But wisdom is justified by her children

 

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

"We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not lament.'

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

 

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done,  because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

 

- Matthew 11:16–24 

 

On Friday we read that the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus to ask if He was the One whom they awaited, as John is now imprisoned by King Herod.  On Saturday we read that, as the Baptist's disciples departed,  Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.' Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'   The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by her children."  Jesus here references a popular children's game of the time.  The children would divide into two groups.  One group would pretend to be musicians or singers, and the other would respond -- but in a way opposite that which would be expected.  The first group would either play music for dancing, or sing mourning dirges for a funeral; the second group would pretend either to dance or to weep.  Christ draws a parallel between children playing this game, and the Jewish leaders who responded wickedly both to John the Baptist as being too ascetic, and to Christ for being too liberal in mercy and joy.  

 

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done,  because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  My study Bible comments that it is a far greater sin to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him than never to have known Him at all. 

 

Jesus' expression, "But wisdom is justified by all her children," in some ways gives us a wonderful sense of the myriad possibilities of the saints.  That is, saints come to us in perhaps all walks of life (such as former prostitutes, for example) and varied places and personas such as makes it impossible to definitively categorize an image or life of a saint into one kind of framework.  Christ Himself distinguishes His own life from that of John the Baptist, noting that they form quite different pictures in the world and in their respective ministries.  John was an extreme ascetic, cutting all out of his life save his mission of prophesy in preparation for the Messiah, and living a radical poverty.  Jesus associated with notorious sinners such as tax collectors and others, for as He said Himself, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:12-13).  But what Jesus here commemorates in His teaching is that both will receive criticism from those who look on from the outside, and do not understand their missions and ministries.  When we take a look at the 2,000 year old history of the Church, and its countless saints, we find people from all kinds of backgrounds and lives.  In the history of the Orthodox Church alone, we find lists of saints that are seemingly inexhaustible, from every century.  We can look at saints such as St. Philothei of Athens, a 16th century woman from a very wealthy landowning family who was widowed at a young age (that story, in and of itself, is not that unusual in the history of the saints).  She chose to dedicate her life to Christ, establishing monasteries under Ottoman rule.  Moreover, she distinguished herself by seeking to ransom and save many women from slavery in Ottoman harems, giving them refuge, training them to do other types of work, even establishing a central marketplace with stalls for women to sell the wares and crafts they learned to make.  She was martyred by being beaten for her activities in ransoming and saving women from slavery.  In the city of Athens, Greece the properties she established continue to shape much of the central city.  See her biography here.  We can contrast St. Philothei with a modern saint who established his ministries in Shanghai, China and San Francisco, California during a period of extremely turbulent world politics which centrally affected his flocks.  He is known as St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, St. John Maximovitch, and St. John the Wonderworker for the miracles associated with him.  He ministered in the Russian Empire, in Western Europe, in China, and finally in the Western United States, and is known for care of the faithful amidst seemingly unending strife even among parishioners and within his flock as a bishop.  He ministered even under Japanese occupation in China, and refused to bend to the Soviet authorities in Russia.  He himself was the victim of varied accusations, including slander from political enemies.  In the midst of building a cathedral in San Francisco, he was accused of financial wrongdoing and taken to court by a group which included some of his own church board, other priests, and even bishops, but was exonerated.  He was known for his extreme asceticism and unconventional behavior (such as appearing barefoot to visit the ill in hospital), and his relics lie now enshrined in the magnificent cathedral he built in San Francisco, Holy Virgin Cathedral the Joy of all Who Sorrow.  See a partial biography here.  From these very few examples, our Lord Jesus Christ, St. John the Baptist, St. Philothei of Athens, and St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, we see a wide diversity of saints who lived across the centuries and in varied places across the world.  St. Paul has said of his own holy life, that he was given an ailment we don't quite know, which he called a thorn in his side, and a messenger of Satan.  He prayed unsuccessfully to the Lord to remove it from him, but he was told by the Lord, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  St. Paul concluded, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).   What all of this possibly teaches us about holiness is that while none of us are perfect, God works through us nevertheless.  Let us honor holiness wherever it is found!  For wisdom is justified by  her children.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 

 

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.   But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   

 

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

 

- Luke 10:1–17 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village. Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  but he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  These seventy are a second group of Christ's disciples appointed to be apostles.  Many of them are known from the records of the early Church, and went on to become bishops.  Here, they are sent two by two as heralds of the kingdom of God, going before Christ in every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Jesus is now on His way toward Jerusalem, and to the Cross.

