Blessed are you

 

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

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

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

"Blessed are you poor,

For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you, and cast your your name as evil,

For the Son of Man's sake.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich,

For you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12-26 

 

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

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: . . .  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  Instead, as the Son of Man, He prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).   Moreover, according to Theophylact, Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles in order to teach us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  The twelve are called interchangeably both disciples and apostles.  The Greek word translated as "disciple" means literally "learner."  "Apostle" means "one sent out." 

. . . Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.   My study Bible comments that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  The names here and in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4) are given in pairs, suggesting who might have traveled together on the first missionary journey, as Mark reports that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7). 

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Note that for the sermon He will give here, Jesus stood on a level place.  For that reason, the sermon in the verses that follow is called the Sermon on the Plain.  It is also noteworthy that, in addition to all those from Judea and Jerusalem (and, we presume, Galilee), there are also people present from the Gentile regions of the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.  Although the Sermon on the Plain is not as extension as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), it is similar in content.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  In the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," meaning those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  This can also clearly mean those oppressed or excluded because of their faith and humility.  Blessed in the context of Christ's teaching means heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than a worldly kind of happiness or simply material prosperity.  In Hebrew, my study Bible comments, "poor" means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people. 

 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again we remember the kind of blessings Jesus refers to here.  In the Sermon on the Mount, it's reported that He taught, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."   

 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."    In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ speaks of the blessedness of those who mourn.  That is, according to my study Bible, those who sorrow over the suffering of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  

 

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and cast your your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."    My study Bible comments that those who would be children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Luke Jesus, there will be those who, in response, hate, exclude, and cast one's name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake (see also John 15:18-20).  It adds that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."   Luke reports four "woes" which are not found in Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount.  My study Bible comments that woe is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Those who prize the vices which are listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; however, according to St. Cyril of Alexandria, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.

 

 In giving us both the blessings and the woes that accompany the kingdom of God and His gospel, Jesus teaches us about the centrality of this Kingdom to our lives.  He's saying that we have both blessings within it, and woes that come without it, and He offers us a perspective that teaches quite clearly that being a part of this Kingdom is worth every sacrifice and any worldly suffering it might entail.  The blessings of this Kingdom come despite nominal worldly hardship because of it, in Christ's framework of Beatitudes here.  We are blessed although among the poor, because ours is the kingdom of God.  We are blessed when we hunger, for we shall be filled.  When we weep we are nonetheless blessed because we shall laugh.  And when we are hated by others, and excluded, and our name is slandered as evil -- all for the Son of Man's sake -- we are also blessed!  In fact, we are to rejoice, and leap for joy, because our reward is great in heaven, and in so suffering we join the ranks of the prophets of the past.  He asks us to celebrate this blessedness even in the midst of worldly suffering because of our faith.  On the other hand, there are woes here for those who reject the Kingdom, and who reap a worldly harvest at the same time (even possibly because of that rejection).  The rich will receive no other consolation; those who are full (in contrast to the hungry faithful) shall hunger.  Those who laugh now shall mourn and weep.  And those whose reputation is great and flattered shall suffer the same fate as the false prophets.  It might be safe to say that we all know those who seem to have a good life possibly because they reject living the values that Christ teaches -- and also those who nominally follow Christ in an outward fashion.  But consider what it means to truly accept the things He posits here.  Can we rejoice when we're reviled for His sake?  Are we really capable of understanding, contrary to the plethora of suggestions in the world that having all things immediately at our fingertips is a guarantee of a great life, that a deferred consolation might really be far better than the things with which we could gratify ourselves right now?  These are not easy teachings, but they nevertheless make a great deal of sense with a little spiritual experience.   Some have learned by sharing the bitter experience of letting oneself down with, say, easy money gained through a cheap cheat of someone we care about.  Another common path to this knowledge through experience is in finding a purely outward fix through indulgence and forgetfulness in whatever vice we choose, rather than really grappling with and struggling with an inner problem.  These remain common experiences in a modern world -- and the true "fix" to the problems that deeply ail us remains still in the spiritual struggle that is there within us.  There are all kinds of ways of losing ourselves within the worldly framework of what looks good on the surface.  For example,  popularity and flattery, getting the big house or car or boat even through not-so-honest or decent ways of conducting our business, or a high lifestyle that seeks to ignore the question of integrity and even the inner struggle with our own troubles.  These dilemmas remain with us and become magnified with greater worldly wealth and temptation.  There are myriad books in any marketplace to testify to such struggles, and self-help programs, medications, and therapies that continue to proliferate in an effort to offer solutions.  But so much in the end comes down to facing the true fact that it is the intangible that gives us reward, the struggle that gives us substance, and the love of God that is the comfort that answers our deepest needs for consolation.  In the end, it is the love and mercy of the Kingdom that become reliable -- despite worldly loss -- because those are the things that stay with us while everything else can fluctuate.  Those are the needs we still have when everything else is transcended.  Witness the enduring problems in the headlines of people who have too much too fast, of the wealthy and famous, the anxieties that can accompany worldly achievement.  Let us consider the Kingdom, and Christ's teaching.  For whatever we have in life, a real need remains for what is of true substance, and the spiritual life the one place to seek the answers we haven't  managed to find.  There are times when we make a choice between this inner struggle of working out our salvation and some sort of worldly plan for "success."  Let us cherish the value of the one over the other, and know that all things may be added to the one we are to seek first. 

