If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them

 

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. 

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

 

- Matthew 10:24-33 

 

In our current reading, Jesus is preparing the Twelve for their first apostolic mission, before He sends them out (see this reading).  Yesterday, Jesus taught them, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known."  Jesus is teaching His disciples not to fear those who will persecute them (see yesterday's reading, above, for His warnings about persecutions to come).  

 

 "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."   In today's reading, Jesus repeats the messages do not fear three times altogether.  My study Bible says that He does so in order to embolden the witness of the gospel in the face of adversity.  Christian believers, then and today, it says, must neither be intimidated by persecution nor fail in their mission to preach.  Moreover, that there is no need to fear the killing of the soul shows the immortality of the human soul, which is ours by grace.  Fear Him is a command to fear God (Proverbs 9:10; Luke 1:50, 23:40; Acts 10:2; Colossians 3:22; 1 Peter 2:17).  Only God has the power to judge the soul, a power invoked here as Jesus speaks of His own confession "before My Father."  My study Bible comments that Christians are instructed to resist the devil (James 4:7), but not to fear him.  Hell is literally "Gehenna."  In Jewish history, my study Bible explains, Gehenna (the Valley of Hinnom) became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 32:35).  King Josiah put an end to those practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By the time of Christ, the valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered constantly.  Because of these associations, it notes, Gehenna acquired the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.

Jesus teaches His disciples to fear God more than they would fear those who will be hostile to them.  This remains true now for us as much as it was then, and it would seem to be just as difficult for us to be mindful of such priorities.  But Christ is not inviting His disciples to court danger nor even to become involved with those who will seek to persecute them for His name's sake.  What He is emphasizing here, on the contrary, is a question of what priority they will serve in life.  Far more important to remember God, to keep in mind the essential value of the soul, than to consider temporal or worldly fears outweigh that in importance.  If we might put the question another way, it seems that we can ask ourselves what ranks in order of importance as to where our loyalty lies.  Do we respect, honor, and fear the people who would reject Christ and persecute His followers, or is it God who commands our respect, honor, and even fear -- fear in the sense that it is God who is the stronger, better power, and fear in the sense that it is God who is the Creator of all.  For that invites us to ask the question, what do we lose if we lose our relationship with God?  What do we lose if we are not in good order, or right relatedness to the One who lays the foundations of existence?  In that case, we have to fear not only the loss of our own priceless soul, but to fear an existence which is out of order with the cosmos itself, and far away and detached from God who is love and the root of love.  What would the qualities of our lives be like then, should we honor instead those who seek to persecute the ones who love Christ?  To what would we be bowing?  What would the qualities of our lives be like then?  It is an important question to answer, for to honor that fear of those who would persecute Christ is to honor a spirit of anti-Christ in some sense.  It is to give ourselves up to the fortune of the moment, the ire of those who hate, the worldly power of those whose practice is a kind of rage.  For us as Christians, it is important to draw this line -- an understanding that our worldly fears are not to be placed in significance above our love of God and Christ, for to do so is to dishonor the latter.  Christ asks His disciples to be exceptionally prudent:  to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  We are not to entertain danger nor to approach the realities of persecution with anything but awareness, shrewdness, and peace on our part.  Nonetheless, in whatever tribulation comes, we are prepared with devotion and an understanding of the sanctity of the soul and its precious value.  For in that understanding comes our highest loyalty. We must understand "fear" in this context as a kind of respect for enormous and unknown, unlimited power; in this sense, to fear God is wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).  To fear the persecutors pales in comparison, for to God our worth is also precious.  Let us weigh what is more precious to us, and where our values ultimately are to be found.

 

 

Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy

 

 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him. 

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  

 

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  

"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

 

- Luke 11:53-12:12 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus spoke to the crowd, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.  But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.  Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

 

  And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.   We note now the level of hostility in the religious leaders.  Their response to His criticisms (in yesterday's reading, above) is simply to find a way to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops."  Jesus takes His criticisms a step further, and warns the people against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  Note that this is not simply done in order to criticize the leadership, but on the contrary, to lead the people to a true way of practicing faith themselves.  His statement that there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nothing hidden that will not be known is a way of emphasizing that hypocrisy avails nothing when it comes to the truth of God's judgment and the real state of our souls.  Everything will be revealed and known to all.  Believers should proceed about their lives with this understanding in mind.

