Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things

 

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  "The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

- Luke 20:1-8 

 

On Saturday we read that as Jesus drew near Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.   

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  My study bible tells us that these things refers to Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as Messiah (19:35-38), the cleansing of the temple (19:45), and Christ's preaching (verse 1 of today's reading).  These men, the elders of the temple at Jerusalem, confront Christ since it was the priestly descendants of Levi to manage the temple.  While Christ is descended from Judah (3:33 in Christ's genealogy as given in Luke), He is also High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4), which is a priestly line far greater than that of Levi, as Christ's authority is from the Father.

 

But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  "The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Jesus' answer is designed to draw those who would answer to the obvious response, that both John's and Jesus' authority comes from God.  But clearly the priority for these leaders is their own position as rulers in the temple, the authority and regulators of the faith and thereby the people.  They fear losing this authority, as the people all believe John to have been a prophet.  Jesus' concise and colorful debating skills trap them in their own response, no doubt to the delight of the people who could participate by listening to an open dialogue.

In much of the discourse during Jesus time teaching in the temple -- be that in the Synoptic Gospels and what takes place during Holy Week, or the debates in John's Gospel which occur at various festivals throughout Jesus three years of ministry -- we're told that the people are afraid to participate themselves, even to engage in dialogue, because of their fears of the leadership whom they know by this time seek to kill Christ (John 7:12-13).  Even among the leadership, we're told, many are afraid to speak openly although they believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 12:42).   And yet, Mark's Gospel tells us that the people heard Jesus with delight as He debated the leaders in the temple (Mark 12:37).  Perhaps this is one of the very reasons why Jesus' dialogues and debates with the leadership became so very well recorded for the Gospels, because they were made in the hearing of the common people -- who, while they themselves could not speak openly for fear of the leaders, nevertheless heard Jesus gladly.  In the available public forums for debate (and even entertainment or drama, if we want to think about it on those terms) there wouldn't be much place for people to participate in this kind of open dialogue, except in private and among themselves.  But Jesus takes His teaching to the people and always has.  He has publicly preached in synagogues and to large crowds, and on many occasions the leadership has come to openly question Him.  If there is one signal we can take from Christ, it is in this place of freedom and free debate.  As far as He is concerned, the truth is meant to be proclaimed from the housetops -- so long as it is at the right time, of course.  The truth about Him as Son of Man and Son of God -- His identity as Messiah -- that must be heard in the fullness of His ministry; that is, in the fullness of God's revelation through Him and His mission.  It is only in that context that the fullness of truth is present for proper understanding.  Jesus tells the disciples, "Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops" (Luke 12:3).   Perhaps simply because Jesus was an outsider, not one of the ones with the "authority" the religious leaders question Him about, His dialogue and sermons come to us in the Gospels.  Had he been an insider among the Sanhedrin, no doubt those debates would have been more private and within an inner circle.  As it is, Jesus came to the world in a time and place that facilitated everything about what He has given us.  In the Roman Empire roads stretched far and wide to connect the entire empire for trade and commerce, which in and of itself extended to spread news and the Christian movement.  Jerusalem itself was the Holy City, the one Jesus says "kills the prophets and stones those sent to her" (Luke 13:34), but also at this time a place where civilizations meet, where Roman rule could at any time assert its authority to keep people under control, and which depended upon the religious leaders themselves to maintain that control or else political rebellion could get out of hand.  In this context, we read the open debates of Jesus, and must come to understand the threats to the places of the religious leaders, the anxiety of the people who both feared the oppressive, tax-imposing Romans and waited for a Deliverer/Messiah, and frequently mistrust their own authorities in this context.  But Christ comes, nevertheless, freely proclaiming Himself and the gospel of the Kingdom.  He knows what will happen, but that through all things He is the One who is sent to do precisely what He does.  He gives us the power of the Word, and He is the Word, and we should never forget where our basic values regarding this kind of freedom come from, nor that He is the One who taught us both that the truth makes us free, and that He is the Person who is truth (John 8:31-22, 14:6).  In these open debates in the temple, and as they are presented to us in the Gospels, we can find a confidence in the truth, that the truth makes a difference.  Not only does it make a difference, but Christ teaches that it makes us free:  free because we are no longer slaves to falsehood and no longer slaves to half-concepts of truth that stand outside of the fullness of communion in Him.  In these words we find not only a positive definition of freedom but also a liberating concept of truth, and we find the foundations for what we claim today if we are those who seek the freedom for ourselves He proclaims.  These open debates before the people make it clear, moreover, that Christ places confidence in the power of that truth and in His message to the world.  It is, and becomes in His hands and preaching, a truth that belongs to each of us, a truth which is aimed at each human heart and soul.  He calls to all of us, and we delight to be called.  The question becomes, in some sense as parallel to the elders here, if we can understand the authority in that truth, or not.

