Do not weep

 

Jesus raises the widow's son at Nain, modern icon.  20th cent.

 

 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

 

- Luke 7:1–17 

 

 Over the course of the past three days, the lectionary has given us Jesus' Sermon on the Plain.  Yesterday we read its conclusion:  Jesus spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.  For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great." 

 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.   My study bible comments that this centurion, a Roman Gentile, is unusual in his devotion to the Jews.  His characteristics are notable.  He displays compassion, love for God and for God's people, humility, and a great faith.  

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.   And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.  My study bible remarks that this is one of the three resurrections performed by our Lord as recorded in the Gospels (see also Luke 8:41-56, John 11:1-44).  They serve as confirming the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  My study bible adds that many people have exercised authority over the living; but only the Son of God "has power over both the living and the dead" (as declares the Orthodox funeral service).  While Christ has power through His word alone (John 11:43), here He also touched the coffin to show that His very body is life-giving.  Also, this even prefigures Christ's Resurrection.  St. Ambrose of Milan comments that just as Mary would weep for Jesus at the Cross, but her tears would turned to joy by the Resurrection, here a widow's only son is raised from the dead, thus putting an end to her weeping.

I find myself so often moved by Jesus' relationships with women.  In Luke's Gospel is perhaps the most interactions with women we find in the Gospels, although the other Gospels do not contradict but also give examples of this.  Luke's Gospel alone contains the story of the widow of Nain.  In contrast to the times, Christ's interactions with women are compassionate.  We might say they show His great empathy.  And, like St. Ambrose of Milan, who is cited in his comments regarding the raising of the son of the widow of Nain, I can't help but remark to myself that they reflect something of Jesus' profound relationship with his own mother, Mary.  It is Mary who held the secrets of Christ's birth and divine origin and conception.  It is she whose intercession helped to bring about the first miracle or sign in John's Gospel, the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11).  The kind of tenderness and understanding we seem to find in Jesus' treatment of this widow, in His first telling her, "Do not weep," is one that I find resonates through a relationship with His own mother.  If we consider Mary's position in her family -- a young wife taken into a family by an older man as she came from the temple a virgin, found to be pregnant, and raising the Son she bore, we might have some consideration of the closeness of Jesus and His mother.  To be sure, those who are called Christ's brothers and sisters in the Gospels are likely to be children of Joseph by an earlier marriage, or possibly cousins to Jesus (as cousins are still commonly called "brother" or "sister" in the Middle East).  But it doesn't take familiarity with the ancient world to understand the relationship between such a mother and her only Child, even within an extended family of many relations.  In the sense in which we can view Christ's compassionate and empathic treatment of women, including His great friendship with Martha and Mary, we might take a view on the salvation story and Mary, the mother of Christ's special place in that story, as containing this very important element of the character of Christ Himself.  The unique relationship between mother and Son is something astounding, almost startling, which stands out in the story of Jesus the Son of Man, born into the world of a human mother.  She takes on another facet of importance as we understand His human nature was taken from her.  All of these things express about our Savior than we normally might think about and consider, but they are important parts of the story of Jesus Christ.   And like everything else in the Gospels, nothing is here by accident or happenstance.  All of it contributes to the things God has manifested to us and for us.  So let us for today consider Christ's incredible compassion, found in His particular relations with women.  The same could be extended to His capacity to recognize the qualities found in the centurion in today's reading.  The centurion is part of the hated Roman occupying forces, a man in authority, and yet with all the qualities that make him someone of whom Christ can say to the crowd, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"   For this man understands authority, and the proper relationship to authority.  As one in authority himself, he is humble before Christ.  In consideration of both encounters in today's reading, we could say about Jesus that He was made manifest in the small and humble, born into the world of a woman who might easily have been considered a scandal and simply put away somewhere and isolated from the society.  He is, indeed, the compassionate Lord, but He is also Lord of the meek and the humble, Deliverer and Savior of those who seek His protection, and who recognize His authority.

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."

 

- Luke 6:39–49 

 

In yesterday's reading, we continued reading what is called the Sermon on the Plain (begun in this reading):  "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." 

And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."  My study bible comments that Christ does not judge anyone (John 8:15, 12:47).  So, therefore, St. Cyril of Alexandria writes, "if the Teacher does not judge, neither must the disciple, for the disciple is guilty of worse sins than those for which he judges others."

