Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

 

- Matthew 16:13-20 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  My study Bible comments on today's entire passage that Christ's question, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question that a person can ever face.  This is precisely because it is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter's correct answer to the question prevents the Christian faith from being seen or known as simply another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  This is because Jesus is the one and only Son of the living God.  Such a position excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  As Jesus indicates in His response to St. Peter here, St. Peter's understanding could not be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (see 1 Corinthians 12:3).  My study Bible points out that Christ means "Anointed One," the equivalent of the Hebrew title "Messiah."  It also asks us to note that Christ first draws out mistaken opinions about Himself.  He does this to identify incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

 

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  My study Bible explains that Peter/rock is a play on the word for "rock" in both Aramaic and Greek (petros/petra).  This rock does not refer to St. Peter per se, but rather to "the faith of his confession" according to St. John Chrysostom.  The true Rock, my study Bible tells us, is Christ Himself (and so says St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:4), and the whole of the Church is built on the faithful confession of Christ.  The gates of Hades are the powers of death.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible says, "gates" suggest a fortified city (Genesis 22:17, 24:60; Isaiah 14:31).  By shattering its gates, Christ has opened the stronghold of death to set free the souls of the righteous.  So therefore, the Church also shall not be stopped in her proclamation of salvation.  Moreover, my study Bible tells us that the term church is mentioned only twice in all the gospels, here and in Matthew 18:17.  This Church is the true Israel and the Body of Christ; her citizenship is heavenly.  

 

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.  My study Bible says that the keys of the kingdom is a reference to a special authority that will be given both to Peter and the other apostles after the Resurrection (see Matthew 18:18; John 20:23).  St. Peter was not a leader over the others, but rather among them.  This truth was confirmed at the Council of Jerusalem (see Acts 15) where the apostles and presbyters met as equals, and where St. Peter advised, but St. James presided.  This is the New Testament witness concerning St. Peter -- his role should neither be expanded, nor should it be diminished in opposition to such claims.  My study Bible also notes for us that binding and loosing is a reference primarily "to absolve sins," according to St. John Chrysostom (see John 20:23).  But it includes all the teaching, sacramental, and administrative authority of the apostles.  This authority was in turn transmitted to the bishops of the Church, and it continues in effect to this day.

 

There is a kind of dual impact of the information revealed in today's reading.  There is first of all the authority which Jesus confers to His apostles, and particularly through St. Peter, who was known as "first among equals" in the continuing spirit of conciliarity which guides the Church and is its aim.  But there is also the powerful, extraordinary understanding that Jesus is the Christ -- and that "flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."  Let us remember that when Jesus will speak to the apostles of the sending of the Helper, the Holy Spirit,  He tells them that the Holy Spirit will be sent from the Father, and through Christ's prayers (see John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).  This is very important, because it truly teaches us that Christ's life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension has the effect of bringing humanity into deeper communion not only with Christ, but also the Father and the Holy Spirit.  For if the Father -- as Jesus says in today's passage -- is working in St. Peter to effect this revelation, then how much more is promised through the fullness of the effects of Christ's mission to us as Incarnate Jesus and His completion of that mission in Resurrection and Ascension?  We really cannot estimate the fullness of what this means, and the fruits it will bear, has borne, and will continue to bear in our lives and in our world.  We simply don't know how to calculate what God does among us, and what God will do.  But we can look around ourselves and see what that has meant, even if we can't know its fullness.  See, for example, the work of the secular historian and award-winning author Tom Holland, titled Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, in which he examines the effect of Christ upon our world through the present day.  Moreover, this "remaking" of the world is ongoing, continuing not only through the present time but through the future we don't yet know.  We are assured of this in Revelation 21:15, in which "He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'"  The English translation does not completely capture the meaning of the Greek, in which the word "make" is in a continuing present tense, better translated as "I am always making all things new."  For this is the reality of the Church and the fullness of Christ and Christ's ongoing work in our world, and we simply cannot know all that this entails, including all the possible dimensions it might indicate of which we are unaware.  But we can know the graciousness and love of God for the world and for us human beings, for so God has granted to us this enormous, inestimable gift of salvation, to be with God in the fullness of eternal life and what that might entail for us and for our world.  Let us marvel at this extraordinary gift, coming to us through St. Peter's confession on behalf of all of the apostles, and indeed of all of us, and through the revelation of our Father who is in heaven, as Jesus says. There is no greater honor nor gift in potential for all of us.  Let us truly place the value of this blessed treasure as is appropriate to is, for taken in this perspective, our faith is everything.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And He took the five loaves the the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes

 

 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves the the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 

 

- Matthew 14:13-21 

 

 Yesterday we read that at this time in Christ's ministry, Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 

  When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.   According to Theophylact, when Jesus heard it refers not to John's death (see yesterday's reading, above), but to Herod's comment that Jesus is John raised from the dead.  It tells us perhaps that this is a signal of another turning point in Christ's ministry.  Recently we read He was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth.  He is already being questioned and menaced by the Jewish religious establishment, the Pharisees and scribes.  With Herod fearing Christ and His power, it is a sign that state power has now turned its attention to Him.  So perhaps this turning to a deserted place by Himself is, as is His custom, a time for prayer and communion with the Father, seeking the direction His ministry should take in response and for the future.

 

  But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.  And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.  When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late.  Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food."  But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish."  He said, "Bring them here to Me."  Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass.  And He took the five loaves the the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.  Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.   Jesus is unable to get away by Himself, as by now His popularity and the the demand for Him is so great.  My study Bible comments that this miracle, which is reported by all four Evangelists, shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of God's people, just as He, as Lord, fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  In this feeding in the wilderness, we're told, the Church Fathers see an image of the Eucharist, an idea which is made clear in John 6.  There is another miracle in the future reading in St. Matthew's Gospel, in which Jesus feeds four thousand people, with a different number of loaves.  My study Bible comments that some modern scholars try to say that they're the same story, but Jesus' words make clear they are not (Matthew 15:32-39; 16:8-10).  It is frequently written of Christ that He was moved with compassion (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41, 6:34; Luke 7:13), which shows that His power and authority are extended to people who suffer.  There is also a spiritual interpretation regarding the five loaves, that it indicates the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which my study Bible says are broken open in Christ and thereby feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In blessing the food, Jesus shows us that we should not eat without first giving thanks to God.  This terminology He uses points to the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26) and contributes to the eucharistic interpretation of this miracle.  As the disciples distribute the bread to the multitudes, so Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.  The gathering of the leftover by the apostles shows that the teachings which we are unable to grasp are nevertheless always held in the consciousness of the Church. 

 

The story of the loaves and fishes reminds us about abundance; it invites us to ask questions.  Where does abundance come from?  What constitutes abundance?  When is it that we feel we need such abundance?  It's important to note that the people who followed Him on foot from their cities truly desired Him.  His compassion first comes in the form of healing.  In other Gospels, we also find He preached to them.  St. Mark tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion for these people because they were "like sheep not having a shepherd," and so His first act of compassion is to teach them many things (see Mark 6:30-44).  So perhaps our first consideration is to contemplate just what Jesus feeds these people with -- which things does He truly sense they need, and in what order or priority?  There is also the fact that it is because they remain with Him for so much time that the necessity for food comes to the fore.  Jesus shows them tremendous, and importantly for customs and culture in Christian context, hospitality.  He makes the table for them, so to speak, invites them to His supper.  And this language obviously applies to the suggestion of the Eucharist to come.  But perhaps the greatest "sign" here for us to see is Christ's power of multiplication, for such a power belongs to God.  Such a power belongs to the God who created the world.  Perhaps there are many today who speak about an underlying framework of reality which occurs as fractal (see especially symbologist Jonathan Pageau).  That is, the repeated images and patterns which occur and re-occur, scaled to all measure of scale, from the largest to the smallest.  One example of a fractal pattern is the phenomenon of snowflakes; they seem to be a repeated pattern when they occur, each bears resemblance to another but each is unique, infinitely replicating and yet diverse in detail.  This study of reality as an underlying pattern of fractals gives rise to considerations about the creative power of God, and the presence of that very creative power in all things we know.  One small reflection of that is the pattern of the Eucharist, the pattern of this feeding in the wilderness -- and a great example lies in the pattern of Christ's multiplication of the fish and loaves in order to feed a whole multitude.  It is an act which mirrors and reflects the way that God creates.  This feeding itself is a type of pattern, which will be fulfilled in the Eucharist, which in turn will come to be fulfilled in our participation in the life of Christ and our coming together, and being consistently reborn as community, as the faithful in Christ's Kingdom.  If we think about how this very example of God's creative power as multiplicity may work in our lives as faithful, then we may also come to understand how we follow Christ in times of need, or difficulty, or when we are also like sheep not having a shepherd, when we seek answers to problems that present themselves to us.  We always have our Shepherd, and it is the pattern of His very life that is set down for us to repeat, each as a unique expression of faith in following Him.  Do we feel we lack abundance? We might start with gratitude for what we do have, and prayer for what we think we don't.  Do we need to care for people and feel we will be unable to do so?  We start with hospitality and work from there.  We see what we can multiply, what we can divide, who has something that will help and is willing to do so.  And we start with everything in love, because God is love, and if love does not guide us, then we are being misled.  These are all patterns of repetition and multiplication that we need to seek when we are out "in the wilderness" so to speak, for we seek Him in all things (another example of how fractals work).  We seek the meaning that Christ can offer, even in our suffering, for the Cross is also one of those patterns of our lives that means we are to live "like Him."  In this sense we think of the power of God for multiplication, that we each become temples to God, and the Holy Spirit can work in this way as a pattern of multiplication in us, through our communities, through time, for He is the finger of God, sent by the Father, through the Son.  These are all the endlessly multiplied fractals of holy power, the creative power of God, working through our lives and through Jesus Christ, our Lord who gave us all things.  Let us consider the blessings we've got, and be thankful for them, engaging in these gifts for all of us from God.