The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

 

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

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

 

- Luke 6:1-11 

 

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

 

  Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.   And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him?  How he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.  My study Bible has a considerable note on the expression second Sabbath after the first.  It notes that this term was used when there was a Jewish feast which immediately followed the normal Sabbath, as a feast was also known as a Sabbath.  According to St. Ambrose, my study Bible says, the term "second Sabbath" is an image of the new covenant and the eternal resurrection:  the first Sabbath indicates the Law, while the second Sabbath indicates the gospel that follows it.  (Note how this theme naturally follows yesterday's reading -- see above -- and Jesus' statements therein regarding the old wine and the new, with the new needing "new wineskins.")  Under the old covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  David prefigured this when he gave the showbread . . . to those with him.

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

 

Have you ever made a rule for yourself, and then later realize you must rethink it and "bend" that rule a little -- if not change it altogether?  So often we come to conclusions that we decide are much better for us and resolve to make rules around them, such as, "I will never do that again!"  Or possibly we vow that we can't tolerate something (or somebody) and vow to eliminate such influence from our lives.  But God has a way of making God's love present to us not in absolute rules, but in  our own capacity to be "sensitive to God's mercy" (if we may paraphrase the note in my study Bible on the insensitivity to such on the part of the scribes and Pharisees).  What may be very well-meaning, and even rooted in a good impulse, may come to be a burden and even a curse -- or worse, it may come to be something that separates us from the love of God.  Humility is a key to understanding this.  It is essential that we always maintain our humility before God, remembering God and taking time out for earnest prayer.  This is because within the constant changes of life, we must always remember where our anchor is.  It is not in absolute rules about this, and that, or the other thing.  We can see this play out in social life, especially in social media.  One day, all people who think "X" are bad; the next we hear or read about an incident in which someone is easily smeared with such accusation and treated harshly -- and the next thing we know, social commentators are revisiting "X" with new nuances and a re-evaluation of the old accepted wisdom.  Our anchor and constant is Christ, for it is only in remembering the love of God that we also may remember who we are and who we are called to be in the world.  In this sense, humility before God serves us as those who wish to be righteous and just, who wish to find the word of God in our hearts.  The scribes and Pharisees as described in the Gospels had a lot of human faults, but as my study Bible says, they believed that through their zeal for the "rules" they had developed around God's Law, they were serving God.  We should note that Jesus teaches the disciples at the Last Supper that, "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service" (John 16:2).  This is the problem with legalism, with absolute rules we make for ourselves, whether they be social, political, or otherwise.  Christ's love will ask us to expand our perspective, will teach us humility in that we don't have all the answers to all things, that we need to depend upon God for insight and learning, all the time -- that this, in fact, is the essence of discipleship.  If we look around at our world, we see it beset with violence and problems of all kinds.  A great deal of these problems come from absolutes of one sort or another, and many of us remain unaware that we are under the influence of professional persuasion all the time to believe in one sort of "rule" or another that we always must follow.  We are to hate "this person" or "these people."  We are only to embrace "these" others, while we pillory another.  These are the rules of the crowd that always follows the crowd, just like the things we read in the Gospels and in the life of Jesus.  Let us be anchored in Christ, in our own knowledge of our need for discipline and humility, for self-knowledge and correction, and especially for the light of God's love and mercy.  For this is the only real true and dependable constant, and it will ask us to open our eyes to new things we don't yet know, and to grow in that love and faith.  Just as Jesus indicated in our reading from yesterday, and is illustrated in today's reading, we are called to be the "new wineskin"s that may expand with the new wine of His new covenant.   For He is always working, always making all things new.

 

 

Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?