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  This is a very wise teaching about discernment and experience, and also about mutual correction among believers.  Without knowing ourselves and our own flaws, and having had the experience of correction, repentance, and personal change, how can we truly help others?  How can we "see" clearly to correct others.  Hypocrisy prevents us from true insight and giving true assistance, often projecting our own flaws onto others if we are not self-aware.  Self-knowledge, repentance, and change has been the goal of monastic life from Christianity's early beginnings.

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Again, this is a call to self-knowledge and transformation within the workings of grace and repentance.  Jesus says that "out of the abundance of the heart" one's "mouth speaks."  This reflects a disciple's true work of faith within the place of the heart.  He asks us for an awareness of our true state, and the ongoing work of discipleship toward this goal of "good treasure of the heart."

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."  My study bible comments that hearing the gospel alone is not enough.  Salvation is based not on hearing alone, nor on faith alone, but also on doing the things spoken by Christ (see James 2:24). 

Jesus speaks of the process of ongoing repentance, the work of discipleship.  This is clearly a call to self-knowledge, of being aware of one's own flaws, and doing something about it.  The earliest forms of confession were not simply about confessing one's sin, but -- in a certain sense prefiguring psychotherapy -- coming to know oneself.  That is, expressing to a confessor all the things going on in one's life.  Today, possibly particularly in the Orthodox tradition, this remains a part of spiritual discipleship, of having a spiritual elder who helps guide the path of Christian faith.  That person is called an "elder" not because of age necessarily, but precisely because of spiritual experience.  That is, a familiarity with one's own flaws and shortcomings, and what repentance means in practice.  Christ speaks most tellingly of the condition of the heart, and implies clearly that this is something for which we are responsible.  To be sure, we cannot control all the factors in our lives that have contributed to our shortcomings, character flaws, hurts, learned responses, and even damage to the soul.  But discipleship means taking ownership and responsibility for what we do with these things, how we seek out, through our faith, to live our lives and to be consciously aware of the choices we make.  So much so, that it is the depth of the heart that Christ stresses in today's part of the Sermon on the Plain.  Christ asks us to understand that growth in the image of God, in "God-likeness," is what discipleship is all about.  He teaches us that we are, in fact, far more capable of growth, change, and flexibility than we think.  We are not carved in stone at birth, or through our experiences.  But it is the grace and help of the Teacher that helps us to become more "like Him."  This is what our faith teaches us.  Let us remember, when we pray, that ultimately it is the state of the heart that produces what we do in life.  Therefore we take care of the heart, pruning what needs pruning, developing what needs developing, and hopefully growing in the fruits of the Spirit which He asks of us.  

For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you

 

 "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

- Luke 6:27–38 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:   "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.  Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.  But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." 

 

  "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."  Here, Jesus teaches what is called the "Golden Rule."  My study bible calls it a minimum of Christian virtue, as it places one's desire for goodness (which St. Cyril of Alexandria calls "the natural law of self-love") as a basic standard of how to treat others.  It is a first step on the perfection of virtue.  That perfection is found in the verses that follow.

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."  Here, Jesus explains "perfection" -- that we learn the mercy of God, beyond natural human law.  God's mercy, rather than human desire, is the standard.

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  My study bible says that mercy precludes human judgment.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over are descriptions of how an honest and generous merchant would measure bulk goods.  For example, if one "pressed down" on flour in a measuring cup, it would give far more as the measure than otherwise, fluffed up with air.  The blessings which God intends to put into our hearts, my study bible says, are far more generous than we can possibly contain.  But this also depends on the spirit in which we ourselves give and forgive.

