If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go

 

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are one of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are are saying1"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly. 

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?'  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."

 

- Luke 22:54–69 

 

Yesterday, we read that, coming out from the Passover Supper (the Last Supper), Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."   

 

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  My study Bible notes that it is a girl who is the first to test Peter; it teaches us that she is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  The Gospel shows us that our fallen state is overcome in Christ when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  

But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are one of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are are saying1"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  Peter is so overcome with fear, my study Bible says, that neither Christ's prediction (verse 34) nor the crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance.  It's only the Lord's gaze that finally causes him to weep bitterly.  St. Ambrose of Milan is quoted as saying of this passage that, nevertheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?'  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  Our Lord as prisoner is humiliated, ridiculed, abused, in a brutish way.  But we must consider how He condescended to experience what we may experience in our lives.  

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  My study Bible comments here that Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (Luke 20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).  His final statement here is a declaration that He is equal with God. 

Let us compare the two responses of Peter and Jesus in today's reading.  St. Peter's expression is to deny that he is a follower of Christ.  In that sense, it's a negative expression, a denial of something.  Three times people identify him as a follower or disciple of Christ, and three times he denies that this is the truth.  "Woman, I do not know Him."  In a sense, this is a refusal to speak, to confess that he is a follower of Christ.  Then we can turn to Jesus who also refuses to speak.  In the first case, He is mocked and beaten by the soldiers.  They tie a blindfold on Him, strike Him across the face, and demand that He prophesy who hit Him.   He is treated to all manner of blasphemy, but He doesn't say a word (Isaiah 42:2).  Then when He is questioned by the religious leaders as to whether or not He is the Christ, He already knows that to answer them is futile.  He says, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go."  But then, He knows where He is going and what is going to happen, telling them only, "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  In a sense, with this last statement, He's answering their questions by declaring Himself, but not answering them directly as they desire.  Son of Man is a title for a messianic figure in the Book of Daniel, the right hand of the power of God is in the position of power with God.  In St. Peter's case, he is denying who he is as a member of Christ's followers, with his strong and vehement denials, as predicted by Christ.  In Jesus' case, He doesn't speak where it will do Him no good, and neither will it do any good to those to whom He might speak.  Indeed, revealing Himself to those who scoff or mock or beat Him would only condemn those people more for their refusal to hear.  It is Jesus who teaches us, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matthew 7:6).  Finally, He will not answer the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, who bring Him in to trial.  As He said at His arrest, "When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness" (see yesterday's reading, above).  But here they ask Him again, although they have no intention -- and perhaps no capability at this stage -- of believing His answer, of responding to Him, or of letting Him go.  This truth about them He will declare Himself, and finally, He will make a statement about where He knows He is going, and whom He knows He is and the role He will assume.  Jesus' denial to speak contrasts with Peter in that Jesus is absolutely true to Himself, to the One whom He is in the sight of God the Father.  Peter is denying himself by denying Christ; he isn't being true to the identity he's been called to assume by Christ.  Both do not answer in the ways their interrogators desire them to, but one denies the truth, and the other embodies the truth in all things and through all things.  What these poignant and terrible scenes teach us is all about how to comport ourselves as Christians, as His followers.  There will be proper times to speak and proper times not to speak -- but in all cases, our personal integrity is the truth of Christ that we can live, even through the worst of things we may experience.  We should not get caught up in formalities, but rather rely on our faith to teach us and guide us through all difficulties properly.  There is a deeply powerful moment written into this account in Luke, and that is also a moment of 'not speaking.'   We're told that the Lord turned and looked at Peter just as the rooster crowed.  How many volumes of truth does the Lord's gaze tell to Peter, and even to all of us who will one day also stand before that gaze ourselves?  He doesn't need to say a word, for He has already foretold what Peter would do, and Peter is at once brought back to himself, and to the truth of what he's doing -- even to his failure to hold to his promise that he was willing to go to prison and to die with him (Luke 22:33).  St. Peter weeps bitterly in repentance after Christ's look brings all things back to his remembrance.  Let us remember the power in silence, in a look, in a refusal to speak, even in an answer that's not really an answer someone wants to demand from us.  Let us remember the power of truth in all things, and the One who is the truth that guides us in our responses to the world, our identities and loyalties to Him first of all.

Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation

 

 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him. 

 

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." 