 

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

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

 

- Luke 5:27-39 

 

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

 

 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.  Levi (also known as Matthew) answers Christ's call, "Follow Me," and -- like the fishermen in yesterday's reading (see above), leaves his occupation to become a disciples.  My study Bible comments that from the beginning of His ministry, Christ has been a friend of tax collectors and sinners, which is one of the Pharisees' complaints against Him a little further along in today's reading.  Similarly again to Peter, James, and John, who were previously followers of the ministry of John the Baptist, Levi might also have been one of the tax collectors that Luke tells us were prepared for Christ by John the Baptist (see Luke 3:12).  

 

Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  My study Bible comments that this feast expresses Matthew's joy and gratitude.  It says that the guest register is a stirring demonstration of the fruit of Jesus' love and forgiveness.  

Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"  And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."  Then He spoke a parable to them:  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved."   My study Bible notes that Jesus' earthly life is a time of joyous blessings.  But, He indicates, there will come a time when His followers will practice the fast.  In calling Himself the Bridegroom, however, Jesus indicates His role as Messiah, and so the time that He is together with His disciples is one of joy and feasting.  After His Passion, the Jewish tradition of fasting would be transfigured in Christianity, a time of remembrance and participation in His Passion, a tool for self-control in discipleship, and a preparation for the Wedding Feast.

 

"And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"  My study Bible remarks that this saying is included only in Luke's account.  It is illustrative of several things; notably the difficulty with which the Jews would accept the new covenant, the inner resistance a person faces in turning from a sinful way of life, and the general stubbornness of the human heart.  

Over the course of the past few readings, Luke's Gospel has been concerned with the issue of sin and discipleship in Christ's new ministry.  There was first of all the episode in which Jesus told Peter, James, and John to lower their nets for an extraordinary catch of fish, and Peter responded in his astonishment and recognition of Christ's holiness, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  (in Monday's reading).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus both forgave a paralyzed man his sins, and then healed him of paralysis -- because of the faith of the man's friends who brought him before Christ (see the text of Tuesday's reading, above).  In today's reading, Jesus calls as disciple, and then keeps company, with people understood in the society as notorious sinners.  It is in this context that the Pharisees begin to question Him.  Tax collectors worked for Rome, often using their power of their office to collect more than was their due from their fellow Jews.   As Christ and His disciples share a feast with Matthew and those who come to his house, the question of fasting arises as well.  We should understand that the Jews typically fasted twice a week, on Monday and Thursday.  Moreover there were regular public fasts which were observed, such as the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:31-34) and in times of mourning (Zechariah 7:5; 8:19), and also occasionally proclamations of fasts would be made.  In today's reading, Jesus makes clear that He is the Bridegroom who is with His people, hence the feast -- but that the days will come when they will fast.  Since we have already observed Jesus' forgiveness of sins (in yesterday's reading), we may begin to get a sense of what it means to be the Christ, the Bridegroom.  In the context of Christ's ministry, forgiveness is possible through the encounter with Christ, through repentance and the renewal possible via faith.  This is the new wine of the New Covenant being introduced.  We may be struck by Peter's sudden awareness of his sinfulness in Monday's reading, a recognition before Christ of the truth of his life and a need for discipleship.  In yesterday's reading, the faith of the paralyzed man's friends and the forgiveness of his sins by Christ are both linked to his healing from his ailment -- and both are made possible through that faith.  Here in today's reading, Jesus sits at what might be called a preview of the Wedding Feast to come at the end of the age, when Christ returns for His Bride, the Church.  We can see the response of the Pharisees as they are both perplexed and concerned at this expression of His ministry, and also their questioning of why He and His disciples do not fast.  The life and ministry of Christ, as noted above, would transfigure the entire notion of the fast, and produce a different kind of fasting in Christianity.  In the Orthodox tradition, fasting is often called a "bright sadness," because in it one looks forward to the wedding feast.  In the Christian tradition of fasting, we fast for the reasons noted by my study Bible.  We fast in preparation for the times of feasting.  We fast in discipleship in order to learn our own capacity for choice and for self-control and to develop our own power of detachment.  We also fast in participation and remembrance of Christ's Passion (on Wednesdays, and more commonly on Fridays) and His own refusal of temptation in the wilderness (during Lent).  Fasting practices differ from place to place.  But they are meant to be times of controlled abstinence from certain things, such as particular foods, or a limited time of eating altogether (possibly even for part of a day), and also of abstinence from sinful behavior, such as backbiting and gossiping, things we know might harm our discipleship and our communities.  In short, fasting is a time to "remember God," to make space for an awareness, like St. Peter, of our reverence for Him and what He asks of us.  It is not a question of how well we follow rules, but a question of simply renewing and dedicating ourselves to our faith.  We do the best we can, and it helps us to learn that we are not simply compelled by our appetites and passions in life, as we make choices for that discipline.  The fasting practices of the Church become tools for helping us to break addictive behaviors, and to rely on more deeply on Christ and our faith.  They help us to remember humility, and to remember those who of necessity must make do with less -- as times of fasting are also times that call upon us for charitable activities as well.  In the modern "developing" world of greater abundance than in the past, fasting is often misunderstood, forgotten and discarded.  But it might be wise in our modern context to learn its practice, and its benefits to us -- to remember that it's not about the rules, but about our own struggle for ourselves and our souls.  We have a forgiving, loving Savior -- but He calls upon us to take up our own crosses, to practice discipleship, to remember who we are and grow in that remembrance and discipleship.  We are called to know ourselves, and to come to repentance for things we need to change.  Fasting becomes a practice for learning that we can discard old habits and practices that aren't really good for us.  Our Bridegroom will be with us again.  But let us remember His words about how attached we may grow to the old wine, while He offers us the new wine of His Kingdom and His covenant.

