Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 

 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  

 

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

- Mark 9:30–41 

 

On Saturday we read that, coming down fro the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, when He came to the disciples who remained behind, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood."  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  

 

  Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Here Jesus predicts for a second time to the disciples His death and Resurrection (see this earlier reading for the first).  My study Bible says that this repeated prediction is meant to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.  

 

 Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   The disciples have been disputing who would be the greatest.  This is because, at this time, Jesus has begun the long journey toward Jerusalem, and has prophesied to them more than once what is going to happen there at His Passion and Resurrection.  They do not understand what it means; it's still mysterious to them.  But it's likely they presume that there He will come into His Kingdom, and this they envision to be a worldly type of kingdom, the common expectations of the Messiah among the people.  So when they dispute who would be greatest, they're speculating among themselves who will get the highest place among them in this worldly kingdom they imagine is coming.  My study Bible comments that it indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Addressing this particular problem, Jesus points to a little child as a model of true discipleship.  He emphasizes thereby the virtues required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  These are, as noted by my study Bible, humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  

 

 Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study Bible remarks that Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, that John's conscience has been pricked by Christ's teachings on being first and last.  But St. Ambrose, on the contrary, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either interpretation, my study Bible comments, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact comments on this similar passage in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 9:46-50), "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who would use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

 

 Jesus teaches the disciples about greatness in today's reading.  He defines it through humility and through service.  He takes a little child in His arms, and tells them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   To honor God -- even God the Father -- is to seek to receive and to save even the least of these among us, even a little child.  Yet there will be more talk and more teachings about the relevance of little children to discipleship.  Jesus will teach, a little later on in St. Mark's Gospel, "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Mark 10:14; see also Matt 18:3-4, Luke 18:17).  This adds another dimension of humility to our understanding of discipleship.  For, what does it mean to become like a little child (or "as a little child") but to understand that we have so much to learn?  Humility, then, is receiving God and the things God seeks to teach us like a little child, who knows that they have so much to learn.  Indeed, in the Orthodox theological tradition, there is what is understood as an apophatic orientation.  What this means is that, as we understand there is so much more to God than we know, it is wiser to make negative statements regarding what we know God is not, than to proclaim what God is.  For God is so infinitely unknowable compared to our capacity for discerning and receiving God.  Only God is capable of fully knowing God in this sense in which we seek to know a person or a thing.  To become like a little child is to admit that we don't know.  When we approach God as a little child we are an appropriate disciple, for we approach with our minds open to be taught.  We remove our assumptions and our need to prove that we know better; perhaps even more importantly, we prepare to let go of the certainties we think we know, the follow God's direction for expanding our understanding and hence orientation to life.  If once upon a time I always assumed X was correct, perhaps as I grow in maturity spiritually I will grow to see the wisdom of a different way.  For this author personally, that has for a very long time been a process of coming to understand the traditions of the Church in a way I could not see and perhaps could not receive when I was younger.  It has meant discarding my own fears and reservations, and coming to see what was always there, but which I could not perceive without becoming more like a little child in my own orientation toward God, and in my prayers.  For this understanding, I had to un-learn a lot of assumptions and popular theories, and to incorporate in my own life the glimmers of wisdom in the Church I hadn't previously been able to understand.  And this is grace, to become like a little child in order to receive God's grace, Christ's teachings, where the Spirit seeks to lead in teaching us who we need to be and to become.  This is a lifetime process, just like the growth of a little child is an ongoing process.  To receive a little child, or even an adult, in Christ's name, is more than simply to practice graciousness, for perhaps the key phrase here is "in My name" as Christ teaches it.  For this is the true Kingdom He's speaking about; when we act in His name we are within the grounds of the kingdom of God, and clearly, as Jesus teaches us, the rules in this Kingdom are different than those of a worldly kingdom.   In His name, the stature of a little child is as if one receives even God the Father.  He also teaches in today's reading, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  Note again, that qualifying phrase, "in My name."  Once again this stamp, like the seal of a royal king or emperor, means that we are in the realm of His kingdom, not a worldly kingdom.  And there, even those who practice the smallest grace in His name and for the sake of another belonging to His name "will by no means lose his reward."  Let us consider all the things it may mean to become as a little child in order to receive and to dwell in this Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 

 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.   And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  

 

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."   But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

- Mark 9:30–41 

 

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

 

  Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.   Here Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection a second time to the disciples (see also this reading).  My study Bible says that He does so in order to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.  Let us note that the disciples still did not understand what He was telling them, and they were afraid to ask Him about it as well.  

