Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer to Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?   Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 

- Matthew 25:31-46 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been prophesying to the disciples about the end of the age, and His return, at which time judgment will happen.  In yesterday's reading, He gave the following parable:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went ad traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

  "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."  Here begins what my study Bible calls the majestic climax of Christ's discourse.  It notes this is not simply a parable, but a prophesy of the universal judgment that is to come.  As the Cross is now near to Jesus, He is raising the hearer (His disciples and those who will follow) to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat with the whole world before Him.  My study Bible declares that the standard of judgment shown here is uncalculated mercy toward others.  Those works which are produced by faith are emphasized here -- for, my study Bible says, saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do is a reflection of our true inner state.  

 

"All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  My study Bible informs us that Christ uses sheep in order to show the righteous, for they follow His voice and are gentle and productive.  Goats illustrate the unrighteous, in the sense that they do not follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which represent sin.

 

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"  Inherit, my study Bible tells us, is a term that is used with regard to sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants.  The righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  

"Then the righteous will answer to Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?   Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  My study Bible comments that to see Christ in everyone is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).   Additionally, we should consider the least as all those who are poor and needy.  These needs here are not limited to physical needs, but also include spiritual ones.  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  My study Bible says that as Jesus says the fire was prepared for the devil, it shows that God did not create hell for human beings.  But people choose this torment by their own coldness of heart.  Those who are hungry or thirsty, it also notes, are not simply ones who need food and drink -- but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.

 

 An interesting observation we can make here is the correlation between  the choosing of coldness of heart and aligning ourselves with spiritual forces of evil; that is, the devil and his angels, those for whom the everlasting fire was prepared.  Indeed, what does coldness of heart do in this sense?  It neglects to help those in need, it neglects to give love, it neglects compassion.  It neglects to hear the call of those who are harmed or hurt by bad behavior, and neglects to notice those harmed by bad policies or practices many will support because it is encouraged within a social community.  Coldness of heart renders one incapable of considering a "neighbor" to be one who is made of the same stuff one is, created as a human being by God.  It will teach us to neglect to make "neighbors" through our actions, like the Good Samaritan of the parable in Luke 10:25-37.  Coldness of heart renders one capable of thinking of fellow human beings only insofar as they are of use to oneself, and discarding them on the basis of lack of usefulness when that doesn't prove to be the case.  Coldness of heart does not recognize other bonds besides what has usefulness.  It therefore damages relationships, unaware and unconcerned about the consequences.  Coldness of heart renders arrogance, a sense in which all that matters is one's own desire and interest,  a selfish perspective.  This kind of self-centeredness caters to cruelty; for why recognize the pain of others when it is inconvenient to oneself?  In short, such coldness of heart is irresponsible, damaging relations with abuse.  Moreover, it's the foundation of the types of hypocrisy condemned by Christ in His indictment of the practices of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23.   This coldness of heart is described by Jesus when He says of the scribes and Pharisees that "they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matthew 23:4).  Coldness of heart declares, "I don't care," and it is an indication of the kind of laziness illustrated in yesterday's parable (above) by the one his master called his "wicked and lazy servant."  That is, one who doesn't care enough to invest wisely, and according to the instructions of the Lord, whatever resources and life we're given by God.  To be lazy and wicked is to take the easy way out and through things, to want something for nothing, to play the game of entitlements that is borne of arrogance and a sense of superiority, that does not hear the call of Christ and respond to it.  In his conclusion to his first inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln of the United States used the phrase, "the better angels of our nature" to evoke that which calls us to remember our bonds to others, our union or community.  He said, "Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection."  President Lincoln may have been speaking about the looming United States Civil War which would in fact begin in earnest the following month.  But his own understanding of "the better angels of our nature" comes clearly through the gospel message of Jesus Christ, and what it is to prefer such "better angels" to alliance with that which is cold-hearted and neglectful.  Passions, which are seemingly hot or warm, are in fact agents and enablers of this ruthless coldness.   Thus, we have the historical emphasis in the Church teaching discipleship on these terms of self-awareness and self-mastery.  The lack of such is one more example of what it is to be truly lazy and unaware of what it is we are doing.  In Christ's teaching of judgment, the sheep and the goats resemble the difference between those who are paying attention, and those who are not.  The sheep are those who both hear and do the commandments of Christ.  In chapter 12, Jesus teaches, "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (see Matthew 12:46-50).   Let us find the way to hearts that hear and do, who know the voice of the Shepherd.