 

 

 

 

 

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

 For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

- Matthew 5:1-12 

 

 In our recent readings in St. Mark's Gospel, the setting has been Jesus' final week of His earthly life, iin Jerusalem.  He had made His Triumphal Entry into the city, cleansed the temple, and spent His days disputing and sparring with the religious leaders as He taught in the temple.  Most recently, after one question, Jesus told the scribe who had asked Him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  On Saturday, we read Jesus then responded again and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly. Then He said to them in His teaching, "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."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.   Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  Today the lectionary takes us to the Sermon on the Mount (found in St. Matthew's Gospel), from which the readings will come for this week, no doubt in preparation for Lent which begins next week.  My study Bible comments on these verses that in the Old Testament, there were only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, is speaking to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain, as my study Bible explains it, is a place where divine action enters human history; it is the place where God reveals Himself to humankind (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Samuel 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  There were early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, who sat while the people stood.  St. Matthew mentions that Jesus opened his mouth in order to emphasize that his teaching is "one way," my study Bible says. That is, Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are not there to discuss or debate, but to listen. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with what are called the Beatitudes, after these beginning statements regarding those who are blessed.  (Beatitude comes from the Latin word meaning "blessed.")  In this context, my study Bible explains, blessed indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.  To be poor in spirit is to have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and to be totally dependent upon God. 

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible says that those who mourn sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is importantly distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible explains that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek, it says, are God-controlled and they have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  Meekness is not passive weakness, but strength directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  My study Bible says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God  and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  It says they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  My study Bible defines mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  It says that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all. 

 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  "Pure," according to my study Bible, means unmixed with anything else.  The pure in heart are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who are pure in this sense practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  My study Bible says that this level of spirituality is attained by few, but all people may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, it tells us, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will see God everywhere.  

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  By so doing, He revealed Himself to us as our Reconciler, the Prince of peace who brings us into communion with God (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ, my study Bible says.  So peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, then, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible declares that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, it notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown awaiting the righteous.

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study Bible claims that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek word meaning to be exceedingly glad literally means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  Sometimes this word is translated as to "exult."  See Acts 5:40-41.