 

 Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.   And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   It's likely that Christ's talk of rising again on the third day has the disciples convinced that He is speaking about a worldly kingdom that will manifest, with Jesus the Messiah at its head.  My study Bible comments that the dispute among the disciples as to who would be the greatest in the kingdom they envisioned indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus powerfully asserts the norms of service, and of humility as those which must operate regarding greatness in His kingdom (and His Church).   To receive even a little child in Christ's name is to receive Christ; and to receive Christ is to receive God the Father who sent Him.  

 

 Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."   But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study Bible notes that Theophylact sees John's comment voiced as a regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Christ said about the least and the great.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany these blessings of the Kingdom.  In either interpretation, my study Bible says, Christ's response shows those acting in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.  

 

 There are interesting "directions" (or perhaps we should call them "redirections") in today's reading.  By that one intends to note how Jesus asks us to redirect our perception of persons to Himself.  In the first case, we're told that then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Jesus asks us to redirect our gaze upon those whom we receive in His name, and to look beyond them to see Himself.  In this case, we're to redirect our gaze yet again -- in order to see God the Father received wherever He is.  Note that He sets down the specific condition under which this happens:  when they are received "in My name."   That is, when the disciples are acting on Christ's behalf, as we all might do when we are acting as His disciples, serving in His Church, living our faith.  In the second instance, to act in Christ's name is something He asks us to observe also in other people, whom we perhaps do not even know.  And for those people as well, we are supposed to perceive Christ in the midst of their action.  Jesus says,   "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."   From this latter statement, we can presume that one who acts (gives you a cup of water to drink) in His name, and also because the receiver is somehow "in His name" (because you belong to Christ), will by no means lose his reward.   From these statements we can conclude that the power of Christ's Person, and particularly of His "energies" or spiritual activity in the world, is always going to be at work accompanying those who act in His name, and those who live lives of faithfulness to Him.  When we maintain this kind of faithful living for ourselves, and when we receive even those of seeming least importance in His name, then we are to see Him in that person (as well as the Father by implication), and we are those who carry His blessings as well.  We're given a hint in these statements about the power and blessings that accompany the presence of Christ.  Perhaps we should rather say that Christ's words affirm His presence in all that we do, if we act "in His name."  That is, when we are living faithful lives, and acting as His disciples, seeking to live His will for us.  This principle is true when we are the principle actors, or are the recipients of faithful action, as one who belongs to Him.  Moreover, we're to carry this action of Christ's presence over to our own awareness, our consciousness of receiving Him even in "the least of these," and -- even more powerfully -- this magnifies moreover into the presence of God the Father who sent Him on His saving mission in the world.  Like a powerful worldly emperor or king, all that is "in His name" belongs to Him and represents the presence of His Person, even of the One who sent Him.  When St. Paul writes about a great "cloud of witnesses," he is referring by extension to all those who played a role in the salvation history of the world, the creation and unfolding of the faith that we receive.  But such a cloud could not exist without what it means to act and be faithful "in His name" -- for, as St. Paul also writes, "He is the author and finisher of our faith" (see Hebrews 12:1-3).   In these senses in which Christ is present with us in our faithfulness, through people we receive in His name, and also through us when those who receive us do us kindness, that faithfulness "in His name" makes possible a kind of icon.  That is, in all of these encounters, and in living this life of faithfulness, icons of Christ Himself -- images which point to and reflect Him -- become possible in all encounters.  This chain of meetings and images and meanings works to turn Christ's creation into His icon, when we live and practice faith in His name.  Let us be ready and willing for these encounters and the life He asks of us.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." 

 

- Mark 9:30–41 

 

On Saturday we read that when Jesus (together with Peter, John, and James) came down from the Mount of the Transfiguration to the other nine disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."   