In today's reading, which is a continuation of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain begun in yesterday's reading (above), Jesus calls upon us for what we might term a very tall order in our behavior with others.  We might wonder how we can possibly fulfill these teachings.  But my own understanding is that Jesus is not telling us to go put ourselves in harm's way nor appease abusive people.  He is, rather, teaching us a principle about our own behavior.  It cannot be based upon tit-for-tat worldly rules that we learn from the society around us, or which are based on some sort of material understanding of gain and loss, or trade.  Our goal is to be "like God."  What that means, as is so often the case with Jesus, is that we are to learn to think outside of the worldly box, to seek what is proper in prayer, and through love and mercy.  In all cases we are to use discernment, but the foundation of Christian witness is not to conform to the world.   It is to live as God asks us to live.  In various places in the Gospels, Jesus speaks of "treasure in heaven," which is the result of sharing or giving our worldly goods as alms (Luke 12:33).  See, for example, Jesus' words to the rich young ruler:  "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" (Luke 18:18-23).  In this understanding, the good that we do, especially where not "merited" in some sense, becomes a kind of exchange with the heavenly reality, where what we give becomes part of a heavenly treasure stored up for us.  It is as if we must view our lives as a kind of commerce or exchange but where God is the President and Regulator of that exchange.  Forgiveness works in this same framework.  Our sense of evening up the score becomes transcendent of a worldly perspective, and instead it is God who is the One who oversees our negotiations.  We give up a debt and forgive in the imagery of the Lord's Prayer ("Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" - Matthew 6:12), but it is God who has the central bank where ultimately everything is collected and accounts are reconciled.  Jesus asks us to conduct our lives with an awareness that is not limited simply to a materialist, worldly perspective, but rather one in which God is present, watching, and participating in our lives -- and we are to understand our choices in this divine economy.  It's really the ultimate Judge who keeps the score, and that is what we are to keep in mind.  So our commerce with others, of all kinds, becomes much more than an exchange between ourselves and other persons.  It becomes a way of expressing our faith, our love of God, and our understanding that there is a much bigger picture that defines our conduct.  We just might also find that following Christ's teachings gets us much further even in this earthly life than if we are constantly seeking to even the score, or angle for something we think we can get.  To think outside of that worldly box is to begin to give up selfish habits; to engage in the worldly direction is to follow the road of self-centeredness and selfishness, a destination that doesn't lead to great happiness or peace in the long run, I have observed.  These guidelines by Christ form the basis for what we understand to be gracious living, good manners.  Those are the intangible goods that separate us out from the crowd, and do not depend upon material wealth but give substance and value to a person nevertheless.  In our present day, and especially with the advent of social media (it seems) we might lose sight of those intangible things that make us gracious.  But one would be surprised how far this behavior carries us in life, and even in the social media world.  Let us follow our Lord in the true spirit of His teachings, and grow in them!  For there is where our joy and peace are found.  

 

 

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

 

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: 

"Blessed are you poor,

For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man's sake.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich,

For you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full, 

For you shall hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it was on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

 

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  According to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  Rather, as the Son of Man, He prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).   Theophan comments that, as Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles, it teaches us that before a candidate is chosen for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  Out of His disciples, He chooses twelve He also named apostles:  disciple means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out."  My study bible tells us that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here, in Luke's Gospel, for example, Levi is now Matthew.  These names, as in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4), are given in pairs, suggesting who might have traveled together on the first missionary journey, as Mark says they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Jesus stood on a level place to deliver the sermon that follows, for this reason it is often called the Sermon on the Plain.  Note that Jesus had gone to a mountain to pray before choosing the twelve disciples He also named apostles; here the text tells us that He came down with them to a great multitude of people from everywhere inside Israel (including all Judea and Jerusalem) and from nominally Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon.  Jesus' great power went out from Him and healed them all. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  Here Jesus begins what is known as the Sermon on the Plain, directed at all of His disciples, and by inference, all we who would be His disciples.  It is not as extensive, but similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 - 7.   My study bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years.  Blessed, in this context, does not indicate an earthly happiness or prosperity, but rather heavenly, spiritual exaltation.  In Hebrew, poor means both the materially poor, and also those who are faithful among God's people.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus refers this teaching to the "poor in spirit" -- that is, those who have teh heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Let us note that these are spiritual teachings, and not promises of prosperity and abundant food, but rather allusions to the deep desire for the things of God, the bread and wine of Christ and His true substance.  All of these teachings follow upon the mention of the "poor," those who are aware of their deep needs.

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of those who mourn (Matthew 5:4).  My study bible says that they are those who have sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23),  the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  Christ shares His joy with us in this world and in the age to come, a joy that comes from the fulfillment of one's place in the economy of God, the salvation story of all, God's grace at work in one's life (John 15:11; 16:20-24).

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."  My study bible comments that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, the Son of Man, and like the prophets, they will suffer antipathy and exclusion, even being called evil.  Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."   Luke reports four "woes" which are not found in Matthew's Sermon on the Mount.  Woe, according to my study bible, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18; Revelation 12:12).  Similarly to "blessed" in this context, "woe" has a deeper spiritual meaning beyond its worldly connotations.  My study bible cites St. Cyril of Alexandria, who comments that those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; but they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others (see also Matthew 6:19-21).

