And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  

 

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

 

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  

 

- John 8:21–32 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in Jerusalem, an eight-day autumn festival.  It is the final year of His earthly life.  At this festival there were many commemorations and special rites, which form the backdrop to Jesus' teachings about Himself.  On Saturday, we read that during the eighth and final day of the Festival, when the great lamps were lit at night in the outer courtyard, illuminating all of Jerusalem,  Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."   These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Jesus says He is going away, in a reference to His death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  We observe the confusion in His audience, the their possible explanations for His words.  But with Jesus, everything ties back to His relationship to the Father, which they did not understand. 

 

 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  Again, everything ties to the Father for the Son, Jesus Christ.  Lift up has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross, and being exalted by the Father upon completion of His word, my study Bible says.  It's interesting that at this juncture, many believed in Him. For among the Pharisees is Nicodemus, the one to whom He first spoke of the time He will be lifted up (John 3:14)

 

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  My study Bible points out that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples; the Greek word translated as "disciples" literally means "learners."  To abide in His word, according to what He says here, the responsibility of all believers -- not simply the clergy or an elite class of zealots.  

 

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   The truth is a reference both to the virtue of truth, and more importantly, to Christ Himself, my study Bible tells us (John 14:6).  To be free here is the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies -- as well as the bondage from sin and death.

 

Jesus says, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  What is the freedom which Christ proclaims here?  We usually think of freedom in terms of political or social liberation to do the things we desire, the things we believe will make us happy.  But Christ offers freedom in an entirely different dimension, and one that affects the whole of our lives.  First we must consider Christ's repeated understanding of honor, and His condemnation of the religious leaders in that they seek the "honor of men" rather than the "honor of God."  In a dispute prior to the one we're reading about in chapter 8 (taking place at the Feast of Tabernacles), Jesus has asked them, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44).  St. John will emphasize the same contradictions in chapter 12.  The Gospel tells us that "nevertheless even among the rulers 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).  So, in His teachings, we must first recognize the difference between seeking the world's praise and God's praise; we must determine from where (and from whom) our honor comes.  This beginning serves as liberation in myriad ways, for in it we are free to follow Christ, who has been sent by the Father to salvage and heal our lives in this sense.  We are free to find the "honor that comes from the only God" and find the joy which Jesus promises lies therein.  At the Last Supper, Jesus will teach, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11).  So, in the here and now, we are liberated through Christ's word and teachings, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and even the leading of the Father (Matthew 16:17; John 6:44-45).  In this sense we are freed from the limitations the world would impose upon the reality of God's promise for us, especially the ignorance of what it is to grow in God's likeness.  That path for each one of us is going to be unique, and only the One who will judge can help us with that, for it is only Christ who knows us deeply and thoroughly enough to lead us.  We cannot see this path for ourselves, and "the world" cannot know it.  This is what salvation is, liberation by and for that truth.  In many other ways also, Christ is Deliverer and Liberator.  He can free us from our sins and offer us the salvation of moving forward from them.  And in His Cross, in the Holy Communion offered to us, is even liberation from death, and an entire communion of saints in which we may also participate.  Let us note that when Christ speaks to the rich young ruler, teaching him to sell what he has, and to come and follow Him, this is also liberation from the things that tie him to a particular way of life and identification, so that he may be set free to truly follow God not simply in a legalistic sense, but in all the ways that Christ can offer, including the everlasting life the man asked for (Matthew 19:16–30; Mark 10:17–31; Luke 18:18–30).  Ultimately, Christ Himself is our truth, and it is the fullness of union -- in the wedding feast of our Bridegroom and the Church -- that takes us to the abundant life He promises.  But we need His truth, and the freedom it gives us, to get there. We need the confidence, healing, and strength we find in Him. 

 

 

 

 

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  

 

On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."

 

- John 6:16–27 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Christ's healing of a paralytic at the temple in Jerusalem, and His disputing with the religious authorities,  Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.  But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  Here is the fifth of seven signs we're given in St. John's Gospel.   As noted in the commentary as we began reading chapter 6, the entire chapter we're reading has parallels to the Exodus story (Exodus 11 - 17).  Here there is a parallel in that, in the Exodus, Moses leads the people across the Red Sea, walking on dry ground in the midst of the water (Exodus 14:15-31).  Here, Christ sends His disciples across the sea, and then walks on the sea as if it were dry ground.  In Christ's words, "It is I," we read the divine Name of God as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14. In the Greek of the Septuagint and of the Gospel, they are identical, literally "I AM" (Greek εγω ειμι/ego eimi), thus affirming His divinity as Son and Lord.