 

 

 

When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you"

 

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

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

 

- Luke 5:12-26 

 

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

 

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Leprosy, we should understand, was one of the most dreaded diseases of the time of Christ.  It brought great physical suffering, and also total banishment and isolation from society.  This was both in accordance with Mosaic Law and general practice of the time and for centuries later; my study Bible explains that leprosy is also a symbol of our sin. 

 

  Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him.  And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."  Christ gives the command to "show yourself to the priest" in order to convince the priests by a tangible miracle that He is superior to Moses.  So writes St. Cyril of Alexandria, who is cited here by my study Bible.  The priests hold Moses to be greater than Christ, but Christ heals a leper immediately and with His own divine authority.  When Miriam, the sister of Moses, as struck with leprosy, Moses had to seek mercy from above, and still she was only healed after seven days (Numbers 12:10-15).  In addition, we should understand that Christ is telling the healed leper to fulfill the precepts of the religious law, in which priests were charged with dealing with lepers and leprous houses, as well as giving a certificate to enable the person to again participate in the community.  

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  Note that this is Christ's response to the growing fame of Himself and His ministry:  He often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  The more the world presses in and knows Him, the more He seeks communion with the Father.

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  It's important to note that at this time, due to the rising fame of Jesus as described above, the Pharisees and other members of the religious establishment have clearly taken note of His ministry.  Here, Jesus is still in Capernaum, but these Pharisees and teachers of the law have come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem to observe what He's doing; that is, they have come from all areas of Israel.  

 

