And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  

 

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  

 

"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

 

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

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that, following His final public sermon (a grand critique of the scribes and Pharisees, see chapter 23), Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

 

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

 

 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible directs us to Luke 23:29, in which Jesus blesses the barren women, as an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer as Jesus prophesies here.  Moreover, it notes that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  A spiritual interpretation given in patristic commentary sees the Sabbath as symbolizing idleness with regard to virtue, and winter as indicating fruitlessness with regard to charity.  Therefore, the person who departs this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment.  

 

 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  Once again, Jesus places emphasis on watchfulness, and the possibilities of deception.  (See yesterday's reading, above, and Christ's beginning by warning of deception:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.")  Moreover, here Jesus describes the manner in which He will return; He makes it clear that this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  If there is any question or doubt, my study Bible points out, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, so Orthodox Christians whenever possible worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  According to my study Bible, the carcass (or body; see Luke 17:37) refers to Christ, wile the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.  

 

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

 

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

 

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  My study Bible cites 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which it calls one of the clearest New Testament passages on the Second Coming of Christ.  It cites the first century document, The Didache, which lists three signs that will mark the return of Christ.  First there's the "sign spread out in the heavens" which is Christ and His hosts; second, "the sign of the trumpet"; and finally "the resurrection of the dead."  It states that, for the righteous, the return of Christ is a comfort, not a threat (verse 18).

 

 In today's reading, Jesus speaks several times of the elect.  It's important that we notice that the times of which He speaks are mixed:  there are references here to the destruction of Jerusalem, as well as the end of the world as we know it, and His return.  Somehow synonymous with the terrifying destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem at that time (a catastrophic symbol, in some sense, of the end of the Old Covenant) is also the finish of time as we know it, the present era.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we noted the sense of entropy, a breakdown of good natural order according to God's creation, that continues until His return, the resulting chaos described on various levels, including even in physical nature, and interactions between nations and individuals, with great persecution of the Church.  But in today's reading, there is even more pressing news of dire hardship:   "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  And we have to wonder, in all of this chaos and destruction, as if the earth is returning to its original state of chaos ("without form and void" - Genesis 1:1-2) before God's creation came upon it, who are the elect, this kind of remnant that belongs to Christ, and how do they survive through it all?  For running through all of Christ's prophecies of the end times is this distinction about those who survive all this destructive force of evil in this lawless and loveless time.  In the ancient tradition of the Church, "elect" was understood on two levels.  This is connected with faith, a faith that responds to grace, an acceptance of Christ's salvation made possible through the Cross.   At the same time, there is the grace that makes such salvation possible, but there is also the faith that asks of us participation.  And this is made very clear in Jesus' prophesy of the end times, and His picture for us of the entire arc of the Christian era in this discourse.  For His emphasis is on an active faith, active participation in the reality of that faith:  doing what we are supposed to do, being alert and on guard against deception, and most especially, He uses the word "endure."  In yesterday's reading, He taught us, "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  This election is not a kind of simple predestination but rather refers to the knowledge of God, who is not bound by space or time; it is this acceptance of grace as an ongoing, living practice active in our hearts that is what Christ means for us to endure, living our faith, retaining the love of God and the righteousness in which God asks us to remain and endure.  The grace that has been brought into the world through our Lord, and through the coming of the Holy Spirit, then, is what we need to rely upon in the times He describes.  For it is that grace upon which we depend for joy and peace in which we may endure despite the times, regardless of how dire or difficult they may become, even through tribulation.  These, and the ability to endure, are a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  So let us heed His words, and endure to the end, through grace He gives us and the faith in which we receive it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field

 

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

 

Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." 

 

- Matthew 13:44-52 

 

On Saturday, in the midst of Jesus' beginning to preach in parables, He 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!"

 

  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  The parable of the treasure hidden in a field, my study Bible notes, is an illustration of those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, yet receive Him with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price illustrates those who have been searching in their hearts for Him and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls, it says, represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  These treasures are hidden in that they are neither recognized nor valued by those immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, receiving the treasure requires that everything else must be sold; that is, my study Bible says, a person must surrender all things in order to receive Christ.  

