This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting

 

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  

 

- Matthew 17:14-21 

 

On Saturday we read that after six days (following St. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus' subsequent revelation of His suffering, death, and Resurrection to come) Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was till speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."   Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  My study Bible comments that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  In kneeling before Christ, this father shows humility.  But what he lacks is faith.  A little further along, in verse 20, Jesus also indicates that the disciples lacked faith, but here Christ rebukes the man for placing the blame on the disciples, when it was his greater lack of faith that prevented this boy's healing.  My study Bible asks us to note that, in effect, Jesus defends His disciples in front of the multitudes but later rebukes them in private (verses 19-21), which teaches us that we ought first to correct people in private (see also Matthew 18:15-17).  

 

 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible notes, this rebuke is directed at the nine disciples who could not cast out the demon.  The other three who were with Jesus, "the pillars" of faith -- Peter, James, and John (Galatians 2:9) -- were not included in this rebuke, for they had been up on the mountain with Christ at the Transfiguration (see Saturday's reading, above).   My study Bible adds that this kind refers to all powers of darkness, and not simply those which cause a particular illness.  (Actually, as a side note, epileptic is translated from a word that literally means "moonstruck.")  The banishment of demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting (verses 20-21), for there is no healing and no victory in spiritual warfare without all three, my study Bible says.  Starting with the Didache (the earliest teaching document of the Church), patristic instruction has taught that both the person in need of healing and the person performing the healing must believe, pray, and fast.  

 

Let us note that in speaking of the power of prayer Jesus is not talking about a kind of magic, wherein if we only convince ourselves to believe something, it will happen.  He's addressing His comments to the disciples who will sacrifice their lives for their faith.  Moreover, even these will need both prayer and fasting to effectively cast out the demonic.  Jesus' remarks indicate a life of spiritual discipline and of seeking God's will above all things as opposed to our own, not simply wishing for things to happen the way we want them to.  As a priest once put it, we pray to God in order to be changed, not to change God.  Indeed, this is the meaning of discipleship.  Only God's power working through us can accomplish these things.  President Abraham Lincoln was reported to have grasped this essential distinction as well.  During the Civil War, he is said to have been asked whether or not God was on his side.  His reply: "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side.  My greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right."  Sadly, this understanding has been twisted and misused upon people in very difficult and desperate circumstances, such as the serious illness of a loved one.  At times this can seem terribly hard to accept or reconcile, but we must understand that "'My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).  We pray for God to show us the way through such circumstances, to help us find God's way, to give us strength and insight to do so, and to enlighten our minds to make the right choices, and find opportunities for healing.  This might include the possibility that a person will not be healed in the way we desire.  Personally I have observed heartbreak and confusion when specific prayers are not answered in the way that was hoped.  In that case, we seek God's grace in all things, to find the God's way through our difficulties and struggles.  Sometimes this means that we will simply have to endure with patience our own confusion and lack of comprehension.  But this, in turn, can also make us stronger.  In Friday's reading, Jesus chastised St. Peter for his very human desire that Christ not go to the Cross, even calling him Satan ("Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men").  It was then Jesus taught the disciples about the life of the Cross, which is not only for Jesus, but for each of us to follow Him and take up our own crosses.  This is the reality of prayer and practices that help us to put God first, such as fasting, and set aside our own desires as possible in exchange for seeking what God wants.  This is the way that God can work through us, but we must "get out of the way," so to speak, and let God, in fact, transform us.  The Transfiguration (in yesterday's reading, above) serves us as a model for this notion.  Salvation means seeking our own transfiguration in God's image for us, as we were created to be (Genesis 1:26).  That is, on an ongoing, day to day basis, we seek to make the changes God asks us to make, working our way through our own imperfections and lack of understanding as human beings.  And this is the real work of faith, of living our faith.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him

 

 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.'"

 

- Luke 17:1-10 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the following parable:  "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"

 

  Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."  Yesterday's parable, of Lazarus and the Rich Man, was given in response to the scorn of the Pharisees, especially regarding our use of wealth and other resources in a compassionate way.  But today's teaching, we should note, is once again directed to the disciples, and therefore what kind of leadership Christ will ask for in His Church.  My study Bible explains that little ones refers primarily to children, but by extension to anyone whose heart is humble and dependent upon God.  In Matthew 18:1-4, Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship.  My study Bible suggests that this is an emphasis on the virtues required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven:  humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  Thus "little ones" become those who will grow in faith, the flock of the Church for which these disciples will become responsible stewards.

"Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."  Seven is a number of fullness, meant to indicate an unlimited amount.  Let us note that Luke includes the important acknowledgement of wrongdoing, "I repent."  This is reconciliation, maintaining a family unity in the Church.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gives a formula for mutual correction (Matthew 18:15-20).  

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  My study Bible tells us that the mulberry tree is symbolic of the devil's works.  This is because silkworms feed on the leaves of the mulberry tree, and worms are an image of hell (Mark 9:42-48).  It notes that this patristic interpretation is confirmed by many scriptural images of evil being destroyed in the sea (Luke 8:33; Exodus 14:27; Matthew 21:21; Revelation 20:10).  

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not."  My study Bible comments that the servant plowing is mentioned first and the one tending sheep second, which shows that one must first work out one's own salvation (Philippians 2:12) before one can become a shepherd of others.  Thus, it becomes an important instruction to these future leaders of the Church.

"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.'"  My study Bible says that this word translated as unprofitable literally means "without merit" in Greek.  Ultimately, its meaning is to say they are useless, unneeded because unhelpful.  But my study Bible is quick to point out that this does not mean they are without intrinsic value.  The emphasis is on participation in this life of the Kingdom.  My study Bible explains that it means that everything we have comes from God and is owed back to God.  There is nothing we can offer to God that does not already belong to God.  See Psalm 50.

In today's reading, the apostles demand of Jesus, "Increase our faith."  He tells them in response, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  Now both the demand and the response are interesting.  The first is interesting because the disciples demand of Christ to increase their faith because He's given them this difficult command about forgiveness in the first verses of today's reading.  He warns them about offenses to the "little ones" of the flock, and the dire consequences to those who harm these little ones.  But then He speaks about offenses within their community.  A sin against oneself may be met by a rebuke, but if repentance comes, forgiveness is commanded.  This is not an if/and/but/or statement; there is no doubt what Jesus is commanding here.  He makes this exaggerated to make a point:  "And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."   It is to this statement that they respond with a demand to increase their faith, and then Jesus teaches them the power of just a little faith, akin to a tiny mustard seed -- and that the power of this tiny level of faith is such that a mulberry tree -- a symbolic image of feeding death and evil -- may cast itself into the sea by its roots at one's command.   Effectively, Jesus makes the connection between the right-relatedness of those within the Church, through correction and forgiveness, and faith that has the power to defy the darkness and death of evil.  Now that is a powerful statement about what the Church can be, about what it means to be reconciled to one another, about what impact our faith can have when we put the things into practice that Christ teaches us.  Imagine what it means to be reconciled to one another and really form the Body of Christ between brothers and sisters who can recognize an offense, correct, repent, and forgive.  This must certainly be the picture of what good relationships are within the Church, but more importantly, what it means to build the Kingdom -- and the power of faith -- here in this world.  Imagine if we all worked to make our parishes such a model of relatedness to one another, to building faith, and to the power of that faith against the forces of death in this world, the things that are destructive in nature, the things that do not nurture life, and cause suffering.  So, ultimately, we can take today's reading and find this crucial, important, central message upon which so much else hinges:  how do we, as "profitable" servants, take it seriously that we seek to build right-relatedness in this world in all that we say and do?  How do we take responsibility to serve Christ in this sense, simply that we seek to do our part to be in the type of communion with others that He says we should?  That is, we care for the little ones, we acknowledge our own faults and repent them, and we're also willing to call out an offense when it occurs to us.  This latter can be a hard thing to do, especially when we think that things will be better if we let something pass, or it's just easier to go gossip or complain about it to someone else.  What we should not forget about is the role of faith in all of this, and that when relationships become tricky and difficult we can always take it to prayer to find our way to negotiate through it.  Perhaps we have a pastor or other person we trust to confide in, or perhaps we simply need to leave it to God and see how things progress.  But right-relatedness, in Christ's sight, is clearly presented here as powerful, and as building up the faith that brings life into this world, and counters the forces which deaden and corrupt.  How do we build this Church?  How do we build this Body of Christ?  Sometimes there will be those whom we simply have to let go, which we also read about in the Scriptures (Matthew 18:17, 1 Corinthians 5:5).  But our work is to follow the Master in His teachings, to build the faith through the practices He gives us.  For if we don't live our faith, we are indeed useless servants.  Let us take these teachings as seriously as they're given to us.

 

 

Assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray

 

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

 

- Matthew 18:10-20 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Christ's second prediction of what will come about in Jerusalem, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, but it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."   

 

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."   Jesus continues His theme of the "little ones" which include not only the children in the Church, but all those who have childlike simplicity and humility.  That is, those who are poor in spirit.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom here, who teaches that not only the saints, but all people have guardian angels.  However, it says, the angels of humble people have greater boldness and greater honor before the face of God because of the humility of the person they guard.  It is not the nature of God, but the weakness of human beings, that requires the angels' service.  