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."   Even as He criticizes the leadership who now seek to find something with which they can accuse Him, Jesus speaks of the One more powerful than those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  Again, this is another reference to God's judgment, as in the statements regarding hypocrisy He's just made.  Whom you should fear refers to God (Proverbs 9:10).  My study Bible comments that the body will die eventually, one way or another.  It notes that St. Ambrose even states that the death of the body is not itself a punishment; instead, it marks the end of earthly punishments.  But the soul continues for all eternity.  Since God is the judge of the soul, our efforts in this world are to please God alone.  But God's witness to all things, from the great to the tiniest -- a single sparrow, even each hair of our head -- are all in the awareness of the Father who holds us precious.

"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."  My study Bible has a lengthy note on these verses.  It says that to say a word against the Son of Man is to reject Jesus as the Messiah.  Jesus seemed to be a mere man to many people before their conversion.  The scandal which was caused by the Incarnation and Crucifixion of the Son of God (1 Corinthians 1:23) makes this sin more easily forgiven.  On the other hand, the Holy Spirit does not have bodily form, and invisibly works divine goodness.  According to St. John Chrysostom and many other patristic teachers, the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  My study Bible says that Jesus never calls the sin itself "unforgivable."  It notes that He makes this declaration knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that they are beyond repentance by their own choice.  

Today's reading marks a kind of turning point in Jesus' ministry.  While the scribes and Pharisees now attack Him in response to His criticisms of their hypocrisy, and they will seek to look for something with which they can accuse Him, Jesus becomes more public with His criticism.  In particular He attacks their hypocrisy, their way of practicing their faith with an eye to the outward appearance, fulfilling duties to keep their positions, but the love of God not touching their hearts, their inner lives.  Jesus goes forward with this teaching by declaring hypocrisy to be the enemy of spiritual life, and He takes this message directly to His disciples.  When the Gospel informs us that He begins to do so when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, it is a sign that -- although He is first addressing His disciples -- this teaching is going out to all the public and all the world.  In some sense, the teaching itself is calling out those who are prepared to become His followers and His disciples, who will follow His teachings.  Let us again note the importance of the emphasis on hypocrisy as the enemy of the spiritual life He teaches, and of the Kingdom which He preaches.  He is not simply preaching a kind of rebellion against the religious establishment, nor is He attacking the Law (which, in the sight of the Church, He as Lord has given).  He is attacking and condemning hypocrisy as the enemy of spiritual life, and in particular of the spiritual life that is the gospel of the kingdom He brings into the world.  He attacks not the Pharisees per se, but the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  He does not want His followers to imitate what they do (Matthew 23:3).  For in this Kingdom He brings into the world there is at work that which will reveal all, where "there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops."   And we may ask why this is so, and Jesus provides the answer.  First of all, there is nothing that God does not know or see, and God's judgment will be active in the world.  Jesus gives vivid images of the small things of which we normally may take no notice -- the sparrows, even the number of hairs on our heads -- to express the vision and awareness of God in the least details of life.  But, even more powerfully, in this eschatology He brings, the life of the kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit will be at work in the world, beginning a new age even in the midst of the present age.  Thus the God who led the Israelites to the promised land will be more fully present and at work in the world.  In John's Gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus teaches that He must go away so that the Helper, the Holy Spirit comes.  "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (see the full passage at John 16:5-10).  Here it is the powerful testimony of the Holy Spirit that Jesus emphasizes when He says that "anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven."  This presence of the Spirit becomes even more greatly emphasized when Jesus includes the detail that when His disciples are brought "to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."  This means that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will be present to all who are followers and disciples of Christ -- for, as St. Paul writes, in the faithfulness of Christ we are all "temples of God," for the Holy Spirit dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16).  Christ is proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom, and expressing more fully what it means that His disciples were sent out to proclaim that "the kingdom of God has come near you" (Luke 10:9-11).   He is giving us a powerful understanding of the reality of the kingdom of God and its "breaking in" upon us, so that we live in a world permeated at times by the reality of the age to come, even while we continue to live in the present age.  With the Incarnation of Christ, we entered what are called "end times," and that is the present age in which we live.  But He prepares us to be those in whom the Spirit can dwell, as temples of God, and also those who will help to manifest His kingdom in the world.  With His teachings against hypocrisy, He initiates the way we have to live, He teaches us what it means to be His disciples, and expresses how clearly we are known to a loving Father -- even as we are invited to become bearers of the Kingdom into the world by following what He teaches.  Let us note, most importantly in this context, the names Helper and Spirit of truth (John 16:13).  "Helper" is one translation for Παράκλητος/Paraclete.  In Greek, this literally means one who comes when called; and is characterized as an advocate, a counselor, one who may make a good judgment call and give solid truthful evidence.   In the present context, we can see the relation of a Counselor or Helper especially in times of trial and testimony.  And the Spirit of truth is that indispensable One who keeps us from hypocrisy, reminding us of Christ's words that nothing will be hidden, and helping to illuminate His teachings to keep us in His way (John 14:25-26).  Let us remember that, whether or not we are always aware of it, the Helper is always with us and at work, for the Kingdom is meant to dwell within us, even midst the present age.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows

 

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

 

- Matthew 10:24-33 

 

In yesterday's reading, as Jesus was sending out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission, He taught them, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

  "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."   Jesus refers to those who would persecute the disciples.  Earlier, after His public preaching, healing, and casting out demons, the Pharisees claimed that "He casts out demons by the ruler of demons."   Thus Jesus says here that they have called the master of the house Beezebub, and suggesting if they have gone this far to claim such against Him, "how much more will they call those of his household!"  But Jesus' message is "do not fear them."  Over the next few verses He will repeat this message three times.  My study Bible says that this is to embolden the witness of the gospel in the face of adversity.  It adds that Christian believers, then and today, must neither be intimidated by persecution nor fail in their mission to preach.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."   Jesus continues to encourage faithful witness, again repeating, "do not fear" the persecutors.  My study Bible notes that there is no need to fear the killing of the soul indicates the immortality of the human soul, which is ours by grace.  Fear Him, on the other hand, is a command to fear God (Proverbs 9:10; Luke 1:50, 23:40; Acts 10:2; Colossians 3:22, 1 Peter 2:17).  This is because only God has the power to judge the soul.  Christians are instructed to resist the devil (James 4:7), but not to fear him.  Hell is literally "Gehenna" (rendered γεέννῃ in Greek).  In Jewish history, as my study Bible explains, Gehenna (the Valley of Hinnom) became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 32:35).  King Josiah put an end to these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By Christ's time, this valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered ceaselessly.  Because of these associations, Gehenna acquired the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."  Jesus assures the disciples, in the face of persecution to come, of their great, precious value in the eyes of God.

 

 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."  Here is the choice.  It is a kind of question posed to us:  to whom does our loyalty belong?

In modern life, there has always seemed to be popular teachings against going along with the crowd.  When this writer was young, as children we were admonished with the question, "If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?"  Nowadays because of the popularity of the internet and the experience of online bullying, children are taught that they should either stand up to bullying, or at the very least not go along with it.  They are encouraged to befriend the person who is alone, or unpopular, or picked on in school settings.  Here in today's reading, Jesus is not speaking to children, but to grown men, who've come from other professions that demanded toughness and strength (such as the fishermen) and even shrewd use of material power (Matthew the former tax collector and author of this Gospel).  But now they are sent out to bear the gospel message into the world, to preach that the kingdom of heaven at hand.  This is a mission unlike anything else they have ever done.  For this mission, they are sent out "as sheep in the midst of wolves" (see yesterday's reading, above).  They will face a persecution unlike anything they have experienced in their lives, because they enter into a spiritual battle as disciples of Christ.  This is a different kind of engagement with the world.  In this mission, Jesus has already told them, "You will be hated by all for My name's sake" (again, see yesterday's reading above).  So the admonition to remain loyal to the mission, and not to go along with or fear the persecuting crowds, becomes one of absolute importance and even absolute power:  one may kill the body but cannot kill the soul, the other is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Jesus poses this as a question of whom to fear, a notion that is perhaps unpleasant and unfamiliar to us as those who live without such persecutions to face or to experience.  But the absolute importance and grave nature of this choice remains, nevertheless, although we do not much encounter it on these terms.  Our lives are sustained by God; maybe even more significantly, our souls are sustained by God.  Whether we live in a time of great and open persecution, or a more simple personal life in which we find ourselves forced to make hard decisions based on our faith, the Cross asks us to consider such choices with the gravity Christ gives to them.  This reality still exists:  that we will have pressure from the world to go along with the crowds, and our loyalty to Christ will remain a question of what is most precious to us.  Let us understand that whether or not we wish to perceive it, the gravity of choice remains with us, as is the power of God's love and awareness of each sparrow and every hair on our head.

 

 

If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him

 

 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone you, and are You going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  

 

These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."   Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

 

- John 11:1-27 

 

As we begun yesterday's reading, the topic was still the events which took place at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:1-10:21).  As a result of Jesus' responses to their questions, we read, there was a division again among the religious leaders because of His sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.   And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there. 

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."   Today we begin reading in John chapter 11, in which occurs the seventh sign of seven in John's Gospel.  That is, the raising or resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus' most astonishing sign.  It is the sign which will seal the decision of the Jewish authorities to put Jesus to death.  This event is usually celebrated on the Saturday before Palm Sunday (for most Churches, especially in the West, this day is tomorrow).  Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem.  Lazarus is the same name as "Eleazar," which literally means "God helps." 