Among all the other seemingly paradoxical statements we read in the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps the most strange, to our modern ears, is to hear that not only are we blessed when we're reviled and persecuted, or have evil slander directed against us -- all for Christ's sake.  We're to rejoice and be exceedingly glad because our reward in heaven is great; moreover, so the prophets before were persecuted.  Clearly this would have been meaningful to His direct audience, as for the Jews, the prophets were the greatest representatives of God sent into the world, so often to speak God's truth to power and face the consequences for doing so.   From the Gospels it is clear that Christ's first disciples were those guided to Him by John the Baptist, while John himself is considered to be the greatest of all the Old Testament type prophets.  We can see this heroic continuity in those who've been sent exemplified in Christ's parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Mark 12:1-12), which was given in Wednesday's reading last week.  There, servant after servant is sent by God to the vinedressers, only to be killed, and finally the owner sends his beloved Son.  It is into this known continuity that Jesus' listeners are given these words, Christ speaking of the prophets as images to imitate.  But most stunning of all is His assertion that now, we are to rejoice if this persecution comes for His sake.  For there He is placing Himself as central to the narrative of salvation, if you will.  He is placing Himself firmly in the place of the beloved Son sent to us all by God the Father.  He declares Himself worthy of such suffering and sacrifice, because He can offer us that eternal life, that place where our reward is great in heaven.  Noteworthy also, is remarking upon Christ's statement, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  We frequently read in Christ's teaching a sort of reciprocal principle at work within our communion with God and with our fellow believers and neighbors.  Further along in the Sermon on the Mount, after He gives us the Our Father, or the Lord's Prayer, He teaches, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15).  Both Christ's teaching on the practice of mercy and on forgiveness sound similar notes of reciprocal action within our communion with God and neighbor, and they are indeed related to one another.  We need to practice mercy and forgiveness in order to realize and receive these ourselves.  Perhaps, however, we need to understand suffering for Christ's sake within this same type of context.  For to suffer for His sake is to live His teachings and to be persecuted in some way for doing so.  To be merciful, and yet be made to suffer for it, even slandered for it, is a sense in which we're to understand that Christ's repayment for such a heroic dedication to His word will be ever greater, reciprocal in the greatest degree.  Moreover, to suffer for the sake of Christ's word and teachings is to do so in imitation of Him, for it is He who will pay the highest price for doing so, and out of love for us.   The modern cynical expression, "No good deed goes unpunished" may have a lot of truth in it for those who have experienced persecution for living the Lord's words and teachings.  But to suffer for Christ's sake is also to express our love for Him in return for the love we know first (1 John 4:19).   Let us consider how the practice of Christ's love and compassion might also mean that we suffer for His sake -- and then ponder His words that we need to rejoice and be exceedingly glad in the times when this is so!

 

 

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!

 

 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 

- Luke 13:31–35 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."   

 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"  My study Bible comments here that today's passage shows first, Christ voluntarily going to His Passion.  Secondly, it displays His great love for Jerusalem in spite of its continual state of rebellion.  Finally, He reveals His foreknowledge of how He will be received on the first Palm Sunday.  

 

Let us note that Jesus' cry, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem" is a lament made with love and sadness, and Jesus also shows His commitment to the mission entrusted in Him, remaining in Jerusalem, "for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem."  It's quite interesting to think of this image that Jesus has given, of Himself as a would-be mother hen gathering her brood under her wings.  This is a striking maternal image of Jesus that He gives to us directly.  We might take a close look at some historical architecture of Churches to see how it reflects Christ's image here.  Looking at the beautiful and majestic dome of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Church, built in what was then Constantinople (532-537), and minus the minarets added later, we see a very rounded maternal image which reflects Christ's desire to embrace His children as a hen would under her wings.  (See this architectural drawing of the structure.)   This Church was the largest cathedral built in the world for nearly a thousand years, but nonetheless its shape manages to convey the sheltering in the wings of a mother hen, a rounded image with a brilliantly illumined dome that seemed to float above the people.  Interestingly the name Hagia Sophia, "Holy Wisdom," is also feminine in its Greek form, although it refers to Christ Himself.  Why is it important that Christ gives us this picture?  Because it teaches us how our faith works in so many balanced and powerful ways.  Those who would suggest that our faith is merely one of patriarchy would be entirely mistaken, because in Christ's language and practice during His ministry the feminine plays a great role as well.  His love for Jerusalem -- the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! -- is clearly stated here in maternal terms.  It is little wonder that for the Orthodox world, perhaps the greatest image of protector is that of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, or "Mother of God."  She is, additionally, considered to be the greatest of the saints, and exalted as the one who exemplifies our faith among human beings.  She bore possible shame and humiliation in her acceptance of her role given by God, protected and sheltered our Lord, and in humility bore the pain that would come as well.  Of course, the whole of the Church and all the faithful is necessary to the faith, and no one is left out. But Christ gives us one of the greatest images we have of what it is to love and care for one's lost children in this image of the mother hen and her brood, and the great desire to protect.  In chapter 15, Luke will also give us the parable of the Prodigal Son, with its image of the father who runs to the returning prodigal.  But let us for today be grateful for Christ's portrayal of His love as that of a hen who longs to protect her lost children, and who will nonetheless stay for the sacrifice He must make at their hands, although they will leave their home desolate.

