John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him

 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

- Matthew 21:23-32

Yesterday we read that, after His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"  Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.  And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  As Christ isn't a Levitical Priest, the chief priests and elders are challenging Him as to His authority to cleanse the temple (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study bible emphasizes here that Jesus is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers -- and therefore confounds His questioners with one of His own:  about John the Baptist.  Both the elders' question and Christ's question would demand the same answer, and therefore lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  My study bible adds that by not answering His questioners directly, Jesus teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.

"But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."  Jesus once again uses a parable to illustrate His points.  The elders convict themselves by using their own principles in their answer to Jesus' parable.

Jesus tells us that "tax collectors and harlots" believed John the Baptist, and therefore enter the kingdom of God before these religious leaders.  It is something we might pause to marvel at, because from this distance of 2,000 years we might not understand the great impact of the ministry of John the Baptist.  The fact that even tax collectors and harlots -- that is, people widely considered to be sinners and therefore outside of community -- enter into the Kingdom for having believed John's word teaches us something powerful.  It teaches us about the great and powerfully egalitarian nature of the word of God.  John preached and practiced a baptism of repentance in preparation for the Messiah.   His good news regarding the preparation for the Messiah was good news for all, and all were welcome to participate in it.  We should remember that John preached repentance, and therefore those who heard his message presumably were prepared to repent of their sins against community.  But these religious leaders were threatened by a radical outsider like John, although we can see for ourselves the people's high regard for him.  Even in his death, John the Baptist's name is still powerful in the temple, a reminder of the high esteem in which people still held him.  Beheaded by Herod because he criticized Herod's marriage as unlawful under Mosaic Law, John is a figure of a holy man and prophet dedicated to the true Israel, the people of God.   John called these religious leaders a brood of vipers, which Jesus has already echoed, and will do so again (Matthew 3:7, 12:34, 23:33).  Reflecting John's scorn that these men are incapable of repentance, Jesus does not answer directly in today's reading, but rather gives them a parable which teaches us something about people's hearts.  Who truly does the will of God?  A prophet such as John is one who is committed wholly to the word of God.  His radical poverty and humility were assurances that he lived purely to do God's work, focused on one thing.  He would be a model for the early monastics who sought to serve Christ by living in the wilderness, dedicated to spiritual struggle, in a radical kind of humility determined to focus solely on serving God.  Theirs was the power of prayer and a constant repentance.  So how are these models to form for us something we can focus on today?  Well, let us consider Jesus' parable in the light of today's world.  We may see so many people doing what is called "virtue signalling."  That is, showing in some way using "signs" that they are moral human beings, that they follow some kind of code which indicates they are being "good."  Through social media, this is entirely widespread and simple to do.  But Christ -- and John the Baptist -- with their name for the religious leaders of "brood of vipers" call us to a different kind of reckoning and understanding.  And Jesus' parable in today's reading definitely does the same.  We should ask ourselves the question, which again has a rather obvious answer to those who observe:  who is actually doing the will of God?  Do you know people who are humble and love God devotedly?  Do they make a great show of their virtues to others?  Or is the love of God dependent not so much on showing the rest of the world that we are morally perfect -- but that we, in fact, acknowledge that we are imperfect?   Where is the humility that goes with that, and the practice of prayer, and the understanding of the heart devoted to God, even the one that understands and seeks God in the secret place, and as One who sees in secret?  These are highly important questions to ponder in today's media-driven world, where some hardly seem to know an identity separate from such "signalling" to the public.  What keeps a heart honest?  Where do we escape to a desert to face ourselves beyond the crowds?  Let us remember that the crowds who welcome Christ today will reject Him in the space of a few days.  It all comes down to our own hearts:  how best do we protect them?  How best do we seek to be like the child who follows the Father's will, aside from all appearances?  When it all comes down to reckoning,  in what righteousness do we believe and choose to live?

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise

Triumphal Entry, the children welcome Christ with praise.  Medieval Syriac Illuminated Manuscript

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read,

'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise'?"

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

- Matthew 21:12-22

On Saturday we read that when Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then He sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose then and bring them to me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "  So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna to the Son of David!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Hosanna in the highest!"  And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals to be used in sacrifices for the Passover.  The money changers would exchange Roman coins for Jewish ones, as Roman coins (with the image of Caesar upon them) were considered to be defiling to the temple.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  My study bible comments that this cleansing of the temple -- an authoritative act by Christ (or Messiah) -- points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), this is a sign also that our hearts and minds should be cleansed of earthly matters, in the sense that we guard our hearts for the reception of our faith.  Let us note how cleansing and healing go hand in hand in this passage. 

But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read,  'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants / You have perfected praise'?"  Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  My study bible quotes from Orthodox Vespers of Palm Sunday:  "Keep the feast with the children, and holding branches in your hands, sing 'Hosanna.'"  Many hymns which commemorate this day emphasize the perfect praise of the children in the temple, my study bible says.  In contrast to that of the adults, theirs was innocent, fitting, unashamed, and from hearts of pure love.  We are called to glorify Christ in the same spirit, it adds (see 18:1-4).  By contrast, the praise of the adults carried earthly expectations and agendas, such as the desire for a worldly messiah who would make Israel a great conquering and military kingdom.  When were unfulfilled, the crowds would rebel against Jesus just five days later (27:20-23).