Jesus' Sermon on the Plain tells us deep truths about the ways in which we live our lives, and the realities we deal with as His disciples and followers.  But it also echoes the truths found in other prophetic verses in the Bible, most especially in the songs of women we encounter.  Luke reports the song of Mary, sung by Mary after her cousin Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) is filled with the Holy Spirit as her own child leaps in her womb, and she prophesies that Mary carries the Incarnate Lord (Luke 1:41-45).  In Mary's song (Luke 1:46-55) are also found the truths of the power of the Lord, which turn upside down the wisdom of the world.  She whose state is lowly will be called blessed by all generations.  The proud will be scattered, the mighty pulled down from their thrones, the lowly exalted, the hungry filled with good things, the rich sent away empty, and the faithful people of God who serve the Lord are helped.  In all of these themes is the contained the power and action of the mercy of the Lord, and we also find this elaborated by Jesus in today's reading which includes the Sermon on the Plain.  These themes extend from the Old Testament (see, for instance, Hannah's song), and are fulfilled and made manifest in the New.  But we also carry with us an understanding that this manifestation must continue and must grow, even as we still look to the future for a richer revelation and fulfillment of the same.  As you read these words of the Sermon on the Plain, I would ask my readers to reflect on what ways these words might be fulfilled in your own lives and your own experience, for it is indeed in experience that we find the fulfillment of Christ's teaching.  A sad occasion or loss turns to joy with the addition and action of faith:  one door closes on a job or occupation, but with time we find our faith leads us to something more pleasing to the Lord.  We might experience the loss of social status, but contained therein is a blessing of peace in more deeply being linked to Christ in the heart.  There are myriad ways we can experience this power in the mercy of the Lord in our own lives, even more than I could count simply in my own.  But it is important that we look to what seems to be that power manifesting in the small, even the intimate, and even in ways no one else possibly knows, and not discount them.  We think of Christ as Lord of the Universe, and indeed, this is true; His will be the final word over all.  But our experience of our faith is something different.  It takes eyes to see and ears to hear, and it comes down to what we know in the heart, and what we have the capacity through faith to see and to hear.  This intimate moment between Mary and Elizabeth, this Sermon on the Plain with Christ's disciples, or the mountaintop experience of the Twelve, are not earth-shattering events when they happen.  They are not on parallel with a worldly impression such as a declaration of Caesar, a great battle that topples a kingdom, the siege of a city.  And yet, their impact is far, far greater than all of these through time, and will continue to grow through time into the future.  When we look to Christ's words, let us also consider how they are manifest in the experience of St. Paul, who prayed to be healed of an affliction, but was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  "Therefore," writes St. Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  God's power so often manifests not through the great, but the small.  Let us therefore look to our deeply intimate times of faith for meaning and understanding, and look back through time at the unfolding of God's word -- even as we watch terrifying powers defeated, power-hungry movements collapsing from within, and our prayers made manifest in a deep sense of peace and joy we can't explain.  For these are the ways in which God's power and love are at work, and God's mercy is always present with us.

The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

 

 Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

 

- Luke 6:1–11 

 

On Saturday we read that, after healing a paralytic who had been lowered to Him through the roof of a house, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.  Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"  And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."  Then He spoke a parable to them:  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.  And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

 

  Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  My study bible tells us that the second Sabbath after the first is a term that was used when a Jewish feast immediately followed the normal Sabbath, as a feast was also known as a Sabbath.  St. Ambrose of Milan comments that the term "second Sabbath" gives an image of the new covenant and the eternal resurrection:  the first Sabbath indicates the Law, and the second Sabbath indicates the gospel that follows it.  Thus, under the new covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  David prefigured this new gospel, the second Sabbath, when he gave the showbread . . . to those with him.  

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.  In accordance with some of the traditions which the scribes and Pharisees had built up around the Law, healing was considered work -- and therefore was not permissible on the Sabbath.   My study bible says that they believed that they served God by zealously keeping these peripheral traditions, but this legalism made them insensitive to the mercy of God.

