As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world

 

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  

 

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"  Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."  Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."

 

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.   Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."  

 

- John 9:1-17 

 

We are currently reading through the section of St. John's Gospel that covers events which occurred at the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn harvest festival (John 7-10:21).  This Feast commemorates the time that Israel followed Moses in the wilderness, and dwelt in tents (or tabernacles).  It is now the final year of Christ's earthly life.  At this festival He has been teaching and disputing with the religious leaders.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our Father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."   Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  As we begin chapter 9, after His disputes with the religious leaders, Jesus encounters a man at the Feast of Tabernacles who was blind from birth.  Here Christ rejects a common assumption for the time that all troubles and maladies are the consequence of personal sin, or possibly the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  Although suffering may be the direct result of personal sin, this is not always the case at all.  In this particular instance, this man provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed, and was not directly related to the man's personal sins.  

 

 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."  My study Bible states that the work that people do consists of faith, good deeds, and repentance (see John 6:29; 5:29; 12:40).  The night that comes, it says, refers both to the time after a person's death and to the age to come, when there is no longer an opportunity to express faith.  According to St. John Chrysostom, on that day there will not be faith, but rather all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly.  

 

 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  In the previous chapter, Jesus made this same claim, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).  We should remember that all of Christ's teachings are linked to the backdrop of the events and commemorations of the Feast of Tabernacles, one of which is the remembrance of the great pillar of fire, acting as a torch which gave the light to led the Israelites through the night (Exodus 13:21).  Jesus' proclamation declares that He is that light; moreover the healing He will do will affirm that He is the One who gives light, even to eyes blind from birth.

 

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.  And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?"  Some said, "This is he."  Others said, "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."  Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?"  He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'  So I went and washed, and I received sight."  Then they said to him, "Where is He?"  He said, "I do not know."  My study Bible tells us that St. Irenaeus sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  Christ reveals His divinity by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning.  The pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a distance from the temple.  This pool is also connected to the rites of the Feast of Tabernacles, for water was taken from it, mixed with wine, and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and in remembrance of the water that flowed from the rock which Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7).  Siloam, when translated, means Sent, is a symbol of Christ, who is sent by the Father (John 5:36; 20:21).  My study Bible comments that just as the healing of this blind man confirmed Christ's claim to be the light of the world, so also, as He uses the pool of Siloam it confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it. 

 

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.  Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.   Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight.  He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  And there was a division among them.  They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?"  He said, "He is a prophet."   Just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath at the earlier Feast of Weeks (John 5:1-16), so here my study Bible notes that many of them can't see the glory of God through their own prejudices.

 

 Today we read about the sixth of seven miraculous signs reported in St. John's Gospel.  My study Bible tells us that of all the miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth.  It says that this man is symbolic of all of humanity; we all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  Moreover, this sign is an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  It's interesting to think about the way that Jesus "bathes" this man's eyes in order to heal them, and allow the light of his illumination to enter, which as it turns out, will be both physical and spiritual.  As we go through the continuing story in this chapter, his transformation will include body, soul, and spirit.  In some way, the 're-creation' of His eyes involves both the earth and also that which divinity has touched, the incarnate Son's spittle and the dust of the earth.  It's, of course, significant that the word anointed is used repeatedly for what Jesus does to heal this man's eyes.  Just as Holy Baptism prepares us for a life of faith in which our spiritual completeness may be sought as union with Christ, so the anointing of this man's eyes becomes the beginning, the opening of the door to a transfigured life.  Thus, we have a metaphor in the clay of the Incarnation.  Christ became human so that we all may be healed through One both fully divine and fully human.  The mixture of spittle (which proceeds from His mouth) and dust of the earth will act as the transformational beginning for this man's new life of faith.  Of course, the metaphors of blindness and sight are important here, for blindness can mean darkness and limited understanding, while sight is possible through the perception of light, illumination, and is therefore analogous to spiritual sight.  As we will see, the formerly blind man will continue to grow in his faith as the story progresses in the Gospel.  Let us look to our own growth in faith through the light of Christ as our guidance in the world.

 

 

 

 

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment

 

 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  

 

The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

 

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."  Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.   And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"

 

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees  and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come?"