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

We note that in the healing of the paralytic, forgiveness and healing go hand in hand.  The Gospels include careful examples of Jesus explicitly denying that sin is responsible for afflictions in particular cases.  For example, when the disciples observe a man born blind, they ask Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus tells them that he is not blind because of sins, his own or those of his parents, but "that the works of God may be revealed in him" (see John 9).  In today's story, however, there seems to be a different understanding; that this man's paralysis is somehow connected to sin.  In fact, in patristic literature, paralysis is seen as an image or allegory to sin.  We become "stuck" in a repeated sin, habits we repeat and can't get past, ways of thinking we don't wish to change, false beliefs that keep us in the same bad place until we can come to a better understanding or more clarity.  Although we know very well that in this world 'bad things happen to good people' (and Jesus serves as our primary example of that), and the Gospels show us the malice of demonic presence and affliction of all kinds upon the innocent, here there seems to be some connection between this man's paralysis and sin -- as the first thing Jesus does, because of their faith, is forgive the paralyzed man for his sins ("Man, your sins are forgiven you").  The remarkable characteristic here is that forgiveness is extended to this man not because of anything he has done, but because of the faith of his friends, who so earnestly seek to get him before Christ that they go up on the roof and lower him down through the tiles into the crowded home.  They have made every effort on his behalf.  But again, we note that it's not simply because of their effort per se, but because of their faith that prompts those efforts.  Here, then, the power of faith is clearly on display -- because the great faith of the man's friends can work to free him from the paralysis of sin, and then even of the physical paralysis of his body due to Christ's spiritual and physical healing and intervention.  While there are several things to learn from this story, perhaps its greatest news for us is the power of prayer that is conveyed here.  Prayer is not only shown as being collective, but it is also somehow "contagious" -- that is, if we are a part of a praying community, we can benefit from that prayer, even when we are "stuck" somewhere in our own incapacity for prayer, our own sins or spiritual paralysis that puts us in such a state.  The prayers of a community can still help those who are nominally connected to that body of faith; prayers here work like a network that does not stop functioning just because one of its points isn't fully functioning.  Even if one is unable to participate due to some sort of affliction, be it of the soul, spirit, or body, prayer here works to bring that person before Christ, to help to gain freedom from sin and affliction, to find forgiveness.  This is why we may pray for others, why every Church service contains numerous prayers for both the living and the dead, for those of community and even outside the nominal church community in some sense (such as civil authorities).  It is why we pray for saints and we consider that saints may also pray for us; we are all part of the communion of Christ, the "great cloud of witnesses" that surrounds us (Hebrews 12:1).  In short, there are no real barriers to prayer that we know of, as illustrated in today's text.  We pray for those who have passed as well as for the living; and like the friends of the paralytic in today's reading, we may pray for those who, for whatever reason, may not be capable of praying for themselves.  It seems safe to say that we all know people who are either unaware of or unable to face their own problems, who may need our faith and our prayers even in secret for them.  Clearly, from the teachings of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, our prayers need not be known to others to be effective.  The one thing we might say makes our prayers ineffective is insincerity, hypocrisy, doing things only to be seen by others (see Matthew 6:5-6).  (For Christ, we know this also includes charitable deeds.)  For today, let us take note of the amazing power of prayer to make itself effective against all kinds of barriers.  It need not be the person with the problem who prays to be effective; time and space make no difference in terms of boundaries or barriers.  And let us consider, also, that we pray together with an entire created order of beings, including angels of unknown number and rank.  When we think about prayer, let us consider what a wide network we join, together with the work of the Holy Spirit in us and among us, for all gather unto Him.  Jesus Himself sets the example in today's reading, withdrawing all the more for prayer as His ministry expands.  Let us take confidence in doing likewise.

 

 

 

 

Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men

 

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

 

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1–11 

 

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

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.   The Lake of Gennesaret is also known as the Sea of Galilee, which indeed is truly a very large lake.  Possibly this name is used here in the context of the story as Gennesaret was a name that holds the meaning of a type of garden (possibly meaning "princely gardens").  The entire region was understood as extremely fertile agriculturally, as well as for its abundance of fish, germane to today's reading.  Note that the text tells us that Jesus sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  Sitting was the traditional position for an authoritative  Jewish teacher.  My study Bible remarks that some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  

 

 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  Jesus tells Simon to launch out into the deep.  My study cites St. Ambrose as seeing the spiritual meaning of this command as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  It adds that the Lord draws people to Himself through things that are familiar to them.  It says that as He drew the Magi with a star (Matthew 2:2), and as He would draw tax collectors by a tax collector (Luke 5:29), here He draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). 

 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"   Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus (contrast Luke 8:37), but an astonishing recognition of Christ's holiness.  My study Bible comments that being suddenly cast in the light of Christ, holy people such as Peter become keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17).  

 

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  My study Bible says that the great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Moreover, it fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  In the festal hymn of Pentecost, the Orthodox sing, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."  Note that the text says that they forsook all and followed Him.  They respond with full hearts; they are all in.

 