 

 

If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes

 

 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. 

 

- Luke 19:41–48 

 

Yesterday we read that, after teaching this parable, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' "  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.  Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:  "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

 

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  My study bible comments here that Jerusalem means "foundation of peace."  Only faith in Christ, it says, brings true peace.  This is a truth which is hidden from a city that will soon rebel against its Savior.  We should note that there are two kinds of peace.  A false peace (to which Christ refers in 12:51)  is a shallow harmony that results from ignoring issues of truth, or the imposition of a kind of peace that comes through military might and suppression or intolerance of opposition.  But genuine peace is reconciliation to God through faith in Christ, and surrender to truth.  Genuine peace has division as a byproduct, my study bible says, because not everyone wants truth.  In the fallen world, divisions are necessary for truth to be manifest (see 1 Corinthians 11:18-19).  Jesus prophesies here the destruction of Jerusalem which would come in AD 70.  My study bible tells us that this also describes the spiritual end of every person who lacks faith. 

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were  trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.  Jesus quotes from two prophesies:  Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  My study bible comments that this cleansing of the temple also 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), it's also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  

Jesus speaks of peace, but it is a particular type of peace.  It is the peace that is found in reconciliation with Him, in faith, in His teachings and His love, and in the place in the heart where it is guarded and kept watch over by those who know us and love us, beyond our understanding.  This is a very mystical kind of peace.  It is a peace that can be found through prayer, a refuge in the things of God.  St. Paul writes about it in the letter to the Philippians, from which we quoted in yesterday's reading and commentary.  St. Paul writes, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).  This is a particular kind of peace.  Often it is a type of peace that is met by hostility from others.  It might be a type of peace that teaches us to stand up for things others will find challenging.  On the other hand, it is also a type of peace that may ask us to withdraw from contests or debates in which everyone around us seems to be participating as if it were the most fervently necessary combat in existence.  This peace is the union we have, and the one we seek to deepen, without our faith in Christ.  It is a peace that connects us to a much greater world beyond this world that we know:  to the communion of saints past and present, to the world of the Kingdom in which space and time are not barriers, to the love of Christ and all the saints, the cosmos seen and unseen, the Trinity, the uncountable numbers of angels, to all those who love God.  This is where we start with our peace, the place into which we take refuge and "guard our hearts" as St. Paul writes.  Why, we must ask here, is it so important to guard our hearts?  Jesus speaks of not knowing the things that make for the peace of Jerusalem, as He weeps and laments over the city:  "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes."  In this holy city, it was possible for people to be blind to what God held for them, the things that make for the city's peace.  So it is possible also for each one of us in our own day, at whatever time and place we find ourselves when we need God's peace.  Let us remember the words of Christ and the words of St. Paul.  Because, without this peace, it seems we miss what is extraordinarily real and pertinent, the things we need, and especially the guarding of the heart that keeps our hearts where we need to be.  We need to protect and preserve our faith, so that we know where we are and where we are headed.  Without this awareness, we may choose the road that makes not for peace but the sword. 

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

 

 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' "  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.  Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:

"'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

 

- Luke 19:28–40 

 

Yesterday, we read that Jesus spoke another parable to His disciples, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

 

 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.' "  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  Let us note Jesus' carefully detailed instructions and preparation for His entrance into Jerusalem.   This entrance is called the Triumphal Entrance, as He will be greeted as Messiah, the prophesied Deliverer in the line of King David.  To sit on the colt of a donkey is a sign of humility and peace (Zechariah 9:9).  In terms of the popular expectations of the people, the Messiah was expected to be a triumphant political and military leader, a king in the contemporary sense of word at that time, and one who will throw off the rule of the Romans and reestablish David's kingdom.  Instead, Jesus' careful instructions are to portray Himself as He actually is, rather than the expected military and political ruler who would have a great army with chariots, horses, and warriors accompany Him.  Instead, He carefully establishes the truth, that His entrance into the Holy City declares the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  My study bible adds that it is also a 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).  

And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.  To throw their own clothes on the colt, and also spread their clothes on the road ahead of Jesus, is to pay reverence as to  King.  Spiritually, the interpretation is that we need to lay down our flesh, and even our lives, for Christ. St. Ambrose comments that the clothing of the disciples represents their virtues, through which Christ, as the mystic rider, enters the hearts of the Gentiles.

Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:  "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."  The whole multitude of the disciples quote from Psalm 118:26, a phrase associated with messianic expectation.  These particular verses (25 and 26) from the Psalm were recited daily for six days during the Feast of Tabernacles (otherwise known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom), and seven times on the seventh day as branches were waved (see Matthew 21:8).  