 

- John 7:14-36 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the controversy regarding His teachings on His Body and Blood, Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.  But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

 

  Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  My study Bible comments here that the simple desire to know and follow God's will is the key to understanding it.  Spiritual blindness comes from unwillingness to know God or to recognize God's authority.  According to St. John Chrysostom, whom my study Bible quotes here, Christ's message to the religious leaders (the Jews, as rulers of the city in Judea) can be paraphrased as follows:  "Rid yourselves of wickedness:  the anger, the envy, and the hatred which have arisen in your hearts, without provocation, against Me.  Then you will have no difficulty in realizing that My words are actually those of God.  As it is, these passions darken your understanding and distort sound judgment.  If you remove these passions, you will no longer be afflicted in this way."

 

 The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Jesus is referring here to the healing that took place during what is understood to be the Feast of Weeks (known as the Old Testament Pentecost), in chapter 5.  This was the healing of the paralytic, which is the third of seven signs performed by Christ in St. John's Gospel.  At that time Jesus was accused of violating the Sabbath by performing this healing.  In Matthew 12:3-5, Jesus provided various examples of "blameless" violations of the Sabbath, demonstrating that the law is not absolute over human need or service to God.  

 

 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."  Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."  When the people from Jerusalem say we know where this Man is from, they are mistaken -- both in an earthly sense as well as a divine sense.  Humanly speaking, my study Bible points out, they think of Jesus as being from Nazareth of Galilee.  But Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem of Judea (John 7:42; see Luke 2:1-7).  Moreover, they can't understand that Christ has come from the Father in heaven -- eternally begotten before all ages -- and so, therefore, His heavenly origin also remains unknown to them.  

 

 Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.   And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"  Christ's hour is the time of His Passion, His suffering and death.  He is the Lord over time, my study Bible says, which is an authority possessed only by God.  He comes to His Cross of His own free will and in His time, and not according to the plots of human beings (see John 8:20; 10:39).  

 

 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees  and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  My study Bible explains that this statement refers to Christ's death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.

 

 Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come?"  To go among the Greeks means to go among the Gentiles, the Greek-speakers (as Greek was the international language and lingua franca of Christ's time).  My study Bible notes that this unwitting prophecy points to the time after Christ's Ascension, when His name will be preached among the Gentiles by the apostles. 

 

 In today's reading, Jesus says, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."   Those of us who have had the unfortunate experience of being falsely judged by appearance can all sympathize and agree with Christ's statement.  In St. Mark's Gospel, Jesus asks, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:4), framing this question in terms of saving life.  Here He asks, ". . . are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?"  Sometimes good intent isn't always seen that way by others.  In this case, the envy and jealousy of the rulers in the temple, particularly the Pharisees, functions as a way to facilitate criticism and accusation.  They're looking for a way to eliminate Jesus as a figure of authority (in the eyes of the people) that would somehow compete with their own positions as rulers.  Christ's healing of the paralytic was indeed one of the seven signs of St. John's Gospel, a sign of God being near, the presence of the kingdom of heaven.  But these men instead want to condemn and are quick to do so.  But this is judgment by appearance; He appears to have violated the Sabbath rest.  Again, in St. Mark's Gospel, Jesus teaches that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).  The people who believe in Him ask, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"  It's not simply for His miraculous healing on the Sabbath that the religious leaders seek to persecute Him, but they also claim that He commits blasphemy -- an offense worthy of death according to a strict interpretation of the Law.  Indeed, for this He will be convicted at the Sanhedrin, and it will be the excuse they use to drag Him to Pilate and claim a charge of treason against Caesar.  How often is language heard and twisted to attribute false claims to a person?  How often is language misunderstood?  So often throughout John's Gospel, Jesus tells truths that are offensive, things others can't accept and don't want to hear.  He tells the truth; the words He speaks are given by the One who sent Him, the only One He seeks to please; that is God the Father.  And, as Jesus says, the One who sent Him is true.  But they don't know Him, so they can't bear to hear His words.  All of John's Gospel in some sense focuses on the truth, and on our reception or rejection of it.  St. John declares, "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).  So how do we judge with righteous judgment, and not according to appearance?  We have extensive legal systems that aim to give every chance for the fullness of motivation, facts, character, intent, and proof of one who is accused in order to secure good judgment.  But even so, worldly justice fails, despite the best intentions.  It is only God's judgment that is perfect, and so in all things, that's where our first loyalty must come, just as it is Christ's.  He is the one who teaches about true righteousness, and He is the one to whom God the Father has committed all judgment.  Let us seek to find His truth in all things, for He is the heart-knower, the only one who can teach us righteous judgment.  I have heard it said that it's only at the final judgment that true healing from all trauma and injustice can take place; for it is there where the One who has been misjudged (although He is the one true Innocent) will be with us -- and we will know that wherever we have been, whatever scars we carry, He has been there with us, voluntarily, to take on our own griefs.  Let us consider the depth of love that would do so much for our healing and full salvation.  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 