 

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  According to my study Bible, the image of the fishing net gathering the good and wicked together is similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares (see Saturday's reading, above).  In this parable, Jesus further emphasizes that even those gathered into the Church are subject to judgment.  

 

 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."   My study Bible tells us that St. John Chrysostom notes on this passage that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament.  Instead He praises it as a treasure.  Those who truly write or speak of the kingdom of heaven will draw from the unity of the new and old Testaments, as both are holy, with the New being the fulfillment of the Old.  This is truly how St. Matthew composed his gospel, in which he repeatedly uses the formula, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken," referring to passages from the Old Testament (see Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17, 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).

 

 Jesus submits yet more parables to us illustrating the working and characteristics of this kingdom, what it "is like."  (For the earlier parables of the kingdom of heaven, see Matthew 13:1-43.)   The first two parables in today's reading speak of the precious quality of the kingdom of heaven, and how it exceeds the worth of all else we might have in our lives.   Jesus says that "the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  Note how this hidden treasure and pearl of great price are not simply worth every effort, but they so supersede the preciousness of everything else that all else is subordinate to it.  That is, whatever must be done to keep this treasure and this pearl, or whatever must be sacrificed, is worth the cost and the effort.  Jesus teaches, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  This parable points to the continuity of spiritual revelation and wisdom; as St. Chrysostom teaches, the New is the fulfillment of the Old.  It teaches us of the great value of all of this treasure.  But also, like the parable of the tares of the field, He is teaching about judgment, and also about discernment.  Notably it is also a warning to us about the importance of where we place our treasure, what we value and seek in life, that which we cling to.  Additionally, we're given an important teaching about angels; that is, the angels of the kingdom, and the important and active role they play in our world, carrying out the wishes of Christ the judge.  Let us pay careful and even joyful attention to all of the things that Jesus teaches us the kingdom of heaven is "like," for in them we find the greatest treasure, the pearl worth any price, the great sea of the just.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world

 

 Another parable 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." 

 

- Matthew 13:31–35 

  

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the parable of the wheat and the tares (weeds):  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

  Another parable 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."  My study Bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who writes that the mustard seed and the leaven represent the disciples.  For they began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  They also stand for faith entering a person's soul, which then causes an inward growth of virtue.  This soul will become god-like and can receive even angels (the birds of the air come and nest in its branches).  

 

 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."  This quotation is from Psalm 78:2.  For an elaboration on the reason Jesus speaks in parables, see this reading.  

 

 The two very simple parables that Jesus gives in today's reading give us yet more dimensions (so to speak) in which the kingdom of heaven works in our world.  The first, the parable of the Mustard Seed, tells us a story of explosive and surprising growth, leading to developments which are unanticipated from such a small -- even tiny -- beginning.  The mustard seed is unassuming, humble, almost infinitesimal in its smallness.  And yet, the growth that comes from it is towering, as far as plants go; it even spreads enough and grows enough so that it can support other life:  the birds of the air who may take shelter in its branches.  We shouldn't forget that Jesus has already spoken of Himself as the Sower, and so this very tiny little seed is also part of the word of God.  It grows seemingly exponentially, in Jesus' description of the resulting tree-like herb.  The parable of the Leaven describes a different kind of growth.  This growth is not exterior and not exponential.  Rather it is an interior growth.  It describes an enzyme-like movement that entirely changes a substance into something other than what it was.  Elsewhere my study Bible comments that this is a rare instance in Scripture in which leaven is used as a positive influence.  Most often, leaven is used as an adulterating substance, that disturbs the purity of something.  But Jesus uses it positively here, to teach us about the work of the kingdom of heaven within us, and within our families and communities, extending even to to nations and to the world.  Similarly to the metaphors of salt and light to Christians within communities and in the world, leaven as metaphor for the kingdom of heaven gives us an image of even greater depth of influence and transformation.  It teaches us about the kind of change wrought by the presence of the kingdom of God within us, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We are meant to be transformed, transfigured.  Even as Christ Himself was transfigured (Luke 17:1-2), we are given an image of the presence of the kingdom of God and its work within us and in our world.  However, as the very act of Christ choosing to speak in parables indicates, these effects also depend on faith, on our capacity for hearing and seeing and recognizing the precious value of the things He offers.  So much depends upon our hearts and our desires as well, a synergy that also depends upon our "yes" as well, our cooperation.  In today's reading, Jesus speaks of small things, easily overlooked, which have a great impact.  Perhaps in them is illustrated the question:  "For who has despised the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:10).  St. Matthew tells us that by speaking in parables, Jesus fulfills the words of the psalmist, whom he calls a prophet, "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."  All this work of the kingdom of heaven is hidden, secret.  But it takes those with the eyes and ears to perceive and to know its working within us and among us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother

