This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased

 

 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are you coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him. 

 

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;  and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

 

- Matthew 3:13–17 

 

Yesterday we read that when St. John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

 

 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are you coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  My study Bible comments that Jesus does not need purification.  But by making the purification of humanity His own, several things are accomplished.  He washes away humanity's sin, grants regeneration, and reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity.  So, therefore, His baptism was necessary for the fulfillment of God's righteous plan of salvation.  Gregory of Nyssa is quoted here as saying, "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful, waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."   

 

 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;  and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  Just as the Spirit of God hovered over the waters at the first creation (Genesis 1:2), so now the Holy Spirit comes in the form of a dove in order to anoint the Messiah, the Son of God, at the beginning of the new creation.  My study Bible explains that Jesus does not become the Son of God on this day.  Instead we are to understand that this as a revelation given to all on this day that He is the Son of God.  The Holy Spirit has always rested upon Christ; this is an eternal reality (see John 1:1).  In the Orthodox Tradition, the feast day of Epiphany (meaning manifestation or revelation) or Theophany (meaning a manifestation of God) is celebrated on January 6th and commemorates this day.  In the very early Church, on this day was also celebrated Christ's Nativity (Christmas), coupled with Theophany or Epiphany.  In the Armenian Apostolic Church, these two feast days were never separated and remain celebrated on January 6th; that is, the beginning of Christ's earthly life is celebrated together with the beginning of His public ministry. 

 

"And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  This is a quotation from Psalm 2:7:  "You are My Son, / Today I have begotten You."  My study Bible asks us to note how the Baptism of Jesus reveals the great mystery of the Trinity:  the Father speaks; the Holy Spirit descends; the Incarnate Son is baptized.  

 

 "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Right from the beginning, St. Matthew's Gospel tells us these important things about Jesus:  that He is the Son, that He is the Second Person of the Trinity, that He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.  It is this claiming of identity as Son for which He will be judged a blasphemer and handed over to be crucified by the Roman authorities on a false charge of treason against Caesar (Matthew 26:64-65).  For most of His ministry, Jesus will take precautions against revealing this secret openly and fully, for even His disciples will have to come to know and to understand Him.  Moreover the popular expectations of the Messiah among the people interfere with the grasping of the true nature of His ministry, mission, and Kingdom.  But we believers are let in on this secret, this reality that is hidden yet revealed in Christ's baptism at the Jordan by St. John the Baptist.  It is "manifest," it "shows forth" as the Greek words Epiphany and Theophany indicate.  It's an interesting angle to ponder that as Christ asserts to John the Baptist that it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness, so this showing forth of true reality breaking through our perception of life is manifest.  It's another dimension of the reality of Christ's baptism to ponder the spiritual significance of His being submerged in the waters, and coming up to begin His ministry:  Just as He will "trample death by death" (as the Orthodox Easter hymn declares) in His Passion and Crucifixion, so by going into the depth of the waters it is not He who spiritually dies to be reborn but rather He sanctifies the waters of the world for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire that He is to bring into the world.  Moreover as He rises from the waters so a new reality -- not for Him, but for all people -- is made manifest, shown forth, revealed.  Christ will call His own death a baptism (Matthew 20:22), and here we have a foreshadowing of all that His death and Resurrection will achieve and mean, ongoing for the world to come.  Jesus' ministry will balance His need for secrecy regarding His identity with His care and nurturing of His disciples, growing His ministry, sending them out as apostles, until the time comes for His Passion and open confrontation in Jerusalem.  Let us watch Him evolve His ministry and mission, teaching as He must, midst the challenges He will face, and the fullness of His gospel and the Kingdom He brings closer for us all.

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  

 

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 

- Matthew 12:22-32 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus knew that the Pharisees have now begun to plot against Him to destroy Him, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out,  nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust."

 

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."   According to Fr. Stephen De Young (who has written a recent book on the ancient god Baal), Beelzebub is a deliberate corruption of the name "Beelzebul."  Beelzebul is the Greek transliteration of an Aramaic title for the god Baal, and its meaning is "Baal is lord" or "the great god Baal."  But Beelzebub is a title given by the Jews to ridicule the god Baal, and its meaning is "lord of the flies." Given Baal's association with the underworld, this could be a reference to rotting corpses, or possibly due to his image as that of a bull, with animal excrement; thus, "lord of the dung heap."  Baal was a god worshiped by the Philistines (see 2 Kings 1:2-16).  But here he is called ruler of the demons.  My study Bible comments that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus. 