 

- Luke 22:39–53 

 

On Saturday we read that the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

  Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  My study Bible comments that Christ's agony was the product of His human nature.  In asking that the cup be taken away, Christ reveals His human will.  By submitting His human will to that of God the Father, my study Bible explains, He reveals His divine will is one with the Father's.  Moreover, it teaches us that this is the goal of each person in our own crossroads and choices (Luke 11:2).  Christ willingly takes in Himself the voice of weak humanity, and thereby conquers weakness.  My study Bible quotes from Pope St. Gregory the Great:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  My study Bible tells us that this healing is recorded only by St. Luke the physician.  It's an indication of the way in which we're to treat our enemies.  In patristic commentary, it's understood to have a spiritual meaning, in that it is Christ who gives all of us the capacity to hear the truth, and thereby come to salvation (see Luke 8:8, 14:35). 

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  Regarding darkness, see John 3:19-21, 13:30.

Hidden in today's text, there are hints of meaning in the loss of human capacity for perceiving the things of God.  First, there is the healing of the ear of the servant of the high priest.  As my study Bible notes, in patristic sources this is given a spiritual significance, in that it is Christ who enables our true spiritual hearing, our capacity to hear the truth as given by God.  It is not coincidence that, opening today's reading, we receive the passage that teaches us about Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, in which He prayed His very human desire that this cup be passed from Him.  That is, the cup of the Crucifixion to come, as He knows He will be betrayed and arrested this night by those who will hand Him to the Gentiles to be killed.  Let's observe this great conflict between Christ's naturally human will to avoid death, and His desire to follow the divine will of God the Father.  He has prophesied several times what will happen to Him, and so He knows that "the Son of Man goes as it has been determined" (Luke 22:22), but we can see clearly His human response to what is before Him.  With this, Jesus puts everything before God the Father, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Perhaps this is a good model for all of us, for the times when we are tried with a sorely difficult choice, and we, too, have struggles that are difficult in seeing our way through them.  Christ's impulse is to "hear" God the Father, but He also knows that He is heard, and puts everything before God in so doing.  This is a powerful scene about truth as it is heard and known, for He speaks the truth of His human desire, and hears the truth of the Father's will and lives it.  Then something significant for all of us happens:  an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  Again, it is an assurance of a process that happens also for us, for the angels are present to us to help to strengthen our own capacities for hearing, knowing, doing, for faith.  Jesus' response is to do what is most helpful at such a time:  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  His physical human response described here teaches us about the depth of His agony and the fervor of His prayer.  Next we're given the response of the disciples to their great sorrow:  they sleep.  Sleep is a time when we neither hear nor see what is happening around us, symbolic of cutting ourselves off from spiritual sight and hearing of the truth.  Jesus tells them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation," giving us to understand prayer as the way to rekindle our capacity for hearing and seeing, being awake and alert to the things God has in mind for us, wants us to apprehend.  Finally, Jesus puts His finger on the inability to see and hear spiritually, perhaps our unwillingness to do so, either in the face of challenges such as facing terrible difficulties, or deep sorrow, or other temptations.  He also describes the betrayal of Judas and the hypocrisy of these religious leaders who now arrest Him and plot to have Him killed.  All of this He sums up in His description of their hour:  the power of darkness.  Darkness, of course, obscures the light, and in particular, our sight.  So spiritual seeing and hearing -- and the lack of them both -- becomes a powerful component hidden in the scenes of today's reading, and something we have to consider at all times.  For Christ's time of agony is not an isolated event, but one that might come to each one of us, especially as we struggle with our faith.  The world can present us with alternatives we'd rather not face, hostility from those whom we love, even betrayal.  It can impose a kind of response of sorrow from friends who seem to abandon us and sleep when we need them.  Fortunately, Jesus gives us the true sword with which to meet such times of evil and the power of darkness, and that is the power of prayer and its fullness.  We see His fervent and deep prayers, letting God know all, and accepting God's word to Him in His great struggle.  He tells the disciples, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  Sleeping is something we try to do in darkness, and it is the power of darkness at work in the arrest of Jesus by those who have shut out spiritual light and sound so as to follow their own desires only, under cover of night, even violating their own laws in the night trial of Jesus that will follow.  When life seems dark, take up the sword of Christ's truth, and the power of the prayers He so deeply prays.  Don't sleep, but follow His teaching to rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. 

 

 

For the things concerning Me have an end

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The king of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  In the first verse in today's reading, when Jesus says, "Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," this you is plural, an indication that Satan has asked for all the disciples.  But in the next verse ("But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren"), the you is singular here, which indicates that Jesus prayed particularly for Simon Peter.  My study Bible comments that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.   Regarding Jesus' word to Peter, "When you have returned to Me,"  See John 21:15-17.  My study Bible says that Jesus' command "strengthen your brethren" refers not simply to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until He returns.  

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that the word sword (in "he who has no sword") is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51, which will be in this Monday's reading).  Here "sword" refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  Also, my study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose, who adds an additional meaning.  He says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword is a reference to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking of swords literally, Jesus abruptly ends the discussion with the words, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that this phrase is better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41). 

