A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye. 

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."

 

- Luke 6:39–49 

 

In our current readings, we are going through what is known as the Sermon on the Plain, in Luke's Gospel (beginning with Tuesday's reading).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued, "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other one also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, saying that Christ does not judge anyone (John 8:15; 12:47).  So, therefore, "if the Teacher does not judge, neither must the disciple, for the disciple is guilty of worse sins than those for which he judges others."  

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Here Jesus is seemingly dividing people into the "good" and the "bad," which we might read as in contradiction to the previous statement regarding refraining from judgment.  But, in context, Jesus seems to teach here about the necessity of what is called guarding our own hearts.  We are responsible, in this sense, for what we nurture and call our "good treasure," or should we treasure evil.  See also Luke 12:33-35.

 

 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."  My study Bible comments here that simply hearing the gospel alone is not enough.  This is because salvation is not based on hearing alone, and not on faith alone, but also on doing the things spoken by Christ.  See James 2:24.

 

Jesus is very focused on "doing," as my study Bible says.  Let us take the passage on the treasures of the heart, for this is seemingly suggesting (if taken out of context) that we are born with good or bad hearts.  But taken in context, Jesus is saying that these things depend upon what we actively nurture and treasure in our hearts.  He is encouraging us to decisive action to root out personal sin, to correct our ways of thinking, and to treasure the things that He offers us as good, and from God.  This is a question of action, of decision, making choices actively throughout our lives.  Faith, in this sense, is about doing, and is not simply a one-time decision or declaration.  It is active and ongoing, requiring of us our attention, all the time, and not resting on the laurels (so to speak) of the things we proclaim we believe.  Discipleship is an active process -- and in His description it is active in pursuit of a heart of "good treasure."  This is not necessarily amassing a set of good deeds, but of an ongoing day-to-day process of choosing that good treasure over evil.  Note that Jesus doesn't say that out of the good treasure of the heart we simply do good deeds.  He is talking about what we say, even the words we use. This is the level of attention He asks for in discipleship.  He says, "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   In the example Christ begins with in today's reading, He speaks of our eye as a metaphor for how we see and perceive the world, and specifically what we see and judge in others' behaviors.  He speaks in the context of the community of disciples, in which we can read that helpful correction of one another is prized.  But such helpful correction is only possible through good discernment, from a heart filled with "good treasure."  In the metaphor of the eye, He says that we must remove the plank in our own eye before we can remove the speck in a brother's.  If  "a disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher," then Christ is suggesting that our perfection can only be reached when we are "like Him."  This again suggests what we aim for in choosing the good treasure of the heart, and discarding the evil.  What is like Christ?  What is not like Him?  In this way, we become the disciples He asks us to be.  Finally, He asks, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?"  This final "capstone" of His teaching once again emphasizes doing, and in particular, doing His commandments, the things He says.  For these things are the rock of our foundation, the one good thing to build the houses of our lives upon.  Again, this is about discipleship which is ongoing, and for a lifetime, a constant consideration and activity which we're awake and alert to as needful for our lives, and always practicing.  Let us follow what He teaches us!

 

Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful

 

 "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other one also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  

 

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

 

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." 

 

- Luke 6:27–38 

 

Yesterday we read that it came to pass in those days that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. The n He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.  Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

  "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other one also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."  This last verse here is called the "Golden Rule."  My study Bible calls it a minimum of Christian virtue, as it places a person's desire for goodness (which St. Cyril of Alexandria references as "the natural law of self-love") as a basic standard of how to treat others.  It's the first step on the path of perfection of virtue.  

 

 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."  If the Golden Rule (see verse 31, above) is the "first step" in the perfection of virtue, then here in this last verse ("Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful") Jesus gives us the image of perfection -- where God's mercy, rather than our human desire, is the standard.  

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  My study Bible comments here that mercy precludes human judgment.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over are descriptions of how an honest and generous merchant would measure bulk goods.  Flour pressed down, for example, it says, would yield a more generous amount than flour fluffed up.  The blessings which God intends to put into our hearts are more generous than you and I could possibly contain, but this also depends upon the spirit in which we ourselves give and forgive.  