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.   My study bible says that the fig tree is a symbol of prosperity and peace.  But in this story, the tree withers because it is fruitless.  This is a prophetic act directed toward the people, it says, as after three years of preaching, teaching, and healing by Christ, both the leaders and the crowds are destitute of spiritual fruit.  Jesus curses the tree also to warn those in every generation of the fruitlessness of those who do not heed His gospel message.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  My study bible says that while it is not recorded that an apostles literally moved a mountain, in the patristic tradition it is clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen.  There are stories of saints who made crevices appear in mountains in order to hide from pursuers.  Moreover, it says, not all the things the apostles accomplished were written down.  More than the mere literal meaning here, this is a vivid promise of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  Theophan comments:  "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.

Recently in a bible study class, I commented to the others that the mountains I have had to move in my life were all within myself.  That is, those were the mountains that Christ moved -- the mountains moved with God's help, for with God all things are possible.  I was speaking about the many mountains I found within myself that I had no idea were there in the first place.  These were mountains encountered in the work of forgiveness, and they were mountains like anger that even I had no idea was deep inside of me, resentment, sadness, defeat, despair, and any number of difficult things necessary to confront on the road to healing in Christ's way for me.  These are mountains because when they are deeply-rooted, when they arise from circumstances beyond one's control -- and especially where others are not responsive to problems they've created in one's life -- they are not remedied through any external form.  The route through faith in Christ is a route through forgiveness, and that can be a very tough row to hoe, as the old saying goes.  It is often seemingly impossible to cope with the things we find are actually within us, as healing can't come from remedying a situation from outside.  Christ's healing comes through our work with Him, work in prayer, work through the action of the Holy Spirit within us, work through the help of the saints and all those in the Church with whom we pray, help through worship services, and especially through the Scriptures -- most notably the Gospels.  Help comes with insistence that we must take a good look at what is inside and start to grapple with it.  Jesus cleanses the temple in today's reading, an act that belongs only to the Christ, or the Messiah (both words mean "Anointed One").  It is for this reason that the religious leaders will continue to insist that He prove to them His authority to do so, and for this reason He will also be sent to His death:  because they cannot accept that He is Son.  But it is precisely for this reason that He has authority within us, in our hearts and in our souls, and for this reason He is the One who can help to heal and cleanse what is within us as well.  It is with His help that we can become healed, and because of Him we can begin to negotiate the difficult road of forgiveness of those who've harmed or hurt us, taking something away that was precious and cannot be regained through worldly means.  Perhaps it is in this context we might read about the perfect praise of the children, for children are so often the ones who are harmed or hurt with a lasting infliction of something unfair or unjust.  We might take that praise and allow it to shape us, as what we need as adults to remedy circumstances beyond our repair and beyond the reach of any hope of change.  Childhood hurts may come to haunt us later in life, long after we can come to terms with that reckoning.  Patterns of behavior take root in childhood -- and it is only much, much later we can come to see the damage they do through time and repetition, and our own need for change and transformation and healing.  And so, in that knowledge, we come to terms with our deep need for Christ, the One with the authority to cleanse and to heal.  It is through the act of forgiveness (as in "forgive us our debts or trespasses" as we forgive others).  In Christ's prescription for our lives, these two acts of forgiveness go hand in hand and are inseparable, as is the practice of mercy when we ask for mercy.  We are met with a quandary:  is it only our needs that must be met to be forgiven, or must we also seek to forgive?  But in that act, we might find there are mountains that need moving within us, and a constant stream of things we'd rather not face and maybe have put off for decades of life when it was easier not to think about them or be aware of them.  Such is the range of mountains I have found in myself, moveable only with God's help, because graspable only through the mercy and love of Christ and of the saints (and especially His mother, Mary, as so many others before me have found).  Let us consider for today, in a world in which seemingly only the external changes we can make are being addressed by popular movements, the idea that we do not live in a perfect world.  It is the rare person indeed who has led a perfect life, with perfect parents and childhood, with perfect justice and perfect experience.  No, we do not live in such a world -- and the greatest and most perfect among us was subject to the worst injustice.  We live in a world where we really do need to move those mountains, for they are within us, and we will encounter them when we truly seek His healing and His love and work in ourselves.  We will find them when we seek His blessing and praise, and to truly follow the Gospel.  We may go to the place where we were as children inside of us, and perfect our praise.  Let us remember His promise for our faith.

Tell the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey"

Triumphal Entry, illumination from the Armenian Gospels of Gladzor, 14th century.  Young Research Library, University of California at Los Angeles

 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose then and bring them to me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

"Tell the daughter of Zion,
'Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

"Hosanna to the Son of David!
'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'
Hosanna in the highest!"

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

- Matthew 21:1-11

Yesterday we read that as Jesus and the disciples went out of Jericho on the road to Jerusalem, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose then and bring them to me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, / 'Behold, your King is coming to you, / Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, / A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.   The event described in today's reading is called Christ's Triumphal Entry.  He enters into Jerusalem hailed by the crowds as Messiah.  This day is celebrated in the Church as Palm Sunday.  At Jesus' time, my study bible says, Jewish nationalism had led to the expectation of a political Messiah, who would deliver the Jewish people from Roman control, and reestablish David's kingdom in Israel.  In humility, it says, Jesus shows He has not come to establish an earthly or worldly kingdom.  He does not ride on a horse nor a chariot, and He does not have an invading army with Him.  He rides on a donkey, which is a sign of humility and peace (see Zechariah 9:9, from which the people quote).  Jesus' entrance into the Holy City is a declaration of the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  My study bible adds that it is also an image and promise of Christ's final entrance into the heavenly Jerusalem with all believers and of His accepting the New Jerusalem as His pure Bride (Revelation 21:2).  Matthew, among the Evangelists, reports a colt as well as a donkey.  In the tradition of the Church, the two animals are seen as representing the faithful Jews and also the Gentiles who are brought together in the Kingdom.