 

 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  

 

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 

- Matthew 12:43–50 

 

On Monday, we read that, after an exorcism in which a mute and deaf man was healed, Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of the ruler of the demons.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His reply to them.  He told them, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.   For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."   My study Bible remarks that when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, they did not repent of their impure ways, and an unclean spirit took up residence in their hearts (Deuteronomy 31:20; Psalm 106:34-39).  So therefore, we guard our hearts.  Unless there is full repentance, my study Bible concludes, and the Holy Spirit dwells in a person, an expelled demon will return with others and reoccupy its abode.

 

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."  My study Bible explains that Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission.  He points here to a spiritual family which is based on obedience to the will of My Father.   It's important to know that in the tradition of Jewish usage, brother here can be used to indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  Still today, across the Middle East, use of the word "brother" can mean various relations.  My study Bible further elaborates that Christ Himself had no blood brothers, for Mary had only one Son:  Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here, it notes, were either stepbrothers (sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or cousins.  We must note that Christ committed His mother to the care of St. John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), which would have been unthinkable if Mary had had other children to care for her.

 

 In a secular world, we might find it a bit stark, even shocking, that Jesus speaks in such categorical terms regarding the spiritual world of good and evil, of demons and the Holy Spirit.  But we should not confuse these spiritual terms and realities with the way, say, political parties work.  This is not a choice between human beings as candidates for office, nor even as candidates for friendship.  Jesus is speaking of how and why the spiritual world works, and its role in our hearts -- what we admit, or rather, what we choose to participate in, or not.  If we think in terms of energies, it might be a bit more clear that we can choose to participate in "negative" or positive energies, that which acts for evil or acts for good, on behalf of one spiritual force or another.  What influence do we want in our lives?  For when we open ourselves, or become vulnerable to, a power or influence that acts against Christ, we are participating in what energies that brings to us.  When we seek to nurture and strengthen the work and presence of the Holy Spirit within us, we are choosing to participate in that which embraces and teaches us about Christ (John 14:26).  When speaking in terms of how the spiritual world works, we must remember we're not talking about the secular, every day world of human beings who have all kinds of complicated problems and influences competing with one another -- and often at the same time!  This world of the demonic involves fallen angels, with an entirely different nature than human beings have, and a different intelligence that operates in different ways.  In this picture of spiritual realities, human beings, and our world, become battlegrounds competing for hearts and minds and souls, and this is an ongoing struggle, an unceasing battle.  We may not find it possible to even conceive of how to function within such a struggle, but that's why we have help.  This is why Christ has come into our world to help us and guide us, and to leave us with a Helper, the Holy Spirit.  We don't need to understand it all; we don't have the intelligence of beings created as angels.  We are meant to pursue a life through time, learning gradually, coming to a repentance, and making our way as best we can, including lots of mistakes and combating imperfection and partial understanding and knowledge.  This is why we're not the judges, but we seek to follow He who will judge.  Thus, Jesus' teaching in today's reading about unclean spirits and the importance of our own vigilance in our faith and choices, and guarding our hearts for the influences we want and don't want.  Moreover, so important is this to Christ's mission, that He speaks to us of His family as "whoever does the will of My Father in heaven." We become "sons" or "children" of God by adoption through grace and -- importantly for Christ in the context of this teaching -- by truly living our faith, and thus part of Christ's family.  Let us remember once again that Jesus is speaking to men who know the Scriptures perhaps better than any others in His community, among the Jews of Christ's time, and spent their time debating and studying them.  But they cannot see nor know Him for the envy of their positions in the society takes the place of a heart open to the influence of God, the reality He brings into the world.  Jesus will elaborate far more on the problems of the Pharisees and scribes in chapter 23 of St. Matthew's Gospel.  Let us heed His words for ourselves, and the choices we seek to make in our lives, the living of our faith in this world and whose will we seek to please.  Our spiritual journey in life is to move toward Christ.  Let us bear that in mind as we read through the Gospel.