 

 

 

 

Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went ad traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

- Matthew 25:14–30 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been speaking to the disciples about "end times," prophesying both the destruction of the temple and also His Second Coming and judgment.  In yesterday's reading, He told this parable:  "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 

  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went ad traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  My study Bible comments that this parable is an illustration regarding the use of gifts which are given by God.  Jesus uses the talent as a measure of such gifts.  Across the ancient Greek and Roman influenced world of international trade, a talent (Greek τάλαντον/talanton) was a very large sum of money (it was a weight measurement for a pure metal, either gold or silver; approximately 75 pounds, according to one estimate).  My study Bible continues by saying that the amount each one receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  It notes that God doesn't show partiality in the ultimate reward -- as we should not ethat all are invited to share in the same joy.  But at the same time, and comparable to the parable in yesterday's reading about the Wise and Foolish Virgins, the wicked and lazy servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent.  My study Bible says that idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  That he buried his talent in the ground suggests that he used his God-given gifts solely for earthly pursuits.  My study Bible also comments that the bankers represent other faithful people to help him use his talents wisely.  As help was available to to him in the Church, this man has no excuse.

Once again, today's parable is given as a warning and indication of the judgment to come at Christ's return.  The word for "talents" in modern English derives its meaning from this parable in the Bible.  This is the way in which common understandings come from Scripture, Biblical literature.  If we think of talents as being that which is of weight or substance, it simply adds to the understanding here.  For these talents are God-given, we are to understand, In some way, they come from the ultimate Source of weight or meaning, of substance, which is God.  Therefore, there is an even greater meaning pressing in upon us here:  those things that God shares with us that are of true weight or substance, of true value, are all the more important to use as God's will would teach us to use them.  For example, we are given bodies, beauty, attractiveness.  We can use such to profit through works that are (for example) pornographic in nature, or we may find that beauty, attractiveness, health can be part of the gifts we use in life to put to use providing beauty to the world, adding character and meaning to such, helping others, embodying prayer, building good things, and teaching good things, including helping children and families.  We can find that we have a writing talent, and of course we have choices in how we will use that talent.  We might have a talent for singing and music.  Our music can be music of the angels that inspires and brings beauty and well-being to others, or we can sing with lyrics that foster hatred and violence.  Whatever our talents, we all have ways to use them to our advantage or disadvantage -- or even more pertinently, in ways that produce abundance for the Kingdom, the things of the Kingdom, which would be also somehow connected to the fruit of the Spirit:  "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (see Galatians 5:22-23).  For these are the profits of a life invested in God's word and in the Spirit of God, in faith.  We have choices in terms of what we wish to show and to give to the world, or how we desire to commit to God's word, to faith in God's work as a disciple of Christ.  We all may practice acts of charity and compassion when we have opportunity, and the odd thing is that we will find out that God's gifts -- no matter how meagerly "talented" we might think we are -- suffice to bring great and generous good to others in ways that will surpass our expectations.  As St. Paul explains, God's grace is such that it works with even the things about ourselves we consider defective and insufficient.  After praying to be released from an affliction, he was told:  "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  "Therefore." writes St. Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-9).   Whatever our "talents," we should all remember that because we are given life, we always have things to work with, resources to use in our lives.  Even those seemingly most afflicted with handicaps have wonderful smiles and joy that radiate to others, delight to give to those who know them and love them.  But we also have ways to bear fruit that have to do with our devotion to the Lord and Christ's teachings that may be done without others even knowing, such as when we bear our own crosses and suffer through our commitment in His name, or seek in prayer to find Christ's direction for us, devoting our hearts and lives to Christ's mercy and love, even in the company of the saints of the Church (the "bankers" according to my study Bible).  Let us consider all the ways in which we may use our talents and enter into the joy of our Lord.