 

 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."  My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  It says that a sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit is a blasphemy against the divine activity known from the Old Testament already to these men.  It will not be forgiven because it comes fro a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  But my study Bible adds that the Church Fathers are clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin'; nor does Jesus ever call this sin "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Christ makes this declaration in today's reading knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that by their own choice they are beyond repentance.

 

In the Nicene Creed, we call the Holy Spirit "the Lord, the Creator of Life."  Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13).  The Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit, with which all services are begun, reads as follows:  "Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all stain, O Good One."  Each of these things gives us a hint about the Holy Spirit.  Genesis 1:2 tells us, "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."  Thus we understand the Spirit as the One who gives life, who anointed Christ (an eternal reality made visible at His Baptism), who is active in the world and among us.  It is this activity of the Spirit, known to the Pharisees who now condemn Jesus' works as evil and demonic, that Christ says is a sin to condemn, to blaspheme.  To do so is an expression of hatred against goodness itself.  Perhaps we could call it the ultimate lie.  Why do people resist the good?  Why do people respond with hatred for what is good among them?  The answers to these questions may give us clues about what might be even a deeper mystery:  What is it that makes someone beyond repentance?  My study Bible says that Jesus makes this statement about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit knowing that, because of their choices, the men who make this accusation are now beyond repentance.  This implies that the power of our own minds, the power of our choices, can render us beyond help because we've gone so far down a particular trail that we will not perceive the options to reverse ourselves.  At least, this is the explanation that seems likely.  Perhaps we can be buried in our own thoughts of hatred and enmity so deeply that we no longer see clearly other possible options.  In the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, we're told that Pilate knew the religious leaders handed Christ over to him for crucifixion out of envy (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10).  In chapter 2 of the Wisdom of Solomon (also known as the Book of Wisdom), we read all about the hatred of the good, and the envy of the devil through which death entered the world (Wisdom of Solomon 2; see especially verse 24).  So out of envy, we know, such blind hatred can come that not only causes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but an enmity that has no capacity to turn itself around of its own power.  It is, perhaps, only a mind open to the Spirit which is capable of repentance, for the Spirit indwells us through Baptism, which begins our journey with Christ.  Jesus tells the disciples at the Last Supper that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, "because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17).  "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26).  Let us remember the Holy Spirit and the good works of God in our lives.  Only Christ can judge, for He is the One who knows people's hearts.  The good and true and beautiful path for the soul is to Him.   Let us pray that we always stay on it, and are guided back when we take the wrong way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 

 

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age or in the age to come." 

- Matthew 12:22-32 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus knew that the Pharisees began to plot how they could destroy Him, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust." 

 

  Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  My study Bible explains that Beelzebub, which was another name for a form of Baal, was the prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."  This was a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Here, he is called the ruler of the demons.  The impossibility of demons fighting against themselves, my study Bible says, illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.  

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age or in the age to come."   To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit means blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  A sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven, my study Bible says, because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity these men know from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven, as it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  My study Bible says that the Church Fathers are clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin"; nor does Jesus ever call it "unforgivable."  St. John Chrysostom teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible claims that Jesus makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine good "evil," and are beyond repentance by their own choice. 