 

 

 

 

 

You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve

 

 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"  

 

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written:

'He shall give His angels charge over you,'

and, 

 'In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"

 

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him,  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

 

- Matthew 4:1-11 

 

Yesterday we read that 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."

 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  My study Bible explains that to be tempted is to be tested in fundamental areas of faith.  As in St. Mark's Gospel, here Jesus is led up into the wilderness after His Baptism to be tested by a struggle with the devil (in St. Mark's Gospel, we're told that He was thrown or driven out by the Spirit; in Greek ἐκβάλλει).  My study Bible comments that we who are baptized in Christ need not be defeated by temptations because we too are aided by the Holy Spirit.  The wilderness forms a battleground, an image of the world, both the dwelling place of demons and a source of divine tranquility and victory. 

 

 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Jesus fasted to overcome temptation; according to my study Bible, in so doing, He gives us an example of our own power and limitations in the face of temptation.  We are to note that Christ's hunger of His flesh doesn't control Him.  Rather, He controls His flesh.  Christ's fast of forty days is the foundation of the Church's forty-day Lenten fast before Holy Week and also a traditional fast before Christmas.  In the verses that follow, we read of the various temptations given by the devil.  In this contest or struggle, Jesus reverses Israel's falling to temptation in the wilderness.  My study Bible reminds us that the Israelites were tested forty years in the wilderness and proved disobedient and disloyal.  God humbled them by first letting them go hungry and then feeding them with manna to help them learn to be dependent upon Him (Deuteronomy 8:2-5).  In today's reading, Jesus is tested with hunger for forty days, and He does not sin.  All of His answers to Satan are from Deuteronomy, and they all call for loyalty to God.

 

 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  Note that the devil's temptation is to challenge Christ's relationship to the Father, the very thing revealed at His baptism in yesterday's reading, and the messianic secret for which He will be judged a blasphemer and be put to death.  If You are the Son of God calls into question that declaration by the Father (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible comments that the devil wants Jesus to act independently and to detach Himself from the will of the Father -- thus, destroying His mission.  According to my study Bible, in Christ's divine nature, He shares one will with the Father and the Holy Spirit; He can do nothing of Himself (John 5:30), apart from the Father.  But in His humanity, He possesses free will and at all times must choose to remain obedient to the divine will of the Father.

 

 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"   Jesus rejects the first temptation of the devil, thereby rejecting an earthly kingdom.  This shows us not to pursue earthly comfort in the "food which perishes" (John 6:27), my study Bible says.  It notes that while Adam disregarded the divine word in order to pursue the passions of the body (Genesis 3), the New Adam -- Christ -- conquers all temptation by the divine word, giving human nature the power to conquer Satan.  Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3.

 

 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down."  The holy city is Jerusalem.  Once again, the devil is tempting Christ to reject His identity as Son and His loyalty and love of the Father.

 

"For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and,  'In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  As in the first temptation Jesus had defeated Satan through the power of the Scriptures, he vainly tried to use Scriptures here to put God's power of protection to the test (see also 2 Peter 1:19-21).  Satan quotes from Psalm 91:11-12.