 

Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.   My study Bible notes here that this is the second time Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection (see Mark 8:31).  This is to show, it says, that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.  Note also the attitude of the disciples at this stage of His ministry; they do not understand, and are afraid to ask Him. 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  The disciples misunderstand the nature of Christ's kingdom.  Moreover, it's possible that they have taken Christ's prediction that "He will rise on the third day" (above) to mean that a worldly kingdom will be made manifest under Him.  Thus they were disputing who would be greatest in such a worldly kingdom under Christ.  In other words, who among them would have the highest rank or place.  My study Bible comments that, not only have they misunderstood the nature of what is to come,  but that this indicates a selfish desire in worldly power.   Jesus points to the notion of service as that which defines greatness in His Kingdom.  Even a little child received by them should be understood as if they are receiving Christ Himself, and even beyond, as if they are receiving the one who sent Him, God the Father.  This is the illustration Jesus makes of what it is to truly be first in His Kingdom.

 

 Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study Bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who sees John's comment as regret, his conscience being pricked by what Christ said about receiving a "little child," above.  But, on the other hand, St. Ambrose sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  Either way, my study Bible notes, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples. Theophylact is quoted as saying, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Matthew 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.  Note how recognition of those are part of Christ's Kingdom is a kind of reciprocal action.  A little child received by them is like receiving Christ Himself, or even the Father.  Here, even one who so much as gives a cup of water to drink in His name, to one who belongs to Christ, will by no means lose his reward.  

In a sense, the teachings given by Jesus in today's reading teach us what it is to live in the Kingdom of God, which must then by definition be a kingdom of love.  The action of service and serving, of receiving even one of the least status in the Church, because they are a believer, is as if one were serving Christ Himself, and even God the Father.  These are the actions of love, for God is love (1 John 4:8).  And even if someone is to give, in a simple act of kindness, a cup of water to drink in Christ's name, and for the sake of one who believes, there is reward in it because of this power of grace at work, the power of the Kingdom.  This reciprocal, mutual service -- the kindness even to one without status or power, in faith and by recognition of faith in Christ -- is what we understand as truly gracious living.  It is the practice of grace, a sharing in the love of God and God's mercy, in which we all must seek to participate who believe, who follow Christ.  This is what Jesus is sharing with the disciples in today's reading, and teaching them about the nature of the Kingdom, and what must follow in the Church of the believers to come, in which they seek to be "first," or great.  He is teaching His disciples, those who will become leaders, bishops, and presbyters of His Church, what it is to bring His Kingdom into the world, and to be truly great in that Kingdom.  This sort of behavior is that which calls upon us for humility, a willingness to serve in His name, for His sake, on behalf of those who believe, who come for direction and guidance in the Church and to find and follow Christ.  This would be understood and fulfilled in time through many activities of the Church to come, from the establishment of the first hospitals which sought to give care to all, to prison ministries, and even to our own notion of gracious living, common courtesy.  Over time it would extend to the notion of "noblesse oblige" due to the earliest higher educational institutions evolving out of the Church and the sons of the aristocracy who were the earliest non-ecclesiastical pupils. Thus, of what it means to be a "gentleperson."  But we must begin and end with Christ, in our conduct and how we live our lives, and this is particularly true within the Church itself.  For if our Churches cannot be models of this loving and humble behavior, how are we ourselves models of what Christ has called for?  The key here is humility and what it truly means.  Many people think of humility as a kind of self-debasement or slavery to others, but as presented here by Christ it does not mean that at all.  It means, in fact, that we serve Him, above all, and the One who sent Him.  We serve the God of love, and the Son who came above all else to serve us, and to give us grace and mercy.  Let us remember what that means, and always be mindful of how that asks us to conduct ourselves -- especially to the all the "little ones," those who cannot necessarily pay us back (Luke 14:12-14).  At the very least, we can say that Christ calls us to a way of thinking that is not purely transactional, but gracious, merciful, and based on love.  Let us recognize His presence among us.

Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

- Mark 9:30-41 

 

On Saturday, we read that, returning from the mount of the Transfiguration, when Jesus came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

 

Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  This is the second time that Jesus has predicted His death and Resurrection to the disciples (see also Mark 8:31).  My study Bible comments that He is showing that He will go to His Passion freely, and will not be taken against His will.  Note that the Gospel tells us that the disciples do not understand, and are afraid to ask Him about it.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   Perhaps what the disciples have taken away from Jesus' second prediction that He will rise on the third day is that His Kingdom will manifest as a great earthly kingdom of Israel, as was expected of the Messiah.  Therefore, on the road they disputed among themselves who would be greatest in that expected kingdom.  My study Bible comments that their focus indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, emphasizing the virtues which are required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  My study Bible names these as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  Some Orthodox icons show St. Ignatius of Antioch as this child.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study Bible cites Theophylact, who comments on the similar passage in Luke by describing John's comment as regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Christ has just taught about discipleship:  "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."   But, on the other hand, my study Bible says, St. Ambrose views John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In both interpretations, however, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact comments, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

Lent is a good time to ponder humility.  Traditionally, it's a time for us to think about where we come up a little short, or maybe to emphasize that we need to get closer to God, if possible, even to allow for the possibility that there might be things we're missing where we need improvement.  It's a time to strip down to simplicity in our lives, to focus on prayer, to put our mind and our time into the spiritual side of life more deeply than we usually do.  We see that Jesus' chief aim in instructing the disciples about the authority and power they will wield in the future has everything to do with humility -- with the need to treat others, even the littlest ones among them, as those who deserve respect.  Jesus teaches them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Not only is He teaching them even to treat little children kindly -- meaning those with the least power or currency among a social group -- but they are to receive that child not as if they receive Jesus, but as if they receive God the Father, the final and full authority for Christ's mission into the world, "Him who sent Me."   This notion of the use of power in a way denoting humility, this concept of "greatness," was absolutely in contrast to the great men of the kingdoms and structures of power in Christ's time.  All we have to do is look at the examples in the Gospels, such as Herod the Great who slaughtered the little children of Bethlehem, of Herod Antipas (and his wife and her daughter) who beheaded John the Baptist in order to fulfill a rash oath, or Pontius Pilate who knew Christ was innocent, but allowed His Crucifixion anyway and washed his hands of the guilt for the sake of stability under Roman rule.  Clearly, brutality was the way of worldly kingdoms and empires.  But when I look around today at the world, although we still have violence and coercion as tools of power, in my personal life one of the most humble people I know is possibly the one with the highest salary.  He's a professional, but I am certain that it is his humble demeanor that allows him to "keep it real," makes him a good person to work with, and also an honest one.  His humility works for him to make him trusted, responsible, and enables his particular integrity.  So when we look to role models, we don't have to contrast the bad apples of this world with the saintly.  There are ways in which Christ's teachings, applied to our own lives, become recognized and valued by others, and let us hope for that recognition to remain a part of our society, and to grow.  It is up to us, for Christ hands to us this responsibility regarding how we treat one another as human beings.  To be humble doesn't mean one must grovel, or tell flattering lies, or engage in any form of manipulative behavior.   It simply means to treat each one with the respect Jesus recognizes belongs to the human soul, regardless of what rank they hold in a power hierarchy.  This is a formula for a good world and a good life, except for the bad apples whose company we don't want as an influence anyway.

 

 

 

If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

- Mark 9:30-41

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came to the disciples (from the Mount of the Transfiguration), He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind cane come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  This is the second time that Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection to the disciples.  (See this reading for the first.)  My study bible comments that this affirms to the disciples that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will. 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  We note again Jesus' tact.  Any discipline or correction among the disciples takes place in the house, behind closed doors.  The disciples are obviously embarrassed about their dispute and its nature, for they kept silent when He asked about it.  The question of who would be greatest, my study bible says, indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.   Jesus takes on this mantle of worldly power, and transforms it to the power that is present in Him and in His ministry.  This is the power of grace, the model for which the disciples must work for themselves.  It is a sense in which we serve something which is greater than ourselves and yet we are aware lives among us and within us.  Even the little child, carrying the potential of the kingdom within -- and Christ's presence through faith -- must be received as if receiving Christ, and moreover the Father who sent Him.  This kind of gracious power is the power of love, which must be at work among them.  To be great is to have the capacity to sacrifice for something much greater than merely selfish interest, even an awareness of the presence of God in our midst.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study bible comments that Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, as his conscience is now pricked by Christ's correction of the disciples.  But St. Ambrose, to the contrary, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  But in either case, the message of Christ is that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they aren't currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).   On using Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16.  Let us make careful note of the persistent message here:  those who carry Christ with them, even a little child, are not only to be received by the disciples with great grace, but to do so conveys its own grace to the giver.

