Do you also want to go away?

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60-71 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus spoke of Himself as the bread of heaven, the religious leaders in the synagogue quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and so many walked with Him no more.  It comments that still to this day, many reject Christ's words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and so do not walk in this teaching.  It says that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many seek to define its nature rationally, or to explain His words by casting them as metaphor.  But either extreme is risky; to reject the sacramental nature of it is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history.  

 

 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is the power of confession, at a time when others fall away.  In John's Gospel, Peter's confession comes in response to Jesus' question, "Do you also want to go away?"  He asks a question in return, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" and expresses the remarkable finding of faith:  "You have the words of eternal life."  Note that Peter speaks for all of the apostles here, and in His confession, "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  My study Bible comments that to name Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God distinguishes Christianity from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  It adds that this position excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."

 

Let us note the unusual turning of the hearts of people given to us in today's text.   As Jesus reveals that "the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life," there are many who fall away, because they cannot accept the "hard saying."    We are told that many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.   Jesus has His own pronouncement on this:  "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."   So we are to notice this spiritual connection between the Father, the words of Christ, and faith.  There are those who cannot "walk" with Him any longer past this point.  But then Jesus turns to the twelve:  "Do you also want to go away?"  And Peter responds with his confession, and evidence not of turning away, but the opposite; that is, a deepening of faith, a deeper grasp of the reality of Christ.  In an echo of Jesus' own teaching that His words are spirit and they are life, Peter says, "You have the words of eternal life."  And this in turn leads to his confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.  As we noted above, Peter's statements here are made on behalf of all the twelve, as he speaks in the plural "we."  Of course, the text also notes that Jesus is aware one of them will betray Him, as are the hearers of the Gospel.  So couched in today's reading, and in the context of the whole of chapter 6, are important indicators of the movement of faith in the hearts of people.  Some move away.  Some have never believed, but have instead demanded a sign in order to be convinced.  These are the ones who wanted to make Him king after they were fed in the wilderness, but He taught them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes...."  Some have simply complained against Him and criticized Him (the religious leaders in the synagogue),  Now in today's reading, there are many disciples who no longer "walk" with Him, because they simply cannot hear His words, they cannot grasp His teaching on His Body and Blood.  Jesus speaks of those given Him by the Father, clearly indicating that those who cannot continue this journey of faith any further (or perhaps we could also say 'any deeper') are not included among them.  So, our faith doesn't come simply because others believe, nor is it based solely on signs, nor some form of intellectual acceptance.  But there is a powerful key in His teaching that His words "are spirit and they are life," that Peter says He has the "words of eternal life," and that He is the "Son of the living God."  For spirit and life are intertwined here, necessary for faith and the deepening of that faith, the continuing journey the disciples are on.  They are intertwined also with the "living God" who is the One who gives all to Christ who are truly is -- and those who cannot go further in faith are not among them.  For we have this working of spiritual reality among us, and the action of Father, Son, and Spirit cannot be excluded from this understanding and connection.  For faith and community go hand in hand, and there is the power of spirit and life to be grasped in faith.  We know that the disciples who continued Him did not understand all that He taught, but faith in Christ is more than intellectual understanding.  It is trust in Him, and the compehension that despite mystery, His words are "spirit and life."  For most of the world's denominations, today is the feast day of the Annunciation, the time when Mary was told by the angel that she would give birth to a Son.  If we look carefully at Luke 1:26-38, we can see some similar elements there that we pick up in today's reading.  There is the spiritual action of the angel Gabriel, sent by God to Mary with an announcement, special words that also convey spirit and life, teaching her that she is blessed among women, and that "the Lord is with you."  Mary doubts, asking, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  But the angel replies, again bringing in the power of the Holy Spirit working among human beings, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."  Gabriel also teaches about the child coming to her elderly cousin Elizabeth, and adds, "For with God nothing will be impossible."  Mary responds with faith, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."  She responds to the words of spirit and life, and her faith will sustain her through all the rest that is to come, even the pain of losing her Son in such a way as will come.  In John's Gospel, we have yet another reference to Christ's words of spirit and life, and what an impact they make, when the temple officers, sent to arrest Jesus, are unable to do so.  When they are subsequently questioned about this, they simply reply, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  (John 7:45-47).  Even they were able to hear and grasp what most of the leaders could not, responding to the "spirit and life" in Christ's words.  Let us consider today the Annunciation and Mary's faith, and that deepening journey of faith that is asked of us when we are invited by God to know the Christ.  For this is indeed a continuing walk, a path that threads throughout our lives and their difficulties and joys.  It will try our faith, our trust, and we will come to new roadblocks that seem to defy all logic and meaning, asking us to grasp yet more deeply the spirit and life in His word and teaching, and find what they mean to us.  For this is the journey we see in the Gospels, and it is also ours.  In Greek, the Annunciation is called "Evangelismos/Ευαγγελισμος" -- the same word that means gospel, literally "good news."  Let us take heed how we hear, and grasp hold of the spirit and life in His words as we go forward in this journey and walk with Him and all the rest who've come thus far.