 

 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  My study Bible notes that we are to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

 

 "Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  Jesus describes these apostles as lambs; this speaks of the sacrificial life of all followers of Christ, my study Bible says.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devout those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  

 

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  Jesus gives instructions similar to the ones He gave to the original twelve apostles (Luke 9:1-6).   They emphasize humility in the execution of their mission.  My study Bible points out that twice here He commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  This has a twofold significant, it says.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.   It notes that St. Cassian the Desert Father has said that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  When he asked why, the elder responded, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, my study Bible says, the ascetics would obey Christ's command here and His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2).  

 

 "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  Once again, the rebuke against those who will not receive them is to wipe the dust from themselves.  But this does not mean that judgment is not at work.  Note that the gospel message here is not just that there is a Kingdom in the future, my study Bible says, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

 

 "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.   But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   Judgment, as expressed by Christ here, is severe for those who reject Him after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, my study Bible says, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), and are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  

 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  This is a sign that there are warring spiritual kingdoms, and that Christ is the "stronger man" who has come to plunder the one who sways the world (John 12:31; 14:30).  

 

 In today's reading, Jesus sends out the Seventy, a second "wave," so to speak, of missionaries sent out into the world to proclaim the gospel message, the news of the kingdom of God.  We notice how He sends them out as emissaries going before a distinguished head of a state, to proclaim this news of His coming, and of what His kingdom is all about.  In Christ's time, the word for which we use "gospel" (εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, from which is derived the word evangelist) was in very common usage.  It indicated a message sent out from a government official, or the emperor, for example, to give some news or declaration to people about what was being done or proposed, in the same sense that we today might receive announcements from our government.  So, in a very clear sense, Jesus is announcing the arrival of a Kingdom in the midst of His people.  The Seventy are to go out and announce His arrival and "tour," so to speak, before Him as He starts His journey toward Jerusalem.  They proclaim the good news of the Kingdom, the gospel message that this particular King is sending out about what He is doing and bringing into the world.  But this is not a worldly, material Kingdom in the same sense as all the other kingdoms of the world.  In this paradigm the world is a kind of battleground for spiritual forces that influence and sway the world, and battle within the hearts and souls of people.  St. Paul puts it memorably:  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  This is a battle not just of our own hearts and souls and the way we choose to live our lives and the commitments we make, but also one that is unseen to the worldly eye.  Nonetheless, Christ's mission is one that is undertaken also on worldly terms, to teach us, to announce the Kingdom, and so that we also join into this unseen battle.  For the battle is all about us.  These Seventy appointed in today's reading would go on to spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.  They included Barnabas, who is said to have studied also under the famous teacher Gamaliel with St. Paul (when he was known as Saul of Tarsus).  Barnabas played a very significant role in the early Church, as he sought out Paul when everyone else was afraid of him, bringing him to the apostles, my study Bible reminds us.  Barnabas was the first sent with Paul to Antioch.  He was martyred in Cyprus where he was born; buried by his cousin Mark the Apostle and Evangelist, the site of his burial venerated still today.  Another of these Seventy was Titus, whom Paul called his brother (2 Corinthians 12:18) and his son (Titus 1:4).  Titus was well-educated in Greek philosophy and born in Crete but after reading the prophet Isaiah, my study Bible tells us, he began to doubt the value of the things he'd been taught.  After traveling with others from Crete who went to Jerusalem to see for themselves, and hearing Jesus speak, Titus joined those who followed Him.  He was baptized by St. Paul and served him, until Paul sent him to Crete and made him a bishop there.  These are just two examples of those who spread the kingdom of God and its gospel message to the world, appointed by Christ to go before Him.  Others among the Seventy are known to have preached as far as Britain (Aristobulus, the brother of Barnabas; Romans 16:10).   In today's reading, Jesus says, to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. "  In St. John's Gospel, we read the story of a Samaritan woman to whom Jesus reveals Himself, and the whole town who comes to Him as a result.  Jesus tells His disciples regarding this "harvest" of new believers, "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" (John 4:38).  Let us think of the Seventy, and remember that when we read or tell others about the Gospel, where we go to worship and in practicing our faith, we also enter into others' labors, such as these.  They went out into the Roman highways, the great innovative technology of their time, to spread Christ's gospel.  Today we have the "information superhighways" of the internet on which Christ's message of the Kingdom travels.  Let us remember all of Christ's instructions to the Seventy, and imitate them.  Would that our labors be as fruitful as theirs!

