Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

 

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

 

- Mark 10:46–52 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may it, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

  Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  My study Bible comments that the restoration of sight to the blind was a sign expected to be performed by the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18, 35:4-5); this is a power considered to be reserved by God for Himself (compare John 9:32).  Son of David is a messianic title, which tells us that Bartimaeus had faith that Jesus was the Christ.  There is also found in patristic commentary a spiritual interpretation of this miracle as well.  Jericho was a low-lying city associated with sin (Luke 10:30, 19:1).  (Apparently, in Christ's time, this area of the road to Jerusalem was a site of criminal activity, commonly for robbery, and associated with danger.)  Here, it symbolizes fallen humanity.  So, in a spiritual interpretation of this story, Jericho symbolizes fallen humanity, and Christ passing through is a symbol of His Incarnation in the world.  The restoration of sight which Christ gives to Bartimaeus parallels His restoring humanity to glory.  Having been made whole by Christ, my study Bible says, human nature can now follow Christ on the road to the Kingdom, which will be symbolized in Christ's subsequent entrance into Jerusalem in the passage that follows (Mark 11:1-11).  

 

 Clearly blind Bartimaeus, as my study Bible indicates, is a spiritual metaphor.  In addition to the specific patristic interpretation of this story noted above, he serves as a stand-in for us as well.  There's a particular shape to the story of Bartimaeus.  He already has faith that Jesus is the Christ, as indicated by his faith which moves him to call out to Jesus as "Son of David."  Bartimaeus is in that all-too-rare position of already knowing and understanding that he is blind, and that his blindness gives him limitations in life.  Spiritually speaking, many of us are, in fact, "blind" to our own blindness.  We can't see around our own dark corners where we hide from ourselves the things we don't want to see.  It's a common understanding that it's simply a human pattern that people are frequently blind to their own flaws, often true in people who love to point out instead the flaws in others.  But Bartimaeus, on the other hand, knows that he is blind.  His life is reduced to begging by the side of the road, for this is what he can do.  But he is not begging out of a sense of self-pity.  His condition and his circumstances render him unable to do other work.  But, that, also Bartimaeus is not satisfied with.  He knows his limitations and how his life is curtailed through this affliction, but he doesn't accept them as the final word.  In some sense, he's aware that the world he knows is not all there is.  In fact, now his opportunity to do something about his blindness and this state in which he lives by begging is approaching, coming down the road.  Here is his hope, and possibility.  And Bartimaeus makes every effort he can to get the help he needs from the one whom he has faith is the Messiah.  He shouts, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  In the center of this story, we're told that then, many warned him to be quiet .  In this place symbolic of fallenness, where there is a kind of notorious criminality, people are somehow complacent.  They don't like that Bartimaeus shouts for attention and for help or mercy.  But although many warn him to be quiet, Bartimaeus responds by crying out all the more.  He wants Jesus' attention, and he has confidence in seeking that attention.  Jesus hears him and commands that they bring Bartimaeus to Him.  The people now say, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  What does Bartimaeus do?  Throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  In Thursday's reading, we read about a man who had many possessions, who was reluctant to part with those possessions even for the reward of an eternal life, even for Christ who loved him.  But here, Bartimaeus is entirely willing to give up his old life symbolized by the throwing aside of his garment.  Bartimaeus knows what the rich young ruler from Thusday's reading perhaps doesn't know, that one must lose their life to save it, and by clinging to the old will lose even what he might have (Mark 8:35).  Bartimaeus is calling to the One who can help him, the one place where he can find what he truly needs.  He calls to the Light, to Jesus, to illumine his sight.  Jesus asks him in return, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Bartimaeus' prayer is specific,  "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  This term, Rabboni, is one of the greatest respect and yet also personal affection.  It is the one by which St. Mary Magdalene responds to Christ when she encounters Him risen at the empty tomb (John 20:16).  It means not just "Teacher," but "my Teacher."  Jesus replies, as He did to the woman whose blood flow of twelves years was stopped by touching His garment in good faith (Mark 5:34), "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  Then we're told that immediately Bartimaeus received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  Did he go out and party and celebrate with his friends?  Did he boast of something as if it were his special achievement?  Is he satisfied to stay by the road where he is now that he has received his sight?  No, Bartimaeus knows where the light is, and his journey into his new life is just beginning.  He knows he need to follow the Light that gave him light, and so he turned and followed Jesus on the road.  He's on his way to the life he needs following the only One whose mercy could give him his sight.  Here Bartimaeus becomes a metaphor for all who've tried in all kinds of ways to escape an afflicted and limited life, and failed to find help and real guidance in the midst of a fallen world that is also blind to its own limitations.  So often we seek solutions offered by popular culture, media, or what the crowds are chasing or tell us to do.  But there is one place where the light of mercy comes from that can illumine our way out of a dark situation, a fallen life surrounded by limited expectations and hope -- and Bartimaeus is going to follow where it leads him.  We contrast Bartimaeus' limited life with the life of the rich young ruler of our recent reading.  Bartimaeus, though blind and possessing nothing, now stands to gain all for he could "see" his hope in Christ.  The rich young ruler possessed everything, but went away with nothing despite Christ's love for him.  Let us consider where our hope always lies, and follow what blind Bartimaeus knew to do.  For even one who failed (in yesterday's reading) always has hope of repentance and to follow Christ in faith toward the Kingdom.  Bartimaeus' cry to Jesus, "Have mercy on me," is the foundation of the Jesus prayer, and punctuates worship services (particularly among the Orthodox).  For His mercy is that of opening to hope and possibilities not considered, horizons to which we might be blind but may see through His light.   

