No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

- Luke 9:51-62

On Saturday, we read that on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain of Transfiguration, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was till coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus , perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  The Gospel is at a turning point; Jesus has chosen to go to Jerusalem, toward His hour of glory, the Passion and the Cross.  Like a worldly king proclaiming his advance, Jesus sent messengers before His face, His disciples.  The notion of face here is one which a modern world does not quite grasp as did the ancient.  The face of the emperor was His very person, His identity, power, and authority, and the extent of his rule -- whether it was on a coin or statue, it was treated the same.

And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Somehow the very journey to Jerusalem marks this pilgrimage.  We recall that Mark tells us Jesus has named James and John "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17) and here they display the qualities for which they are perhaps named!   Cyril of Alexandria comments that as they are journeying toward Jerusalem and all that will happen there in Holy Week, Jesus prepares the disciples for the rejection they will meet there, and in the world as apostles, and teaches them what manner of spirit they are of, how they must conduct themselves.  John and James no doubt still expect the imminent manifestation of a worldly kingdom (Mark 10:35-45), and as such they conduct themselves as emissaries of a powerful king, together with their expectations of the Messiah.  St. Cyril comments that Jesus rather teaches them the longsuffering and patience they will need.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  My study bible comments here that there is a cost to discipleship.  Here Jesus reveals three of them.  First, the disciple relinquishes personal or earthly security.  If the Lord has nowhere to lay His head, then neither will the disciple.  Second, there is nothing -- not even the honor that is due to parents -- that can be an obstacle to serving God.  And finally, a disciple cannot delay in accomplishing the good which is demanded by Christ. 

Today's reading is all about the discipline that goes into the formation of one who wishes to call themselves a "disciple" of Christ.  Jesus teaches about sacrifice.  There is first of all the expectations of James and John, the Sons of Thunder.  Indications from the Gospels lead us to believe they expect the imminent manifestation of a worldly kingdom, and not only that, but a great worldly kingdom, one which would no doubt rival and displace Rome as it is the kingdom of the expected Messiah.  Moreover this expected kingdom is to be imbued with all the hallmarks of great spiritual power:  they suggest that they call down fire from heaven upon the heads of the Samaritan villagers who refuse to receive them.  But this no doubt disappointing experience is meant to teach and prepare the disciples for something altogether different.  By the time they enter Jerusalem, and at the end of their week there, will be another story entirely, and one from which they will go on to martyrdom and suffering:  James will be the first among the Twelve to be martyred, John will go on to exile and great age, giving us his Gospel, Epistles, and the Revelation. (Whether these are technically written by John himself or his disciples really doesn't make a difference; it is John who has given them to us.)   Following upon this rejection by the Samaritan village on the journey toward Jerusalem, there are various encounters that teach all of us (including Jesus' disciples) more about discipleship.  Those who also wish to follow Christ are put to the test.  Can they go without security as does Christ?  Can they make the sacrifices He is willing to make?  A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above the master, Jesus tells them in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:24-25).  As they continue, Jesus Himself issues the command "Follow Me" to another would-be disciple on the road.  But this one replies, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  What a hard saying!  And yet, for all the many early centuries of Christianity, this command was understood in particular for those who would devote themselves wholly to Christ, men and women in the monasteries.  Even our closest worldly ties to family come second to discipleship to the Lord.  Can we moderns understand this?  Is it possible for us to find such courage or strength?   It is only possible to reconcile such a command when it is understood that it comes from God who is love and who teaches us love as His greatest command.  The next example follows closely and in a similar vein; the would-be disciple says, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus replies, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."   My study bible suggests that this command regards the delay of doing or fulfilling responsibilities to God.  But there is a deeply ironic echo here of an Old Testament passage, that of Lot's wife.  Lot and his family are led to escape a terrible punishment upon a city, an image such as perhaps James and John Zebedee have in their minds.  They were told, "Do not look behind you."  But Lot's wife looked behind him and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17-26).  Christ, quite to the contrary, forbids any notion of such punishments as the disciples go on their missionary journeys.  We would do well to reconcile these passages by understanding that the disciples are to leave all such judgment to God; as St. Paul writes, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19).  The times and circumstances between these Old and New Testament examples may be quite different, but the message of discipleship and following the commands of the Lord remains the same.   The commands of the Lord take precedence over other considerations.   We really can't possibly understand such discipline unless we understand that Christ calls us to a deeper and higher love.  We're not asked to reject our loving ties with others, but rather to discipline ourselves to God who is love (1 John 4:8).  We are asked to grow in God's likeness, but the difficult struggle of faith is neither easy nor simple when we are asked to make choices between the compelling requirements of faith and the sentimental attachments of our worldly lives.  Jesus calls us to an expanded love, a life in which He offers us a new commandment:  that we love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).  Christ calls us out of the familiar and beyond to something more, a love we can't learn except through His discipline, which involves carrying our own crosses day by day (9:23).  He calls us to an acceptance of what we cannot change, and yet the courage of action He teaches.   He calls us to the discipline of a life of faith in which our love is not simply a response to those who have shown love to us, but rather one in which our loyalty to Him calls us to forbearance and patience, to forgiveness and lack of vengeance, to a higher duty to the message of love in His mission of salvation.  And sometimes, that is a life that calls us to leave behind what we already know and love.  That takes quite some kind of discipline indeed, a long learning journey on the road with Him, His way.

Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?

 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" 

- Matthew 8:18-27

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had come down from the mountain, after preaching the Sermon on the Mount, great multitudes followed Him.  And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."  And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."  The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.  But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!  And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you."  And his servant was healed that same hour.  Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever.  So He touched her hand, and the fever left her.  And she arose and served them.  When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed.  And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."

And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  The term Son of Man refers to the Messiah and is found in Daniel 7:13.  It expression both Jesus' humanity and His divinity.  Here He uses it to refer to His human condition.  In 25:31-33 it describes His divine authority in His Resurrected state.  Jesus begins to describe the state of detachment He experiences and also commands.  He doesn't negate the command to honor parents, but rather is repeating the depth of the message about putting the things of the Kingdom first, as highest priority.  Those who ignore such priority, my study bible says, are spiritually dead. 

 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"  In yesterday's reading, we read about varied healings that happened immediately after we were given the Sermon on the Mount.  Here another sign that Jesus is Messiah and is divine is given to us:  His mastery over creation.  Commands to natural forces such as sea and waves can only be given by God (Job 38:8-11; Psalm 65:5-6, 106:9). But again, we have clear signs of Jesus' full humanity; as a human being, he needs rest and was asleep.  In His Incarnation, my study bible points out, He assumed all the natural actions of the flesh, of which sleep is one.  The image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is traditionally used to illustrate the Church.  God both permits storms and delivers us through them, my study bible says, so that we can see God's protection more clearly.  Christ's rebuke of the storm is also an illustration of His calming the tempests in the human soul, and so is also related to His healing capacity for all of us.

What does it mean to really heal?  In some sense, everything that Jesus does is healing, and for each of us -- all of humanity.  In the personal sense, we find images in each of His actions that tell us about what is good for us, what heals.  In His teachings to those who would be His followers, He tells them of the necessary steps for each of us to really put the Kingdom first, to rearrange our priorities.  According to St. Paul,  "the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  What this means is that even our deepest assumptions, learned in our closest ties in the world, we may be challenged.  Things come up for questioning, and we may have that "sword" of the word of God reaching down to separate what we thought was inseparable, asserting its own priorities and values in our lives.  This is a demand for detachment, which Jesus' own human life mirrors in its realities:  "the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."   Jesus' own actions are those that teach us about not seeking the crowd, nor fame, but finding who we are in a deeper and more detached place.  He flees the multitudes with His disciples.  Even the terrifying storm is a good analogy to understanding the difficulties with which we may struggle when we put these priorities into action.  Cultivating a kind of detachment creates potentially "terrifying" scenaria whereby our own senses of security and attachment come up to dissuade us from taking steps to cultivate new values by following His teachings.  Breaking free from the crowd, from the way things have always been done, from the ways we've been taught to think, isn't a simple nor easy matter.  The long tradition of fasting and prayer takes us away from the crowds in order to more closely cement our own internal souls with the word of God and the ways God will pull us out of the conventionally "worldly."  Everything here is for our understanding of what is healthful and good, recipes for growth and personal maturity through spiritual teaching and discipline.  While the world will debate and argue and seek to conquer through all kinds of manipulation, we take time to find Christ's word for us, how we are to go forward, and how He teaches us to find His calm and the center of who we truly need to be.  This is a recipe not only for individuals but for the good of the community.  That kind of maturity can be a life-saver for others lost in a sea of selfish demands and competing interests.  This maturity and growth is a love meant to be shared with others -- but found by putting the Kingdom first, and doing all we need in order to do so.  Those who can rise above a situation are often the only ones to truly help with ills that plague us.  But to do that, we need to clearly understand what to leave behind.   It's faith that gives us strength for the journey, in the confidence and trust we can find in Him.

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head

 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

- Matthew 8:18-27

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has just finished preaching the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5 - 7, beginning with the Beatitudes).  In yesterday's reading, we were told that when He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.  And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourselves to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."  And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."  The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.  But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!  And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you."  And his servant was healed that same hour.  Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever.  So He touched her hand, and the fever left her.  And she arose and served them.  When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed.  And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."