And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna to the Son of David! / 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' / Hosanna in the highest!" And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."   The people spread their clothes before Jesus do so as paying reverence to a King.  The spiritual interpretation of this act is that we need to lay down our flesh, even our very lives, for Christ.   The people cried out from Psalm 118:25-26, verses associated with messianic expectation.  This was recited daily for six days during the Feast of Tabernacles, my study bible tells us, and seven times on the seventh day as branches were waved.  We are to understand that the Feast of Tabernacles was the Feast of the Coming Kingdom; here we understand the people recognize that the Kingdom is here, albeit without understanding the true nature of Christ nor of His messiahship and the heavenly Kingdom He brings into the world.  Note that they call Him the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.   Hosanna means, "Save, we pray!"

For some reason the image of Christ on a donkey remains in my mind as a vivid image.  He is the image of a traveler on the road to Jerusalem, perhaps one on an errand, or one who comes to buy or sell goods, or even on the way to pilgrimage (although most likely on pilgrimage one would be accompanied by many others).  But perhaps that last image, that of pilgrim into Jerusalem, is the way we're supposed to see Jesus.  After all, it is the time of the Passover festival, and many pilgrims are no doubt on their way into Jerusalem, and traveling on this same road that has gone through Jericho.  It's noteworthy at the same time to remind ourselves that Jesus comes into Jerusalem from the East, in the way that the Messiah was prophesied to enter.  The East is the direction of sunlight, the traditional place one would turn to see the light approach, and hence we have another metaphor for Jesus that rings throughout the Gospels, and especially John's:  that Jesus is, in fact, the eternal light of God, that otherworldly light (such as shone at the Transfiguration) that has come into the world in the form of this pilgrim sitting on a donkey, on His way into Jerusalem.   Only at this time it is the proper time for Him to be welcomed into Jerusalem as Messiah -- even though, as devout Jew, He has come as pilgrim many times before.  He fulfills the Law and the Prophets, both by living according to the Law but also now as Messiah coming into Jerusalem.  But He will not be the Messiah that the people expect -- and, as my study bible says, this is precisely what is truly being shown by His riding on a donkey with a colt beside Him (or perhaps He rides on the colt).  Let us remember that this was the time of Empire, and Israel was a part of the great Roman Empire, which was in Christ's time at its zenith of power, a time known as the Pax Romana.  Most potently the Roman Empire was symbolized and understood in its military power, the instrument of that "peace" and stability.  And here we have Jesus, presumptive Messiah, who rides into Jerusalem not with an army and not with chariots nor any weapons on display, but on a donkey with a colt by her side.  How were the expectations of the Jewish people to be fulfilled by this Man?  Would He overthrow the Roman army?  Well, we know the outcome of the week to come in Jerusalem.  We know that the people will clamor for a fighter and insurrectionist against the Roman Army, Barabbas.  We know Jerusalem will be destroyed by that army within a generation of this time of Christ's entry into Jerusalem.  But Christ's Kingdom has endured longer than any empire on earth ever did.  In the Church, and in our faith, the Kingdom is still present to us.  And the Kingdom dwells also within us (Luke 17:20-21).  It isn't that our churches don't suffer from their own battles and instabilities, but this Kingdom has within it something no other Kingdom ever did:  it has Christ.  It has the power of God of whom Jesus has declared, "With God all things are possible" (19:26).  Just as Jesus Himself was not predictable to humankind, nor was His messiahship something understood by human beings before His own revelation, so this living Kingdom in the world proceeds within its own dictates and powers.  Jesus has also said of the Holy Spirit, and comparing the Spirit to the wind:  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  This is a Kingdom in which resides all mystery and the reality of God.  We celebrate our liturgies and worship services together with the angels, and the saints with them, whom taken together St. Paul called "the great cloud of witnesses" by which we are surrounded (Hebrews 12:1-2).  There have been empires before and since the Roman Empire, but none has outlasted this Kingdom of God brought into the world through Christ, although there have been very powerful "empires" indeed, from one side and another, and through one ideology and another, who have tried to crush and persecute the faithful in Christ.  The Kingdom of God remains with us, and has outlasted its persecutors although in many places the Church continues to dwell under harsh persecution.  Some say that she never endured such persecution, in so many places, as she does now.  Yet the Church continues to grow and expand even in every corner of the globe.  But our faith is not one that was not meant to be tested.  Christ does not enter into Jerusalem on a donkey with her colt as One who commands that from then on the world will be perfect.  He will go to the Cross, and commands us also to live the life of the cross, each in our own way and with our own cross to take up.  He is here with us and present to us, we pray to Him, we may commune with Him and participate in His very life, and this is why He came here; this is our Messiah.  He rides on the donkey with her colt to teach us His way, a way that last throughout Empires and persecutions, because He lives and dwells in our heart "and His kingdom shall have no end."

Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. 