 

 

 

 

 

But wisdom is justified by her children

 

"But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

'We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not lament.'

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

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

 

- Matthew 11:16-24 

 

Yesterday we read that, as the disciples of John the Baptist departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.' Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   

 

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by her children."  Jesus here refers to a game which was played among Jewish children.  Perhaps the words are a singsong that accompanied the game.  The children would divide into two groups; one would pretend to play musical instruments or to sing, and the other group would respond in a manner opposite to what was expected.  So here Jesus draws a parallel to the Jewish leaders who responded in deliberate opposition both to John the Baptist as being too ascetic and to Christ as too liberal in mercy and joy.  When Jesus says that "wisdom is justified by her children," He seems to be referring to the fact that as different as the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus seem to be, they are both products of holy wisdom, and their spiritual fruits vindicate them.

 

 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  These are the Galilean cities in which Jesus had done great healings and exorcisms (mighty works) and so they are witness to the holy power at work in His ministry.  My study Bible comments that it is a far greater sin to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him than never to have known Him at all.

Jesus' reference to the children's game teaches us something about the attitude of the critics of both Jesus' and John the Baptist's ministries.  There are those who simply will find fault because they don't want to hear or receive the message that is being preached.  The criticism is erratic and it doesn't make sense -- and it's also immature and childish.  But as Jesus takes on His own criticism of the cities which have rejected Him and His ministry, the tone becomes more serious.  Because, in fact, they aren't simply rejecting His words and teaching, but the actual works -- the spiritual fruits -- that manifest the truth of who He is and what He has to teach, His word.  As my study Bible says, to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him is far more serious than never to have known Him at all.  At the end of yesterday's reading, Jesus called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Here there is a reflection of an idea that is similar to this, as Jesus is asking for spiritual ears that can hear the spiritual messages brought to the people through the work of the Spirit.  Those who saw His mighty works and still rejected Him haven't got spiritual eyes to see.  They don't understand the power of judgment that is inherent in anything with which God may bless and reveal truth to us.  For to reject such efforts is to reject God, and to reject God is to reject life, and all the blessings that includes for us.  We depend upon God for our being, and all that is true, or good, or beautiful.  What is rejected, then, is that substance that is manifest in the works, the reality of the holy power that  is unchanging, and not simply temporal.  Jesus is not performing magic tricks, or spiritual feats to impress people.  His entire Incarnation in the world is God reaching toward us, bringing salvation for those who can receive it, and truly "see" and "hear" it.  In the first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul speaks of maturing in a spiritual sense:  "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:12-13).  He is speaking here about growth in spiritual maturity and understanding, and let us note the metaphors to sight.  His aspiration is for more understanding, to "know just as I also am known" [by God].  This is what Christ asks us for, this spiritual journey, where spiritual sight and hearing are cherished, sought, and known -- as well as the growth toward greater maturity that St. Paul writes about.  Let us especially note the final line.  Where is faith, hope, and love in the self-serving cynicism of the religious leaders?   Love is also known as "charity" in our traditional language of the King James Bible.  Where is the charity in hearts that are so hard they do not even receive the great healings of human beings they have seen?  Let us remember these words and this teaching, for it is our lack of charity and love that blinds us to such great things we are rejecting -- and the depth of loss that creates for us.