 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that, following His final public sermon (a condemnation of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees), Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."  According to my study Bible, Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) was fulfilled in AD 70, during the Siege of Jerusalem.  The Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before the temple was destroyed. The Lord's phrase when you see, it says, is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The words whoever reads, let him understand are commonly thought to be inserted by Matthew into Christ's address as an encouragement to the early Christian flock, who may have witnessed this event.  

 

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus blesses the barren women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:29).  My study Bible comments that this is an acknowledgment of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer (illustrated by the woe in this passage).  St. John Chrysostom comments, "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"  

 

"And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible notes that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  A spiritual interpretation given in patristic commentary sees the Sabbath as symbolizing idleness in terms of virtue, and winter indicating a fruitlessness in terms of charity.  So, therefore, the person who leaves this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment. 

 

 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."    How will Christ's return happen?  My study Bible says that, according to Christ's description, this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  Therefore, if there is any question or doubt, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, so Orthodox Christians whenever possible worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  Again

 

 "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  According to my study Bible, the body refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.  

 

 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken."  Again, my study Bible cites patristic commentary, according to which the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ. In other words, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor. 

 

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, my study Bible tells us, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, He came in humility and mortality, but at His second coming, Christ will be revealed in power and great glory.  

 

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  See St. Paul's description of Christ's return at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  My study Bible remarks that the first-century document, The Didache, lists three signs that will mark the return of our Lord:  1) "the sign spread out in the heavens" -- Christ and His hosts; 2) "the sign of the trumpet"; and 3) "the resurrection of the dead."  St. Paul writes in this passage to the Thessalonians that the return of Christ is a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:18) for the righteous.  

 

It's quite stunning to read my study Bible's commentary on Jesus' words that "immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken."  All of this, my study Bible says, will seem to be so to us in comparison to the revelation of the glory of Christ at His second coming.  When we think of such glory, we turn to the image of Christ given to us in the Transfiguration, in which this glory was revealed to the disciples in the form of brilliant light.  St. Matthew describes it this way:  "His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2).  St. Mark writes, "His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3).  In icons of the Transfiguration, this brilliant light surrounding Christ is often painted with a blue tinge, in order to portray this light that is not fully perceivable to us, an ineffable divine light that is whiter than white.  In this way, Jesus has revealed to all of us a taste of the glory we might expect will be revealed at the Second Coming, that "beyond white" light that makes the sun appear darkened, and the moon without light, the stars seeming to disappear.  Indeed, there is more to this as well, when we consider that throughout our Christian history, and earlier in the times of the Old Testament, sun, moon, and stars were also associated with angelic beings, messengers of God.  Psalm 19 states, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4).  When Job finally has his say with the Lord, the Lord responds to him, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?  To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7).  The morning stars and the sons of God in the response of the Lord refer to angelic beings, part of God's creation, and especially their power of communication on God's behalf, so strongly expressed in Psalm 19.  Perhaps our most vivid associations of stars with God's messages from angelic beings comes to us at this perfect time of the year when we celebrate this time coming up to the commemoration of Christ's Nativity.  It's at this time we contemplate the wise men from the East who had seen "His star" which led them to Christ (Matthew 2:1-12).  Perhaps the most powerful testimony of this association comes from St. Luke's Gospel, in which we read of the angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord shining around the shepherds in the field, and the "multitude of heavenly host" praising God and this gospel message of great joy for the world (see Luke 2:8-20).  All of this glory of God is overshadowed by the unforeseen brilliance of the Lord's return at His second coming, and so, as St. Paul says, we should not view these images with fear, but with joy and comfort.  What will it be like to experience such light and such glory?  St. Paul cites the prophecy of Isaiah as he writes of the "wisdom of God ordained for our glory," and Christ as "our Lord of glory," telling us in his Letter to the Corinthians, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:6-12; Isaiah 64:4).  Let us not fear, but think about the joy of His return, so powerfully eclipsing in glory even the joy of His birth.  For this is what awaits beyond tribulation. Let us be prepared to meet that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here

 

The White Angel, 1235, fresco. Mileseva Monastery, Serbia

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  

 

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.   Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

 

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.  

