Increase our faith

 

 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."  

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "

 

- Luke 17:1-10 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus gave another parable to the Pharisees:  "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham , 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "  

 

"Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."  My study Bible tells us that little ones refers primarily to children, and by extension to anyone whose heart is humble and dependent upon God.  In our recent passages, Jesus has been teaching parable alternately to the Pharisees (and scribes), and to His disciples.  First He gave the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin to the Pharisees, after they criticized Him for receiving and dining with tax collectors.  Then He gave them the parable of the Lost Son (or Prodigal Son).  To the disciples, He then taught the parable of the Unjust Steward.  He taught, "You cannot serve God and mammon," indicating that even in material things of this one, one must put God first.  When the Pharisees scoffed at this, He taught the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, in our reading on Saturday (above).  Here, Jesus once again turns to His disciples.  His warnings are not only for the Pharisees and scribes, but also for His own followers, about how they will treat those who are "little ones" -- the humble among those who will come in the Church.

"Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."   Again, taken in the context of all the parables and the lessons He is teaching, this is another lesson about humility and power in the Church.  The importance of forgiveness, in the context of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man given to the Pharisees, and His warning to the disciples about abuse of the "little ones" takes on the understanding of a warning about abuse of power and position.  Here, forgiveness, predicated upon repentance, is an important exercise in learning how to truly serve God in the Church.  God forgives the repentant, so we do likewise.  Seven times in a day is a figure of speech, meant to indicate that there is no limitation to this teaching.

 

 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  The disciples make the request of the Lord, "Increase our faith," an indication that this is a hard teaching, and that it is faith through which we find the capacity to follow in discipleship, to live His teachings.   My study Bible indicates that the mulberry tree is considered to be a symbol of the devil's works in the image given here.  It is on the leaf of this tree that silkworms feed, worms being an image of hell and corruption (Mark 9:42-48).  This patristic interpretation, my study Bible says, is confirmed by numerous scriptural images of evil being destroyed in the sea (Luke 8:33, Exodus 14:27, Matthew 21:21, Revelation 20:10).  

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not."  My study Bible comments that the servant plowing is mentioned first, and the one tending sheep second, to show that one must first work out one's own salvation (Philippians 2:12) before one can become a shepherd of others.  Jesus uses a parable to teach about being a servant of God, a theme repeated throughout the cycle of parables He has recently taught.  

"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "  My study Bible comments that unprofitable (or possibly "without merit") doesn't mean without intrinsic value.  What it declares is that all that we have comes from God, and is in that sense owed back to God.  There is nothing we can offer to God that does not already belong to God (see also the reading and commentary on parable of the Unjust Steward).

 

Jesus illustrates to the disciples the importance of having an attitude that we are servants to God.  That is, in this world and in this life, we seek to serve God in all that we do.  They, in particular, as those who will become bishops in the Church, the first in a continuing line, must think of their positions as those of servants to the Lord, and their lives as those who are "in service" in that same sense.  And so, this sense of serving is also extended to all of us who would call ourselves Christians.  It is not so much that we must think of sacrifice and hard work.  It is more like Jesus is giving an emphasis to the true reality of our lives -- that we must always choose whom it is we serve in all that we do, either God or mammon (a purely materialist outlook), for one cannot serve both.  We in the modern West are great fans of thinking that we make all our own decisions and operate entirely independently, but this is truly never the case.  That is, as human beings, we gather ideas and outlooks and understanding from the world around ourselves.  If we do not consciously choose faith and service to God then what we are left with is simply what is around us.  We can choose between a kind of selfishness as learned through the purely worldly or put our faith in service to something much greater than the material world alone, the One who created this world.  God pulls us beyond selfishness as a way of life, self-centeredness as the only way to see and be in the world.  We will all have to choose what or whom we serve.  There is a  danger is that so many do not consciously realize this truth about their lives, motivations, and impulses.  In an age of social media, there is great impact on collective behavior, especially of the immature, by virtue of what everybody else seems to be doing or thinking.  The "group" becomes a very important factor in choices that drastically affect one's life, as is shown in study after study about certain trends, such as anorexia or self-harm among girls, even according to some current studies, the idea of gender transition surgery.   While we can look at teenagers or children and clearly understand the literal lack of maturity/development of the brain and nervous system or lack of experience in life, this sense of being conditioned by the world around us becomes something about which a conscious adult must always remind themselves.  And therein comes the importance of prayer and faith.  So often we are called to serve the immediate needs of family members, and concerns about work and duties and responsibilities always present themselves.   But in this swirl of demands, we really do need to remind ourselves that it is God whom we seek to serve in all of our choices, and faith that sustains and strengthens us in making them.  If forgiveness is difficult, even when another has repented or sought to show good will, then it's important to remember that is God to whom we turn and seek to serve in life.  In fact, the fullness of life depends upon this whole picture of what we're doing in the world, and that includes the One whom we seek to serve.  It is a far bigger and holistic picture of life to understand that we're not alone and isolated in all that we do, that we are in a communion which is much greater than we understand, and that we serve ends that go far beyond the small outlook we know and with a plan for our own future far beyond what we see.  In all of these recent parables, Jesus has given us a picture of unplanned and unforeseen outcomes by those who act with shortsighted behavior.  The images we are given of God in the parables teach us that there is a greater plan beyond the specific moment, a love and yearning for the lost to be saved and found, restored in community, a rejoicing in such an event, and a greater place of belonging where the humble will be our friends and treasure in heaven.  But first we make a choice what we will seek to serve in life, where our time, energy, and all other resources will go, and to what purpose and effect.  Faith becomes a powerful energizer, a way of gaining strength, and doing what we need to do.

