But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Matthew 11:7-15 

 

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

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to se?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, / Who will prepare Your way before You.'"   In today's reading, the words of Jesus regarding John the Baptist echoes themes found in many of the prophets (notably Isaiah), but in particular the prophesy of Malachi, and the special messenger who would prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.  See Malachi 3:1.  Jesus declares here that John is a prophet, and more than a prophet.  

 

 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  John the Baptist is the greatest of all the Old Testament type prophets.  But as this messenger of the coming of the Messiah, he forms a kind of bridge between the Old and New Covenants.  My study Bible comments that the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.  This does not imply that John will not be resurrected to the kingdom of heaven, but only that his life on earth came before something far superior.

 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  My study Bible indicates that there are several interpretations which have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  Some say that it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  But others have interpreted this to mean that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," that is, with tremendous power and force.  Yet others have commented that the kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  According to St. John Chrysostom, the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  

 

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study Bible remarks that John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does here.  This is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Malachi, in which it was predicted that Elijah would return prior to the coming of the Messiah (see Malachi 4:5-6).  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  Yet John is honored over Elijah, my study Bible comments, because John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.  

 

Here Jesus reveals that John the Baptist is the one returned "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), not only ostensibly telling these crowds about John the Baptist, and indeed praising John in the highest of terms, but also indicating that Jesus Himself is the Messiah in so doing.  Because the prophecy of Malachi is fulfilled in John the Baptist in this way, it's clear meaning is the John is the one sent before the Messiah, to prepare His way.   Jesus begins His strong defense of John the Baptist, by saying, "What did you go out into the wilderness to se?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet."  Jesus' vigorous defense of John shows both a fiercely protective and totally loyal perspective, giving us great hints about Jesus' character, and perhaps with these characteristics expressed both His human persona as well as qualities of His divine Person.  It teaches us by example of the powerful goodness in such qualities, which by definition we should seek as well to emulate.  There are other contexts in which we see both a strong protectiveness and deep loyalty as His first impulse, such as when He rushes in to defend His disciples during a dispute (see Mark 9:14-16).  Jesus asks the crowds what they expected of John, clearly referring to his clothing, for as we know John's dedication to God was so thorough that he expressed this by living a radical poverty, living in the wilderness, and relying on God completely.   St. Matthew writes, "Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Matthew 3:4).  This clothing echoes the dress of Elijah, another way of expressing the fulfillment of the prophecy in Micah that Elijah would return.  Jesus compares the "rough" John to those in more sophisticated and socially prominent environments, wearing soft clothing and living in kings' houses.  But this is not the stuff of which a prophet -- and this more than a prophet -- is made.  Ironically, however, John is indeed in a king's house, but he is imprisoned by Herod, and there he will be martyred (Matthew 14:1-12), dying a heroic and saintly death for his incredibly courageous work as a prophet of the truth of God.  Jesus' defense of John against the criticism of the people will continue in our following reading, in which He will rebuke the criticism that called John too rough and ascetic, while complaining that Jesus associates too often with the sinners of public life.  Let us understand His loyalty and love, and endeavor to see as He sees, and be the friend of all the good that He is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The voice of one crying in the wilderness

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, 

 Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.' "

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.  

 

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

 

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was  baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days,  tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1–13 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the disciples discussed the appearance of Jesus to the two who walked to Emmaus, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  And He said to them, "Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.  Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.  But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"  So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.  And He took it and ate in their presence.  Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."  And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And you are witnesses of these things.  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."  And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up to heaven.  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple and blessing God.  Amen.  Thus ended the Gospel of St. Luke.  Today we begin readings in the Gospel of St. Mark.

 

  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Gospel (Greek ευαγγελιον/evangelion) literally means "good news" or "good tidings."  It was a word used frequently in the Roman world of Christ's time, for missives from the emperor regarding his works or achievements, or other proclamations of the state.  Here, my study Bible explains that it refers not to Mark's writings per se, but it is the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That is, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry. That is, here, the preparation by the one we know as Christ's forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him. 

 

 

As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.' "  St. Mark quotes from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, giving us the prophecies that are fulfilled in St. John the Baptist's role as forerunner to the Christ.  

 

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.  My study Bible explains that the call to repentance was traditional for prophets.  Note that St. John's baptism is a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins:  it did not grant that remission, but prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ to come.  John is the last and the greatest in the line of the Old Testament type prophets, and is thus a figure of the Law.  Like the Law, my study Bible notes, he denounced sin but could not remit ("put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can, and that is Christ.

 

 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  John is clothed in a manner which is like that of the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  It helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of the return of Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6).  Here, we observe John in his role as forerunner to the Christ, preparing the people and pointing the way to the Lord.

 

 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was  baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  This event of Christ's Baptism is known as Theophany (meaning a manifestation of God) or Epiphany ("showing forth" or "manifestation").  It is a revelation of the Holy Trinity, in the Spirit descending like a dove, the Father's voice from heaven, and the naming of Christ as the beloved Son.  In the earliest years of the Church, this event was celebrated together with Nativity (Christmas) on January 6th.  