 

 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  In a certain sense, this is a continuation of the story from yesterday's reading (see above).  These are the people from whom He fled before, because He understood they were going to forcibly take Him and make Him king, after they'd been fed in the wilderness by Him.  Here they still desperately seek Him, so He turns and teaches them the truth.  This is another condescension of grace, in that He is feeding them the spiritual food they need.

 

As we began this chapter with the miraculous feeding in the wilderness of five thousand men -- and more women and children -- from a few loaves and fishes, so the theme of feeding and the food we eat becomes an important element to Christ's teaching here.  As He says, these people sought Him to make Him king not even because they saw the signs He's done, but because He gave them food ("because you ate of the loaves and were filled").   As we noted in yesterday's commentary, Jesus helps us (and the crowds) to understand that gifts from God are not simply "free food" or "free goodies" that we take on purely material terms.  There are values that go along with them, and God must be understood and approached within that particular context.  Just as we don't wish to have friends who abuse our hospitality, or relatives (for example) who consistently take without respect or the slightest consideration, so God also -- simply by being God -- commands a particular attitude.  Here Jesus begins to address their material orientation to what He has offered to them.  In this context, let us note that the astonishing miracle of walking on the water has been revealed to His disciples in the meantime.  This is a kind of privileged revelation; they are the ones closest to Him who presumably follow Him as disciples because they wish to learn from Him.  But this crowd chases Him to make Him king so that they will always be fed.  In His generosity and compassion, He now begins to feed them with the guidance they need, for they need to understand not only the One who they address, but even to understand their true needs from God.  Jesus gives them the grace of seeking to open their eyes to the spiritual reality in which we all live, but may fail to understand.  What is worthy of our hard work?  What comes first before all things?  In St. James' Epistle we read, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  Here Jesus teaches, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   Consider these words.  We labor after food for our earthly lives, but think about what Christ is offering them here.  There is a food He has which endures even to everlasting life, and only Christ, the Son of Man can give it to us -- "because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Effectively, He is teaching them that He has something much better to give, a food for everlasting life, even life more abundantly (John 10:10).  But this can come, not because they take Him by force to make Him king, but because they receive His teachings, and learn how to approach these gifts -- and our God -- appropriately, in the ways He can teach.  In the modern world, we are so used to a material frame for all things that we fail to grasp the significant values beyond all things we use, labor for, desire in our lives.  Everything comes with values attached to it, nothing comes in simply a void.  We live in a spiritual reality but often fail to notice it, and the things it asks of us all the time.  What or whom do we serve, and how?  What is appropriate to the God we say we worship?  It is remarkable to think about what all of that reflects about us and about our lives, but Jesus teaches that we'll give an account even for every idle word (Matthew 12:36).  So let us consider the reality of the ever-presence of our Creator, the Holy Trinity among us, and how we approach all the things in our lives, with what attitude we live and serve and find ourselves in life.  Most especially, He invites us to ask today, for what do we labor?  Let us remember that He is with us, all the time.

 

 

 

 

Come and see

 

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 

- John 1:43-51

 

Yesterday we read about the second and third day given in the Gospel of St. John.  On this day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.   And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

 

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  My study Bible comments here that no deceit means both having a pure heart and being straightforward with others.  

 

  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  It is not given to us what exactly happened under the fig tree (just as Christ's introduction to Philip is not detailed either).  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible reports, this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and Jesus here is praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in is search for the Messiah.  (See also Psalm 32:2, for this phrase of praise.)  Christ's foreknowledge and His ability to see into Nathanael's heart stir him to this confession of faith.  

 

Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."   And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  My study Bible explains that the title Son of Man is a title of the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning, indicating a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:13-14).  In an Old Testament prophecy, Jacob saw in a dream a ladder connecting earth to heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is this "ladder" uniting earth and heaven, and is therefore this Son of Man.  In today's reading, we are given the fourth day of Christ's public ministry.  Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael, who see Christ as the true Light; the One who was revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  According to my study Bible, this is a parallel to the fourth day of creation, in which was established the lesser and greater lights governing the night and the day respectively in Genesis 1:14-19.  