Some patristic writers see evoked in this scene an eschatological vision regarding Christ's mission into the world.  St. Ephrem the Syrian cites Matthew's reporting of the children singing praises of Christ at the time of the cleansing of the temple, just following the Triumphal Entry (see Matthew 21:12-17).  He comments that children played a role in Christ's birth, in the leaping of John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth, and also the Massacre of the Innocents by Herod (Luke 1:41, Matthew 2:16-18).  Here the children also play a role at Christ's death by singing His praises and incurring the wrath of the authorities, as today is the first day of Holy Week, which will culminate in His Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection.  While Jerusalem is in turmoil, as it was at His birth, and will be in the Siege of Jerusalem (which Jesus will prophesy in the next reading in Luke), the reality of heaven is peace and praise, even as the children suffer with Christ, both at His birth, and will do so at His death.  As St. Ephrem puts it,  the children are intertwined in the crown of His sufferings.  He concludes that at the time of Crucifixion, the demands we read here will be fulfilled, as the stones themselves will cry out (Matthew 27:51-52) while those with words will be silent.  St. Ambrose writes something similar, that while the Jews are speechless after Christ's passion, the living stones, according to St. Peter, will cry out (see 1 Peter 2:5).  However we understand it, St. Cyril of Alexandria says, Jesus clearly proclaims to the Pharisees that if His followers are prevented from expressing their praise, even the stones would react against their nature by proclaiming the arrival of the Messiah at Jerusalem.   I am intrigued by the paradox of the powers of heaven rejoicing at the fulfillment of Christ mission, the peace that reigns in heaven as the resolution to a spiritual war and the assumption of Christ in His place as Son of God and Son of Man, and at the same time the powers of the world are shaken.  This is an image that is hard to shake from one's mind, as indeed the world entered into its "end times" with the event of Christ's life, in which we still live, with "wars and rumors of wars" and "famines, pestilences, and earthquakes" and "tribulation, false prophets, and the love of many growing cold" even as the gospel is preached to all the world (see Matthew 24:3-14).  What these commentaries and insights teach us today is that when we see disturbances in our world or in our personal intimate lives, even conflict, we mustn't despair for our identity in the heavens and in God's work among us.  For in the disturbance, and even conflict, there may be God's work happening on spiritual levels which we don't discern.   It was Jesus Himself who taught us that He came to bring not peace, but a sword (Luke 12:49-53).  Even so, He also promises us His peace (John 14:27, 16:33).  He is the Prince of Peace, and the Spirit's prayer in us gives us the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).  It is in the troubling times in which we find ourselves that we are reminded that so often the announcement of the angels gives us a preview of spiritual battle, already won in the fullness of time and the true throne of heaven, which has its effects among us on the earth.  Here we are, still at the crossroads in this world.  How are we going to welcome the Prince of Peace, the One who rides not in a chariot but upon the colt of a donkey?  How is He our King?  What are our own expectations of Him?  And what, indeed, are the blessings He brings of spiritual citizenship that passes the understanding of the world?  Let us remember, in today's reading, the people shout as they welcome Christ into Jerusalem, "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

 

- Luke 19:11-27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, on His way toward Jerusalem with His disciples.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' "  My study bible has a long note on this parable, which is similar to one found in Matthew 25:14-30.  In Matthew's version, Jesus uses "talents" to illustrate the parable, which were a Greek currency.  Here, Jesus uses the "mina" which was a Hebrew unit of currency.  Both the "talent" and the "mina" were equivalent to a certain weight of precious metal, gold or silver.  In the ancient world, by Christ's time, both were used to measure the value of something for exchange.  It is from the "talent" used in the parable as reported by Matthew that we get our modern understanding of the word talent as a gift or innate ability given by Creator.  Here in Luke's version we note that each begins with the same sum; illustrating that God does not show partiality.

"But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"   This wicked servant bears responsibility for ignoring his talent.  My study bible says that idleness is as much a rejection of God as is outright wickedness.  To put away the talent in a handkerchief is to waste it:  a handkerchief is used for "waste products" of the body such as sweat, blood, spittle, or food when eating.   There is another meaning to this also.  In the parable of the Talents, the wicked and lazy servant buried his talent in the ground.  The word used for "handkerchief" here can also the head cloth, in which the dead were wrapped for burial.  So there is an association here with using God-given gifts for "earthly" pursuits.  The bankers, my study bible says, represent other faithful people to whom the servant could have turned to help to use his gifts wisely.  This help is also available in the treasury of the Church, its saints, its teachings, the Scriptures old and new.  That the citizens hated this ruler, and sought to overthrow him, symbolizing Christ who is about to enter Jerusalem at the beginning of what we know as Holy Week, and will be rejected by the nation.