 

 

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

 

 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. 

 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  

 

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

 Yesterday we began reading the Gospel of St. Mark:  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.

 

  Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant, preparing people for Christ, had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ had come into the world, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  To repent, my study Bible explains, is to do a total "about-face."  This word in Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) literally means to "change one's mind."  To repent means a radical change of spirit, mind, through, and heart.  That is, a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  This is an ongoing, continuing lifetime effort, not a one-time decision.  

 

  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.   The first disciples of Jesus had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so they were prepared to accept Christ immediately (see John 1:29-51).  My study Bible comments that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" called by Jesus will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   My study Bible asks us to note that the word immediately occurs almost forty times in St. Mark's Gospel, and nearly all of these occur before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  This sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem in order to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world, it says, helps to make St. Mark's account not only the shortest, but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  Let us note that Christ's preaching (and healing as per the verses that follow) begins on the Sabbath, which will be His practice through His ministry.  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that thus "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  Jesus speaks with authority, and thereby astonishes the people, as He contrasts with the scribes.  That is, unlike the prophets of old and the teachers of His day who taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), my study Bible explains, Christ taught in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5.

 

 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  As Jesus performs this exorcism, He commands the unclean spirit to "Be quiet . . . !"  This begins to teach us about what is called the "Messianic Secret."  My study Bible comments that Our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It notes the following reasons for secrecy:  First, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders.  Second, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, the Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith which is not based only on marvelous signs.  

 

 In St. Mark's Gospel, as my study Bible comments, the word immediately occurs nearly forty times, almost each one before Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It notes that this seemingly conveys the great urgency and purpose of Jesus' mission.  Given that we understand that Christ's public ministry began when He was thirty years old, we might question why He seemingly waited so long.  If this mission was that urgent, if the power of God at work was going to be so explosively fast in some sense, why did He not start earlier as a younger Man?  Why did no one else know this -- except possibly His mother?  See John 2:1-12; also Luke 1, 2; Matthew 2).  It's important also, in this context, to note how St. Mark is careful (as my study Bible points out) to say that St. John the Baptist was arrested first, prior to Jesus' public ministry of preaching and teaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath.  So these things both point toward a similar conclusion, that with God, we could say, timing is everything.  Jesus begins today's reading by declaring, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand."  Christ's mission and urgency is deliberate, just as His choosing to publicly preach and teach begins carefully after St. John the Baptist's ministry, after Christ's Baptism by John, and the revelation of the Holy Trinity which took place at that event (see yesterday's reading, above).  While we could make the mistake of saying that these things happen this way "because it was prophesied" (which it was), we'd be better off understanding that the prophecy is a gift from God revealing what things would be:  that there first would be one who was the messenger of the Messiah, His herald, who would be a "voice crying in the wilderness" (see Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3).  But the timing and planning of such things does not occur because they were prophesied, but because those who fulfill the prophecies are acting in accordance with the Holy Spirit, obeying the will of God as they are given that -- and, in particular, we note for this topic, in the time it is given to them to do so.  Jesus, we observe, spends much time in prayer, and in particular just prior to new directions that occur in His ministry.  He does not immediately go to Jerusalem and announce Himself to the world as the Messiah, even though this is the truth about Him.  Neither does He spend time making this declaration in public during His ministry.  Everything must unfold in a particular way -- and in this context, we come to the Messianic Secret.  My study Bible has given reasons (see above) for this secret, and why Christ's ministry must evolve in the way that it does.  This understanding of the Messianic Secret is an important component in the story we read in St. Mark's Gospel, and we must also keep it in mind.  Rather than declaring Himself to be the Messiah, the unclean demon in today's story declares who Christ is:  "I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!"  It's almost as if the unclean spirit didn't quite perceive this until Jesus was right there in the synagogue with the person out of whom would come that spirit.  This strange limitation of the unclean spirits is something to consider in the story of Jesus, and especially in the power of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection to defeat Satan.  But this, also, is part of the importance of God's time, and how things evolve in the Gospel stories, and in the stories of the Church that would follow, such as in the Book of Acts of the Apostles.  In Ecclesiastes 3, we read a consideration of the mystery of God's unfolding work, and of the importance of time, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."  In 2nd Corinthians, St. Paul quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you" (2 Corinthians 6:2; Isaiah 49:8).  In urging the Corinthian believers to be true to Christ and to make important choices now necessary, St. Paul tells them, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus begins preaching in His hometown of Nazareth by reading from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1-2).  Let us note that in all of these circumstances we can discuss, of Christ's ministry and its various turning points, in beginning His public ministry, and even the beginning and end of the ministry of St. John the Baptist, the timing for each is essential to God's purpose and the proper carrying out and evolution of such missions.  For the purpose of the time of our lives is, in effect, to dedicate our use of time -- in addition to all else -- to God, to seek God's purposes and God's "acceptable" time.  The mission and ministry of Jesus bears that out, the Church bears that out.  The seeking of God's will and guidance cannot be separate from our understanding of the proper use of our time.  For that, we always turn to prayer, for our lives can't properly be lived, in this sense, without it.  What is appropriate at one time and for one person may not be God's calling for another.  Let us be immediate in seeking to fulfill God's purpose, in God's acceptable time, as best we can discern.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority

 

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  

 

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. 

 

- Luke 4:31–37 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee (following His temptation by the devil as He fasted for forty days), and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.  So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:   "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."   Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  

 

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that Christ begins preaching and healing on the Sabbaths in order to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."

 

 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  The prophets of old would teach in the third person ("the Lord says"), and teachers such as the scribes of Christ's own time would teach by quoting famous rabbis.  But Jesus' teaching was expressed in the first person ("I say to you").  My study Bible explains that this is what is meant by the statement that Christ's word was with authority, and therefore why this type of teaching astonished the people.  See, for example, Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount.

 

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.  My study Bible reminds us that the prophet Isaiah foresaw the Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Therefore, Jesus rebukes this unclean demon, crying out with a loud voice, to be quiet!  The following reasons are given for this desire for secrecy.  In the first place, Jesus will contend with the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders (He has already experienced the wrath of the neighbors in His hometown of Nazareth in yesterday's reading, above).  Second, there is the people's misunderstanding and expectations of the awaited Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, Christ desires to evoke genuine faith, which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  My study Bible concludes that Isaiah's reference to the suffering Servant therefore refers first to Christ, and by extension all who follow Him.

 

Christ's humility takes front and center stage in today's reading.  This statement might seem paradoxical, given that we've just read, in fact, that Jesus teaches with a personal authority that is so rare as to be astonishing to the people.   But, in fact, if we consider that Christ expresses Himself clearly and honestly, but without declaring Himself to be the awaited Messiah, then we begin to understand what humility looks like, and why He is the example we have.  In fact, this humility is precisely what is notable about Isaiah's depiction of the Christ as a suffering Servant.  Through Jesus' example, we learn what it is to tell the truth, being obedient to God, but without ostentation or grandiosity, incurring the astonishment -- and resentment -- of others.  In fact, this propensity of Jesus to act and to speak with authority will earn Him the opposition of the religious establishment, and lead to His persecution.  It will be a sticking point in the questioning of the religious authorities as to why and how Jesus conducts His ministry.  But Jesus manages to do something very important:  He acts and lives by His true identity, but never declares this as a proposition to others.  It is His life that reveals who He is, something that can be seen only with the eyes of faith.  This teaches us a great deal about what is true humility.  Humility is not debasing ourselves nor degrading ourselves in some manner so as to please others, or to grovel.  Humility is basically an absolute truth; we are humble before God is who we are, including our flaws, and seeking to do the things that please God in all our choices.  If we think of being fellow servants with Christ -- and servants and disciples of Christ -- then we seek His will in all things, and this is humility.  Just as Christ puts His human will second to the will of God, so we seek to please God and put our own impulses in service to God.  And this is humility and truth, for it is a true expression of the truth of who we are as creatures of God who seek to be children by adoption, to be children of Abraham, in the words of John the Baptist (Luke 3:8).  To live this way is to live with true integrity, for it is an attempt to live transparently in accordance with who we truly are, no more and no less, as those who must acknowledge God and God's guidance as our greatest need and dependency in life.  To live as humble is to remember God, and that God is the ultimate judge of all things, and not ourselves.  To be humble is to know that the discernment of the Holy Spirit, who reminds us of all of Christ's teachings, is what we need to seek at all steps in our lives.  To be humble is to remember that we are time-bound creatures, and so we are born to be always learning, especially from our mistakes.  As those who live bound by time, we live with constant change, and that dynamic of change applies to us as well.  Therefore we must be aware of our constant need for repentance or "change of mind," as the Greek word μετανοια/metanoia literally means.  As Christ's disciples, we will always have new things to learn, and He is our authority.  As His disciples, we are also called upon to forgive and to love, both of which take a great deal of humility, and form a long learning curve.  Let us be "like Him" in all things, as we are able. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