 

Jesus says of Nathanael, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  As we begun reading St. John's Gospel on Monday, from its beginning (the Prologue, or the first 18 verses; see Monday's reading and commentary) we have remarked upon the power of identity that is present as a theme in this Gospel.  Important, and essential, is not just Jesus' identity as Christ, both fully human and fully divine, but also the understanding necessary to our faith that Jesus has come Incarnate into the world in order to restore us to our true identity, our true humanity -- for, as St. Gregory Nazianzus teaches, what His divinity touches is healed, restored.  And this, in a nutshell, is the key to salvation.  It, in fact, is our salvation.  For even death, the last enemy, was trampled by Christ's death, crucified on the Cross for us so that we might be with Him (John 17:24).  Key to Christ's identity as Son of Man, and also to our identity -- which is only true found in Him and through Him -- is that He is the "knower of hearts" (John 2:23-25; Acts 1:24).  For, as Creator, who has made us in God's image and likeness, He has come to restore our true nature to us, lost through what is termed the "fallenness" of our world; that is, the effects of sin in our world and the struggles we therefore inherit and are born into.  But through the Incarnation, He brings His divinity to our humanity to restore us, to "save" us.  And this is what He sees in Nathanael.  When we hear Nathanael ask, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" it may sound like an off-hand insult to us, but in reality Nathanael knows that the Christ was not prophesied to come from Nazareth, or even the region of Galilee, and this is what his question is given in reference to.  But Nathanael is also one not to be pulled into something without discerning what it's all about first; he's what we might call a "straight shooter."  That is, one who's mouth speaks from the heart.  And this is a kind of purity that Jesus admires, calling Nathanael "an Israelite indeed."  Interestingly, Philip responds with just the words that will appeal to a straight shooter who needs to see for himself, "Come and see."  (Also intriguing is that these are Christ's words to Andrew, Simon, and the unnamed disciple from yesterday's reading, when He's asked by them where He's staying, "Come and see.")  Coincidentally, today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, in which Jesus plainly showed to His disciples who He truly is, His divine identity in all His glory.  In this perhaps we can all understand that every one of us is invited to "come and see," to find the life in Christ for ourselves, to be touched by His grace and healed, even as these disciples will grow into greater faith and dependence upon Christ throughout the rest of their lives.  For the Lord has come to dwell with us (and within us), so that we may learn to depend upon Him and grow into the grace that grows in us, weaning away what does not serve God's purposes and building in us that true image and likeness He has come to lead us into through participation in His life.  Let us also "come and see" for ourselves.

 

What further need do we have of witnesses?

 

 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"

 

- Matthew 26:57-68 

 

Yesterday we read that while Jesus was still speaking to His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

  And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  My study Bible explains that the people who testify against Jesus misunderstand His words which are reported in St. John's Gospel.  Speaking of the temple of His body, He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (see John 2:19-21).  My study Bible comments that some Jews believed the temple would be destroyed and a new one built by the Messiah.  

 

 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"  Jesus quotes from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13, my study Bible explains, confessing that He is the Messiah -- both fully Man and fully God, for only One who was divine could sit at the right hand of the Power, sharing authority with the Father.  It's clear that Jesus' statement was understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God the Father.  For a mere human being to claim this was punishable by death, my study Bible says (see Leviticus 24:16), but Jesus is not mere human being, and so His declaration of equality is not blasphemy.  

 

 It is interesting that Jesus tells the truth -- the plain and absolute truth -- and for that He is most penalized, and sentenced to death.  This is a court filled with false witnesses, those who lie.  But this one most innocent Witness Himself is condemned as He tells the open truth about Himself.  In that case, we must accept that it is the court which is therefore condemned here.  In this night trial (already a violation of the law), Jesus is condemned for blasphemy for stating the truth about Himself.  The others answer the high priest and claim about Jesus, "He is deserving of death."  But it should be understood that under the Roman occupation, the Sanhedrin could not carry out a capital punishment execution.  Therefore, among the other humiliations He will endure, Jesus is now subject to spitting, beating, and mocking the claim He's made by demanding "prophecies," asking, "Who struck You?"  The ultimate humiliation, of course, will come on the Cross, but that is something that will have to be done by the Romans, and we will witness Christ's trial before Pilate.  There also, Truth will be on trial, as we may read in St. John's Gospel (see John 18:37-38).  But here, we learn something very important about the Incarnation, and that is the power of the divine entering into our world, and its effects.  Jesus is the Person who is the truth (John 14:6).  Ultimately, in our understanding, what is real and true is measured against Him and His teachings . What is more powerful to consider is the fullness of the effects of the union of the human and the divine in the Incarnation, in Jesus Christ.  As these men put Him on trial, they feel they are the ultimate authority, and so they may be within the context of the society and its religious laws.  But because of who He is, they fail to understand that the ultimate authority in Him puts them on trial.  They will be accountable for what they do, and the blasphemy with which they charge Him is a charge that now may be levied upon them.  For in denying the reality of Christ, they deny the reality of God's presence, even the work of the Holy Spirit in their midst.  Ultimately this is where the Cross will lead, for all the forces -- both spiritual and human -- seeking to crucify Jesus will effectively be judged through the Cross, thus leading to our salvation and the defeat of the devil and death.  We Christians use the Cross as our symbol for precisely this reason, for it is the ultimate symbol of victory in the defeat of evil and death in our world.  Even at His Crucifixion, Jesus will hold out forgiveness for all, but we must remember that forgiveness is received and realized through repentance, and that's a journey we each must make.  Let us consider how truth is on trial, and the one Person telling the truth is condemned here, for it shows us a picture of evil, in which the world and logic and reality are upside down, for we all may go through times such as these where the innocent are condemned.  Let us stand with His truth in all that we do as well, despite the suffering -- with Him always -- that may come.