What is legalism?  How do we understand it?  What does it tell us about our faith?  In today's reading, we see an example of what is called legalism.  To use a broad definition, we might say that "legalism" is putting the letter of the law above the spirit of the law.  In fact, if we understand God as One who loves us, and religious law as meant to help us to have a closer relationship with and to serve and worship God, then all of the law should be useful and instrumental in attaining that end.  Here, we encounter an application of rules and traditions which were built up around the law that actually were preventing the expression of God's mercy from happening:  the scribes and Pharisees watch and see if Jesus will violate their tradition that healing on the Sabbath is a violation of the Sabbath.  They become filled with rage that a man's withered hand is healed.  So much so, that they discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.  To be sure, there were exceptions in the application of the law, made for the sake of mercy.  But in this case, the religious authorities seem more interested in enforcing their own power as regulators of religious practice and of the doing of the law.  Jesus is an outsider in that sense, without authority.  He is not a part of the religious establishment, and so, for various reasons, they are already disposed to antagonism against Him.  For His ministry is one that He conducts with authority, and with power, and these things are not under their control.  So legalism also comes to us, in the stories of the Gospels, as a way to disguise a struggle for power and authority, and also to avoid the power and authority that is sent into the world by God and which is manifest in the ministry of Jesus.  In this sense, the legalism we read about here in the Gospel as a sort of cautionary tale becomes a metaphor for the things we do in our own lives, when God comes calling upon us for growth and personal transcendence.  Frequently our inner lives are beset by "do's and don'ts" we've learned in childhood, or in some other formative period in our lives.  Possibly bad experiences have taught us lessons that aren't quite serving our daily lives today.  In each of these ways, God might come calling upon us to change an internal rule we stick to as a form of legalism, where God's mercy and love (God's grace) might be at work asking us to soften our stance, ease up a bit, or possibly just expand our minds to the possibility that we are called to do something different.  A childhood rule might need to be broken to serve a bigger picture of ourselves and our world, and especially where God asks us to transcend the past and become more of the image and identity we have in Christ, instead.  All of us have seen at one time or another the dangers of putting a political party before God and conscience, or the place where our prayer lives might call us to something different.  The same applies to family squabbles, or internecine fights within an organization or group of any kind.  Just because one way served us many years or is the way we've always done it, does not mean that Christ is not at work in your life calling you to something bigger, a point of view that changes the picture and teaches a different way to apply God's values and understanding.  At Jesus' time, there were exceptions to the Sabbath law to allow for pulling an animal out of danger, or other such dire circumstance.  In Luke chapter 14, Jesus stumps a group of lawyers and Pharisees, who once more are watching closely to see what Jesus will do on the Sabbath, by asking them, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  They can't answer.  (See Luke 14:1-6.)  God's love and mercy is unchangeable, for this is the very nature of God (1 John 4:8).   But the ways in which we understand that love to manifest, and the ways in which God's love will ask us to express that love as bearers of God's light will expand and grow, and change and transform, because we are meant to grow in our faith and not stand still.  This is why our faith is mystical, and not simply a set of rules or rationalizations to apply in all cases.    This is why our mystical connection to God in our hearts must be active, growing, and open to that light and love.  This is why our prayer life needs to be active, and worship life as well.  Faith is a living thing, not a dead set of letters.  Tradition is that which is meant to be understood and renewed each generation, and in each believer.  When St. Ambrose teaches us what a second Sabbath might mean, he is speaking within the entire arc of the faith, and with a perspective that encompasses our understanding even centuries later, in our understanding of the gospel of Christ.  His very commentary is part of a living tradition, that remains true even as it has encompassed centuries of experience and growth, but remains cautionary.  So let us look at our own rigid ways of being in the world.  Do we need to let more light in?  Do we need to renew tradition? Have we let go of too much of it, and need to correct that as well?  We make mistakes in all directions, and an open mind is one that does not think rigidly.   We can also apply "new tradition" in a rote manner and go too far.  Renewal is about correct understanding, not making a new rule out of radical change.  Legalism comes about when we neglect the heart, and that can happen in any number of ways, and even with good intent.  The ancient world was filled with brilliant philosophers, moral systems, and codes of conduct.  But Christ did not come with just another set of abstracts, principles, or rules.  Let us be zealous for the place where we come to know Christ, where our spiritual fruit can blossom and produce more, and grow in the gospel that gives so much-- for it is that same Son of Man who is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance

 