Jesus continues His Sermon on the Plain, found here in Luke's Gospel.  The contents are similar to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), but here in Luke the sermon is less extensive.  My study Bible has commented that, indeed, Jesus no doubt taught many similar things on many varied occasions.  In today's reading, Jesus moves from speaking of the beatitudes (or blessings) of the Kingdom, and the woes of those who reject it, to today's focus on the practice of virtue, what it means, and how we do this.  All of this counts as part of the gospel message that Christ's newly-appointed apostles will carry out to the world.  While the blessings and woes of the beginning of the sermon give us distinctive characteristics of the life of the Kingdom, here Jesus' focus shifts to behavior, and a sense of the "rules" by which this Kingdom operates, even for we who seek to live it here in this world.  Jesus teaches, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you."  In terms of worldly values of the use of coercive and manipulative power, this rule of loving your enemies might seem far from reasonable or efficient.  And yet, we are taught to live this way.  Because God's kingdom exists even in our midst, we might be surprised at the quality of life we receive when we seek to live by God's laws.  As Jesus noted in His "blessings," we might even be persecuted for this Kingdom's sake, or suffer some sort of hostile response from the worldly, but to live in this way has surprising benefits and blessings that accrue to it nonetheless.  It might not jibe with many popular beliefs, but having observed a great deal of life, one might be surprised at just how much benefit seems to amass by following Christ's teachings.  Often it is the extremely selfish who wind up suffering from their own inward directedness, and limited perspective in life.  Short-term gain often does not equal long-term benefit.  Even in purely business relationships, one might be surprised at how much generosity pays off in terms of the capacity to come to terms, and gain agreements.  Moreover, as we're told to love our enemies, it prompts us to consider precisely what love it.  If we make the mistake of thinking that love is merely the coddling or indulgence of our every whim, then we're on the wrong track about practicing love.  Love is desiring the good for others, not helping them along on the road to self-indulgence or destructive personal behaviors.  The practice of love does not compatible with forms of nihilism.  Christ asks us to practice love and mercy in concert with the values of the Kingdom, for life, and for the goodness of life, for the fullness of health of human beings in all dimensions.  To practice kindness is in an important sense to build peace, and to make a space for the truly good and creative to thrive even at times in the midst of enemies.  Perhaps there will always be those who reject this way of life, who resent the joy of the Kingdom, and do not understand the love that Christ preaches.  But let us, at any rate, draw closer to God and to follow Christ's way, as we learn better how to put into practice what He teaches us.  Yes, there will be those from whom we need to withdraw, even to practice virtue when such circumstances arise (for even Christ withdrew from His persecutors in the times this was necessary; see this reading, for example).  Jesus invites us into the generosity of the Kingdom, a different way of living and of perceiving life, but He does not leave us alone in this endeavor, for He is with us, and the Holy Spirit does not leave us.  How we negotiate life in this world, even amongst people who don't share such values, and how we live nevertheless the values of the Kingdom even in this world, is always going to be our mission.  The myriad of saints and of believers over the centuries confirms that there is a wide, wide, ever-expanding array of ways to live His life of the Kingdom even as we live in this world.  For this is our mission, and our gospel to bear into the world. 

 

 

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

 

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  

 

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

"Blessed are you poor,

 For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled. 

 Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

 And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man's sake.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

 

"But woe to you who are rich,

 For you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. 

 

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  My study Bible comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  But instead, according to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus, as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).  He spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.  According to St. Theophylact, this teaches us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  

And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  My study Bible comments that the titles disciples and apostles are often used interchangeably for the twelve.  In the Greek of the New Testament, the word translated as disciple literally means "learner," and the word from which we derive apostle means "one sent out" (as on a mission).  The names of the Twelve aren't identical in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here, as in St. Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4), the names are given in pairs, perhaps suggesting who might have traveled together on their first missionary journey -- as Mark reports they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Let us note the great amount of followers Jesus' ministry has now amassed to itself.  They come not just from Galilee, where His ministry began, but also from all Judea and Jerusalem, and even from the Gentile region of Tyre of Sidon.  Jesus stands on a level place, ready to deliver what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said . . .   Here Jesus begins what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  It is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), although it is not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years. Note that He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, directing this Sermon toward them.  This is His gospel which those who are chosen as apostles will be sent out to deliver to the world.