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more

 

 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  

"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  

 

Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  

 

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.    But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

 

- Luke 12:32–48 

 

Yesterday we read that one from the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

 

  "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  My study Bible comments that do not fear is a recurring theme in this discourse.  Little flock is a reference to all believers.  They are "little" in two ways.  First of all, they are insignificant in the eyes of the world, and second, they are small in number when compared to the earthly and heavenly creation.  Let us consider what it is to have treasure in the heavens:  what we sacrifice from an earthly perspective, we gain when done for the kingdom of heaven.  Of such is money bags which do not grow old,  treasure where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 

 

 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately."  This is a call to be vigilant, says my study Bible.  It echoes the imagery of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).  In Christ's time, one would "gird one's waist," hitching up and fastening clothing in order to work, so that it would not interfere nor be soiled; here Christ uses this expression as a metaphor for readiness to do virtuous action.  Lamps burning indicates active spiritual discernment (see Tuesday's reading, in which Jesus teaches, "The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness").

 

 "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them."  My study Bible comments that the mark of a true disciple is vigilance in performing the work and exemplifying the virtue of the master.  To be watching is to be alert, vigilant, ready to act -- especially upon the commands of the master as a servant.  Note that Christ says such servants will find that the master will gird himself for work and serve them, as Christ did when He washed the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper (see John 13:1-17).

 

"And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants."  The second and third watch is between 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m..  According to my study Bible, these are interpreted as hours of heightened temptation.  Therefore those servants are the most blessed who remain faithful during the night.  Let us note also that this can be interpreted as a time of metaphorical spiritual darkness and difficulty, when the Light is no longer with them or seems far away from our lives (John 12:35).  It's also a time when all others are sleeping -- again, metaphorically understood as a time of falling away and forgetfulness, with a lack of spiritual awareness or zeal.  

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into."   Again, we can understand this metaphorically, with the thief as the devil and the influence of evil (see John 10:1-10).  

"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Here is the sobering, straightforward call for constant vigilance and quickening of our spiritual awareness.  My study Bible comments that it is not the place of anyone to try to predict the time of the return of the Son of Man, but rather to remain faithful and to be ready at every hour.  

Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers."  Here my study Bible comments that the previous parable was to all people, but this parable is to the apostles and their successors,  the rulers and teachers of the Church.  These exhortations and principles of virtue, it says, and the warnings against corruption, apply specifically to those entrusted with spiritual leadership.  Note that Jesus gives images of the abuse of those other fellow servants and selfish indulgence and exploitation of the master's household.   

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.    But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."  My study Bible says that the judgment of the teachers of the Church will be strict (James 3:1).  The many stripes (formal punishment by lash, given in specific number) given to those who are willfully and knowingly disobedient is a symbol of condemnation.  The few stripes are for those who are disobedient out of ignorance, and indicate chastisement or correction.  