 

- Mark 16 

 

Yesterday we read that there were also women looking on from afar at the Crucifixion as Christ died, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 

  Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  My study Bible explains that because Christ died so close in time to the Sabbath, the burial customs of the Jews could not be completed.  So these faithful women have gone as early as possible in order to complete the rites of burial.  Regarding Mary the mother of James, some patristic commentary teaches that she was the wife of Alphaeus, the this James was one of the Twelve (Luke 6:15).  But the majority hold that this is the Virgin Mary, who was in fact the stepmother of a different James, "the Lord's brother" (see Matthew 13:55; compare to Mark 15:40, 47).  In certain icons of the Myrrhbearing Women the Virgin Mary appears, and in a hymn by St. John of Damascus, it is sung, "The angel cried to the lady full of grace, 'Rejoice, O pure Virgin:  your Son is risen from His three days in the tomb."  Many teach that Salome was the wife of Zebedee, and the other of James and John.  

 

 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  The stone had been rolled away, my study Bible notes, not to accommodate Christ's exist from the tomb, for in His resurrected body, He needs no such accommodation (John 20:19).  Instead, we're to understand that this was to allow the witnesses -- and ourselves -- to look in and see that the tomb was empty.  

 

 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.   The messenger (the "young man," an angel) mentions Peter specifically and thus reveals a special care for the one who had denied Christ (see this reading).  My study Bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who writes that Peter would have said of himself, "I denied the Lord, and therefore am no longer His disciple."  This angel's command is a promise that Peter is forgiven.  That the women said nothing to anyone does not mean that they never said anything -- it means that they kept silent until Jesus appeared to them (see the verses that follow).  

 

 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.   Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. My study Bible first tells us that two early manuscripts do not contain these and the following verses as part of St. Mark's Gospel, while nearly all other manuscripts ever discovered have them.  They are canonized Scripture and are considered by the Church to be inspired, authoritative, and genuine.  The text here tells us that Christ appeared in another form to two of the disciples as they walked and went into the country, and that He later appeared to the eleven (see Luke 24:13-43).  Christ's resurrected body transcends not only physical space and time, but appearance as well, according to my study Bible.  He was sometimes recognizable to His disciples, while at other times He was not. 

 

 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."  This is the Great Commission, Christ's final commandment given on earth.  It is to be lived out in the Church until the Lord returns again.  My study Bible comments that to make disciples cannot be done in the strength of human beings, but only in the power of God.  The power of the Resurrection isn't just for Christ Himself, but is given to all believers for Christian life and mission. 

 

"And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."  To speak with new tongues is the capacity to speak in languages that one has not learned in order to edify others in worship (1 Corinthians 14) and to preach the gospel (Acts 2:1-11).  To take up serpents is a reference primarily to spiritual battle against demons, my study Bible says.  So, therefore, Christ is promising here to deliver believers from the powers of sin.  Moreover, it would include certain physical protection as well.  St. Paul was bitten by a serpent and suffered no harm (Acts 28:3-6), and according to tradition, Barsabas Justus (Acts 1:23) was forced by unbelievers to drink poison and survived.  However, my study Bible adds, while God's grace can protect believers from both physical and spiritual harm, to test god by deliberately committing harmful acts against oneself is a grave sin (Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew 4:7).

 

 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.  This describes what is called the Ascension of Christ, which is celebrated forty days after the Resurrection (Acts 1:3).  My study Bible comments that it fulfills the type given when Elijah ascended in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11), and it marks the completion of Christ's glorification and lordship over all creation.  At the Incarnation, my study Bible explains, Christ brought His divine nature to human nature.  In the mystery of the Ascension, however, He brings human nature to the divine Kingdom.  Christ reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in His glorified body, revealing His glorified human nature -- indeed, human flesh -- to be worshiped by the whole angelic realm.  At Vespers of Ascension, the Orthodox sing, "The angels were amazed seeing a Man so exalted."  In some icons of the Ascension, Christ's white robes are tinted red to indicate the shedding of His blood for the redemption of the world and the ascent of that life-giving blood into heaven (Isaiah 63:1-3; see also Psalm 24:7-10).  