 

"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  My study Bible explains that blessed in this context indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, it says, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people.  So, the poor in spirit are those with the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and retain a sense of dependence upon God. 

 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blesses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  These, my study Bible says, are the people who see the presence of God and God's kingdom as the most important thing in life.  This means they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food. 

 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep are those who sorrow over the sufferings of the world, and also their own sins which contribute.  All of these shall laugh in the joy of God (John 15:11), both in this age and in the one to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  It's to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10). 

 

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."   Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible says.  It notes that Christians accept persecution joyfully, knowing that the rewards of the Kingdom far outweigh any sufferings on earth.  See Acts 5:40-41.

 

 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  Here Luke, in contrast to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, reports four "woes" not found in that account.  Woe, my study Bible comments, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Those who prize the vices listed here, according to St. Cyril of Alexandria, are liable to the "utmost misery"; however, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy toward others.  

This portion of Christ's Sermon on the Plain, taken in its entirety, gives us a certain perspective on what can be called repentance within the Christian tradition.  Jesus gives us a perspective on our lives which challenges a conventional worldly perspective, asking us to have deeper insights, and particular ways of looking at life beyond the surfaces of what we know and see.  In this sense, in repentance as "change of mind" (as the Greek word for repentance used in the Gospels literally means), we are asked to take on the mind of Christianity.  The promises Christ makes are the promises of the Kingdom, the way of being in the world but not of it that Christ preaches to us.  The poor may be those who are materially poor, but it is far better understood in the mind of the Church that those who are "poor" in this sense are those with the perspective of the poor, primarily understanding their dependence upon God, and also practicing gratitude for the good things of life we have.  Regardless of what we have and don't have in life, the things that we have come to realize or the things we think we lack, or are disappointed at in life, ours is indeed the kingdom of God.  For the kingdom of God is for those who truly want it.  We may be hungry for all kinds of things, but God is present to fill us with the things of God and the Kingdom, and to help to guide us in our lives for what we need and the life Christ has for us.  We weep over the sadness and injustice in the world, but there is joy in Christ, and joy in the things we are capable of doing and the love God can teach us, with which we can be filled.  If we suffer for the sake of our faith in Christ, consider how many may live without a fulfilling sense of mission or purpose, or who suffer needlessly and senselessly for what gives no lasting reward.  Christ's "woes" are a way of teaching us what it is we can work for, even slave for, but which can disappear into meaninglessness, or be unfulfilling in a deeper sense.  Life in the Kingdom even as we live in this world, is about pursuing the beauty of God's life for us, the identity Christ gives us, the image of life and values we are capable of grasping that teach wisdom and a fitting purpose, no matter where we find ourselves in life on worldly terms.  If we can but grasp it, this is the gospel message given for our lives and for love of humankind.

 

 

 

 

 

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you

 

 "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

- Luke 6:27–38 

 

Yesterday we read that it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you,and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.  But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

  "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."  In the middle of this passage, Jesus gives what is called the Golden Rule:  "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."   The rest of the teachings here, both before and after, stem from this "rule."  My study Bible calls this Golden Rule a minimum of Christian virtue, as it places humankind's desire for goodness (what St. Cyril of Alexandria calls, "the natural law of self-love") as a basic standard of how to treat others.  It notes that this is simply the first step on the path to the perfection of virtue.  The perfection is found in the final verse in this section:  "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."  Here it is God's mercy, rather than the desire of human beings, which is the standard.  

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  My study Bible comments that mercy precludes human judgment.  It says that good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over are descriptions of how an honest and general merchant would measure bulk goods.  Flour pressed down, for example, would yield a more generous amount than flour that is fluffed up.  The blessings which God desires to put into our hearts are more generous than we could contain, however this also depends on the spirit in which we ourselves will give and forgive.  