What is gracious behavior?  We don't hear much about it these days.  Either we seem to be told about a kind of self-righteous moralism done for conspicuous show, or a childish and selfish attitude of entitlement that leads to all kinds of excess -- and to rage when it is not fulfilled.  Gracious behavior is that which Jesus teaches to the disciples.  It entails a sense in which sacrifice is not something bad and not merely oppressive, but done for a purpose and for something greater, a presence which is within us and among us.  To be aware of God's love is to be aware of carrying something within us that calls us to a higher standard.  This is not a demand or excuse for people to walk all over us or to treat us badly.  Rather it is a call to the consciousness of what grace is and how it works; moreover we are to be aware of how God's love works in us and through us, and to respect that.  Faith carries with itself a power and a responsibility to this love and the grace that is at work in us and among us.  To participate in this kingdom is to seek an awareness of what that means and how its own rules -- in contrast to worldly power -- are at work in us and must, as well, be honored.  We have all heard of "win-win" situations or solutions to problems.  Well, this is Christ's version of "win-win" in which each is willing to sacrifice for the other in order to make room for grace and for the correctness of love.  To treat others with such "gentleness" is the root of what has come to be considered good manners.  Rather than seeing ourselves diminished by such an understanding that cuts to the root of simplistic selfish behavior, we are to understand that Christ's example of graciousness is what it truly means to be great.  To serve all is to be the greatest.  But let us pay close attention:  the impulse here is not to be a doormat for those who would trample us under; it is Christ who warned:  "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."  Perhaps swine and dogs are terms by which we may understand those who cannot see anything but competition and selfishness, who are so blind as to be incapable of recognizing true good, and will respond only with rage to that which teaches discipleship.  It is rather an awareness of the presence and work of this Kingdom, wherever it may be found, that Jesus counsels; and this awareness must convey a particular way to live and interact, a working of grace that we also strive to practice as part of discipleship.  The world sees "sacrifice" as a bad word.  But we can all understand the concept of "win-win."  If we know who Christ is, then we can also understand what it is to be the "first," as we share in His ministry.

Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him into His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

- Mark 9:30-41

On Saturday we read that when Jesus came to the disciples (after the events of the Transfiguration on the high mountain), He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said too him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  After Jesus' previous encounter with the Pharisees, He made a great circuit which for the most part avoided His home region of Galilee altogether, which one can follow on a map of the region at the time.  In our readings He has gone far north out of Israel to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon, and then through the region of the Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. He then sailed to Dalmanutha (which some guess is on the west coast of the Sea of Galilee), touching down in Galilean territory, where there is yet another hostile encounter with the Pharisees.  after which He departs to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to Bethsaida.  There, we note, He also avoids the town and tells a man He healed to do so as well.  He then heads north to Caesarea Philippi, where He predicts His death on the Cross.  In this region also take place the events of Transfiguration, and a dispute between His disciples and some scribes, and the casting out of a demon (Saturday's reading, above).  So we note in today's reading that Jesus passed through Galilee, but did not want anybody to know it.  Once again this sort of secrecy is accompanied by a warning to the disciples about what is going to happen to Him.  This is the second time He predicts to them His death and Resurrection.  He shows them that He is freely going to His Passion and not being taken against His will.  The disciples still fail to take in what He is telling them.  The time has not yet come, and He is avoiding open confrontation.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him into His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."    Jesus returns to His "headquarters" in Capernaum, where Peter's family home is.  We note that what takes place now is in the house.  After Jesus' second prophesy about His death and Resurrection, the disciples clearly fail to understand what He is saying, as the text told us.  Here it appears they have assumed the news that He will rise again means He will come into a great worldly kingdom, in accordance with popular expectations of the Messiah.  Therefore on the road through Galilee they had disputed among themselves who would be greatest in that kingdom.  That is, what positions they would have - particularly whose would be greatest or first.  My study bible says this indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child in response, as the model of true discipleship.  He emphasizes the virtues that are required for entrance into His kingdom.  My study bible says these are humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  The great graciousness of life in this Kingdom is displayed by Jesus:  those who receive even one of these little children in His name receives not only Jesus Himself, but also God the Father.  Everything is relevant to faith, which establishes all relationship.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  The bible commentator Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, his conscience pricked by what Christ has taught that he who would be first must be last of all and servant of all.  But St. Ambrose sees John (who after all is one of the "Sons of Thunder" with his brother James) as  expecting full obedience to accompany the blessings of discipleship.  My study bible points out that Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  For a similar teaching in the Old Testament, see Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, also Acts 19:13-16.