Jesus asks the disciples, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the thing concerning Me have an end."  In His question, we can see that Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time to come, as He is about to be betrayed and given over to the Romans.  He has said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5).  But this Light is not going to be with the disciples as the human Jesus for very much longer.  Now they will need to care for themselves in a different way, He's saying to them. They will need to prepare for a different time in the world when He is no longer with them and guiding them as His disciples in the same way.  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12, and so indicating what end will be fulfilled in Him.  He has also taught them, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).  What is coming for Jesus will be the beginning of persecutions for those who follow Him.  Therefore Jesus is now preparing the ones who follow Him, His disciples, for the time that is at hand, and how they will have to live in the world without Him in the flesh.  There is a great component revealed earlier, when Jesus addressed St. Peter, saying, "Simon, Simon!  Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat."  As indicated above, this "you" is plural, meaning that although Jesus addresses Simon (and with a double exclamation of his name, so truly grabbing his attention), He does so as Simon Peter so often represents and speaks for all of the disciples.  With the coming of the Cross, the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah, Satan seeks to sift them all as wheat.  But it is Simon whom Jesus also calls upon -- despite his coming denial of Christ -- to return and to strengthen the brethren in this new period of difficulties and persecution that is coming. Many have noted that the Old Testament verse which is most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Psalm 110:1, "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."  Jesus quotes this verse when He poses a kind of riddle to the religious leaders in the temple (see last Friday's reading).  This verse is important because it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Messiah is both human (a son of David) and God (the only One whom King David would call "My Lord").  Yet we must go to the verse that follows to understand something important about the time for which Jesus is preparing the disciples as He is about to go to betrayal and the Cross.  "The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!" (Psalm 110:2).  To rule in the midst of one's enemies is a strange condition indeed.  How does a King do this?  Well, if the "LORD" (God the Father) is addressing King David's "Lord," the Son and Messiah, then what is being said is that Christ will rule by His rod of strength out of Zion, even in the midst of His enemies in this world.  We know who Christ is, and that He came into the world to depose the devil, Satan, the "prince of this world."  But clearly, Christ rules in the midst of His enemies, for the time in which we live now is the same era for which Christ is preparing the disciples.  It remains a period in which we know the Kingdom, and the King, and we also know that the Spirit of God is at work in the world.  But at the same time, we are aware that this is a time of spiritual battle, even of persecutions and hatred.  St. John writes in his first Epistle, "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world" (1 John 4:2-3).  The spirit of the Antichrist remains in the world, and so Christ "rules in the midst of His enemies."  And this is the state in which we find ourselves in the Church.  Just as Christ warns the disciples, this is the period in which we live, and so we should not be surprised to find adversities of any and various kinds, even frightful news about horrific militias, betrayals, and those who would seek even to call themselves Christian even as they support such fearsome forces at work against Christian communities.  Let us consider, at this time, that Christ nonetheless continues to rule in the midst of His enemies, and that He has commanded us simply to endure as the faithful.  Like St. Peter, we must be prepared to be called on to strengthen our brothers and sisters who are persecuted, even as there are Christ's disciples whom Satan still desires to sift as wheat.  It is our faith that is our greatest weapon of strength, and for this Christ has prayed.  Let us remember to follow Him as He said, and endure in that faith as our true weapon given by God, the living word by which we live (Hebrews 4:12). 

With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God

 

 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The king of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

- Luke 22:14–30 

 

Yesterday we read that the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.  Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.   

When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  My study Bible explains that Christ has a fervent desire for this Passover because this meal will give the mysteries of the new covenant to His followers, and because this event will bring about the great deliverance of humanity from sin through the power of the Cross.  

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  This first cup is the conclusion of the Old Testament Passover meal, which Christ eats with His disciples to fulfill the Law.  Until the kingdom of God comes means until Christ's Resurrection, my study Bible says.  For at that time He will again eat and drink with His disciples (Luke 24:43; Acts 10:41).  

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."  The word translated as gave thanks has at its root the Greek word "eucharist" (εὐχαριστέω/eucharisteo).  My study Bible comments that this word immediately came to refer to both the Liturgy and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Before the end of the first century, it notes, a manuscript called the Didache (the earliest teaching manual of the Church; Didache means "Teaching" in Greek) refers to the celebration of the Liturgy as "the Eucharist."  In the year AD 150, moreover, St. Justin said of Holy Communion, "This food we call 'Eucharist,' of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing [holy baptism] for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ commanded us." Jesus says, This is My body:   My study Bible comments that the Orthodox Church has always accepted these words of Christ as true, "that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus" (St. Justin Martyr).  See also John 6:51-66.