We see the Pharisees use a rather typical reaction to someone they feel is a threat to their power and authority.  They accuse Jesus of "playing for the other team," so to speak.  They cannot accept that He acts by the "hand" or "finger of God (the Spirit of God, as it says in the text), so they must accuse Him of working with demons.  In particular they name "Beelzebub," another name for a localized god Baal of the Old Testament.  Baal was an extremely commonly worshiped god in ancient times, and had names that varied throughout the Near and Middle East.  Here, as my study Bible says, he is seen as a demon, even the ruler of the demons (the name Baal means "lord").  But Jesus counteracts with a quite simple -- and important -- argument of His own.  How can He be working with demons by throwing out demons (exorcising them)?  Why would the demons act against their own?  As Jesus puts it, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?"  Jesus frames exorcism as part of a spiritual warfare, framing it as one kingdom fighting against another.  "Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house."  He goes on to make it very clear that, in fact, He is the "stronger man" who works with the Spirit of God.  Moreover, it is His power that is truly authoritative.  So much so, that He will displace all others:  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  This notion of kingdom-against-kingdom is important, for in some sense this is how we understand the action of the Kingdom of God, that it is meant to displace the one called "the prince" (Ephesians 2:2) or "god" (2 Corinthians 4:4) or "ruler of this world" (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11).  So it would seem that what is important is that we understand Christ's kingdom to be under a different ruler, with different aims, goals, and identity of those who would be its citizens.  In that framework, what we are to understand is that citizenship in Christ's kingdom involves a participation in His work, His "code," so to speak, His goals, and approved actions.  What that means is that when we participate in doing good, on Christ's terms, then we participate in His kingdom. When we pray, when we do charitable deeds, or fast in His name, we are acting in faith in Christ.  When we pray an hours service in our home, attend a liturgy, participate in the sacraments of the Church, we do much more than we're aware of in this "kingdom" battle, for the Spirit of God and God's own angels also facilitate what humans participate in.  We should remember that this is also called an "unseen warfare."  We do not need to conquer all the evil we see in a physical sense to be doing our part.  As St. Paul says, we each have our own role to play in the Body of Christ.  That sense of acting "in His name" is the same sense in which kingdoms, powers, countries act in the "name" of their own allegiance to a government or a ruler, as the case may be.  Doing evil things, on the other hand, means participating in this other "kingdom" that does not act for the good of human beings, and is against the God of love (1 John 4:8).  At this time, these are the things we really must consider.  Whose kingdom do we wish to support in this world?  In whose rule and judgment do we wish to participate?  How can we ourselves be part of the kingdom of God, and by this participation, strengthen it in the world?  As we look around ourselves and our world, let us simply think how important this choice, this participation in the work of the Holy Spirit is at this time.  For we are given these teaching by Christ for a reason, and maybe for just such a time.  Let us also remember what it is to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, against pure goodness, and what it is on the contrary, to see to live and participate in God's mercy and goodness in this world, even if we also see what is evil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased

 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

- Matthew 3:13-17

Yesterday we read that, as he preached repentance in the wilderness of Judea, when John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  My study bible explains here that Jesus does not need purification.  It says that by making the purification of humanity His own, He would wash away humanity's sin, grant regeneration, and also reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity.  Therefore, this particular Baptism is fitting to fulfill God's righteous plan of salvation.  Gregory of Nyssa is quoted by my study bible:  "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."

Then he allowed Him.  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  The Spirit of God hovered over the water at the first creation in Genesis 1:2.  Here the Holy Spirit comes in the form of a dove in anointing the Messiah, the Son of God, at the beginning of the new creation.  My study bible makes the important point that this anointing does not make Jesus the Son of God upon this day.  Instead it is understood as a revelation of Christ's true identity to the world.  The Holy Spirit has always rested upon the Son.  On January 6th, the Orthodox Churches celebrate a feast day known as Epiphany (meaning, in Greek, manifestation or revelation) or Theophany (meaning a manifestation of God).  This celebration both commemorates this day and points to the age to come.  In the earliest years of the Church, this event was commemorated on the same day as Nativity, and this is still the case of the Armenian Apostolic Church.  We understand through such that Christ's birth into the world, and this beginning of His ministry (and thus also the beginning of "end times" - the age in which we still live)  are understood in the same sense.  Thus is "all righteousness" fulfilled, as Jesus indicates.

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."   This quotation is from Psalm 2:7:  "You are My Son, / Today I have begotten You."  In Christ's Baptism at the Jordan, the great mystery of the Holy Trinity is revealed:  the Father speaks, the Holy Spirit descends, and the Incarnate Son is baptized.