- Matthew 20:29-34

Yesterday we read that Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.  The title Son of David is a title for the Messiah, and Lord is the common title for God.  These two blind men greet Jesus with both titles.  My study bible comments that although Jesus already knows whatever it is we want before we ask, we are called to ask freely so that we might learn of His mercy.  In stories in the bible, Jericho was a city synonymous with sin (see the parable of the Good Samaritan).  Blindness as a metaphor for those who live in the ignorance of sin, without the light of God.   So there is one metaphorical understanding here of the two blind men symbolizing a fallen world, one which needs Christ's light for healing.  My study bible gives another spiritual interpretation of this miracle, with the blind men symbolizing future generations who would come to faith only through hearing, without having the benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  Those who try to silence these blind men, in this interpretation, are persecutors and tyrants who, in each generation, try to silence the Church.  Nonetheless, under persecution, the Church all the more confesses Jesus Christ.

What is blindness?  In some sense, these two blind men represent the world which struggles in a place of darkness; that is, of spiritual darkness.  It needs the light to be whole, to be healed.  We need the light to know where we are going.  They call out to Christ because He is the true hope for blindness.  The people tell them to be quiet, and in a sense we could say that this is the world that won't really respond or listen to our true needs.  It is Christ who responds.  And in their darkness and their own need, they are capable of recognizing the one person who can help.  They are capable of recognizing Christ as both Lord and Son of David, in His true identity.  Perhaps we can infer from this aspect of the story that it is in our deepest need, and true recognition of our brokenness or flaws that we come to terms with our own reality.  If blindness is a metaphor for our collective inability to see spiritually, then these two men who recognize their real problem give us a sense in which it is in fully coming to terms with our condition and need that we are capable of both knowing Christ and also turning to Him as the place where we get help.  In a sense, they also illustrate that He is the last and best hope, the place where we turn when we know that the world and all it offers cannot and has not really helped us.  Their voice is the voice of prayer, the way in which we communicate our real needs.  All around us, the world grasps for solutions to its problems.  There are a myriad of political solutions offered.  There is the solution of thinking that if only we had more wealth we'd fix ourselves.  Better healthcare is certainly an advantage over what is lacking.  But wisdom -- a true spiritual wisdom -- is always necessary no matter what we have and no matter our position in life.  Wealth and all the things that go with it don't keep us from problems like loneliness or despair.   They can't provide us with the wisdom of Christ's guidance in life.  They can't take us to the places where Christ gives us both solitude and companionship as necessary.  They cannot feed us with the love of God, and the meaning and beauty of God's life for us.  They can't give us a sense of ourselves in a true way:  wealth won't give us the true look at ourselves to know our blindness, and neither will it give us the choice to understand our spiritual potentials in Christ.  In some sense, this story reveals that the blind men are truly better off than the rest of the crowds.  They know what their ailment is.  They know what they need.  They know where they need to turn for help.   It is the crowd that is possibly more blind than they are, because it is these healed men who will follow Jesus on the road knowing that they have been healed by Him.  The multitudes are those who follow Jesus today, and yet at the end of Passion week in Jerusalem, they will be among those who are manipulated by the leaders to call for His crucifixion.   It is one thing to be blind and know that one is blind and needs help; it is quite another to be blind and unaware of that fact.  In some sense, we all live in Jericho, a place with a lot of problems, and brokenness.  It has failures, it has those who merely join a parade of life without crying out to the One who is the author of life, the bringer of our salvation, and without following Him on the road out of Jericho with the knowledge that whatever they've received is just the beginning of the journey.   If we were not also victims of spiritual blindness, perhaps we all would know of Christ's compassion and love for us, that whatever it is we have in life -- the good things we are capable of understanding -- it is down to the Lord and God's love for us.  Perhaps we, also, would start that journey with Him, and follow, knowing that our need for Him is always present, and that His guidance is the universal truth that is always drawing us to deeper union.  In the Church, our refrain in worship is always "Have mercy on us, O Lord!" 

Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

Deesis mosaic, 13th century.  Haghia Sophia cathedral, Constantinple

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

- Matthew 20:17-28

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing idle here all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."  My study bible comments here that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion is meant to encourage and strengthen the disciples:  after Jesus is in Jerusalem they will face the terrifying events to come.  According to Theophan, it is as if Jesus is saying:  "Think on all these [words and miracles], so that when you see me hanging on the Cross, you will not imagine that I am suffering because I am powerless to do otherwise."

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask."   My study bible calls this question for temporal power and glory unfitting for a disciple, and says that it shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  Here, Matthew tells us that it was the mother of Zebedee's sons who made this request.  But Jesus' responses is in the plural you (in the Greek text), when He says, "You do not know what you ask . . .."  Mark 10:35 clearly indicates the involvement of John and James as well.

"Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."   Jesus refers to His Crucifixion as a cup and His death as a baptism.  My study bible says that the Cross is a cup because Jesus drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, as He was completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Jesus' prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.   That these places of honor requested by the mother of Zebedee's sons (and John and James themselves) is not Christ's to give doesn't mean that He is lacking in authority.  Rather, my study bible points out, it means that they are not Christ's to give arbitrarily.  Instead, these places will be given by Christ to those for whom God has prepared them.  St. John Chrysostom, additionally, teaches that to sit as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom belongs to no one -- for there is none who could occupy such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor given to human beings, in the icons of the Orthodox Church it is universally depicted that the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women, Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (greatest born of women, 11:11) hold these places.