But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  My study Bible remarks that Judas also is invited to the table for the mystical supper, as Jesus is seeking by all means to save him.  Judas' unworthy participation will lead to his utter destruction (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-30; compare Esther 7). 

 

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The king of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves."  My study Bible comments that such a small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed. (Perhaps it is because Christ has spoken of the coming of the Kingdom, the nature of which they do not yet fully understand.)  My study Bible asks us to note that Jesus first corrects the disciples by comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they themselves considered an abomination, and contrasting them to Himself, who serves us although He is the Lord of all. 

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  My study Bible quotes from the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan here:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith,and in rebuking error with virtue."  The apostles will not judge with earthly judgment, my study Bible says, but by the witness of their own lives.  Since God's kingdom begins with the Resurrection of Christ, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23).  

The Eucharist, by its very name, asks us to consider the importance of gratitude in our lives.  Something that is so central (in the Christian viewpoint) to all of humanity -- indeed, all of creation -- is a factor that forms a building block of the plan of God.  That is, if we accept that Christ is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8), then we understand that even as the only-begotten Son, Christ was always the One who would sacrifice for our sake that we would be fed with unceasing good from God.  It indicates for us that the Son was always the fountain of water that springs up into everlasting life (John 4:14), and the bread of life, so that Jesus could teach, "He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).  In Christ's sacrifice then, is the reality of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world so that we all may partake of these tremendous gifts of such depth that we must call them mysteries.  It is clear that Christ's sacrifice will be for all people, for all time, but even more than that -- for the redemption of all the "world."  John's Gospel tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  In the Greek, the word translated as "world" is κόσμος/kosmos, indicating not just the earth, but all of creation, the universe.  Therefore with this central event to all of spiritual life, the initiation of the Eucharist, we can grasp that our gratitude for what we are given is not just central to our faith, but central to the very foundation of creation in that the Son is not only Jesus the Incarnate Son who was crucified for us on the Cross, but also the Son of God who always was the Lamb slain for us.  The Son always was the One who gave Himself to give us eternal life, and to feed us with His Body and Blood so that we might have everlasting life with Him.  When we fail to practice gratitude, then, we are missing on the very source of our lives, and we fail to know something essential for our very well-being as creations of God.  We're missing our own foundation without it.  There is an epidemic of depression that seems to be noted by sociologists and psychologists, especially those who study the effects of social media, and very much an alarming trend among the young in terms of increasing affliction.  While we aspire to greater and greater wealth and feats of technology and innovation in a material sense, we might well wonder why it is afflicting people -- and especially young people -- with a growing sense of unease, loneliness, and rates of depression.  In Christ's sacrifice, in the Eucharist, we may partake of what makes us one Body, what is literally called Communion, for the root of sacrifice has always been sharing to make community identity with that which we worship.  In Christianity, it is God the Son who sacrifices Himself (as willed by God the Father) once for all time, that we may find ourselves in God's love and community, and in this sense the Eucharist is the gift that keeps giving, inexhaustibly and eternally.  In the science of psychology, it is well-known that the practice of gratitude is in itself one method to counteract depression.  But perhaps we might take that a step further with a deeper insight, and a much, much greater perspective on creation itself, to understand gratitude as the root of our being and spiritual relationship to Creator.  Without it, we falter.

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat"

 

 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.  

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. 

 

- Luke 22:1–13 

 

On Tuesday, we read that Jesus spoke to them a parable after speaking about end times:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him. 

 

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  My study Bible explains that the Passover (Πασχα/Pascha in Greek) is the celebration of the firstborn of Egypt and the deliverance of God's people from bondage (Exodus 12 - 14).  In remembrance of this, the Jews would slaughter an unblemished lamb and partake of it with unleavened bread.  This, it says, prefigures Christ's Passion, in which the only-begotten Son of God is slain in order to deliver His people from their bondage to sin and death, and then is raised to lead them into the eternal Kingdom.  See also Revelation 13:8.  Orthodox Christians refer to the death and Resurrection of Christ primarily by the use of the word Pascha, known in the West as Easter.  

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.  My study Bible comments that Satan does not enter a person except by that person's consent.  The reason that Judas was chosen by Satan, and none of the others, is because Judas had a place for Satan in his heart, and the others did not.  Luke's mention of Judas being numbered among the twelve, my study Bible tells us, is an emphasis on the depth of the betrayal.  Moreover, it shows that religious position is worthless if not accompanied by faith and virtue.  

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.  Expanding further on commentary for the first verse in today's reading (see above), my study Bible explains that the term Passover (Greek Πασχα/Pascha) can refer to several things.  It can refer to the original event, or the celebration of that event, to the food that is eaten, or even to the lamb that is slain.  My study Bible adds that in patristic commentary, Peter represents zeal and John represents spiritual understanding -- these, it says, are the virtues with which we are to partake of the Lord's Supper. 