Feast in the House of Levi (retouched), Paolo Caliari, Il Veronese, 1573.  Galleria della Academia, Venice

 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.  Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"  And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."  Then He spoke a parable to them:  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.  And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

 

- Luke 5:27–39 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus was in a certain city, a man who was full of leprosy saw Him; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him.  And he charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."  However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.  Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.  When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say,'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"

 

 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.   My study bible says that Levi (also known as Matthew) answers Christ's call, "Follow Me."  He leaves his occupation to become a disciple.  It notes that from the beginning of Christ's ministry, He has been a friend of tax collectors and sinners -- one of the Pharisees' complaints against Him in today's reading.  Levi quite possibly was one of the tax collectors prepared for Christ by John the Baptist, as referenced in Luke 3:12.

Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  This feast is an expression of Matthew/Levi's joy and gratitude.  My study bible calls the guest register a stirring demonstration of the fruit of Jesus' love and forgiveness.  Let us note Jesus' own characterization of His ministry as ultimately healing:  He is the Physician to the sick.  Repentance is restorative, healthful medicine for what ails us.

Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"  And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."  My study bible says that Jesus' earthly life is a time of joyous blessings.  But there will come a time when His followers will practice the fast, such as in Lent when we do so in preparation for Easter and Christ's promise of return.  The day of the Messiah was seen as a wedding feast, a time of joy and gladness.  Here Jesus declares Himself to be the Bridegroom.  Christian fasting is called a "bright sadness," as it is a way to learn self-control in preparation for the wedding feast.

Then He spoke a parable to them:  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.  And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"  My study bible says this last saying of Christ, "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better,'" is reported only by Luke.   It illustrates several things:  the difficulty with which the Jews would accept the new covenant, the inner resistance that a person faces in turning from a sinful way of life, the general stubbornness of the human heart.

I really like that Christ characterizes Himself as Physician, thereby His entire ministry as healing, restorative, setting-aright.  The important thing is that we understand our faith in His gospel mission and ministry as such.  How does your faith help you to heal the ailments that beset humanity?  In the Eastern Orthodox tradition there is the important understanding of what is called "theosis."  This is a term that describes a growing union with Christ that defines the journey of faith, and the mystical reality of grace at work in us.  It is a way to describe the transforming reality of faith, and the healing work of the Physician, a way to understand the power of spiritual fruitfulness such as St. Paul describes in Galatians 5:22-23.  In this understanding, repentance -- which, in the Greek, μετάνοια/metanoia, simply means "change of mind" -- becomes an ongoing process, a the progressive characteristic of a lifetime journey of faith.  That is, as we grow in our own faith and dependency upon Christ, so we are also transformed in the light of Christ.  This has to be understood as a process of grace at work in us, God coming to us and making a home in us as Jesus declares in John 14:23.  It is not simply a conscious mental or intellectual process of following the rules, or reasoning out what is good behavior and what is bad.  As we have seen from all of Jesus' healings, faith works at deeper levels within us than we can know, in some sense "cooperating" with the grace of God.  At some depth level within ourselves, we give our "yes" to God and to the energies of grace at work.  In this mysterious action, fostered through prayer and worship, reading the Scriptures, and all the ways in which we support and nurture our faith, is a process of change and transformation.  It encourages us to grow, to develop the virtues understood as fruits of the Spirit, to "change our minds" about the ways in which we think, the values we've accepted, the habits we need to change.  This is "repentance," the medicine of Christ for all of us who are in some way sick, who contend with what's wrong or bad for us, and need help from our Physician to come to terms with what real health would look like in us.  It's that long process of how we reconcile with our Physician, the One who comes to call us to healing, and out of what is bad for us.

 

 

We have seen strange things today!

 

Healing the Paralytic, fresco, 14th century.  Visoki Dečani Serbian Orthodox Monastery

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him.  And he charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."  However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.  Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.  When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say,'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"

 

- Luke 5:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the multitude pressed about Jesus to hear the word of God, He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him.  Leprosy, my study bible explains, was one of the most dreaded diseases of the time.  It brought great physical suffering as well as total banishment and isolation from society.  It is also symbolic of our sin.  