 

 

 

 

 

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes

 Annunciation.  Byzantine icon, 12th century.  St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt

"Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD'S doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

- Matthew 21:33-46

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  In this parable, told to the religious leaders in the temple, my study bible explains that the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people, called Israel.  The vinedressers are the religious leaders who were entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant sent by the landowner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  The son is Christ.  When the son  is cast out of the vineyard and killed, the parable is understood on two levels.  First, Jesus was killed on Golgotha, which was outside the city walls at that time in Jerusalem.  Second, Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not those of His own vineyard.  The other vinedressers to whom the vineyard will be leased in the future are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Let us note that by their own response to Jesus' parable, the religious leaders yet again convict themselves (as in yesterday's reading, above, and their response to  the parable of the Two Sons).

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  This stone is Christ.  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who explains that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while they are still in this life.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer destruction in the final judgment.  Note that the leaders respond characteristically, with their fear of the crowds, similarly to their fear of replying in front of the crowd to Jesus' question about John the Baptist (whom the crowds also considered a prophet) in yesterday's reading, above.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.

In telling this parable, Jesus illustrates something that is found many times in the Bible.  It's illustrated, perhaps most eloquently, in Mary's song, at the time of the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.  When Mary accepts the role that God has chosen for her, she sings:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."  (Luke 1:46-55)

This song of Mary encapsulates the action of God as always-surprising, turning over life to reveal changes that are monumental and magnificent.  Mary calls herself lowly, but in truth she is blessed, and all generations will call her so.  God's strength scatters those who are proud in the imagination of their hearts, puts down the mighty from their thrones, and exalts the lowly.  God fills the hungry with good things, while the rich are sent away empty.  This is Mary's understanding, and it echoes other songs of the Bible, other stories, other works of God which have been revealed and given to us.  But Jesus' parable today, of the vineyard that is owned by God, and that will be taken away from those who have mismanaged it and abused the people of God, is the greatest promise of change and transition from the strong arm of God, and which embraces those who fear God, know God's mercy, who are humble and lowly before God; that is, the poor in spirit.  Jesus illustrates His parable with the servants repeatedly sent, who suffer and die for the sake of the true landowner and the landowner's message, who call the vinedressers back to what is right and true, and who are rejected.  The son, of course, is Christ, and He will be cast out and killed, treated as the least of these, and like John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the prophets, they will "do to him whatever they wish" (17:12).  And yet, Jesus speaks of the stone rejected by the builders, which will not only be chosen and selected, but the chief cornerstone.  He is the stone which may be a stumbling block, and break some; but for those upon whom that stone falls, there is only oblivion, a blotting out of life.  It is a warning to them all of the power that truly rests with the One whom they plot against and reject, and we all should take these words seriously.  That power remains within our world, whether it is obviously seen or not.  There remains the reality of justice and truth -- even when ignored and abused.  There remains the reality of our souls and what is best for them, what feeds them when we are hungry for good things.  There is a kind of righteousness that compasses both mercy and justice, even if human beings do not choose that path.  In the long run, it is this stone that will have its rule and its say, that governs the length of our lives.  The wisdom that lives through the ages does not disappear, even if, when every generation comes of age, there is always that worldly sense of life that dictates that power and might and material gain rule the day.  But life does not really work that way:  not always in the short run and certainly not in the long view of things.  Those wisest and experienced among us may echo the words of St. John Chrysostom, that it is indeed a blessed thing to be broken and know it, because that gives us an opportunity to put things back into place and rectify our lives with the grace and help of a merciful and strong-armed God.  Let us consider our humility as we await this light of Christ's birth.  His is the stone that matters, and the long game is the one upon which we keep ourselves focused.  Mary sings at the announcement of His Nativity, and we continue to celebrate, despite "the world's" conviction that all that matters is material, and not the things we don't see simply with material sight.  We are reminded of Jesus' warnings about the blind who lead the blind.   Let us instead choose to be illumined by the light that we commemorate shortly.