It's interesting that the Passover refers to so many different things, as my study Bible notes.  One thing is for certain, the Passover is central to our understanding of Christ and who He is, and therefore to our understanding of our faith.  One of the most profound and intriguing ways Christ is referenced is in the Revelation:  "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8).  Here the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world ties Jesus Christ to the Passover in ways that extend both before and long after the event in Exodus recorded as the Passover.  For this Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, meaning that Christ, our Passover, was always sacrificed for us -- indicating that when any of us sacrifices or suffers for our own faith, we are entering into His sacrifice made once and for all time, and for all of us.  The story of the Passover in Exodus 12 begins with the LORD instructing Moses and Aaron:  "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household' " (Exodus 12:2-3).  Note that the LORD's instructions clearly begin a kind of calendar:  "So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance" (Exodus 12:14).  In this sense of marking time and creating a calendar, even a "first of months" and a "memorial" of "everlasting ordinance" is a way of God giving instructions for manifesting a spiritual reality that already existed:  the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  It's also notable that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is established by the LORD as a memorial for "the same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:17).  So, this day begun in the Gospel, the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Passover, is at once a type of manifestation both of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, as well as the setting free of God's people, our liberation from bondage.  But this time the Lord Himself, the Lamb, has come into the world as a human being, and He will, as Jesus, become the Passover, and our Liberator for "all who dwell on the earth."  For in His sacrifice is the foundation of our life and its sustenance of which we all may partake.  For Christians, this is the central event of history.  In the fulfillment of this everlasting ordinance, Christ gives instructions for this final Passover of His earthly life as Jesus, for this time of fulfillment that is at hand in His Passion and Resurrection, and most certainly in the institution of the Eucharist, our own everlasting memorial.  Returning to my study Bible's mention of the patristic interpretation of Peter representing zeal and John spiritual understanding -- we take up the Lord's Supper and His manifestation of the Kingdom at hand, even the mysteries in which we are invited to partake.  Let us give thanks, for so we may enter into His Passover, of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  For His flesh is food indeed, and His blood is drink indeed (John 6:55).

 

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly

 

Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

 

- Luke 21:29-38 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been giving His discourse on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and on the end times, to His disciples.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." 

Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  My study Bible comments that this generation is a reference to all believers at all times.  It signifies the generation of the Church, and not merely those alive at the time of Christ.  

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.  Here is Christ's emphasis in His discourse, revealing that His aim is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  He calls us to take heed, to watch, and to pray always.  We are to continue in virtue, remaining alert and vigilant to the duties of being a follower of Christ, for that Day will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  To stand before the Son of Man is an indication of the judgment to come at that time for all. 

Jesus' final warnings set us in a place where our orientation is toward watchfulness.  This is an important state of mind for one who would be a follower of Christ.  In monastic tradition, it forms the core of what is called spiritual battle, or unseen warfare.  For it is in practicing the virtues, watching our own thoughts, and being aware of where temptation lies (and where we're vulnerable) that forms the core of doing our part to anchor Christ's kingdom in this world.  Jesus emphasizes such practice in the Sermon on the Mount, when He examines the Law and magnifies a deeper layer to its true practice.  He urges us to undertake a spiritual obedience, not merely an outward observance, watching our rage and anger, our tongues, our covetousness, envy, etc.  We're not just outward projections of something designed to be "perfect," far from it.  We're people -- human beings -- in a constant state of energy at work.  We're faced with temptations all the time, we have flaws, faults, vulnerability, yet we are capable of great spiritual beauty.  We have trauma that makes us susceptible to the false lure of evil, and we're easily fooled when it comes to our own blindness to our flaws.  Watchfulness includes constant prayer ("pray always") and avoiding the pitfalls that make us insensible to the realities of the things we need to be about ("take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life").  We should be sure to note that Jesus includes not just carousing and drunkenness (surely shorthand for anything in which we might lose ourselves in forgetfulness) but also the cares of this life among the things that weigh down our hearts.  So often we might think of ourselves as simply being responsible by worrying or taking on the duties of work, property, social concerns, etc.  But Jesus is clearly saying we can lose ourselves in that "responsible" living as well.  He warns of this in the parable of the Sower, too (Matthew 13:22).  As we head into the Christmas season, let us keep this in mind, and focus on our prayer and spiritual discipline.   It's a time to honor the One who came to us as one of us, not to lose ourselves through by being over-involved in the cares of this life.  That would include the frantic scramble for all manner of ways to celebrate, family pressures, and other demands of the season -- a season that can include the hurt that comes to those who feel left out or neglected.   Sometimes less really is more.  The Orthodox have a saying, "Remember God."  Make time to withdraw and pray, as Jesus always did, even in the midst of a whole host of demands from those who sought Him (Luke 5:16).  Perhaps we'd best honor Him by remembering that Christ left us with one new commandment, to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).  