And he charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."  However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  According to commentary by St. Cyril of Alexandria, Christ gives the healed leper the command to "show yourself to the priest" in order to convince the priests by a tangible miracle that He is superior to Moses.  The priests hold Moses to be greater than Christ, yet Christ heals a leper immediately and with His own divine authority.  But when Miriam (the sister of Moses) was struck with leprosy, Moses had to seek mercy from above, and still she was only healed after seven days (Numbers 12:10-15).  Let us also make note of Jesus' response to the greater demands placed upon Him by the great multitudes that start to gather to Him after the healing of the leper:  He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.   Matthew's Gospel indicates that this story takes place in Capernaum (Matthew 9:1).  By now He is so well-known that the religious leaders from all over Israel are coming to hear Him:  Pharisees and teachings of the law . . . who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  They are, in some sense, the regulators of the faith, and they come to see and hear Christ's ministry for themselves.

And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.  Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.  When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say,'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"  My study bible comments that, as shown by the healing of the paralytic, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  It notes, importantly, that faith is collective as well as personal, as it is the faith of the friends of the paralytic which helped in his healing ("When He saw their faith . . .").   There are three signs of Jesus' divinity which are shown in this story.  First, He knows the secrets of hearts (see 1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Chronicles 6:30).   Second, Jesus forgives sins, which is a power that belongs to God alone, as the scribes and Pharisees say.  Finally, Christ heals by the power of His words:  "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 

 

 I am intrigued by the people's response.  The text says, "And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"  That's quite a combination of reactions:  they were all amazed, they glorified God, and they were filled with fear.  How does a person experience all of those things at once?  This is the reaction to Jesus and His extraordinary display of healing power -- He heals the paralytic with a command, a word.  Hidden in this particular healing is the revelation of Christ as the Logos, the One who heals with a word, who gives a command and it must be followed.  Even the demons, we've read, are subject to Christ's commands not to speak (see this reading).  We can't necessarily discern which specific elements in today's reading caused the people to be amazed, or to glorify God, or to be filled with fear.  But this combination of all three is not unusual for Jesus.   While we are used to hearing the stories of the healings done by Jesus, we must take these effects in the people as telling us whatever Jesus is doing is not "normal" at all!  It is not expected, it is unanticipated, unheard of.  And then we come to the people's interesting expression:  "We have seen strange things today!"  It sounds a little bit tame in English, especially to stir up such an extraordinary combination of reactions.  But the Greek word translated as "strange things" actually implies that bizarrely contradictory combination of emotional responses by the people.  This word is "παράδοξα/paradoxa" -- which, clearly enough, is the word from which we derive the English word "paradox."  And a paradox is precisely what Jesus is:  hence, the responses that seem to contradict themselves, for this is the logic of paradox.  Strong's Concordance gives the definition of the Greek word as "contrary to opinion or expectation," and this usage continues in modern Greek as well.  It defines something that is outside of experience, contradictory to expectations, bizarre, and, yes, strange.   Those contradictory responses of the people:  to be amazed, to want to glorify God, and also to be filled with fear, all tell us a story about how strange and paradoxical their experience of Jesus is, for all of these things are contained in the reality of Jesus and the effects of the manifestation of Jesus' power, authority, and holiness in the world.  Everything intersects in Him and in what He does in ways that are simply outside of "normal" human experience.  It cannot be explained by anything we know, in ways we understand.  Possibly our own acceptance that Christ's work and presence will always be paradoxical is something important that we need to remember, and to keep in mind when we read the Gospels.  The healings and spectacularly paradoxical "works" that Jesus does are not performed in order to entertain, to make us wonder, to impress us with magic tricks, or for any other reason besides Christ's response to faith.  The presence of the holy and extraordinary is there in Jesus, for He is, as the demon identified Him, the Holy One of God.  He is the Christ, the Son of God.  He is the Logos.  These works of Christ are all "signs" of that reality, and hence they are paradoxical and strange to us.  We live in an age of all kinds of paradoxical and strange developments which can be explained through science, technology, psychology, communications, and a whole host of factors we have come to expect when we analyze events and new developments.   We are so used to being able to "rationally" explain the events of our world using particular types of analysis that many people have simply decided that the holy and extraordinary -- what we might call the spiritual world -- simply doesn't exist at all.  But anyone who has had their own experience of the holy knows that this cannot be the case, for an encounter that drives us to faith still cannot be explained away by our reasonable expectations and analysis.  Simply the fact of consciousness itself, the tendency for human beings to replace  proper worship with quite inappropriate objects of worship and "worshipful" behaviors, in this period of chucking aside the concept of holiness and its paradoxical nature, has prompted many modern thinkers to rethink atheism -- as it becomes more clear that throwing away the spiritual results in serious social and personal problems.  Let us understand our need for God, and that God and holiness come of necessity with mystery:  with things that cannot be explained away outside of the paradoxical and extraordinary.  Let us remember what it means to find the presence and work of God in the world, and in ourselves.