 

 Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blilnd Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

 

- Mark 10:46–52 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and the disciples were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."   But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

Now they came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blilnd Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  My study Bible comments on today's reading that the restoration of sight to the blind was a sign expected to be performed by the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18; 35:4-5).  It notes that this is a power which God had reserved for Himself (compare John 9:32).  The title by which Bartimaeus calls to Christ is a messianic title.  Its use is evidence of Bartimaeus' faith that Jesus is the Christ.  There is another, spiritual interpretation to this miracle found in patristic commentary, my study Bible tells us.  As Jericho was a low-lying city, which was associated with sin (Luke 10:30; 19:1), it is interpreted here to symbolize fallen humanity.  Christ passing through Jericho is an image of His Incarnation.  When the Lord restores sight to Bartimaeus it is a parallel to restoring humanity to glory (bringing "light" to his eyes).  Having been made whole by Christ, human nature can now follow Christ on the road to the Kingdom, which is symbolized by the event in our following reading on Monday, Christ entranced into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11).  

In St. John's Gospel, we read that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12).  At Holy Baptism, we receive His light, and so baptism is also called Holy Illumination.  In the centuries prior to ours, blindness was thought of as a kind of darkness of the eyes, a state in which light could not be received in the eyes.  And it's true, that without light, none of us can see anything.  All that we perceive of the world is quite literally the things that sunlight shows to us.  In fact, in the understood spectrum of physical light, the colors we see and perceive with our eyes are created through the spectrum of light reflected back off of the objects we see.  Everything else in the light spectrum is absorbed.  So, if we think about light, we can truly understand why Christ is the light of the world.  He is the One who illumines for us the realities of life beyond what we can understand naturally, although even in our nature, we do perceive of what is good and what is evil, what is light and dark in that sense.  But Christ has said, again reported by St. John in his Gospel, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:35).  This He said to the disciples as they were approaching the time for His death on the Cross, so "a little while longer" was the time He had left as Jesus in His Incarnation.  That approximately corresponds to this point in His ministry as He approaches Jerusalem in our readings in St. Mark's Gospel.  In the Psalms, we pray, "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105), and when we consider Christ as the light of the world, then we need to think about how His teachings -- and yes, His presence, together with the Father and the Spirit -- illumine our paths in life.  So the story of Bartimaeus strikes us, that of the blind man who cries out to the one he can "see" is his Messiah, as he clings to the light of this truth until he is heard, despite the repeated attempts to shush him.  Sometimes in our world it will seem as if there is some kind of conspiracy to keep us from seeing the truth in the light of Christ, as if the whole world is in denial of His light and truth.  But in that sort of darkness that might surround us at times, we should be like blind Bartimaeus, who knows his handicap and cries out to his Messiah.  For this is the way that we ought to pray, especially if we can't see the light, and we feel surrounded by darkness.  In the Creed, we proclaim that Jesus is the "Light from Light, true God of true God," and so, we may go to Him as the source of light, the one who illumines our vision spiritually, so that we can see where we are going in life, and our path is guided by something in which we can trust, an eternal path for us.  Psalm 36:9 declares, "For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light."  Jesus fulfills these words in His life and ministry for us, and His continuing abiding presence available to us in the mysteries we're given of our faith.  In a sometimes overwhelmingly sinful and dark world, let us be just like Bartimaeus, continually crying to our Lord.  For this cry of Bartimaeus is the basis of a very good prayer (called the Jesus Prayer) for all occasions, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me."  Let us seek His light, and let none of the darkness dismay or deter us, even when we're shushed or shunned into silence.

 

 

 

Son of David, have mercy on me!

 

 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.  

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more,"Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight.  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. 

 

- Luke 18:31-43 

 

Yesterday we read that people brought infants to Jesus that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed you."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many ties more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."  

 

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.   My study Bible comments that the saying was hidden not by God, but because the disciples could not understand its meaning until the events of the Passion had taken place.  