 

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  Unlike an earthly shepherd, my study Bible says, Christ sees such great value in one sheep that He will leave the others at risk to save it.  This is an illustration of the lengths to which Christ will go to save, the precious value of even one.  The ninety-nine sheep represent the righteous who remain faithful to God (Luke 15:7).  According to certain patristic teachers, this is also an image of the Incarnation in which the ninety-nine represent the angels in heaven; Christ descended from heaven to pursue the one sheep -- humankind -- who had fallen into corruption on earth.  

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  My study Bible comments that church discipline is based on mutual correction in three expanding stages.  Sin and correction are to remain private unless the offender refuses to repent.  All correction must be done with great care and humility, with the highest concern being the salvation of the offender (see 1 Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 6:1).  But nonetheless, it notes, correction must take place so that the sin does not spread to others as well.  The authority to bind and loose sins is given to the apostles and transmitted to the bishops and presbyters they ordained (see also Christ's reference to the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" at the occasion of Peter's confession of faith (Matthew 16:19).  My study Bible further adds that this authority is given for the sake of the salvation of the sinner.  Again, it quotes St. John Chrysostom, who says the sinner, "seeing that he is not only cast out of the Church, but that the bond of his sin will remain in Heaven, he may turn and become gentle."

 

 Thinking about the ninety-nine sheep left behind in order to save one brings to mind the story of the demoniac who called himself Legion, as he had many demons (Mark 5:9).  In Matthew's Gospel, this story appears in chapter 8.  Jesus and the disciples sail across an extremely storm-tossed Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27), which is dangerous enough to frighten these experienced fishermen to the point at which they fear they are going to perish.  They come to the other side of the Sea of Galilee where they encounter the demon-possessed men (Matthew's version reports two men, which is not necessarily a contradiction to Luke and Mark).  In Matthew 8:28-34, we read about the terrible state of these men, Christ's casting the demons out of them, and the people in region who care more for their swine than for the healing of the men and the casting out of the demons, all of which parallels the stories found in Mark and Luke (Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39).  These demon-possessed men (or man, in the case of Mark and Luke) live among the tombs; they are so separated from society they cannot live in community.  They dwell in a place in which their only human association is with other Jews who unlawfully herd swine for a Gentile market, and who clearly care nothing for these men.  Jesus seemingly has set sail across a very threatening Sea of Galilee apparently simply to come to this desolate and seemingly God-forsaken place simply to heal such tremendously afflicted men.  Again, in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, this newly-healed man is sent out by Christ to proclaim what great things God has done for him, making him not only thoroughly healed and redeemed but clearly a part of the church to come, one sent out on a mission by Christ with a message, even as the evangelists and apostles will be.  This seems to be a clear illustration of the power of Christ to go to the ends of the earth, so to speak, to save even one sheep who is lost.  Seemingly endangering even Himself and His own disciples, He goes to find these men and to heal them, restoring them to faith, even to a place in His church.  So the Gospels clearly have given us a vivid illustration of the power of Christ to seek out and to heal, to restore us to a rightful place within His church.  But the Gospels are, indeed, full of stories about Christ's compelling walk through His ministry seeking out those who would be saved, risking His own life and reputation, being shunned and rejected for doing so, and eventually paying the price for such effort with His life.  For the whole story of Christ and His mission into the world is contained here, as He reaches out with great effort to save the others who are rejected by the religious establishment, as doing so gets Him in hot water with the religious leaders to the point where they plot His death.  This is, indeed, the story of Christ's love for us, and we should not doubt that every effort is made on our behalf as well.  The unlikely stories of salvation in the Gospels, including (for example) that of St. Paul, should make us all stop to ponder how much we are loved, and to be assured that we are similarly considered to be worth every effort, and that Christ and His angels work at all times for us to open our eyes to that love and that salvation.  They will reach us wherever we are, no matter how "lost" we might seem or feel, even when we're not even aware of how lost we just might be, even when we don't understand what we risk in turning away from His way for us.  Christ will use the circumstances of our lives as He uses the circumstances in each of the lives of those whom He saves in the Gospels, including Matthew the tax collector, author of the Gospel we are reading today in the lectionary.  Let us consider how much we are loved, and seek out His call to us, for He will exhaust every effort on our behalf to bring us back.

Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two or you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

- Matthew 18:10-20

Yesterday we read that at that time (just after Jesus' second revelation to them that He would be killed and on the third day rise again) the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand of foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost."  We see Jesus' reference to the little ones in yesterday's reading (above).  My study bible explains that little ones include all who are simple and humble, those who are poor in spirit in the Church.  St. John Chrysostom comments that not only the saints, but all people, have guardian angels.  But, my study bible says, the angels of humble people have greater boldness and more honor before the face of God because of the humility of the person that they guard.  It is not the nature of God, but the weakness of human beings, that requires the service of the angels to help guide us to God.

"What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."   My study bible comments that, unlike earthly shepherds, Christ sees such value in one sheep that He will leave the others are risk to save it.  The ninety-nine sheep represent the righteous who remain faithful to God (Luke 15:7).  According to some Church Fathers, this is also an image of the Incarnation:  the ninety-nine represent the angels in heaven.  But Christ came from heaven in order to pursue the one sheep -- humankind -- who had fallen into corruption and sin on earth.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two or you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  Here Jesus gives a formula for mutual corrective discipline in the Church, and exercised in three expanding stages.  Sin and correction remain private, except in the case where the offender refuses to repent.  All correction has to be done with enormous care and humility -- the highest concern is the salvation of the offender (see 1 Corinthians 5:5, Galatians 6:1).  Nonetheless, correction must take place so that the sin does not spread to others as well.

We often forget how wise Jesus is when He speaks about correction -- and moreover, demonstrates this by His actions.  Repeatedly we have seen Him give correction to His disciples in private, and before today's passage when He teaches them about correction in the Church (see this reading, for example).  Frequently Jesus' "corrections" come in the form of teaching privately to the disciples away from the crowds, or possibly explaining a parable they don't understand.  When Jesus tells Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!" He is already speaking privately to him, and away from the rest of the disciples.  We don't know what other incidents may have happened, but these are given to us freely in the Gospels, so that we all may know and understand:  the disciples aren't perfect either, theirs is a growth of faith, but we also learn Jesus' way of caring and nurturing, both for the disciples and the little ones who will come in the future.  I have personally had occasion to think a good deal about this lately, as the social media platforms on which people have been forced to communicate even more frequently under lockdown for coronavirus do not lend themselves easily to private correction or dialogue.  Everything is in a public platform.  The wisdom of Christ's advice for personal correction before public becomes lost -- and paradoxically, possibly more true!  Even the "public" in Jesus' correction example is the expanding community of other brethren, members of the Church, starting with a small group of two or three, and only later to the whole of the Church.   He does not extend this to the wider community of the whole public of those outside the Church, except to teach us how to understand one who doesn't want a true and loving correction.  But on social media, there is rarely room for private correction, or time to think about it.  Everything is done in front of a great audience, and even more problematic, before a group of one's peers or friends and acquaintances.  This dynamic -- as Jesus so wisely understood -- makes responses of rage, anger, and defensiveness so much more likely.  It also encourages bullying, just as schoolyard battles in front of the rest of the kids do.  Let us consider what work we might need to do to apply Jesus' teachings in our own lives.  The correction first in private seems so important, but also in our modern context, so is the admonition to understand that not everyone shares our faith nor the intimacy and understanding in which it shelters us and couches our possible disagreements.  Let us endeavor to live what He teaches and apply it as best we can.  Life is for learning.  None is perfect, least of all myself.  But we are meant to grow in Christ's wisdom.  Let us be attentive  to it.  Once again, Christ has couched these teachings in the context of care and nurturing of the "little ones" who will make up His Church.  We endeavor to avoid giving scandal for their sake -- and for the sake of possible future believers who were St. Paul's concern.  We might put all of Christ's teachings on forgiveness into this context as well.  Let us note that Jesus does not say all offenses are fine nor that we should ignore them.  But He gives us a way to cope with offenses, including forgiveness and "letting go" of our own rage and anger, even to the understanding that this might include needing separation.  But no teaching of Christ is separate from the other, all form a cohesive whole, in which we endeavor to grow in wholeness ourselves.

If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

Jesus as the Good Shepherd with lost sheep - Roman Catacombs, 3rd century

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

- Matthew 18:10-20

Yesterday we read that, after Christ's second prediction of His Passion, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

"Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."  Once again, we remember that Jesus is using the image of a little child in front of the disciples.  But, for our proper understanding of His teaching, and following upon yesterday's reading, little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  St. John Chrysostom teaches regarding this verse that not only saints, but all people have guardian angels, my study bible says.  But the angels of the humble have greater boldness and greater honor before the face of God because of the humility of the person whom they guard.  It is not the nature of God, my study bible says,  but the weakness of human beings that requires the angels' service.