Forgiveness is not an easy subject.  Certainly we all understand the concept of mercy, for all of us desire mercy on some level in our lives.  We would all desire that others are merciful with us, would not hold our sins and mistakes against us.  Sometimes we speak out of turn, we say the wrong thing, we unintentionally offend, or perhaps we're shorter with others, more abrupt than we intended, but speak out of frustration.  At those times we desire mercy indeed; we'd all like others to overlook our infractions and understand where we're coming from, and listen to what we wished we'd said rather than the poor way it came out.  We all have these experiences, for to be a human being is to be imperfect -- and we do indeed live in an imperfect world, with all kinds of circumstances that make it all the more difficult to maintain equilibrium.  But this is the world into which we're born; even the best of us seem to have bad days.  But what is forgiveness, and how does it work?   Frequently we will hear forgiveness used to mean complete reconciliation, but in my perspective, reconciliation is another step beyond.  In this context in today's reading, of Luke 6:37, there's a different word used for "forgive" than in Matthew 6:12 or Luke 11:4 (in the text of the Lord's Prayer).  But in both cases, the word means to "let go" or to "release."  In this case, it is a word even used in the context of divorce, severing a relationship.  But we're clearly told by Jesus to let go of our grudges, and leave the judgment to God; we're not to seek vengeance.  This does not mean we'll seek to be close to abusers, or even that trust is restored without mutual work.  But it does mean that we let go to God, and we seek God's way to negotiate our world and navigate our way through imperfect relationships, hurts, and even deliberate harms.  We're to positively seek to establish a different kind of relatedness with others in which we put God first, and seek God's way to do so, and that requires of us knowing and understanding God's mercy -- even the mercy we would like extended to us.  There are times in life when we will be called upon to be merciful to those who perhaps have not been merciful to us.  Parents -- even imperfect parents -- become old and infirm, sometimes people who've hurt us will have no one else willing to help when they need it.  At that time we have a choice.  We can find in our hearts the mercy God places there even when there is no rational "justice" involved, for that is a question between ourselves and the Lord, and how God asks us to live as faithful in the Kingdom.  Life changes, and so do we -- and even a kind word may be something God asks us to give to someone who once upon a time didn't have one for us.  It may feel like a sacrifice, we may gain nothing worldly, but we become rich in the Lord.

 

 

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets

 

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  

"Blessed are you poor, 

For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh. 

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man's sake.

 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

 

But woe to you who are rich,

For you have received your consolation.

 Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.  

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.  

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: . . .   Jesus, as the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father, my study Bible says.  It cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity  (see 1 John 2:1).  Jesus spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.   Citing Theophylact, my study Bible says that this teaches us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  Disciples and apostles are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve.  The Greek word translated as disciple means literally "learner."  Apostle means "one sent out." 

Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.    The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here these names are given in pairs, suggesting possibly who traveled together on the first missionary journey.  Mark reports that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  The sermon that follows these verses is called the Sermon on the Plain, we're told that Jesus stood on a level place.  .  It's similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (found at Matthew 5 - 7), but not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over the period of three years in His public ministry.  It adds that, in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  But God Incarnate speaks to His disciples and a great multitude face to face.  The power that went out of Him affirms His holiness. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."   Blessed in the context of this sermon (and the Sermon on the Mount) indicates a heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than our conventional sense of earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, my study Bible explains, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.   In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus addresses this to the "poor in spirit," meaning all those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and a total dependence upon God. 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  My study Bible says that these see  God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  They have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's desire for food (see Matthew 6:33). 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep do so over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  Laughter comes from the comfort of the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible notes that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This type of sorrow is distinguished from ungodly sorrow; which would be a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."    My study Bible comments that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Luke 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Those who are treated in the ways described here do so as was done to the prophets, and Christ as well.  Those who suffer persecution in this sense walk the same road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full for you shall hunger.   Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  Luke gives us four "woes" that are not found in the Sermon on the Mount.  My study Bible says that woe is an indication not simply of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  It remarks that those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery," according to St. Cyril of Alexandria.  But they find hope when they sacrifice earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.  