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more,"Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight.  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.  This blind man greets Jesus as Son of David, which is a title my study Bible refers to as one deeply associated with the Messiah.  Although He knows what we want before we ask, my study Bible says, Jesus calls us to ask freely so that we might learn of His mercy.   In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, there are two blind men in this story.  There's a spiritual interpretation to that miracle, in that future generations coming to Christ would do so only by hearing, without benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  Those trying to silence the men are the persecutors and tyrants who, in each generation, try to silence the Church.  But even under persecution, the Church all the more confesses Jesus Christ.  

There are some interesting ways that we could look at today's story of the blind man (in parallel with the two blind men found in Matthew's Gospel).  First of all, it's interesting that, as this man is deprived of his sight, he is nonetheless blessed with the resources and gifts of his voice and his hearing.  It's interesting that voice and hearing are linked through patristic interpretation with freedom; that is, the freedom of the Church to proclaim and confess Christ.  In a sense, the story is an illustration of St. Paul's experience, in which he prayed several times for God to take away a particular infirmity.  St. Paul writes, "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).  Like St. Paul's mysterious infirmity, which he called a "thorn in the flesh," the affliction of blindness nevertheless functions in some way to enable this man to find and use his hearing and his voice to call out to Jesus.  His title for Jesus, "Son of David," reveals that, even in the absence of sight (or perhaps because of it), he "sees" that Jesus is the Messiah.  Perhaps due to his blindness, Jesus is not diminished in his sight by viewing his human stature, but rather in hearing the multitude he is stirred to action.  There's another parallel to blindness in understanding the Scriptures and that is its association with sin and error; we are blind to that which we do not know and need to learn.  Jericho was a place traditionally associated with sin, with people, as the expression goes, who sat in darkness (Isaiah 9:2, as quoted in Matthew 4:16).  Despite the fact that he sits in darkness, this blind man can "see" who Jesus is better than the crowds can; he can use his hearing and his voice to make the connection of faith, to respond to Jesus' question with a specific prayer to receive his sight.  This perception on the part of the blind man is clear to Jesus, who is our ultimate guide to good vision, when He tells the blind man, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  This formerly blind man can now be on his way to Jerusalem, following Christ.  And in that image of Jesus on His way to Jerusalem there is another tie with blindness in today's reading, and that is in the disciples.  Jesus gives very specific and almost graphic and detailed expression of what is going to happen to Him:  In Jerusalem, "all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again." But the disciples sat in darkness, so to speak, in that they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.  This is another form of darkness, a blindness in their lack of understanding.  But they also will be illumined by faith.  Perhaps today's lesson from the reading is about times of our own blindness, when we can't see clearly ahead of us to understand which way life is pointing us forward, and need a light in the darkness; we pray, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Or better yet, the Jesus Prayer it inspired:  "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me."

I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!

 

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  

 

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

- Luke 4:31–37 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His forty-day period of fasting and temptation in the wilderness,  Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.   And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.  So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. 

 

  Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that Christ begins preaching and healing on the Sabbaths to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."

And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.   Jesus teaches with authority; that is unlike the prophets of old and the teachers of His time, who taught in the third person ("the Lord says"), Jesus taught in the first person ("I say to you").  See, for example, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5.  

 

 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.  Christ is careful to keep hidden His identity as Messiah, in this beginning of His ministry ("Be quiet...!").  My study Bible comments that this hidden or secret quality is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  There are several reasons for this secrecy.  First, there is the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders which Jesus knows will happen (Jesus has already dealt with rejection in His hometown of Nazareth; see yesterday's reading, above).  Second, the people have particular expectations of the Messiah which are focused on an earthly, political leader quite different from Christ's own messianic mission.  Finally, the Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith, which is not based simply on marvelous signs. 

 

