Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

 

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he hard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

 

- Mark 10:46-52 

 

Yesterday Jesus and the disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."   And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

  Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he hard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  My study Bible comments that the restoration of sight to the blind was a sign which was expected to be performed by the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18; 35:4-5), a power which God had reserved for God alone (compare John 9:32).  Son of David is a messianic title, and his use of this title shows that Bartimaeus had faith that Jesus was the Christ.  There's a spiritual interpretation to this miracle in patristic commentary also.  Jericho was a low-lying city associated with sin (Luke 10:30; 19:1).  Here, Jericho symbolizes fallen humanity.  So, therefore, Christ passing through Jericho becomes an image of His Incarnation in the world.  The Lord restoring sight to Bartimaeus parallels Christ's restoring humanity to glory.  Having been made whole by Christ, my study Bible says, human nature can now follow Christ on the road to the Kingdom, symbolized by our Lord's subsequent entrance into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11).  

 

The restoration of sight in many ways parallels the salvation of a soul.  In the restoration of sight to a person, it is said that light is allowed once again to enter the eyes; and indeed, to perceive anything by sight in the world, it is necessary that we are able to take in the reflection of light particles on those objects.  As Christ is the Light (John 1:4-5), so as His followers we need His light in order to receive our spiritual sight, so that we may perceive what truly is and know the way that we are going in life.   Also in St. John's Gospel, after His final entry into Jerusalem, Jesus says in front of the people, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:35).  In this He is clearly referring to Himself as the light, who goes to the Cross, and so will be with them in the flesh yet a little while longer.  In the Creed, we call Christ "Light from Light, true God of true God."  So this metaphor -- seen as icon or image -- of Bartimaeus receiving his sight from Christ in Jericho becomes the powerful image of our salvation.  In some ways, we are all like blind Bartimaeus.  That is, none of us sees with the full sight of God, of Christ.  There are all kinds of things that remain mystical and secret, hidden from us.  But they are things that belong to the kingdom of God, and thus are things for which salvation prepares us, as we may walk toward union with Christ in its fullness.  Therefore, the road of salvation remains for all of us, even the greatest saints, and throughout our lives, for there is always something we don't yet know, can't yet see, for which the road of Christ beckons us forward.  Bartimaeus shows wisdom in his title for Jesus, Son of David, for he perceives that Jesus is the One who can give him his sight.  And once again in the Gospel of St. Mark, we observe that it is this capacity to use our voices and express ourselves, to call out to Christ, that is necessary in salvation -- either by ourselves or by others on our behalf.  For this is prayer; it is pleading.  In freedom, Christ beckons to Bartimaeus and asks, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  And we are given that blessed freedom by God to speak and to ask, to commune with our Creator.   This is also the light:  that Christ wants us to speak with Him, gives us that freedom to do so, and desires to be with us in His Incarnation, and afterward (Matthew 18:20).  For even in the midst of sin and darkness (as symbolized by Jericho), we are with the light, we may feel His presence and know Him and speak to Him and ask of Him.  For His light, even in the darkness, shines for us, no matter where the road may go, even if we're in the midst of those who cannot see (John 1:5).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 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 has 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.

 

- Luke 23:13–25 

 

Yesterday we read that the whole multitude of the religious leaders who seized at night and held Him for questioning the next morning arose and led Him to Pilate.  And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."  Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered him and said, "It is as you say."  So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man."  But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."  When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.  And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at this time.  Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.  Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.  And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.  Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.  That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

 

  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 has 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.  My study Bible notes of today's passage that three times Pilate attempts to release Jesus (verses 16, 20, 22), and three times the chief priest the rulers incite the people to demand He be put to death.  In the end, these men demand the release of a rebel like themselves.  Barabbas, my study Bible continues, means "son of the father" and indicates to which father these rulers belong -- the devil (John 8:44).  

 