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations

 

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

 

- Luke 21:20–28 

 

On Saturday we read that, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, Jesus said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

 

  "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  While we've been reading Jesus' discourse on the whole of what is called "end times," indicating that it's meant to reference the whole of the Christian era to the present day, here Christ once again becomes very specific regarding what is to come in Jerusalem.  My study Bible comments that the phrase when you see is a clear indication that many of those disciples listening to Him speak at that moment would still be alive at the time of the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem.  The Siege of Jerusalem took place in 70 AD, at which time the temple was destroyed, and in accordance with Christ's prophecy, "not one stone" was "left upon another" that was not "thrown down" (see Saturday's reading, above).  Only one retaining wall remained standing, known in modern times as the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall.  Jesus speaks directly of His concern for those those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  In Luke 23:29, Jesus will warn again, as He is on His way to the Crucifixion, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!'"

 

 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  Here Christ's narrative shifts from the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem (which would come within a generation), to the time of His return and the judgment.  Let us pay close attention to the fearful events He describes, and the emotions stirred in the hearts of people:  fear, and distress, and from expectations of those things which are coming on the earth -- for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

 

 There are many who seem to have a conscious idea of the world somehow becoming better and better, a sort of progress of virtue of one kind or another.  This may be due to scientific or material progress in terms of modern technologies and advances, or advances in science and education, even innovations in new sorts of time-saving or powerful capacities for the use of energies, and all manner of modern infrastructure.  But at the same time, we need to take a look at the world and ask ourselves what innovation has not also brought uses which are surely not for the better of the world or of mankind, as modern wars have been so destructive, technologies within the twentieth century bringing us massive displacement of populations and even genocides.  Today's modern warfare gives us a no man's land where a society once had an infrastructure that served people for transportation, hospitals, universities, and even attempts at a universal constitutional concept of rights for all citizens.  Human beings may create with intelligence and industry many capacities, but those capacities also become used to bring us fearsome sights indeed, as the past century has easily witnessed and continues to witness.  In this vein, let us consider what is the difference between material innovation and the spiritual understanding of the blessings of our faith.  We certainly have experience of distress of nations, and men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says, "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" (Matthew 24:29).  St. Ambrose comments on today's passage in Luke, clearly seeing both physical and spiritual prophecy.  Not only will a  hostile army trample visible Jerusalem, as did the Romans, even emptying Jerusalem of its Jewish population.  But, he writes, "All Judea will be put to the spiritual sword, the two-edged sword, by the nations that will believe. There will be different signs in the sun, moon and the stars. When very many fall away from religion, a cloud of unbelief will darken bright faith, because for me that heavenly Sun is either diminished or increased by my faith. If very many gaze on the rays of the worldly sun, the sun seems bright or pale in proportion to the capacity of the viewer, so the spiritual light is imparted to each according to the devotion of the believer. In its monthly courses, the moon, opposite the earth, wanes when it is in the sun’s quarter. When the vices of the flesh obstruct the heavenly Light, the holy church also cannot borrow the brightness of the divine Light from the rays of Christ. In the persecutions, love of this life alone certainly very often shuts out the light of God."  So, therefore, St. Ambrose sees in this prophecy the pattern observed elsewhere in Scripture, that as faith is diminished, so the world becomes "darkened," a sense in which Christ the true Light is harder to see and to perceive.  Effectively, these prophecies become teachings on the importance of enduring in our faith and the practices of our faith.  For the light that we truly need is the spiritual light, and the truth we surely need to live by is the spiritual truth which Christ brings us.  The progress we make in material terms can be diminished with so much darkness that we can no longer see our path correctly without this light.  Let us not be taken in when things appear to be progress, but human suffering and the diminishing of life and of faith continue to our detriment.  At the same time, Christ asks us not to be deceived, and to persist in our faith, to watch.  As we in the developed world consider a wide array of material goods with which we may celebrate holidays, let us keep in mind our spiritual reality, and not be so dazzled that we don't keep our eyes on the true light.   There are many in the world who suffer for our faith, for Christianity, today.  Let us keep our eyes on His reality, and the teaching of the poor widow who sacrificed all she had for the love of God, for there are those who have kept and are keeping their faith in the face of violence and the swords of those hostile to Christ.  Let us keep in mind the great sacrifices as gifts to God some are willing to make and have made -- even of their very lives and security -- as we celebrate the holidays with gifts of a commercial kind.   Remember our brothers and sisters across the world in your prayers.

