This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours

 

 Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went to a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

'The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the LORD's doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.

 

- Mark 12:1-11 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples again came again to Jerusalem, the day after He had cleansed the temple.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went to a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others."  My study Bible comments that in this parable, the man who planted the vineyard represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leaders of the Jews who are entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant who is sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  The beloved son refers to Christ Himself.  When the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed, my study Bible says, this is understood on two different levels.  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (Golgotha, the place of crucifixion, was outside of the old city gates).  Second, that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not by those of His own "vineyard."  The others to whom the vineyard will later be given are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  

Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.  It is the same Psalm from which the people shouted as Jesus entered into Jerusalem (Psalm 118:25-26), with the verses repeated on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom.  My study Bible comments here that the stone is Christ.  

That Jesus quotes from Psalm 118, a Psalm significant for the Feast of Tabernacles, and from which the people shouted as they welcome Christ into Jerusalem as Messiah, is highly significant to the chief priests, the scribes, and elders to whom He speaks.  They know, the text tells us, that He has spoken this parable against them.  As they have just questioned His authority to cleanse the temple, Jesus is now clearly speaking of the power of His true authority, the heavenly authority to which He pointed in asking them about the authority of John to baptize (in yesterday's reading, see above).  Jesus' parable explains the stark and absolute power of God to work in the world, and puts it into the context of the entirety of the Old Testament and the work of the prophets who came before John the Baptist.  "The stone" who becomes the "chief cornerstone" has the power and authority to crush and to destroy.  Indeed, elsewhere Jesus adds, "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder" (Luke 20:18).  Jesus is reminding these religious leaders that God the Father, the vineyard owner and planter of the vineyard, expects particularly of them a kind of return for their work as those who tend the vineyard, the people of God, or Israel.  But the parable illustrates something essential for us today, as faithful believers.  Not only do we have to keep in mind our own attitude of dependency and gratitude to God, of turning to God the Father so that we know how best to steward ourselves and our world and build our lives in the image He desires, but we have to understand that we are not the true "owners" or possessors of this vineyard.  When it comes to the Church, and the spiritual truths that came through Judaism and are given to us through the Incarnation of Christ and the Church in the world, these things are actually possessed by none of us.  Although our spiritual lives, and the truths and history of the saints and our faith are all passed down to us as treasure, as pearls of great price, or gems, these are things that none of us actually possess.  We are rather stewards of these things, bound like the vinedressers to cultivate the vineyard's beauty and productivity.  Nobody "owns" spiritual treasure, so that it can be used as a possession, altered in appearance to please a false owner, or used for purposes at odds with the true owner.  None of us "owns" the Church, and none is authorized to use the Church for our own selfishly-directed purposes.  But in this parable, Jesus says that the vinedressers plot to do just that, to kill the Son so that they might get their hands on the vineyard and take its profit and its goods solely for themselves.  We, today, are given a lesson in true ownership, the proper attitude toward our lives and all that we are given to make of ourselves, our lives, our Church in the world.  We are stewards of the things we only appear to possess, and as such we have a responsibility to the true owner and planter of this beautiful vineyard.  That translates into a duty of gratitude, of cherishing what we have for its true worth, so that we live and cultivate our lives and all of our resources in the ways in which God would teach us and guide us to do.  This gives us a true picture of the reality of our lives, and when we fail to understand our position in the cosmos as those who are given great gifts (even of our lives and resources) and who are at the same time responsible for their good stewardship, this sets us aright in terms of our disposition and outlook on life and what we do in our lives, and with our resources.  The treasures we're given, especially the spiritual blessings in the Church, are just that:  they are treasures.  But they are also extended in meaning and potency far beyond a self-centered attitude that would lock them up and exploit them for personal gain.  They are the treasures of a cosmos, meant for all posterity, for a creation far beyond what we know and understand -- and this should be our awareness in our lives.  We don't know who will benefit from our prayer, and lives lived in obedience to the goodness, truth, and beauty of God.  We don't know the reach of the blessings we are capable of building up through our own good stewardship of life we're given, and treasures we're meant to expand upon and build up, even as they bless our lives.  But we do know we have a loving Father who has sent His Son to be one of us, to help us and nurture us and set us in the right direction, to be there when we call, to hear our prayer.  It's up to us to make of our lives something beautiful and nurturing and good, something true and blessed with meaning -- or to squander what we're given with a selfish attitude that understands nothing of our capacity for building the vineyard and being stewards of its beauty and truth.