Over the course of the past several readings, we have spoken of the darkness that is present, to which Jesus referred at His arrest, when He said, "But this is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Monday's reading).  In today's reading, the darkness is still present.  There are those who vehemently hurl false accusations against Jesus: the chief priests, rulers, and the people they've stirred up to shout against Him.  But into this darkness we start to get hints of exposure, of light shining through to expose the lies.  Three times Pilate tries to let Him go, saying he's found no fault in Jesus worthy of death.  Even Herod found no fault in the man, said Pilate.  Pilate -- a shrewd and, in a sense, disinterested administrator -- has as his top priority one thing:  to keep the peace, so that he keeps his head, so to speak, and his position as governor.  This was the difficult job of the Roman governor of Judea.  But the darkness has another evil plan in mind, and the leaders and the people demand instead the release of Barabbas.  Barabbas, as my study Bible points out, means "son of the father."  And so, for those who read the Scriptures and know them, Jesus has already pronounced who the father of the darkness is, for he is the same as the father of lies.  In an earlier encounter with these men, the religious leaders who seek to kill Him, as reported in St. John's Gospel, Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God" (John 8:42-47).  The darkness is present, of that there is no doubt.  It's present in the murderer, Barabbas, whom they prefer.  It's present in the lies they tell.  And it's present spiritually in the reality of the one who is the father of lies.  But here, the light shines also, because the darkness is exposed in Barabbas' name and in what he's done, in the truth obvious even to Pilate and Herod about Jesus, in the open preference for a murderer and rebel to Jesus the Christ.  If we look around us in life, with our eyes opened, we may also find hints of exposure like this when we're caught in evil circumstances, for the light can't stay hidden, and evil is exposed through its own arrogance and ignorance.  The hints are all here to what is really going on.  They're there for those who are willing to see them, named and identified:  murder, lies, deceit, false accusation.  They are all there in the open for those who will see.  For again, in St. John's Gospel, Jesus says to Nicodemus, "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:20).  But in St. Luke's Gospel, He also affirms, "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him" Luke 8:17-18).  Even in the midst of deception, the truth of these men is exposed, the lies understood, the murder in their hearts revealed.  And even what they seem to have will be taken from them.  Let us, even today, keep our full trust in the light, and remember what we're to be about as His followers.  Will we be the ones who go along with the lies, or those who remain in the truth?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world

 

 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said "I am the bread which came down from heaven."  And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?"  Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.  No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.  Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

 

- John 6:41–51 

 

Our current readings are in chapter 6 of John's Gospel.  This chapter has eucharistic significance, with Jesus' emphasis on Himself as the bread of life which came from heaven.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus addressed the men who had previously sought to make Him king by force, after He fed them in the wilderness.  He told them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."  And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 

 

 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said "I am the bread which came down from heaven."  And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'?"  Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.  No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.  Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father."  Here Jesus offers us an important statement about our own connection to God the Father.  He says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'  Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me."  Significantly, He taught the same thing to the disciples upon the confession of St. Peter that Jesus is the Christ, as reported in St. Matthew's Gospel:   "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17).

 

"Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."   Here, Jesus makes clear the eucharistic significance of His statements teaching that He is the bread of life, the living bread which comes down from heaven.  In our following readings, Jesus' continuing discourse will affirmatively emphasize this even more starkly.

Jesus says, "If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."   Here Jesus begins to make entirely clear a reference to what is coming, to His Crucifixion.  More powerfully, He makes clear that He is not simply speaking metaphorically, but even -- and additionally -- He is speaking quite literally of His flesh.  Moreover, once again, nothing which Christ does is absent from the Father -- which means that nothing is done apart from love as its basis.  That is, the love of God the Father and the love of the Son, giving His flesh for the life of the world.  As we have repeatedly emphasized over the past few readings and commentary, none of what Christ does is separable from love, and indeed, our understanding of love itself.  This is because many things may pass for love which are actually done in quite a selfish manner.   But for us to understand and to grow in learning love, it is discipleship which teaches this.  It is in John's Gospel that Jesus issues to us His final and new command, "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34-35).  It is in loving one another that the world can understand that we are Christ's disciples, He says.  Here in today's reading, Jesus tells us that this love will extend to giving His flesh for the life of the world.  We know this is love because He tells us this is so.  Again, in this Gospel, He will teach us, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 15:13).  And finally, it is also here in John's Gospel, that we have been told, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  So, while Jesus begins His quite explicit discourse on Himself as the bread of life, and the powerful, visceral meaning that takes on regarding His sacrifice He will make on the Cross, and eventually in the Eucharist, let us take in today all the ways in which what He teaches conveys to us His love, and the Father's love.  For we are meant to continue in this understanding of and practice of God's love, extended through us as disciples.  For without it, He will indicate, we are not His disciples.  Let us take into account the significance of this saying and all the ways it teaches us how we are to be understood as Christians.

 

 

Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come

 

 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  

 

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  

 

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

 

- John 2:1–12 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 

  On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  The wedding in Cana is the setting for the first of seven miracles or "signs" performed by Jesus in John's Gospel.  Marriage feasts, my study Bible explains, symbolized the union of God with His Bride, Israel, according to the Old Testament.  Jesus begins His ministry at Galilee, which had a large Gentile population.  So this is a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.  That the wedding took place on the third day sets a resurrectional tone.  My study Bible explains that this shows that the marriage of God and God's Church will be fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  Additionally, we may understand that by Christ's presence at this wedding, marriage is further declared by Him to be holy and honorable (Hebrews 13:4).  In the Orthodox Church this passage is read at weddings, and its images are incorporated into many prayers in the wedding service.  