 

 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days,  tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  This Christ's temptation by Satan and forty day period in the wilderness is reported in more detail in Matthew 4:1-10 and Luke 4:1-13.  Note the motivating action of the Spirit; He drove Christ into the wilderness to be tempted.  The word translated as "drove" can also be understood as meaning to "throw."

 

In today's reading we are given a kind of continuity of the evolving story of creation and salvation.  In the long and ancient line of Old Testament prophets comes John the Baptist.  He is a prophet himself, and is considered in the Church to be the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets.  But our text tells us, by giving us quotations from Malachi and Isaiah, how John himself fits into what has been prophesied about him -- he who in turn prophesies about Christ, the Messiah.   There is a continuity of expression going hand in hand, from ancient times even to the present, and such sequence and fulfillment of God's ongoing work of creation is here in these words for us, in these images of prophecy and fulfillment of prophecy, and an ever-expanding way of salvation opening and being fulfilled as they move through time and the events of spiritual history.  So, our text makes it clear today that we are being given another important story in that history, perhaps the most important story, the centerpoint of all spiritual history, and that is the advent of Jesus Christ and, in today's reading, the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  John the Baptist, Old Testament style prophet, is the last in a long line of those who prophesy the Messiah, but he also baptizes Christ the Messiah, and so in this sense fulfills a role in the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world in His public ministry.  As part of this fulfillment of all righteousness,  John helps to facilitate this setting of God's manifestation to the world as the Holy Trinity, in the Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus, in the voice of the Father making itself present, and the declaration that Jesus is the beloved Son.  Moreover, John himself even steps into a role already created by another, in the clothing and spirit of Elijah who was prophesied to return before the Christ.  This continuity is ever important to us, because what it teaches us is that each of us, from the least to the greatest, have a role to play in this unfolding story.  The expression of the action of the Spirit "throwing" or "driving" Christ into the wilderness to be tempted teaches us about the power of the Spirit at work behind all things.  It teaches us about a pattern of manifestation and fulfillment that has its purpose in God's fulfillment of the potentials and meanings of creation, and that this story is ongoing.  Therefore, each of us, when we seek God's will for our own lives, agrees to play a part in this same story, stepping into the continuity of all those who've come before us, and playing a part in God's work in creation and the ongoing salvation story of all that God has created.  We might not think of ourselves as participants in God's energies and work, but in point of fact we are a part of this creation already whether we think about it this way or not.  Our faith has the power to convey to us how to play a role in that ongoing expression of creation, in God's order and fulfillment of God's purposes.  Our baptism sets us forth as capable, meaning this is what we have to offer back to God, the remission of sins making it possible for the fulfillment of God's purposes of holiness in our lives.  We don't know what may come of the small things we do, but we do know the God's will is love, and that our participation in faith may work to increase that love and give us potentials that help us to manifest it in the world in the ways that God asks us to do so.  St. Paul writes, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  Let us play our part in that purpose, following our saintly ancestors like St. John the Baptist, the messenger sent before Christ.  Let's note also how even the wilderness plays its role in this story of ongoing salvation of all the world.  John the Baptist is the "one crying in the wilderness," and Christ is driven into the wilderness to face temptation by Satan.  All things play a role, and perhaps so do we, even when we may find ourselves also, at times, in the wilderness.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  

    "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

    Who will prepare Your way before You."

    "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

    'Prepare the way of the LORD;

    Make His paths straight.' "

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came  from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 

 

- Mark 1:1–13 

 

Over the final three readings of last week (the first week of Lent in Western churches, and also for the Armenian Apostolic Oriental Orthodox church), we were given Christ's High Priestly Prayer, which Jesus prayed at the Last Supper.  See the first two parts of this prayer here and here.  On Saturday, we read the final portion, in which Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You." "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  My study Bible explains that gospel (Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion) literally means "good news" or "good tidings" (it was the common name for missives and announcements from the Roman Emperor).  Here it doesn't refer to Mark's writings per se, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the good news of our salvation.  Beginning here points to the opening evens of Christ's public ministry with which St. Mark opens His gospel; this is the preparation by Jesus' forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.   John gives quotations which explain his own ministry and identity from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3.  We are also to notice the widespread popularity of St. John the Baptist's ministry, as all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  John the Baptist is considered to be the last and greatest prophet of the Old Testament period.  My study Bible says that he fulfills prophecy and prepares the people of God for the coming of the Messiah.  Part of this preparation is a baptism for remission (Greek ἄφεσις, "letting go") of sins.  This is the same word Jesus gives us in the Lord's Prayer, when we pray that our sins are "let go" as we "let go" of the sins of others.  In Christian baptism, we are not only forgiven our sins -- letting them go -- but God also brings us into union with Christ (see Romans 6:5).