 

 

 

 

 

Rabbi, is it I?

 

 Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"  And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.  

 

When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.  Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"  He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"  He said to him, "You have said it." 

 

- Matthew 26:17-25 

 

Yesterday we read that, when Jesus had finished His full discourse on the end times and the judgment at His return (Matthew 24 - 25), He said to His disciples, "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."  Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."  And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.  But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?  For this fragrant oil might have been sold and given to the poor."  But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman?  For she has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.  For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."  Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?"  And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.  So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

 

  Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"  And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.  My study Bible tells us that the Passover commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the Land of Promise.  It prefigures the Passion of Christ, it notes, the new Passover (Greek Πασχα/Pascha), which is God's redemption of all humanity from sin and death, and entrance into the promised Kingdom.  It states that whether the first day of the Feast was Passover or the day before Passover is debated among patristic opinion.  But what is truly certain is that Jesus regarded this meal with the disciples to be the Passover meal.  

 

 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.  Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"  He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"  He said to him, "You have said it."  My study Bible notes here that the words "it is written of Him" do not cancel the responsibility of Judas.  It comments that God foresees but does not cause the evil actions of human beings, who always have free will.  Here Jesus allows Judas to accuse himself, but even though he hears that Christ knows of his deception, Judas does not repent. 

 

It's quite stunning to read the responses of the disciples to Jesus announcement that one of them will betray Him.  He says as they eat, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."  Note that the text tells us that each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"  Think of the humility this offers to Christ, and perhaps as example to us as well.  It's a horrible thought, and yet each asks if it would be himself.  It's an acknowledgement that each is capable of sin one might not even wish to consider, and that these disciples have the humility to understand they are fallible and to follow their Lord.  Then Jesus says, ""He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  It's possible that each of them has "dipped his hand" with Christ in the dish, as this is common to the Middle Eastern table to this day.  It's another indication of betrayal of a particular depth, as they have truly shared this meal together.  Jesus casts this dire warning, that regardless of what is written of Him, only woe lies ahead for the one by whom He is betrayed.  So much so, that it would be good for that man if he had not been born.  Then Judas picks this moment to ask the same question himself that the others have asked in humility, "Rabbi, is it I?"  What was He thinking?  We can ponder all we want, but clearly Jesus is as yet still trying to save Judas by giving His terrible warning of the consequences of such a betrayal.  Perhaps Judas is only testing Christ, seeing if He has the knowledge of what Judas has done.  Perhaps he's trying to blend in with the other disciples in mimicking their behavior and acting as one of them in order to hide what he's done from them.  There are other speculations that people have made throughout history, even suggesting possibly that Judas is part of a conspiracy to create a revolution against the Romans.  But there's no doubt about Christ's words of woe and warning of judgment.  We might notice, also, that the other disciples address Him as Lord.  But Judas calls Him "Rabbi" or "Teacher."  When Judas asks his question, all Jesus replies is, "You have said it."  Jesus will use this phraseology elsewhere also within this span of the few days contemporaneous with our present readings.  When the high priest demands of Him, "Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus will reply with the identical words response, they are the same in the Greek.  When Pilate asks Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  His answer is almost identical but for the tense; Jesus replies, "You say so."  There is a strange inversion of words and their meaning taking place in all of this, in this time of great evil.  The truth is there in plain sight, even in the language people use, despite their intended meaning.  And so it is with Judas, for as Jesus tells him, he has said it.  Judas still has time to repent, to turn back, to change his mind.  We will see that even at the very moment of betrayal (with a kiss), Jesus will try to save Judas, asking, "Friend, why have you come?"  In all of this time of evil, of an upside-down kind of reality that begins to bear down upon Jesus and press for His death, Jesus, the Logos, will still be telling the truth.  His words will continue to have meaning that is direct and true, when so many others will fail through manipulation and deceit, even denial.  Let us pay close attention to what is at hand, even through our own times of trial and temptation.