Mark's gospel repeatedly calls us to faith and the importance of faith.  Over and over again, we've commented on the text as it tells us how to shore up faith, how important it is that Jesus takes people away from those who would distract them or from those whose attitudes harm the faithful who are in need of healing, even who come for help for their children to be healed.  In today's reading we get two more central teachings about the importance of faith.  First of all, it is faith that determines the nature of relationships in His kingdom.  Jesus teaches the disciples that "whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  He is teaching that our faith sets in order particular relationships:  if one really would wish to be great, or "first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  That is, within this primary identity as faithful, we are to be like God, like Him - we are to serve.  Furthermore, to receive one of these "little children"  in His name is to receive Him and even the Father.  These men will go on to be the pillars and bishops in His Church.  What He is teaching them is about the power of that faith to establish righteousness, right relatedness.  The most humble and faithful will present to them the face of Christ and even of the Father.  This is relationship as established through faith.  Secondly, those who are not against them are on their side.  This is an establishment of relationship even to those not of their immediate circle who through faith form a kind of kinship or alliance with them.  Jesus tells them something similar to His statement about receiving a little child in His name:  "Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."   That is, faith conveys a sense of relatedness and relationship through its work between people.  To help one who loves Christ is also to be blessed by that love and that faith.  The full center of this Kingdom, and all of the ways in which it works among us and between us is conferred through faith -- even blessings to those not of the same fold (John 10:16).  Faith is at the center of our identity and it confers a depth of "citizenship," if you will, that also determines how we interact with others.  The God-likeness that Christ would have us be a part of declares that graciousness must be the hallmark of such a citizen, receiving even the littlest and most humble as if they were Christ Himself, or even the Father.  Furthermore, this extends even to those nominally -- I would say -- not even of His flock, but to all whose hearts may receive one who loves Christ regardless of what group or identity they may belong to.  In this way Christ encourages a faith that produces fruits of love.  And He teaches us what that love must look like.  Faith doesn't just serve a kind of linear relationship to God or to Christ.  Its depth offers us something that is not only more broad but also which breaks all categories of boundaries and extends into dimensions we can't count.  Faith offers us a communion that extends beyond what we know and to people whom we don't know, to those whom we may not consider a part of a "family" we belong to.  It even extends beyond boundaries of time and space, to the communion of saints and even of angels.  In short, what Christ teaches us is that faith becomes the central determination of who and what we know ourselves to be a part of -- a love that extends beyond "me, mine, my own."  The reality of the name of Christ, which we enter into through faith, is in effect an entire cosmos beyond our calculation.  In daily encounters thus described by Christ, we may find ourselves receiving Christ in a person who needs our help or who relies on us for care.  We might find that those willing to offer us help are also those whom Christ teaches us are blessed.  In short, any encounter of every day life can become an occasion to meet Christ and to see His blessings and His love at work between us.  I think it's important to consider how the energies of love know no boundaries, and how into each specific encounter we can act on our faith and know that it confers grace where none exists through other means.  Let us remember this as we go through our day, and consider how great a thing we do when our faith becomes the core of who we are, and the truth about each small or brief encounter we may find in our lives.