 

 Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"  My study Bible comments that trials and temptations come on their own; we should never intentionally expose ourselves to danger in order to test or prove God's protection.  To do so is to tempt the LORD.  Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16.

 

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"   Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.  My study Bible notes here for us that God's Kingdom is not one of earthly power and possessions.  In this test by the devil, Jesus is being asked to choose worldly power over the Kingdom of God.  (Note also how the devil mimics divine actions by being on an exceedingly high mountain; see, for example, Matthew 17:1-3.)  My study Bible comments that the devil is the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31), "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), because the whole world is in his power (1 John 5:19).  It notes that Jesus refuses the road of earthly glory, which would lead Him away from His suffering and death for the redemption of the world.  Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:13.  Note also that in Greek, "Away with you, Satan!" reads literally, "Get behind Me, Satan!"  These are the same words Christ will use with St. Peter, when he suggests that Christ not go to the Cross (see Matthew 16:21-23).  

 

Jesus refutes every temptation of the devil with one central thing:  His loyalty and love of the Father.  More essentially, He does so by clinging to His real identity; He is the Son of  God, the Son of God the Father.   This, of course, is the one thing the devil attacks, consistently and repeatedly.  He begins the first two temptations with, "If You are the Son of God . . .."  Jesus' adherence to this identity, of course, is not the product of pride, of social life or a system of social values, nor is it something He inherited or was conferred upon Him at birth.  This is the spiritual reality of who He is, and occurs within the power of a fully loving and participating identity within the embrace of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  This is a divine reality, and His relations within it are relations of love and loyalty.  The devil makes his last appeal to Christ in a way that reveals what he really wants. He says, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  The devil wants to usurp God's place and the things that belong only to God.  He wants worship; He even wants Christ's worship and loyalty, which seems to indicate that he doesn't understand Christ the Son at all, and so continues to challenge Him.  But Jesus responds by turning the tables on the devil.  His words, "Away with you, Satan!" are more accurately translated, "Get behind Me, Satan," indicating who is really in charge here, whose authority must be followed.  Therefore in today's reading about temptation in the wilderness we are getting a sense of the true meaning of Christ's saving mission.  We must keep in mind that to be tempted is to be tested.  There is the devil, who is the "ruler of this world," and Christ who comes to claim it as the Son.  This is salvation, redemption.  So, what happens in this time of fasting in the wilderness is what we should understand as spiritual warfare, and in our own lives we also participate in that warfare.  As my study Bible indicates, the wilderness is a battleground, an image of the world, and we human beings are in the middle of it.   In the Lenten tradition of the fast, the Church makes it clear that we are also called into this struggle, with Christ, for we also are tested.  He shows us the way; He is the firstfruits in all ways, and we enter into His life.  In today's lectionary reading, we are also given the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20:1-21.  We often forget that the foundation of those commandments, and the first half of them, is the worship due only to God.  But Jesus never forgets that; it is His basic weapon with which He fights the devil in today's reading.  Let us also hold fast to what comes first.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

 Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

 

 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1–13 

 

In our past three readings, we went through what is known as the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus' final prayer, heard by His disciples at the Last Supper (see parts 1 and 2 in the reading and commentary for this past Thursday and Friday).   On Saturday, we read that Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  

 

  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As we enter earnestly into Lent (for the Eastern Orthodox, today begins the day of the full fast for Lent), the lectionary begins the Gospel of St. Mark.  My study Bible notes that the word gospel comes from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, which literally means "good news" or "good tidings."  This was a word known to all people of the extensive Roman Empire of the time, as public messages or declarations from the emperor were called by this name.  Here, the word refers not to Mark's writings per se, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That is, it is the good news of our salvation.  Beginning, according to my study Bible, points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry.  These are the preparation by Christ's forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.  

 

 As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  St. Mark provides us with the messages of the prophets Malachi and Isaiah (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3), which are fulfilled by the one whom we call the Forerunner, St. John the Baptist.  St. John ascribes to himself this role of "the voice" in Isaiah's prophecy in John 1:23.  