 

 

 

 

The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?

 

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

- Mark 11:27-33 

 

Yesterday we read that the next day after Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." 

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."   My study Bible explains that, as Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple.  As Christ is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, it says, He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both the elders' question and Christ's question require the same answer, and therefore it would lead a person to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  By not answering them directly, Christ teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent. 

Today's reading raises the central question of authority.  The chief priests, scribes, and elders demand to know what authority Jesus has to cleanse the temple (see yesterday's reading, above).  He has no "inherited" authority such as the lineage of the Levitical priests.  But Jesus makes a comparison through His own question:  through whom did John the Baptist have authority to preach and to baptize?  John also had no "earthly" authority for what He did.  But Jesus brings in the central question:  Was it from heaven or from men?  In other words, was John the Baptist granted authority in some worldly or earthly way, from a human institution, to do what He did?  Nevertheless, could they say that this authority by which John baptized did not come from heaven?  The religious leaders will not answer His question.  Their fear is more of the people who are present for the Passover feast, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So, we must ask ourselves, how did the people count John to be a prophet?  In the stories of the Old Testament prophets, they also were so often individuals who spoke up against the establishment of the powers-that-be, in opposition to the religious authorities in place, and to the "favored" prophets of kings.  How is a prophet recognized?  In a modern world, and throughout Christian history, saints have played similar roles, most often gathering recognition through the laity long before sainthood is officially a declaration of a religious authority.  The role of the prophets was like the one John played, they came to call the people back to God -- recalling God's word and authority when human institutions had strayed from that.  As in the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers which Christ will tell during this Passover feast in Jerusalem in Mark 12:1-12, the prophets are sent by God to call us to the proper fruits of the spirit, to remind us of our proper relationship to God, and especially the religious leadership.  They are sent by the vineyard owner, who is God the Father, who has now sent His Son, Christ.  In this sense is John the Baptist's ministry also "from heaven."  It opens up the question we must all ask ourselves, "What is 'of men,' and what is 'of heaven'?"  How do we know which is which?  How do we know what is saintly and what is not?  How may we discern the ways in which God calls us?  The great question posed here to Christ is one of authority, and yet there have been so many signs of heavenly authority working through Christ already.  Those who ask this question clearly choose not to see that which interferes with their own authority, that which they do not want to see -- as did many leaders before them to the prophets who were sent earlier.  Jesus teaches us also, as my study Bible notes, that we should not respond to people who ask with a vicious intent.  If there is a request by someone who does not in any way want to know the truth, especially a religious or spiritual truth, then one is not under obligation to respond.  Jesus' question regarding John the Baptist exposes the religious authorities' own bad faith; they are unwilling to answer truly because of the multiple mixed motivations here, and the ulterior motives involved.  They are afraid of the people, who count John the Baptist to have been a prophet, but their loyalty is not to God.  Let us turn to Christ in prayer so that we, also, may stand in the truth and find the discernment He asks of us.  For how will we know what is from heaven and what is "from men?"  This is why we place all things in the hands of God, including our own motivations and desires, to find where God would lead us.

Let no one eat fruit from you ever again

 

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city. 

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  

 

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

- Mark 11:12-26

 

On Saturday we read that, as Jesus and the disciples are on the road toward Jerusalem, they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  

 

For the churches of the West (and the Orthodox Armenian Apostolic Church), yesterday was Palm Sunday.  For most Orthodox Churches, Palm Sunday is this coming Sunday.  These events are covered in an intervening reading between Saturday's reading, above, and today's.  Please see Matthew 11:1-11, the story of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.   My study Bible explains that it was not the season for figs means that this fig tree had sprouted an early an early fall foliage, indicating a first crop, but without bearing any fruit.  Jesus, finding not even one fig, condemns it.  This is a symbolic gesture; in Scripture a fig tree is often a symbol of Israel (Hosea 9:10).  My study Bible says that her spiritual fruitfulness has ceased, so the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people, who are called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43; Galatians 5:22-23).  