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.   John's clothing and lifestyle bear resemblance to that of Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:8).  Here, we can read it as a sign that he fulfills the prophecy of the return of Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 11:14, 17:12). 

And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  My study Bible comments that to be baptized with the Holy Spirit means that only Christ, the Son of God, fully possesses and gives the Spirit.  To receive the Spirit we must be baptized in Christ and adopted as children of God (Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 1:5).  By this adoption, we become anointed ones, of whom God said, "Do not touch My anointed ones" (Psalm 105:15). 

 

 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came  from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."   My study Bible comments here that Christ's rising from the water (Jesus came up from the water) is suggestive of His Ascension; it is the same Greek verb used to refer to that event (John 3:13; Acts 2:34; Ephesians 4:8-10).  And as He came up from the water, it is maintained in the theology of the early Church, so the whole world is lifted up with Him.  The Spirit descending upon Him is a foreshadowing of the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).  Like a dove describes the descent of the Spirit (not a physical dove), but also as a special sign showing the presence of the Spirit.  My study Bible adds that a dove symbolizes purity, peace, and wisdom. We note importantly that this is a Theophany; that is, an appearance or "showing forth" of God the Trinity.  Jesus is declared the beloved Son in the voice of the Father, together with the presence of the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 

 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  For more details of Christ's time in the wilderness and temptation for forty days, see Matthew 4:1-10; Luke 4:1-13.  

 

My study Bible comments that, as the baptism of Jesus is the first revelation of His divinity, so this temptation is the beginning of His role as "Lamb of God" (John 1:29, 36), the One who will suffer on our behalf, the beloved Son whose destiny is the Cross.  Moreover, my study Bible adds, forty days echoes the forty years of the temptation of Israel in the Old Testament, and beyond that, the basis for our forty-day period of Lent into which we have recently entered.  (For the Eastern Orthodox, Lent begins in approximately one month.)  My study Bible also notes that Christ being with the wild beasts, and served by the angels suggests a relationship between Christ and Adam, Himself being the "New Adam."  Even if we are subjected to evil, it says  (such as the demons and possibly beasts)  God doesn't desert us as we struggle toward God.  In patristic understanding, meditative seclusion is considered to be conducive to freer commuion with God, and also effective preparation for great tasks ahead of us.  Clearly, Jesus sets us this example.  The temptation of Christ in the wilderness (see more details at Matthew 4:1-10; Luke 4:1-13) is the model for the period of Lent, traditionally observed through the practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving.  Let us remember that each of these practices can take on many forms.  If we examine the details of Jesus' time in the wilderness, we'll see that there were specific temptations that He said "No" to, and this is what we remember in the traditional practices of Lent.  It's a time to remember that we need to draw boundaries in life for our own good, and for the good of those around ourselves.  Discernment is important, and being capable of saying No to temptation is also important.  Without it, we sorely lack the discipline necessary in life for having a healthy outlook, and a way to function in the world that is at peace with our souls.  Fasting is a way of building up the understanding of discipline, the capability of saying No to things that are harmful.  We may fast from gossiping and backbiting, we may seek simply to be more aware of the times we lose our temper, or indulge in unhealthful envy, or other ways in which we break communion and harm ourselves, our relationship to the world around us, and our relationship to God.  In an atmosphere where discipline may be looked at askance, seeming to repress or conceal, what is important is to understand the therapeutic value of finding ourselves set on a good path in life, where our relatedness to the world, to God, and even to all the parts of ourselves are able to thrive.  A good garden needs tending, and so it is also with human beings, for this is how to care for ourselves and our world.  Let us take seriously the discipline of fasting in its many potential forms, giving of ourselves charitably (also in myriad forms of kindness and care), and prayer -- itself a many-layered and subtle practice.  These are the tools of Lent, of responding to an imperfect world in need of care.  For in so doing, the angels will also minister to us.

His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light

 

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 

- Matthew 17:1–13 

 

On Saturday we read that, from that time of Peter's confession, Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

 

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; . . ..    My study Bible comments that a high mountain is often a place of divine revelation in Scripture (Matthew 5:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 19:3, 23; Isaiah 2:3; 2 Peter 1:18).  The phrase after six days indicates that there were six days between the time of Peter's confession and Christ's warning that He will suffer and die, and this day of the event on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Therefore this is the "eighth day" from Peter's confession and Christ's first warning of His Passion and Resurrection, a significant understanding for the revelation of the Transfiguration.

. . . and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  The first thing we're drawn to in this picture of the Transfiguration is the light that emanates from Christ.  It's a brilliance that we're drawn to in this language:  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  In 1 John 1:5 we're told that God is light, and in all the light expressed in the picture of this event we see a demonstration that Jesus is God.  My study Bible points out that in some icons this light is illustrated as beyond white -- a blue-white, ineffable color, which indicates its spiritual origin.  