 

 

 

If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead

Icon of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, circa 1800.  Palekh School.  Found at Ruzhnikov

 

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham , 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' " 

 

- Luke 16:19-31 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

 

 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores."  We can see the great contrast between the rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen, and who fared sumptuously every day, and the poor beggar named Lazarus who was full of sores, was laid at his gate, and simply wanted to be fed with crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  There could not be more of a marked difference between the two.  The sores all over Lazarus' body no doubt torment him, as did those of Job (Job 2:7-9).  We also read of Lazarus that moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  This may seem entirely cringe-worthy even today, let alone in the Middle East where dogs of the streets are viewed in an entirely negative light.  But we'd be surprised by the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, who writes, "Yes, it says that even the dogs licked his sores and did not injure him yet sympathized with him and cared for him. Animals relieve their own sufferings with their tongues, as they remove what pains them and gently soothe the sores. The rich man was crueler than the dogs, because he felt no sympathy or compassion for him but was completely unmerciful."

"So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried."  My study Bible comments that Abraham's bosom means heaven.  Abraham is mentioned among all the righteous, it says, because, in stark contrast to the rich man, Abraham showed hospitality to strangers (Genesis 18:1-8).  That the rich man . . . was buried is seen in patristic commentary as illustrating the state of his merciless soul, which was buried by the pleasures of the flesh.  My study Bible quotes from St. John Chrysostom, that the rich man was already buried in life by "couches, rugs, furnishings, sweet oils, perfumes, large quantities of wine, varieties of food, and flatterers."  That the rich man remains unnamed indicates that he is ultimately forgotten (see Psalm 9:6).

"And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham , 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' "  The rich man's appeal to Abraham as a spiritual father isn't rejected, my study Bible tells us.  Rather, Abraham accepts the role, calling the rich man son, and showing himself to be compassionate even towards the wretched of men.  The great gulf, my study Bible explains, isn't a geographical divide, but the complete separation between virtue and wickedness.  This is a separation, it says, that cannot be overcome after death.  His own torments have not changed the rich man's heart.  He still sees Lazarus as a servant who exists for the sake of his own comfort.  Moreover, this account by Christ teaches us the communion of the saints.  That is, a man who is not even a believer, calls out from Hades and converses with Saint Abraham.

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'"   My study Bible reports that some patristic writers see this parable as set after the final judgment, and they cite the punishment and reward being received by these two men.  Others see this parable set at a time after death, but before the second coming of Christ (and the Judgment), as the man seeks to intercede on behalf of his brothers who are still living.  My study Bible says that the torment he experiences would be only a foretaste of his final state.  From this perspective, we learn that the souls of the departed have awareness of and concern for the state of those still alive on earth (see Luke 9:30-31, Matthew 2:18, 2 Maccabees 15:12-16) -- but also that even the intercessions of a wicked person are heard, although they avail nothing (contrast to James 5:16).  

 

"But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "   My study Bible quotes St. John Chrysostom on this passage:  "The ignorance of Scripture is a great cliff and a deep abyss.   It is impossible for anyone to be without benefit if he reads continually and with attention."  Moreover, it says, the rebellious were not persuaded even when people did rise from the dead (Matthew 28:11-15, John 12:9-11). 