 

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."   My study Bible has extensive commentary on this passage.  First, this an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  Even now, my study Bible explains, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf, and she is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne.  An Orthodox prayer states, "The intercessions of a mother have great effect to win the favor of the Master."  This is affirmed in the granting of her request by Christ in this passage.  Additionally, wine is symbolic of life, and so there are two levels of meaning to Mary's statement, "They have no wine."  First, a marriage is not complete without Christ's presence.  Second, the old covenant was not able to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  Jesus uses the title Woman to address His mother.  My study Bible comments on this that "Woman" is a sacred title in Scripture.  It is an address that conveys deep respect and distinction (John 4:21, 8:10, 19:26, 20:13; compare to Genesis 2:23).  Jesus asks His mother, What does your concern have to do with Me?  More literally, this reads, "What is that to Me and to you?"  This is not a refusal of Mary's intercession, but a declaration that the time had not yet come for Him to be revealed.  Moreover, it is also Mary who must consider what will come for her once Christ begins to be revealed in His public ministry.  These words in Greek are an exact mirror of the words in the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Old Testament with which the widow at Zarephath addresses Elijah, upon the death of her son which followed her help to the prophet (1 Kings 17:17-18). Jesus is forewarning His mother, in some sense, what she will also experience.  That He fulfills her request teaches several things.  First, that Christ is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them.  Second, the wedding party needed to be aware of their lack of wine so that they might learn that it is Christ who fulls all needs.  Third, we need to have perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28).  Finally, the intercessions of the righteous have great power (James 5:16).    

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  Waterpots were made of stone because, according to rabbinical teaching, stone would not contract ritual impurity.  My study Bible comments that there are six -- one less than the perfect or complete seven -- indicating that the Law, illustrated by water reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life.  This water is changed into wine, and thus it symbolizes the old covenant being fulfilled in the new -- which is indeed capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant gallons of wine show us Christ's grace for grace which overflows and is granted to all.  

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  In patristic commentary, this transformation is seen as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. 

 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  John uses the term signs for the miracles performed by Jesus to show that these miraculous actions are pointing beyond themselves, and to the truth that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ. 

 

 "Signs" are things that point to something else, and John's Gospel is the gospel of signs.  There will be seven signs given altogether:  the first is the one we read about today, the changing of water to wine.  The others that follow will be the curing of a nobleman's son (John 4:46-54), the healing of a paralytic (John 5:1-15), the feeding of five thousand (John 6:1-14), walking on water (John 6:15-21); opening the eyes of a blind man (John 9:1-41), and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44).  Each sign gives a divine attribute of Jesus Christ, revealing His identity as Son, and as my study Bible says, teaching us about the presence of the Kingdom of God among us.  These are the ways in which we know and understand who Jesus is, just as from the beginning of the Gospel, John has let us know that He is the Light, and also the Word.  In connection with this understanding that He is the Word, the Gospel began with the words "In the beginning," giving us a parallel to the creation story of Genesis 1.  Today's reading concerns the sixth and seventh days of this first week of Christ's earthly ministry.  On Saturday, we read about events of the fourth day given in the Gospel.  Today's reading begins with the phrase "on the third day."  This phrase actually means "two days later," as it includes the current day in the calculation.  The wedding takes place, therefore, on the sixth day, reflecting the creation of man and woman on the sixth day of the creation story in Genesis 1:26-31.  Finally, we're given the seventh day of Christ's ministry, in which Jesus rests at Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples. echoing the Genesis creation story in which God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3).  Each of these facets of this Gospel -- the seven signs, as well as these first seven days of Christ's earthly ministry, and combined with the Prologue introducing us to the Son and Word -- give us elements that point beyond themselves to the divine reality of God, even of the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, who has come to us as Jesus.  It's crucially important to remember that the story of Jesus Christ is not the story of two parallel worlds, earthly and divine, but rather the story of how the Kingdom of God has come into the world, and Christ has come to us as both fully human and fully divine.  Our faith is not one meant to be understood as one that separates the created world from the divine, but quite the opposite.  It is a story of God coming to erase that separation, to claim us as God's own, to bring God's Kingdom into the world, just as Jesus will teach us to pray to our Father, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).   While the evil in the world gives us a stark contrast to the ways in which Christ teaches us to live, let us not forget that the Cross becomes the meeting place for all.  It's where Christ must go -- and it is the hour of His glory to which He refers in today's reading in His response to His mother.  This is in keeping with His words given in this Gospel (see John 12:27-33).  For God reaching to us is the story of Jesus Christ, and the revelation of God who is love (1 John 4:8).  God has come into the world as one of us, to extend love and grace to us, to claim us back in full union through that grace and by adoption, to leave us with the gift of the Holy Spirit always with us.  This world, if we but seek it, is permeated with grace, even (for so it appears at the Cross) in the seeming worst of times.  Let us remember to live in His light, walk in His light, be grateful for His grace, and always seek that Kingdom He brings to us in the midst of our lives and of this world.  For where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there in the midst of us (Matthew 18:20), and His Kingdom is indeed within us and among us (Luke 17:21).   The myriad saints, known and unknown, testify to this ongoing intervention of the Kingdom in our world, even as angels of heaven always accompany us to help (Matthew 18:10).  Let us look to the fullness of marriage as the full union of God with God's people and the destiny for which Christ has come into the world as one of us.  Even so, the paradox of our faith appears in this first sign which comes at the instigation of a saintly woman, by whom we are all blessed as we, too, may become her children, with Him. 