 

 

 

 

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming

 

 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 

- Matthew 25:1-13 

 

In our current readings, Jesus has been in Jerusalem, teaching and disputing in the temple with the religious leaders.  The setting is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  He has been prophesying to His disciples regarding the end times, and also the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.  Reminding them what they must be and do as they await His return in this period of the Church, He taught the following parable:  "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

  "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."  Once again, Jesus gives another parable for this time in which we who are nominal believers await Christ's return, His Second Coming.  My study Bible comments on today's parable that it illustrates the need for being spiritually prepared while the bridegroom -- Christ -- is delayed in His return.  The Kingdom, it says, is frequently portrayed as a marriage between Christ and Christ's Church (see the parable of the Wedding Feast).  This marriage will be consummated at the end of the age, when Christ the Bridegroom returns to us in order to escort His Bride -- that is, the Church -- into the eternal wedding banquet.  My study Bible emphasizes that the parable stresses the virtue of charity and almsgiving.  The words for oil (meaning olive oil) and "mercy" sound the same in Greek.  So therefore the wise virgins are those who practice charity and mercy in this life, prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom, and filling up their lives (their lamps) with such.   The foolish, my study Bible says, are those who squander God's gifts on themselves.   My study Bible also explains that the fact that all the virgins slumbered and slept is an indication of death -- that all will die in this earthly life, both the virtuous and the wicked.  The cry at midnight is an indication of the Second Coming, when both wicked and righteous will arise for judgment.   Note also that the inability of the righteous to share their oil is not due to a lack of generosity, for mercy or charity or compassion are qualities that can only be gained through one's own efforts.  My study Bible comments that this illustrates the impossibility of entering heaven without one's own faith and virtue, and also the impossibility of changing one's state of virtue after death (see verse 26, in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus found at Luke 16:19-31).   

The question of mercy is rather a tricky one in the Gospels; and yet, it is also absolutely central to the gospel of the Kingdom.  In today's reading, it is clear that the wise virgins cannot share their oil for the lamps of the foolish ones.  In this sense, it seems rather out of place with the Christ that we know, who so shares His gifts freely with all, who feeds those in the wilderness (twice!) who followed Him and heard His teachings and stayed with Him.  This is the image of compassion and graciousness, and our understanding of the whole of the Incarnation, and all that it produced and produces and will go on producing for us and for our world, is sheer grace, a gift (and gifts) for all of us.  But in this question of mercy and of the showing of mercy and compassion, there is no compromise.  We each must do so for ourselves.  We are called to be "like God" and to fail to make an effort to be and to do so is to fail at life itself.  When Jesus teaches the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  In that case, debts function as sin committed against someone else, hurting of others, places where we've fallen short, so to speak.  But Jesus adds for emphasis this caveat, just in case we haven't understood properly:  "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15).  Trespass is another word for sin, this time for a violation of boundaries, so to speak, a breaking of a law.  But the gist of this teaching is clear:  if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven.  So it is with the acts of mercy and compassion which the foolish virgins have failed to do:  one must practice mercy in order to realize it.  This kind of mutual effort and recognition permeates the gospel of Jesus.  When He teaches the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), it is to emphasize precisely that it is we who become neighbors by being neighbors, by practicing acts of mercy and kindness, taking the initiative to do so.  That the compassionate man is a Samaritan emphasizes there are no other boundaries to define "neighbor" but that.  In the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, one who does not forgive as he was forgiven is sent to truly reap all that he has sown.  Jesus ends that parable with this statement, "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses" (see Matthew 18:21-35).  If we look closely at this parable, we will understand that this is, in fact, how judgment is rendered.  Our acts of mercy have greater power than we know.  When He sends out the disciples on their first apostolic mission, Jesus teaches, "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (see verse 42 in Matthew 10).  So how do we fill our lamps so that they shine brightly?  Going back again to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches disciples that they are the light of the world, and that they are to reflect the light of God, the Source of all light, comparing them to a lamp (see Matthew 5:15-16).  He finishes that passage by saying, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."    In today's parable, He affirms that not only is this the way He teaches us to live, but that all our lives -- and even an eternal life -- depend upon how well we fulfill this mission and take the initiative.  Let us follow His example and remember this teaching.  For this is what it means to be watchful, and we have been warned that we do not know at what hour our Bridegroom will return.