One thing we do know from this parable, it illustrates that the consciousness of these two men remain alive after physical death, and both experience an afterlife.  There also is Abraham, paternal ancestor of the Jews, who is seen as a spiritual elder by the rich man.  As my study Bible notes, it's significant that the rich man never has a name mentioned in the Scripture; it means that he will be ontologically "forgotten."  At its heart, this story is about compassion, and about empathy.  Even in some sense, the stray dogs -- lowest of creatures in the historic mindset of the peoples of this region -- display an empathy and have compassion on Lazarus.  They lick his sores as they would lick their own to heal.  In this sense, although what they can give is meager indeed, they offer this hurt man full of sores what they can.  But the rich man does not even offer the crumbs from his table, showing ultimately his complete lack of concern and utter abandonment of the stranger outside of his door.  It's a kind of neglect that is so absolute that it is an extreme example of self-centeredness, selfishness.  Clearly the rich man is concerned only with himself.   He still sees Lazarus beneath him in a hierarchy, as if he were his servant.  But it is too late even if Lazarus were to seek to fill the request, and Abraham make that request for the rich man.  There is a great gulf fixed between them.  It is while we remain in this world that repentance has great effect.  While we are in this world the reconsideration of our ways of thinking is so important in a spiritual sense.  Let us recall that this parable is taught immediately after the teaching that we cannot serve God and mammon (in yesterday's reading, above).  The 'laws' of material things seem to declare that the more we accumulate and use for ourselves the better, while the gospel of the kingdom would teach us that it is important to practice mercy if we desire mercy, that we we "make friends" for the kingdom of heaven by good use of what we have in this world.  Abraham is known for his hospitality.  It is to Abraham that St. Paul refers when he writes to the Hebrews, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2).  The story of Abraham intertwines with the story of Lazarus and the rich man particularly around this notion of hospitality.  It is not so much his lack of sharing of his goods, but his complete lack of awareness of the unwanted person outside of his door, the outcast whom only the dogs offer care or attention.  And this makes an extremely important point, because it makes us clear where real selfishness or self-centeredness leads.  It teaches us about the real depth of meaning in charity, that is not simply about not distributing what we have, but really about the lack of concern or awareness of another human being at all, that others have souls that need communion and belonging.   The rich man seems to make a little progress if only because he seems to consider his brothers and their ignorance of the reality he now faces.  But even that is to no avail, for his brothers also have what he always had:  Moses and the prophets.  And let us not forget that it is the Pharisees to whom Jesus speaks now, who derided Jesus for His teachings on using resources to "make friends" for the kingdom of God.  In today's reading, we're also reminded of the parable of the Good Samaritan, who used his own resources to "be a neighbor" to another whom he happened to pass along the road.  In each of these cases, the concepts of hospitality, charity, neighborliness, and using resources to help others all intermingle to contrast with what it means to abandon others, to have no awareness nor empathy for those around ourselves.  This is the fundamental conflict between Lazarus and the rich man, not simply that one is rich and one is poor.   Even the dogs show a character of charity or empathy by their nature and offer what they can.  I have heard it said that to be created in the image and likeness of God is to be endowed with the potential for grace, and to express it.  Ultimately it is simple power of acknowledging others, of kindness and what is historically understood as graciousness, that makes for truly God-like behavior, the kind of character that is compatible with the energies of God in heaven.  All it takes is a word or a prayer, an awareness, a sense in which another is a neighbor.  Ultimately, it is the capacity to care that makes a distinction in this story, and the will to act on it, the compassion that makes one a neighbor.  And there are some who will remain unpersuaded though One has risen from the dead.

You cannot serve God and mammon

 

 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

 

- Luke 16:10–17 (18) 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 

 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?"   This comment comes in the context of the parable of the Unjust Steward which Jesus has immediately given to His disciples (see yesterday's reading, above).  It refers to our use of the things of this world in the service of our faith, including "unrighteous mammon," our wealth.  According to my study Bible, the test as to whether God will bestow heavenly blessings (true riches) on a person is directly related to how that person spends his money.  The money we consider our own is actually another man's, that is, it belongs to God, or possibly to the poor.  It says that the patristic writers universally see a person's failure to give money to Gods work as stealing.  In the words of Theophan, it is "nothing less than the embezzlement of money belonging to someone else." 

 

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  This is a continuation of Christ's discussion about how we use our material resources and how we live our lives.  We are always servants, in all that we do, and we must choose which master we serve in how we use our material wealth and what we do with it.

 

 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."  My study Bible comments that the things which are highly esteemed among men include money, power, position, and praise.

"The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."  Jesus makes a powerful statement to the Pharisees about the New Covenant.  The kingdom of God has been preached by Christ, and He has taught His apostles to do so as well.  When He sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission, He sent them to preach the kingdom of God (Luke 9:2).  When He sent out the Seventy on their apostolic mission, He taught them to say to the people in whatever city they entered, "The kingdom of God has come near to you," and if they were rejected there, to say, "Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you" (see Luke 10:8-12).  Within this context, the emphasis here is on the New Covenant's fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, a deep manifestation of the true spirit and aim of the Law.  In His own time, the Pharisees and others hotly disputed the laws and regulation concerning divorce.  Again, in the context of property and wealth, part of those disputes centered upon the monies that a wife brought with her into marriage, and how these could be abused by certain divorce practices.  But in His talks about marriage as a sacred institution, Jesus emphasizes what is given in Genesis as a picture of love which is meant to be eternal (see Matthew 19:2-10).  In each of these cases, the emphasis remains on the choice to serve God or mammon; the kingdom of God is meant to be a deeper manifestation of covenant with God, governing all that we do.