Jesus "brings in" these first disciples through the extraordinary catch of fish in the place He told them to put down their nets.  It is enough for Simon Peter to understand Christ's holiness, and indeed to call Him "Lord."  John's Gospel tells us that these first disciples were earlier introduced to Christ through the preaching of John the Baptist (John 1:35-42).   So we may assume that although this is the first encounter mentioned in Luke's Gospel (after the healing of Peter's mother-in-law in Saturday's reading),  Peter, James, and John already knew who Jesus was and had certainly heard His preaching.  But when this extraordinary catch of fish happens for them, it reveals to Peter a deep truth he was somehow prepared to accept.  It is not some sort of "proof" that compels him to faith, or simply dazzles him with astonishment.  It serves as a sign of truth which prompted something in him that was already seeking, and prepared to be kindled by faith.  We can learn from his response what it is to truly respond to a revelation, a sign of something present, and to recognize that presence through the kindling of honest faith.  His astonished response, so typical of this earnest if not always prudent apostle, gives us the truth of what type of man he is, and what is in his heart.  He feels his whole self revealed to Christ, even as Christ is -- through his capacity for faith -- revealed to him.  This kind of "naked" revelation of his soul in the light of Christ is what prompts his response to Jesus.  It is Peter's own awareness of his sinfulness, his imperfection, that he becomes aware of.   Peter's absolute honesty and recognition of himself in that light becomes a testimony to his capacity for faith, another revelation of what kind of man he is, and why he becomes the apostle we know.  These three -- Peter, James, and John -- will become Christ's closest inner circle, the ones with the faith He most relies upon throughout His ministry.  When Jesus goes up on the Mount of Transfiguration, it is Peter, James, and John whom He takes with Him (Luke 9:28-36).  When He prays before His Passion in the garden of Gethsemane, it is Peter, James, and John upon whom He calls to stay with Him and pray (Matthew 26:35-46).  None of these disciples does everything perfectly when asked by Jesus on these occasions (there is a lot of sleep involved when things are overwhelming for them).  It is during the time in Gethsemane when Jesus tells Simon (Peter), "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).  But it is from encounters such as the one in today's reading that we understand Jesus calls those whose spirit is willing, and knows who they are, for they respond with something deep inside of themselves that is the root of faith.  Let us keep in mind that He will give Simon the name Peter ("Rock"), for the rock of faith upon which the Church will be built, expressed in Peter's confession (Matthew 16:13-20).  For now, let us understand that the recognition with which Simon responds to Christ in today's reading is a sign of that capacity for faith, a deep response that grasps at the true meaning in the abundance of faith.  For He calls those upon whom He seeks to rely for the growth of that faith, and discipleship, and we may well also become fishers of men like they do.

 

And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"

 

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. 

 

- Luke 4:38-44 

 

In yesterday's reading, we read that, having begun His public ministry, and after speaking in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  My study Bible comments that this passage, and also 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas), indicate that Peter was married.  (See this article regarding modern archaeological discoveries concerning Peter's home in Capernaum.)   Note that here Christ healed with a word, a rebuke (in Matthew 8:15, we're also told that He touched her hand).  My study Bible quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."  

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Again, we see this healing action by rebuking on Christ's part.  Following the line of the commentary from St. Cyril quoted above regarding Christ rebuking the fever of Peter's mother-in-law, we must observe how there is spiritual battle going on, a conflict, and Christ is a powerful authority for one side of that conflict.  The Gospel presents Christ's ministry of healing as directly connected to this battle as well.  Again, as in yesterday's reading, Jesus does not allow the demons to speak, to announce to the world His identity as Christ (the Messiah) and Son of God.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.  My study Bible notes that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  Miracles and healings, it says, testify both to the truth of the message and to the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  This same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30). 

We note the ongoing signs of the spiritual warfare that carries on unseen to most of us, but is brought out into the open through the presence of Christ.  Twice in today's reading, signs of a presence that bodes ill for human beings come to the fore.  First there is the fever of Peter's mother-in-law.  We're told that Jesus stood over her and rebuked the fever.  St. Cyril of Alexandria comments that whatever would be rebuked was surely some living thing which would be conscious of the rebuke.  We can see the harm this "living thing" does:  it lays a woman down with fever who otherwise holds an esteemed position within a household.  For to serve Christ is indeed an honored position, and she rises up and is able again to take her rightful place.  We must infer from this passage that whatever this was is harmful to human beings.  Should it have a consciousness, it bears a kind of malice, stirs up trouble, makes life painful and difficult.  Throughout the Gospels, we should note that this is the behavior of the demonic, which is in opposition to Jesus, the Healer.  Then we're told that many with various diseases come to the door of the house to be healed, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  But in addition, this detail:  that "demons also came out of many."  Note that not all disease here is attributed to demons, but this was true for many of those who were healed.  The demons were also crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  So there is another hint about the spiritual reality that goes on unseen, for the most part, around us in our world, but is seemingly laid bare by the presence of Christ.  They know who He is.  Unlike the human beings who populate the Gospels for the most part, the demons have no trouble identifying Him and recognizing His power.  But they reveal what Christ wishes not to be revealed (see yesterday's reading and commentary for various reasons why this is so).  And so, with His power as the Holy One of God, Christ rebukes them and commands them not to speak.  We must note the power difference:  Christ is clearly the stronger man who can bind the "strong man" who was harming these people who come for healing (see Luke 11:16-23).  Jesus' ministry began with what is understood as spiritual warfare, or the "unseen battle" that goes on in this world which we very rarely openly perceived, when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (in Wednesday's reading).  So we are given to understand the reality of the power of Christ (and of the Helper, the Holy Spirit).  He has come into the world as Savior, as Redeemer, as Healer -- but a great part of that healing is being the stronger power that overcomes the power of malice, of spiritual force that seeks to use and to harm human beings.  While we may understand that we frequently must make choices ourselves between things that cause harm and that which would not, the complex picture of life in this world is often confusing from our perspective.  We hear so many conflicting opinions, we're confronted with so many different stories -- many of which are told simply to persuade -- that it is hard to tell the difference between what is good and what is bad.  But we still know the properties of that which afflicts and harms, that which oppresses and causes pain, toxic circumstances and overly punitive mindsets that take pleasure in hurting others.  We might all begin to consider what it is to meet those without compassion -- or worse, those who feign compassion and have no depth of insight or forgiveness at all.  Let us consider that this battle continues around us, even when and if we don't or can't perceive it.  Let us understand that our prayers count in this battle, that our understanding and our faith make a difference and bring His presence more fully to be manifest into this world.  For we are here not as slaves to our Master, but as those who are children, and friends whom He asks to join Him in this struggle, with Him.