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  Unlike earthly shepherds, my study bible says, Christ sees such value in one sheep that He will leave the others at risk to save it.  The ninety-nine sheep represent the righteous who remain faithful to God (Luke 15:7).  According to some patristic commentary, this is also an image of the Incarnation, in which the ninety-nine represent the angels in heaven.  Christ descended from heaven to pursue the one sheep -- humankind -- who had fallen into corruption and evil on earth.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."  Christ gives a description regarding discipline, and the place of forgiveness.  It should be noted that this is said in the context of His flock, the sheep, the Church.  Therefore "your brother" is another believer.  My study bible notes here that church discipline is based on mutual correction in three expanding stages.  Sin and correction, it says, are to remain private unless the offender refuses to repent.  All correction must be done with great care and humility, and the highest concern is the salvation of the offender (see 1 Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 6:1).  Nonetheless, it adds, there must be a correction, so that the sin does not spread to others as well.  The church is the entire assembly of the faithful, all followers of Christ, the body of Christ.  The word in Greek (ἐκκλησία) literally means those called out, from the world and to God.

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."   My study bible comments that the authority to bind and to loose sins is given to the apostles; and it is transmitted to the bishops and presbyters whom they ordained.  It emphasizes that this authority is given for the sake of the salvation of the sinner.  St. John Chrysostom writes of the sinner, that "seeing that he is not only cast out of the Church, but that the bond of his sin will remain in Heaven, he may turn and become gentle."  In other words, these corrective measures are taken to hopefully inspire repentance and return to Christ.

Over the course of the past two readings, Jesus has been seeking to establish some "ground rules," if you will, for the formation of His Church that is to come.  This present discourse began after Jesus had predicted His Passion for the second time, midst the sorrow of the disciples (see Wednesday's reading).  But not long after, and when they are back in Capernaum, the disciples approach Jesus with a question, "Who then is  greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  (See yesterday's reading, above.)   Perhaps they have considered His words about His Passion, death, and Resurrection.  At any rate, Jesus uses the occasion to teach about organization, discipline, and relatedness within His Church.  He began by showing them a little child as a model of discipleship, which my study bible says reveals the desired qualities of humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus corrected the apparent perspective of the disciples when they asked who would be greatest, by focusing instead on the virtues of a little child as those which a true disciple of Christ should seek to emulate.  Moreover, He gave the strictest caution to the disciples regarding possible abuses of power which would result in harm to the "little ones" in His church.  In today's reading, Jesus speaks deeply to our psychology, and especially to the psychology of love, when He speaks of the shepherd who goes in search of the one lost sheep.  In Luke 15, Jesus pairs this parable with the parable of the Lost Coin, and also the parable of the Lost Son (also known as the Prodigal Son), emphasizing the love which seeks those who have been lost to it.  This picture of God's love runs deep within that which makes us "like God" -- that is, our own soul's capacity for love, and our capacity to relate to these parables, longing especially for those who are lost to us.  The message about the Kingdom to which we belong as faithful regards the nature of God, and the kind of love among one another that Jesus wants to see in His Church, which is His Body.  We are a part of one another; it should pain us to be separated, and in particular to lose even one -- even if the rest remain.  This is why our pastors visit the sick and minister to the dying, why we seek to help the poor and the homeless and those forgotten by all the rest of the social structures we have.  It illustrates precisely why the "little ones" are of the greatest importance, and this applies to those of low stature in any case or condition of this world.  This is what love does.  It is why Jesus teaches us about the guardian angels of the "littlest" among us, who always see the face of God the Father.   It is why those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ are not defined by status or any other ostensible characteristic that commonly separates us in any worldly sense.  The correction that Christ offers is poignant, because it not only sets up a question (which will come next in our readings) about forgiveness, but it also establishes that there will be times when those who are intentionally lost to us must be separated.  That is, through the choices a person makes, they may not be able to remain a part of the group.  Abuses of this love will be taken seriously.  Nevertheless, it is hoped that the separation itself will be a remedy, a correction -- just as in the parable of the Prodigal Son, it was the very separation from his father's home that brought him back to recollection of who he really was.  Luke 15:17 tells us that it was "when he came to himself" that he realized how much better off he was, even as hired servant, in his father's care.  Let us consider what love is established as the rock of our Church, our faith.  Within the whole body of believers, this must be the rule, for everything else depends upon that.  John tells us, in his first Epistle, that "we love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 1:19).  Let us remember that His discipline is intrinsically tied to His love, as we seek to follow and be good disciples.

Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

- Matthew 18:10-20

Yesterday, we read that at that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."  Jesus continues speaking to the disciples about the "little ones."  That is, those people who express the qualities that are "childlike" that He praises.  My study bible names them as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  St. John Chrysostom, says my study bible, teaches that not only the saints, but all human beings have guardian angels.  But the angels of humble people have greater boldness and greater honor before the face of God because of the humility of the person they guard.  A note says, "It is not the nature of God, but the weakness of men, that requires the angels' service."   Jesus has given stark warnings to those who would harm the little ones, who would "cause offense" or cause them "to stumble."  He continues to speak of them here in His most protective manner.

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  My study bible points out that unlike earthly shepherds, Christ expresses such value in one sheep that He would leave the others at risk to save it.  The ninety-nine sheep represent the righteous who remain faithful (Luke 15:7).  Certain Church Fathers also teach that this is an image of the Incarnation.  The ninety-nine represent angels in heaven.  Christ descended from heaven to pursue the one sheep -- humankind -- who had fallen into corruption on earth.  The great love expressed here is that which prompts the disciples, as future bishops in the Church, to understand the urgency of their mission and devotion in His name.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."   This teaching may seem unconnected to Jesus' discourse in the earlier verses, but it remains consistent in addressing issues of humility, hierarchy, and discipline in the Church.  This is the way that we must read it.  Jesus gives a formula for Church discipline which is based on mutual correction.  It expands in three stages.  Sin and correction, in this formula, remain private unless the offender refuses to repent.  In this model, all correction is done "with great care and humility," says my study bible, and the highest concern is the salvation of the offender (see 1 Corinthians 5:4-5; Galatians 6:1).  We must also keep in mind that correction needs to take place, so the sin doesn't spread to others as well.   This is the second of only two times Jesus uses the word church.

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  Jesus speaks of bonds that remain between earth and heaven, giving us a sense once again of a Kingdom that is in our midst and interactive with us, not something far away and remote.  In this context, actions involving judgment also become an area of human participation, not the province of a far away legalistic and punishing god.  It is an authority here which is given to the apostles and transmitted to the bishops and presbyters they ordained.  My study bible says it's an authority given for the sake of the sinner.  St. Chrysostom writes of the sinner that "seeing that he is not only cast out of the Church, but that the bond of his sin will remain in Heaven, he may turn and become gentle." 

The disciples are being given a model of the Church, the teachings of Christ for the entity which they are to serve as its founding bishops and hierarchs.  This model involves first of all humility, and in that vein it is love that must make its bonds and stones and frame and construction.  We know the Church to be far more than merely an institution and a material construction in the world.  It is a spiritual reality, the Body of Christ, and it includes all those in heaven and earth who are its participants.  He reminds us that in heaven the angels of the "little ones" "always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."  That is, the angels, too, are participants in this body, this spiritual/material bond of heaven and earth that is called His Church.  There is far more than we can imagine bound up in Church, even in liturgical worship alone.  But Jesus gives us the pillars and the foundation here, the glue that holds it all together and molds what His idea is of what that must be like.  Mutual correction is a way in which we all participate in the work of the Church.  He has taught earlier that we must remove the plank in our own eye so that we may see more clearly to remove the speck in another's (in the Sermon on the Mount, see 7:1-6).  The teachings in those verses in the Sermon on the Mount apply here to this system of mutual correction in the Church; that would include His subsequent words (in ch. 7) about not giving what is holy to dogs, nor casting pearls before swine, as well as His preface that we will be judged as we judge others.  There is a depth of integration here of heaven and earth that is unmistakable, and it occurs over and over again in His many teachings in the Gospel of Matthew.  That integration is in His Church, and the fullness of the Church is that very integration of heaven and earth.  Let us consider, then, this extraordinary living thing in which we are invited to participate not as observers but as members, as friends, sisters and brothers, in this work of heaven and earth merged into one, the Kingdom in our midst that is both within us and among us.  Let us remember that if we love Him, we follow His teachings. 

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

- Mark 9:14-29

Yesterday, we read that, having told the disciples about His future suffering and death,  after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus comes upon a scene of dispute, having been on the mountain top with Peter, James, and John, and the revelation of divinity (the Trinity) via His Transfiguration.    Whatever His divine identity as Son, His worldly life is taken with disputes from the religious leadership.  Here, there is a problem of healing.  An unclean spirit seeks to destroy a boy and keeps him mute; his father comes to the disciples for help.  As framed here in the Gospels, this is a story of oppression.  The boy needs help, and the father comes to those who may be able to help.  But the dispute with the scribes is going on with the disciples, and there is a problem. 