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.   This act by Jesus is called the cleansing of the temple.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.  The money changers would trade Roman coins for Jewish coins, as Roman coins bore the image of Caesar (worshiped as a god) and were considered defiling in the temple.  The text also mentions those who sold doves:  these were the smallest and most inexpensive sacrifice, the one made by the poor.  It is likely that those who sold doves are mentioned specified as prices were inflated for pilgrims coming for the Passover feast, thereby this sacrifice of the poor would become a way to profit from those who had very little to begin with.  My study Bible comments that the cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), it is also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.

 

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."   My study Bible comments here that the cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act on the part of Christ.  It signifies the judgment of Israel.  The disciples need to learn, it says, that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).  They will establish His Church, ultimately to be filled with Gentiles and Jews, and they need assurance that they are following Christ's will.  This fig tree will be an indelible image in their minds.  

 

 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."  Clearly, Jesus is addressing what must be their astonished reaction to the withered fig tree.  My study Bible says that while it is not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, the patristic consensus is that they had this authority if the need had arisen (there are stories of certain saints who made crevices appear in mountains).  Moreover, not everything the apostles accomplished was written down.  Beyond the literal meaning of these statements, Christ's promise is additionally an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  Theophan comments, "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things. 

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."  This statement really should be coupled with the one above it, as it is given here as a necessary component of prayer.  While we may call upon God's power to help us in all times, we should also understand that it is part and parcel of that same understanding of faith that we give up to God our own concerns and "debts" we feel have been incurred by others.  In this way, all things are truly in the hands -- and the power -- of God, and our prayers are no doubt more effective for being more in alignment with God's will and God's truth for us.  My study Bible notes that this teaching is repeated in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35), which concludes with the same teaching.  To be unwilling to forgive (literally meaning to "let go" in Greek) is to flee from the forgiveness of God for ourselves.  Let us note that we "let go" to God (as in "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," Matthew 6:12), so that we are able to walk in response in this world the way that God directs us to do.

This vivid, unforgettable image of the withered fig tree has to be something which had a distinctive effect upon the disciples.  We have to note that it is Peter, who, as they pass by, remarks, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."   Effectively, Jesus did not simply wither the tree with a wave of His hand in front of them.  It was a spoken command that had this effect, whether or not the effect was immediately noticeable:  "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  This is not just any command from Christ.  It is, rather, a curse.  Let us think back to the whole of the Gospels, and ask ourselves if we can recall another time when Christ used His power to curse anything or anyone.  But this withered fig tree, however, remains a testimony to all of us about ourselves and our fellow human beings.   It is a symbol of what is spiritually unfruitful, of lives lived by choice to care nothing for the things of God, the things of beauty, truth, goodness -- a life lived in willing sacrifice of spiritually good things in exchange purely for what we can gain through selfishness and a focus on the material.  This is because the story of this fig tree is so clearly juxtaposed around the cleansing of the temple, Christ's visible expression of condemnation of the practices He calls out in this one act which involves physical force that we can think of by Christ.  In so doing, Jesus teaches, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  He puts together two verses from different prophecies for this statement:  Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  So in the act of cleansing the temple, and in Jesus' words -- which, lest we forget, are the Lord's words as given to the prophets -- Jesus gives us the "text" for the image of the withering of the fig tree.  This is a failure of the spiritual leaders to guide the people to what is spiritually fruitful.  It is a collapse, into a nutshell, of the failure to find faith in Christ's mission through the Incarnation.  Similarly, when Jesus chastises the cities to which His ministry has gone:  "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes" (Matthew 11:21).   When He mentions those mighty works done in those cities, we are also to keep in mind the "mighty works" He could not do, such as in His hometown of Nazareth, because of the lack of faith He found there (see Mark 6:4-6).  Such works are also spiritual fruit in that sense in which they also depend upon the faith of the people.  We're given the sense, through these images and acts in the Gospels, that God's power is always at work, always on offer, as is God's love, but spiritual fruit also depends upon faith, and in this sense, the works of human beings matter too.  It's a sense in which humankind is really the ground of God's work; there is a way in which our free will, as given by God, becomes a sort of gate-keeper to God's work in the world.  It can work through us with our "yes" -- or our lack of faith can become a stumbling block, a closed gate, because even Christ could perform no mighty work without the presence of faith.  When Jesus speaks about prayer in today's reading, and its connection with God's power working through faithful human beings, such as the apostles, He makes clear the role of faith in the work of God's power in the world.  Moreover, and so importantly, He adds the words about forgiveness as an essential part of our prayer.  Without the willingness to "give up" the things in life that challenge us, the injustices and hurts, the things that cause us to believe others owe us something for what has been taken away from us, the trespasses and bad acts done against us, we are not putting all of our lives in the hands of God and allowing God to work God's grace fully in our lives.  As Christ would go to the Cross, so we are to take up our crosses -- which means that our suffering, as well as our joys, is in the hands of God, and that we turn to God to find the ways God wishes for us to walk through an imperfect and unjust world in which evil still plays an active part.  And this is where we are until the Judgment, until we await Christ's final return and the full life of Resurrection promised through the events we celebrate as Easter or Pascha.  In the Church, as faithful in the world, we give everything into the hands of God, so that God's grace may work through us to produce the spiritual fruit Christ is looking for.  For this is who we are as His followers, and His commands that He has given us.  In that sense, the withered fig tree stands as a warning to all of us, for what happens when the love of God is supplanted by the love of something else.