 

 

I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!

 

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

- Luke 4:31-37 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His forty day period of fasting and temptation in the wilderness,  Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.    So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.   After his forty-day period of fasting and temptation in the wilderness, and His journey and preaching in His hometown of Nazareth of Galilee, Jesus begins His public ministry in an even fuller sense.  My study Bible notes that, according to St. Ambrose of Milan, Christ begins preaching and healing on the Sabbaths to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  Capernaum is the city which will become His "headquarters" for His ministry, the home of Peter and Andrew.

And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. To teach with authority that Jesus' teaching differs from the prophets of old and the teachers of His day.  They taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), while Christ teaches in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5. 

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.  Here is also evidence of Christ's authority, and we see that reflected in that the people were all amazed at his power to command the unclean spirits.  Note that Jesus rebuked the demon who identifies Him as the Holy One of God, by saying, "Be quiet."  My study Bible notes several reasons why the Lord refuses to fully disclose His identity as Messiah, and remarks that this was foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  The reasons for secrecy include first, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders which is soon to come in response to His ministry.  Second, the people misunderstand the Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, the Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith, which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  

We might wonder at the authority of Jesus, expressed so early in His ministry.  What did He do before that?  Why are the people of His hometown so astonished at His gracious words?  (See yesterday's reading, above.)  When Jesus decided it was time to begin His public ministry, with His baptism in the Jordan by John, it is clear that this was the appropriate time.  As the prophecy of Isaiah says, He proclaims "the acceptable year of the LORD."  This is the time to begin to use His authority, to express Himself with it through His words and teaching, and even to cast out the unclean demons through that authority.  It might occur to us to consider why Jesus didn't bother throwing out all the unclean demons, and the devil, and whatever spiritual evil exists in the world while He was at it.  Why didn't He just fix everything to be always good before He left this world?  (Of course, we must also throw in upon this subject the question of why He had to die the way He did.)  All of these things are connected to what is called "theodicy."  This is the question of why God permits evil in the world.  Hidden in the notes on today's text is an important reason, that Christ wants people to come to faith not because they are convinced by "proofs" (like the miraculous signs He produces), not because they are astonished through such things, but rather willingly, of their own internal volition.  This is genuine faith He desires, a kind of longing and loyalty that really comes from love, and is a response to the love God brings to us, especially in the Person of Jesus Christ.  God does not compel us to love God back; this has to be voluntary.  Faith and love are deeply, closely connected, for they are both rooted in trust.  Who is it that you really trust in your life?  To whom do you give your trust?  This is the real concept of faith, in essence, and we can see its link to love and to loyalty.  St. John writes, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  One does not need to have been one of Christ's first earthly disciples to feel and experience this love, and it is also shared through the saints -- most notably Christ's mother, to whom so many have turned in their own pain, difficulties, and sorrow.  This kind of compassion in communion can truly be experienced through faith.  But still, even so, why does God permit evil in the world?  This is because, strange as it might seem -- and paradoxical as well -- we human beings are at the center of God's concern.  If God truly desires those who can worship in spirit and in truth (see John 4:23-24), then we must come to faith voluntarily and not through compulsion.  If we had no choices in our pathway in life, how different would life be?  Would we be those capable of faith although beset by temptations -- just as Christ faced worldly temptation in the wilderness?  Jesus has spoken of faith as work ("This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" -- see John 6:28-29), and so it is.  It is a struggle to find the true place in our hearts where we know that our Redeemer lives, just as did Job who struggled with evil in this world (Job 19:25).  It is the way we carry our own cross, as Christ carried His (Luke 9:23).  This is what it is to work the work of faith, for we are His prized precious children, who come to Him voluntarily, and through struggle, to realize His love and to return that love ourselves.  Let us consider the authority of Christ, and His love for us, for we know His struggle for us as well.