Jesus speaks to His disciples, telling them that they must continue in vigilance as His servants (servants to the Master in the parable), even after He is Ascended and no longer with them as the Jesus the human being.  The vigilance He asks, therefore, is also asked of us as the descendants of these faithful to whom He speaks in the Gospel.  So we must ask ourselves what it means to be vigilant, what it means to be watching ("Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching").  It's important to note that this word "blessed" is the same one used in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain.  This kind of blessedness isn't about worldly blessings, but a state of being associated with participation in the kingdom of God ("Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom").  The word for "watching" in the Greek of the Gospel passage is γρηγορέω/gregoreo, which is highly correlated with action and quickness.  It means to be alert, watching, staying awake.  If one is a servant to a master, it stands to reason that we can infer Jesus is speaking about following His commands the He has given while He is in the world as Jesus, and practicing His worldly ministry.  At the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).  So, to be watching, to be vigilant, is to always be on the alert for ways that we follow His commands, within the circumstances in which we find ourselves at all stages of our lives.  Note how this includes caring for the others in His Church specifically addressed to those in leadership.  Jesus asks, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers."   A steward is one in charge of a master's household and his goods.  To give His household their portion of food in due season is to "Feed My lambs" as Jesus said to Peter in His final appearance before His Ascension (John 21:15-19).  But to abuse and exploit others in the Church, to abandon responsibility, to be self-indulgent and ignoring the commands of Christ, all of that is to forfeit the name of a disciple or apostle.  We are guaranteed, in this language found here in Luke, that Christ will come at an hour we don't expect, and therefore it is constant vigilance that is asked for, not forgetting what we are to be about as good servants to the Master.  He says, "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.    But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."   Note Christ's fairness:  those who do not know will not be held to the higher standard, but those who have been given much in the way of the spiritual truth and teachings of Jesus, will be responsible for much.  Let us therefore be prepared and vigilant, learning and growing, watchful and wakeful and alert to the call of our Lord and Master.  Let us do as we're asked as good servants.  Let us not be complacent, but be prepared to grow in the living of our faith. 

 

 

 

 

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me

 

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 

 

- Matthew 11:1–6 

 

Yesterday we read that, while Jesus was speaking to the scribes who criticized Him, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

 

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  The lectionary skips over chapter 10 of St. Matthew's Gospel.  In that chapter, Jesus chose the twelve disciples who would become apostles.  He taught then how to conduct themselves, what to say to people they encountered.  He warned the of persecutions to come, and the role Christians will play in the world.  He taught them about the dissension that would come about because of Him.  He taught them to fear God above all.  

 

   And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  According to patristic understanding, my study Bible says, John the Baptist asks this question in order to guide his own disciples to Jesus.  John's own faith would be in turn strengthened through the response of Jesus in the next few verses.

Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  According to my study Bible, the prophet Isaiah predicted that these signs would accompany the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5; 61:1).  It notes that Jesus performed these miracles in the presence of John's disciples (Luke 7:21) so that they could see with their own eyes the works that only the Messiah could do.  

In Matthew chapter 10 (just prior to today's reading), in instructing and preparing the disciples for their first apostolic mission, Jesus closes with these words:  "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."  In today's reading, after speaking to John the Baptist's disciples, Jesus says, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   He is speaking of the holy power that accompanies these activities, and its mysterious working that has to do with judgment and eschatological perspective.   Moreover, in speaking with the disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus speaks referring to Himself in a sense as a stumbling block, when He says that those who are not offended because of Him are blessed.  There is an acknowledgement and reward system at work here behind all of these encounters with anything blessed with Christ's power, or which acts as an icon of Christ in a sense.  Even a cup of cold water given to one of these little ones (the least powerful among the faithful) will by no means lose its reward.  So Jesus' message to John is one that affirms His place as Messiah, the One for whom John's mission was meant to prepare the world.  In this understanding of who Jesus is, then, John the Baptist finds his fulfillment and affirmation, even as he approaches the end of his life.  John the Baptist has alluded to this in chapter 3 of John's Gospel, when he says, "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled" (John 3:29).  Christ, in our recent readings, spoke of Himself as the Bridegroom with his friends (in this reading), and John the Baptist is another one of the friends of the Bridegroom.  In Christ's voice, then, is John's joy fulfilled, a fulfillment of true identity and meaning -- his place, because in Christ all things are revealed as they truly are.  Here Jesus sends word ("the voice of the bridegroom") via John's disciples so that John may in turn direct them to Christ, and find in Him the fulfillment of mission and ministry.  As Christ is the Alpha and Omega, so may we all find who we are, and where we belong in Him.

 

 

Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull

 

 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to the, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  

 

"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophesy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

     'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, 

    And seeing you will see and not perceive;

    For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

    Their ears are hard of hearing,

    And their eyes they have closed,

    Lest they should see with their  eyes and hear with their ears,

    Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

    So that I should heal them.'