 

 

 

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

 

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. 

 

- Mark 10:46-52 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.  Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And however of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  My study Bible comments that the restoration of sight to the blind was a sign expected to be performed by the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18; 35:4, 5), a power which God had reserved only for God (compare John 9:32).  Son of David, used by Bartimaeus to call Jesus, is a messianic title; it shows that the blind man had faith that Jesus was the Christ (the "Anointed," meaning Messiah).  There is also a spiritual interpretation of this miracle in patristic tradition.  Jericho, my study Bible explains, was a low-lying city which was associated with sin (see Luke 10:30; 19:1); here it symbolizes fallen humanity.  As Christ passes through Jericho, it is an image (or icon) of His Incarnation.  The Lord restoring sight to Bartimaeus is a parallel to His restoring humanity to glory -- to "enlighten" Bartimaeus' eyes is to illuminate humankind.   Having been made whole by Christ, human nature can now follow Christ on the road to the Kingdom, which is symbolized by the Lord's subsequent entrance into Jerusalem (in the verses that immediately follow today's reading, which begin chapter 11).  

How many ways are there for a person to be blind?  In Christ's world, it was commonly understood that a blind person's eyes were "darkened," unable to receive light.   So to have one's sight restored was to have one's eyes opened, allowing light to illuminate sight.  These are all expressions denoting common perceptions about blindness and sight.  But they all clearly have metaphorical meanings.  To be enlightened or illuminated is to understand something, to obtain knowledge, often used to mean spiritual wisdom.  As Christians, we couple this with our understanding, especially through the Gospel of John and other Scriptural references, that God is light (see John 1:4, 5; 1 John 1:5, among many other references).  Also in John's Gospel, Jesus says, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:35).  Here Jesus is referencing both Himself as the light and also light as synonymous with the good, and darkness as evil or the influence of the devil.  Darkness (or the absence of light) may also be seen as a metaphor both for ignorance and even heresy.  A heresy is most often a partial truth.  Like the weeds (or tares) that resemble the wheat in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30), half-truths or partial truths can be more dangerous than outright lies for their ability to deceive.  So we should consider even partial darkness to be metaphorically a problem for human beings.  Each of these considerations reflects on what blindness is when we're speaking in spiritual terms:  blindness may mean being deceived by lies and half-truths, or by hypocrisy, another theme Jesus warns about constantly in the Gospels.  When He levels His criticism at the Pharisees and scribes, it is most often about their hypocrisy.  See especially Matthew 23:1-36, in which He calls them "hypocrites!" many times.  He says to them, "For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:27-28).  This is a metaphor that builds on metaphors:  a whitewashed exterior that seems to reflect the fullness of light hides an interior which is full of darkness.  In that same passage from Matthew 23, further reflecting the theme of spiritual blindness, Jesus calls them "blind guides" and "fools and blind" who lead others into their spiritual darkness and ignorance, misleading with lies, hypocrisy, and heretical partial truths.  ("For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" - Matthew 23:15).  Blind Bartimaeus is perhaps a symbol for a misled humanity:  blind through no fault of  one's own, but simply for having inherited and been born into a world of sin and darkness, of lies and partial truths, of those who mislead for their own gain, and with spiritual leaders who practice hypocrisy.  Jericho becomes a symbol for a world blighted by these effects, which blind us to the light of God, making it hard to find our way.  Into this world comes Christ with His brilliant light, so dazzling (see the Transfiguration reading) that those of us who are used to darkness may ourselves be blinded to it for a time, unable to take it in -- and yet, as my study Bible explains, it is His healing grace that allows us to become whole so that we may receive His light.  Bartimaeus' prayer is one that lasts through the ages and is still with us.   With the quality of faith and trust, the Lord's grace and mercy enable us to truly see and to become accustomed to His light,  so that we may dwell in it.  Let us welcome that light as we walk on the road with Him as does the healed Bartimaeus, toward Jerusalem, becoming more accustomed to His illumination -- so that we, also, may celebrate the Resurrection with Him, in His glory.