 

 

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

 

 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

- Matthew 24:45-51 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  After disputing with the religious authorities in the temple, Jesus is now outside of the temple, and He has been teaching the disciples regarding the "end times" and also the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem to come.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught them, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." 

 

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  We recall that Christ is speaking to His disciples here, and that He has just given them a great prophesy and warning regarding "end times" and also His Second Coming.  Here in this parable, the faithful and wise servant is a reference to those who would be faithful and wise disciples.  The ruler over the master's household applies to those who would become the stewards and presbyters and leaders of the Church, in charge of Christ's flock.  Will they be giving Christ's household food in due season, spiritually nurturing and caring properly for the members of the household?  Or will they be forgetful of who they must be (evil servant), abusing power (beat his fellow servants), self-indulgent and selfish (eat and drink with the drunkards) and defying the the Lord whom they are meant serve (my master is delaying his coming)?  

 

In St. Matthew's chapter 23, just before He began His prophesy of end times and destruction of the temple, Jesus gave His final public sermon, in which He chastised the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy.  Here, He's telling His own disciples -- which include us today -- that if they fail in their mission through similar practices, then the fate of the scribes and Pharisees (the "woes" of chapter 23) will be one they share at His return and the judgment that takes place then (appoint him his portion with the hypocrites).  Once again, Christ repeats the theme that He will come at an hour we do not expect, only this time the warning is pointed directly at those who will become the stewards of His Church, who are meant to be His servants (the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him at an hour that he is not aware of).  Weeping and gnashing of teeth are images of condemnation in the judgment.  This is contrasted with the faithful and wise servant who is blessed because the master returns to find that servant caring properly for all those of the household.  In contrast to the others, the faithful and wise servant will be made ruler over all the master's goods.  This is similar to the promises made to the disciples following the story of the rich young ruler, who was told that if he wanted eternal life, he should sell all he had and give to the poor, and follow Christ.  At that point, St. Peter asked Christ, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?"  Jesus replied by referring to His Second Coming and the subsequent judgment:  "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  (See Matthew 19:13-30.)  So, the Gospels are consistent, and Christ's warnings and prophesies are consistent, about what we are to be about while we await His return in this entire period of the Church.  We, who would be His wise and faithful servants,  are those who remember our Lord and Master, and the commandments He's left us with in His absence, taking such responsibilities to those in His household seriously.  With what do we feed others that is the food of our Lord?  How do we share what we have and nurture our fellow members of this household, under His name?  What good things do you share of Christ's household?  How do we nurture others with the treasure we're given?  Christ promised that He was the Good Shepherd, and the Door of the sheep, who came not only that the sheep may have life, but that they may have life more abundantly (John 10:1-18).  Let us take seriously that abundant life we're given and how we share it in nurturing others, for He desires to find us as good servants who do not forget Him during His absence before His return.  Let us be those who live His final, new commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34-35).

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

 

- Matthew 24:32-44 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  After disputing in the temple with the religious authorities, Jesus has stepped outside of the temple, where He has been discussing the "end times" after a question from His disciples.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught them:  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." 

 

  "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study Bible comments here that this generation is a reference to all believers at all times.  That is, the generation of the Church, and not only those alive at the time of Christ.  

 

 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  My study Bible here cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom.  It quotes St. Chrysostom who says that Christ speaks of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not only from learning the day, but even from inquiring about it.    My study Bible goes on to comment that, according to Mark 13:32, and also in St. Chrysostom's Matthew text, Jesus declares that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  St. Chrysostom, it notes, teaches that this is not to be understood literally.  Rather it is a figure of speech which means that Christ -- even though He has revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the precise day to anyone -- and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him. 