 

By your patience possess your souls

 

 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."

So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

 

- Luke 21:5-19 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus was disputing in the temple with the religious authorities, He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

  Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  This is a prophecy of the destruction of the temple that was to be fulfilled in 70 AD at the Siege of Jerusalem.  The text references the adornment of the temple with beautiful stones and donations.  We should remember that this is the temple as it was expanded and rebuilt into one what was considered one of the architectural marvels of the world, by Herod the Great (also known as Herod the Builder). 

 

 So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them."   My study Bible comments that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways, so that no precise chronology can be determined (see Daniel 7 - 12; Mark 13; Matthew 24; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and the Book of Revelation).  It notes that Christ's emphasis is on watchfulness, and the practice of virtue rather than on constructing timetables of things that have not yet happened.  Here in Luke's Gospel, Jesus first warns His disciples about what is to come in their lifetimes.  He warns them not to be deceived by false reports of His Return, and that they are not to be terrified in hearing about wars and commotions, for these must come first before the end.   He then goes on to describe the tribulations that will come as we await His Second Coming.  

 

Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven."  All of this period in which we have lived the Christian era is included in the tribulations Christ describes.  My study Bible comments that these wars include the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (when the temple was destroyed, and not one stone was left upon another, but all was thrown down.  It says that wars are not a sign of the imminent end, but of the opposite -- that the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). 

 

"But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist."   And here is the tribulation for the Church, again, covering the entire period of the Christian era, and not simply a specific final time before His return.  This persecution of course began in the earliest period of the Church, but it yet continues today, even as the gospel has spread to the world.  Certainly most of those to whom He was speaking, with the exception of John the Evangelist, would go on to martyrdom.  John himself was in exile, even as the Church was persecution in the synagogues and by the Romans.  But let us pay close attention to what Christ tells us about times of persecution:  they are an occasion for testimony.  

"You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."  Here Christ's prophecy becomes even personal.  In the Letter to the Hebrews, St. Peter writes, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  If the word of God is truth that cuts deeply into the heart of each one, then we understand how also it may cut between ourselves and even those most closely bound to us in a worldly sense.  Here Christ is preparing the disciples for the type of hatred and betrayal to come.  Of course, we might wonder at this seeming contradiction, that some will be put to death, yet not a hair of your head shall be lost.  But in so doing, we lose sight of the Kingdom among us, and that so much emphasis is placed on the eternal reality of that Kingdom, and not on the events of this world which so often deceive, and mask the true work of God going on "behind the scenes," so to speak.  Those who follow Him, as is evidenced in the Epistles of St. Paul, do so with the understanding of the eternal nature of life in that Kingdom, and not simply a temporal existence.  St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians of those brothers and sisters in the Church who have passed ("fallen asleep"), "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).  

 

 Jesus' final words in today's reading are, "By your patience possess your souls."  These are words that are addressed to us in our modern world today as much as they are to Christ's disciples during this final week of His earthly life, as given in today's reading.  What does it mean for us, "By your patience possess your souls?"  First of all, Christ's warnings about wars and upheavals, natural disasters of all sorts, famines and pestilences, still apply to us.  We see them every day, and we cannot help but hear about them the more the world is interconnected through mass telecommunications of all sorts.  Moreover, lest we who live in countries where we are quite free to practice our faith forget, persecutions of the Church continue into the present day and have never stopped.  In the previous century, many of those persecutions came at the hands of governments and political movements opposed in principle to religion.  The twentieth century's first great persecution, indeed that which would produce the term "genocide" as a legal term defined in the law, was the persecution in the Ottoman Empire of its Christian populations during the years of World War I, beginning in 1915 with the Armenian Genocide.  Today even a nominally Christian country has moved to ban a rival Church during a period of war, perhaps portending a new involvement to manifest divisions in the Church through warfare and the manipulations of governments.  Moreover, and perhaps far more threatening in effect, today our brothers and sisters in the Middle East continue to suffer under attack from armies of extremists bent on exterminating all those who do not share their nominal sectarian beliefs.  Such extremist militias are even sent to other countries across Africa, striking terror into the Christian populations there, using rape, murder, torture, and abduction of child soldiers as their weapons, even using slavery as a means of procuring wealth.  In these ways, in headlines we can read in today's news if we but look to find them, the Church and Christian believers still suffer under persecution and tribulation.  As we head toward the celebration of the birth of our Lord, and we enter into the Christmas season, keep a special place in your prayers and hopefully also in your charitable gifts for those brothers and sisters of ours, all over the world, and perhaps in a different denomination from ourselves, who suffer tribulation for their faith.  Let us, together with them, share in their suffering if we might in order to help alleviate their pain and the destruction to their communities.  For Jesus preaches not only to those who suffer, but to all of us who must share in the message, "By your patience possess your souls."   Let us through our compassion participate in prayers for our patience, extended to each one through all of us, even across the world to the faithful who suffer today.  We all must come to understand the ways in which we are meant to participate in the sacrifice of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19-21, Revelation 13:8).   For in this way shall we possess our souls, and gain the peace of Christ that passes all understanding, if we abide in His love -- and for one another -- as He has taught us to do.