 

 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."   Another sign of the Kingdom being extraordinarily present is the appearance of Moses and Elijah speaking with Christ.  Time is suspended, for although these all lived in different time periods, they are simultaneously here together and speak with one another.  Moreover, St. Peter clearly perceives their identities as well, so all are known to one another (1 Corinthians 13:12).  Moses and Elijah also represent the Law and the Prophets, gathered together in the presence of Christ.  My study Bible adds that Moses represents the Law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- as he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  The law and the prophets, the living and the dead, therefore, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.   It is also an image of the communion of the saints, the reality of the kingdom of heaven, an affirmation of Christ's teaching that "all live to God" (Luke 20:38).  Peter's suggestion of making tabernacles is reminiscent of the feast of Sukkot, also called the Feast of the Coming Kingdom, commemorating the time Israel wandered in tents (or tabernacles, also called booths), following the bright cloud and pillar of fire toward the Promised Land. 

 

 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  Again there is an image of light int he bright cloud that overshadowed Christ and the disciples, and that bright cloud is also reminiscent of the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, a visible sign of God being extraordinarily present and reminder of temple worship.  Here, also, is the Holy Trinity, in the voice of the Father, testifying to God's beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit present in the dazzling light surrounding Christ, and the bright cloud overshadowing the whole mountain.  

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.  With their immediate apprehension of Moses and Elijah speaking with Christ, the disciples are now able to understand Jesus' words testifying that Elijah has come already, as referring to John the Baptist.  My study Bible says that their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17) rather than to Elijah himself. 

In the power of the Transfiguration is revealed the divinity of Christ.  It is a strong affirmation of the confession of faith of St. Peter that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (found in Friday's reading), and it will also serve the disciples as an unforgettable image of Christ's divinity through the terrifying events that are to come at Christ's Passion.  As a Theophany it is a manifestation or appearance of God.  In Greek, this event of the Transfiguration is called Metamorphosis, indicating a change of form or appearance, as does the word "transfiguration."  So while this drastic, unforgettable change of appearance serves the disciples in a number of ways -- as revealing the true nature of Christ to them, and so much more that comes with Him and His divine nature -- so also we are called to be transfigured as well by Christ and by the divine power that works in Him and through our faith to reveal who we are in His image of us as well.  We watch through the Gospels and the life of the early Church through Acts and the Epistles the great change in the disciples, such as St. Peter, and we see the transfiguring power of faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit active in these men.  We learn of the early apostolic missions and even the transfiguration of the whole world through the work of establishing the early churches, and it speaks to us of the power of faith and God's work in the world and what it does.  So, indeed, the Transfiguration is a model about our faith in so many ways, and it teaches us so much.  Perhaps we should also think about how that model of Transfiguration is also at work within us and among us.  How has your life been changed through the practice of prayer and your own faith?  Do you find that your faith -- and Christ's transfiguring power -- has changed you?  How has your faith evolved in your life, and the work of the Holy Spirit worked in you and your own perceptions of life?  Do you see things in a different way than you used to?  For myself, I can particularly testify that over the course of decades my faith has truly changed many things in my outlook.  Much of what I write today would have been about things incomprehensible and inconceivable to me in the past, but the reality of the internal transfiguration of faith and Christ's work, and the mercy of the Holy Spirit -- even the communion of saints -- has worked in me to entirely transfigure my own outlook and way of seeing life.  This is been more despite me than any result of my own wishes or will; this has been the surprising journey of faith and the power of God.  If the Transfiguration has given us so much of the fullness of our faith and what it has to teach us, then one can only imagine what the transfiguring journey of faith means for us as communities, as individuals, and even for our world.  How can we know what our own true nature is until we can begin to see it through the eyes of the Creator who leads us and heals us?  Let us not forget that this also includes the communion of saints, and what their prayer with us has to offer.  These are just some of the things to think about when we come to the transfiguring light of Christ, and ponder why we are given these experiences of the disciples in our Scripture.  Metamorphosis is also a part of taking up one's own cross, even the suffering involved in letting go of the things God wants to change in us.  May we be blessed in God's light of illumination for us. 

 

 

 

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, 

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.' "

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1–13 

 

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "  My study bible tells us that gospel, which literally means "good news" or "good tidings") is a reference not to Mark's writings per se, but to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning is a reference to these opening events of Christ's public ministry given here:  the preparation by the one titled "Forerunner" to the Lord, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.  The quotations from the Prophets are found at Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3.