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."  My study Bible comments that the second coming of Christ will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  It says that one will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation.  This particular separation of the saints from the wicked will happen at the coming of the Son of Man, and not at a certain time before He returns.  See also Matthew 25:31-46.

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  My study Bible tells us that the Lord's purpose in this "end times" discourse is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  Instead, we are prepared so that we watch and be ready, continuing in virtue and in obeying the commandments of Christ.  This warning is illustrated by the parable of the returning master (verses 45-51, tomorrow's lectionary reading). 

When Jesus speaks of His return to us, He speaks of it this way:  "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  It's odd to think of Christ giving an image of Himself to us as a thief.  Elsewhere, Jesus, in the day of His return, is also spoken of as a thief.  Luke 12:39 repeats the identical words we read here in St. Matthew's Gospel:  "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into."  St. Paul writes, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. . . . But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4).  St. Peter writes that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night" in 2 Peter 3:10.  In the Revelation, the Lord warns twice, using the same figurative language:  "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you"; and "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame" (Revelation 3:3, 16:15).  All of these warnings, describing Jesus' return as "like a thief in the night," teach us about preparedness for this Day, this moment of His Second Coming.  Why like a thief?  A thief's action is unexpected, snatching something away that we might consider precious -- and Jesus' point is that we must be prepared.  We must be ready.  A thief in the night comes while we're sleeping, and sleep is a metaphor for a lack of awareness and focus, a missing alertness to what needs to be done.  This must be our focus in this time.  Our whole lives are times of preparation and readiness for the return of our Lord, and that is the focus He wishes for us to have.  We're to be aware of opportunities to serve.  This is why He emphasizes His return as something that comes upon us as a thief in the night.  We're not to be busy making timetables, but rather to be busy following His wishes, doing His commands, living as He has asked us to live.  We should spend our lives cultivating preparedness for this moment.  For indeed, none of us can know when our time will come at the end of our earthly lives, under any circumstances.  For this is for the most part outside of our control.  We can take good care of our health, we can make sure we have all the advantages, but life throws us all surprises, and we are not in control of the whole of our lives -- for at the end even of our peaceful or prosperous or joyful lives, we still must be prepared for that Day, whether it comes in this earthly life or not.  What acts of compassion do we lack?  Is there a repentance we need to make?  Where is Christ calling us while we still have time in our lives to act?  The image of Christ coming as a thief is a useful one, for it teaches us that Christ's great emphasis is to be prepared for that time, which will come "at an hour you do not expect."

For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  

 

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15–31 

 

In our current readings, it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus went out and departed from the temple after disputing with the religious leaders, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."  My study Bible reminds us that Daniels' prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) was fulfilled in AD 70.  This was when, during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem, the Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place.  He had a statue of himself erected in the temple, and the temple was destroyed in subsequent fighting.  Only one retaining wall remained standing of what was one of the great architectural wonders of the world.  The Lord's phrase when you see is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  My study Bible adds that the words whoever reads, let him understand are commonly understood as inserted by Matthew into Christ's address as an encouragement to the early Christian flock who may have witnessed this event.  

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  In Luke's version of this prophecy, Jesus speaks of a blessing on the barren women (Luke 23:29), which my study Bible calls an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer (illustrated by the use of the word woe here).  It quotes St. John Chrysostom:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"

"And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible says that  the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of real desperation, as is indicated by Christ's words here.  One spiritual interpretation given in patristic commentary views these words as applying to the entire period of the Church, in which the Sabbath symbolizes idleness with regard to virtue, and winter meaning fruitlessness regarding charity.  So, a person who departs earthly life in such a state will suffer judgment.