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me

 

 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.  

 

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me 

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  

 

So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

 

- Luke 4:14–30 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His baptism by John,  Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.  And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.  And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"  Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"  Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

 

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.   Jesus begins His public ministry, again, as with His withdrawal for fasting and temptation (see yesterday's reading, above) in the power of the Spirit.  His ministry begins in Galilee, His home region where He was raised.  Note the immediate sense of the public response to His ministry; He was glorified by all.

 

 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  My study Bible explains that as Christ is the eternal Son of God, He did not become the world's anointed Savior, but has always been our Savior from before the foundation of the world.  It was Christ who spoke through Isaiah the prophet, when he declared, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me" (Isaiah 61:1).  He does not say, "The Spirit has come upon Me."  When the Spirit of the LORD descended on Jesus at His baptism (Luke 3:22), this was a sign which revealed an eternal, not temporal, truth to the people.  The acceptable year is understood to be the time of the Incarnation, when the Kingdom of heaven has come to earth (see 2 Corinthians 6:2).   Jesus announces here that He is the One upon whom the Holy Spirit rests and has always rested, He is the anointed one, the Messiah, who is sent to preach the gospel to the poor, . .  to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim that the acceptable year of the LORD is here and now.

 

 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  My study Bible comments that the double response by the people of both marveling and rejection (see verses 22 and 29) is a frequent occurrence in those who encounter Christ (see Luke 11:14-16, John 9:16).  His being rejected in His own country is a fulfillment of the rejection of the Old Testament prophets before Christ, such as Elijah and Elisha.  It foreshadows His rejection by the whole Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  It notes that Christ accepts death according to the Father's will, not at the will of the nation.  Here, the hour of Christ's Passion has not yet come (see John 8:20).  

What does it mean to reject the Lord?  To reject Jesus in His public ministry in the world?  We all are familiar with rejection, and the fear of rejection, on some level or another.  But this usual experience of rejection is not quite the same as the rejection of Christ in His role as the One proclaimed in the words of Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."   In this role for which He's been sent, Jesus is the Anointed One, the Messiah.  He speaks the words given to Him by the Father, and carries on the mission He is specifically sent for.  As Healer and Liberator, He has come to preach the gospel message to all who have need for it, to bring sight to the spiritually blind, liberty to the oppressed.  This is the acceptable year of the LORD in which He has come to the world for a saving mission.  And what is being rejected within the context of this public ministry is a rejection of all of these things.  It is not simply a rejection of Jesus in this role, but a rejection of the role itself, of Father, Son, and Spirit, of the mission.  Jesus has said, "Whoever has seen Me, has seen the Father" (John 14:9).  Therefore, it implies, a rejection of Jesus in His role as Savior is a rejection of God the Father.  This is not the kind of rejection that you or I may commonly experience in our daily lives, but if we will, we might be connected to this ministry through faith.  We might seek also to serve Him in His ministry and mission, and this is also possible through faith.  He tells each of us to carry our own cross, as He will carry the Cross, and this, too, may become a part of His ministry and mission in the world, in which we may also participate.  This participation becomes part and parcel of the power of martyrdom, the difficult lives of saints, because they, also, may participate in the mission of Christ, and in so doing suffer rejection as part of that participation.   We should attempt to make an effort to make this distinction for ourselves, and to understand what holiness is and does -- and even to understand the power of what it is we might be participating in ourselves when we join in this work of faith.  For the astonishment of the people is not the same as astonishment at worldly achievements in a commonplace sense; unless, of course, what we perceive as a worldly achievement is indeed a part of the expression of someone's faith, and helped and assisted and inspired by that faith.  This reality of Christ's mission, the Spirit of the LORD who makes it possible, the energy of the holy reality of the Kingdom, is something in which we are invited to participate, and which always remains something much greater than ourselves.  So, when we consider rejection and what that means, we must keep this context in mind, and come to understand the powerful energies and grace of God at work in this ministry, inviting us in to share in it.  We are invited to share His Cross by bearing our own in our own lives, whatever that might mean.  But when we take it up, we should remember what we are a part of, and that we don't do so entirely alone.  This is why we pray to be true to our mission, to know ourselves and the ongoing need for discipleship and spiritual growth, for with Christ's presence and His kingdom among us it is always the acceptable year of the LORD.