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  Just as the Prophets spoke of Christ, and form echoes and ties to the Old Testament right at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, so also does the attire of John.  He is clothed in a way that is similar to that of Elijah the Prophet (2 Kings 1:8), which my study bible says helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (Malachi 4:5-6).  Let us note John's deep understanding of the difference between his baptism and the one which will be initiated by Christ.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  My study bible points out that Jesus does not need purification, as He has no sin.  But by making the purification His own, He would wash away the sin of humanity, grant regeneration, and reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity in this theophany of Father's voice, the Spirit descending as if to anoint the Messiah, and Himself revealed as Son.  (As Son, Christ has always had the Spirit resting upon Him; this is a revelation of that understanding.)  Christ also, in descending into the waters, purifies and sanctifies the waters of the world for Christian baptism.  My study bible quotes St. Gregory of Nyssa:  "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Let us note that Mark's language makes it clear that this is the action of the Holy Spirit in the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  In the Greek, it says literally that the Spirit "threw" or "cast out" Jesus into the wilderness for forty-day period of temptation.  Like humankind, He's there in the world, between the temptations of Satan, and the ministering angels, and with the wild beasts of the earth.  See also Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13 for more detailed accounts of these forty days in the wilderness.

In the Eastern Church, Christ's Baptism is understood as Theophany ("Revelation of God") or Epiphany ("Revelation" or "Showing Forth").  Another understanding of the roots of these Greek words is that this is a manifestation of God in the world.  Therefore in the earliest practices of the Church,  the celebration of Christ's Nativity (Christmas) and Baptism were celebrated on the same day.  This beginning (as Mark gives it to us) of the gospel of Christ also paralleled the beginning of Christ's coming into the world through His birth by Mary, the Mother of God.  In the Orthodox Church, Holy Baptism is understood also as "Holy Illumination."  And so there is another parallel between the two events of Christ's birth and His Baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist:  this is the coming of light into the world.  As John the Evangelist put it, it is the light shining in the darkness.  "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5).  So, as we also begin a new year, it is important for all of us to consider what it means that Christ remains a light shining in the darkness, and even that the darkness does not comprehend it.  We enter into a new year having completed a time of pandemic and many other ills and forms of "darkness" which run the gamut and span the globe.  For each person in every place, I am certain these varied experiences of darkness have been felt across large segments of population as well as the very personal level.  Let us consider how this beginning of Christ's ministry took place somewhere out of the way, and this revelation was unknown even to most of those who were present at His Baptism.  And yet, it remains the light shining in the darkness, the revelation or manifestation of God the Trinity to the world.  Let us also remember how our earliest Christian forbears understood it, as being in parallel with Christ's birth, a time when the world did not welcome Christ as there was "no room" for Him and His family (Luke 2:7), and instead the world was ready to meet Him with violence (Matthew 2:13-18).  We must remember that this is our own story, as followers of Christ, and understand this dimension of our faith will always be with us, regardless of celebrations and "good news."  We look to that light shining in the darkness, even as we look to find our way.  Let us remember also His time of temptation and struggle in the wilderness, for it is a portrait of ourselves in a world dominated by the "ruler of this world," but he has "nothing" in Christ (John 14:30).   Interesting that John baptizes in the wilderness, and Jesus goes to temptation in the wilderness that is the image of our world.  For it is Christ our Lord who overcame the world (John 16:33), and to Him we look to show us our way through it, just as it has been from the beginning.

Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples concerning their first apostolic mission (Matthew 10), that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:   The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'"  There is irony here in Jesus' statement, as those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses, and John is locked up in prison in the house of King Herod Antipas.  But John wore nothing like soft clothing, and preached in the wilderness, baptizing and wearing the clothing of a prophet in the style of Elijah who also lived in the wilderness in radical poverty for the sole love of God, as Matthew tells us in chapter 3:  "Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (3:4).  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3:1.  It is Malachi who prophesied Elijah's return at the time of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5).

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  My study bible says that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  The New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  There are several interpretations that have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, my study bible tells us.  Some say that it refers to the idea that the Kingdom breaks into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Indeed, Jesus seems to contrast prophesy and the law with what occurs with John, who is the last and greatest in that lineage, which is the arrival of the Kingdom with presence.  Others have said that the Kingdom of heaven is a reference to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  According to St. John Chrysostom, the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  Another thing we must consider is that the prophets all prophesied in the Holy Spirit; but it is John who announced that He who will baptize with the Spirit is present, and witnessed the Spirit's presence with Jesus at His baptism (see Matthew 3:11-17); it is the Spirit in which the Kingdom is truly present to us.

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study bible notes that John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  But John is honored over Elijah as John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.