And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  For many, my study bible says, is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

What does it mean to accept a place of honor?  We have to think about this in terms of Christ's answer to Zebedee's wife Salome, the mother of the apostles James and John.  Jesus makes it clear that the places of honor in His Kingdom are not about favoritism.  They are not about doing political favors.  Neither are they even about how close Jesus might be to one disciple or another in a worldly sense (for these men are surely His friends, and one of them -- John -- will be the one to whom He entrusts the care of His mother at the Cross; see John 19:26).  Jesus makes it very clear that the positions of honor which may come in is Kingdom are those for whom God has prepared such places.  This authority does not rest only in Jesus, but rather in the will of the Father and -- perhaps even more importantly -- within the grand scheme of salvation for an entire cosmos.  This "event" therefore, of honor in the Kingdom, involves much more than a temporal sense of Jesus' ministry.  It involves all who are to come, and all that is to become in the salvation plan of God.  Moreover, it involves spiritual judgment, even the ultimate judgment in the hands of Christ.  Therefore, when you or I speak about honor, about whom we should honor in our hearts and in our lives, about how we ourselves might find honor in our lives, let us consider first of all to Whom it is that Jesus turns when He's asked about places of honor.  He makes it clear that all things rest in the hands of God, and it is to God that all must turn in honor in order to realize honor.  That is, there is an entirety to the plan of salvation not only for this world and all of the people in the world, but in terms of the entirety of a cosmos,  a created order of things, the full range of time and space and all that is within it.  Honor, in short, comes only from the One who has such a perspective, and we don't know what roles we may play in such a purview.  Consider, for instance, the long-range effects of one person's choice and another's.  We don't really know where such things will lead.  We don't know the depth of commitment in their hearts to God, nor their actual level of participation in the life of God.  Who can know these things?  Only God can know such things.  But there is one thing of which we can be certain:  that is that Jesus turns the attention from the places of honor to what it takes to fulfill that honor and to live that honor.  That is, He focuses their attention upon the cup of His Crucifixion, and the baptism of His death.  These are the things that are asked of Jesus in the fullness of the story of salvation and in His role in it.  Can they be prepared to drink that cup and accept that baptism for themselves?  Will they participate in the same honor in which He will play that role?  The answer is surely yes, as James Zebedee will be the first of the apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2), and his brother John will go on to a life of exile and persecution, to care for Christ's mother, and to have attributed to him one Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation.  Each one will fulfill the cup and baptism asked of them as well.  But the answer of Christ, and this question posed to these disciples, "Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" is really a question that applies to each of us.  It is, moreover, a question to be asked throughout time of all who would follow Jesus.  This is because, to one extent and another, we must all be prepared to follow in Christ's footsteps -- but even more importantly, to participate in His life.  We do this through the sacraments, through the Eucharist and the commemoration of His life and Incarnation, through our understanding of His Ascension, and even as we await His return.  We participate in the same sense in which the rich man was asked to give up His possessions to receive eternal life (in this reading).  It is not that we each must follow some pre-ordered prescription of what we must do.  It is, rather, that as we move forward in faith in Christ, and grow in that discipleship, there will be cups and baptisms that are asked of us, and that this is the way of the Cross, to which each of us is called.  We are called to become what we must be in Christ's image of who we are, and that image is shaped, formed, and transfigured in the life He offers.  What that means for each one of us is specific to each, as St. Chrysostom has commented on the story of the rich young man.  But it is indeed the way of the Cross.  It is, indeed, the call for humility and especially for us to honor the very place -- or rather, the Person -- from whom all honor comes.  Jesus goes on to set the record straight with the rest of the disciples when He contrasts the "Lordship" of the Gentiles (and worldly power) with the kind of Lordship He exercises.  His power is in the reality of the love that is the substance of God, and all power and authority extends from God who is love (1 John 4:7-8).  In that understanding, it is the One who will lay down His life for His friends in an expression of the greatest love to whom we turn to define "honor" (John 15:13).  In the icon above, a mosaic made in the 13th century on the wall of the Hagia Sophia Church in Constantinople, we see a scene which is called in Greek "Deesis" (which means prayer or supplication).  It shows the risen Christ, the Almighty.  Closes to Him are Mary ("blessed among women") and John the Baptist ("among those born of women no one greater").  Both bow to Christ in the position of prayer.  Let us consider those whom we join when we do the same, and enter into the honor of those who honor God with their lives.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing idle here all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children and lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing idle here all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."   My study bible explains that in this parable, the vineyard is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life and also to the entirety of human history.  The laborers are all the people in every nation.  Every hour can refer to varying times in a person's life, whether that indicates infancy, or youth, or adulthood, maturity, or old age.  My study bible adds that it also has a second meaning in the span of human history:  referring to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  Another aspect of this parable is the teaching that God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  My study bible says about this that Jesus teaches that the former shouldn't be proud of their long service, nor resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  For latecomers, the parable teaches that it is possible even in a short time, or at the end of life, to recover and inherit all.  In the early Church, this applied specifically to the Jews (the first-called), and the Gentiles (those who were called later).  At the present time, this can be applied to individuals who have been raised in the Church and those who find the Church later on in life.  Both receive an equal reward.  The paschal sermon of St. John Chrysostom (read in the Orthodox Church each Easter) is based on this parable, and applies it to each person's preparation through Lent in approaching the paschal Eucharist.

