywords of all of the accounts of Christ's prophecy of end times and of His second coming are watch and pray.  In this case, He tells us to pray always.  This is our disposition as followers of Christ, to be alert and awake to the spiritual realities of our lives, and to pray always in awareness and preparation for standing before Him.

I have had the experience of being responsible for the care of an elderly parent, who went through a long illness over several years.  Admitted to a hospital for care when her doctor was unavailable to check on her growing weakness, first an extreme crisis suddenly emerged to put her in ICU, which was resolved only with the help of a courageous battle-experienced surgeon.  But nevertheless, later life and death decisions had to be continually made as she remained in the hospital over a period of a few weeks.  Particularly in those times of judging whether additional care and treatments would be detrimental to her true well-being and wishes, and then determining the best possible help for her as she was in the final stages before dying, constant prayer was indispensable to this process.  Thankfully she passed very peacefully.  Christ's words to watch and pray always were the most worthy advice during that time of terrible stress and pressured decisions, where a renewed spirit from prayer was the only strength that made it possible to face each new decision with energy, courage, and resourcefulness.  Not only is it necessary, under such circumstances, to consult as fully as possible with expert opinion one may trust (that is, to seek and find good expert care), including good pastoral care, but also to make the decisions that only the party responsible for another's life and well-being can make.  Christ teaches His disciples in today's reading about the end times.  It is His final word both on the terrible devastation that is to come to Jerusalem and the people of Israel, and also on the time of the end and His return.  The times that He describes are times of terrible strain, facing death and calamity on a scale that is unimaginable to any of us if we have not lived through such fears and frightful experience of war, disaster, and death.  But death comes into our world nevertheless and affects our lives in various ways.  The times that Jesus describes are the most terrifying possible, but each of us in our own lives may also experience the stress of making choices for loved ones in times of deep strain on self and family relations.  During that time, as well as other times of extreme personal challenge, we must never neglect Christ's words and teachings about watchfulness and constant prayer.  This is the way to renew spirit and heart, to find the internal resources for the vigilance necessary to go through the strain that death brings to all concerned.  Such times may bring out the best and the worst of circumstances and of people involved, from professional caregivers to family members and friends.  But one friend we can count on is the One who gives the advice to remain watchful and to pray constantly.  There are prayers of the Church for every occasion, for times throughout the day, for prayers to saints and to the Virgin Mary. We may all consult our pastors and our fellow faithful for help in praying for us and with us.  But there is nothing that compares to personal commitment to prayer for keeping our strength and vigilance in times that draw out every strength we have, and touch the deepest wells of character and confidence and faith in order to cope with what is asked of us.  When Jesus warns us not to let our hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, He is speaking of the importance of being alert to His message and the state of our souls at all times.  None of these things must take us away from what is truly needful:  the care of spirit and soul in His love and faith and mindfulness of how we are to be living.  We seem to have two choices:  either we are going to "check out" and be blind to what is presented to us and is needful, or we are going to step up to the plate with prayer and watchfulness as our true help in life.  What He teaches us bears out its truth in times of deep trouble -- but He calls on us to remember God even when everything seems routine, during the ins and outs of life, through the good and through the bad and all that comes between.  He warns us that the Day will come as a snare, but then again, there is so much in life that also may come as a snare.  Let us be aware of the things we always need, and the depth of life He asks us to truly live, the place of prayer in which we are to dwell.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near

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

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

  - Luke 21:20-28

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

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  Jesus warns of what is to come in Jerusalem (at the Siege of Jerusalem, which would take place in 70 AD).   These events would effectively take place forty years after Christ's death.   Forty years after Christ's death indicates, according to St. John Chrysostom, a period of an entire generation given as grace and for consideration of the gospel message.  My study bible notes that the Lord's phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be living at that time.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectations of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of this time in which we live, which will culminate in His Return.  That they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory indicates this even will be unmistakable to all people, hidden from no one.  My study bible comments that at His first coming, Christ came in humility and mortality.  But at His second coming, He will be revealed in power and great glory, a phrase used also by Matthew (Matthew 24:30).