Some important thoughts about the Spirit and the Kingdom, and its presence and manifestation in the world.  It is the Spirit who made possible the birth of Christ as human being; as Matthew puts it, Mary was found with child of the Holy Spirit (1:18).  In Mary we see the image of the burning bush which Moses observed (Exodus 3:1-2), in the midst of which was a flame of fire, and though it burned the plant was not consumed.  It is the Spirit in which we as Christians are invited to participate in the Kingdom and its presence of beauty and light and meaning.  In light of Pentecost, today's passage gives us much to think about concerning the true nature of the Kingdom and what Christ has to say about its presence with us.  Saints Peter and Paul enumerate for us gifts of the Spirit via their Epistles, and St. Paul teaches us about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  In one of the most beautiful compositions of the fruit of the Spirit, St. Paul teaches us about the greatest of all gifts, love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).  In all of these ways, the Kingdom fashions those who participate in it as greater than John the Baptist.  The real question is how we participate in what our forbears understood as the true beauty of the Church, which is the beauty of the Spirit.  All of these fruits are not borne of simple work or our own fashioning.  They are rather given through the gift of contemplation, through that which works through true prayer, participation in the Kingdom.  And that must be what we seek, as Jesus invites us to do here.  This must be that which we focus upon as He points the way and teaches us about the great and unsurpassed gift of the ability to participate in this Kingdom.  All the prophets and the law prophesied until John, but now something with power and force is happening, something altogether new, but we need to embrace it with all our hearts, and truly live it.

Wisdom is justified by all her children

 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

'We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

- Luke 7:18-35

Yesterday we read that when Jesus concluded all His Sermon on the Plain in the hearing of the people (the readings from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to 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 these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick."  Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   John the Baptist was imprisoned shortly after Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:14).  Although John has directed his disciples to follow Christ (John 1:29-31, 35-37), there are those who have remained with him.  While John's own faith was no doubt strengthened by the signs that Jesus performed, says my study bible, the Fathers universally see this encounter as a means John used to convince his remaining disciples that Jesus was truly the Coming One.   The things Jesus names are those acts identified in the sayings of the prophets of Israel as those forms of grace which will characterize the time of the Messiah (see for example Isaiah 35, 61.

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3:1, tying John as well into the eschatological news of this time of the coming of the Messiah, and the prophesies that foretold the time.  Although John was the greatest prophet, his earthly life and ministry remain in the period of the old covenant.  The new covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than the greatest outside it.  This doesn't imply that John won't be resurrected to the Kingdom, but rather that his earthly life came before something much greater.  Jesus asks the crowd about John with words that hint at the false prophets of old, who lived in palaces in luxury and told kings what they wanted to hear.  "A reed shaken by the wind" is not a mighty prophet driven by the Holy Spirit, but rather a weak man submitting only to the whims of rulers.  The true prophets of Israel are those with whom John may be closely identified by his rigorous life outside of the society and his ascetic way of living, devoted fully to serving God.

And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.   The text gives us the paradox of faith, the importance of choice, repentance, and the inner heart -- and the effectiveness of the ministry of preparation and baptism by John.  For comparison to these verses, see Mark 11:27-33.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;  We mourned to you, and you did not weep.'  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"  Jesus refers to a popular game played by children.  The children would divide into two groups:  one group would mime musicians who would play music either for mourning or dancing.  The other group of children responded.  In Jesus' example, they refuse to respond appropriately to the type of music being played.  My study bible tells us that the Pharisees were so rigid in their religion that they were unable to respond and engage the world around them.  They rejected John, therefore, as being too mournful and ascetic, while Christ was rejected as too merciful and joyous.

"But wisdom is justified by all her children."  Although both John and Christ are rejected by the Pharisees, they are both justified, says my study bible -- not by the opinions of people, but rather by their children, those who would come to believe and be faithful.  Children are also an image of works.  This is an echo of Jesus' recent teaching in the Sermon on the Plain, that "every tree is known by its own fruit" (see Thursday's reading.)

Today's reading gives us the perspective of the paradox of holiness, in its juxtaposition of John the Baptist and Jesus.  One is rigorous and extremely ascetic, living in the wilderness, dependent only upon God.  But the other feasts with tax collectors and sinners.  How can they both be holy?  How can they both be holy men of God -- and Jesus even the Messiah?  But when Jesus teaches that wisdom is justified by all her children, then we come to understand a great truth, both about Scripture and the entire nature of holiness and the work of God in the world.  If we take a look at the saints, we see men and women who are anything but seamlessly identical.  Saints are those who in one way or another have distinctive and powerful personalities, even those known for their great humility, who withdrew into deserts not to be seen for decades, who lived for the simplest act of kindness.  Many of them had personalities that others would criticize as full of flaws; none are cookie-cutter perfect.  But wisdom is justified by all her children.  That is another way of saying that by their fruits you shall know them.  Saints are those through whom God works in the world, whose "yes" to God is perhaps most archetypally given in the words of the Theotokos, that is, literally, the God-bearer, the Virgin Mary, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).  Saints are those for whom everything in their lives is geared to hear God's word and to do it, whatever form that may take, however strange it may appear to others, for whom the reliance on God is all-important.   The Gospel teaches us that for each person, this holy road may appear quite different, even contradictory by worldly standards, but it is God's unfolding work in the world that is transcendent, and by whom all are justified.  The word "wisdom" is sophia in the Greek.  It is a feminine word in Greek.  But Wisdom is also the word for the Lord, for Christ Himself, the One who is incarnate as the human Jesus, but who speaks throughout Scripture.  Let us look, as Jesus teaches us, at all the children of wisdom scattered throughout Scripture and throughout history, and come to know their work, their participation in what He offers to us, and join in on that holy road -- His way.