So, the question is here, what do we do with the gifts we're given by God?  Each one of us, the parable seems to say, is gifted -- or rather, invested -- with something by God.  God invests in us God's wealth of gifts to give:  intelligence, or talent, athletic ability, strength, physical health, our looks, a capacity to hear and appreciate beautiful music, or poetry, or even a gift to sit in a church and appreciate the beauty that is there in the sermons, carols, hymns, liturgy, icons, worship services, or even in the silence where we may find our own prayers to God.  All of these things are capacities which we do not create ourselves, but with which God gifts us.  If we look at the parable in the way that it is given, we may come to conclude that, in fact, God invests these things in us.  Each of us has something that we bring to the table, so to speak, precisely because God has invested these things in us.  There are times when our capacity for love of a spiritual life enables us also to make the best of what we might nominally call a "bad" thing, but which in the hands of the capacity for revering and finding God and the Spirit's work in our lives, become a good thing.  It is up to us also to find these hidden gifts in all circumstances, for they are also gifts of God.  A child with Down's syndrome comes to be revealed as an extraordinarily loving member of a family, tying others together in the beauty of that love, for example.  An elderly parent or grandparent becomes a focal point of care, encouraging through the lens of our faith not only a shared responsibility but an expression of love and revelation of the capacity for meeting a challenge with sacrifice and ingenuity, a cause of joy in the fulfillment of giving a gift of life and peace through infirmity.  We do not know where all of these gifts lie hidden in the fields of life, for they are ours to discover through the use of the gifts with which God graces us, and most especially that is true of the gift of faith.  Faith may reveal all kinds of hidden treasures and profits we may make through any and all things, so we perhaps might call faith the greatest gift of all.  When times becomes difficult, it might present us with a scenario in which it is especially hard to be appreciative of blessings.  At this time, as possibly at no other, it is the great gift of faith for which we are truly grateful, and from which we seek -- for His sake -- to multiply profit for the kingdom of God.  Faith is indeed a gift, a talent, we need to use in order to multiply, and not to bury or squander our capacity for things not worthy of such a great price.

Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost

 

 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

- Luke 19:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.  Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  In yesterday's reading, about the blind man who received his sight, Jesus was coming near Jericho.  Here, Jesus enters and passes through the city.  My study bible notes for us that Jericho was notorious as a place of iniquity, and is commonly associated with sinful living (in both Old and New Testaments; see 10:30, the beginning of the parable of the Good Samaritan).

Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  See also 18:24-27.   My study bible comments that this encounter between Christ and Zacchaeus demonstrates that grace can accomplish that which is impossible for human beings on worldly terms. 

And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  My study bible tells us that there are many spiritual interpretations which express the universal significance of this encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus.  Theophylact comments that the crowd symbolizes sins:  "Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus."  St. Ambrose comments on several parallels he sees in this passage:  first, Zacchaeus as short of stature indicates his being short of faith and virtue; second, that Zacchaeus must ascend a tree shows that no one who is attached to earthly matters can see Jesus; and finally, that Christ intending to pass that way shows that Christ will approach anyone willing to repent and believe. 

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."   Let us note first how Jesus singles out and calls to Zacchaeus, and the joy with which Zacchaeus receives Christ.  My study bible comments that Zacchaeus uses the term give for his free and generous offering to the poor, and restore for what he owes those he had cheated.  The latter was not a gift but required by the Law (Exodus 22:1).  In doing both, Zacchaeus fulfills the Law, and also shows his love of the gospel.  

And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  The title son of Abraham gives us a deep hint regarding Zacchaeus' stature:  he becomes similar to the patriarch of Israel, according to my study bible.  The explanation:  he was counted righteous by his faith, he became generous toward the poor, and he was united to the people of God.  In the early records of the Church, Zacchaeus in fact went on to become a bishop.  

How can we count the ways in which this story is so important?  There is first and foremost the understanding of healing that is present here.  Zacchaeus not only restores to others what he has cheated them out of by false accusation, but he himself is restored in good standing to the people of God.  In this Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost -- namely Zacchaeus himself.  Let us consider the images we're given here.  There is first of all Zacchaeus whom we're told is short of stature.  He climbs a sycamore to see Christ.  The old world sycamores of the Near and Middle East are known as trees which grow to a great height, sometimes called the chinar.  But we can see something quite interesting in this very rich chief tax collector climbing himself up the tree to see Jesus:  he is willing to make a fool of himself and appear to be an disreputable spectacle by climbing the tree to see Jesus.  There is a betrayal in this behavior of a deep earnestness which gives way to his joy at being called by Christ so that Christ may stay in his house.  It's as if this man, notoriously a sinner and likely widely scorned for the ways in which he has acquired his wealth, has simply been waiting for a lifetime for this chance at redemption and salvation, and restoration to community.  Zacchaeus is not just a tax collector:  he's a chief tax collector.  He works for the Romans, trades in their money, and self-admittedly has stolen from his own people through false accusation and extortion in his capacity as one who collects for the Romans.  This is not at all an admirable fellow.  Everything contributes to give us an image of someone who was indeed lost as far as the community was concerned, and yet who was also restored as a son of Abraham because of Christ.  In this story, his restoration is not only because he did what was required under the Law, but clearly in his joy through faith in his encounter with Christ.  In Zacchaeus' enthusiasm even as, one presumes, an older man who climbs a tree to see Christ, even risking becoming a comical figure for others by doing so, we can see a heart of joy for One who will be willing to die in order to save even Zacchaeus.  We can see a parallel in the man possessed by a Legion of demons, for whom Christ crosses a stormy Sea of Galilee with the disciples, even to a place of apostate Jews who raise swine for money in the Gentile market (see this reading).  We can also see a parallel in the woman who washed Christ's feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with costly fragrant oil  (in this reading), whose many sins were forgiven, for she loved much.  Zacchaeus fits in with those most deeply in need of healing and restoration, who are willing to sacrifice all for the Person of Christ who seeks them and calls them to be saved instead of lost.   The real question that must strike us, then, most profoundly, is why is it only in Christ that such a compelling salvation is possible for these people, or for us?  This remains for us the question today, just as it is fresh in this story in the Gospel.