 

 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many

Deesis (Supplication) mosaic; Hagia Sophia cathedral, Constantinople, 13th century.  Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on either side of Christ Pantocrator

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.  Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And however of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32-45 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.  Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."   This is Christ's third prediction of His Passion.  My study Bible says these repeated predictions were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face.  They also confirm that Christ was going to His death of His own will and choosing.  

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  My study Bible comments that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple and shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  In Matthew's version of this story,  it is the "mother of Zebedee's sons" who requested this honor; however, John's and James' own involvement is revealed as Jesus uses a plural "you" to address them there in Matthew's Gospel, and also here in Mark's reporting of the story.   Jesus calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  My study Bible explains that the Cross is a cup because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, for He was completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Christ's prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom they would lead after Pentecost.  Christ's declaration that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give does not mean that He lacks authority.  Rather, my study Bible says, it means that they are not His give arbitrarily.  He will, instead, give them to those for whom God has prepared them.  With regard to sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom teaches that there is no one who could fulfill such a position.  Regarding the highest places of honor that can be given to human beings, my study Bible reminds us that the icons of the Orthodox Church universally depict the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women - Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (greatest born of women - Matthew 11:11) holding these places; see the icon above.

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And however of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  My study Bible explains that the phrase for many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

Jesus explains the sacrifices of the Kingdom.  They are not sacrifices considered to be good in and of themselves, for the sake of sacrifice or a sort of discipline.  On the contrary, they are expressions of love in obedience to God's will, for a proper way of doing things which are good and right.  Christ's mission essentially is to set the world right, to bring salvation into the world, to once again bring human beings closer to God, in communion with God, and this mission is one of love.  It is done through love and as an expression of love for human beings.  It is hard for us to reconcile, considering the suffering Christ will bear, and especially in the Cross and His Crucifixion, but His voluntary death and suffering is part of the plan.  In a very real sense, God sacrifices and suffers of Himself, so that God both draws closer to us, and at the same time draws us closer to God.  Whatever we see and know of Christ's mission into the world is born of love and done in love for us, for what is good and right for human beings and human life; indeed "for the life of the world" - John 6:33, 51.  So is the spirit in which Jesus tells James and John Zebedee that the places on His right and left hand (that is, traditional places of "greatness" in an earthly kingdom which we might today translate to the highest cabinet positions in a modern country) are not His to give.  That is, Jesus expresses His own humility and love of the Father in everything He does and says, and conveys this also to John and James.  That these are not places He can arbitrarily assign, such as a way that a politician or figurehead would hand out power to his supporters or those to whom He owes favors, means that they are positions prepared by God and meant to be for the ones who can most further this plan of life and love for all of creation.  In everything, it is God, who is love, who comes first and lays the foundation for all that must follow.  And in this, Christ also asks our voluntary cooperation, just as here He asks it of James and John.  Christ Himself will be the first to literally lay down His life in that kind of obedience and love in this mission of love, and it is only then that He asks us to follow -- after He sets the first and foremost example -- and we are able to join with Him in that.  Indeed, James Zebedee would be the first among the apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:2), and John would go on to a long life of persecution, producing a Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation for the posterity of the Church.  These are services of love, and joining in a mission of love.  And this is the mission into which we are invited to join.  It is love in the same sense that parents will sacrifice time, attention, effort, means, and all kinds of other things in expressing love for their children, and in nurturing them.  It is the same sense of sacrifice for love one makes in caring for an elderly or infirm parent.  It is our love for God, the love in which we share and which is given in abundance, that leads us forward in the ways for us which are right and good, which are meant to heal us and our world.  Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments," as He promises to send us a Helper who will dwell with us (John 14:15-18).   Even so, we may be constantly reminded of His love, just as the disciples knew it for themselves.  As followers of Christ, we do not live lives of "what ifs" and fantasies.   We live lives in which everything we do and experience -- including even the hardships  or suffering -- is given to God and serves the life of the Cross meant for the life of the world, and so we may join in this mission of salvation, with Him.