 

 In today's reading, the risen Christ gives His final commandment on earth:  "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."   At this stage in the reading of the Gospel, we know what these disciples have been through, what their supporters (and relatives, often mothers) have been through.  We know the struggle, the teaching, the campaigning (so to speak) in ministry, and all the things Jesus and they have been through, including the testing and of course the final effort to bring down and to kill Jesus, the attempt to rid themselves of Him by the religious leadership.  We know the manipulation, the false witnesses, the attempts to entrap Him, and we know there is more to come for His disciples.  And it follows, of course, that the same is in store for the Church, as it is even today.  But we need to ponder His words.  What does it mean to believe?  What does it mean to be saved?  And what does it mean to be condemned?  As is often pointed out on this blog, the word translated as "believe" has as its root the word meaning trust in the Greek (πιστις/pistis).  Think what it means not simply to believe as a kind of flat statement to the effect that you will agree with a teaching, but to trust in a Person.  It adds an entirely different dimension to Christ's teaching to understand belief in this way.  We put our trust into Christ for all times, for every moment in our lives, in our doubts and fears, even when we're terrified to go forward, think what it means nevertheless to trust.  This is a deep personal relationship, which extends to complete communities and forms and shapes those communities.  We are baptized into His life, even as we symbolically die in the waters of baptism.  That is a depth that we can't comprehend, but nevertheless, we trust and go forward into what that means, and the experience of that faith.  This is what it is to be saved, that ongoing forward motion of what it means to trust, and to grow in trust, to entrust our depths -- even those we don't know -- to Christ and to the work of the Holy Spirit, and the Church not built by hands.  What does it mean to be condemned?  In St. John's Gospel, we read the words of Jesus to Nicodemus, "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God" (John 3:18-21).  We so often forget that we are all offered salvation, but not all of us is prepared to take up this trust, to return to Christ the love that He offers to us in His saving gospel.  He asks for our trust, but not all are willing to give it -- and we must note that trust is related to truth.  What hides from the light?  What do we want to hide from the light?  To be condemned is not to be condemned by Christ but to fail to take up that salvation that He offers, to return His love for us by loving Him.  Just like the first disciples had work to do to be His followers, let us not forget He's asking us to take up our own cross, and to follow Him.  He doesn't promise it will be free and easy, but that the way is narrow.  We are all invited in.  How many of us will take up His offer?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

 

 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

 

 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 

- Mark 2:23-3:6

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse  and no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

 

  Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Once again, as in yesterdays reading (above), the Pharisees begin to criticize, based on their understanding of the Law and the traditions built up around it.  But Jesus brings up a blameless violation of the Law, when David and his men ate the showbread which was meant only for the priests (see 1 Samuel 21:1-6).  According to St. Ambrose of Milan, this is an illustration of the old and new covenants.  Under the new covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  This was prefigured by David in giving the showbread to those who were with him. 

 

  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  My study Bible comments that, according to certain traditions built up by the scribes and Pharisees around the Law, healing was considered to be work.  So, therefore, it was not permissible on the Sabbath.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we observe that these men believed that by zealously keeping these peripheral traditions, they were serving God.  But their legalism made them insensitive to God's mercy.   The text tells us that Jesus looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts.  My study Bible comments on this that righteous anger is a natural human emotion experienced in the face of sin.  There is anger that is sinful (Matthew 5:22), but there is also anger that is God-given and proper to humanity (Psalm 4:4).  Christ's anger here, it notes, is in response to people who profess God, but who have such hardness in their hearts that they could not rejoice in the healing of one of their brothers.  