We might be puzzled by the "woes" that are included here in the Sermon on the Plain.  In a modern context, it's not often that we think of Jesus as one who assigns "woes" to people.  This is especially true because the things named as part of these woes are overwhelmingly seen as things that are highly desirable and good, notable signs of success which perhaps all would like to pursue.  Wealth, fullness, laughter, and particularly perhaps those who are spoken of in a positive light, with renown or great publicity all seem to define success.  These are the people we tend to define as stars, upheld to others for their admiration, and constantly courting public opinion.  But clearly Jesus frowns on these as goals worth dedicating our whole lives to as if they are the fullness of life and its sole purpose.  In fact, if that's all we do, forgetful of Christ's words and the important things we should be pursuing, then our laughter is hollow and temporary, our consolation only of this world and not for life beyond, we'll be starving for things of more real substance, and mourning what we could have pursued, and missed doing.  For again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we go back to what righteousness is, right-relatedness.  If all we do is pursue these goals, if these are our highest good, then where are we in terms of our capacity to love others and do good for community?  Where is God in such a set of goals?  As "every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17), then how we pursue those gifts, how we use them or think of them, is certainly the purview of the Author of the gift.  If all things come from above, then what is our role in placing gratitude to God first before all else, and seeking God's way to live in the world?  Jesus adds, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  In the developed world, our capacity for the pursuit of all the things Jesus names becomes magnified and enhanced through every facet of what we call progress, every new development of technology and consumer goods.  But perhaps nothing is as magnified over and above the past as our capacity for the seeking of publicity, the hope that "all men speak well" of us, flatter us.  Giant social media networks like Facebook are driven by this desire, and those who have designed and engineered that know this very well, a system that goes by Likes, and Subscribes, and online Friends.  This great desire for a favorable image or outcome from the opinions of others drives its power to deceive through the failure to accept that it's God's opinion that matters most, takes priority in our choices and decisions.  We are so fixed in the idea of image as merely that which is reflected in the sight of others, rather than in the eye of God, that we run a risk of emptiness that never gets filled.  Indeed, studies have shown a depression correlated with social media use, the envy of what one sees crafted through photos and other posting coming to seem like the grass that is always greener somewhere else.  But needing to please God has to take on a different sort of priority, regardless of the rewards one might seek in a social context.  John's Gospel gives us a picture of the members of the ruling Council:  "many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).   The heretofore unprecedented levels of interactions available to us through modern technology make each of us hyper-aware of that "audience" available through the screen.  It leads us to focus a certain way, to think of ourselves within a particular sort of community that hasn't existed previous to recent times.  But God still calls to us, and perhaps that applause or approval we seek today is more fleeting than ever.  And yet there are also gatekeepers; we stand in constant awareness of the possibility that we will be censured, cancelled, shunned, and literally censored as well depending on how we serve that desired image and what it demands from us today.  Let us be attentive to the woes that Christ names, for it is an empty and merciless life defined only by  this kind of mutual praise, without the substance and grace that comes from the only God. 

Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.  

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."

 

- Luke 6:39-49 

 

Currently we are reading through what is known as the Sermon on the Plain (as Luke tells us that Jesus "stood on a level place").  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

  And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."  My study Bible says that Christ does not judge anyone (John 8:15; 12:47).  Therefore, writes St. Cyril of Alexandria, "if the Teacher does not judge, neither must the disciple, for the disciple is guilty of worse sins than those for which he judges others."  

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  Let us consider here that Christ is directing His teachings to the disciples, among whom are the Twelve, who have been appointed as apostles -- who will be sent out to carry the gospel message.  Therefore, He's preparing them to be teachers, also.  So how will they instruct and correct others unless they have developed their own self-knowledge and correction?

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   Good fruit is the effects, actions, choices, and initiatives that come out of real discipleship: knowing oneself and correcting faults.  In this way, the inner person is built up and edified in Christ and Christ's teachings, and can therefore produce "good fruit" from the good tree, and a good heart.  How will these future teachers be able to speak and teach others, except through rigorous discipleship themselves?  This teaching is also for every follower of Christ.