 

 

With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible

 

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

- Mark 10:17-31 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples departed from Capernaum and came to the region of Judea by the other side (east) of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.   

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God."  My study Bible notes that this man does not come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one whom he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Jesus' response is not to deny that He is God, but rather designed to lead the rich man to this knowledge.  

"You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."   My study Bible comments that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God.  It says that this man had an earnest desire for eternal life, and sensed that he still lacked something; therefore, he continues to press Jesus for the answer.  

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  It's very important that Mark tells us that Jesus loved him.  Therefore His next word to the man, to "sell whatever you have and give to the poor," and have treasure in heaven, and to take up the cross, and follow Him, is a product of Christ's love.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells him to do these things "if you want to be perfect."   To "be perfect," my study Bible comments, one must willing sacrifice all and follow Christ.  Nothing is gained unless this is a sacrifice which is given freely.  The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person, it says.  As wealth had such a great grip on this rich man (and his identity), his only hope was to sell and give away all of his possessions.  In the commentary of St. John Chrysostom on the similar passage in Matthew, he tells us that to give away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Christ in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  My study Bible comments that various interpretations have been suggested for the impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  For example, that the word was not camel, but "rope" (which sounds similar in Aramaic); or that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which a camel might barely squeeze if it were first unloaded of all of its baggage, which symbolizes wealth.  In the Talmud there is the expression "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  Whatever this phrase is referring to, it shows the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  This is clearly evidenced, my study Bible says, by the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?"  But by God's grace, what is impossible for human beings can come to pass.  

Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  My study Bible comments that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom says that this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense -- the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.

What do possessions mean to this man?  Certainly the disciples understand the great difficulty of salvation as reflected in today's story, as indicated by their question to Jesus, "Who then can be saved?"  The disciples, also, would go on to leave family and possessions behind for the sake of the gospel.  But this young man, whom we're told Jesus loved, is clearly tied to his possessions in a way that makes it impossible for him to think about parting from them.  Perhaps his whole identity, including that of his family and place in society, is likely bound up in those possessions, as we might assume they take the form of inherited wealth and property.  He is sincere, but the sacrifice Christ asks of him is something from which he doesn't want to part, and is dear enough so that he cannot make this decision.   If we look with a close eye on this text, we see that Jesus is reminding the disciples of words that He's said to them before:  "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."   In Monday's reading, we were told that the disciples were disputing among themselves while they were on the road about who would be greatest in the kingdom which they no doubt expect will be established by Jesus as an earthly kingdom of Israel.  Jesus said to them then, ""If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."   He then went on to vividly illustrate (in Tuesday's reading) the kinds of sacrifices they would have to be willing to make to be truly great in His Kingdom, and as those who will serve His Church as its leaders.  So, with this statement that "many who are first will be last, and the last first," He's reminding them of the sacrifices it takes to fully enter this Kingdom, and what will characterize those who will be "first" in it.  It is the attitude necessary for those who will be its most prominent members, its greatest and "first."  St. Peter adds a sobering statement that seems to take all of the apostles to the recollection of what their lives are now about, that they have left all and followed Him.  But then Jesus promises the "hundredfold" bounty of the Kingdom, the reality of His promise.  For me, this reality has proven true; although disappointed in "earthly" family or life in many ways, I have found great treasure in the Church, including the joy shared with many brothers and sisters and the love between them which is given by Christ, houses of worship numerous and more beautiful than one could have imagined, the glory of the saints and the illuminated beauty of holy books and holy art, and all the richness found in the Church in so many ways, so many languages, so many countless believers.  This is the glory of God and the Kingdom that we are given, but it does come with a responsibility, that we are asked to mature in Christ, to be willing to give up the things He wants us to leave behind, including those things that would seem to define our identity, things even that are precious to us.  As He illustrates in Tuesday's reading by speaking about amputation of hand, or eye, or foot, there are things that seem to be so deeply a part of us that they are inseparable, and yet we must decisively leave them behind.  These include selfish habits, those that hurt others, or in the case of this young man, the wealth that so has him in its grip, especially while he is yet unaware of the great joy to be found in faith in Christ.  Jesus does not minimize the difficulty!  We can be assured that He understands what He asks of each of us, and our own struggles in faith.  And yet, He calls us forward with Him, where all things become possible.