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

- Luke 1:26-38

In yesterday's reading, we read the beginning of the Gospel of Luke.  Luke writes:  Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.  So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.   The sixth month is the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy (see yesterday's reading, above).  Mary means exalted one, says my study bible.   Although the text mentions Joseph's lineage, it indicates that Mary and Joseph are both of the house of David -- descended from David's royal lineage -- as a devout Jew would customarily marry within his own tribe.  We note that Luke twice calls Mary a virgin.

And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.   The angel's greeting is, "Rejoice!"  The good news is right here, for hidden in it is in a reversal of the Fall.  Genesis 3:16 tells us that Even brought forth children in sorrow; but Mary is the new Eve, she will rejoice in bringing forth her Son.  As Eve suffered under a curse, Mary is now blessed.  Highly favored one (χαριτου / charitou in Greek) can also be translated as "full of grace."  My study bible says that Mary is the most blessed woman who has ever lived, because of her complete willingness to receive God's grace.  In the words of her Son, to "hear the word of God and keep it" (Luke 11:28).

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."   My study bible tells us that Gabriel's announcement emphasizes two truths:  first, Gabriel tells Mary "you will conceive in your womb":  Jesus took His flesh (that is, His human nature), from Mary herself.  Secondly, this is the divine Son of the Highest in Mary's womb.  Therefore, this one Person, Jesus, the eternal Son and Word of God, is both fully human and fully divine.

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"   In contrast to Zacharias' response ("How shall I know this?"), Mary's question, "How can this be?" doesn't indicate a lack of faith.  She is actually asking as to way in which something so extraordinary would happen.

And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is not the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Holy One, says my study bible, is a messianic title (see Psalm 16:10).  Here we are given a revelation of the Holy Trinity:  the Father (the Highest), the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.   My study bible tells us that Mary's faithful response is that of the highest obedience to God.  And here's the great, "impossible" news:  the Incarnation is not just the work of God, but it also involves and asks for the free response of mankind in the person of Mary.  Once upon a time, Eve disobeyed, now Mary obeys.  Eve closed herself to God, but Mary opens to His will.   My study bible cites Theophylact of Bulgaria, who taught that Mary's response says, "I am a tablet; let the Writer write whatever He desires on it."

It's frequently pointed out how often Jesus teaches "Do not be afraid."  Here, in yesterday's reading and in today's, Gabriel's announcement to Mary and to Zacharias includes the command, "Do not be afraid."  (The angel who appears in the tomb to the myrrh-bearing women will say the same.)  "Do not be afraid" is connected to another important statement in today's reading, also repeated elsewhere by Jesus, "With God nothing will be impossible."  Both statements, "Do not be afraid," and "With God nothing will be impossible" are statements about faith.  They teach us something about faith.  They draw us more deeply into faith.  Faith, we remember, is akin to trust.  In the Greek, the word meaning to have faith is the verb to trust.  "I trust that ..." or "I have faith that ...", "I trust in ..." or "I have faith in ..." are two ways of saying the same thing.  They teach us to cast off fearfulness, being afraid.  This is something different from what is called the "fear of God," which is reverence and an understanding of God's absolute power, the might of God's word.    When each person is taught, "do not be afraid" it is a question of casting off something within themselves; this is not a question of awareness but rather a question of discarding something that is holding them back, and not allowing them to truly see.   "Do not be afraid" is a command to cast off that which keeps us from true awareness, which holds us back from opening up to the perspectives and possibilities on offer from God, and found in and by faith.  In that sense, "with God nothing will be impossible" is a reassurance about perspective, about what we put our trust in.  It asks us to open up and to expand, to trust:  to find the direction God has for us and to trust in it.  It is in this sense that Mary's response, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word" is so powerful.  She is saying "Yes" to the God who commands us not to be afraid, and "Yes" to the God for whom nothing will be impossible.  This is "Yes" to a trust in something she can't do and can't explain of herself; it is "Yes" to the God who asks for our trust, not for limitation, trepidation, denial.  What is important about all of this is its expansive nature; that is, a reality that calls upon us to expand, and to allow it to expand our worlds, our perspectives, our lives.  This is not about wishful thinking, and not about inventing a dream life in which our fantasies of wealth or fame or any other desire come true.  It's about where God calls us.  We say "Yes" to the work of God in us.  By saying "No" to being afraid, we accept God's life on offer, God's grace.  It's about finding spiritual direction and living it.  So here is the mission, to be like Mary -- the one who says "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  Her mission defeated the Fall of the world; the first sin is overturned through her willingness not to be afraid, and to trust.  Each of us has this same mission.  But we have to find it through acceptance of our own faith, seeking sincere direction in prayer and in all the resources we're offered to help us to do so.  So often it is our own fears that hold us back.  Let us consider where exactly we put our trust, and see what something so much more vast and great than we are can bring us.  Christ teaches us to fear only God, nothing else.  Do not be afraid.

Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word

 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to  city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.

- Luke 1:26-38

Yesterday, we read that the angel said to Zacharias:  "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."  And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.  So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

  Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to  city of Galilee named Nazareth . . . .   In the sixth month refers to the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John. 

. . . to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  The virgin's name was Mary.   According to my study bible, the name Mary means "exalted one."  It says, "When Joseph is referred to as of the house of David, it reveals Mary also was descended from David's royal lineage, for a righteous man would usually marry within his own tribe.  Twice in this verse, and again by implication (in verse 34), Luke calls Mary a virgin."

And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  According to the traditions of the Church, Eve brought forth children in sorrow (Genesis 3:17), while Mary, by contrast, who is the new Eve, will rejoice in bringing forth her Son; as Eve had been cursed, so now Mary is blessed.  Highly favored (charitou in the Greek) can also be translated "full of grace."   My study bible says, "Mary is the most blessed woman who has ever lived because of her complete willingness to receive God's grace, or in the words of her Son, to 'hear the word of God and keep it' (11:28)."

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."   My study bible points out that Gabriel's announcement emphasizes two truths:  (1) you will conceive in your womb:  the Lord Jesus took His flesh -- His human nature -- from Mary herself; and (2) this is the divine Son of the Highest in Mary's womb.  Thus the one Person, Jesus, the eternal Son and Word of God, is both fully human and fully divine.  This truth was crucial in the defeat of the heretic Nestorius, who taught that Mary conceived a mere man who was later joined by the divine Son of God.  A hymn in the Eastern Church tells us, "The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin as Gabriel announces the coming of grace."

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"   My study bible notes that Mary's question here (How can this be?) is different from Zacharias' question (see yesterday's reading).  Mary's does not indicate a lack of faith, as Zacharias' question did.  Rather, she is "merely inquiring into the manner in which something so extraordinary would happen."

 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  For with God nothing will be impossible."  Here is already a messianic title (Holy One - see Psalm 16:10)  and a revelation of the Holy Trinity:  The Father (the Highest). the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word."  And the angel departed from her.  My study bible tells us:  "Mary's faithful response is that of highest obedience to God.  The Incarnation is not only the work of God, but it involves the free response of mankind in the person of Mary.  Whereas Eve once disobeyed, Mary now obeys; whereas Eve closed herself to God, Mary opens to His will.  Mary's response says, 'I am a tablet; let the Writer write whatever He desires on it' (Theophylact of Bulgaria)."