Let us consider what revelation is; in this case, the revelation of the Holy Trinity takes place at Jesus' Baptism.  Does that mean that this is the first time the Holy Trinity exists?  No, it does not.  Neither does it mean that Christ became "beloved Son" on this day.  The words of God the Father about the beloved Son, "in whom I am well pleased" give us a sense not only of the Father's love of the Son, but also of the ministry which is begun in a way fitting to fulfill all righteousness.  The revelation is to us, it is "good news" to us, something to startle the world -- and perhaps something "hidden from the foundation of the world" (13:35).  The Trinity exists in an eternal state, without beginning discernible in the sense in which we could understand it.  Therefore what is revealed to human beings is that which has existed since before time -- before the world as we know it and experience it.  But Christ's Baptism helps to fulfill all righteousness by manifesting this eternal truth and reality into our world, so that we can understand it and move toward that fulfillment in ourselves as well.  And this is the reality of prophetic revelation:  it gives us something that may be eternal, but it is something of which we are either ignorant or need to be reminded.  In this light, from the beginning of our faith, and before, it has been understood that time exists in at least two different states.  There is the time of this world and of our lives, in which we grow as human beings, moving from one choice to another, from one understanding or state to another.  And then there is the "time" of God which is no time at all, but outside of time as we understand it, an eternal reality, from "before" time existed.  As such, we might consider time itself as a gift to us, as a sense in which we might grow and change, and to have time for repentance.  It is also necessary to our own gift of free will; that is, so that we may exercise our own choices for direction in life, for choosing that in which we place our trust, and that in which we don't.  In these senses, Christ's Baptism in the Jordan by John opens up for us all considerations of all of creation and why it exists, and also our place, seemingly in the middle of it.  For if the waters for Christian baptism are sanctified through the Baptism of Christ by John, then time indeed seems to double back upon itself in which we might even consider a type of Eucharistic sense:  God gave us the world and everything in it, but when those waters are given to God through Christ's Baptism by a human being, God returns them to us sanctified for baptism with the Holy Spirit (see in yesterday's reading, above, the Baptist's words about the Christ:  "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire").  Therefore time as we know it, and time as it exists in an eternal sense of Father, Son, and Spirit intersect.  In our liturgies we commemorate the sacrifice of Christ for the love of the world, and over and over again, as such, time continues to intersect, even as we celebrate and worship with the angels of heaven.  In this way we know creation as both a gift and also fitting for sacrifice -- and to be returned to us with God's greater blessing and grace.  And so it is that this teaches us how each of us can live our lives.  What do you have in your life that you would like redeemed, blessed, sanctified, returned to you with greater blessing from the Lord?  He is baptized in the waters of the earth and sanctifies them for us all for the blessing of our baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Do you have a problem that needs help?  Give that -- even in sacrifice -- to the Lord.  Do you have a blessing such as may be considered personal wealth?  Then do the same.  Are you blessed with certain talents and gifts, or perhaps with what you consider to be handicaps, one way and another?  Then "sacrifice" them, any and all, to the Lord, and see how the Lord returns it to you.  Through the Baptism, we understand the revelation of the Lord and of the Holy Trinity, not as something merely given to us just then, but as something which intersects our world through our own capacity for interaction and worship, to reveal what we need and what is good for us, what it is that truly blesses us.  Remember that Crucifixion has taught us the same, in which the most dreaded instrument of punishment reserved for the worst criminals was given to God, and returned to us as symbol of salvation, redemption, and victory over even the last enemy, death.  Let us think of the blessings of our faith, the choices we can make, even for "sacrifice" in this sense -- and move into the revelation God offers us, all the time.

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

- Matthew 12:22-32

On Saturday we read that when Jesus knew that the Pharisees began to plot against Him in order to destroy Him, He withdrew.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold!  My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust."

  Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."   The name Beelzebub comes from a title for the god Baal.   For the Jews, this reference is a slur, meaning prince of "the dung heap" or lord of "the flies."  Baal was a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kings 1:2-16).  Here, Baal is called ruler of the demons.  The impossibility of demons fighting against themselves, my study bible tells us, illustrates both the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus.

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."  To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is to blaspheme against the divine activity of the Spirit; that is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  A sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven as the Jews did not know much about Christ, my study bible says.  However, blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity was known from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven -- this is because it comes from a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  In patristic teaching, it is clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is neither an "unforgivable sin," nor does Jesus call this sin "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person repented of it.  Jesus makes such a declaration with the understanding that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that these are beyond repentance by their own choice.

