Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

- Matthew 5:38-48

We are going through Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. We began with the Beatitudes; then Jesus' teachings to His disciples You are the salt of the earth - You are the light of the world; teachings on the fulfillment of the Law - Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; and expansion of the law against murder: First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. In yesterday's reading, Jesus expanded upon the laws against adultery and swearing falsely. Jesus' expansion of the "outward" law extends to an inward reality: the cultivation of lust and covetousness is something one must do away with inwardly. Furthermore, He extends His teaching to condemn an easy divorce without real reason. He teaches us also to swear by nothing, but let our Yes be Yes, and No be No. See You have heard that it was said to those of old . . ..

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." A friend has pointed out to me that the instruction to turn the other cheek, to give the cloak, to go an extra mile are all instructions that give us the incentive to take charge of our own lives. In that sense, these actions teach us that we are not victims nor slaves of what others will do to us -- and that makes good psychological sense. Christ will always teach us His strength, and who we are in His sight, what we are capable of being and becoming. On another note, my study bible points out that Jesus is warning His disciples not to resist violence with more violence (contrary to Ex. 21:24, Lev. 24:20, Deut. 19:21). It says, "Evil, and the evil person, can be overcome only by good. This keeps us free from anger -- from being poisoned by the evil directed against us and its destructive forces -- and instructs others through Christian forbearance. It brings both us and our enemy under the yoke of God's love." It adds, however, that "this teaching does not contradict a state's right to protect its citizens and to punish criminals." If we see it one way, it's a dire contradiction between the laws of this world and the laws of the kingdom of love that Jesus is bringing into the world. And it's up to us to elect to build that kingdom through our own choices. This is what we keep in mind, whatever we encounter in life. What's our currency, so to speak? What rules do we choose to live by? In all of Jesus' teachings, we must realize that they elevate us out of automatic responses and slavish devotion to a worldly sense of self. They teach us who we can be, to transcend and elevate, that we are always capable of going beyond limitations we may place on ourselves or assume belong to us. We can make important choices to be like Him, like God.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." This is another strong and powerful exhortation to go beyond, to do better -- and to be "like God." It is, indeed, a command for the Kingdom. We go beyond the old law and into a new fulfillment of that law. We really must add here that the old laws were a form of regulation that improved the condition of man: the "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth" was actually a curbing and regulating of acts of retribution. So we must see the forward movement of the Law given in the first place, and now expanded upon by Christ. To practice love, of course, is the regulation of the Kingdom. My study bible says that to love our enemies is "a true expression of the life of the Kingdom. Having freed us from hate, sadness, and anger, He offers the greatest possession of all -- perfect love. That is a gift which can only be possessed by the one who, by the grace of God and the power of the Spirit, manifests God's love for all."

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?" How are Christ's disciples going to be distinct from others? How are they going to represent the Kingdom in the world? A note in my study bible adds to our understanding of how this kingdom is at work in the world, and through us: "Love is not merely an emotion. It is a divine grace -- an uncreated divine energy -- which inflames the soul and unites it to God and to other people."

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." My study bible says, "Christ is our guide, and He is able to bring us to participate in the very life of God, which is love." It is a summing up of all the Christian aims for, and of the life of the Kingdom, which is shared with us through grace down to our deepest levels. Can we let Him in?

Ultimately, Christ's laws, or His teachings on the fulfillment of the Law, bring us into a place where we are taught to fulfill the reality of His Kingdom in this world. Through love, which is its true "gold standard," its currency, we are brought into relationship with God and with neighbor. We form bonds with each and through God's grace that allow us to participate in that Kingdom here in this world. But we have to want it. We have to try. We have to say "yes" to that which is offered to us and wishes to be at work within us. How do we remember or recall to ourselves that "He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust"? How do we keep in mind that we should be perfect, just as Our Father in heaven is perfect? The great thing is that, even through our imperfections, we can recall and try. We can pray. We are capable of doing more and being more. And we have a lifetime of effort to learn to make. Let us remember that Jesus' teachings are not about slavery, but about what we elect to do, how we elect to be. They don't teach us to be doormats! Rather, they teach us to turn to love, to God's teaching for us, to the relationship God wishes for us. When in doubt, turn to prayer. Saying No at appropriate times can also be an act of love. But our behavior is mediated through Christ, through grace, through relationship to God. Can we make the effort to be perfect, just as Our Father in heaven is perfect? We have a lifetime of chances. It's all about learning love.