The first thing we notice about Jesus is, indeed, His authoritative presence, and presentation of Himself.  As my study Bible points out, He doesn't simply teach like one of the scribes, nor does He speak as did the prophets.  He speaks from Himself.  He doesn't declare His identity to the world in proclamations about Himself, but instead His actions reflect who He is.  They give us a portrait of messianic authority.  As the people say, "For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  He speaks with authority and power, commanding the unclean spirit, and this is, indeed, Christ's own authority and power.  This is important for us to understand, because without such authority within Himself, He could not command us in the ways that He does throughout the Gospels.  When He speaks and teaches with authority, such as in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7) or the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-49), we're given commands that Jesus teaches are "everlasting life," because He speaks whatever the Father has told Him to speak (John 12:50).  Elsewhere Jesus teaches that His words are spirit and they are life, because it is the Spirit who gives life (John 6:63), and the Spirit rests on Him.  Moreover, John the Baptist teaches (in John's Gospel), "The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand" (John 3:35).  Everything that we know points to Christ's authority as Son, which has been given Him by the Father.  In John 16:15, Jesus says, "All things that the Father has are Mine."  Therefore, the authority in Christ is a kind of absolute, for it is conferred by the Father.  Even the sheep who belong to Christ, those who come in faith, are drawn by the Father to Christ (John 10:27-30); so therefore, Christ's authority is complete in all the ways we can think of.  Even the power of judgment is conferred to Christ by the Father (John 5:22-23).   In today's reading, Christ's actions express who He is.  In some sense, He's hidden in plain sight, but clearly, in the words of the unclean spirit, the spirit world knows who He is.  For us, it's important to understand that whatever we see in life (or think we see) there is this hidden, mysterious realm that is part of our reality.  It might not show so well to us, it might not be obvious, but Christ, the saints, the prophets before Him, and the faithful of the Church, testify that that reality amidst us.  Christ's authority is clear to the unclean spirit, and it obeys.  But we, who might not be aware of all that goes on around us, are left to discern what perhaps we cannot so clearly see.  Jesus will teach us that "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:17-20).  Christ speaks with authority and acts with authority, and these fruits of His early ministry bear witness to Him.  How will we know what's real and what's true?  We will follow His command, seeking His help for discernment, for His authority is what leads us and protects us from false prophets, from the darkness that rejects the light of the Holy One of God.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them. 

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I  have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. 

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

Yesterday we read that, after John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  This passage reveals to us the family life of Saints Peter and Andrew, and shows that Peter was married.  It follows upon the command of rebuke to the unclean spirit (see yesterday's reading, above), and reminds us that St. Luke tells us He rebuked her fever (Luke 4:39).  Simon's mother-in-law is then restored to her place of importance in the house, as she also may serve the Lord His ministry.  It's important that we understand the word served here means to "minister" in Greek; in fact, it is literally the word from which we derive "deacon" (διακονέω/diakoneo).  

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Here is yet more demonstration of Christ's use of His authority.  His healing power is linked to His authority over the demons and His capacity to disallow them to speak.  Christ is the One who may reveal what is hidden, and choose to hide what must not yet be revealed before its proper time of preparation.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I  have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments that St. Mark's is the only Gospel that gives us a full 24-hour day in the life of Jesus.  It is a day built around prayer and ministry; Christ is the model for both, and He does not separate them.  His priority is prayer to His Father; in other words, there is prayer before service.  Although Jesus is God incarnate, He prayed continually, and frequently found a solitary place to be free from distraction, despite the multitude's need of Him.  My study Bible adds that Christ's ministry comes forth from His communion with the Father and the holy Spirit, and flows to people in their needs.  It says that His praying in the morning shows us that we need to put first priority on commitment to God, for only then we will be equipped to serve others.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  My study Bible says that Christ's dialogue with the leper reveals that Jesus heals from compassion; it is not from a sense of duty or a need to prove Himself, or to gather a following. Once again we observe elements of Christ's authority, which my study Bible calls comprehensive:  we see it in teaching, over demons, and over sickness.  Altogether, a powerful testimony to His divinity.  And yet, this divine identity as Messiah must remain for now a secret.  But in some sense, this is a secret that cannot be kept hidden.

We may look at the final story in today's reading, the healing of the leper, and consider Jesus' repeated effort to keep His identity hidden.  But Christ's public ministry coming into the world is akin to the coming of spring.  The good news bursts open like flowers blooming from bulbs hidden underground until this moment.  It's not the only time we read that Christ tried to keep hidden, and could not do so.  In fact, in chapter 7, we will read that Jesus will journey to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon, seeking to escape the multitudes who pursue Him:  "From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden" (Mark 7:24).  It's as if the good news of Christ's gospel is so full with its own energy that it must burst forth and cannot be limited.  Clearly Christ begins His public ministry with an understanding that He will need to reveal His identity as Messiah in a way that will not be confused with the popular expectations and demands for what is desired in such a figure.  He neither desires to be made a king, or to lead a political movement, or simply to give a new philosophy to the world.  Instead, the way in which Christ is revealing Himself shows us -- as my study Bible has pointed out so far in this Gospel -- just what His authority and power is all about.  Moreover, Jesus is ultimately obedient to the Father's will in all of this unfolding and public ministry that begins with healing, preaching, the casting out of demons, and calling of disciples.  Let us consider Christ's authority and power, and how it is rooted in love, for this is where our own highest loyalty must be, and what compels us forward toward Him.   St. Paul speaks of the glory shining in Moses' face, and covered by a veil -- a veil that is lifted by Christ for all to see.  He writes, "Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).  This is the power and authority to which we are drawn, and through which we are compelled only by love to draw closer.   Let us follow Christ's example, and start with prayer, for it is there where we begin seek the true image of glory.