Prepare the way of the LORD

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You."
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 

- Mark 1:1-13

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Mark's Gospel begins at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, which would not be complete without the work of John the Baptist.  John is considered the greatest and last of Old Testament-style prophets.  Mark quotes from Malachi and Isaiah, revealing the work of John.  Gospel ("good news" or "good message") refers to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation.  This beginning is about the preparation necessary for Christ's ministry.  In the early Church, Christ's Baptism by John and His Nativity (Christmas) were celebrated on the same day.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  John clothing and appearance reminds us of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  Later Christ will say that John is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah's return (see Matthew 11:14;17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13).  John's image is one of radical poverty, complete commitment to doing the work of God he's given to do.  We note the significance of his understanding of Christ's work connected to the Holy Spirit.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."   Christ's baptism by John is an occasion for Epiphany ("Manifestation") or Theophany ("Manifestation of God") in an appearance of the Trinity:  the Father's voice, the identification of Jesus as Son, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  This is the moment transition between the Old Testament and the New, the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  The Church also teaches that through Christ's baptism, the waters of the world are sanctified for Christian baptism.

 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. The work of the Spirit is immediate at this start of Christ's ministry.  His first work is to be tempted by Satan (see Matthew 4:1-10, Luke 4:1-13).  Each temptation is countered by Christ with reliance on God.  It is a preparation for His ministry; the temptations come as those which test Jesus in the areas of power, influence, and worldly glory.  They will manifest in various forms throughout His ministry, particularly with demands for proofs of His identity and authority.  That Christ was in the wilderness, in this start to His ministry, with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him (as in the scenes of His birth), reminds us that He is here for the salvation not only of human beings, but for the life of the world.   All of creation is involved in this endeavor, this adventure.

An important theme in today's reading is preparation.  Mark's Gospel begins simply and briefly, but its focus is telling and informing us about the whole focus of the early Church.  Jesus' ministry is the true good news, and this is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ:  when the salvation plan for the world is brought forth.  We read of the preparation which is personified in John the Baptist.  He's a product of the whole history of Jewish spirituality.  He is the last and greatest in the line of Old Testament prophets.  His commitment to God and to a holy life is exemplary, legendary, and he is a figure revered in his own time for his commitment to truth and the God of Israel.  He "tells it like it is."  (And he will die for doing so.)  John is the Forerunner, in the title the Church has given him from the beginning.  His baptism of Jesus comes to prepare the way, as the quotations from Malachi and Isaiah emphasize.  It is John who "will prepare Your way before You."  John who has the voice which teaches to "prepare the way of the LORD."  John's baptism is preparation for the Messiah via repentance, but he prepares the world for baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus' baptism by John is in order to fulfill all righteousness, preparing the fullness of the time for Christ's ministry and Christian baptism that will follow.  The manifestation of the Trinity is a fulfillment of this time -- all that has come before has prepared us for this.  And finally the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness, the temptations preparing Him for the public ministry.   All of this is necessary before Christ begins to preach to the world and offer us His ministry.   The salvation plan of God unfolds through time in a kind of fullness we witness in the Gospels; everything is prepared for this "now," this moment of revelation and manifestation.  All the characters in the Scriptures witness to us the importance of preparation for the fullness of the time, and the Church has followed with its own teachings about preparation.  Repentance, prayer, practices such as fasting, are all forms of preparation for the fullness of our own spiritual lives, for what it means to be in the here and the now, alert, awake, and mindful of what we are to be about.  How do you prepare for tests in your own life?  How do we make the best of the time we have, the preparation for difficult decisions, for making the most of talents, intelligence, and opportunities?  If we start with the mindfulness of God, the recollection of relationship in prayer, we can't be far off from sensing the importance of "fullness," all the capacities inherent in where we are right now, what God offers us, and how to make the most of it. What is your way of preparation?  How are you a part of God's "fullness" for the world?  Our expectations are filled through the work of preparation, the mindfulness in the varieties of our spiritual practice, the decision to "Follow Him."

Wisdom is justified by all her children

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'" And that very hour He cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things that you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

'We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned for you,

And you did not weep."

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread not drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by all her children."

- Luke 7:18-35

In yesterday's reading, Jesus healed the servant of a centurion and the only son of a widow was brought back to life from death. Two stories: both of people on the margins of this particular society -- one a man of wealth and power and many servants and men he commands, the other a woman who has lost everything and is facing destitution. The centurion is a man of great virtue: humility and compassion and faith, the woman moves Jesus' compassion for her. The crowds with Jesus and with the woman all marvel: "God has visited His people."