 

 

Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!

 

Tears of St. Peter, Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco), 1585.  El Greco Museum, Toledo

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  

 

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1–11 

 

Yesterday we read that, after preaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus arose from there entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  The Lake of Gennesaret is also known as the Sea of Galilee.  It is in reality a very large lake, about 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  My study bible says that sitting was the traditional position for a teacher.  Some early Christian preachers (such as St. John Chrysostom) sat while the people stood.

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  My study bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who sees the spiritual meaning of this command by Christ as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.

But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  My study bible says that the Lord draws people to Himself by things which are familiar to them.  The Magi were drawn with a star (Matthew 2:2), and tax collectors were drawn to Him by a tax collector (Luke 5:29).  So likewise, here Jesus draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  Peter cries, "Depart from me . . . O Lord!"  But this is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast to Luke 8:37).  It is a response to what he recognizes as the divine power in Christ.  My study bible comments that, being suddenly cast in the light of Christ, holy people such as Peter become keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17).  

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  My study bible describes the great catch of fish as an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  This is also a fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  In the festal hymn of Pentecost, the Orthodox Church sings to Christ, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

It's clear from the text of the Gospels that this was not Jesus' first encounter or introduction to Peter and the Zebedee brothers, James and John.  John's Gospel teaches us they were first disciples of John the Baptist, who led them to Christ (John 1:29).  In yesterday's reading, after Jesus preached in the synagogue at Capernaum, He went to Peter's family home, where He healed Peter's mother-in-law of a fever.  So this setting of the astonishing catch of fish is not Jesus' first introduction to these men.  It is, however, clearly a moment signalling that the time has come for something important, a new transition in Jesus' ministry.  The men recognize this for themselves, as we know from the text telling us that this was the moment they forsook all and followed Him.  Until now, in Luke's Gospel, we haven't read about particular disciples and mission, simply that Jesus began to preach in the synagogues of Galilee, quite notably with power and authority; His healings and exorcisms draw the people to Him.  In today's reading, there is a "multitude" on the shore who listen to Him teach from the boat.  But the image of the great abundance of the fish is a clear draw to the fishermen; for them, it is time to become "all in."  They forsake all and follow Him.  That's an interesting turn of events, because with a modern mindset (and a materialist one), we might presume something entirely different would happen.  With those who cannot perceive the spiritual depth offered here, who are incapable of discerning the holy standing before them, what we can imagine would happen is that they would attribute their splendid catch of fish either to some incredible luck due to them or possibly even their own skills, and just a lucky guess on the part of Jesus!  But these men will become the great apostles of the Kingdom; they will become fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).   In some sense, this miraculous catch of fish is similar to a great healing miracle performed by Jesus.  Without having faith as part of their characters, these men could not have responded as they do.  Certainly the striking image of Peter, recognizing the holiness of Christ, and his own imperfection in the light of that holiness, teaches us something profound about the soul of Peter and his capacity for response to the striking light of truth revealed to him.  And this is our own proper response to Christ.  Again, a modern mind might consider an admission of sinfulness something shameful, even harmful.  But Peter's soul goes to the point:  he is not a perfect nor unflawed human being.  It takes a deep trust, a recognition of the love of the Lord, to have the proper humility revealed at this moment in Peter.  This is not based in a toxic shame, but the capacity for knowing, loving, and trusting in God -- out of which comes our capacity for facing the truth about ourselves.  Who can say they are a perfect person, with no possible improvement to consider?  That would be a person without self-knowledge, and without any knowledge of God.  Peter's stunned and completely open reaction, without artifice or self-consciousness, is a sign of his capacity for humility and an open heart.  The one on his knees, who proclaims, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" becomes our model for humanity.  He is one transfixed by the light of Christ, at once standing before truth, grasping the holiness of God and himself in contrast, and completely revealed.  May we all be blessed with such moments, for they are the road to a life with Christ.  No wonder he is willing to forsake all for the way forward in that light.