 

 

Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?

 

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

- Luke 20:1–8 

 

On Saturday we read that as Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

 

  Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  My study Bible comments that these things about which Christ's authority is question by the religious leaders include Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:35-38), His cleansing of the temple (in Saturday's reading; see above), and His preaching (they questioned Him as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel).  These elders confront Jesus, my study Bible explains, as it was the duty of the priestly descendants of Levi to manage the temple.  Christ is descended from the Judah (Luke 3:33), but He is the High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4), a priestly line which is much greater than that of Levi, for His authority is from the Father. 

 

How do we think of authority?  Jesus acts with His own authority, a kind of autonomy, which is unheard of to these religious leaders in the temple.  They don't recognize that He is the divine Son, even though He refers to Himself by a messianic title, Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14).   As my study Bible points out, He's not a part of the Levitic priesthood.  (That is, those who inherit the priestly roles in the temple.)  So, this question of authority becomes all-important when we consider our faith.  But to think about the question appropriately, we need to consider where any and all authority comes from in the first place.  Jesus Himself gives us an example of authority to consider when He mentions John the Baptist.  Like many prophets before him, John didn't have a mandate from the powerful in high positions in the society to carry out his ministry of baptism and repentance in preparation from the Messiah.  He had no recognized authoritative position.  Although John the Baptist's father, Zacharias, was a Levitical priest, and Luke's Gospel tells us that his mother, Elizabeth, was "of the daughters of Aaron" (Luke 1:5-7), John the Baptist followed a different pattern, a path set for him by the Holy Spirit, and lived a life of radical poverty dedicated purely to God and the message entrusted to him.  So where did his authority come from?  Jesus poses this question to the religious authorities to posit a kind of authority that is only recognized through a willing perception of the things of God, a response from a heart capable of responding to God.  In his Epistle, St. James, "the Lord's brother" (Galatians 1:19) and first bishop of Jerusalem, writes the following, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:17-18).  Verse 17 is famously included in the Prayer Behind the Ambon, a prayer that is included in every Divine Liturgy in the Orthodox Churches.  If "every good and perfect gift" comes from above, from the Father of lights (our heavenly Father), then we must consider God the Father the Source of all, as is declared in the Nicene Creed.  So, this would include the gift of authority, true authority.  Clearly this is the guiding principle of Christ's entire ministry, as He speaks over and over again of His loyalty to God the Father, even invoking the Father in His response to the temptations of the devil just prior to beginning His public ministry (Luke 4:1-13).  When Christ begins His first public act of ministry, He reads from the Book of Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to  preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."  Subsequently, Jesus says to those who listen, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," a declaration that He is anointed by the Spirit to do what He does (Luke 4:16-21).  Tellingly, Jesus is immediately and violently rejected by His neighbors in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30).  This anointing is witnessed by John the Baptist when he baptizes Jesus and the Spirit descends "like a dove" upon Him (Luke 3:21-22).  So, we have a sense of Christ's authority and where it comes from.  When Jesus brings up John the Baptist to the religious authorities, let us note how once again it is the deep-seated response of the people to the truth of John's ministry that these leaders fear.  Jesus wisely senses this, of course, and so the men who question Christ will not respond.  Let's take note also of Jesus' response:  He says, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  We are repeatedly told that the Lord responds in kind to our own impulses; in order to be forgiven, we must forgive, for example (Matthew 6:15); here, these men refuse to answer a direct question from Him, and so neither do they receive an answer.  Psalm 18 reads, "With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd, for You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks" (Psalm 18:25-27).  If we look once again at the Prayer Behind the Ambon, written by St. John Chrysostom and composed nearly completely of Scripture, we see that it begins this way, addressing God: "O Lord, who blesses those who bless You and sanctifies those who put their trust in You."  Christ lives all His life by the authority of God, turning to the Father for each new step of His ministry, for every direction, even those He will be loathe to take (Luke 22:42).  He tells the disciples, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father . . . The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves" (John 14:9-11).  Christ's authority comes from the Father, an authority which conveys all other authority, just as every good and perfect gift comes from above -- even though there are those who are deaf and blind to the gifts from heaven.