And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

- Matthew 28:16-20

In the readings of yesterday and the day before, we have been given preparation - focusing specifically on prayer - for today's holiday of Ascension Day. (Many will celebrate on Sunday.) As we have been reading in the Gospel of Luke, the lectionary gave us the reading on Tuesday for the teaching of the Our Father - The Lord's Prayer. Yesterday's reading focused on Jesus' teachings against undue anxiety and focus on the purely material, as He taught "Consider the lilies . . ." As we examined first the Prayer and then Jesus' teachings, we understood His focus on the kingdom and His knowledge of our needs and our worldly lives, as He taught, "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you." We are to seek to be the bearers of the kingdom in this world, as His disciples. Today, for Ascension Day, we are given what is known as the Great Commission from Matthew' Gospel, Jesus' farewell message to His disciples.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. This is another "mountaintop experience" and Jesus has once again drawn His disciples apart for this spectacular moment and this teaching. They are back in Galilee, their home territory from which their ministry spread while He was with them in the flesh. We must remember what it is to be a disciple of Jesus: they have lived with Him, followed Him all throughout His ministry, and in this way they have been prepared for this parting moment, again alone together.

When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Now most of them understand Him as the Christ -- but we are told that "some doubted." An important understanding: discipleship is always an evolving experience. God takes us where we are and sees our potential as disciples. Perfection is not the requirement - that is a worldly perspective; God sees us with different eyes and Jesus, the knower-of-hearts chooses whom He will. Even now, at this parting moment after several appearances to the women and other disciples, some doubt.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Jesus has been vested with the authority of the Resurrection, and His mission is completed as He goes to the Father. My study bible reminds us that this is the terminology of exaltation and glorification. "It manifests the power of His Resurrection, and the authority to bring human beings back to life." What we understand is that Jesus as Son has completed His saving work in the world, and returns to His place as Son with a full vesting of authority in this world as He has displaced the "prince of this world." It is an important announcement at the end of a successful mission of salvation as Incarnate Lord.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. . . " Again, we read an important emphasis on the power now vested in Christ and by extension the apostolic mission of the Church. My study bible points out that this mission of evangelizing and baptizing doesn't happen by human beings alone, on their own power, but rather through the power that has been brought and secured in this world by this saving mission: the power of the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It notes, "The reality of the Resurrection refers not only to its historicity, apostolic witness, and necessity for faith, but also to its power in our Christian life and mission. The resurrected Son of God, living in us and energizing us, makes possible the salvation of all." What we understand is, in a sense, the completion of the teachings on prayer we have read in the past two days in preparation for this, Ascension Day. We seek to bring the kingdom into the world, and as disciples we are to be kingdom-bearers. We do not do this alone, but by the power that He in turn has vested in us to carry out and extend and expand this mission He has begun, through His power. Therefore, seeking the kingdom (as in yesterday's reading), becomes all the more potent here and now, right here in this world, in our daily lives. It infuses all that we are, do and have if we seek it.

". . . and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. And here is the affirmation: He is with us always. This is why we can seek that kingdom in the here and now, and manifest it through our lives in this world as we pray "Thy kingdom come." And, importantly, as disciples they lived with Him, and so do we. My study bible notes that Jesus' Resurrection is with us now, always present in our lives through the Holy Spirit. The life of the "eighth day" or "next day" if you will, is always present to us in the here and now, it is the kingdom that we seek and bear and live in this life as His disciples, and from which we learn in discipleship. It notes: "We know Him directly, here and now, in the present, as our Savior and our Friend . . . He is with us now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen." He has promised in so many teachings to the disciples - especially at the Last Supper - that His will is to keep them with Him always, eternally.