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it

 

 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. 

 

- Mark 10:1-16 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His teaching to the disciples regarding treatment of the "little ones" or "little children" in the Church.  He taught them, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'   For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." 

 

 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  My study Bible comments that, in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in that day, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (for example, in Matthew 5:31-32 and 19:8-9), and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  In Matthew's Gospel, Christ mentions the possibility for divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality, which shows that marriage can be destroyed by sin, which includes abuse.  In the ancient Church, my study Bible adds,  the possible reasons for divorce were expanded to include threat to a spouse's or child's life, and desertion, in all cases acknowledging the spiritual tragedy of such a situation.  Jesus' quotations are from Genesis 1:27, 5:2; 2:24.

 

 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.   Once again (as in Monday's reading) Jesus uses little children as examples of those who will be in His Church.  My study Bible Theophan's commentary, who says that the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought that children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ rejects this thinking, and sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of God.  Therefore, children are invited -- even as an example to adults -- to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion in the Orthodox Church.  My study Bible further cites Theophan, who comments on a similar passage at Luke 18:15-17, "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."

In thinking about the model of a little child as one who expresses the character of a follower of Christ, one has to ponder what are these qualities that Jesus says belong to the Kingdom of God?   One may try to think back to one's own childhood, but that is not a simple nor easy thing to do -- there's not much objectivity in looking at oneself from the inside out.  The children around me are often fully exuberant:  that is, whatever it is they are doing, they fully feel it in every fiber of their being.  There is very little duplicity of thought, but rather simplicity in terms of sheer focus on whatever it is they're taken by at the moment.  When they greet a friend they recognize, it's without much inhibition of feeling or expression, no matter what their surroundings.  If a child wants you to go away, they will be very blunt about that too!   Purity of heart can be linked to a type of directness that is not related to immaturity but rather to the capacity for simplicity:  for being the same on the inside as on the outside.  Whatever is expressed to another is done without manipulation, double-talk, or intervening "smoke and mirrors," so to speak.  When Jesus sends the disciples out on their first apostolic mission, He tells them, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  In point of fact, when we look at the Greek of the text, this word translated as "harmless" (or often as "innocent") really means "pure."  It is literally "unmixed" -- meaning a heart that is not conflicted, nor tainted with ulterior motives or flaws.  It is akin to the purity of a perfect natural pearl, made purely of nacre alone.  This quality of the Kingdom of God is one of the purity to give oneself fully to God, nothing held back.  For those of us who seek this path of faith, all too often it seems it is par for the course to discover yet more within the heart that must be dealt with and reconciled to God, often requiring of us a sense of sacrifice (see especially yesterday's reading for the subject of this type of sacrifice).  There is always more that needs refining, as life's experiences, stored away deep within ourselves, will come up again for re-examination, and for giving up to Christ, laying our own assumptions and responses at the foot of the Cross.  To be like a little child is also possibly to have the humility to accept correction, that there really is an authority that knows better than we do, and especially the capacity to trust in God who holds that authority.  To have that trusting nature is the mark of a child, and to be able to have that kind of trust is linked to the real nature of faith.  In the Greek of the Scriptures, when Christ speaks of faith, it is a word whose root means "trust."  As adults, we might not meet many people in life we fully trust, but the heart we bear within us from childhood may reveal that trust to Christ, for that is the true root of faith, the face we can turn toward God.