What does it mean that Jesus says that "Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled"?  I think we don't necessarily know a clear answer to that.  But certainly we can be given to understand we live in a period in which we simply await His Return -- and that we have no idea when that will occur.  God's time is not our time, and the fulfillment of prophesy is not a matter of simple calculation, nor immediate manifestation.  Moreover, all of Christ's emphasis is first of all upon warning His immediate disciples to be alert and aware of the time in which the Siege of Jerusalem would take place, and also that all of the Church -- for the entire period of existence of the Church -- is to remain alert for His Return.  That is, we're not to sit and calculate and speculate when that will happen.  Rather we remain alert to the things that we need to be about, how we best fulfill the mission He's given us, and to be the disciples He asks us to be.  In this sense, although 2,000 years have passed since Christ's life as Jesus, each of us has absolutely no time to waste.  Many will tell you that life is short, but what Jesus teaches us is that every moment counts, that He expects us to be alert and awake and fully present to His purposes in our daily lives.  Despite the power of prophecy and the temptation to speculate, if we don't take that message from what He tells us, then we are missing the point.  In this sense, every moment is precious.  Our walk of faith in our worldly lives is so essential that even the hair of our heads is numbered.  It is really remarkable how many teachings of Christ seem to indicate we have no time to waste.  When He warns against excess anxiety and useless worry (12:22-34), He's really teaching us not to waste our precious time.  He warns us that His Return will come as a thief in the night, at an hour we don't expect.   So our real purpose in hearing and heeding these warnings is to understand how deeply essential to God each moment of our lives in discipleship really is.  If we realized how precious our own life is, we would consider always what it is that we are to be about, how we may love God and grow in the practice of that love.  For each moment and for each person, there will always be ways to be busy being about "our Father's business."  We may always turn to prayer, for Christ calls faith in Him the work of God (John 6:28-29).  In a prayerful life, we may see things with a certain perspective, and whatever is before us to do will present opportunities for acting on that love of God, that faith in Christ.  We effectively consider at all times the two commandments that Jesus calls the greatest:  that we first love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and from this we love neighbor as ourselves.  The life lived as if all time is precious is one in which we do not forget this teaching, in which we understand that a moment lived in this love is not wasted -- and that there may be infinite ways of its expression depending upon our own circumstances.  It is a disposition of the heart that is the kind of alertness we're called to, and there will always be something at hand -- even if that means to sit in one's secret, private place and pray.  Sometimes that is indeed the best use of our time, as affirmed by Christ (Matthew 6:6).  Let us not forget that Christ also calls us to appreciate the beauty of the world and not to waste our time in useless toil (Matthew 6:28-29).  Moreover, we're to be aware of the good gifts we're given.   And we are always called back to ourselves, as was the Prodigal (15:17).  We might consider all the goals and challenges with which the world may present us; and contrast that with the humility He asks of us, the true and sober orientation of the heart He reminds us always to be alert to -- for it is there we will find our true challenge, the Way He asks of us, and how precious our every moment is to Him.  This is how we remain mindful of the reality of the time to "look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

By your patience possess your souls

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

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

- Luke 21:5-19

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He teaches daily in the temple, and has been disputing and being tested by various members of the ruling religious Council, as they wish to put Him to death.  But they fear the people, who love to listen to Christ.  Yesterday we read that He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord,  "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had."

Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  This prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when it was destroyed by the Romans.    It was rumored that the temple contained gold between the stones, and so this prophecy by Christ came quite true.  Only one retaining wall remained of the entire magnificent temple structure, which is today called the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall).