He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"   "Faithless generation" most likely applies to everyone in this scenario.  There are disputes going on within many levels -- the scribes with the disciples, the disciples trying to help the boy with the unclean spirit, the father conflicted within his own belief.  So there's a kind of equation here with struggle:  often it is reflective of or parallel to ongoing struggles within ourselves.  This man's plea, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" may be a prayer for all of us.  Even the compassion of the Lord also needs our faith, our belief, our trust in God. 

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  Again, we see the struggle of faith here.  Many in the crowd think the child is dead after Jesus heals the child and commands the "deaf and dumb"  spirit to come out of him.  I think it's important that we see this "mute" spirit binds the child; the oppression is his inability to express himself, along with the destructive nature of the spirit.  Jesus must defy all expectations in this healing, even of the crowds.  Privately, he rebukes the disciples:  in public He defends them but teaches that correction should happen in private.  The NU-text omits and fasting here.  Nevertheless, we get the message:  practices that increase faith are necessary for our own struggles, especially in a world where any form of evil creates conflict, oppression,  or chaos for us.

What does it mean to struggle with our faith?  In today's reading, we can see all kinds of struggles going on.  The scribes from Jerusalem are present; they're the ones who study the great teachers of the past, or with famous rabbis, and they learn and teach the same way to others.  They represent the students of the religious establishment -- both they and the disciples ostensibly have faith in the same God.  Jesus never denies Jewish spiritual history; indeed, He has said that He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.  He is the fullness of the truth revealed in the Law and the Prophets.   It's important to understand that in the ancient world, the Pagan Greeks, for example, who became Christians, saw their own civilization and history the same way:  containing many good truths and things essential for life, but with a greater fulfillment and revelation in Christ.  That's how, essentially, we have theology -- the classical Greek world of philosophy merging with the revelation of Christ; the "true, good, and beautiful" (as Plato, among others, would put it) manifest in Christ.   Christ teaches that He is the Person who is truth; He manifests a fullness of truth, beauty, and goodness and gives us a fullness of that vision in a person (or Person, as the case may be).   But where does our faith, our belief come into it?  Once again, we look at the scene in today's reading, and it's a scene of chaos and struggle:  the disciples with the scribes, the man and boy with this oppressive, destructive unclean spirit -- one that keeps this boy from the potential of expression.  That is, a human capacity for expression that can be like our Creator:  manifesting truth, beauty, and goodness.   The conflict with evil is that which stops us from that potential or capacity, the fullness of what it is to be created in the image of God.  There's a conflict with the crowds, who insist the boy is dead when Jesus has, in fact, healed him.  And there is the struggle with faith in Christ, the Person who's the personification of truth and beauty and goodness.  This is the struggle present in all of the people here, the "faithless generation" -- to one extent and another, the disciples, scribes, the crowd, and the father.  The key here is really telling us that the practices of faith -- those designed to give us discipline in faith and to shore up our faith, like prayer and fasting -- keep us on the road, the connection, to Christ, to the things that are good and true and beautiful that we may manifest in our own lives.  They help us in the battle with chaos, in that which tears down and muzzles and seeks destruction.   Faith keeps us in a place where we put our trust in what is good and true and beautiful, and where we know that we may seek those things for ourselves and live them, too.  Faith teaches us we are made in the image of our Creator.  Maybe most importantly for this story, faith gives us a way to express the good and true and beautiful in our own lives, despite whatever handicap or obstacle we may encounter.  We are not going to live in a perfect world, but we do have help and strength, through faith, to transcend and overcome, to manifest the things that are of God, that which liberates, transforms, redeems.  Faith is the key to all of it, and this story teaches us the importance of the practices that shore up and help our faith, the necessary discipline to build order out of chaos, peace from conflict, a true way out of that which binds and stops us from being who we are to be, and the lies that tell us we can't.  Faith is trust, it is a question of the trust we put in Christ, the love we have for God.  Let us remember the father's prayer:  "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief."  In the Greek, the word for "believe" is more akin to trust, so it's a question of what we put our faith into, where we place our trust.   How do you help to find the grace in your life, your connection with the love of God and the faith that draws you near?  What helps you to find His peace, the place of His love and presence, the choice for faith?  Fasting is a deliberate "saying no" to forms of temptation, a kind of practice for personal discipline in saying "no" to what may seek to alienate us from God's way, a learning of self-discipline for times of real temptation.  Prayer keeps us in communion, as disciples, with our Lord; it's a line to grace, a way we call the Lord to our side (as in the word Paraclete, one who comes when called, usually in defense, an Advocate, a Comforter).    Let us remember that these are keys to our healing and wholeness, to maintaining a life in which we live to our potential as ones created in the image of the true, the good, and the beautiful.    This is real spiritual health.  Christ calls us to realize it through faith!  The word "generation" can be used to apply to all of us.