 

Today's reading expands on St. Mark's orientation, observed in yesterday's reading, to Christ's ministry as one of healing.  Healing involves all kinds of aspects of what it is to be a human being.  In today's case, we observe two:  one is the aspect of human hunger; the other is of a wounded limb. In yesterday's reading and commentary, we noted that Christ's sense of healing is for the full wholeness of a person, and it extends to the soul.  Ultimate healing is connected, therefore, to repentance and the forgiveness of sin, for it is in the freedom from the kind of bondage that sin brings that we may find ourselves.   But essential to concepts of healing in today's reading is yet another gift from God, and that is the Sabbath.  Jesus says,  "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  In our modern age, we might think about the Sabbath rest as a time simply to forget about our usual work, or to relax, or as is common, to exercise.  But the Sabbath is a holy day; we put aside our normal concerns and come to sit in rest in the Church, to be surrounded by the beauty there in worship services, and to consider ourselves a part of the kingdom of God and what that means.  If we come to participate in the Eucharist, then confession, putting ourselves before God, considering how God might guide us forward in life, and giving ourselves to our faith, is also part of our Sabbath.  So when Christ tells us that the Sabbath was made for man, He's indicating that indeed, all of this is necessary for us.  It restores us and heals us.  The spiritual life isn't separate from everything else in our lives, it gives us nourishment, rest in the places and ways that we need it, a refreshment of ideas and orientation, and perhaps most of all the Lord of the Sabbath.  For Christ, the Son of Man as Lord of the Sabbath, is our champion who heals us, and He is the one setting down the terms of mercy and true nourishment, caring for need, on the Sabbath in today's reading.  He is our Physician, who cares for soul, body, heart, mind, and spirit -- and guides us to the things which are truly needful.  

 

 

 

 

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

 

 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. 

 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  

 

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

 Yesterday we began reading the Gospel of St. Mark:  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.

 

  Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant, preparing people for Christ, had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ had come into the world, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  To repent, my study Bible explains, is to do a total "about-face."  This word in Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) literally means to "change one's mind."  To repent means a radical change of spirit, mind, through, and heart.  That is, a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  This is an ongoing, continuing lifetime effort, not a one-time decision.  

 

  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.   The first disciples of Jesus had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so they were prepared to accept Christ immediately (see John 1:29-51).  My study Bible comments that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" called by Jesus will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   My study Bible asks us to note that the word immediately occurs almost forty times in St. Mark's Gospel, and nearly all of these occur before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  This sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem in order to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world, it says, helps to make St. Mark's account not only the shortest, but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  Let us note that Christ's preaching (and healing as per the verses that follow) begins on the Sabbath, which will be His practice through His ministry.  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that thus "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  Jesus speaks with authority, and thereby astonishes the people, as He contrasts with the scribes.  That is, unlike the prophets of old and the teachers of His day who taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), my study Bible explains, Christ taught in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5.

 

 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  As Jesus performs this exorcism, He commands the unclean spirit to "Be quiet . . . !"  This begins to teach us about what is called the "Messianic Secret."  My study Bible comments that Our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It notes the following reasons for secrecy:  First, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders.  Second, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, the Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith which is not based only on marvelous signs.  

 