So who is Mary, after all?  Let us note that without her and her assent, the story is not possible.  Well, one presumes that with God, all things are possible, as it says in today's reading.  But it is her acceptance of the word of God that makes her extraordinary.  In today's world, so many of us seem to have been given the idea that Mary is a very pliant person, in some sense eager to please.  But I think that in a very important sense, nothing could be further from the truth.  Mary is a powerfully discerning person, even at the young age in which she is portrayed here, and her obedience is to God.  Throughout the life of her Son she will be His supporter, she understands who He is.  In His youth, she and her husband Joseph are His protectors.   In the Gospel of John, (John the one who became "her son" with Jesus' death on the Cross), it is she who prompted the first miracle at the marriage at Cana, turning water into wine.  This is a woman of supreme confidence in God, of tremendous faith, and that's what we need to "take home" about Mary.  My study bible says that for two thousand years the Church has preserved the memory of the Virgin Mary as the prototype of all Christians -- the model of what we are to become in Christ.  She was truly pure (in the deepest spiritual sense of her profound faith, her whole heart) and unconditionally obedient to God.  She's a model also in that she is the first person to receive Jesus Christ.  To quote my study bible, "As Mary bore Christ in her womb physically, all Christians now have the privilege of bearing God within them spiritually."  That is, of becoming like Him by God's purifying and empowering grace and mercy.  From the earliest times, the Church has called Mary Theotokos (Greek, literally, meaning "God-bearer"), a title, as my study bible says, implying that her Son is both fully man and fully God.  Mary was the source of His human nature as His mother, yet the One she bore in her womb was also the eternal God.  For all these and so many reasons, she has traditionally been considered the "first among the saints."   Throughout the ages, people have and continue to call on Mary for divine protection (both because of her own purity of faith and as "protectress" to Christ in the world and thereby the Church).  We ask her to pray with us, and she is the one who never turns away from anyone.  She is known as the great compassionate one, the human being who suffered with her Son, and took on all His life would mean, becoming also a mother figure to His followers, His Church.  In the Orthodox tradition, she is also known as a Champion General, with an important hymn sung to her throughout Lent bearing this title for her.  She is our defender, the one who bore and protected Christ in the world.  She is also the one who led the way for all of us in her acceptance of the role given to her.   One must consider the power of inner purity, and its complete defeat of the evil one.  For this reason, she is the one who helps to deliver us from sorrows.  Through her, as Mother of God, chosen by God to bear the Son into the world, the whole of humanity is truly uplifted.  She is the example, the icon we have of faith and strength, compassion and protection, and resistance to all evils, and purity and virtue.  In a world that so needs it, let us remember her strength to help us in our faith, that she always prays with us.  She is the compassionate Mother, and the one who always points us toward her Son.  Throughout the world she is the one known for her unfailing sympathy, kindness, and tenderness.  Her humility is her strength and confidence, as she is ever dedicated to Him.  In her faith, she is the unassailable tower, the one who assists in our prayers, who never lost confidence in her Son's true identity.  She is our lady of victories over all things that distract us from the people we are called to be by Christ.  She is the one who told the stewards at the wedding at Cana, "Whatever He says, do it."  She is in this role, she is Mother to all of us, a mother to the motherless, maidservant to the One who "sets the solitary in families," the saint who helps us on our way as we follow the Son. Let us not forget Christ's unwavering and, for His contemporaries, even shocking sympathy toward the women we meet in the Gospels, and especially so in Luke.  For myself, I suppose this, too, had something to do with who His mother was, and deepens my gratitude to her.

He marveled because of their unbelief

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands?  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.   Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on more than two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

- Mark 6:1-13

In yesterday's reading,  Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, back into Jewish territory, and a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

  Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands?  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  My study bible says that "Jesus' teaching, wisdom, and miracles do not overcome the disbelief of those in His hometown.  The people see Him as one of them, the carpenter they know.  They are offended because they can do none of His works, and they are unwilling to accept a far greater role and dignity for Him.  In Scripture the words brothers and sisters can refer to stepbrothers and stepsisters, as well as other relatives."  For various reasons, including the fact that Jesus assigned Mary's care to His disciple John at the Cross, the Church from earliest times viewed Jesus as Mary's unique child.  By custom today, the word "brother" or "sister" is still used to refer to extended family (such as cousins, for example) in the Middle East.

 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  A note tells us that "jealousy affects faith.  Every person could have been restored.  But in the absence of faith, Jesus does not release the divine power which is always His."  In yesterday's reading, we read about a sort of "circuit" created at the meeting of the woman's faith, simply by touching her hand to His garments.  Even Jesus seems to be surprised by their lack of faith, as He marveled at their choice.  When the text reads that Jesus could do no "mighty work" in English, the text in Greek makes the connection between His power and faith more explicit.  It reads, to paraphrase:  "He could do not even one work of power," except to lay His hands on a few who were sick.  We note that Jesus moved on to other villages, doing what He can, teaching, always loyal to His mission.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on more than two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place."  My study bible says that "this is the first time the twelve are sent out, as it were, on a training mission, preparing them for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.  They go two by two for mutual support."  Jesus shares His power with them, the power over unclean spirits.  Again, Mark's Gospel emphasizes this "stronger man" who has come to help us with our defense against the evil that binds us, holds us hostage, and it is this power that is shared with the disciples.  We notice the extreme humility with which they are to conduct themselves, perhaps to emphasize all the more the "Kingdom that is not of this world" and the divine power that accompanies them, as opposed to worldly power.  To stay in one place only is an indication that once they are received or welcomed, and their work revealed, they are not to "trade up" to better lodgings, but to remain with whoever welcomed them first.