 

 

 

 

 

Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 

- Matthew 25:31–46 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been teaching the disciples about the end times and the destruction of the temple, beginning with this reading from Thursday last week.    Yesterday we read that Jesus gave the disciples the parable of the Talents, giving us all the understanding of how we are to conduct ourselves as faithful until He returns:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'   His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and  gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."  Today's reading gives us what my study Bible calls the majestic climax of Christ's discourse on end times.  What He teaches in today's reading isn't simply a parable, it notes, but a prophecy of the universal judgment that will indeed come.  As the Cross is now near Christ, Jesus raises His hearers to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat and the whole world gathered around Him.  And not only the world as we think of it in our daily physical sense, but the whole of the cosmos, the created order, for the holy angels are with Him as well.  We should bear in mind that the angels are also witnesses as well, for they have been with us from the foundation of the world (verse 34; see also Matthew 13:35).

 

"And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  My study Bible explains that Christ uses sheep to illustrate the righteous, because they follow His voice and they are gentle and productive.  It says that goats indicate the unrighteous, as they don't follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which represent sin.  

 

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: . . . "  Inherit, my study Bible teaches us, is a term used with regard to sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants, for the righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  

 

". . . for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' "  My study Bible comments that the standard of judgment set down here is uncalculated mercy toward others.  The works that are produced by faith are emphasized, for saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do reflects our true inner state.  The least, it says, refers to all the poor and needy.  But we are to understand that the needs described here include both physical and spiritual needs.  Therefore, the hungry or thirsty are not only those who need food and drink, but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "   My study Bible notes that the fact that Jesus says the fire was prepared for the devil shows that God did not create hell for human beings.  Rather, people choose this torment by their coldness of heart.  

 

When the Lord, the Son of Man, addresses the sheep in this parable of judgment upon His return, that is,  the righteous, telling them of their acts of mercy, they ask, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"   Jesus says that the King will answer them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."  The wording of this response invites us to ask, who are the Lord's "brethren?"  This is an important question, for although Christ who is the Judge knows the righteous from the unrighteous, we cannot distinguish this clearly.  We cannot make the judgment that He does, for only He knows the thoughts of all people, their hearts (Matthew 9:4; Acts 1:24).  This is an important distinction, because we only see partially, but in this parable it is made clear that what is at hand is all that is and was and even, indeed, what will be.  Only One with this perspective is able to judge.  So when Jesus speaks of His brethren, we must consider the righteous, and Jesus' perspective.  According to patristic commentary, "the righteous will be clothed with the leaves of eternal life and adorned with the fruit of glory. In this way they will be separated by the heavenly shepherd and Lord. The earthly shepherd separates animals by their type of body, whereas Christ separates people by their type of soul."  And so, the state of the soul is seen by the Lord, and this He illustrates as the gentle sheep rather than the capricious goats. St. Chrysostom notes that it is the very mercy shown by those whom Jesus calls sheep that sets the standard by which judgment happens, indicating how we also play a role in this grand plan of salvation "from the foundation of the world."  Lest we take the parable too literally, we should understand the depths of its meanings in that, first and foremost, in the mission of Christ's disciples the stranger is clothed and welcomed with Christ and in Christ, and thus becomes "brethren."  St. Paul also speaks of this unification of strangers in Christ as those who put on "tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering" and "love," indicating what it means to do all "in the name of Christ" (see Colossians 3:12-17). Elsewhere, He writes, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).  Indeed, we may go directly to Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan, which is the answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?"  For He teaches there that the neighbor is one who acts as a neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).  Among patristic commentary, there is a great deal of emphasis placed upon the spiritual aspect of Christ's words, in that we also feed, clothe, liberate, and assist those in spiritual prisons with the wisdom and love of God, the truth of Christ that frees, and the comfort of His love which we first receive and then share with others.  See 1 John 4:7-19.  Let us put on the clothing of Christ, even the full armor of God, as St. Paul teaches, for this is how we will know and be known.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

 

 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

 

- Matthew 16:21-28 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

 

  From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  My study Bible informs us that, after St. Peter's confession (see yesterday's reading, above), Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship:  the mystery of His Passion.   It was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to St. Peter and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).  Here St. Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, for the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save humankind through suffering and death.  

 

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  According to my study Bible, the cross, a dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.  It says that we practice self-denial for the sake of the love of God and the gospel.  To accept this suffering is not a punishment, and neither is it an end in itself.  This is, in fact, a means by which to overcome the fallen world for the sake of the Kingdom and to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).  