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'" John the Baptist was put into prison shortly after he had baptized Jesus, and therefore has not been a witness to His ministry. The expectations of the Coming One are many, defined by prophets: see for example these passages from Micah, Zechariah and Malachi. My study bible says that John "probably has not heard Jesus teach, nor seen His many miracles. John also anticipates that Jesus will judge at His first coming, whereas Jesus comes to save and heal. John's question indicates either a desire to obtain secure knowledge or an intent to guide his own disciples to Jesus." Many of Jesus' disciples (including among the Twelve Apostles) were first disciples of John; in a sense they were prepared for discipleship with Jesus having followed John first. John's question reflects the expectations concerning the Messiah, or the Coming One. The reiteration of the question in this passage underscores its great importance.

And that very hour He cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things that you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." Jesus responds to John's question -- posed by John's disciples -- with a display of His healing power. These are "miraculous messianic deeds" as my study bible puts it. His words back to John also reflect prophecy about the Messiah, the Coming One: see these passages from the prophet Isaiah.

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.'" Jesus speaks to the crowds who now follow Him everywhere, as His reputation has grown so great. He chastises them regarding John the Baptist -- a man of tremendous humility and holiness, who practiced a kind of radical poverty, and is now in prison. He is a prophet in the mold of a prophet, and Jesus claims him to be the messenger referred to in prophecy (see these passages from Isaiah and Malachi). Again, we are in the realm of expectations and of prophecy -- and there is more to this: Jesus settles the question of any rivalry between them with the seal of union. John was the great messenger of the prophets; there is no division between them despite their seeming differences.

"For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. My study bible says, "Christ recognizes John as the greatest prophet. John belongs to the period of the Old Covenant; the Kingdom of God is inaugurated through Christ. The New Covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than John." John's baptism of repentance, then, in preparation for the Coming One, was -- in the eyes of the Evangelist -- a part of the will of God for His people, of opening up their eyes to what was coming. In such a declaration, we again have a seamless picture given us of transition from the Old to the New, with John the Baptist serving in harmony with Jesus in the context of the One who is to come, the correct expectations of prophecy. There is no division; rather there is fulfillment, with each playing his role in God's great spiritual economy. And this "economy" includes "all the people" who heard, "even the tax collectors" who had received the baptism of John. The only ones excluded are those who have rejected this for themselves, who believe they knew better and have their own "roles" and positions to secure: the Pharisees and the lawyers. The Evangelist tells us flatly here that John's baptism was by the grace of God, and those who rejected it are out of step. It indicates, according to my study bible, a "hardness of heart and no receptivity to the grace of the Kingdom of God."

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned for you, And you did not weep." For John the Baptist came neither eating bread not drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by all her children." Jesus is referring in the verses of chant to a children's game, in which there were two sides. One group of children pretended to be either musicians playing a tune for a dance or mourners at a funeral, and the other would have to respond properly by either dancing or weeping. He compares the leadership (the Pharisees and lawyers referred to above) to such children, who commanded one thing or another, and complain that the other group did not respond properly. Their criticisms of John referred to his austerity, and their criticisms leveled at Jesus and His disciples refer to lack of fasting (see again this previous reading in Luke). And once again, Jesus unites what appear to be diverse teachings and teachers -- a diversity between Himself and John the Baptist, by using the phrase: "Wisdom is justified by all her children." We cannot put limits on the mind nor the manifestation of God in the world: this "wisdom" is that of the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit may work in each of us in seeming contradiction and in our uniqueness but for the true spiritual economy of the world in united purpose. We can see the same in the diverse lives of the saints and holy people who've come before us: a radical uniqueness in the abundance of life and personality as developed through holiness -- but each serving the same ultimate purpose in the divine economy of God.

So here we have a mingling of prophecy and expectations, and those who accept or reject the new -- and even the greatest of the old, because they cannot accept it and cannot perceive the spiritual reality at work. What does it mean when the holy appears and defies expectations? How can we keep from that critical mind that only finds fault because it secretly does not want to accept the radically new and unique appearance of the holy that may defy our personal or worldly expectations, and disappoint our hopes in terms of position for ourselves? How do we keep our hearts and eyes and ears open to the work of the holy in our midst? This is the great question here, and Jesus continually invites us to open our eyes to the work of the Spirit, to the manifestation of the holy, by posing these questions here, and pointing out the great economy of God in the work of both John the Baptist and Himself. God may appear to us in rags, in radical poverty -- or perhaps in the form of a Teacher who eats and drinks and celebrates with His students. But both work for the same purpose, and are doing their part. How do we get to the place where we participate and accept likewise? How do we see the union rather than the seeming contradiction? Where do we go to escape the critical mind that blinds us to our own self-centeredness, and vaunted expectation? Perhaps it is as simple as the question of John the Baptist: we hold our minds open, and ask in prayer to the One. Jesus' ministry of grace was not exactly what was expected -- judgment deferred. But John has his mind open to the purposes of God. Can we do the same without setting our own limitations on God? Can we see God's united purpose in seeming diversity and uniqueness of the expression of the holy?