And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God

 

 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 

- Luke 18:31–43 

 

Yesterday we read that people also brought infants to Jesus that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he hard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he become very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."   

 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.   This is the third prediction Jesus has made to the disciples about His Passion, and all the rest of what is going to happen in Jerusalem, as they approach the city.  Let us notice how Jesus frames His warning:  that all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  That is, what He frames here for the disciples is going to happen in the context of the fulfillment of the Scriptures, what has been prophesied about the Messiah.  That is, not because of the prophesies, but rather in fulfillment of what has been foreseen through the Holy Spirit "who spoke through the prophets" (Nicene Creed; Hebrews 1:1).  My study bible comments that the saying was hidden to the disciples because they could not comprehend its meaning until after the events of the Passion had taken place.  

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.  The blind man greets Jesus with a Messianic title, Son of David.  Let us note his persistence, despite all of the attempts of the crowd  to tell him that he should be quiet.  This has the opposite effect on him, he simply cried out all the more.  If we think about our recent readings, this blind man is realistically adopting the position which Jesus taught the disciples about prayer, that it should be persistent.  In the words of the Gospel (in this reading and the teaching of Christ's parable about prayer), that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.  It seems this blind man knows something about the Son of David that the rest of the crowd going before him do not.  In an illustration of the truth of Jesus' parable in that reading from Friday we've just noted, Jesus hears him, stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  Let us note that Jesus tells him, "Your faith has made you well."  Our persistence in prayer, even in not following the crowds and what others would say, is clearly marked out by Jesus as a sign of faith.  My study bible says that although Jesus knows what we want before we ask, He calls us to ask freely in order to learn of His mercy.  There is also a traditional spiritual interpretation of this miracle; in it, the blind man symbolizes the future generations who will come to faith only by hearing, without having the benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  In each generation there will be persecutors and tyrants who try to silence the Church, and shut down the faith of believers.  But nevertheless, under persecution, we all the more confess Jesus Christ.  Let us note the blind man's correct response:  He followed Christ on His journey toward Jerusalem, glorifying God.  All the people note his thanksgiving, and gave praise to God in response.

It's interesting to see in the Gospels the fickleness of the crowds, and in this story in particular, that sends us a deep message.  We noted at first how it was the crowds who tried to silence the plea (or prayer) of the blind man.  It is because he does not follow what the crowds tell him that the man continues to plead for Christ's help, and shows persistence in his prayer and in his faith in appealing to Jesus.  In the end, it is the whole crowd, "all the people," the text tells us, who gave praise to God in response to the blind man's glorious healing by Christ.  If he had not been persistent, this man who refused to listen to all the voices in his hearing, would not have had his sight restored, nor would all the people be praising God.  It tells us something that the crowds in the Gospels are so often simply fickle at best, and at other times are downright wrong.  In the words of my study bible, "the crowds follow the crowds."  It is not to popular belief or superstition, or rumor, or gossip, or whatever other means by which we hear from all those voices in our ears, that we turn to find truth.  We turn to the Person who is the Truth (John 14:6).  We turn to the wisdom built up and understood through that Person who is Truth and those who serve that truth, and we turn to our faith.  We turn, as Christ has taught us, to persistence in our faith -- even when it looks like we are the fools in the eyes of the crowd.  But if there is anything we're taught in today's story, it is that the fool in the crowd by the side of the road is the only one who knows he's blind, and the only one who knows where to turn and how to turn to the One who can restore his sight.  And so, we have the perfect metaphor for what so many faithful feel in a world that thinks so often it is doing just fine without divine help.  If we understand that there are things we are blind to, that there are ways in which we need help and healing, that our lives need something therapeutic that might be missing from "worldly" life -- then we are the ones on our way to sight, even when we might look like we're fools to others.  The first step in any journey of healing is waking up to your own blindness, to the things that aren't perfect about which you might just be in denial, and realizing what it is you need help with.  Your symptoms might go unnoticed without a diagnosis, but who goes to the doctor when they think they are not sick?  Our attention to our prayer, our faith, and that Person who is Truth is the way we find what we need to change, the dangers we could be headed toward, the way forward that is the way of healing and wholeness.  And that is found in persistence in prayer, in worship, in the things we need that are the structures of our faith.  Jericho is often symbolic of sin in Scripture, in both Old and New Testaments.  It is, in that sense, symbolic of the world which may be permeated with dangers and evil even when all the crowd has no idea what this means, and may even confuse evil with good at times.  What we do is build our lives around the Savior and Deliverer, the Son of David, who will always tell us the truth, no matter what we might rather hear -- and it is that good news of His gospel that heals and saves.

Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life

 

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he hard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he become very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life." 

 

- Luke 18:15–30 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  My study bible tells us that infants are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  Quoting from the commentary of Theophan, it notes:  "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity." 

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he hard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  Let us note that by saying, "No one is good but One, that is, God" Jesus begins by turning this rich ruler's attention away from things that are immediately before him, and to the focus that is necessary to put all things in proper perspective and by which everything is measured and assigned meaning:  God.  My study bible says that this answer is designed to lead this man, who thinks that Jesus is simply a good Teacher, to the knowledge that He is divine.  This young ruler is spotless in terms of the commandments, as Jesus elucidates through His questions.  My study bible comments that formal observance of commandments doesn't make one righteous before God.  This ruler has an earnest desire for eternal life, yet senses that he still lacks something.  Hence, his desire to seek out Jesus.  The one thing he lacks is the willingness to sacrifice all in the desire to follow Christ, which must be a sacrifice that is freely made.  The specifics of how each one answers this call to follow Christ will be different for each person, my study bible notes.  In this case, this rich ruler was very deeply in the grip of his wealth -- and so his only hope was to sell and distribute all he had to the poor.  St.  John Chrysostom comments here that to give away possessions is the last of Christ's instructions in this story.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

And when Jesus saw that he become very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."   

And when Jesus saw that he become very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  There have been varied interpretations given for this saying by Christ, regarding the camel going through the eye of a needle.  Some suggest that the word "camel" is akin to the word for "rope" in Aramaic, and so a possible metaphor is made by the suggestion of threading a rope through the eye of a needle, if it's broken down into its threads.   Some say that the "eye of a needle" was the name for a city gate, which a camel could barely squeeze through if it were first unloaded of all its baggage, a symbol for wealth or possessions.  In the Talmud there is the expression "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  At any rate, concludes my study bible, whatever the phrase is reference to, it displays the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  This is made obvious by the response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"   But by God's grace, even that which is impossible to human beings can come to pass.  

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."  My study bible notes that Jesus isn't commanding His followers to divorce their spouses or abandon children.  Once again, if we turn to the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, he says that this refers to keeping faith under persecution, even when it means to lose one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties with a believer because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual one.  We find fathers and mothers of the Church who've come before us and passed on their wisdom, prayers, and "treasures" as our inheritance, brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.