  And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  We note Jesus' traveling ministry, indicated in His command to depart for the other side -- that is, the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Furthermore, He's going away from the crowds who follow Him and throng Him at this point in His ministry.  That actually gives us some great clues about Him.  He's not seeking fame; in fact many times in the Gospels we find Jesus is trying to take rest with His disciples, but He's always found by people seeking Him out.

Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."   My study bible says that the term Son of Man refers to the Messiah (Daniel 7:13), and it expresses both Jesus' humanity and His divinity.  Here, Jesus uses it referring to His human condition:  He doesn't own a home nor property, His ministry means He is continually traveling, there is not a permanent place for Him -- and this is the nature of His ministry.    If the scribe is expecting anything different, it's best he be prepared for discipleship appropriately.

 Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."    My study bible says that Jesus isn't negating the command to honor parents.  But He is teaching us to put the things of the Kingdom as the highest priority.  Again, right after the Sermon on the Mount, as in yesterday's reading, we get instances in which it seems that Jesus is contradicting or contravening the Law of Moses.  But the whole point of the Law, its whole aim and goal, is to create a people of God (the meaning of "Israel").  He has said He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and here is our direction.  My study bible says that those who ignore this priority are spiritually dead.

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"    Jesus' mastery over creation is another sign of the Messiah, that He is divine.  My study bible says that commands to the sea and waves can only be issued by God (Job 38:8-11; Psalms 65:5-6, 106:9).   As man, however, Jesus sleeps because He needs rest.  This is another one of those signs that it's not all about preaching to crowds!  In His Incarnation, He is fully human, and assumes all the natural actions of the flesh -- needing sleep is one of those!  This image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is a classic "icon" of the Church.  My study bible says, "God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see His protection more clearly.  Christ's rebuke of the storm is also an illustration of His calming the tempests in the human soul."

For most of us, from the strictly human point of view, Jesus' mastery over the elements, and His great power of healing, are what impress and awe.  But if we look at Jesus' own emphasis in His words and action, He's really looking and pointing us toward something else as the highest good here, and that is faith.  When He rebukes the disciples for their fear in the boat, before He commands the sea, the wind, and the waves, He first says, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"   His statement to the scribe who would be a disciple, that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head, is a statement about faith and discipleship.  Does the scribe really have enough faith to be that kind of disciple who would follow One who has no home, no fixed place of abode?  And do we really have the kind of faith so that we can do as He says, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead?"  Of everything He teaches, and everything He does, it's really faith that is the tough crux of everything, the center and highest goal, the apex of His teachings and works.  Faith is the place where human and Divine meet.  In that sense, He Himself is the icon of our highest good.  In Himself, He manifests what we seek in faith, a union or perhaps (in the words of the theologians throughout the centuries of the Church) a synergy between ourselves and God.  He is God with us ("Immanuel")  and He preaches of the kingdom of God that is within us.  He is our wandering minister and has no place to lay His head, appropriately to the One who teaches that we should not believe those who say He is to be found in this place or that  (see Luke 17:2-21).   He reminds us of Israel being born as sojourner, a wandering people in search of a home, a people who were commanded to always remember the time of sojourn, and to be good to those who are strangers in their midst.  But most of all, He is the manifestation or fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, He's the One who teaches us that faith is the highest good we have, the greatest goal:  we put the Kingdom first, we live the reality of the Kingdom.  We can take heart when we understand this as something greater than all the miracles and signs He produces (for they don't come without faith), the one thing He puts above all else, when our faith is imperfect and as we live our lives learning what it means to "hear the word of God and do it."    He has taught in the Sermon on the Mount that even those who produce signs are liable to be told, "I never knew you."   The real struggle for faith is just that, our own struggle to learn and to do, to live out our faith, to come to know Him and be like Him in the ways we're called to do so.   This is our road with Him, His highest good, His greatest praise, our constant goal before us.   It's how we're called to worship in spirit and in truth.

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head

And when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Then another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Now when he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But he was asleep. Then his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But he said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and sea obey him?"

- Matthew 8:18-27

Today's reading occurs amidst the healing ministry of Jesus as reported in Matthew's gospel. These two scenes in today's reading are reported in between the healing of the centurion's servant and the Gergeseme demoniacs. Today's reading conveys to us a sense of Jesus' identity.

And when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." My study bible notes, "Since Son of Man refers to the Messiah (Daniel 7:13), it expresses both his humanity and divinity. Here it refers to Jesus' human condition; in 25:31-33 it describes his divine authority as Judge." Surely, no Jewish listener (particularly a scribe) could fail to understand the term from the Scriptures. It is an apocalyptic reference to one (as my study bible notes) who is both human and divine. Here, Jesus describes his human condition. And, as we have focused in the past two readings (see Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean and I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! ) on themes of holiness and the effects of the power of the Spirit to "lift up the lowly" and to heal the afflicted, so this reading also reflects similar themes. The Son of Man himself has nowhere to lay his head. The world and its values are upside down - and the Messiah, the Son of Man, is here to reverse the order. The effects of holiness show us the nature of the values we see in a fallen world. That the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head when even the foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests tells us about our world - and about the spiritual reality that has come to reveal itself and to teach us about what we see and understand, and how we judge.