My study bible speaks about the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees, which leads to blindness concerning Christ, and even to the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  It is an important illustration for us about character, and the things that truly lead us to stumble and to sin.   Both pride and envy keep us from seeing things as they truly are.  Pride leads us to forget about a higher good, a greater depth of knowledge that God leads us toward, and it keeps us from a true focus on God as our source of what we know as good.  Moreover, pride blinds us in ways that have to do with cutting ourselves off from ways in which we may learn more, come to a deeper understanding of what is good, and improve our own lives.  Pride cuts off the Pharisees from Christ, as they are so overwhelmed with the need to express their superior positions and authority, they cannot see nor hear what He is truly about.  Envy is also a way of cutting down another person, but it comes from a lack of thankfulness for what we do have, a lack of appreciation of our own place with Creator.  It cuts off communion and it is also blind to the real communion that exists in the love of God.  It is almost always harmful to community in ways that are subtle and varied and can be unintended.  If we envy others for what they have which we think we do not, then we are missing our own blessedness -- and casting aspersions on the place where we, too, are loved by God.  When both pride and envy seem to pervade the minds of the disciples (on more than one occasion), Jesus teaches them that humility will be the way to greatness within His Church (see these readings for the depth of Jesus' emphasis on casting away what ails us in forms of pride and envy).  Humility and service become ways in which we express the grace that is available to us, and recognize our place is with God who loves us, not merely in competition with others from a limited perspective about who we are and what our capabilities are.  In this week in which we consider the great gift of the Holy Spirit after the celebration of Pentecost, let us consider the myriad gifts we fail to grasp and develop when a limited perspective on our lives is all that we have, when we allow pride or envy to get the better of us.  It diminishes us, in the end, and keeps us from the love of God that gives us so much.  It is the great gift of grace and of the Holy Spirit that leads us to all truth, teaches us to develop our talents and other gifts, leads us to wisdom and real joy which is internal.  Let us consider, then, the truth of the Spirit and all that we are given and is truly at hand when we enter into that communion of love, mercy, and the beauty of God.  As my study bible notes, it is the Holy Spirit that has been at work throughout the history of God's people.  Let us remember the Spirit is present with us in abundance through Christ.  Our true spiritual lives flow through His gift.  St. Paul writes, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).  If sons, then heirs.  Pride and envy have nothing to offer us but blindness to all that we may inherit, and the mystery that awaits our fulfillment as those who may become "like God" in the work of the Spirit in us, the presence of the Kingdom.

Suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"

 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tied to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

- Matthew 3:13-17

Yesterday we read that when John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.'  For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tied to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  My study bible notes that Jesus does not need purification.  But by making the purification of humanity His own, He would wash away the sin of humanity, grant regeneration, and even reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity.  His baptism was therefore necessary for the fulfillment of God's righteous plan of salvation.  Gregory of Nyssa has written, "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."   By His baptism, Jesus signals His full humanity, the taking on of all the righteousness and fulfillment of the Law in humility and obedience, just as He will take on suffering and death.  But there is more happening here:  He sanctifies the waters of the world for the Christian baptism that is to come by water and the Holy Spirit.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. As Genesis tells us that the Spirit of God hovered over the water at the first creation (Genesis 1:2), here the Holy Spirit comes in the form of a dove to anoint the Messiah, the Son of God.  It is the beginning of the new creation, my study bible says.  But Jesus does not "become" the Son of God this day; rather this is a revelation that He is the Son who is and always was (see John 8:58).  The Holy Spirit resting upon Him is an eternal reality.  In the Eastern Church, this day is known as Epiphany (a manifestation or revelation) or Theophany (a manifestation of God).  In the early Church, the celebration of Christ's Nativity (Christmas) was celebrated together with His Baptism (Epiphany or Theophany), the beginning of His public ministry.  To this day, the Armenian Apostolic Church continues this tradition on its historical date of January 6th.

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  This is a quotation from Psalm 2:7:  "You are My Son, / Today I have begotten You."  In Jesus' Baptism, the tremendous mystery of the Trinity is revealed in  sight and hearing:  the Father speaks; the Holy Spirit descends; the Incarnate Son is baptized. 

The Baptism of Christ seems to fulfill a number of important roles.  It is first of all a new birth, just as Christian baptism is also a new birth.  The world is regenerated via Christ's "fulfillment of all righteousness" as part of His taking on of the fullness of human life for the plan of salvation.  The world is "reborn" as in Genesis when the the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters, fulfilled as Creator -- the Son and Word -- is revealed via the vision of the Holy Spirit's descent and the voice of the Father.   The Trinity itself becomes manifest and revealed to all.   God is revealed among us, so that by fully becoming one of us we may healed through union with God.  Here at the beginning of this mission, the start of Christ's public ministry, He is baptized by one who has spoken of Him by saying, "He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry" (see yesterday's reading, above).   Humility is on display in the great graciousness of this mission of Christ and how it is conducted.  Our God condescends to be with us in love.  When we commemorate this Baptism, we should understand its depth and complexity, and yet it is so much done in total simplicity.  In this place there is no fanfare such as accompanied Jesus to Jerusalem.  He simply appears at the Jordan to John the Baptist, who at this point is the only one who knows who the Christ is.   Jesus has no followers and no disciples, His mission first is to "fulfill all righteousness."  Jesus will later say of John, "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" (11:11).  It is a crossroads, a turning point, and yet the fulfillment of all things nascent here.  In the grace of baptism, we receive a new birth.  It is Jesus' righteousness, and John's holiness that allows us to begin a baptism of water and the Spirit available to all the world.