 

 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."  My study Bible comments that hearing the gospel alone is not enough, for salvation is based not on hearing alone, nor on faith alone, but also on doing the things spoken by Christ.  These "good things" are akin to the "good fruit" in Christ's earlier metaphor, above.  See James 2:24.

Jesus' final metaphor in today's reading is about building a house upon a rock.  The house we build is the home of our lives.  How do we want to establish our lives?  How do we consider the ways in which our choices will build who we are over the course of the time of our lives?  Jesus gives clear instructions here, that it is His teachings (whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them) which make for the best foundation in life, and won't desert us when times get tough.  These are of no use if we simply give them lip service, or agree to them and don't follow through, or practice worship of Christ without taking His teachings to heart and actually living them -- working through the things we need to change, discard, or incorporate into our lives and the ways that we live them.  It's that actual work of the heart that is difficult, the tough choices to forgo what might look like immediate gain for the long-term considerations of a life in which we seek things of heavenly value, and incorporate those things into our lives.  So what does it really mean to build one's home upon a rock, as Christ's parable describes?  Since this rock we are speaking about is "hearing and doing" the sayings of Christ, we look to His word as something that is abiding and standing the test of time.  He speaks from what is an eternal perspective, of things of value to God and therefore for the salvation of the world.  Therefore, this foundation of the rock is one that is abiding, lasting, and eternal.  This is a rock that transcends everything else that might happen to it and will outlast everything.  Since we live in a world that is now in a state of very quickly changing circumstances (for all kinds of reasons), it becomes, for us, all the more important that we rely on this rock.  That is, on something that will last through all things.  We can put our faith into the latest fad, into chasing the crowd, into listening to all the latest information on whatever problem we can name as well as the theories people espouse for our lives and our future.  But there is one thing that will transcend all of that, and that one thing is the rock of Christ -- to sayings He teaches and our faithful abiding by His words.  This is the one thing that will produce longterm results for positive steps in life that outlast and transcend everything else.  This gives us a kind of stability that does not rely on the changing circumstances of the world, or what is around us, or what others think about us, for it is a foundation built inside of us that we carry around with us.  To rely on God -- to have the heart and spirit of the poor in this sense in which Jesus teaches here in the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20) and in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3) -- sounds like a risky proposition.  But, in fact, what Jesus teaches here is that it is anything but.  It is, in fact, the surest proposition we will encounter, because it gives us an eternal and abiding foundation, one that is eternal, and will last throughout all things and supersede the values that run counter to it.  In this we can trust, and upon this rock we can build our lives.

 

 

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you

 

 "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

- Luke 6:27-38 

 

Yesterday we read that it came to pass in those days that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.  Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.  But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

  "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."  My study Bible comments on verse 31 ("And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise") that this "Golden Rule" is a minimum of Christian virtue, as it places our desire for goodness (what is called "the natural law of self-love" by St. Cyril of Alexandria) as a basic standard of how to treat others.  It is but the first step on the path to the perfection of virtue.  This perfection, my study Bible says, is found in verse 36 ("Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful"), where it is God's mercy, rather than the desire of human beings, which is the standard.

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."  My study Bible comments that mercy precludes human judgment.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over are descriptions of how an honest and generous merchant would measure bulk goods.  Flour pressed down, for example, would yield a more generous amount than flour fluffed up.  The blessings God intends to put into our hearts, my study Bible says, are more generous than we can possibly contain, yet this also depends upon the spirit in which we ourselves give and forgive.