If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.  Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

- Matthew 18:10-20

Yesterday, we read that the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.   Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."  My study bible tells us of this verse, "No one should despise humble Christians, because their guardian angels occupy foremost positions before God.  The angels always see the face of God, not in His divine essence, but in His divine glory, His energy, according to the measure of their capacity (John 6:46).  Only the Son and the Holy Spirit can behold God perfectly (11:27; 1 Cor. 2:10).  It is not the nature of God, but the weakness of men, which requires the angels' service.  They are sent for the sake of those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14)."

"For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?  And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."  A note here tells us:  "The search for the lost sheep is an act of God in mercy and love for each person who goes astray.  No first-century Palestinian shepherd would dare leave ninety-nine to find one, lest the wolves come and devour the flock (Luke 15:4).  But God's love is so great He would seek even the one that is straying."  Here the "lost sheep" and the "little ones" converge in image in Christ's teaching.  The message is that even the marginal in the community are those for whom there must be a concern -- and that this reflects the concern and love of God for each of them.  There is a longing expressed here that expresses true love, like that of a loving parent.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.  If he hears you, you have gained your brother.  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."  A note reads:  "These verses set forth a classic form of Church discipline based on mutual correction, in three expanding stages.  Sin and repentance are private unless the offender refuses to repent; then the issue may have to be made public and corporate, coming before the whole Church.  All discipline must be done with great care and humility, for it is easy to be hypocritical in the way we judge (see 7:1-5)."  My study bible additionally points out that the term "church" occurs only in Matthew among the Gospels, and it refers to the people of God, the community of faith.  "Jesus came to establish a congregation, gathered by Him and united with Him, in the power of the Holy Spirit."

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."   A note explains:  "Temporal rulers have the power of binding, but they bind only the body.  God, however, bonds with a bond which pertains to the soul itself, a power which God has not given even to angels.  God is with us.  He has a special presence in heaven and in every church as well, through His grace and the sacraments.  Mutual correction, which sometimes necessitates expulsion from the community, makes the Church strong and invincible through the love of Christ."

At first glance, it would seem as if there is not too much connection between the earlier verses in today's reading, and the latter verses.  How do the two tie together in answer to the question of the disciples in yesterday's reading, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  If we think about it, everything in today's reading reveals to us an ultimate concern for community.  But in this ultimate concern is the core and the heart of Jesus in the concern for the "little ones" and the "least of these."  That is, the ones on the margins:  the strays, the powerless, the seemingly unimportant socially -- and those who may err so that there may be a break with the group.  At the core of Jesus' love is the overall concern for community, for keeping the flock together, even those who may be straying in various ways.  We are reminded of course of the parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke's Gospel.  Jesus' heart is with the strays, and He teaches His followers that those who would be great among them must be concerned, too.  In this correction plan in the Church, we find a kind of self-regulating mechanism for those who would cause offense within the Church, and it begins with a one-on-one respect for privacy, only gradually growing in scope when there is no correction.  The thread that links all of these things together is concern for the community, but especially in the form of the care of the lost, straying, and "least of these."  So, the emphasis remains on the image in the littlest ones, and the great love of One who would leave the ninety-nine to seek the one who has gone astray.  There is a love here that is found in the key to understanding the mind of God, or perhaps the kingdom of heaven:  He rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.  Jesus has taught that He has come to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel."  But He's come for each of us who may be "lost sheep" of His community.  It really doesn't matter what place we hold, this is the love that teaches us about our God, our Creator, our Savior.  It is the love that won't let go without a great effort.  Tellingly, it is only after three attempts -- and one by the whole of the community -- that one who is determined to stray is let go apart.  It should be noted that when Jesus uses the word "lost" He's really using the Greek word for perdition or destruction; this is "lost" as in a complete and ultimate loss of life.  When Jesus speaks of bonds, and His presence where even two or three are gathered, it is giving us a deep understanding of how this community works.  It is through His power, His presence and love, through the presence or "energies" of the Spirit, that this community is kept together.  When we act "in His name" we are hereby cautioned to remember what He is truly about, where His heart is, so that we can be "like Him."  Those who would be greatest among us, those who would lead, are most strongly cautioned about the use of power.  It is the littlest ones who must always be kept foremost in mind, the ones who are straying, whose angels always behold the face of His Father in heaven.  It is the power and Spirit of this great loving parent that binds us, guides us, shapes community and -- especially -- gives us our notion of what relatedness and community is to be like, what real leadership is all about.