So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."  Christ's description of the destruction of Jerusalem -- and the time of the destruction of the temple -- is mixed with images of the end times of all of history.  It contains warning to the disciples of what is to come in their own lifetimes, and in the lifetime of the Church and her faithful.   My study bible comments here that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways.  Therefore no precise chronology can be determined (see Daniel 7-12, Mark 13; Luke 21: 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and the Revelation).   Through all things, Jesus' emphasis to His disciples -- and therefore to us -- is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue; my study bible notes that this is deliberately in contrast to constructing timetables of things that haven't yet happened.  In the eyes of the Church, we are and have been living in "end times" since the death of Christ and His Resurrection.   Christ gives first priority to a warning about deception by a false Christ.  The warning of wars of course refers first of all to the coming destruction of Jerusalem, but it also characterizes all of history since.  My study bible comments that wars are not a sign of the imminent end, but rather of the opposite -- that the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).  All the calamities and all the opposition to the Church does not stop the spread of the gospel; frequently the persecution against the Church increases the number of souls being converted.  Finally, if we can but imagine what the destruction of the temple and the city would have meant to the Jews of Christ's generation, and that includes all of His followers, we could merely get a glimpse of the total devastation -- on so many levels -- He is prophesying for them.

Perhaps the most important emphasis here is on persecution as an occasion for testimony -- and Christ's emphasis that in the midst all of this violence, hatred, opposition, and destruction, as His followers we must "by your patience possess your souls."   He speaks even of the persecution by those who are closest to us:  parents, brothers, relatives, and friends.  While there may be few of us who can say this is literally true in their lives today, for those to whom He spoke and the generations following it certainly proved true according to the stories of early martyrs that we have.  But in our own lives, we may find similar conflicts and choices present themselves to us -- just not in the same formal settings involving state power (although this may still be the case depending upon where we live around the world).  He gives us a warning, but His emphasis is not simply on the opposition we will encounter to our faith.  His true emphasis here is on the opportunities to which we must remain alert and awake.  We are to endure and remain in our faith through our patience.  How can He say that through all of this persecution "not a hair of your head will be lost" after He has said that some will be put to death?  Jesus gives us an image of the soul:  intact, whole, fully within the grasp of God, and our own choices for faith.  We note that He teaches:  "Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist."   The striking tone of this particular instruction is not so much that He will give us our words in response to persecution, but rather that we are to settle it in our hearts not to meditate beforehand what we will answer.  That is, we are not to approach persecution with tremendous anxiety or even planning.  We are to remain alert, awake, in the here and now, to His Presence with us -- and remain fully dependent upon that awareness and understanding.  This is an instruction for courage, steadfastness -- the opposite of fear and panic.  Our faith is to keep us secure within its very reality in our hearts and in the presence of the kingdom of the gospel.  It is this place for which we prepare and study and pray; this condition of our hearts throughout the entirety of our lives for which we struggle as faithful -- for which we attend worship, pray, read and study Scripture, and meditate on His words and His presence in our lives.  These are words to take us through all things, and not merely times of overt and outward persecution.  They become a code for how we are to conduct the whole of our lives, and through all the struggles we may encounter in our lives.  It is a prescription for a particular attitude of trust in Him.  If we are dealing with terrible personal struggles, financial troubles, illness or death of a loved one, family strains -- we can read these words and understand that we are meant to have a type of patience in the midst that passes through all of these things.  We return -- even for the moments we are able -- to trust in Him to lead us through.  In all of our personal struggles, He says to us, He is there with us, and this is the one fact of which we must not lose sight.  At all moments, we are offered this choice.  We are to be mindful of His presence.  It will give us our patience, our endurance, our way of going through whatever it is -- and so it has proven true for so many of us and through so much struggle throughout the generations of faithful.  Christ's deep well is there to draw upon when all else has failed.