 

 

 

Remember Lot's wife

 

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "This kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  

 

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

 

- Luke 17:20-37 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus went to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were not there ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

 

  Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "This kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."   My study bible comments here that the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality, which is present within the Christian believer, and within the community of the Church.  It is important to know that the words translated as within you can also mean "among you" and "in your midst."  Every meaning is important:  it is necessary to keep in mind the latter two, while not losing the sense of the first.

 

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back."   The warning not to be preoccupied with worldly matters is applicable both to individuals believers, and to parishes, my study bible reminds us.  This is an illustration of our focus in every day life.  Christ is teaching us that it is important to keep in our consciousness His promise of return.  Christ illustrates that His return (or second coming) will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation.  My study bible bible says that the separation of the saints from the wicked will occur on "the day when the Son of Man is revealed" and not, as some speculate, at a time that occurs before Christ's return.  

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  My study bible elaborates here that the body refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints. 

Jesus gives two different perspectives here on the kingdom of God; one is to the Pharisees who ask Him about it, and the other to His disciples.  First of all, the question from the Pharisees reminds us as well that the Jews were also looking to the coming of the Kingdom.  The Messiah was seen as a figure who would usher in this reality into the world, and popular expectations looked to that kingdom as a material one in which the kingdom of Israel would triumph over her enemies (especially over the Roman Empire of the period), and reign supreme in the world.   Seen in that context, Jesus' answer become a poignant one for all of us, because it reminds us profoundly that His gospel is one in which we bear the Kingdom into the world.  This is the good news of Christ's ministry.  Then He turns to His disciples, and He begins to speak about the Second Coming, His return to the world after His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension.  We remind ourselves, as does the Gospel at this point, that Jesus is headed toward Jerusalem and toward His Passion.  The disciples seem entirely unknowing despite His warnings of what is to come.  It might be unthinkable to them at this point that He could die, just as the future destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem was no doubt unthinkable to the Pharisees.  While His answer to the Pharisees was no doubt incomprehensible, we as disciples are called to understand what it means that the Kingdom is both within us and among us.  But His Second Coming remains something in which many are mired in speculation.  Most telling, in terms of the historical and traditional perspective of the Church, is that which is noted by my study bible:  that when it does come, it will come as a powerful unmistakable force for everyone in the world.  As Jesus describes it, His return will occur "as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day."  Moreover, with total swiftness of the moment, some will be taken and some will remain.  There will be no preparation for this time, save the signs Jesus has named in His discussions with the disciples in the various places in the Gospels when He also speaks of the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem.  In Luke's Gospel, see Luke 21:5-28.  When Jesus speaks of the destruction of the temple (which would occur in 70 AD), it is intermingled also with prophecy of end times, meaning that we are never given clear timelines for His return.  Also, in a true historical and traditional perspective of the Church, "end times" include the whole of the period in which we await Christ's return.  So, the most essential information we take with us is the suddenness and unexpected quality of Christ's return.  He gives us a picture of people going along with their daily lives, entirely unaware of the moment of His return and the judgment that instantaneously occurs.  But this is a picture for us of the times of today.  It is we, as disciples, who must understand that we carry the Kingdom with us into the world, just as the earliest disciples were told by Jesus to tell people that "the kingdom of God has come near to you" (Luke 10:9-11).  Whether He is addressing the Pharisees or His disciples, Jesus' message is clear in today's reading.  We the faithful are those who must bear this living Kingdom into the world, within us and among us -- even as we await His return, of which He asks us to be ever-mindful.  In a rather stunning and slightly cryptic manner, He warns the disciples, "Remember Lot's wife."  She is the one who turned to a pillar of salt, as she looked back at the destruction of the "cities of the plain" (Genesis 19:26).  Jesus seems to be indicating that judgment can come this swiftly and powerfully, and that we are to be mindful always of what it is we are about, and the choice we make to bear this Kingdom within us and into the world.  Elsewhere, Jesus tells a would-be disciple who wants first to go back home to bid others good-bye, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:61-62).  Jesus' powerful reminder is a kind of explanation to us of the importance of our choices, our calling to be a part of this Kingdom.  Let us note that He calls both the Pharisees and His disciples to understanding, even as He is on His way to Jerusalem.  Let us remember where our focus needs to be in our own journey of faith.