Losing one's family is a terrible thing to ponder.  But if we think about it, the earliest apostles and disciples either gave up or devoted all that they were, and all that they had in their lives, to the purpose of following Christ.  Peter, apparently, had a family home and even an extended family.  But all of it was put to use in serving Christ and this earliest movement of the Church.  In this passage, we find that Peter had a mother-in-law who lived with him in the family home, and who was privileged also to serve Christ.  This family home, which it is quite possible was also shared with Peter's brother Andrew, the first-called apostle, became a sort of headquarters for Jesus' Galilean ministry, and thus we may conclude that it is yet one more possession which went into the service of Christ's Church.  Elsewhere, contrary to this example where family and possessions become a part of the ministry of the Church, Christ warns that divisions will come over Himself and His gospel, that "father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law" (see the passage at Luke 12:49-53).  But outside of both of these striking pictures of family and home either serving ministry, or separated from oneself because one chooses to follow Christ, there are more diverse and subtle ways in which today's reading comes into play in our lives.  Most frequently, we will find that the journey of faith in Christ becomes a lifelong work of restructuring life and our ways of thinking, discarding old ways of thinking and being for the ways in which our prayer lives come to shape us, and give us new choices to make.  Many times this will mean leaving old acquaintances behind, as we no longer share the interests that bound us once before, or conflict becomes inevitable.  That may be over things as stark as habits like drinking or partying of a different kind.  It might be separation because one no longer feels that the habit of gossip is worthwhile.  Things that once bound us no longer will.  Other ways of division are more subtle:  abuse or bullying within a family is no longer as tolerable as it once was.  One may not desire to gloss over longstanding destructive habits, preferring instead to speak up where change and healing is necessary so as to stop the deterioration of loving relationships.  Once may choose to sever them if there is no hope of anything but destructive behavior.  These things can take on a guise of modern types of conflict due to psychological growth, or a need for independence -- but I have found for myself that they also come in the form of spiritual maturity, a need to follow where Christ leads and to make the difficult choices to put other things secondary to following Him.  Christ, as indicated in the passage with the rich ruler, will lead us to shift our entire outlook on our possessions, the need to put them at the disposal of where our spiritual life takes us.  Indeed, we simply might not feel comfortable unless the goals for our lives reinforce the spiritual message of the gospel, and lead us in the direction of shoring up and practicing our faith, cementing our commitment -- and releasing habits and practices, and even old ties that bind, when they stand in the way of a deepening growth of spiritual life in Christ.  Let us consider, when we think about these things, that Christ most of all leads us toward the righteousness of love.  That is, we may need to separate from others for our own, and even their own, good.  If we are serving Christ, then our deepening need for His kind of love may in fact be what is leading the way to a desire for more fruitful and loving relationships, and not settling for what is unrighteous and harmful.  In any case, a practice of forgiveness accompanies where He leads us, whether or not others understand it.  The deep need for peace in Christ is also accomplished through prayers for enemies and those who hurt us; all of this teaching is a part of the whole, and so the things we give up come in that context of Christ's love, in understanding the "manner of spirit we are of" (Luke 9:55).  Sometimes, it is painful to leave relationships behind, as we don't have control over the abusive behavior of our loved ones.  But it all comes in the context of Christ adding unto us.  Without the spiritual joy and depth of richness we inherit, none of this would be happening, nor would it seem possible.  Let us consider His words and teachings, and the love in which they are couched, the love through which they are taught.

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

- Luke 18:9–14 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the discussion about His Second Coming and the end times, Jesus spoke a parable to the disciples, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 

  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study bible calls the Pharisee a highly respected and careful observer of the details of the Law.  On the other hand, the tax collector is despised as a sinner, who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces, thus betraying and cheating his own people.  

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' "  The practices of the Pharisee are all nominally good, and worthy examples to follow, as my study bible puts it.  His good deeds named here (fasting and giving tithes) are the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart, these outward practices are worthless, leading to pride and judgment of others.  My study bible asks us also to note that the Pharisee prays with himself, in the specific language of the text, "for God is absent where there is boasting."

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "  What does the posture of the tax collector show to us?  My study bible answers that question by telling us that we can see he has an awareness of the state of his soul.  He stands far from the altar of sacrifice, and his eyes are cast downward.  This prayer that he prays, God, be merciful to me a sinner, is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, a practice designed to follow St. Paul's admonition (and Jesus' frequent instruction regarding prayer) to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  So is the refrain, "Lord have mercy," which permeates both corporate worship and personal prayer throughout the centuries.

 

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  To be justified, my study bible explains, means to be forgiven and set right with God, for inward humility is blessed, while pride in outward deeds is condemned.  

Nowhere else, perhaps, is the illustration more stark than here in Christ's parable, that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  The Pharisee is in every way perfect and good as described by himself, and in his external appearances to the world.  He follows every rule of the Law and is careful to abide by them.  He does all the good religious practices, which are still considered to be good and virtuous in the Church.  So where does he go wrong?  It is entirely interesting that the text tells us that the words of Jesus say "he prayed thus with himself."  And therein, as wise patristic commenters have said through the centuries, is the key to the entire text.  This man is justified in his own eyes, but what about the sight of God?  It is, in fact, in prayer where we are to meet with God, and not simply to pray with ourselves alone.  The tax collector not only is self-aware, and completely honest with himself and God about his sin, but he also carries within himself the full acknowledgement that he has come before God in prayer, and is not simply praying only "with himself" present to him.  Here is the essence of what it is to be humble, and precisely why there is value in humility -- because humility is first of all before God.  We allow ourselves to be humble before God, to accept God's will before our own, to keep our hearts open to the possibility that there is a better way in which we could be serving God, something outside of whatever it is we already understand.  In recent readings, Jesus has also taught that we are to be good and faithful servants, not only simply doing what we know, but ready for the new commands that may come our way, to truly fulfill the devotion of disciples (see this reading).   So although the tax collector in today's parable is inarguably a sinner, he is -- by contrast to the perfect and good Pharisee -- also praying in God's presence, in acute awareness of his own shortcomings.  What stands out for us is just the presence of God included in the act of prayer, and this makes all the change.  When we think about humility, it is usually a concern about whether or not we are sufficient humble before other human beings.  But the reality, as illustrated in this parable, is actually quite different.  Our humility is first and foremost before God, and it is that kind of humility that enables right-relatedness with other human beings.  The Pharisee has justified himself before human beings, and not before God, therefore he is capable only of comparing himself to the tax collector.  But the tax collector minds his own business, in spiritual terms, something important enough to be included in the Gospels, such as in this reading from the end of John's Gospel (John 21:20-22).   Therefore, in spiritual terms of our relationship to God, he is more wise than the Pharisee, because what he practices in his prayer is putting God first before all else, and not paying attention to what it is that others (like the Pharisee) are doing.  His prayer is between himself and God -- but let us note that this does not fail to take in his sinful actions that affect other people.  Let us remember that it is not so much his confession as it is the humility and total honesty before God that make that confession possible, which lead to his justification by God.  It is there in that communion that we are saved, and all the good works and good appearances and applause of the world cannot change that if it does not already exist within our prayer and our deep desire for God.  How much would the Pharisee be willing to change about his perfect life, do you think?  What about the tax collector?  Which one do you think is truly open to God in his heart?