 

 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.   John is clothed in a way that markedly resembles Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:8), a hint that he fulfills yet another prophecy by Malachi, who prophesied the return of Elijah before the Messiah or Christ (Malachi 4:5,6).  See also Matthew 17:12-13; Mark 9:12-13; Luke 1:17.  

 

  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit, which my study Bible calls the power and grace of God divinely poured out on all believers at baptism.

 

  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Jesus does not need baptism, but in being baptized, my study Bible explains, the Lord accomplished several things.  First, He affirms John the Baptist's ministry, from whom many of His first called disciples would come.  Second, He was revealed by the Father and the Spirit to be the Christ, God's beloved Son.  This appearance of the Holy Trinity is a theophany, or manifestation of God.  Moreover, Jesus identified with His people by descending into the waters with them.  Here He prefigures His own death (as the waters of baptism signify death and coming up from them rebirth or in Christ's case, Resurrection) and so gives baptism its ultimate meaning.  By entering the waters of the Jordan, Jesus sanctifies water itself for future baptism.  Finally, He fulfills the many types given in the Old Testament, such as when Moses led the people from bondage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and when the ark of the covenant was carried into the Jordan so the people could enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3; 4).  Finally, by being baptized Christ opened the heavens to a world separated from God through sin.  

 

 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  This experience of forty days being tempted by Satan is given more detailed treatment in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13).   There Jesus endures temptations designed to separate Him from the Father, and to deny His relationship as Son of God.  Additionally, the temptations are to misuse His power for personal gain, indulging in common passions rather than sticking to His mission of loyalty to God the Father.  Let us take note that the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness for this test of temptations prior to beginning His public ministry in earnest, throughout which His various trials would present Him with occasion to consider misuse of His divine powers.  But even unto death, Jesus will remain ultimately loyal to the Father.  

 

  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Christ's forty days in the wilderness is the basis for Lent and its historical practices.  All of these Lenten practices are geared to help us to learn to say no to temptations to indulge our own passions, ideas which we know are not blessed through teachings by Christ nor a prayerful or faithful life, and to help us learn spiritual self-discipline of all kinds.  These practices are meant to shore up our spiritual strength, just as Jesus resisted the temptations of Satan.  Let us note that this was a deliberate period of testing, as such resistance to take an easier way out would always be present for Christ.  Looking at the temptations listed in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, we see that there was always the temptation to take shortcuts.  The devil tempts Jesus to seize worldly power. Well, there are a lot of people who wonder why Christ didn't do just that, and why He didn't impose His will on the world.  Wouldn't the world be a better place if He just wiped out all evil and demanded fidelity to God?  Well, no, actually.  The plan of God apparently invites us in, as human beings, to do the same as our Creator did, and invites us to participate fully in Christ's life even while we are in this world just as He did.  That's rather extraordinarily an elevation above being compelled to do something as if we were not given free will by our Creator for some higher purpose.  And love doesn't come from being compelled or enslaved.  So how could we learn love if Christ had used His power that way?  Indeed, He would have failed His mission, for God compels no one to love God, while always loving us and holding His hand open for us for our salvation, and for grace.  How would we learn what divinity is or means or does, if Christ did not Himself reflect the Father in the world ("He who has seen Me has seen the Father" - John 14:9)?  Moreover, Christ's temptation in the wilderness is a participation in our own lives in this world, as it reflects us and our place.  We live in a world where we are invited into salvation and grace while at the same time tempted by the devil and the evil in the world.  So He showed us the way, and Lent is meant as a time in which we practice what He showed us, we learn better what to do and how to live in this world while also participating in His kingdom as we can ("I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" - John 17:15-16).  Christ prepares us, by inviting us into this challenge, for something so much better than the slavery one finds to compulsions, addictions, easy indulgence, and all that goes with the seduction of easy solutions to the "cares of this world" that threaten to choke us at times and divert us from God's hope for us.  He will be asked repeatedly for a sign by the religious authorities, so that they can be convinced of His authority, and that He is the Christ, but He will not give signs on demand.  Let us be grateful that He endured all that He did for love of us, for our salvation, and to show us the way and true power of the Cross, with God's grace helping us.  Let us follow Him into Lent and meet our own challenges His way.  For we, too, have His angels ministering to us.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old

 

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.  