 In St. Mark's Gospel, as my study Bible comments, the word immediately occurs nearly forty times, almost each one before Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It notes that this seemingly conveys the great urgency and purpose of Jesus' mission.  Given that we understand that Christ's public ministry began when He was thirty years old, we might question why He seemingly waited so long.  If this mission was that urgent, if the power of God at work was going to be so explosively fast in some sense, why did He not start earlier as a younger Man?  Why did no one else know this -- except possibly His mother?  See John 2:1-12; also Luke 1, 2; Matthew 2).  It's important also, in this context, to note how St. Mark is careful (as my study Bible points out) to say that St. John the Baptist was arrested first, prior to Jesus' public ministry of preaching and teaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath.  So these things both point toward a similar conclusion, that with God, we could say, timing is everything.  Jesus begins today's reading by declaring, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand."  Christ's mission and urgency is deliberate, just as His choosing to publicly preach and teach begins carefully after St. John the Baptist's ministry, after Christ's Baptism by John, and the revelation of the Holy Trinity which took place at that event (see yesterday's reading, above).  While we could make the mistake of saying that these things happen this way "because it was prophesied" (which it was), we'd be better off understanding that the prophecy is a gift from God revealing what things would be:  that there first would be one who was the messenger of the Messiah, His herald, who would be a "voice crying in the wilderness" (see Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3).  But the timing and planning of such things does not occur because they were prophesied, but because those who fulfill the prophecies are acting in accordance with the Holy Spirit, obeying the will of God as they are given that -- and, in particular, we note for this topic, in the time it is given to them to do so.  Jesus, we observe, spends much time in prayer, and in particular just prior to new directions that occur in His ministry.  He does not immediately go to Jerusalem and announce Himself to the world as the Messiah, even though this is the truth about Him.  Neither does He spend time making this declaration in public during His ministry.  Everything must unfold in a particular way -- and in this context, we come to the Messianic Secret.  My study Bible has given reasons (see above) for this secret, and why Christ's ministry must evolve in the way that it does.  This understanding of the Messianic Secret is an important component in the story we read in St. Mark's Gospel, and we must also keep it in mind.  Rather than declaring Himself to be the Messiah, the unclean demon in today's story declares who Christ is:  "I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!"  It's almost as if the unclean spirit didn't quite perceive this until Jesus was right there in the synagogue with the person out of whom would come that spirit.  This strange limitation of the unclean spirits is something to consider in the story of Jesus, and especially in the power of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection to defeat Satan.  But this, also, is part of the importance of God's time, and how things evolve in the Gospel stories, and in the stories of the Church that would follow, such as in the Book of Acts of the Apostles.  In Ecclesiastes 3, we read a consideration of the mystery of God's unfolding work, and of the importance of time, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."  In 2nd Corinthians, St. Paul quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you" (2 Corinthians 6:2; Isaiah 49:8).  In urging the Corinthian believers to be true to Christ and to make important choices now necessary, St. Paul tells them, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus begins preaching in His hometown of Nazareth by reading from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1-2).  Let us note that in all of these circumstances we can discuss, of Christ's ministry and its various turning points, in beginning His public ministry, and even the beginning and end of the ministry of St. John the Baptist, the timing for each is essential to God's purpose and the proper carrying out and evolution of such missions.  For the purpose of the time of our lives is, in effect, to dedicate our use of time -- in addition to all else -- to God, to seek God's purposes and God's "acceptable" time.  The mission and ministry of Jesus bears that out, the Church bears that out.  The seeking of God's will and guidance cannot be separate from our understanding of the proper use of our time.  For that, we always turn to prayer, for our lives can't properly be lived, in this sense, without it.  What is appropriate at one time and for one person may not be God's calling for another.  Let us be immediate in seeking to fulfill God's purpose, in God's acceptable time, as best we can discern.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father, "into Your hand I commit My spirit"

 

 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hand I commit My spirit.'" Having said this, He breathed His last.  

 

So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done,  beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. 

 

Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.  And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.  Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  

 

- Luke 23:44–56

 

On Saturday, we read that there were also two others, criminals, who were led with Jesus to be put to death.  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  And they divided His garments and cast lots.  And the people stood looking on.  But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."  And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."   But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."  And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

 

  Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. The sixth hour is noon, and the ninth hour corresponds to approximately 3:00 in the afternoon.  We see that the very rhythm of creation is disturbed in this murder of its Creator.  Regarding the veil of the temple, my study Bible comments that the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple was a symbol of the separation between God and human beings.  Christ's death, it says, opens the way into the presence of God for all people, giving people access to that which is most holy of all:  God Himself.  In many Orthodox churches, there is a curtain between the altar and the nave which is drawn open during liturgical services in order to emphasize that communion with God, which was at one time sealed off from humanity, is now available to all who approach in faith. 

 

 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hand I commit My spirit.'"  Having said this, He breathed His last.  My study Bible comments that Jesus does not have His life taken from Him, but will voluntarily commit it to the Father.  His was the first human soul not to be taken to Hades.  Instead, Jesus gives His soul freely to the hands of God.  So, therefore, He frees all of humanity from the grip of death.  Jesus' death is a reconciliation of humankind to God, not through satisfaction of a need for blood-justice as some might teach, but by causing all aspects of our corrupt human nature to be transformed -- for whatever divinity touches is healed.  My study Bible says that Christ accepts human nature in order to sanctify human nature.  Christ accepts our weakness in order to make us strong; He takes on our sin in order to free us from sin; He suffers in order to transfigure suffering; and He enters death in order to destroy it (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).  Jesus is quoting from Psalm 31:5; He is likely praying as the entire psalm is the story of the Crucifixion.  