 

 

 

For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

- Mark 9:42-50 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day."  But they did not understand  this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

  "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  We remember that Jesus is still speaking to those who will be His bishops, teachers, and leaders in His Church (see yesterday's reading, above).  He is teaching them what it means to be great in His kingdom.  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit. 

 

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes yo to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"   Jesus is still speaking about abuses of power in His Church, what kind of leadership or "greatness" He expects His disciples to have, as those who will be in charge of guidance for the "little ones" in His Church, the ones who will be in their spiritual care.  My study Bible comments that Jesus' repeated references to mutilation are illustrations of decisive action to avoid sin, and is certainly not advocating literal amputation.  It notes also that these are references to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26, 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 66:24.

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study Bible says that to be seasoned with fire means being tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  When He says that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, Jesus is quoting Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Jesus refers to His disciples as salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13-16), where He calls them the "salt of the earth."  Salt had a sacrificial significance because of its preservative powers, necessity for life, and ability to give flavor, to which Jesus refers both here and in the Sermon on the Mount (see also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, my study Bible comments, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  

Jesus makes several references to sacrifice in today's reading.  We know the context of the sacrifices in the temple, and also Jesus' objections to the ways in which the system of animal sacrifices worked in the temple, especially in terms of money and the poor (see the cleansing of the temple at Mark 11:15-18; and His teaching regarding the poor widow, especially in contrast to His teaching on the scribes which immediately precedes it, at Mark 12:39-43).  In today's reading, Jesus teaches His own disciples His notions about power and its use  in His kingdom and, of course, in the Church meant to be a conduit of that Kingdom into the world.  They will be the leaders of the Church, and their leadership must be like His, contrasting significantly with the things He criticizes of the religious leadership in His time.  Jesus' whole ministry, and in particularly His own sacrifice on the Cross which is yet to come at this point in the Gospel narrative, will transform notions of power and how power is connected to sacrifice.   The sacrifices of the temple will come to an end, but Christ will make a once-for-all sacrifice of Himself for all the rest of us, of which we still partake in the Eucharist.  And the sacrifices He is demanding of His own disciples, especially as leaders in His Church, must also be their own.  In today's reading, He demands sacrifices of ourselves that do not literally concern hand or eye or feet, but rather what bad habits and practices we might do using our own capacities -- and that applies in particular to how the "little ones" are treated, or exploited, or abused.  A hand might reach out to grab what does not belong to us.  Let us note that among Jesus' criticism of the scribes at 12:38-40 includes that they "devout widows' houses," among other practices He disparages.  A hand may also reach out to harm, abuse, or exploit a little one, which we most significantly know from more recent scandals in the Church.  Let us remember that when Jesus uses this term, the "little ones," He isn't only speaking of the physically small, such as children, but all those who are to some extent powerless and trusting, without great standing in the world.  These are the vulnerable.  An eye may reach out with lust for someone or something that is not rightfully one's own to lust after or to covet.  A foot may tread where it is unwanted, across boundaries both physical and invisible, that rightly should be respected for other persons.   To hold power in His Church is to be a servant to all, as He said in yesterday's reading (see above):  "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  The sacrifices which Jesus asks of His followers, and especially His future leaders, are those we make which will be tested by the fire of the Holy Spirit that burns the impurities of our own hearts, and seasoned with the salt of our faithful fidelity to Christ.  The sacrifices which He asks for are those that will be demanded in service to Him and to the Body of Christ, to the little ones, which might include our own need for greatness in the eyes of others, the practice of "lording it over" others, and so many more types of sacrifices in the name of our own humility before Christ.  To put it in a modern colloquial vernacular, it is our own "egos" that will tested, that will need to make sacrifices, our habits that flatter or in other ways seemingly enrich ourselves, but at the expense of others, especially those who have no currency, no social clout, the "little ones."  We are asked to befriend such people, to invite those to our table who cannot pay us back (Luke 14:12-14), for the practice of real graciousness and kindness happens this way, figuratively or otherwise.  This is the true test of greatness, the sacrifice of fire and salt He asks of us.  As His followers, we are to be "like Him," for this is the purpose of His mission and the gracious expression of God's love He brings to the world.  Through His love, we each may also realize how rich we are, and what abundance we have to give, in following His teachings on what sacrifice is, and what He wants of us.  And lest we forget His final words in today's reading, this is also the way we will have peace with one another.