 

 

Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!

 

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

 

- Matthew 20:29-34 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, now going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one of Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

  Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. My study Bible comments that the two blind men greet Jesus as Lord, which is the common title for God, and they also call Him Son of David, a title deeply associated with the Messiah.  It notes that although Jesus knows what we want before we ask, He calls us to ask freely so that we might learn of His mercy.  There is another, spiritual interpretation to this miracle in patristic literature, with the blind men symbolizing future generations who would come to faith only by hearing, without the benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  In this spiritual interpretation, the ones who tried to silence the blind men are seen as persecutors and tyrants, who in each generation try to silence the Church.  Nonetheless, under persecution, the Church all the more confesses Jesus Christ.  

We might ask ourselves how, in light of the spiritual interpretation of this story noted by my study Bible, we respond when others wish us to keep silent in expressions of our faith.  Such an expression can be as simple as wearing a cross pendant, or perhaps at times giving indication of prayer, such as giving thanks before a meal in a public place.  In the West, we can't really say we face mass movement of persecution for some things, although depending upon where we are, there are times when culturally or socially speaking, such expressions rub others, who are hostile, the wrong way, and are found to be objectionable.  This is the state of things in the Western world for some of us.  But what do we do when our expressions of compassion, inspired by faith, are seen to be objectionable?  Without any overt reference to our faith, there are times when people will seemingly find offensive things that our faith inspires us to do, which we believe are doing good for others.  Some very political matters currently come to mind, like the debate over giving gender-changing hormones to very young people who have not yet physically matured sufficiently, so that the effects on their bodies will be drastic and lifelong (see, for example, this article).  That's in addition to historical understanding of psychological maturity to make such life-altering changes which will follow for the rest of their lives, regardless of later choices.  Other issues that surround us simply have to do with the objections of those who may be hostile to faith for any reason, and don't want to be reminded of it.  But what is important is our own prayerful response to what we find in our lives, our social interactions, and our own struggles with the questions that come up for choices in the ways we live our lives.  There is a level at which we struggle to balance compassion for others with respect for different opinions.  Tolerance itself would seem to be a virtue born out of Christianity, for it is Christ Himself who faced hostility for actions such as healing these men, or preaching His gospel, a hostility born out of envy or resentment by those with official religious authority (Matthew 27:18).  What we find is that the very issue of God's kingdom breaking into the world will present spiritual challenges that don't necessarily have the explanations that justify them on logical or even legal terms, and this is because, in St. Paul's words, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  There are times when things that are nominally good will present as a threat to those who reject the Author of the good.  These things manifest in psychological terms, and without obvious explanation.  But we will find that secondary reasons can be created to defend even irrational hatreds.  The blind men are in some ways perfect examples of this phenomenon, because of the symbolic values inherent in the setting.  Jericho was a very ancient city, even predating the development of agriculture, to 10,000 BC.  As such, during Christ's time, its reputation was one of sinfulness and iniquity, connected perhaps to the practices of the various gods worshiped throughout its history.  The parable of the Good Samaritan is set on the road going down to Jericho from Jerusalem (the opposite direction that Christ now travels in today's reading), about a man beset and beaten by robbers and left abandoned and neglected by the side of the road.  So the blindness of these men who call out to Christ in today's reading is easily seen as symbolic of the blindness of a place like Jericho, notorious for its bad practices and abuses.  Clearly in Biblical language blindness is often associated with the darkness of ignorance and therefore sin.  The lack of illumination of sight is another metaphor for spiritual blindness, light that does not "enter" into the eye.  As such we can see them as those who, unlike the ones mired in and blind to the sinfulness of their surroundings, are different in that they are aware of their affliction.  They call out to Christ the Savior, the Messiah and Deliverer (Son of David) to take them out of their state and to help them.  Even in Christ's request asking them to state what they wish from Him we see the spiritual need to name our ailments, to identify them, so that we may be healed and come to Christ in that state of awareness for His intervention in our lives and for our problems.  But what makes these blind men stand out so that people seek to make them be quiet is precisely their awareness of both their sad condition, and Christ's capacity to heal them for which they shout.  Those who are complacent with going along with blindness and spiritual darkness will resent such awareness and its overt expression of need -- and there we have a deeper metaphor for the spiritual obstacles for those whose hearts have turned to that light and desire it greatly for themselves.  Simply by loving Christ, we may find ourselves a target for offense without cause.  What we must find for ourselves is not necessarily a sense in which we must openly challenge or materially change such responses, but rather remind ourselves that our mission is to endure in faith, because this is what Christ has taught.  In His teachings and warnings of times of difficulty to come, His words declare to us that "he who endures to the end will be saved."  This message is repeated twice in Matthew's gospel, at Matthew 10:22 and 24:13, emphasizing its significance in Christ's teachings to His disciples.  We must consider what it means to endure, to simply persist in being faithful regardless of our experiences.  For a prayerful life, and endurance in faith, is powerful -- and that is what is asked of us.  Let us consider what it means to be like the blind men, aware of what we lack, and yet persisting in seeking what we know we need -- even when others who do not seek the same may be disturbed by that very seeking.  The spiritual life is powerful, and there are those who sense and feel it, even when its very existence is denied.  In this context, it's important to remember the history of monasticism within Christianity, and the faith in the power of prayer to save the world -- even on a mountain or in the desert.  "Have mercy on us, O Lord" (Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς κύριε)  would become the prayer of the Church for the whole of its existence, and remains so today