"And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  To shake off the dust is a symbolic gesture of judgment.  The world of faith begins in hearts and minds, it is there the Kingdom takes root.  This testimony is an affirmation of the recognition of true response, or not.

 So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  A note in my study bible says, "Preaching is an earnest proclamation, and this present proclamation of the need for repentance is momentous.  This is the first time the Twelve perform miracles.  God gives His power, His energy, to human beings and through human beings -- to and through those who repent.  He shares with us by grace what is His by nature.  The disciples anointed with oil as part of the act of healing, for by the Incarnation of Christ creation is renewed:  oil and water become instruments of healing and renewal for the human race."

Today is a good day to speak of Jesus' Incarnation (as does the last note from my study bible) because for most of the world's churches, today is the day on which the Annunciation of Christ's birth is celebrated (those who celebrate Christmas at a later date will celebrate Annunciation on April 7th).  How does divine power, by way of divine energy, become one with human nature, with creation?  We really have no idea of the answer to this question, save to say by the power of God it is so.  My study bible points out the power in the elements of oil and water which "become instruments of healing and renewal for the human race."  These things are elements or effects of the Incarnation:  our God taking on a human body and human nature teach us that creation is made for glory, and in His Presence as Incarnate Son, creation is renewed, restored.  This is what we wish to keep in mind for today.  The Apostles go out two by two, preaching an earnest proclamation:  so, once again, we say, how fitting it is that today is the day we commemorate the great heralded message of the Annunciation, that God would be made human, will be born into the world as a child.  Again, we enter the realm of mystery, the ultimate paradox.  As faithful, we sit with that mystery, we can but accept it, and allow it to come to us as it will in our lives.  My study bible points out the efficacy of oil and water as instruments of healing, somehow manifesting God's power.  Human beings, in today's reading, are also imbued or endowed with this power.  In yesterday's reading, the faith of the woman with the bloodflow caused this power to be released to her from Jesus, healing her.  And we see what happens where faith is not present to make this connection:  in the envy and jealousy of the neighbors, who can't quite get their minds to the place where they can accept Jesus as He reveals Himself through His ministry, faith is empty and non-existent, and therefore the power He wishes to use for everyone's benefit simply cannot be revealed.  And He marvels at their lack of faith.  Our nature, when separated from God, is also perplexing, irrational, and causes even the "God-man" to marvel.  (Interesting to note that the root for "to marvel" here is a word used for "miracle" or "wonder.")   Judgment is interlaced here throughout today's reading.  No works of power can be revealed in a place where there is no faith; ironically, that place is Jesus' hometown, and those who are familiar with Jesus in one way cannot accept Him as revealed in another.  The lack of reception for His apostles is greeted equally with a testimony that will apply to judgment.  This is why repentance is central to our understanding of faith.  Repentance is the act of changing our minds, coming to terms with something of God that we can accept, and we change as we must to do so.  God incarnates as man, as Jesus, to meet us where we are.  But then it is up to us to come to terms with the One who is God and man.  We have a lifetime to sit with the paradox, to receive what we will in our lives through the power of God brought into the world, brought into the flesh, giving meaning and energy and grace to the life we live, to the objects of our lives, teaching us what our bodies are made for, and manifesting the essential goodness of creation.  Let us remember how the Incarnation glorifies everything, restoring nature to its essential goodness as created by God, giving us a sense of the dignity for which we are created, the powerful energy that welcomes us whole and teaches us with what dignity we must treat our bodies as temples for the grace and power of God.  Jesus gives us the fullness of what it is to be human, to fully receive the grace that is given to us.  Let us remember that the struggle with faith, to receive God as fully as we can, is a lifelong destiny, in which each moment is an opening.