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."  Once again, as in Saturday's reading (above), Jesus warns of false christs and false prophets.   Here, in order to prepare believers, He teaches about the manner in which He will return.  My study Bible comments that this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  It says that if there is any question or doubt, that by itself is evidence that Christ has not returned.  As His return will shine from the east, my study Bible tells us, so Orthodox Christians whenever possible worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  

"For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  In Luke's Gospel, this prophecy reads, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Luke 17:37).  The words translated as carcass and body are two different Greek words.  My study Bible comments that the body  refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.   St. Jerome comments on the use of the word for carcass, which has its roots in a word meaning "fallen."  He writes, "We can understand this body to refer to the Passion of Christ because wherever Scripture says that we are gathered together, it is for the purpose of coming to the Word of God."   A repeated theme stresses that this phrase is meant to compare the capacity for gathering to that of eagles who gather from long distances.

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  My study again cites patristic commentary, which teaches that the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  What this means is that the sun will seem to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor.

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  My study Bible explains that the sign of the Son of Man is the Cross.  This is in keeping with the idea of the "body" or the "carcass" referring to the Passion of Christ.  But moreover, my study Bible comments that the Cross will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, it explains, Jesus came in humility and mortality.  But at His second coming, He will be revealed in power and great glory.  This is the power and great glory Christ shares with God the Father which will be revealed to us.  

 

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."   My study Bible cites  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 as one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.  The first-century teaching document, The Didache (called the teaching of the apostles), lists three signs marking the return of Christ.  1)  "The sign spread out in the heavens" -- Christ and His angels; 2) "the sign of the trumpet"; and 3) "the resurrection of the dead" (His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other).  For the righteous, my study Bible says, the return of Christ is a comfort, not a threat.

 

 Perhaps it seems a bit strange to reflect upon Christ's words on the end times, and the culmination of the age at His Second Coming, at this time in Advent when we are approaching the celebration of His Nativity.  But Christ's birth and a rebirth associated with the Resurrection and His Return are not really so strange.  It is of the same nature as the Passion, the event of Christ's suffering and death, which is irretrievably correlated with His Resurrection on the third day.  In Christianity, we cannot therefore separate death from rebirth, for Christ is always there with us.  Birth and death, in other words, are always mingled; there will always be a birth in Christ as a response to any form of death.  The key to this, of course, is faith, and a faithfully lived life.  In that context, it may help illumine our minds to follow up on some of the patristic understanding of Christ's mysterious words about the eagles gathering where the body is.  St. Apollinaris writes that there are those who explain this concept of a "fallen" body as meaning that all the elect (the eagles) will leave paradise behind, and in a rebirth of the world, gather to the place where the fall of Adam occurred -- where he violated the commandment and through his disobedience fell into sin.  Then the "fall" of the world will be undone in rebirth at the great Resurrection, the union of heaven and earth.  Revelation 21 speaks of a new heaven and a new earth, after the first heaven and first earth pass away (Revelation 21:1-2).  So then, as we look toward the light, toward the East, from where Christ comes as does the light of dawn, we can look toward Resurrection and renewal, even of the whole of Creation, made possible through the Passion of our Lord.  Let us look to Nativity and ponder with gratitude befitting God's grace.

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold

 

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

- Matthew 24:1-14 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  He has been teaching in the temple and disputing with the religious leaders.  Matthew's chapter 23 is a grand critique of the practices and hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.  Yesterday we read the final part of that chapter.  Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  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.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones  those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'" 

 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."   In the previous reading, Jesus mourned over Jerusalem, and said, "See!  Your house is left to you desolate. . .."  Here Christ prophesies regarding the destruction of the temple.  This prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.  

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  My study Bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways.  So, therefore, there is no precise chronology that can be determined from it (see Daniel 7-12; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1 Corinthians 15;51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and The Book of Revelation).  Christ's emphasis is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue -- not on constructing timetables for things that haven't yet happened.  My study Bible says that Matthew's account describes the end times as involving (1) initial sorrows (verses 4-14, contained in today's reading); (2) the great tribulation (verses 15-28); and (3) the coming of the Son of Man (verses 29-31).  It notes, importantly, that the period of the great tribulation includes the entire Christian era.  It is not limited to the final years before Christ returns.