What does it mean that we are part of a covenant with Christ that forms His gospel of the kingdom of God?  Jesus makes a profound statement when He says, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  What this is telling us is that the one master we choose to serve must govern all of our lives.  There is not one pocket of life in which we make an exception, and other compartments where we can honor God.  But the gospel of the kingdom of God teaches us that the presence of the Kingdom is everywhere; there is no place where it should not be, or where we should not live according to its laws and teachings.  Even when it comes to where and how we spend our money or use our possessions, it's our faith that needs to be honored in what we do.  This means a prayerful life, in which we seek to honor God and find God's way for us in the world.  The past few readings have emphasized the powerful mercy of God that governs the laws of heaven.  This is found in the seeking out of the lost sheep and the lost coin (see Tuesday's reading), the rejoicing over a soul lost to God that has been found again (in the parable of the Lost Son, or Prodigal Son, in Wednesday's reading).  In the parable of the Unjust Steward, in yesterday's reading, above, Jesus taught the disciples about their own mission as sinners among other sinners, as "sons of light" who must deal as shrewdly as the "sons of this world" in terms of their work as servants of God who seek the souls for the kingdom of God.  In all things, as disciples of Christ, we're meant to keep in mind the priorities and prerogatives of God, and especially God's love and mercy and longing for all beings to return to God and to covenant.  In this covenant of the Kingdom, Jesus emphasizes in many different ways the reality of its presence, and that we seek to live this Kingdom even here in this world.  In the Lord's Prayer, He has taught us to pray to Our Father, "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2).  In our dealings with others, we will either serve that will or the will of mammon which governs the way we deal with material wealth.  But a consciousness of God's mercy and love must permeate the choices we make, a sense of whom it is we serve must always be with us in the reality of the presence of the kingdom of God.  It is our top priority, our covenant.  Jesus says to the Pharisees, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."   Well, He speaks to us as well, for we are each capable of being modern day Pharisees, in this sense of hypocrisy and love of money.  He is not criticizing wealth itself, nor the beautiful, bountiful things of this world.  But He is aiming at how we use what we have, the blessings we're given -- so that we remember the One who sustains and blesses and honor God with how we steward what we're given.  For the kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:20-21).  Let us always strive to remember and honor that presence.

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home

 

 He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 

- Luke 16:1-9 

 

In yesterday's reading, we were given the parable of the Prodigal Son (or Lost Son), the third parable Jesus told in response to the Pharisees and scribes who criticized Him for receiving and eating with tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus said:   "A certain man had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'  So he divided to them his livelihood.  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants." ' And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'  And they began to be merry.  Now his older son was in the field.  And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the  fatted calf.'  But he was angry and would not go in.  Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

 

  He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."  My study Bible explains that a steward is responsible for managing his master's property and looking after the welfare of his servants.  The point of this parable is that the unrighteous are better at using money to make friends in the world than believers are at using money to make friends for the Kingdom of God -- which is done by spending it on the needy.  At death (when you fail) the needy will welcome their benefactors into the everlasting home.

 

In today's reading, Jesus turns from His response to the Pharisees and scribes, and gives this parable to His disciples.  Let us recall that He has already given three parables to the Pharisees and scribes in response to their criticism that He receives and dines with tax collectors and other sinners.  Those parables were the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin (in this reading), and that of the Prodigal Son (or Lost Son) in yesterday's reading, above.  The Lost Sheep and Lost Coin speak of the tremendous love and longing of God for those who are "lost" to be returned -- as they belong with all of God's creation restored in the communion of God's love.  The Prodigal or Lost Son spoke of the father's joy at his lost son's return and restoration to the one who loved him -- and that this does not diminish the son who was never lost.  In today's reading, we're given what might seem a perplexing story of a steward by worldly standards, but it is meant to illustrate the principle of mercy and how and why it works.  But this time, it is directed to His followers, and especially to the disciples.  In the context of discipleship, it is a reminder that we all come up short at one time or another.  There is none who is perfect in terms of our own relationship face to face with God, and our own sin.  It is an illustration to those who will represent Him in the world that they must think, when dealing with nominal sinners, of the Master or Lord whom they serve.   We as disciples must learn a proper attitude regarding the blessings we've been given, and how they are used in the world.   In some way, we are not so different from the nominal sinners that we see around ourselves.  We are to use the things of this world to build treasure in heaven, and keep in mind the ultimate reality in which we wish to dwell and to serve, and to bring into the world.  Whatever our blessings are, it is wise to share them prudently and humanely, especially when we do so in service to God, to the kingdom of heaven.  This is a wisdom that declares itself the opposite of selfishness, and at the same time creates an expansive understanding of what our real blessings are.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches:  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).  This is again the same teaching He will give to the rich young ruler who wishes for eternal life and wants to become His disciple (Luke 18:28-23).  In the Sermon on the Plain, here in Luke's Gospel, when Jesus teaches what is known as the Golden Rule, He says, "For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  Each of these teachings encourages us to understand the depth of possibilities inherent in our own circumstances, that begin with a proper orientation and understanding of the expansive love of God in the first place.  This is not about rewarding bad behavior, or overlooking evil.  But it is a teaching about grounding ourselves in God's overflowing and abundant love, orienting our own outlooks on life and how we use talent, time, and resources in service to the transfiguration of the world.  Jesus gives us the reminder that there is a bigger picture to keep in mind in our lives in this world, and that also must be a part of our choices in dealing with our time and talents and resources.   We are often wealthier than we think in terms of what we can give to others; sometimes all it takes is a word, an attitude, a kindness of heart, an openness to possibilities, a willingness to come to terms.  Self-centeredness is a very limiting outlook on life.   With today's parable, He's also speaking to those who would be His stewards in the world.   He asks us to be good stewards of the goods and wealth with which we're entrusted, and remember that we are part of a much bigger picture, in all that we do in the world.  

It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found

 

Icon of the story of the Prodigal Son, 16th cent.   Khilandari Monastery, Mt Athos

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."

* * *

Then He said:  "A certain man had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'  So he divided to them his livelihood.  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants." ' And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'  And they began to be merry.