Matthew' Gospel now gives us the word that verifies, authenticates and vests with full power the words we have just read in Luke over the past two readings. We seek the kingdom in the here and now. We live the life of discipleship in seeking Him here and now, in the always present moment. A life of prayer definitely means that we seek this kingdom and we live its life, securing it in the world under His power; indeed in the power of the Trinity, as the words here assure us. He has completed His successful mission; now it is up to us to continue it and to be His disciples. So, how do we do that on a day to day basis? How do you call upon this power and presence that is with you always, even unto the ages of ages? We live a sacramental life, one infused with the beauty and the reality of that kingdom. How does it come to you now when you call upon it and seek it? What direction does it take you, and how does it infuse your life in the here and now? Again, I'll repeat something I wrote in yesterday's reading: Fr. Thomas Keating has said that experiences of God are characterized by simultaneous presence of awe, reverence, love and delight. Seek the kingdom, and all these things shall be added. Consider even the beauty of the lilies. The Great Commission focuses us on this power in the here and now, the Companion who is always with us, upon whom we are to always call in order to be witnesses, as disciples. He is never separate from us, and our lives are not to be separate from the kingdom. We continue to grow and learn in discipleship through His Presence to us and with us, right in the present moment, wherever we are in our lives.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20

I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. 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 the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

- Luke 3:15-22

In yesterday's reading, we were introduced to John the Baptist's ministry. He quoted from Isaiah, in expectation of the Messiah, "Make His paths straight." Then he taught the people what they must do, as he baptized for the remission of sins, in expectation of the One to come. Each must bear his or her own good fruit, and cannot rely only on ancestors or tradition before the Messiah. He said, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." To the tax collectors, he said, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." And to the soldiers he taught, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. 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 the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." My study bible has a note, which is worthwhile to quote here: "With a clear understanding of his own mission, John points to Christ as coming Messiah who 'will baptize . . . with the Holy Spirit and fire.' Although baptism is practiced by Jesus' circle of disciples (John 4:1,2), the prophecy here describes the baptismal gift of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Fire in this context seems to imply judgment, the same as the images of the winnowing fan and of burning the chaff. John understands that the coming of the Messiah brings judgment, as the Apostle John writes, 'This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil' (John 3:19)." It's important to understand John's profound impact on the population: he was very widely respected and considered a holy man. But, true to his mission, he points to the One who is to come. To be baptized with fire is not only an image of judgment, but also of holiness. Many saints and mystics have spoken of this holy, purifying fire. It seems to me that the fire of God's love and the fire of hell must be the same thing: but it depends on what we are "made of" in a sense, in what we abide, how we choose to align ourselves and in whose image we grow, and if we are willing to depart with the things that are not good for us (see If your right eye causes you to sin) -- we are either burned by the fire or purified in its energy and grace. In this sense, the baptism of the fire -- of the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of truth -- works at once in the world to reveal sin, righteousness and judgment, as He has said in the recent readings from the Gospel of John.

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. John had rebuked Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife in order to marry Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, while Philip was still living. Matthew's Gospel gives us the story of John's death. We know that even Herod both feared and was in awe of John, and curious about Jesus. But he feared the authorities more, and the loss of his position. John is a righteous figure, and as so often is the case, the Gospels teach us that righteousness may often be at odds with state power and its use.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." This is Luke's treatment of the manifestation of the Trinity, an Epiphany or Theophany -- the revealed Father, Son and Spirit. My study bible teaches that while Jesus has no need of baptism Himself, He recognizes John's ministry. Jesus undergoes baptism as part of a teaching to us about how we live as He did -- and He sanctifies and blesses the waters of the world for our own baptism as the future Church -- as my study bible says beautifully, "by mystery restoring [all of creation] to its original condition through union with Him." The dove is the sign of the "anointing" of Jesus with fullness of the Spirit that is eventually to baptize us all following His death and Resurrection.

It is rather poetic that we have just been through the readings of Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His Apostles in John (beginning with the reading for Good Friday, and ending with Wednesday's reading). Jesus, in the lectionary, has recently told us of the coming of the Spirit, the Comforter, into the world. But here we begin the story of His ministry: we start with the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist -- and we are introduced to the revelation of Trinity in the Person of Jesus at His baptism by John. It is a beautiful, poignant, and also, sad beginning, because of the note of John's imprisonment. It is a kind of reflection of Jesus' words about His own death: that the grain of wheat falls to the ground and bears much fruit. In baptism, we also die to ourselves -- to the old self, and are born again through the Spirit, as Jesus' ministry is born in this passage. Let us remember the transitions that we go through in life, the holy fire that purifies and sends us beyond what we knew and into the unknown, the life of God -- the Way -- whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our way. What do you have to learn today? What is it that you may need to leave behind in order to go forward into the holy fire of the Spirit and His life for you?