 

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."  My study Bible calls this the central paradox of Christian living: in grasping for temporal things, we lose the eternal -- but in sacrificing everything in this world, we gain eternal riches that are unimaginable (1 Corinthians 2:9).

 

 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."  Jesus asks, "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  My study Bible comments that this question emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power, as none of these things can redeem a fallen soul, nor will it benefit a person in the life to come.  

 

"Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."  My study Bible tells us that this is a reference to something that occurs in the reading to follow; it refers to those who would witness the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), and also those in every generation who will experience the presence of God's Kingdom.

 

Jesus speaks in a powerful way about exchange.   Jesus says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  If we look closely at today's reading, Jesus is addressing this problem of St. Peter insisting that Jesus should not die, should not go to His death on the Cross, His Passion, and therefore all that follows.  While each of us can understand St. Peter's perhaps horrified response to this news that Jesus will be put to death in this horrific and scandalous way, it is nonetheless that St. Peter is responding in the voice of Satan.  That is, there is a taught contradiction between how God will work in the world to bring all to the possibility of salvation and eternal life, and the purely human, secular perspective about what is good and what should not happen.  St. Peter wants to preserve the life of Jesus, his Lord, at all costs.  But Jesus is, in fact, Lord, and Christ teaches what will happen and must happen, as hard as it might be to bear, to hear, to accept.  And St. Peter, like all the rest of us, must be prepared to make that exchange between his personal human point of view, and the one that God, the Lord, is showing to him.  That is a leap of faith that would be tremendously difficult for any of us to make in the same circumstances, I would dare to say.  But nevertheless, we know who Christ is, and that He speaks with the voice of God and teaches the reality of God in the world.  ("He who has seen Me has seen the Father" - John 14:9.  So, in some sense to deny what Christ is teaching them about what must come is not simply speaking with the voice (or desire) of Satan, but also blasphemy against the Spirit.  And here, further, through St. Peter, as happens in so many instances (but most notably after his denial of Christ outside the home of the high priest in Matthew 26:69-75), we find that even a kind of blasphemy of the Spirit is forgivable through repentance, for we know that St. Peter repents of his words to Christ here.  And this is the remarkable thing about the Gospels and about St. Peter, for simply imagine enduring such a rebuke from Christ, in front of his fellow disciples, as to be called "Satan" by the Lord.  While St. Peter's impulsiveness and even enthusiasm seem to occasionally get him into trouble (such as his changeable response to Christ washing his feet at the Last Supper; see John 13:5-10), the one constant we do see is his devotion to Christ, and in particular, his capacity for humility -- in both enduring the rebuke in today's reading and continuing as apostle, and in his return to all of them and to Christ following his humiliating failure in his three-time denial of Christ while Jesus was on trial inside the home of the high priest.  It is St. Peter who teaches us so much about the continuing journey of our faith in Christ, to return in repentance and continue with Christ.  Eventually, we know that St. Peter accepts the unacceptable, even asking to be crucified himself upside down so as not to be considered equal to his Master.  St. Peter comes to embody the principle of Christ's teaching in today's reading.  He willingly, through his life and the living of his faith, finds his life by losing it for Christ's sake -- and this happens not only literally in St. Peter's death, but also figuratively in so many ways throughout his life.  In today's reading, Jesus says, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? "  St. Peter answers Christ's questions for us with a depth of affirmation that there is nothing more precious in the whole world than the value of the soul, and the life to be found in Christ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father

 

 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Matthew 13:36-43 

 

 We are reading through chapter 13 of St. Matthew's Gospel, in which Jesus begins to preach in parables to the crowds.  Yesterday we read another parable which He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." 

 

  Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Here again Jesus explains the parable in private to His disciples, while it was preached in public to the crowds.  This parable builds on the previous parable of the Sower, while we can find His giving of the parable of the tares of the field here.  As Jesus explains to His disciples, the enemy who sows the seeds of the tares is the wicked one, the devil, and the tares (or weeds) represent his "sons."  As previously explained when we read the parable, tares are weeds that closely resemble wheat, but they are indigestible for human beings, inedible.  The wheat represent the sons of the kingdom; those who feed on God's word and live it and become sons by grace.  Jesus indicates that all grow together in the world, until the end of the age.  Here He teaches that it is He, the Son of Man, who will send out his angels to be reapers, gathering all -- those things that offend and those who practice lawlessness, to be thrown into the furnace of fire.  Then, He says, the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

 