This parable illustrates yet another way that the "rules" of the kingdom of heaven do not work according to worldly rules, and in particular according to the rules of material life (or mammon, if you will).  Jesus illustrates this same principle when He tells His disciples at the Last Supper, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).  In today's parable, Jesus gives a clear illustration that "not as the world gives" does God give.  He is speaking to His earliest disciples, and therefore when Jesus tells them that "the last will be first, and the first last" (repeating this phrase which He also stated in yesterday's reading, above, and so giving it great emphasis), He is clearly referring to them in particular.  It is yet again -- for these immediate disciples at that time -- an emphasis on humility, particularly in response to the earlier question about who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (see Wednesday's reading from last week).  There will be those who come after they who will also be "great in the kingdom of heaven."  In this parable there is a radical reckoning of equality in a spiritual sense.  It possibly emphasizes for us that in this kingdom there is no space and no time, even as at the Transfiguration Moses and Elijah both appeared speaking together with Christ, and each was immediately recognizable to Peter, James, and John.  In short, the "rules" of this kingdom are not the rules of the world.  We aren't rewarded according to worldly rules; there is a different standard involved.  And clearly, it is God who sets the standard.  Our expectations have to be subject to our faith and the perceptions that come from "work" in this kingdom, from participation in it.  On the surface, the parable seems like it is told to the disciples to enforce the message of humility:  that each will be called in a different way, and there is to be no comparison between one person's labor and another's, one person's reward and another's.  That also reinforces the lesson taken from St. Chrysostom's comment on the story of the rich man in Monday's reading, that for each follower the sacrifices asked will be different.  Above all, what is reinforced in today's reading is a galvanizing kind of equality within this kingdom of heaven, that we each have our own part to play:  we are not to look to one or the other nor to compare rewards.  Each is called according to his or her own life; each is called with the bargain being only between the landowner and themselves.  In the final chapter of John's Gospel, St. Peter is told three times by Jesus what his job is to be in this kingdom; Jesus tells him, "Feed my lambs."  But then Peter sees the disciple John, and asks what John must do.  Jesus replies, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me" (see John 21:15-25).  In other words, the things asked of each one apply only to that person.  Yet for all of us, the reward is the same.  As this applies to each one of us today, just as it did then, 2,000 years ago to the disciples, let us consider what Christ asks of us.  In the passage at the end of John's Gospel we've just cited, Jesus first asks Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?"  Let us ask for ourselves this question, and understand that Christ is always asking each one of us the same.  Let us turn to Him and offer ourselves, and leave ourselves open to what He asks.  Don't look around and assume everyone's gifts nor offering is the same; you might find it surprising what it is that God asks of you.  But humility is the key to accepting that answer, just as it was for St. Peter, and for all the rest.

Who then can be saved?

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children and lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

- Matthew 19:23-30

Yesterday we read that little children were brought to Jesus that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.  Now behold, one came  and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, " ' You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."   There have been various attempts at interpretation of this vivid saying of Christ of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  My study bible names a couple of them:  that the word for camel in Aramaic resembles the word for "rope" or possibly that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which a camel could possibly squeeze if it first were relieved of all of its baggage (which would symbolize possessions).  There is a saying in the Talmud:  "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever the origin, the phrase gives us an understanding of what is preposterous, impossible.  Salvation is impossible for those attached to riches, my study bible says.  This is clearly shown by the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?"  But through the grace of God, even what is impossible for human beings alone becomes possible.

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  Of judgment, my study bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments, "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."  The apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, my study bible says, but rather with the witness of their own lives.  God's kingdom begins with Christ's Resurrection, and therefore the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (16:19, John 20:23).

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children and lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  My study bible says here that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom says that this passage refers to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  My study bible comments that believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in a worldly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship. 

What does it mean to sacrifice everything for Christ?  This is something we have to contemplate and think about.  I know what it is to need to cut off relationships with family because of religious faith, but that comes from a deep conviction of loyalty to God, an earnest desire for prayer and for peace with one another, and an impossible choice that simply has to be made.  It also comes from a place of forgiveness:  one has to be willing to include all of Christ's teachings in the choices that we make, not just one or two.  What we are to understand in life is that to "follow Him" requires of us a great huge life in which we participate, not a partial one.  This is not about following one commandment or another; it is about a full participation in an expanding understanding of a way of life that is whole and fulfilling, not partial and not abstract and not theoretical.  It is not about forming opinions and values with which we go about judging one another.  In fact, this is a good time to remind ourselves of what judgment is and means according to my study bible (as noted above):  the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but rather with the witness of their own lives.  They will learn to live the life Christ initiates them into on a deeper and gradual basis of immersion, so to speak, to be like Him, and they will rebuke error with virtue.  The kind of freedom that is claimed in this level of a life lived in Christ is total, and it grows over time.  If we are truly to follow Jesus, we do so with a growing commitment, and a gradual growth of what we are willing to sacrifice in order to be truly free to follow Him.  Hence, the image of the impossibility of the camel going through the eye of the needle:  what will be asked of us might be things we thought unthinkable to give up, but necessary for our own movement forward into God's life and love.  It is necessary to begin to think about what we have and where we go in prayer, for prayer has to be the guide for all of us in life, plus guidance in the context of the Church.  Historically the Church frowns upon extremes.  At the time period of the early Church there were philosophers and gnostics and all kinds of sects that practiced extreme forms of purification, with highly black-and-white theories of the pure and the tainted, or the good and evil of what was inside of us.  But Jesus gives us a different example of how we need to understand ourselves.  We may have a choice in this world between forces of evil such as produced the fall and sin, but it is Jesus who stands out like a beacon, having gone through this world as a human being, and showing us the way.  There is just the choice to follow Him, to understand that we ourselves have so much to learn, and that He does not require us to be "perfect" except in one sense only:  that we be willing to give up whatever it is that stands in the way of following Him.  If we are called to separate from those who would harm us or our spiritual lives in order to follow Christ more perfectly, then the time has come to step up and do it.  If we must let go of our "once in a while" habit that we know separates us from God and is destructive to our prayer life, then when that time comes, let us step up to the place.  If we need to commit our time more fully to prayer, let us heed the call and give up that time to Christ.  These are the ways in which Christ asks us to sacrifice in order to follow Him.  Moreover, if we have a hard time doing this by ourselves, we know that we are not alone in this -- nor is it expected that we ever do it all "just by ourselves."  What is impossible for human beings becomes possible with God -- for with God, all things become possible.   The many possessions of the wealthy man are all things that can come between his loyalty to Christ and his need to take care of those possessions:  one by one each must be placed in God's hands for discernment and judgment about how to live in this world and heed where God asks us to go.  And let us not forget that everything -- every blessing and gift, and all things -- come from God in the first place.  It really doesn't matter what we are talking about; it is all a journey of placing our lives and ourselves more deeply in the hands of God.  But, as He said, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (11:30) -- and He replaces what we feel we lose by the hundredfold.  It is all a matter of placing ourselves in His hands and trusting, to commit our lives to follow Him.