 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

 

- Matthew 13:10-17 

 

Yesterday we read that, after a confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

  And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to the, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  My study Bible says that the mysteries of the kingdom are not simply obscure concepts or some religious truths only for the elite.  Additionally, the understanding the parables is not simply an intellectual process.  Even the disciples find this message hared to understand.  While Jesus taught the same message to all, my study Bible adds, it's the simple and innocent who are open to its message.  

 

"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophesy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their  eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom's commentary on Christ's use of this passage from Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10) that this prophecy does not mean God causes spiritual blindness in people who would otherwise have been faithful.  It's a figure of speech common in Scripture that reveals God as giving people up to their own devices (as in Romans 1:24-26).   It means that God has permitted their self-chosen blindness (compare Exodus 8:15, 32 with Exodus 10:20, 27).  They didn't "see and not perceive" because God spoke through Isaiah, but rather Isaiah spoke because he foresaw their blindness.

So what makes a person "blessed," with "eyes to see and ears to hear?"  Why is it that some have this capacity while others don't?  Surely it comes down to a matter of a heart that is open, or at least one that longs for the things of God.  Moreover, Jesus says to the disciples that "many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  How is that possible?  It seems to suggest that they are the ones who are fortunate to be called at this time to this Kingdom, in the presence of Christ as incarnate human being.  It is Christ coming into the world and calling those who respond that makes this possible.  And so, we should think ourselves, that we are fortunate to have what so many of our spiritual ancestors that fill the pages of the early books of the Bible did not have, Christ.  We are the ones who reap the benefits from God's grace and mercy, the ministry of Jesus Christ, and especially His Passion, death, and Resurrection.  In Pentecost, the energies of God make themselves known and present in the capacity of the disciples to suddenly be understood by all in their own languages.  God's presence has made itself more closely manifest to us than to our spiritual forbears.  And yet, so many would dismiss even this.  In a fashionable or modern setting, how many people consider the wisdom of Christ and what it adds to human life?  One thing we can certainly discern from the parable of the Sower, even before we get to Christ's explanation (in tomorrow's reading), is the value of the word.  That is, the true blessedness of the seed He's sowing, the thing He offers to all of creation?  How many cherish that word, and understand that it is gift to help us to grow, and to reap a spiritual harvest through discipleship in our own lives?  We are taught to care about many things, and to chase after the things which we consider make life good and livable.  But how many of us seek this word -- nurturing the seed it plants within us -- as a highest priority, that can change the quality and meaning of everything else, and shape values in our lives?  For not only does it seem we need discernment to understand the parable, but the parable is teaching us that it is Christ's seed, the Sower's word, that rewards us with real discernment and spiritual values in the first place.  So, in this consideration, we can begin to see what it means that people's hearts have grown dull.  For, indeed, if such is the case, how will we know what's good and what to value?  How will we know and learn what's worthwhile to pursue, or even what to teach our children?  If our hearts have grown dull, we might miss altogether the things that save our souls, nurture them, and make them grow and expand.  Let us take His words seriously.  

 

 

 

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me

 

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 

 

- Matthew 11:1–6 

 

Starting with Monday's reading, we have been given Christ's address to the Twelve as He sent them out on their first apostolic reading.  Yesterday we read that Jesus said to them, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." 

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  My study Bible comments here that, according to the Church Fathers, John the Baptist asks this question in order to guide his own disciples to Jesus.  Moreover, it notes, John's own faith was undoubtedly also strengthened through Christ's response that follows.  

Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   My study Bible affirms Isaiah's prediction that these signs would accompany the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5, 61:1).  Jesus' reference to these signs prophesied by Isaiah is fully meaningful to John the Baptist.  My study Bible adds that Jesus performed these miracles in the presence of John's disciples (Luke 7:21) so they could see with their own eyes works that only the Messiah could do.