 

 

But to what shall I liken this generation?

Last Judgment, late 15th cent, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

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

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

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

- Matthew 11:16-24

On Saturday we read that, as the John's disciples departed after their question for Jesus, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of  John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:   'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."  Jesus' scenario of the children pictures a game that was played among Jewish children at the time.  They would divide into two groups.  One group would either pretend to play musical instruments (as for those who dance) or singing mourning songs (as for those who lament or wail).  The other group would respond in the opposite or antithetical way than expected.  My study bible says that Jesus draws a parallel to the Jewish leaders, who responded with criticism of John's ministry that he was too ascetic, and to Christ's that He was too liberal in mercy and joy.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  My study bible comments that it is a far greater sin to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him than never to have known Him at all.  Jesus chastises the towns which have been witness to His works, or miracles, and failed to have faith.

This is a turning point in Christ's ministry, which we can discern from the events described in today's and other recent readings.  First of all, He has just sent out the Twelve on their first mission, extending the power of His ministry through them and the work that they will do, giving them power to preach and to heal.  Second, John is in prison, and John's disciples have just come from him to Jesus, asking if He is the Coming One, or if they should look for another (see this reading).   Jesus responded to John's disciples by saying that they should tell John about the works He has done, which are signs prophesied to accompany the Messiah -- indicating that He is, indeed, the One whom they have awaited.  Each of those things are both unifying and expanding of Jesus' ministry.  But Jesus then turns to address the apparently fickle crowds under influence of the leadership in Jerusalem.  What He describes is unfair and unjust criticism, deliberately drummed up to savage both the ministries of John and Jesus.  On the one hand it is easy to criticize John for his asceticism, his depth of commitment to radical poverty like the prophets before him, for whom only service to God mattered above all else in life.  But Jesus who sits and feasts even with known sinners (as in this reading) is in for the opposite treatment:  He is far too liberal, as my study bible puts it, in joy and mercy.  Moreover, Jesus lists all the towns in Galilee where He has performed miraculous works of healing, and where He has been rejected in response.  He compares them unfavorably to the Gentile areas of Tyre and Sidon, and even to Sodom, and suggests that in the judgment each will be judged more harshly than these.  The pivot point is Christ Himself, and the power of God at work in Him and with Him, even the kingdom of heaven which accompanies Him and which He seeks to spread in the world through His ministry.  Each of the "mighty works" that He's done is evidence of this presence of God, and yet faith has not followed.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus will be challenged by the authorities to "prove" that He is the Christ, by producing miracles on demand.  While Jesus' many miracles are attributed to the faith of the one who is healed, or possibly the friends or relatives of the healed person, this does not necessarily result in the faith of those who witness such healings.  And in this we see the wisdom of Jesus, who knows psychologically the true state of human hearts better than anyone else.  He could come into the world and perform every miracle conceivable.  He could do things simply to "prove" He is who He says He is.  But none of that would bring real faith.  Like the demanding religious leaders, it would only encourage what was already the disposition of the heart, whether that was selfishness or a true righteousness.   What He asks of us is a true response to the presence of this Kingdom, whatever form that takes.  Do we respond with love and trust, with reverence?  Is God's love about our entitlement, our demands?  Is it meant to feed selfishness, or to encourage our growth and healing?  Are we disposed to do the work of repentance/change of mind?  Do we even know that there are things we need to work on within ourselves to dwell as fully as possible within His strength and love, and to become more like Him?  His mercy is for the ones who know they have need of a Physician, a healer of body, soul, and spirit.  His joy is for those who truly need it, or rather, who know and deeply feel they need it, and come to terms with a true desire for it.  Let us continue along with Christ's ministry, and understand that everything else really depends upon faith.  That is, trust in Christ.  It all comes down to what we put first.