 

 

 

 

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us"

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."   So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,"
which is translated, "God with us."

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.

- Matthew 1:18-25

Yesterday, we read that after having been told by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a Son, and also of Elizabeth's pregnancy, Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.   Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."   And Mary said:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.   For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,  As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."  And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.   We look closely at this description of Joseph as a "just" man.  The word in Greek means "just" and it can also mean "righteous."  We ask ourselves what kind of righteousness do we see in Joseph.  My study bible says that Joseph's righteousness consisted of a mercy that transcends the Law (Hosea 6:6).  He showed mercy by his unwillingness to expose her supposed sin, although he was obliged by the Law to do so.  This is an example of the righteousness Jesus will espouse in His teachings.  Joseph is called Mary's husband, but the Bible calls engaged couples husband and wife before marriage (Rachel, for example, was called the wife of Jacob before marriage because of their engagement -- see Genesis 29:21; also Deuteronomy 22:23-24).   So, Joseph is called the husband and Mary, and she is called his wife further on in today's passage.  By tradition in the Church, Joseph is remembered as the Betrothed.  He was, in an important sense, both guardian and husband to Mary.  

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."  My study bible points out here that the angel (or "messenger") of the Lord dispels Joseph's false reasoning by announcing what is utterly unreasonable:  the pregnancy of Mary is by the Holy Spirit.  The virginity of Mary points us to the divinity of Christ.

 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."   So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," 
which is translated, "God with us."  My study bible notes for us that Matthew repeatedly uses the formula that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).   This underscores, it says, the intervention of God throughout history, demonstrates the continuity between Old and New Covenants, and indicates the beginning of the new creation.  Jesus' conception fulfills Isaiah 7:14, in which we are told that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son.  The One conceived in Mary is not a new Person coming into existence, but rather the eternal Son of God "using her womb as His throne," my study bible says.  Both the virginal conception by means of the Holy Spirit and the name Immanuel, God with us, are declarations of Christ's divinity.  JESUS is the Greek version of the name Joshua, meaning "God Saves" or "Savior."  A Savior, in the language of the Old Testament, can also be understood as judge or deliverer, and a redeemer.  We recall Joshua as the first to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land; he is a "type" of Christ.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, who brings in the New.

 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.  Just as Mary is obedient to God, so also is Joseph.  It's important to understand that the word "till" doesn't imply anything that happened after this event; rather, in the Greek, the word indicates what happened "up until" the event, and frequently implies the same situation continues after the event.  The Church, from its beginning, has proclaimed the "ever-virgin" quality of Mary.   Jesus is firstborn; again this word means no child was born before Jesus -- but does not necessarily indicate subsequent children.  "Firstborn" is traditionally known as primary heir and recipient of blessings; thus a position that exists regardless of whether or not there are siblings.  My study bible tells us that Jesus is also firstborn over all creation, and also firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:15, 18). 