 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered  the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

 

- Matthew 13:44-52 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has begun preaching to the crowds in parables, a new innovation in His ministry.   (See the reading from Tuesday of last week, in which we began reading chapter 13 of St. Matthew's Gospel, and the subsequent readings.)  Yesterday we read that 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!"

 

  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  My study Bible notes that the parable of the treasure hidden in a field illustrates those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, yet receive Him with great eagerness.  It calls the parable of the pearl of great price an illustration of people who've been searching in their hearts for Christ, and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls, in this metaphor, represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  Such treasures are hidden, in that they are not recognized nor valued by people immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, in order to receive the treasure it's required that all else must be sold.  That is, a person must surrender all things in order to receive Christ.

 

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered  the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."   This image of the fishing net which gathers the good and wicked altogether is similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares (see this reading for the parable, and also yesterday's reading, above, for Christ's explanation of it).  My study Bible comments that this parable of the dragnet further emphasizes that even those who are gathered into the Church are subject to judgment.  

 

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who importantly notes that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament, but rather praises it as a treasure.  Those who truly write or speak of the kingdom of heaven will draw from the unity of both new and old Testaments, for both of them are holy, with the New as the fulfillment of the Old.  This is truly the way that St. Matthew composed his gospel, my study Bible adds.  As evidence of this, it notes that St. Matthew repeatedly uses the formula "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" (see Matthew 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).  My study Bible says that this underscores the intervention of God throughout history, demonstrates the continuity between the Old and New Covenants, and indicates the beginning of the new creation. 

 

Today's reading focuses on treasure.  It invites us to think about what we treasure, what's truly worth treasuring.  Jesus says, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  He's speaking, of course, of spiritual treasure, and we began this chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel with the parable of the Sower, which Jesus gave us regarding His word as the seed which is sown.  If we look at the whole of the Bible, we know already that Jesus is Lord, and so we can "hear" the same Sower and His valuable seed throughout the Bible.  Thus, the entirety of this spiritual treasure is both old and new, and we must cherish all of it together, for it exists for us as we need it, and will profit by it.   In today's reading, Jesus first gives us two illustrations of the kingdom of heaven.  First, He says, "the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."   So this immensely valuable treasure is characterized by Christ as worthy of all else that we have, that we know, or that we base our lives upon.  It is that precious that it's worth the sacrifice of anything else in order to have it.   Next Jesus gives another illustration to ponder:  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered  the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  As my study Bible says, this illustration augments the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the understanding of all things being gathered up for sorting at the end of the age. We go back to Christ's illustration of good trees and bad trees, good seed and bad seed, to understand that this dragnet is, in a sense, the Holy Spirit at work in the world.  The angels will come to separate and to gather up, and to cast out the evil and save the righteous.  This dragnet relates also to Christ's word, and to those whom He called to be "fishers of men."  That is, the apostles who would spread Christ's word, His gospel, the seed of the Sower, to all the world.  One thing we can be sure of, that such a net is wide and sweeping, and catching all things that may come into it, extending from the sea floor to its surface.  If this is the picture that Christ has given us of the working of the Kingdom, it is also an affirmation of His teaching that nothing is left out, even every idle word we utter, even the awareness of every hair on our heads (Matthew 10:30).  It's interesting that Jesus' beautiful parables of the Kingdom are punctuated with references to judgment, reminding us that it is what we do with this treasure, and how we will make use of it in our lives, that really counts, that matters in the long scheme of things and the arc of our lives.  Let us then trust to Christ for His good seed, the word He gives us, treasuring it as we should in our hearts, and belonging to His kingdom and the good and precious things He says are worth every price.  For we are each a householder in His kingdom, and we each must value the treasure He gives.