Now his older son was in the field.  And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the  fatted calf.'  But he was angry and would not go in.  Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

 

- Luke 15:1–2, 11–32 

 

Yesterday we read that all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."  So He spoke this parable to them, saying:  "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.  Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, swept the house, and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." 

 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."   We begin today's reading with the setting from yesterday's reading.  In response to the complaint of the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus told the parable of the Lost Sheep, and the parable of the Lost Coin (see yesterday's reading, above).  Each parable was given to illustrate the heavenly joy over a repentant sinner, at finding and reclaiming someone who had been lost.  Then He told them the parable of the Lost Son (also known as the parable of the Prodigal Son), which is what we're given in today's reading.  My study Bible says that the man in the first parable, the woman in the second, and the father in today's reading are considered in patristic literature to represent successively Christ, the Church, and God the Father.  St. Ambrose of Milan comments, "Christ carries the sinner, the Church seeks and intercedes, and the Father receives."

Then He said:  "A certain man had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'  So he divided to them his livelihood.  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living."   In the son's request for his portion of goods, the Greek word ousia/οὐσία is used for "goods."  This word literally means "essence" (sometimes used as "substance").  My study Bible says that it indicates humankind receiving free will and a rational mind from God.  As did Adam in Eden, the younger son uses these possessions to rebel against his father.  The far country represents life in exile from God.

"But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything."  My study Bible says that feeding swine could rightly be called "Jewish Skid Row," and that he could not sink much lower.

 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants." ' And he arose and came to his father."  It's significant that the text says, "He came to himself."  My study Bible comments that a person immersed in sin is living outside of one's true self (Romans 7:17-20).   The prodigal recognizes that his is a hopeless condition.  The bread is a symbol of Christ, who is known both through the Scriptures and also through the Eucharist. 

"But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."   In Jewish culture of the time, it was considered unseemly for an old man to run.  But the father in Christ's parable does not passively stand by waiting for his son to return -- he ran to him.  My study Bible says that this self-humiliation for the sake of the lost indicates the way in which our Father, through Christ's sacrifice, actively seeks those who stray.

"And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'   But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet."   My study Bible explains that there is symbolic significance to each of the things the father gives to his son.  The robe signifies righteousness granted by baptism (Isaiah 61:10), the signet ring is family identity (Haggai 2:23), and the sandals refer to walking according to the gospel (Ephesians 6:15).  

"And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'  And they began to be merry."   Fatted calf is more closely translated from the Greek as "wheat-fed bull-calf," my study Bible comments. Even more literally is means "a bull-calf formed from wheat."  This would be a male calf which would be raised on wheat in preparation for specific use as a religious offering.  As the reconciliation of the prodigal son would not be complete without the sacrifice of the calf, so our reconciliation to God not done by repentance only, but by Christ offering Himself on the Cross out of love for us.  My study Bible says that the festive dining on an animal offering "formed from wheat" is a clear reference to our partaking of the eucharistic bread. 

"Now his older son was in the field.  And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the  fatted calf.'  But he was angry and would not go in."  My study Bible tells us that the resentful older son is an illustration of the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees to whom Christ is telling this parable.  It cites the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, who writes that God requires the faithful to rejoice when even the most blamable person is called to repentance.

Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "  The elder son says to his father:  "I never transgressed your commandment at any time."  This statement truly invites comparison to the Pharisees and scribes, as Christ has often portrayed them.  My study Bible says that the failure of the older son to recognize his own sins leads to his self-righteous and merciless attitude.  This is in contrast to the contrition of the young son.  St. Ambrose of Milan is quoted as saying, "The one who seems to himself to be righteous, who does not see the beam in his own eye, becomes angry when forgiveness is granted to the one who confesses his sin and begs for mercy."   The ingratitude of the older son is also clear when he states that "you never gave me a young goat" to his father, who has already given him "all that I have."