 

 

 

 

I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!

 

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

- Luke 4:31-37 

 

Yesterday we read that, after His forty day period of fasting and temptation in the wilderness,  Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.  And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.    So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?"  He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'"  Then He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.  

 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.   After his forty-day period of fasting and temptation in the wilderness, and His journey and preaching in His hometown of Nazareth of Galilee, Jesus begins His public ministry in an even fuller sense.  My study Bible notes that, according to St. Ambrose of Milan, Christ begins preaching and healing on the Sabbaths to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  Capernaum is the city which will become His "headquarters" for His ministry, the home of Peter and Andrew.

And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. To teach with authority that Jesus' teaching differs from the prophets of old and the teachers of His day.  They taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), while Christ teaches in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5. 

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.  Here is also evidence of Christ's authority, and we see that reflected in that the people were all amazed at his power to command the unclean spirits.  Note that Jesus rebuked the demon who identifies Him as the Holy One of God, by saying, "Be quiet."  My study Bible notes several reasons why the Lord refuses to fully disclose His identity as Messiah, and remarks that this was foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  The reasons for secrecy include first, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders which is soon to come in response to His ministry.  Second, the people misunderstand the Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, the Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith, which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  

We might wonder at the authority of Jesus, expressed so early in His ministry.  What did He do before that?  Why are the people of His hometown so astonished at His gracious words?  (See yesterday's reading, above.)  When Jesus decided it was time to begin His public ministry, with His baptism in the Jordan by John, it is clear that this was the appropriate time.  As the prophecy of Isaiah says, He proclaims "the acceptable year of the LORD."  This is the time to begin to use His authority, to express Himself with it through His words and teaching, and even to cast out the unclean demons through that authority.  It might occur to us to consider why Jesus didn't bother throwing out all the unclean demons, and the devil, and whatever spiritual evil exists in the world while He was at it.  Why didn't He just fix everything to be always good before He left this world?  (Of course, we must also throw in upon this subject the question of why He had to die the way He did.)  All of these things are connected to what is called "theodicy."  This is the question of why God permits evil in the world.  Hidden in the notes on today's text is an important reason, that Christ wants people to come to faith not because they are convinced by "proofs" (like the miraculous signs He produces), not because they are astonished through such things, but rather willingly, of their own internal volition.  This is genuine faith He desires, a kind of longing and loyalty that really comes from love, and is a response to the love God brings to us, especially in the Person of Jesus Christ.  God does not compel us to love God back; this has to be voluntary.  Faith and love are deeply, closely connected, for they are both rooted in trust.  Who is it that you really trust in your life?  To whom do you give your trust?  This is the real concept of faith, in essence, and we can see its link to love and to loyalty.  St. John writes, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  One does not need to have been one of Christ's first earthly disciples to feel and experience this love, and it is also shared through the saints -- most notably Christ's mother, to whom so many have turned in their own pain, difficulties, and sorrow.  This kind of compassion in communion can truly be experienced through faith.  But still, even so, why does God permit evil in the world?  This is because, strange as it might seem -- and paradoxical as well -- we human beings are at the center of God's concern.  If God truly desires those who can worship in spirit and in truth (see John 4:23-24), then we must come to faith voluntarily and not through compulsion.  If we had no choices in our pathway in life, how different would life be?  Would we be those capable of faith although beset by temptations -- just as Christ faced worldly temptation in the wilderness?  Jesus has spoken of faith as work ("This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" -- see John 6:28-29), and so it is.  It is a struggle to find the true place in our hearts where we know that our Redeemer lives, just as did Job who struggled with evil in this world (Job 19:25).  It is the way we carry our own cross, as Christ carried His (Luke 9:23).  This is what it is to work the work of faith, for we are His prized precious children, who come to Him voluntarily, and through struggle, to realize His love and to return that love ourselves.  Let us consider the authority of Christ, and His love for us, for we know His struggle for us as well.