The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Then He said to the disciples, 'The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

- Luke 17:20-37

Yesterday we read that as Jesus went to Jerusalem He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  As is so frequently true in Scripture, the Greek words in the original text give us a full sense of Christ's meaning.  My study bible says that the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality that is present within the Christian believer and within the community of the Church.  The words translated as within you can also mean "among you" or "in your midst."  Both senses, in the fullness of the language here, are true.

 Then He said to the disciples, 'The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."  This is yet another warning in Luke, couched in the language of His second coming, in which Jesus tells the disciples that first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  But the teaching is on the coming of the Kingdom.  Jesus makes it clear that daily life will go on just as it has been, without any awareness of what is about to happen.  But this second coming of Christ will take place suddenly, as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven.  By including the warning again about His suffering and rejection, Jesus keeps their focus on the pragmatic reality of what is to come, and the life of the Church and awareness its mission before His return.  My study bible says that this warning not to be preoccupied with worldly matters applies both to believers and to parishes.

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  Jesus teaches that His second coming will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven, my study bible tells us, and the other will be left for eternal condemnation.  This separation of the saints and the wicked will occur on the day when the Son of Man is revealed, as Christ's words indicate here, and not at an earlier event before His return.

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  My study bible says that the body is Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.

What does all this mysterious and rather perturbing talk of the Second Coming mean?  Jesus stirs up disturbing images of a sudden and great cosmic shift in the reality of life.  One will be taken while the other will be left are words that are rather shocking to hear, and surely Jesus is aware of this when He speaks them to His audience.  He raises the image of Noah and the suddenness of the flood, of which the world was unaware before it happened (see Genesis 6-8).  He tells His disciples about Lot and Sodom, a sudden disaster that came without warning on those who were heedless of the understanding of God.  Moreover, He tells them they must "remember Lot's wife," who was told not to look back at the devastation in Sodom -- and when she did she was turned into a pillar of salt (see Genesis 19:1-29).  These are both accounts in Scripture of times when God executed judgment in the world, well-known to His Jewish disciples.  We note also that they are both accounts of judgment that comes amidst a world which has given itself over to violence and brutality, and therefore is far away from the teachings of God.  In Genesis 6:13, God says to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth."  But Jesus' teaching here is not simply to make a prediction about what is to come in the world; it is to teach the disciples what they are to be about as His servants.  While the world remains unaware of judgment, they must carry out His mission and be aware that there is a time when He will return, and indeed a time when judgment will take place.  He repeats to them something that has been taught already in the context of taking up one's cross daily, and following Him:  "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life will preserve it."  In other words, our job, as faithful disciples, is to remember His commands, to continue in His word.  He warns the disciples not to be swayed by those who say that He has returned, in the times when they will long to see Him after His death, Resurrection, and Ascension.  Like the times of Noah and Lot, His return will come at a time when the world is unaware of what is about to happen.  They must not focus on predictions and warnings, but rather on living the life of faith and following the Gospel He has given them.  The world will go on as it has gone, but they must remember His commands and what they are to be about, especially in the time when He is no longer with them as the Incarnate Jesus.  We are left together with the disciples, in this place where the world, forgetful of the God who teaches us love, may live in a violence born of selfishness, in which exploitation and corruption and its brutal expression may grow unchecked.  But we remember that we are servants to Christ, and that His Kingdom is both with us and within us.  It is within that living Kingdom that we find our true lives, and that for which we are truly grateful.