We can write of the "ever-virgin" character of Mary (which implies much more than a physical state but also teaches us about her spiritual state), and the miraculous quality of this event of the birth of Jesus, or Immanuel, "God with us."  But for my part, my mind goes to the quiet quality of this scene, somewhere out of the way, so to speak, the birth of Christ in a place without fanfare and seemingly as one of the "least of these."    If we think of the quietness and intimacy of this birth, we have just three people involved:  Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus Himself, the Lord Incarnate.   What stands out in the quietness of the three is the intimacy of the relationship to God in each of these parents, and through the Son how God is tied in to everything in our world, and into each of our own lives.  Mary and Joseph are both told the great news before Jesus' birth, and both are obedient, even in the "quietness" and intimacy of the great news that at this point hardly anyone else knows.  Their humility gives us a truly holy quality, not borne out in distractions of pomp or display, but instead in just the pure truth of what is happening, the reality of "God with us."  God works in each of them, in their faith, and the vast work of the Spirit makes each event possible.  This great good news isn't for the pomp and circumstance of the world.  Rather it is also for each one of us, in our own intimate relationships with God, and it is "for the life of the world," because all the world is sanctified through His presence, this birth, "God with us."  Everything in our world is blessed through His birth and His life, and all the elements of our lives are so blessed as to become fruitful via His Gospel.  Our very water is sanctified for baptism, wheat (the grain of the field) becomes His body for our Eucharist, wine (fruit of the vine) His blood, given for us as eternal sign of God's steadfast love and mercy.  This is what we focus on.  God takes on our flesh, our life in this world, and sanctifies and blesses all of it for each one of us.  These two figures, Mary and Joseph, are holy because of their love and obedience to God.  But they are examples for us all, for each of our lives, each in our own way.  The birth of the Child ties together our lives, their lives, the lives of all those who came before, and every single element in our world.   After all, the others who will share in the news of this birth, we're told, are shepherds in the field with their flocks, the angels who announce the joyful news, and the animals symbolizing all of creation in a Bethlehem manger.  We also have a sign of the whole created cosmos in the star that will guide the three Magi to Jesus.  Let us be humble enough to see Him still as "God with us," in our own quiet time to understand, even in the midst of all the celebrations.

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

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

- Luke 1:26-38

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And he called His name JESUS

 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:  Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his bothers.  Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.  Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rebhoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.  Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joam, and Joram begot Uzziah.  Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.  Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.  Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.  Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakin, and Eliakin begot Azor.  Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Eliud.  Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.  And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.  So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God is with us."

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.

- Matthew 1:1-25

As we continue in the Christmas season, we turn to readings in Matthew (see also the readings of the past week which are from the first two chapters of Luke) .  We start with Matthew's genealogy, and we see what it tells us about Jesus.

 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: . . .  We note first that in Luke, the genealogy is given at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, not in the story of His birth.  But here in Matthew, it is the very beginning of the story.  My study bible says that Jesus means, "O Lord save" which, of course, refers to Jesus' role as Savior.  Christ means "Anointed One," the Messiah, the One who is filled with the Holy Spirit (see John 1:33).  It says, "Though the Son alone became Man, God the Father and the Holy Spirit work in Jesus Christ to save us.  Jesus became Man as a Jew, from the lineage of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and of David, Israel's greatest king and the prototype of the royal Messiah.  This genealogy reveals that the Son of God so identifies with the human condition that He takes it all on Himself and becomes part of it.  Christ's ancestry includes righteous and wicked people, faithful kings and murderers, Jews and Gentiles, kings and peasants."

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his bothers.  In Matthew, the genealogy begins with Abraham (while in Luke's 3rd chapter, the genealogy runs backward from Jesus to Adam).    Here we have the importance of the salvation history of Israel, as the Old Covenant was established with Abraham first, and it runs to Jesus who brings the New Covenant.  A note says, "God promised to bless all the tribes of the earth in Abraham (Genesis 12:3, 28:14); and this promise is subsequently fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the greatest Son of Abraham. 

Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, . . .    Here's something very unusual.  Jewish genealogical lists normally consist of only men.  But this one given by Matthew for Jesus has several women listed:  Tamar, Rabah, Ruth, and Bathsheba.  It's highly unusual.  And, each of these women was either a Gentile or a sinner.  So why are they included?  My study bible says that the inclusion of these women declares what kind of a Savior is born in Jesus Christ:  God's graciousness is abundant and the Gentiles will also be called into the Church.  It also underscores the role of women in God's plan of salvation, and anticipates the special place of the Virgin Mary in this plan. 

. . . Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.   My study bible says, "Through anointing by Samuel, David was made king.  Through his psalms, David was reveals as a great prophet.  Thus, David foreshadows both the royal and the prophetic nature of Jesus Christ (Psalm 110).  As an adulterer and murderer, David also functions as a type for all repentant sinners. 

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.  Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rebhoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.  Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joam, and Joram begot Uzziah.  Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.  Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.  Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.  Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakin, and Eliakin begot Azor.  Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Eliud.  Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.  And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.   A note in my study bible says that Joseph can be named as Jesus' immediate predecessor since Old Testament marriage laws confer hereditary rights on adopted as well as biological sons.  The church fathers teach that Mary also was descended from David.  The "of whom" in "of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ" is feminine in the Greek, thus, it refers only to Mary.  Jesus is shown therefore to be born of Mary but not begotten of Joseph.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.  My study bible says that "Christ's ancestors are arranged in three groups of fourteen generations.  Fourteen is the numerical equivalent of the consonants in the name David, underlining Jesus' descent from David.  This also shows the division of the leadership of the Jews, being under judges until David, under kings until Babylon, and under priests until Christ."