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

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

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

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

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

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

- Luke 20:41-21:4

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

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Interestingly, it is some of the scribes -- experts in Scripture -- who have just approved of Christ's answer to the Sadducees regarding resurrection and what the Scriptures indicate (see yesterday's reading, above).   Immediately following, Jesus here challenges them regarding what the Scriptures indicate about the Messiah.  This directly involves Jesus' identity as both human and divine.  The first reference to the LORD in Christ's quotation applies to God the Father, and the term my Lord refers to Christ, the Messiah.  The question is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity.   As king of Israel, David could not and would never address anyone as "Lord" except God.  But in the first verse of Psalm 110, David refers to the Messiah as "Lord."   The only possible conclusion for the scribes -- experts in Scripture -- is that the Christ, the Messiah is both a descendant of David and also shares His divine Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  We can perhaps assume that it is their failure to give an answer to His question about the understanding of the Psalm that leads Jesus to make these statements to the people.  Most likely, as in the question regarding the authority of John the Baptist, they understand His implications regarding the Scripture, but refuse to answer.  He links their failure to respond truly to their love of stature in the eyes of others, a love of position -- their deep desire for the praise of men over the praise of God (John 12:42-43).  

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had."  Immediately after condemning the hypocrisy and focus of the scribes on their status among people, Jesus singles out this widow -- who in her humility gives a greater gift to God than all others.

There is an American expression (which most likely derives from an earlier English expression), in which one gives one's opinion as "my two cents."   It's a way of indicating humility and politeness while nevertheless stating one's opinion or position on a matter.  The idea is that one's opinion may be just that, one's own opinion -- but it is nevertheless of value to oneself.  So it is understood that the expression comes from the story of the widow's two mites put into the treasury of the temple.  There is a lot to be said for the evolution of language through time, and the expression actually helps to illuminate the truth of Christ's teaching in singling out the poor widow.  She's the image of humility in her poverty.  There is no nonsense about her.  In contrast to the showy and ostentatious hypocrisy of the scribes, who apparently (according to Jesus) love to assert themselves and their public honors in front of the world, this poor widow gives all she has to God, out of her poverty and sincerity and tremendous love.  She becomes, in the image given to us by Christ, the antidote for what plagues, demeans, and even delegitimizes the religious authorities -- their hypocrisy that results from their love of position, of "the praise of men" as opposed to the praise of God.  She, on the other hand, has devoted her whole life to God and contributes everything at her disposal.  She becomes, in some sense, the image of the people of God, of Israel.   It is an image in which poverty is a positive quality -- one in which poverty serves as a great leveler to get down to the truth and total honesty and transparency.  She cannot hide behind an image in the eyes of others; she has only what she truly has, and it is all that she can offer.  And yet a whole heart offered to God is simply the greatest gift that we can give; it is all that we can give.  When we strip down all the worldly honors and images and opinions others have of ourselves, we simply stand as we are before God -- and it is in that place where we offer ourselves as we truly are.  This is the great gift that God wants.  The scribes could never admit that the words of the Psalmist indicate Christ as both human and divine.  It would eradicate their standing among those who await a Messiah who will be merely a great and righteous king, who can re-establish the political and material fortunes of the land of Israel.  They could never admit that Jesus who has no worldly position and no worldly authority could nevertheless be a divine and human Messiah.  This would go too far in threatening their places and the whole of the order in which they participate.  Christ looks to the poor at heart for His disciples, for those who have only their two cents to give (that is, their whole heart and soul and mind and strength).  These are the ones -- both rich and poor, both common people and prominent members of the Council -- who can hear His call and who will clearly respond to it.  It is this image of the poor widow that teaches us about the value of humility to ourselves, stripping down to what is real and true, and to what really counts.  For that -- her two cents -- simply becomes everything we have.

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

 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."

Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, you have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

- Luke 20:27-40

Our current readings in Luke take place in Holy Week.  Jesus is in the temple daily, teaching, but the religious leadership wish to do away with Him.   So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, but that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.  Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:  Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Show Me a denarius.  Whose image and inscription does it have?"  They answered and said, "Caesar's."  And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.  And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."    The Sadducees, unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in resurrection.  They were an aristocratic, landowning group based around Jerusalem and part of the hereditary priesthood whose duties included maintenance of the temple and participation in the Sanhedrin.  Also in contrast to the Pharisees, they rejected the oral tradition and accepted mainly the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.   In some sense, their question seems to mirror their own perspective as a group formed and shaped through heredity.  It shows that they understand the notion of resurrection to be a continuation of earthly life, including marriage -- and thus, my study bible says, they mock the doctrine with this absurd scenario.

Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, you have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.  Jesus responds to the question posed by the Sadducees by expressing the fullness of the understanding of resurrection as a complete change of life, a transfiguration.  He enforces this by asserting to them that they don't really understand the Scriptures.  How can Abraham and his sons be alive in God even if they are physically dead?  Note that some of the scribes affirm Christ's understanding of the Scripture (see Exodus 3:6).  My study bible comments that it is the clear teaching of Christ that the souls of the faithful who have departed this life are sustained before the face of God in anticipation of the final joy of the resurrection. 

It's interesting to think about how much of Christ's involvement in the temple at Jerusalem, and His discussion and dialogue with the leadership, seems to involve this subject of life:  of eternal life, resurrection, life after death.  Jesus brought it up Himself when He warned, in Monday's reading, of the stone that could crush to powder should it fall upon someone.  This was a warning about Judgment, and about the extinguishing of the possibility of eternal life.  Here in today's reading, Jesus is asked a direct question about life after death, which is meant to ridicule the entire concept of resurrection.  But it only serves to show the ignorance of the doctrine in those who pose the question -- and also their lack of understanding of the Scriptures, which the scribes affirm in their comment following Christ's answer.  How can God be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob if God is not the God of the living, and these righteous yet live to God?  If we read the entire chapter of Exodus in which the incident of the Burning Bush appears, the Name of God given to Moses affirms the absolute quality of life -- of living and being itself -- that belongs to God:  I AM WHO I AM.  God is the I AM.   (See verses 14-16 of Exodus 3.)  God is the God of living and life itself, of being.  In this sense, we can begin to understand the connection between faith and resurrection.  For if there is no connection to this God who is, the I AM, then where does our life come from that may surpass and be transfigured beyond this world?  It is the connection of faith that makes "living to God" really possible in the sense which resurrection confers.  The word that Jesus uses for resurrection means both to "arise" (stand up) or "awaken" in Greek.  It these senses, it gives us a flavor of being called to attention, of taking our rightful place.  In Matthew's Gospel, this same word is used when Peter's mother-in-law is healed, and she arises and begins to serve those in the household (Matthew 8:15).  It's also the same word used when John the Baptist replies to those coming to him that God can raise up children to Abraham from the stones (3:8, Matthew 3:8).  It is the word Jesus uses to command the son of the widow of Nain to arise from his open coffin (7:14), and when He tells Jairus' daughter to arise (8:54).   We get a connection to faith in the same sense in which faith makes the healing connection to Christ, as, for example, in the healing of the woman with the blood flow (in the same reading as the healing of Jairus' daughter).  Faith makes a connection, completes a kind of circuit, a spark of the power from the One who is, the I AM.  In it we are healed, restored, called to take our rightful places, transfigured and transformed, brought to our true life.  Resurrection, in this sense, becomes the rightful fulfillment of what is possible for us as creatures of the One who is absolute being.  The great emphasis on life in all of Christ's teaching and preaching (for example, "I am the way, the truth, and the life - John 14:6) becomes finally, in this perspective, the revelation of the nature of God and hence His ministry.  He is here that those who are His followers, those with faith, the sheep whom He calls, may have life and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10).  This life is the light which illumines His words and all that we know of Christ's ministry (John 1:4).  It gives us possibilities which are endless.  By contrast, the feeble question of the Sadducees is an image of what is dead:  a focus on waiting for inheritance, heredity, ownership, property, a material perspective alone.  In what is perhaps an ironic connection, the Sadducees as a class would die out after the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.   Let us think of the life Christ emphasizes over and over and over again -- and our own connection and capacity for what He offers.