Wisdom is justified by her children

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

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

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

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." 

- Matthew 11:16-24

 On Saturday we read that as John the Baptist's disciples departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before you.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by her children."  Jesus likens the response of the leadership (and the fickleness of the crowds who follow) to a popular children's game.  The children would divide into two groups; one pretending either to play musical instruments or sing, and the other responding in a way opposite of that which would have been expected.  Jesus draws a parallel to the leadership who responded with criticism both of John the Baptist as being too ascetic and to Jesus as being too liberal in mercy and joy.  And yet, as He pointed out in the reading from Saturday, they had all gone out to see John when he preached repentance in the wilderness (see Saturday's reading, above).  That wisdom is justified by her children teaches us once again to look at the fruits of ministry; they justify both John and Jesus, regardless of their different appearance and style.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  My study bible says here that it is a far greater sin to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him than never to have known Him at all.

 In today's reading, we get Jesus' scathing remarks to those who reject ministry and the work of God in the world, and of wisdom.  They are like children playing and taunting, shallow and with no depth nor understanding.  And worse, there are those who have seen great works of power, and yet who still reject the message of the Kingdom.  It is an acknowledgement in the Gospel of rejection, of those who cannot accept what is within their midst.  Certainly Jesus is implicating the leadership, who seem focused only on criticism of surface appearances, and cannot see the substance and truth of what is happening, even if mighty works are done in their cities.  It's an indication of how deep rejection can go in the face of truth staring us in the face.  It's also a teaching to us about the kind of complacency that trusts only in our own self-interest, in our "places at the table."  Jesus touches on such a theme when He speaks scathingly of those in high places:  "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation" (Luke 20:46-47).  It comes down a question of what we put our trust into.  Do we go by the shallow surface of appearances, so easy to criticize and judge?  Or do we judge with good judgment?  Do we reach down into a place where we put our trust in something deeper, something into which our prayer life leads us?  Jesus teaches us to refrain from surface judgments, and not to judge by mere appearance (John 7:24).  In Matthew 7, Jesus has said, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" (7:1-3).  When judgment of others rests on surface appearances, it too often serves selfish ambition and complacency.  We avoid doing what we ought to be doing, practicing awareness of ourselves and our own state of mind and heart, and insist that we can ascribe motive to others without 'judging good judgment.'  The one way that Jesus teaches over and over to find good judgment is through the fruits of those who come to us as prophets of one thing and another:  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" (7:15-16).  In today's reading, Jesus gives us a positive version of these statements when He refers to both John's and His own ministry:  "But wisdom is justified by her children."   He and John bear very little surface resemblance to one another, in many dimensions.  Jesus eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners; John is extremely ascetic, dedicated to a life of poverty in his love of God.  But both serve the same wisdom.  Many of my readers may be familiar with the great Byzantine cathedral called Haghia Sophia, or "Holy Wisdom," built in Constantinople in the sixth century and still standing.  In the Greek tradition, "Holy Wisdom" refers to Christ.  That is, the wisdom of the Lord who was at work in the world throughout the Old Testament foreshadowing Christ, and Incarnate as Jesus Christ in the New.  St. Paul also calls Christ "wisdom" (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-24).  In both Hebrew and Greek, the word for wisdom is feminine, and thus given a feminine article and pronoun.   Jesus is teaching us to grasp wisdom, to come to know it, and to know her children, no matter how varied and different they may seem to us.  It is only this way that we can practice "good judgment," to make discernment, and to understand the reality behind what we see.  Too often we are deceived by our own desires, our limited viewpoint, the fear of losing our own place, particularly in the eyes of the world.   It remains essential that we understand, in a world beset by images and bad judgment, and constant criticism tearing down all and sundry without thought, that we know that "wisdom is justified by her children."  This must be a part of our faith, that which we cling to, pray to, and in which we seek to participate in the life of Christ and the communion of saints.  There we begin, and there we find what is truly good for us, and for the world.