As was noted in the reading and commentary of His giving of the parable to the crowds (see Thursday's reading),  my study Bible explains that as falsehood came after truth and false prophets after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  In this parable, the weeds (tares) appear to be similar to the wheat, and this is the way that lies so often present themselves, as half-truths or perhaps we may call them "crooked truths."  Heresies are such.  It also explains why the Church does not condemn nominal members or judges those who are outside of it (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  As the wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment.  It's important to remember at least two things about this parable.  First, the tares are so many, and so intermixed among the good wheat, that they can't be removed before the time of the full harvest.  Second, that as human beings, we don't live in a steady state of being.  We are changeable beings.  Indeed, salvation itself is only possible because of this quality of change and changeability, which is linked to our living in time and not in an eternal state.  Our lives are lived moment by moment.  At any particular moment, we might get a very partial picture of ourselves.  Therefore, judgment cannot happen through our limited perspective, for just as my study Bible indicates, we don't know that if ultimately people will come to salvation, no matter where they are or how they are at any given moment (or how they seem to be to us, for only Christ fully knows the hearts of people).  We don't have the full picture; that belongs to Christ.  And since we are time-bound beings (we live in time), and salvation and repentance are always available to people, we simply don't know the final outcome of anyone's life.  It's also important to know that this furnace of fire is the same fire of the Holy Spirit that we know, but so much depends upon our own acceptance of where God would lead us in terms of the fulfillment of who we can be as "sons of God."  What we cling to is what burns in this fire if we cannot dwell within it, if we are not compatible with it in the kingdom of heaven.  But let us take heed of the wicked one, and know that we are meant to be responsible for what we learn and accept from God, for so much depends upon the seed we keep and nurture and take in, and which grows in us -- to become sons of the kingdom, or of the wicked one.  For this is also our malleable capacity. and our freedom to choose what we love in our hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

But that you may know that the son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house"

 

 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.  

 

- Matthew 9:1-8 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples had come to the other side of the Sea of Galilee after a frighteningly stormy crossing, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away i"nto the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

 

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.  Here Jesus has returned from the country of the Gergesenes (see yesterday's reading, above) to Capernaum, "His own city" by virtue of it being His ministry "headquarters," with so much activity focused from St. Peter's family home there.  

 

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?  But that you may know that the son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.  My study Bible comments that, as shown by the healing of the paralytic, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation.  Faith is collective as well as personal, it notes, for the faith of the paralytic's friends helped in his healing.  There are three signs of divinity manifest here, which were already known to the Jews.  First, Jesus knows the secrets of hearts (He is the "heart-knower" in the Greek language of the New Testament); see 3 Kings 15:7; 2 Chronicles 6:30.  He forgives sins, which is a power belonging to God alone (Mark 2:7); and He heals by the power of His word (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 107:20).  

 

 It's interesting that we're told in today's reading, Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. This power is Christ's healing power, a sign of divinity.  But it's quite important that people marvel that God had given such power to men -- for this is the truth of the Incarnation, and of Christ's Ascension to come.  Indeed, this is the one thing to truly marvel at:  that God became human, and so we in turn can become like God, through grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit for this purpose.  There is a deep clue here that the people take note of something marvelous; if only they would consider a little further, for the signs of Christ's divinity are there, as my study Bible notes.  There are more hints here about how God works among us human beings.  For it's the prayers of his friends that help the paralytic sufferer be healed by Christ.  Paralysis, many patristic commentators remind us, is akin to sin, for it means we are "stuck" in something we need to change in order to grow closer to God.  It's often used as a kind of euphemism for sin in this context.  Jesus brings us this parallel, when He asks, "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?"  He is giving us this sense of paralysis as being of both soul and body, and He goes on to heal both at the same time.  St. John Chrysostom writes of this passage, "Do you see how He is shown to be Creator of both souls and bodies? He heals the paralysis in both soul and body. The healing of the soul is made evident through the healing of the body, even while the body still remains a creature crawling on the ground."  He later adds, "The crowds were slow to recognize who He was … He proceeded by His daily actions to arouse them and lift up their thinking. It would have been no small thing for Him to be thought greater than all others, as having come from God. If they had established this adequately in their own minds, they would have known in due order that He was indeed the Son of God."  Paralysis invites us to think about the times we are stuck -- with old thinking, habits we need to change, change we need to make but just can't come to terms with.  Sometimes we can be so stuck that we fail to see even where God is leading us.  To be true paralyzed is the equivalent of a stony, hardened heart, unable to perceive the things we need to see and to realize, even to save our lives or allow the healing of our souls (Matthew 13:13-15).  Sometimes it's fear that keeps in this hard, dark place; often it may simply be prejudice, a core belief we fail to let go in the face of God and our prayer.  Often we resist change.  But we may always turn and be healed, for He is always calling for us.  Or perhaps, like the paralyzed man, we may be lucky enough to have friends to help us to get there.