Then another of his disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." My study bible notes, "Jesus is not negating the command to honor parents. He means that nothing ought to be more urgent to us than the things of the Kingdom. Those who ignore heavenly priority are spiritually dead." This is another profound statement about spiritual perspective, about the reality of this kingdom that is intersecting with the reality of the world. What does it take for discipleship? Jesus has just told one disciple of his poverty and homelessness - even he, the great Teacher, the Son of Man faces this hardship in the world. And here, family obligations of the most solemn kind are given a particular treatment. "Let the dead bury their own dead" refers to those who fail to see, and places devotion to the kingdom ahead of worldly values. It is not a condemnation of family obligations, certainly - but it is a statement that there are those who will fulfill such obligations, while those called to the kingdom put that obligation first - just as the material concerns of daily life come second to the kingdom to the one who has nowhere to lay his head.

Now when he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But he was asleep. Then his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But he said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and sea obey him?" My study bible notes here, "Jesus' mastery over creation is another powerful sign that he is the Messiah and is divine. Commands to the sea and waves (v. 24) cannot be issued by a mere human being, but only by God (Job 28:8-11; Ps. 65:5-8; 107:29). Jesus was asleep because he was truly fatigued and needed the rest, for in his Incarnation he assumed all the natural and blameless passions of humanity, of which sleep is one. His inactivity intensified the disciples' fear, giving this miracle a greater impact. The image of Christ and the disciples in a boat is traditionally used to depict the Lord and his Church. God permits storms, and delivers us from them, so that we can see his blessings and protection more clearly. Jesus, rebuking the storms, reminds us that he puts an end to the tempest in our souls." As my study bible indicates, power over the forces of nature is a clear sign in the gospel that we are dealing with divinity - and Jesus' sleep is his human side. He is (as the previous verses tell us) by his own self-reference, the Son of Man. Those who would be his disciples must be prepared not only for the vicissitudes of life: issues of material survival, family obligation (including the one with the strongest impact - death and mourning), and here the storm on the sea and the accompanying fears and emotions we all face. But we must also prepare for transcendence. We go through the realities of the world we live in with another in mind that teaches us about who we are and what we are here for - and how we negotiate all of these difficulties attached to our world. We have another priority that gives us shape and definition, a form to our lives within which we are disciples. It refines for us our choices, our priorities, and values. And we are dedicated to its reality, its teachings, and our Lord. He is the bridegroom of the Church, the Teacher, and the Comforter.

Midst the healings in this part of Matthew's gospel, we are given a picture of this man at the center, Jesus, who has referenced himself today as Son of Man. He sets down his values, his priorities - and teaches us in today's passage the way in which we must negotiate the affairs of the world in order to be his disciples. We have a perspective that sets things in a particular order that may be at odds with the world. Indeed, the effect of the holy is to "turn things upside down" while the world in its values may be seen as upside down. The "Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." His life with his disciples also teaches us that we will all still be subject to the realities of the world and its demands - and yet we are to negotiate them with a particular perspective in mind, a goal, a priority - and that is the kingdom. Like the parable of the Sower, which will illustrate these cares and needs as a riddle for the multitudes, we are to be firmly rooted in faith. It requires of us the ability to see, to bear fruit, to hold fast to something through our difficulties - and not to give in to the demands placed on us through all this earthly life of needs, pressures, and fears and and other emotions. While the good news of the gospels teaches us that he is here to "lift up the lowly" and to "fill the hungry with good things" - and the Beatitudes Jesus has so recently taught in this gospel give us a picture of the transcendent reality we embrace through spiritual values in faith - today's passage prepares us to look at life in all of its reality, its pressures and demands, and our own emotional natures. We will live through all of it, experience all of it. But we are called to do so with faith. As disciples, this is our job. Just as Jesus as Son of Man is both human and divine - as expressed in today's reading - so we are to live through the world in all of its fullness: we are here to root a heavenly kingdom in our earthly lives. This passage teaches us that we face all of reality unflinching, undenying, and yet we live through it in faith - with faith. Our Teacher does not tell us to put on "rose-colored glasses." Rather, this faith - as will Jesus' earthly life - reaches out to grasp all of life in its reality, the bitter and the sweet, the difficult and the joyously transcendent. And so, we are, like Him. We achieve this through faith - that is all he tries to teach us here, in that boat on the stormy sea, as we go through life and face its difficulties and put his priorities first.