Wisdom is justified by her children

"But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:

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

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

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, i will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

- Matthew 11:16-24

On Saturday, we read Jesus' speech to the multitude after two disciples of John the Baptist came to ask Him, on behalf of the imprisoned John, "Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

"But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned for you, and you did not lament.'  For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by her children."  Jesus scolds the crowds, in this continued speech from Saturday's reading.  My study bible explains that the quoted verses are a reference to an ancient game played by Jewish children.  The children would gather into two groups:  those pretending to play musical instruments or singing, and the other group which responded appropriately by dancing or mourning.  "But in the case of John the Baptist and Jesus, their contemporaries -- especially the Jewish leaders -- refuse to respond to either one.  They accuse John of being too ascetic and Jesus of being too liberal, a friend of . . . sinners."

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, i will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  My study bible tells us:  "Severe judgment is pronounced on Galilean cities where Jesus preached and healed, but the people not respond.  This happened in Chorazin, Bethsaida and most especially Capernaum.  Sodom, the greatest offender, will receive some lenience in the day of judgment, because that city never saw Jesus' mighty works.  'To whom much is given . . . much will be required' (Luke 12:48)." 

 Jesus clearly lays out what is to lead in our lives, in their lives -- the lives of this crowd to whom He speaks.  It's God that leads, or more appropriately to the context, wisdom.  In yesterday's reading, He vehemently questioned the crowds before Him, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet."  What did they expect to find, in John whom they now criticize for his lifestyle?  They found a prophet, and more than a prophet.  John they criticize, now that he is in prison, for his rough life, a ministry in the wilderness, preaching repentance.  He's a man who lived only for God, forgoing everything else -- and among the criticism, apparently they now claim he has a demon!  Jesus isn't the type of ascetic that John the Baptist was, and Him they criticize in the opposite way:  He drinks and eats, He dines with tax collectors and sinners.  They call Him a glutton and a winebibber.  But wisdom is justified by all her children!  Whatever John was, his ministry was a product of wisdom, of grace.  Whatever Jesus' ministry, it is led by God, by wisdom.  The analogy to the children's game, in which one group was supposed to follow the promptings of the other, tells us Jesus' point of view of this crowd, whose expectations are inflated beyond what God is giving them, what grace is living amongst them in the shape of the ministries of Jesus and of John.  They are childish in their demands and their petty criticisms, not seeing what is truly before them, not understanding with the wisdom that is on offer to them.  And hence, this speech of Jesus to the crowds becomes extended into the cities where others like them dwell.  These are cities in which "mighty works" have been done, powerful acts of grace, signs of God's presence and leading and teaching.  His analogy here is so powerful, His criticism so strong, that He tells them that even Sodom will receive more mercy and understanding, because Sodom did not have the grace that these cities have received.  The leading of God, the revelation of grace, wisdom at work, is a kind of gift that calls us to a place of great responsibility for what is being offered.  It's not we who shape grace, who shape the revelation of wisdom, of holiness.  It is something beyond us, and greater than us, One that does not conform to our expectations, but calls us into a state of greater understanding, beyond our own boundaries and wisdom -- into an awareness we didn't have before.  To refuse that awareness is to refuse the gift of grace.  To refuse that wisdom is to spurn God.  Jesus doesn't spare these crowds from criticism, any more than apparently the criticism both He and John the Baptist suffer from the crowds.  But He does call them to the powerful force at work among them, the seriousness of what they spurn even as great acts of God are done in their cities, in order to emphasize the reality of this choice.  It is God who leads, who calls us out of our own boxes and corners and boundaries, who leads us into wisdom if we can stretch our minds around what is on offer to us.  How do you take that gift?  How can your faith embrace both John and Jesus, who come in such different and unique packages, who both call us to something beyond them, to a kingdom of heaven in which there are many mansions?  How does holiness manifest among us, and which of us can dictate to wisdom?