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

 

 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 

- Luke 18:1–8 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "This kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together." 

 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"  My study bible tells us that persistent (day and night) and faithful (find faith on the earth) prayer is the remedy for the tribulation just described at the end of chapter 17.  (See above, in yesterday's reading; 17:22-37, Jesus speaking to His disciples about His second coming.  For the prayer that is proper at all times, see also 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.)  Jesus asks, again referring to the discussion of His second coming in yesterday's reading (above), "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"  My study bible comments that the Lord often uses this form of question when He speaks of characteristics that are really found (see 11:11; 12:42).

Prayer is frequently referred to in the Gospels.  Most often, we are given periods in which we observe Jesus going off to pray alone, and other times when the disciples request to learn how to pray (see, for example, Luke 11:1-13).  It's important that we understand Jesus' reference to prayer in the context of the "end times" He's just spoken about (in yesterday's reading, above).  In this light, these times are not presented as happy or joyful, but times of tribulation, of difficulty, and even of injustice.  This is what we read into Christ's teaching about prayer in today's reading.  The implication is about injustice that will be suffered by those who are followers of Christ.  In the poor widow, and the unjust or unrighteous judge, we're given a perspective on the need for persistence in prayer.  The judge, who doesn't really care about the values of God nor the problems of human beings, says to himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."  Jesus compares God, who deeply love humankind, to such a judge, who, although he is not a kind or righteous man, wishes to adjudicate favorably for the widow simply because of her persistence.  So Jesus is not simply inviting but insisting upon our continual prayer as response to our circumstances, especially in times of persecution and difficulty or travail or any kind.  Let us note that He begins with an assumption of circumstances that are not fair nor just.  He is teaching the disciples that they will be entering upon times in which injustice will befall the faithful on worldly terms.  The woman says to the judge, "'Get justice for me from my adversary."  While it is not clear to which worldly adversaries Jesus might be referring when He speaks to the disciples, it is clear in the context of the Gospels who "the adversary" is, and that behind all else that we see in this world, there is a spiritual battle going on into which we enter as disciples of Christ.  In the long run, because of Christ's words, warnings, and teachings, we're given to understand that as part of His Church -- that is, we who carry His Kingdom within us and among us -- we are to expect tribulation in the world.  We can expect setbacks, and we can expect injustice, unfairness.  But, again, turning to the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus, we should not let any of these things daunt us nor keep us from our mission as disciples.  Instead, Jesus offers us medicine, a remedy, a plan.  Our plan is to pray.  It is simply to devote our time to prayer.  How many of us think of prayer as the alternative when things don't go our way, or when our expectations come crashing down?  Do we think first of prayer when we have setbacks or unfairness becomes an issue in our lives?  We might think of everything but that, if social media and popular remedies to injustice in the public eye prevail in our minds.  But the truth is, if we look at the Gospels and Jesus' teachings for us, prayer is where we should start.  In fact, prayer is indispensable and eternal as a need.  Jesus speaks of this widow as so persistent that even the unjust judge has to rule for justice for her just so she doesn't pester him any longer.  This is the kind of persistent person Christ shows us as a model for our prayer.  We are to pray constantly, "day and night."  Let us keep in mind that the word translated as "avenge" more literally means to justify or vindicate.  Our prayer might not be met with the outcome we anticipated or specifically wanted, but nevertheless, we will find vindication.  In the long working out of the things of life concerning justice and injustice, and especially our spiritual lives, I have personally found this to be true -- but it took faith to recognize it.  Most poignantly, Jesus asks His final question:  "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"  It is still His return, His second coming, that He has in mind here -- and the time in which we are now, the "end time," in which we await His return.  Remember His words about prayer, and especially about faith.  I find that both are so necessary at this time, and one isn't truly possible without the practice of the other.