And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."  These warnings against deception are given first emphasis in Jesus' response to the question about end times.  My study Bible says that of particular importance is the warning against following a false Christ, which Jesus will repeatedly stress (see also verses 11, 23-27).  

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."  My study Bible comments that the wars here are references first and foremost to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem; however, this warning certainly also includes subsequent wars.  It notes that wars are not a sign of the imminent end, but rather of the opposite.  That is, as Jesus says, the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  My study Bible says here that all these calamities and all this opposition nonetheless cannot stop the spread of the gospel.  In fact, persecutions against the Church, it says, often increase the number of souls who are being converted.  It notes that St. John Chrysostom marvels that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they could not prevail over twelve Jews who were not armed with anything but the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In His prophesy of the time to come following His death and Resurrection, Jesus says, "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."   We should remember that, for the Church, this entire period of the Church's history is understood as "end times."  That is, the end times are this entire period in which we await Christ's return, His Second Coming.  So, as my study Bible points out, all the warnings in Christ's summary of the period of the end apply to all times in which we live, although His warning about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple are certainly prominent -- and this did indeed happen within a generation of His prophecy.  But it seems that there are many sorts of false prophets that are alarming to people today, many varieties of what might pass for religion.  People offer theories about extraterrestrial visitations as spiritual events, or ideas regarding psychedelic drugs as a spiritual practice; even social theories may be followed as if one were worshiping the theory while rejecting God or any concept of a deity.  Some treat politicians as if they were deities, and public figures themselves can indeed serve as false prophets of one type or another.  Social media makes such things proliferate, to the point where social contagion is no longer simply a theory but studied and correlated with mass movements and trends, even of sobering trends among children (especially young women) such as anorexia several years ago, and more recently gender dysphoria.  Possibly even more worrisome is Christ's prophesy that "because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."  Lawlessness can certainly take on many forms, and Jesus here is undoubtedly speaking of those who care nothing for traditional moral and spiritual teachings, which are meant to preserve, protect, and build good community under teachings of God traced through the entirety of the Bible.  We may recall here that Jesus, in His dispute with the scribes and Pharisees, gave two great commandments.  He said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."  (See this reading.)   How many seem to have given up on the practice of both of these commandments?  Popular political and social theories teach ideas entirely contrary to Jesus' teaching in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) in which we learn that to act as a neighbor is to be a neighbor, regardless of tribe, group, race, or other affiliation of any kind.  Instead, we find popular refuge for an emphasis on the opposite, that those of a particular group or ethnicity or race may be simply evil in some ontological sense connected to their physical characteristics.  Lawlessness can indeed mean that we no longer approach people as if they were of our same nature, as created in God's image and likeness, but rather our behavior differentiates on an entirely different, physical basis.  Jesus prophesies that because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  Certainly there are many who feel that kind of alienation and an existential sense of loneliness has grown.  We can see it among young people who feel extremely isolated.  This is correlated, of course, with the effect of lockdowns on school age young people, but more recently between social media use and what seems to be a significant rise in depression levels in young people.  We should be entirely aware of this correlation between "lawlessness" and the coldness that signifies a lack of love among people, within communities, families, institutions.  We should give great care to consider that it is in the practice of our faith that love can be maintained, grown, and deliberately cultivated.  For Christ always calls us to compassion, to acts of compassion.  The story of the Good Samaritan is a case indeed for active love, crossing all boundaries, creating neighbors where there were none before, building community where none was thought to exist.  Let us consider Christ's words carefully, and see where they might apply in our lives, and where we can observe this element of His prophesy around ourselves.  Let us consider the importance, then, of living our faith, living His guidance for ourselves and for our world.  Because if love itself depends upon this, then how essential is that faith to human life and the quality of our lives within the whole of our communities?   In another important passage, Jesus stretches His hand toward His disciples, and says, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:48-50).  What He is revealing to us is the powerful force for love that is present in hearing the will of God and doing it, living it.  Let us practice the love He teaches to us.

Your house is left to you desolate

 

 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  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.  