 

 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done,  beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.  My study Bible cites St. Cyril of Alexandria, who reflects on the conversion of the centurion as follows:  "Observe that no sooner had Christ endured the Passion on the Cross for our sakes than He began to win many unto knowledge of the truth."

 

 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  If the apostles had buried Christ, my study Bible states, doubters could claim His body was simply hidden away.  Joseph of Arimathea, being both a council member and also a good and just man refutes any possibility of deception by the apostles.  Moreover, the spiritual significance of this tomb where no one had ever lain before is that Christ died a death unlike any person had ever died.  That is, a death without corruption, a death which leads to victory over the grave itself.  

 

 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.  And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.  Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Christ's rest in the tomb, my study Bible notes, fulfills the image of His birth in a cave (Luke 2:7) and reveals the ultimate purpose of Christ's coming into the world.  The faith of the women, my study Bible adds, while stronger than that of the disciples who are now in hiding, was still imperfect in that they prepared for the corruption of Christ's body.  Moreover, as God rested from His work of creation on the original Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3), so now Christ rests from the work of the new creation on the Sabbath.  So, therefore, Christ gives the Sabbath its ultimate meaning, and He fulfills the Law even in death.  At Matins of Holy Saturday, the Orthodox hymn declares, "This is the most blessed Sabbath on which Christ sleeps in order to rise on the third day."

 

 We should note something a little subtle about the passages in today's reading.  Even though the unthinkable has happened, even though the world and all aspects of creation seem out of whack, upside down, there is a particular rhythm or cycle to what is happening.  It is more or less "upside down" that there was darkness all over the earth from noon until 3:00 P.M.  We're even told that then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple -- established to protect the people from the powerful holiness of God -- was torn in two.  Perhaps these words describe an eclipse, but ancient people knew what eclipses were, and there is clear evidence that astronomical knowledge was developed enough to know their cause.  Nonetheless, these events tell us about the creation that responds to what has just happened, and perhaps even more importantly, what is taking place.  For the powers of heaven are shaken.  Christ the Lord has died His human death and will ascend now to assume all power in heaven and on earth.  In the psalms we read, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.  Their sound has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world (Psalm 19:1-4).  When Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and His disciples shouted out in His Triumphal Entry, Jesus said to the offended religious leaders, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40).   In the perspective of Scripture, all of creation forms a kind of icon of the Creator and the reality of the divine life, its purposes, its meanings.  Creation, in this sense, is alive with meanings and messages if we but could understand and hear.  So, as Jesus prophesied of the end times, there are signs in the sun on this occasion; moreover the very veil of the temple has been torn in two, symbolizing the opening of heaven to human beings through Christ's death on the Cross.  And then the rhythm of Creation is taking place.  Jesus dies on the day of Preparation, which we know as Good Friday.  And then the Sabbath comes, and He rests, even as His faithful followers, the women from Galilee, also oversee His resting place, the tomb, and then withdraw so they themselves abide by the Sabbath rule.  What we find, remarkably it seems, is the pattern and path of duty midst all of this upheaval.  Even the pattern of the Preparation and the Sabbath are asserted through the faith of Christ's followers.  Joseph of Arimathea, taking tremendous courage, goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus.  Through his faith and generosity he wrapped Christ's body in linen, and donated an unused new tomb, hewn out of the rock, an expensive gift and honor indeed, unheard of for One who is crucified on a cross in the Roman system of punishments, and for One so ignominiously treated by His own nation and its religious leaders.  As my study Bible noted, Christ goes even as He was born as an infant, in a cave, and wrapped in swaddling.  And although the apostles are in hiding, the women observe the tomb, and prepare what is necessary for His burial:  the spices and fragrant oils.  Then as faithful duty in the rhythm of creation, and their humility before God, they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  These powerful events teach us so much about faith, humility, and duty in the face of the unthinkable and shocking in our lives.  We still have a duty, a job to do.  We still honor God, and do what we know according to the commandments we know.  For Christ teaches us what we are to be about, and how we serve Him under all circumstances.  Let us remember our road, our truth, our life.  Jesus says, as His last words, "Father, 'into Your hand I commit My spirit,'" quoting from Psalm 31.  Ultimately we follow His lead, and commit all things to God's hand, for that is where we belong, too, regardless of what happens in the world around us.