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had

 

 And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,

"Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

 

- Luke 20:41—21:4 

 

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Jesus i the temple in Jerusalem and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."   But after that they dared not question Him anymore.   

 

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Here Jesus quotes from the beginning of Psalm 110.  My study Bible explains that the first reference to the LORD applies to God the Father, while the term my Lord is a reference to Christ.  The question posed by Jesus is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity.  This "riddle" of the Scripture is only answered by understanding that the Messiah is not a mere man, but is also divine.  David, as king of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "my Lord" except God.  

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."   In Matthew 23, Jesus goes into an extensive listing of His criticisms of the scribes and Pharisees.   His greatest condemnation is due to their hypocrisy, the extensive practice of outward piety and signs of their office (long robes, greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts), while at the same time their practice is to prey on the poor for their own gain and greed (they devour widows' houses), and their practice of making long prayers are but a pretense.  Christ's warnings are pertinent for us today.  My study Bible comments that because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  Moreover, it maintains that these criticisms are especially important to Orthodox Christians, as the Church has maintained ancient Christians practices, using sacred vessels, and holy rites, following tradition.  It says these practices can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ -- or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  My study Bible comments that, according to patristic understanding, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  So, therefore, this poor widow is counted to have given a great gift, as she's kept nothing for herself.  Those who give out of their abundance but keep plenty back for themselves are counted by God to have given very little.

How do we give gifts?  This is a good question for today, as today is the feast day of St. Nicholas.  St. Nicholas lived in the 4th century in the Byzantine Empire.  The stories we've been given about St. Nicholas tell of a great many virtues.  As one might suspect, he's very well known for his charity and gift-giving.  Among other things, we're told about St. Nicholas that his parents were wealthy, and upon inheriting their wealth, he followed the examples of Christ's teaching in the Gospels:  he gave it all away to the needy.  According to a biography found at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, St. Nicholas "regarded himself merely as the steward of goods which belonged to the poor and took particular care to keep his good deeds secret, so as not to lose the heavenly reward.  On three occasions he secretly left gold enough for the marriage portions of three maidens whom their debt-ridden father intended to give up to prostitution. When the man eventually discovered his good deed, Nicholas made him promise, as he valued his salvation, to tell no one of it."  He became known, perhaps in return for his generosity of spirit, for gifts given by God, of miracles and charismata (he is also known as St. Nicholas the Wonderworker).  He is known for saving those in danger of drowning at sea through his prayers to calm winds, and for other miracles regarding dangers to ships and people making sea voyages (both before and after his death).  Perhaps for this reason, Nicholas is a very common name among the people who populate islands of Greece.  He is the patron saint of sailors, and also of children.  He became a bishop at a young age, and is also famous for defending the faith against the Arian heresy at the Council of Nicea.  He is indeed the same saint who became known as Santa Claus in the West (coming from the Dutch Sinterklaas, meaning St. Nicholas).  Today's story of anonymous and generous giving is a magnificent parallel with the saint's feast day.  The story of this very humble widow no doubt quietly putting her two mites into the treasury of the temple, in parallel with the secret and hidden generosity of St. Nicholas to others, tells us something very important about our own generosity and good deeds.  Christ is aware even of the things that are hidden to others or unknown generally speaking.  The good things we do, the kindnesses, our acts of compassion, are all known to the Lord, and He takes notice.  God also clearly knows the extent of our generosity, how deeply we give from the heart, and how generous we truly are being.  St. Nicholas, in the East and in the West, becomes the embodiment of the gracious spirit of our faith.  Perhaps the best message we're given today might be one of gratitude, because no matter how small we may believe our resources to be, a gift can always be generous, and we always have indeed a generous gift we can make: of our time, our love, even the truth of our deep convictions, and whatever resources we have.  The sacrifices we make for God always count, for we worship the God who sees (Genesis 16:13).  So let us, today, venerate St. Nicholas, and the poor widow whom Jesus lauds, for each of us is more than capable of bestowing the generous gifts Christ helps us to give.  We are all rich in this respect.  For, as Jesus says, even out of her poverty, this poor widow has put in more than all.