 

Jesus tells the disciples of John, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  We have to ask ourselves why people would be offended at Christ.  There is first of all the notion that people did not want to accept what kind of Messiah He was.  He was not coming in the likeness of a great king like King David, to restore the fortunes of Israel.  He did not have an army, and was not prepared to overthrow the Romans in a political battle.  He would not give "proofs" on demand of His identity, nor produce miracles simply to please people or their expectations.  Rather, He came in the likeness of an ordinary Man, one without great wealth or position, and one without conventional authority.  All of these various aspects of Christ's identity were in some way offensive to various groups of people, and particularly to the religious leadership, who continually questioned His authority and where it came from.  Perhaps the greatest reason for offense was precisely this question of authority, and simply because Christ's authority came from God, and not from worldly sources, like a high position in the temple, or a lineage that Christ would claim for Himself openly.  Instead, Christ's authority was recognized only by faith, by something that responded to God within the hearts of those who would receive Him.  He came in humility, and yet led an astonishing life of ministry.  But still, it takes faith to receive and recognize Him, it takes a true love of God in the heart to receive, a heart open to the spirit of God.  That mysterious question of faith will come up continually, again and again.  Who are the ones not offended because of Him?  This remains a question even for today. 

 

 

Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children

 

 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.  And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and 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!'  Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"

 

- Luke 23:26-31 

 

 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people.  And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and release Him" (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).  And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" -- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.  Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.  But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"  Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done?  I have found no reason for death in Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."  But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified.  And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.  So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.  And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

 

  Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. My study Bible notes that Simon means "obedience."  It says that this faithful man stands for all who desire to follow Christ and carry the cross He places on them (Luke 9:23; 14:27).  

And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children."  My study Bible comments that weeping is not appropriate for the One who redeems the world through the Cross.  It is suited rather for one's own sins, and for the sufferings of others.  But Jesus is also referring to events to come in Jerusalem.

"For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' "  The blessing on the barren women is an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer (illustrated by the "woe" in Matthew 24:19).  My study Bible cites the words of St. John Chrysostom:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"  Jesus' words here seem to continue in the same vein in which He prophesied the destruction to come in Jerusalem, manifest at the Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.  See see Luke 21:20-24.

 

 "Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?" My study Bible says that the green wood is Christ, full of virtue and truth.  The dry stands for the Jews, barren of life and of all righteousness.  It asks, if the Romans eagerly destroy the righteous, what horrifying things await the unrighteous?

One hallmark of an evil time seems to be that life reflects qualities we might experience as "upside down."  This is a time when lies are taken for truth, when manipulation and hearsay become "justice."  It's a time when the religious leaders are unjustly prosecuting the One known as a holy Man, and whom His followers call the Messiah, the Christ.  Jesus Himself calls out the upside-down nature of the time here, when He says to the women who mourn for Him, "For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!"  For this upside-down time is one characterized by Jesus in His prophesy of the destruction to come as "the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled" (Luke 21:22).    Jesus says, "Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'"  St. Cyril of Alexandria explains, "In extreme miseries, those less severe misfortunes become, so to speak, desirable" (Commentary on Luke, Homily 152).   What is considered a blessing becomes a curse -- and what is considered a curse becomes a blessing.   St. Cyril also explains Christ's remarks to the women as befitting a time that is "upside-down," for His death is not to be mourned, but celebrated, as He lives -- and He goes to His Crucifixion in order to destroy death itself.  In an upside-down and evil time, evil seems to have the upper hand by all appearances.  But the truth is that the action of God can use even this great evil to God's purpose -- meeting the upside-down action of evil with God's own logic and the power to defy it.  For the greatest blessings will come out of this greatest of evils.  In this way, some Church Fathers have indicated, evil is blind and stupid.  The trickster the devil is tricked into believing that Christ can be destroyed, and thereby we are all given the Resurrection.  And this is the good news of this upside-down time, for with God all things are possible!  If there is a time in life when one looks around, and sees all kinds of things that seem upside-down, when false is true and true is false, consider this scene and find what faith can do.  Perhaps especially at such a time, we have no idea what God may be doing.  Let us quote St. Paul, who draws upon the prophecy of Isaiah that we might understand:  "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  But as it is written:  'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:7-10).  Let us consider the power of faith, as Jesus goes to His death.  With the women who mourn we may want to weep, but with the eyes of the Spirit, we might understand a greater truth that evil can't defy.  It's in Luke's Gospel that Jesus declares, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18).  Let us hold fast to His teaching and vision.