For anyone who has had to cope with cruelty or unfairness, today's teaching by Jesus is particularly difficult and can be met with struggle.  How do we practice mercy to someone who has treated us badly?  Do we open the door to more abuse?  How often do I give someone who asks for something who has no appreciation whatsoever for the gift?  These questions can be asked incessantly.  But I think it is important to take Christ's teaching with a certain frame of mind, a perspective He's sharing with us.  My study Bible's comment that our job is not just to follow our own standard of mercy (what we'd like or how we'd like to be treated), but to aim further -- to find what God would want from us as standard.  I don't believe that the spirit of these teachings includes anything that would encourage abusive or bad behavior.  But it is a teaching which encourages ways to create good community.  One of the oldest problems in Scripture is that of envy, and slander that often goes along with it.  Some scholars suggest that both the Old and New Testaments link envy to a form of idolatry.  In this sense, to be envious (particularly with malice) is to reject the fullness of God's goodness for us, and our reliance upon God.  So envy as a malevolent desire is rooted in a lack of trusting to God's blessings.  Moreover, envy that manifests as withholding good from another is seen as a sort of gatekeeping of God's blessings, an enforced exclusivity that effectively forms a false relationship to God and the abundance of goodness described by Jesus when He says that God is  kind to the unthankful and evil.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:44-45).  If we look at the definitions for the Greek word translated as "kind" in today's passage (verse 35) perhaps the best one is "gracious."  But this is the kindness of God, so it is always fitting and useful.  We must also take note that this word (χρηστός) is pronounced the same way as the word for Christ, Χριστος,"Christos."  Moreover, God's goodness is that which provides for an ultimate good, God's eternal perspective of salvation.  So when we are kind to those who mistreat us, this isn't an invitation to continue behavior that is surely not beneficial to their salvation, but rather a refraining from doing harm, from taking revenge, a pleasantness that aims to keep peace -- or at least the open door to repentance and salvation.  Sometimes what is fitting and helpful can only come with patience.  St. Augustine comments on this passage:  " A final just vengeance is looked for, that is, the last supreme judgment, only when no chance of correction remains. But now we must be on our guard, more than anything else, not to lose patience in our eagerness to be justified, for patience is to be more highly prized than anything an enemy can take from us against our will" (Augustine, Letter 138).  We're to remember that full justice comes from God, the One upon whom we rely for vengeance.  St. Paul writes to the Romans, "Repay no one evil for evil. Have[a] regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord (Romans 12:17-19; quoting from Deuteronomy 32:35).  When Jesus speaks of refraining from judgment (or perhaps we should say, unrighteous judgment), it is with the clear understanding in mind that the ultimate judgment is God's, so so should we also keep in mind that there is an eternal aim for the highest good.   And again, that brings us back to the virtue of patience.  Ultimately, the good that we give requires reliance on God, the true source of flowing abundance, true Judge, and the source of the virtue we need, the only Giver who can assure us that "with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

Virgin Mary praying to Christ, detail from Deesis mosaic, Aghia Sophia cathedral, Constintinople, Byzantine Empire (present day Istanbul, Turkey), 13th century

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  

"Blessed are you poor, 

For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now, 

For you shall be filled.  

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man's sake.  

Rejoice in that day leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich,

For you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

 For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

 

  Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: . . .  My study cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from God the Father.  Rather, as the Son of Man, He prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).  It notes that, according to Theophylact, Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles to teach us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  Note that these men were already disciples of Christ, but now these twelve will also be named apostles.  Disciple is from a Greek word that means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out."

 

 . . . Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  My study Bible comments that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.   Both here and in Matthew 10:1-4, the names are given in pairs.  Mark's Gospel reports that the apostles were sent out two by two on their first missionary journey (Mark 6:7), so perhaps the grouping represents who traveled together.

 

 And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  The text tells us that Jesus stood on a level place to deliver the sermon He's about to give.  What follows is called the Sermon on the Plain, and is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 - 7, although it is not as extensive.  Let us note the large crowd, both of His disciples and also a great multitude of people from all regions of Israel, and even the Gentile territories of Tyre and Sidon -- and that power went out from Him.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teaching over a period of three years (John reports three Passover feasts attended by Jesus between His Baptism and Passion).

 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."   As in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins by declaring Beatitudes (supreme blessedness).   To be blessed in this context, my study Bible says, indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' first Beatitude declares, "Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ."  In Hebrew, my study Bible explains, poor means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people.  To be poor in spirit is to have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and total dependence upon God.

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again, turning to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  My study Bible says that these see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  They have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food.