If Satan casts out Satan

Then one was brought to him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.' But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

- Matthew 12:22-32

The lectionary now skips forward. In the future, I may consider blogging the gospels on a chapter-by-chapter basis, rather than following a lectionary. I find the gospels build upon the stories in chronology; it's important to have a sense of what has been learned and what you carry with you through the sequences of the narrative. I'd like to hear from my readers if they have thoughts on this.

In between Saturday's reading and today's, Jesus has made several more healings, chosen his Twelve Apostles and sent them out on their first mission (to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," not Gentiles) - giving them instructions on their conduct, on persecution and martyrdom, and encouragement in their witnessing. In other passages, John the Baptist and Jesus have been rejected, and Jesus rebukes the Galilean cities in which he performed great works but his gospel of repentance was rejected. He has preached, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And finally, he begins to receive open hostility from the Pharisees. Today's encounter continues this theme.

Then one was brought to him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.' But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad." My study bible notes here: "Filled with pride and envy, the Pharisees found in this miracle a pretext to attack Jesus, accusing him of having Beelzebub (v. 24) as the source of his power. Beelzebub/Baal was the prince perhaps of "the dung heap" or "the flies" -- a god worshiped by the Philistines (2 Kin. 1:2-16); here he is called ruler of the demons (v. 24). Demons do not fight against themselves, but are cast out by God's power through the Holy Spirit (v. 28), whose action signals the present reality of the Kingdom." It's important to understand that the healing of the "blind and mute" is considered a messianic sign (see Isaiah 35:5-6). So, it is natural that the population should ask, "Could this be the Son of David?" as the Messiah was understood. The Pharisees, of course, accuse him with a different theory, of working by the power of demons, and not the Holy Spirit. Messiah or Christ means "Anointed One" - and it is this spirit of anointing that is being questioned. Jesus replies with an answer about the strength of his power. "Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house." If his power is more potent than that of the demons, than that of Satan, then what is this power that casts them out? "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad." This is a clear warning that they must make a choice, also that Jesus sees his power and its origin as self-evident: he's working by the power of the Spirit of God, and they must make a choice to follow him or to scatter in the effect of such power.

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." Finally, we are given the strongest possible statement about the nature of this power, and its potency - and therefore the impact of our choices when confronted with the holy. My study bible notes, "Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit -- the accusation that Jesus healed the demoniac by demonic power (v. 24) rather than by the power of the Holy Spirit (v. 28; see Mark 3:29, 30). Every sin against the Son of Man can be forgiven, because the Jews do not yet know much about him. But blasphemy against the Spirit, whose divine activity they know from the Old Testament, will not be forgiven. This blasphemy is willful hardness of heart. It attributes the saving action of the Spirit to Satan and refuses to accept God's forgiveness and mercy." I also think it's important to understand this in the sense of the true action of the Spirit, as my study bible points out. Jesus is speaking of effects happening in the here and now, to which they are witnesses. The action of the Spirit is the defining moment of the holy - to reject holiness in one's presence, an act of the Spirit one witnesses, is quite different from rejecting a person one does not know, or their reputation. To be a personal witness to the action of the holy confers a greater responsibility upon one's choices. One passage that we have skipped - in which Jesus is giving instructions to the apostles as they are sent out on their first mission - teaches us that even "the very hairs of your head are all numbered." We can infer, then, that as witnesses to the action of the holy in our presence, we are known, our encounter purposeful, for some reason. From this we conclude that it is a moment made for choice, for an opening to understanding, a gift, an offering of something we can accept or refuse.

So, what we can conclude from this passage is its emphasis on the power of choice - that we are offered a choice. And that we must take care that our hearts are not hardened: that we cultivate spiritual eyes and ears so that we may properly perceive what is in front of us, and make good discernment. How are we to know the truly spiritual, the holy? How are we to make this choice? It all happens in the cultivation of a heart that is open to the spiritual, that is capable of discerning. We "pray to our Father who is in the secret place", we seek to know this reality and to encounter it for ourselves so that we may understand and be open to it. How will you know what you encounter today? How will you make your choice? Sunday (yesterday) we celebrated Pentecost - the coming of the Holy Spirit, and its anointing throughout the world, this gift to us. How will you come to know that and understand it for yourself?