Sometimes we can't help but evoke the jealousy or envy of others.  This is just one thing made clear in the story of the Prodigal Son (or the Lost Son, a title which highlights the nature of Christ's response to the Pharisees).  Jesus tells this parable, as He did the two parables in yesterday's reading (above), in order to illustrate the immense joy in all of heaven over even one sinner who repents -- someone who was lost to heaven but who returns through repentance.  So it is with this younger son.  But if we look at the older son, it's important to understand that he has always had all that the father owned at his disposal.  This is not a stingy or mean father, but one with immense, boundless love for his sons, and great generosity that accompanies it.  But the older son nevertheless envies the young when he returns, as he sees the father's joy clearly expressed in this reunion banquet.  Perhaps he feels taken for granted, or he's simply failed to understand his father's love for him.  Possibly he does not know the difference between a kind of obedience that is about following the rules, and one borne of love and loyalty.  There is an interesting story in the Old Testament, about Jacob wrestling with a mysterious person, and finally receiving a blessing (Genesis 32:22-31).  Jacob says afterward, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."  The notion that wrestling with God is a good thing takes us to a place where we are to understand that love is not a legalistic form of servitude, but one of communion, of addressing difficult issues, and in particular our own ways of thinking that might need change, repentance, reconsidering.  And there we find the older brother:  perfect in every way, but not perfect in understanding and accepting the fullness of what love is.  The "lost son" was not necessarily wrong because he went away, but he was wrong in his prodigal and wasteful behavior, in not realizing what he had and who he was.  He failed to treat his father's gift with respect.  His going away was, in effect, a selfish act and an expression of his own blindness.  But in the older brother we see a similar blindness in terms of his understanding of the love of the father.  Love of God invites a joy when that love is shared and renewed in others.  It invites us to be expansive, and not limited in our understanding of grace and its infinite capacities for us and for others as well.  We are not diminished when love is a circle, but rather, we are expanded. Envy seems to be at the heart of so many ills, a type of root sin that causes problem after problem in Scripture, including in the angels who rebel against God.  This is a type of pride and selfishness, an unwillingness to understand humility as leading to gracious and abundant life.  The lost son's loss of everything, his "rock bottom" in being forced to feed and eat the food of swine due to his reduced circumstances, actually serves as a favor for his true well-being and realization of who he is.  When everything is stripped away, we stand a chance to come to terms with who we really are, and to realize the love of God which is always there for us when it seems like nothing else is.  We can take pride in our possessions and good fortune, including our own image of perfection, and take everything else for granted.  This is a false confidence that results in envy, a false kind of sense of self that is betrayed by its own lack of understanding of God's unlimited and abundant love, and our own need to grow in that love as well.  Let us contend with our own failure to take root and confidence in God's ever-surprising and eye-opening love, and see where it leads us in life.  We may find that life is even more infinitely abundant than we thought -- and that we in turn may be expanded ourselves.  In the icon above, the story shows Christ as the character of the father, and we are meant to understand the love and forgiveness of Christ, the repentance that turns us back to finding our place with Him, and with the angels above, who rejoice.

Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents

 

Christ the Shepherd with the lost sheep.  Roman Catacombs, 3rd century

 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."  So He spoke this parable to them, saying:  "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.  

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, swept the house, and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

 

- Luke 15:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read that at this time in Christ's ministry, great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.  Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 

Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."   Regarding today's entire passage, my study bible explains that for pious Jews, fellowship with sinners was defiling.  What follows in Christ's response to the Pharisees and scribes are three parables giving the image of a man, a woman and the father (this third parable is recorded in the verses in tomorrow's lectionary reading).  These are seen as representing Christ, the Church, and God the Father.  My study bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan:  "Christ carries the sinners, the Church seeks and intercedes, and the Father receives."

So He spoke this parable to them, saying:  "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'  I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."   There is a spiritual interpretation of this parable in patristic commentary:  the hundred sheep represent all rational creation.  The one sheep who goes astray symbolizes humankind.  The ninety-nine represent the angelic realm.  

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, swept the house, and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."  My study Bible comments that ten silver coins comprise a single necklace worn by a married woman -- a bride, which is an image of the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32).  The lost coin (in Greek, a drachma) carried the image of the king.  My study bible says this image symbolizes human beings, who, although bearing the image of God, fell from grace.  Through the Church, Christ enlightens the world, sweeps away sin, and finds His lost creation.

Christ's parables are about longing, a depth of love, and especially a deep understanding of incompleteness without the missing sheep, or the missing coin.  These are images that give us a sense that it is the whole of humanity with which Jesus is concerned, the whole of His creation for which He fervently desires redemption, salvation, and union -- a return back to love and communion with Creator.  We're given pictures of what constitutes a whole set:  not just the ninety-nine sheep, but the complete one hundred are so fervently desired that Christ would leave behind all rest in the wilderness to seek out the one.  The woman with the necklace of ten coins will go to great lengths to seek out the one that is missing and complete the set, reunited altogether, for her understanding is one of great urgency that one is missing.  Altogether, Jesus is expressing His great love for each one of us, even the ones who are lost or straying.  We don't earn God's love in this sense that we are unworthy of that love when we stray or sin.   God's love is God's prerogative, not up to us, and God's very nature is love.  Therefore, even when we sin, we ought to be assured that a return in humility and honesty is always going to be conditioned in that love.  That is to say, God is a parent whose love is unconditional.  That doesn't mean always approving of everything we do!  It means real love, One who wants what is best for us, and what is best for us is to be in communion with the One who loves us best, better than what we can understand.  When we see God's love in this light, we understand discipleship to be healing (as Christ speaks of Himself as physician in another such encounter - see Luke 5:30-31).  In the Revelation, the Lord says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent" (Revelation 3:19).  From Jesus' parables in today's reading, we can understand the ground of all of our reality is really the love of God, sustaining all, and all of us.  When we wonder why there is such evil in the world, perhaps we'd best turn to these parables to understand God's deep love and the time we're given in hopes of repentance and return.  I find myself reminded also of the story of the man who identified himself as Legion, for whom Christ set sail with the disciples across a frighteningly stormy Sea of Galilee, to a very strange place to find that man, occupied by a legion of demons and living among tombs, in order to heal him (see this reading).  Christ's ministry opened up grace for all of us, the Lord coming into the world to reclaim those who were lost, and seeking after each one.  The Spirit has been poured out upon the world, and we simply have to say yes to this deep invitation of love to all of us.  

Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple

 

 Now great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

"Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Luke 14:25–35 

 

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

 

 Now great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."  My study Bible comments that this command to hate one's relations and one's own life isn't to be taken literally.  Instead, we are to hate the way our relationships with others can hinder our total dedication to the Kingdom of God, which takes precedence even over family ties.  

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."  Jesus repeats a statement we've read in Luke 9:23, something He said immediately after Peter's confession of faith, and in the context of His first warning to the disciples that He will suffer, be killed, and raised the third day.  My study bible asks us to observe that, first, each person must take up his own cross.  It says that the burden for each one in this world is different from person to person, and each has been chosen by God to bear certain struggles for one's own salvation and the salvation of those around oneself.  Second, in 9:23, Jesus states that one's cross is to be taken up daily.  This commitment is not a one-time event.  To come after Christ and be His disciple means the continual practice of faith and obedience, even to the point of being shamed and persecuted by the world -- and even to the point of separation from loved ones.

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."  My study Bible cites 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, an elaboration by St. Paul on this concept of building a structure properly upon what is first a proper foundation.  Each one's structure will reveal through its endurance, or lack of it, the proper work that has gone into the "tower" that is our lives.  Here, Jesus asks us to count the cost of discipleship, as those who plan well before starting out upon a project of any kind.  Our foundation is Christ, and that must remain our "bottom line" through all things, forsaking whatever is necessary in order to remain securely in that foundation.

"Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Jesus uses the analogy of salt in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13), again to illustrate the importance of endurance in discipleship.  My study Bible comments that salt illustrates the role of disciples in society.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had both religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).   These references from the Old Testament teach us that salt was significant in terms of covenant.  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the "salt of the earth" (the phrase used in the Sermon on the Mount) my study Bible says, Christians are preservers of God's covenant, and give true flavor to the world.  In terms of the context here, Jesus is emphasizing our covenant as disciples, our endurance through all things in following Christ.

Jesus reminds us of the importance of counting the cost before setting out on a journey, or beginning a project of any kind, entering into battle.  One must seek to estimate what one will need to pay, or purchase, the labor and effort required, all the sacrifices that are necessary to do a complete job or see things through to the end.  He is reminding us, as His followers, that with Him it's all or nothing.  There is no lukewarm that is acceptable (see Revelation 3:14-22 for an assessment of a lukewarm church).  He is the foundation, and must remain the foundation.  When we put our faith in something else first, He will tear that down.  It will not endure.  We will all be refined in a furnace, as purified gold.  In Matthew's Gospel, we're reminded a couple of times that "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22, 24:13).  Such words, on my part, seem terribly dire and dour.  But, on the other hand, for those who go through that fire and must make hard choices between where their faith leads them and where worldly attachments demand something else, the difficulties finally add up, in the end, to a liberation.  For it is in the truth of Christ that we really do find our freedom (John 8:31-32).  The world will draw us into a million different musts and have-to's.  You "must have" this type of house or clothing.  You "have to" do this because someone else has asked you to, or expects you to.  You "must" believe this because everybody seems to be saying it.  You "have to" join this group because that looks like the currently fashionable thing to do, at least among the au courant.  But Christ really doesn't ask us to do any of those things.  He doesn't demand that we become relevant to a set of values or circumstances that have nothing to do with our faith, and the genuine heart that is His refined gold and precious to Him.  Christ does not ask that we become caught up in the "right" appearances for the "right" people who will approve of whatever those things might mean about us in some social sense or to some group or community.  No, He is the foundation of our lives, and the currency we need to maintain that foundation is humility -- not faith in appearances and the judgment of the social world.  It really doesn't matter whether those approved signals to the world are million dollar homes and designer label shoes, or the right political slogan of any stripe, or even a drab and mournful appearance to show we are sufficiently deprived and aggrieved to gain a special status.  None of these things are meant to be pleasing to Christ first.  We often might find we are called instead to retire from that oh-so-necessary public face to find where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do.  It might be quiet prayer we need, not only for ourselves but for others around ourselves, for our relationships with people and with things.  We might need a reset of the way in which we look at and live in the world.  But any way you look at it, Christ's power -- although it might separate us from what we think we need and love -- is going to liberate us.  It is going to free us from delusions about what we must have that we don't really need and might not be good for us.  It is going to free us from false claims on our attention, and it's going to free us from deceptive rhetoric that does not really lead to freedom but to slavery.  If we want to know how to truly be free, then we must find a way to let go of everything else first, and focus on what really matters, and where our heart and treasure have to be in life.  We might just find it's what we give that makes us who we are, not what we get -- and sometimes that includes what we give up, including our false notions about ourselves and others.   But as Christ tells us, each one must bear one's own cross.  This is not a one-size-fits-all kind of movement, this work of discipleship.  It is a powerful pull into our own things we need to work on, and our own places we need to go in order to follow Him and find the refinement of the fire of grace, the energies of God.  And in this statement about one's own cross, we also find tremendous liberation.  For no two of us need be alike, and each journey is tailored for the unique creation that is the evidence of the Spirit's work.  There are no cookie-cutter saints, but each one is drawn in powerful lines, whether that be a woman of the fifth century who used her wealth to express her love of God, or a man who struggled in his poverty to remain true to Christ in the twentieth.  We each have a cross to bear and a foundation to build on.  But each of those, our cross and our foundation, are ultimately liberating.  Grace builds on what is potential within us, things which lie dormant but are called out through the work of experience and living our faith.  We're like statues carved out of marble or some other beautiful stone, in which the carver continually discovers what is truly there.  Are you ready for that struggle?  Can you count the cost?   St. Paul wrote to the Philippians to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."  Each one's picture will look different, but each journey of faith is one ultimately of the freedom of Christ's grounding truth and the surety of gold.  This is the discipleship we work out along the way.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 