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."  Those who weep are akin to those who mourn in Matthew 5:4.  They sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of these will laugh in the sense that they will be joyful through the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible comments that holy sorrow is part of the path of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action  (to weep is frequently understood in this context as well), and is in effect the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This weeping or sorrow is distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."  Those who suffer persecution for Christ's sake walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible notes.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."   My study Bible notes that Luke reports for "woes" which are not found in Matthew's Sermon on the Mount.  Woe, it says, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  According to St. Cyril of Alexandria, those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; but find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.

There is one point in today's commentary from my study Bible that leaps out at me, and that is this final citing from the writing of St. Cyril of Alexandria.  He comments that those who prize the vices listed in Christ's Woes are liable to the "utmost misery"; but find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.  This seems to me to be exceedingly illuminating.  That is because St. Cyril cites a way in which what we do in this world, how we use our worldly goods (in which I would include time, our health, our initiative, etc.) as a way of transfiguring our lives.  Even those consigned by Christ to this "woe" are capable of expressing mercy through whatever resources they have.  This is clearly what it means to repent, to "change one's mind" in the literal meaning of the word for repent in Greek (metanoia/μετανοια).  Now let us note that this comment from St. Cyril effectively correlates repentence with the practice of mercy.  Mercy is a way of turning around our lives from one way to the other.  That is, turning away from a false path, and turning toward Christ.  It's important to note that this practice of mercy is something that comes from the heart, and is not merely some form of what is popularly called "virtue signalling," nor a way of jumping on a political or social bandwagon, nor conformity to popular ideas or to follow a crowd, or some other ulterior motive.  To practice mercy, St. Cyril is effectively saying, is to have a change of heart, or change of mind.  And therein we find something akin to a shaft of light in a dark tunnel.   Earlier in Luke's Gospel, the people ask John the Baptist what they must do to practice repentance in preparation for the coming of Christ.  "What shall we do then?" they want to know.  John responds by instructing the people of various walks of life what they can do, and in particular is mentioned those Jews notorious among the people for taking what they can get through authority and power, the tax collectors and soldiers.  See Luke 3:10-14.   Looking at this passage, we note that each word of advice given in response to this question by John is offering things that can be done as acts of mercy.  We might also think of the practice of mercy as acts of compassion, as our Lord so often shows us that He is "moved with compassion" and that compassion plays such a great role in His ministry (see Matthew 9:35-36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27, 33; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 5:19; 6:34; 8:2, 9:22; Luke 7:13; 10:33; 15:20).  St. Paul speaks of Jesus as our great High Priest as One who has compassion:  "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16).  What St. Cyril offers us, then, is a way out of our "woes" that is enlightening even in its simplicity.  We must think of the practice of mercy as our way to repent, in whatever form that comes to us to practice.  Note that mercy is neither sentimentality nor pity, but a true sense of what is helpful and needful.  A practice of mercy is also the act of creating community; it has been called "love in action."  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus extensively cautions us not to use such acts as public spectacle, but rather prizes those which are done in secret.  One might read all of Matthew 6 in relation to this particular teaching regarding mercy and the things Jesus names as Woes.  Let us note also that the practice of mercy can be constituted by the smallest of seemingly minor acts, such as a smile when someone needs it, a good word, encouragement, even a tiny and intimate kindness, a touch on the shoulder, a reassurance.  We need not "save the world" in order to save the world, for in so doing in the name of Christ we participate in God's love which brings salvation to the world (John 3:16-17).  Let us remember the heart of the poor in the spiritual sense explained here, which is neither grandiose nor leaping ahead of itself, but humble and seeking the way of Christ, even when no one else knows it.  Above, I post a portion of what remains of a mosaic of the Aghia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") cathedral, built in Constantinople, the capitol of the Byzantine Empire.  It is a detail of what is called the Deesis mosaic.  In the center is Christ, and on either side the Virgin Mary (called Mother of God) and St. John the Baptist pray on behalf of humanity.   Both of these figures constitute a picture of what it means to be blessed in the sense Christ gives in today's reading.  She is called the most "blessed among women" (Luke 1:28), while John is called greatest "born to women" (Matthew 11:11).  The portion in the image above is the face of Mary the Mother of God, in whose expression we can surely see the compassion Jesus teaches for us all.