You will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Now behold, one came  and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, " ' You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

- Matthew 19:13-22

On Saturday we read that when Jesus had finished teaching on correction and forgiveness, He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.  The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"  And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"  He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."  His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry."  But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given:  For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.  He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.  The disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and also because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  This is according to Theophan, as quoted by my study bible.  But Jesus firmly rejects such thinking and in fact sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, my study bible says, children are invited (even as an example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  On Wednesday last week, we read Jesus' teaching of the little child as an example to those who would enter the kingdom of heaven.

Now behold, one came  and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."   My study bible points out that this man does not come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one he considers to be only a good Teacher.  Jesus' response does not deny that He is Son and divine, but it is designed to lead this rich man to that knowledge.  Let us note the primary importance that Jesus places on the commandments.

He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, " ' You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  The formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God, my study bible says.  It notes this man's earnest desire for eternal life as indicating he still senses he lacks something.  Clearly, he continues to press Jesus for that answer.

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  My study bible says that to be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  But in doing so, there is nothing gained except that the sacrifice is freely given, not coerced.  The specifics of how each one follows Christ will be different from one person to another.  But in this case, wealth has a great grip on this rich man.  Therefore his only hope to follow Christ freely is to sell and give away all his possessions.  According to St. John Chrysostom, giving away his possessions is the least of Christ's instructions; it is just a beginning.  But to follow Christ in all things is a much greater and more difficult calling.  It is also a lifetime calling, not a single issue or one-time commitment.

What does it mean to have great possessions?  Let us think about this.  Possessions can, of course, come in many forms.  Sometimes we cling to one thing and another.  Whether that be in the form of habits we cherish or other more conventional possessions, we need to think about this problem brought up by this well-intentioned rich young man.  Jesus first of all shows His own humility in responding to the man, by telling him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God."  In other words, even as Son and living Person of the Trinity, Jesus reveals humility as a human being, placing the question into context.  He then speaks of the commandments, which is another way to indicate humility.  To follow the commandments is to subject one's will to the will of God as understood by human beings, and revealed through the prophets (especially Moses).  That is, through those who give us the word of God.   Jesus Himself, as human being, is subject to the commandments.  (He will haggle over the traditions built up around them with the leadership; see 15:3-6).  As Son He will be the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets (5:17-20).  But to maintain first of all a stance on the necessity of following the commandments is an immediate teaching of humility and even sacrifice; it is a preparation for what will follow, Christ's new covenant.  Jesus connects a giving away of this man's great wealth to the poor with treasure in heaven, and here we see a powerful statement about what it means to give up something in order to more freely follow Christ:  we don't lose something or even sacrifice so much as we gain something else instead.  We give up one thing in order to have treasure in a different dimension of ourselves and our lives.  This may sound like "pie in the sky" rationalizing or philosophizing.  But in practice, it is assuredly a different experience.  If I am willing to give up something I care about in order to follow Christ, I gain a significant new understanding of myself.  As Christ indicates, I add to myself.  To have treasure in heaven is not an unreachable abstract idea of banking our wealth in a faraway untouchable place.  It is, in fact, to grow as a person, giving to ourselves new depth, and more importantly finding surprising joy in what is given and revealed to us in the process.  We are able to more deeply participate in the life of Christ.  To be closer to Christ is in and of itself something that produces a surpassing joy and comfort, and an inexplicable peace.  That kingdom of heaven is, after all, within us (Luke 17:20-21).  It is not far away in the sky somewhere.  This is the great secret of following Christ.  And when we take that first step -- which is, after all, what this command is for this earnest man -- we open the door to a different life, to parts of ourselves we haven't tapped, and to potentials for ourselves as human beings we haven't yet explored but which following Christ will bring out.  We start a journey somewhere.  It is, in effect, a freedom that shows us a way to a more fulfilling life, helping us to escape the trap of the "deceitfulness of riches" (13:22).  Let us understand, as Chrysostom teaches, that this specific teaching is for this one man.  It is not necessarily given to all.  In fact, we fail to understand what is being taught here except and unless we can understand that what is asked of us will be different for each.  It all depends on what is holding us back from freely following Christ.  Jesus has taught about those who will be "eunuchs" for the sake of the Church (in Saturday's reading).  He has taught the disciples that figuratively removing a hand, or foot, or eye for the sake of the salvation of the whole is necessary (5:29-31, 18:8-9).  This is not simply, in other words, a teaching about wealth and possessions per se.  It is, instead, a teaching about the freedom to follow Christ, and the treasure that is recouped in doing so.  It gives us a reason for sacrifice, a tangible event and response, a true nature to find for ourselves.  All we have to do is look at the lives of the apostles to understand the transformation in these men.  What Jesus is teaching over and over again is that it is our own humility that is the key to entering this kingdom, to finding a life of salvation, and to living more fully that life here in this world.  What we can accept for ourselves is just the faith and trust that it is so, for this comes before all else.  There are millions of people in the world who will offer us advice for a meaningful and fulfilling life, but Who would you really actually fully trust?

Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.  The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"  And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"  He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."

His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry."  But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given:  For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.  He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

- Matthew 19:1-12

Yesterday we read that Peter came to Jesus and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?"  Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.  The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.  But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'  So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'  And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.  So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.  Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant!  I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.  Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'  And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.  So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.   The text indicates to us that Jesus has just moved His ministry closer to Jerusalem, to the center of the religious leaders.  We read that great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.  Clearly it is a signal that He is moving His ministry closer to the Passion which He has now twice warned the disciples will come.  And the leadership does notice Him, as we read in the verses that follow.

The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"  And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"  He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so."  At Jesus' time, divorce was an important issue which was debated among the Pharisees and other of the groups that shaped religious leadership.  The Pharisees, in fact, tended to be more in agreement with Jesus' perspective on divorce.  The basis for this test of the Pharisees is Deuteronomy 24:1-4.  My study bible says that God's condescension, or allowance for human weakness, does not override the original principle of permanent monogamous marriage, revealed in Genesis 1, 2.

"And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."   Together with His statement in verse 6 above, "Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate,"  these two teachings are what my study bible calls authoritative prohibitions against divorce.  In the ancient Church, permissible reasons for divorce were expanded to include threat to a spouse's or child's life, and desertion -- but in all cases acknowledging the spiritual tragedy in such a circumstance.

His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry."  But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given:  For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.  He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."  My study bible makes note here that Christ is steering the disciples toward understanding the holiness of virginity (as in monastic celibacy in devotion to God).  It's not a rejection of marriage but rather characterized as a special calling for those to whom it has been given.  Eunuchs were very common in the ancient world and through the Middle Ages, often even as powerful court attendants.  They were men who had been castrated, either by birth defect, disease, or deliberate mutilation.  Often they were employed to guard women of nobility, and wielded great influence either as part of a class or network, or at times individually.  Jesus uses the term figuratively here, for those who freely dedicated themselves to a life of celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.   This consecrated virginity is not to be confused with self-mutilation, my study bible says, which was condemned at the First Ecumenical Council (AD 325).  See also 1 Corinthians 7:7, 25-38.

It's interesting to consider Jesus' use of the term eunuch as figurative image of one who devotes themselves wholly to the Church, to God.  Celibacy in this context is a kind of declaration of marriage to God, a full-hearted devotion to service in the Church.  In this respect, we can see the tie-in with Christ's feelings about divorce.  One way and the other, He is calling for the devotion of human beings in love -- be that in marriage or to the Church.  Jesus also says elsewhere that where one's treasure is, there one's heart is also (6:21).  We might as well say that what we choose to devote ourselves to becomes treasure, and Jesus is giving us an example of the goodness and importance of true devotion to the things that are proper in the lives of human beings.  If it is marriage we choose, then let us make the most of the possibilities inherent in marriage.  Let us learn devotion and sacrifice, even as monastics sacrifice their lives for the Church.  To be truly devoted to a marriage most definitely asks of us sacrifice.  For two to become one flesh there is the immediate notion that both must mutually sacrifice, each one for the other.  This is a very Christian idea, as it is the heart and definition of the Cross.  In fact, in the tradition of the Church, marriage is often called the layperson's way to union with God, marriage having its own ascetic for union with one another.  Above all, what Jesus suggests is a dimension to marriage that is not present when we think of marriage in material terms, as if we are simply adding something to ourselves, rather than the two becoming one flesh.  In each instance, whether Jesus speaks of the consecration to the Church through celibacy or of the concept of marriage, He's speaking of a kind of devotion that implies cherishing the other, sacrifice, and hence love.  He, of course, expresses the ultimate idea of devotion through His Passion, in which He will lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13).  The disciples clearly are struck by Christ's idea of permanent monogamous marriage, and the difficulties presented without the contemporary notion of easy divorce.  But Christ's teaching invites in a different perspective on love, and particularly on the status of women in this context (for only Jewish men could ask for divorce).  Let us consider the kind of love He asks us to develop and cultivate, and the things He makes us consider as worthy of that kind of love and devotion and sacrifice.  His ministry extends itself to marriage, and as a holy mystery or sacrament of the Church, God's presence as Trinity becomes a part of married life, helping us in nurturing this bond and to grow in our capacity for growth in it.  Let us consider where He leads and transfigures human institutions through His image of matrimony, and how He teaches us what sacrifice is for.