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

 

- Luke 11:14-23 

 

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

 

 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Beelzebub is a derisive name for a pagan god worshiped by the Philistines, a twist in pronunciation rendering it "Lord of the Flies."  Here, this name specifically refers to Satan.  

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  My study Bible comments here that a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12).  

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges."  Jesus gives a quite rational answer, which illuminates the idea that there is a spiritual war going on in what is often called the "unseen world" of the bodiless beings such as angels.  Why would Satan cast out his own demonic allies?  When Jesus asks, "And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?" He is referring to the Jewish tradition of exorcism.  In Matthew 12:24, they are Pharisees who bring this charge against Jesus.  What He's saying is that if they want to ascribe demonic influence to exorcism, then their own tradition (and those who perform exorcisms in that tradition) witness against them.

"But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  The finger of God refers to the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).  

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  The strong man to whom Jesus refers is Satan, whom my study Bible says holds sway over the fallen human race.  But the stronger is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).  

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  My study Bible says that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  Those who work in opposition to Christ, it notes, are different from those who work in good faith toward Christ's purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see Luke 9:46-50).  My study Bible quotes St. Seraphim of Sarov, who writes that only "good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit."  Deeds done for any other purpose, "even if they are good, are deeds that scatter abroad."

How are we to understand our faith?  Particularly in light of what is indicated in today's passage, that there is an invisible spiritual battle going on between angelic forces loyal to Christ, and those in rebellion (the demons).  In a modern context, most people go about their lives without any consideration of such possible realities, but it is, nevertheless, part and parcel of the framework of the Bible and of the ancient world into which Christ was born.  This "unseen" reality remains a part of the understanding of the Church.  Certainly there are many people who believe that angels are around us, doing unseen spiritual works.  The demonic is another kind of story altogether, as well as the subject of widely varied commercial exploits and fantasies.  As we know from the New Testament Scriptures, exorcism was a frequent part of Christ's healing ministry, as well as the early Church.  In today's text, Jesus refers to the exorcism that was already part of Jewish religious tradition.  Jesus gives us a picture of the struggle between two warring spiritual powers.  But this is by no means whatsoever an equal battle.  There is the "strong man," Satan, also called the prince or ruler of this world (see John 12:31;14:30;16:11).  But Christ calls Himself the "stronger man," indicating that His power and authority -- extended through the Church -- is greater than that of the demonic powers.  Jesus says, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).  This extends to His authority within the unseen world (Luke 4:36) and He extends His power to others (Luke 10:17).  The Church still continues to perform exorcisms, and Baptism remains a sacrament in which we renounce the powers and works of this "strong man."   Jesus speaks absolutely and unequivocally about His power and authority, unrecognized by those to whom He speaks (and who accuse Him of working through the power of Satan).  As incarnate human being, He is without obvious material power, worldly authority, or the power of a state or an army.  But as Christ, He is One who asserts spiritual authority, recognizable only through faith.  Indeed, it is the power of faith that allies us with Christ, the "stronger man."  In a popular movie from 1995 (The Usual Suspects), a master criminal declares, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist."  This was a memorable line in the film, but its sentiment wasn't original.  It has been repeated frequently (in works such as The Master and Margarita, for example, a satirical fantasy written under Stalin's rule).  But the key to understanding our place in the midst of such spiritual struggle is really our faith, and our greatest weapon is prayer.  In the context of today's reading, the lectionary has skipped over the beginning of chapter 11, as it was given earlier, in preparation for the commemoration of Christ's Ascension.  In the verses between today's reading and yesterday's, Jesus gave to the disciples the Lord's Prayer, which begins with the words "Our Father in heaven."   It is important to remember that it is through faith and prayer that we bind ourselves to the power of Christ, and play our role in this struggle.  Forget about fantasies and imaginary representations which appear in popular media.  It is faith and prayer, and all the aspects of worship available to us in the practices and sacraments of the Church, through which we engage in this "invisible" battle, and choose to ally with the One who scatters His opponents.  It is through such practices, also, that we grow in spiritual wisdom and insight into such matters.  Our resistance to temptation of all kinds is the mirror of Christ's denial of the devil (Luke 4:1-13); it is a life prayerfully and faithfully lived that is our part in this struggle.  Take refuge in the prayer He taught us, to Our Father in heaven, whose divine will and kingdom we pray be done on earth as it is in heaven.  This is where we start as His disciples, where we continue, and the true way we meet our challenges.  Our real mission is to seek the kingdom of God (Luke 12:31).