 

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 

 

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones  those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 

- Matthew 23:27-39 

 

In our current readings, it is Holy Week, and Jesus has been disputing in the temple with the religious leaders, who question His authority.  On Wednesday, the readings gave us the beginning of Christ's final public sermon, an eight-fold indictment of the practices of the scribes and Pharisees.  Yesterday, we read the next part of that sermon:  "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  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.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!   Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also." 

 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  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."  Jesus continues His sermon in the same theme from yesterday's reading (above), the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.  Here He describes that state of their hypocrisy as being akin to whitewashed tombs.  In this context of hypocrisy and lawlessness we should remember that the earliest teachings of the apostles included the teaching of the two ways:  the way of life and the way of death (see the Didache).  This tradition was also found in Judaism, and so would be familiar to Christ's hearers in the temple.  Surely the association with tombs and dead men's bones and all uncleanness would indicate the way of death.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets."  Again, here are more associations of their hypocrisy with death, but this time the accusation is one of continuation in the way of the murderers of God's servants, the prophets, those who bear the word of God into the world.   

 

 "Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."  Jesus speaks directly to the scribes and Pharisees as those who continue in the ways of the ones who killed the prophets, but this time it is  a prophecy of persecution of those who will come in the name of Christ, and also a prophecy of what is to come upon this generation.  Some teach that Zechariah, son of Berechiah was the prophet at the time of Joash the king (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), but others, including Fr. Stephen De Young, say it refers to the father of St. John the Baptist, who, according to tradition, was also murdered in the temple.  When Jesus uses the epithet, "Serpents, brood of vipers!"  He's using images of demons, and so is associating the behaviors of the scribes and Pharisees, and those whom He's calling their fathers, with the work of evil.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones  those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"  My study Bible comments here that God's deepest desire is the reconciliation of God's people, yet most do not want Him.  This desolate house Christ describes is a reference both to the temple and also to the nation itself.  My study Bible points out that "house" can be used to mean "family" or "tribe" (see Psalms 115:12, 135:19).  It says that both the temple and the nation will be without God's presence once Christ departs.

Jesus' words in today's reading are so serious that they should give everyone pause.  What He says is the depth to which we may hold responsibility for actions that may be politically motivated, but that in effect harm the prophets of God.  There is a powerful thread of bearing responsibility for our failure to recognize the consequences of what we do when we act against the power of God, against the Holy Spirit.  Prophets come into the world as those who do not fit easily into a social construct or way of thinking.  They are those who call those in authority, or the practices of a whole society, back to God when they have strayed and practice that which is not acceptable in the sight of God.  Of course, the responsibility for such practices also depends upon the extent to which such people should "know better," their spiritual understanding and education.  But in this case, in this great indictment of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus is speaking to people who are steeped in the entirety of Jewish spiritual tradition and in the Scriptures.  He is speaking to those who not only know the prophets, but also claim, "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets."  They are entirely familiar with the activity of the Holy Spirit throughout the spiritual history of Israel, and so, their rejection of Christ carries with it the responsibility for the denial of what they see in His ministry.  This is an extremely powerful example for ourselves today, because we have our own knowledge of the power of God, the Holy Spirit, the ministry of Christ, and of all the saints that have come in His name since.  We are aware of what our teachings tell us about compassion and faith in God, and about holiness itself.  These are things that this passage calls upon us to take seriously, especially in terms of our own blindness to them when they may be present to us in our own lives.  For we all bear not simply a responsibility for our spiritual capacity to hear and see such things, but also our lives are blighted by such blindness and deafness.  There are ways in which we are diminished and lessened, even when we are blind to spiritual truth.  For, possibly like these men to whom Jesus directs His criticism in Matthew's chapter 23, when we do feel the effects of our own rejection of holiness in our midst, it might be in a way that has eluded our awareness -- a course that may be too late to change.  Even the destruction of Jerusalem and its terrible violence would seem on material terms to simply be part of the force of Roman might and military.  But Christ here connects that outcome with the long line of rejection of God's work, and more to come that He foresees.  Let us be alert to what God seeks for us to see and to hear today.