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:  After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.   The genealogy in Matthew leads us through the generations, to the man who will be the earthly protector and take the role of earthly father of Jesus:  Joseph.  While in Luke we read a lot about Mary, here Matthew gives us some of the substance of Joseph.  My study bible says that "the righteousness of Joseph consisted of a mercy that transcends the Law (Hosea 6:6).  Joseph showed this mercy by his unwillingness to expose Mary's supposed sin, even though he was obliged by the Law to do so.  Her husband:  The Bible calls engaged couples husband and wife before their marriage (Rachel was called the wife of Jacob before marriage by virtue of their engagement in Genesis 29:21; see also Deuteronomy 22:23-24).  Thus, Joseph is called the husband of Mary, and Mary is called his wife (vv. 20, 24).  In the Church, Joseph is remembered as the Betrothed, pointing out Mary's ever-virginity." 

  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."   My study bible says, "An angel (or 'messenger') of the Lord dispels Joseph's false reasoning by announcing the utterly unreasonable:  the pregnancy of the Virgin is by the Holy Spirit.  Being born of a virgin proves Christ's divinity; only a revelation by God could serve as adequate evidence of this miracle."

 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God is with us."    Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.  And he called His name JESUS.  We look here to the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, where it is foretold that a virgin would conceive a bear a Son.  Jesus, as conceived by Mary, isn't a "new Person" coming into the world, as my study bible puts it, but the eternal Son of God using her womb as His throne.  Both the virginal conception by means of the Holy Spirit and the name Immanuel, God with us declare the divinity of Christ.   The force of the Greek in the saying that "Joseph did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son" is a kind of guarantee that Joseph could not be His biological parent; it indicates nothing of the future afterward -- in fact my study bible points out that often this same language as used in the Greek (often translated "to" rather than "till"), indicates a situation that continues afterward:  see Luke 28:20; Genesis 8:7; Deuteronomy 34:6; 2 Kings 6;23.

In the Genealogy of Matthew and the continuation of the first chapter, we are introduced to Joseph.  As Joseph is not often mentioned, it is a great treat to get to know his character here.  We can see already, before Jesus' birth, He is given an earthly parent who exceeds the requirements of righteousness.  Joseph is a man who practices mercy in the way that Christ will teach us all to do; and as my study bible points out, he is a man who understands truly the meaning of Hosea 6:6 -- "I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."  This is a man fit to be the parent of Christ, the earthly guardian and parent -- a man who is great in wisdom and spiritual understanding in so many ways we're already told about.  He is a "just" man -- a truly righteous person.  Most of all we see the mercy offered to this wife who is supposed to be a virgin, even before the dream of the angel's message to him.  Here is a man who is capable of receiving angels, as was Zacharias, as was Mary, as Elizabeth accepted the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.  We have again the coming of the Savior into the world, and with that the "dryness" of Israel is replenished with the living water of the Spirit, the voices and messages of angels to those who can hear and receive, who "have ears to hear and eyes to see" as Jesus will so often say, referring back to Isaiah and other prophets of Israel.  It reminds me of Joel's prophecy regarding the coming of the Lord:  "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions" (Joel 2:28).  This is what is  happening in Israel, and it is a call to faith, to turning minds and hearts to God, to a repentance ready for the peace of God.  All is working together for this.  But again, we note, none of it runs "smoothly" in our way of thinking.  Joseph is immediately confronted with a heart-rending choice in his betrothal to Mary:  she is pregnant.  He is a righteous man, and prepares to put her away secretly, although a strict interpretation of the law would compel him to expose  her.  Everything "could have" gone all wrong at this moment, depending on Joseph's choice.  Had he been a hard-hearted man, a man afraid of the "opinions of men," who held those considerations stronger than what was pleasing to God, what could have been here, right from the beginning?  The babe in Mary's womb is bringing about all kinds of joyous understanding, prophecy, dreams, angels, and beauty of extraordinary glory, and light, beyond a worldly understanding.  Can we hear?  Could we have these eyes to see?  Do we share the heart of Joseph, this amazing man?  How thankful we must be to him, and to all other men who are like him.  We notice one more important and essential detail:  according to Matthew, it is Joseph who "called His name JESUS." 