 

 

 

 

Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?

 

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

 

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

 

- Matthew 8:18-27 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."  And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."  The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.  But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!  And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you."  And his servant was healed that same hour.  Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever.  So He touched her hand, and the fever left her.  And she arose and served them. When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed.  And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." 

 

And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  My study Bible comments that, since the term Son of Man refers to the Messiah (Daniel 7:13), it is an expression of both His humanity and His divinity.  Here it's a reference to Jesus' human condition; in Matthew 25:31-33 it describes His divine authority.

 

 Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  My study Bible says that Jesus is not negating the command to honor parents, but rather teaching us to put the things of the Kingdom as our highest priority.  Those who ignore this priority are spiritually dead.  

 

 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"  Similarly to His healing miracles, Christ's mastery over creation on display here is another sign that He is the Messiah and is divine.  Jesus issues commands to the sea and the waves; my study Bible comments that such can only be issued by God (Job 38:8-11; Psalm 66:5-6, 107:29).  It further notes that Jesus was asleep because, as a human being, He needed rest.  In His Incarnation we see that Jesus assumed all the natural actions of human flesh, of which sleep is one.  This image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is traditionally used to illustrate the Church.  My study Bible concludes that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see God's protection more clearly.  Christ's rebuke of this storm is also an illustration of His calming the tempests in the human soul.  

 

Who can this be, indeed?  This is the question we are supposed to ask (see Matthew 16:15).   In yesterday's reading and commentary, we discussed the question of authority.  Christ has no earthly sign of authority in the sense that He is not a well-known rabbi, not a Levitical priest, not a member of the Sanhedrin or ruling Council.  He comes from a humble background (the carpenter's son), from a seemingly small and not noteworthy town (Can anything good come out of Nazareth?).  So authority on worldly terms is not something Jesus commands.  And yet, He speaks with authority and astonishes people in so doing (Matthew 7:28-29).  We might call it, from a human perspective, a surprising paradox.  One without authority speaks with authority (even as Judge), heals with authority, and here commands even the wind and the sea.  He acts with authority.  Yesterday we read about the centurion, a clear image of worldly authority, yet who has greater faith than any Christ had found in Israel.  In that reading (see above), it was Jesus' turn to marvel.  And yet, in today's reading, He speaks about the cost of discipleship.  He says, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  He even speaks of leaving family behind -- even family obligations -- when necessary to do so for the Kingdom.  "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead" is a command He gives indicating the first priority of the spiritual life; perhaps indicating this is particularly true if what is left behind is spiritually dead.  But all of this indicates putting the spiritual life first, as first priority, as my study Bible says.  It is this perspective that we need on our worldly lives, and for making our choices in our lives.  Let's note that almost everything Jesus does calls for courage.  This is not only true for Jesus but also for His disciples, those who follow Him.  The story of crossing the stormy Sea of Galilee teaches us this quite vividly.  This is not to say that faithful Christians should take unnecessary risks or avoid thoughtful planning in what they do.  But it does teach us than when our faith calls us to something, then that becomes first priority, and faith must carry us through even the risks we encounter.  Most of all, we call upon Christ in prayer, even when God feels to us to be "sleeping."  Our faith rests upon that guidance, and in the case described in today's reading, it is Jesus who is leading these seasoned fishermen across the sea, even though they fear for their lives.  Perhaps our faith journey will take us through many difficult passages of life, in which we fear loss to ourselves in one way or another.  Jesus Himself has no home; this is something human beings universally have need of and fear to lose.  The man who must leave family obligations behind to follow Jesus will fear the loss of family connections, also a universal need in human beings.  But this "natural" fear of human life in these cases runs contrary to where the spiritual life is calling, and so faith must be the resounding answer, and the risk taken in faith.  Jesus' crossing the Sea of Galilee speaks clearly to this point, when Jesus asks the disciples, ""Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" We are reminded once more in today's reading that authority is practiced appropriately when it is reflective of the qualities of the authority we find in Christ; and above all we know that God is love, God heals on all levels (for this also includes salvation and redemption), and God leads us to become more like God -- to reflect our true nature.  That is, God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).  As we will see in the following reading, this journey across the tempestuous sea is for a reason, heading toward a particular and spectacular healing, and spiritual battle.  Let us follow Him in faith in our own lives.  We will always be challenged by the perspective of the worldly and authoritative without Christ; our faith is to live His priorities first.