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you:  You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

- Luke 2:1-21

 Yesterday, Christmas Eve, we had two readings, which included two songs:  one of Mary, and the other of Zacharias.  The Holy Spirit is actively at work with prophecy and beauty as Jesus is formed in the womb.  We read Mary's Magnificat:  "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;  for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever."    And then Zacharias loses his muteness and also gives his song through the power of the Holy Spirit, called the Benedictus:  "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us   In the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham:  To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." 

 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.   My study bible tells us that God uses earthly rulers to accomplish His will.  This census enabled Christ to be born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah (Micah 5:1).  In the hymn by St. Cassiane which is sung at Vespers of the Lord's Nativity in the Eastern Church of the Lord's Nativity, Augustus ruling as the only emperor over many scattered cities becomes an icon of our one Lord who gathers the scattered pagans of the world.  Christ having been registered in the fallen world then enables the faithful to be registered in the name of God.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.   We notice the term "firstborn" used here; it indicates that no child was born before Jesus.  My study bible says that the firstborn son is traditionally the primary heir and recipient of blessings.  "Christ is the firstborn over all creation, and thus the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:15, 18).  In icons of the Nativity, Christ's swaddling cloths are depicted as burial wrappings, affirming that one purpose of His coming to endure death.  The manager, or feed trough, would have been in a cave where animals were kept, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah:  'The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib"  (Isaiah 1:3).

 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  My study bible says that shepherds are chosen to hear the first announcement of the Nativity.  They are symbols of Christ the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).  Unlike the Pharisees, they were without guile and had simple faith.  The glory of the Lord tells us about the coming of the Light into the world.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you:  You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  A note tells us:  "The message of the first angel is confirmed by the multitude,  fulfilling the Law in which every word is established with two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15).  Christ Himself is our peace who has come to earth; in Him, man is no longer estranged from God (see Ephesians 2:14-16)."

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.   My study bible says that the shepherds are also images of the bishops and presbyters of the Church, who proclaim Christ to the world.  It cites St. Ambrose, who writes that Mary's own faith was strengthened by the news from the shepherds, and he asks, "If Mary herself learns from the shepherds, why do so many refuse to learn from the presbyters of the Church?"

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.  Christ comes to perfectly fulfill the Law, and He receives circumcision under the Law.  In the Eastern Church, it is an ancient tradition to name a child eight days after birth, with a special blessing.

Let us consider all the things that are at work here in the scene of Jesus' birth.  The whole universe is, in some sense, singing.  With the hymns and proclamations of the angels to the shepherds, we get the feeling that if only one were still enough, and far away from the busyness of the town, out in the fields at night, one can hear this hymn and this proclamation of the good news of the Light that makes its way into the world, as one of us.  The news itself is so "bright" that the shepherds feel compelled to come into Bethlehem, looking for the Child.  While Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart, the shepherds rejoice and give glory to God.  It's intriguing that my study bible points out that the good news of the shepherds works also to strengthen the faith of Mary.  We think of her as a tower of strength in terms of her faith, but here we see clearly how the universe works to bring the light into the world, and by increasing our faith.  We all work together in this work of faith, even in the receiving of the Light.  John's Gospel teaches us, in his own version of the genealogy of Christ:  "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not"  (John 1:5).  Yesterday we read in Zacharias' prophetic song, that the purpose of this mission is "to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."  If we really understand peace as that state we have when we are reconciled to God, then peace is also a place of this great light filling us, our world, our thoughts, our hearts.  And this peace can be offered from one to another, through one to another.  We are all in this together with saints and angels.  The spreading of the light then becomes a corporate work, involving the vast mechanisms of the universe in touch with our hearts, where we both share this light and this peace, and receive it one from another.  There are no barriers to this work; it travels from generation through generation and onward, we live with the living body of all the saints and the holy angels, entering into praise, hymns, and also the glory of the Lord that shone around the shepherds.  We are all together, as we live to the God of the living and not the dead.  Jesus will tell His followers that they are the light of the world, and that we must let our light so shine before all that they may see our good works, that they should glorify the heavenly Father as well.  We all work together, entering into one another's labor.  We have lots of help.  Let us remember the shepherds who strengthened Mary's faith, and accept that the power of that faith is really peace -- the light that shines into the world in Him is our light to shine as well.  Let's take note of the fact that there is no room at the inn, despite all the heavenly help, the prophecy, the work of the Holy Spirit, the angels.  And let us think -- perhaps when everything doesn't go perfectly according to our plans, there's another plan at work that needs our faith, so that we go on to discover the "plan" of a lifetime.