 

When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."   My study bible comments that this message is sent back to Mary and Martha to strengthen them so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in Christ's words.  The Son of God being glorified must not be understood to be the cause of the death of Lazarus.  Rather, this indicates that Christ will be glorified as a result of Lazarus' death (which happened because of natural illness) and Lazarus' being raised from the dead.  Let us understand clearly the parallel with Jesus' sixth sign, which was performed at the Feast of Tabernacles, when He healed a man blind from birth.  On that occasion, Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?   Jesus' response was to declare, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  Jesus' response to Mary and Martha shows a similar understanding in an occasion of great sorrow or loss.

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone you, and are You going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."   Another paradox:  Jesus delays going to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in order to assure that Lazarus is dead long enough that the corruption of his body could set in.  This will assure that no one can doubt the miracle -- and the might of God would clearly be seen by all.  The disciples warn of yet another clear danger; the religious leaders have already sought to stone Him, and the town of Bethany where Lazarus and his sisters live is much closer to Jerusalem.  Indeed, there will be those there from Jerusalem who will witness the raising of Lazarus.  But Christ again refers to Himself as the light of this world.  He knows where He is going and why.

These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."   Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."  Compare Christ's use of "sleeps" here to Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6.   My study bible calls Thomas' statement an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It notes that this is also an illustration of the path that all believers must take -- that we die daily to the world for the sake of following Christ (Luke 9:23-24).  

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.   My study bible comments that there existed at that time a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days.  But after four days, resuscitation would be impossible.  This is another affirmation of the power of the sign which Jesus will do.

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  As the disciples fears noted, the proximity of Bethany to Jerusalem means that many of those in the religious leadership have joined Martha and Mary in their mourning.  My study bible notes that mourning began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing would last three days; lamentation would last one week; and general mourning lasted thirty days.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."   As in the episode in Luke 10:38-42, the two sisters Martha and Mary react differently to Christ's arrival.  Martha is the one who is inclined to active service, and she rushes out to meet Jesus.  But Mary remains in mourning until she is called by Christ.  Sitting, my study bible explains, was the traditional posture when mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8-13, Ezekiel 8:14).   Here, Martha expresses her faith but also indicates a lack of understanding about Christ.  When she says, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," she shows that she does not fully see that Christ is God, as this indicates she believes He needed to be present in order to heal (contrast this to John 4:46-54).   When she says, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she shows that she lacks understanding that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills.  

Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."   Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life."  This is in order to correct Martha's misunderstanding.  My study bible suggests that He declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  The power of Christ's words is such that Martha is led immediately to her great confession of faith.   My study bible says that Do you believe this? is a question which is directed not just to Martha, but toward all of us.

It's interesting that in this section leading to the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus' seventh and final sign given during His ministry in John's Gospel, there are several points that seem to be revisited here that have come up earlier in the Gospel with regard to Christ's power.   Once again, the paradoxical understanding of people meets the meanings which Jesus attempts to give to the world, and in particular, to enlighten people regarding Himself.  There is the perplexed use of "sleep" by Thomas, as well as Thomas' inadvertent prophecy of his own martyrdom.  After the Resurrection of Christ, to sleep takes on new meanings for Christians, in expectation of the general Resurrection and particularly within the understanding of the defeat of death by Christ.  Martha indicates that she believes her brother would not have died if Christ had been there, but already we have learned through the second sign given in the Gospel, the healing of the nobleman's son, that Jesus need not be immediately present to effect a healing.  There was also a "preview" of Jesus' knowledge from a distance in the meeting of Nathanael, which prompted an early confession of faith from Nathanael (see this reading).  Moreover, earlier in today's reading and commentary we noted the similar dynamic to the previous extraordinary healing and sign, that of the man blind from birth, in which the disciples express the understanding that someone must have sinned (either "this man" or "his parents") in order for the man to be born blind.  But Jesus responded, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  Again, in today's reading, the seeming tragedy of the deadly illness of Lazarus is corrected by Jesus, when He says, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  It is a way of teaching us that the mourning of this world might be turned to joy through the power of God in some way in our lives.  This, in itself, is suggestive of the very power of resurrection, of life conquering death.  Finally, Jesus' words in today's reading regarding "the light of this world" reflect and expand upon this saying at the healing of the blind man.  Just after He taught the disciples that the man's blindness was so that the glory of God could be revealed through it, He said, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."   Here in today's reading, He repeats the emphasis:  "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."   Jesus is the light, and this is because of His depth of unity with the Father, through whom His steps are guided.  He knows where He is going, even into the danger of the outrage and fear of the religious leaders, who will not be able to withstand the effects of Jesus' seventh sign in the Gospel.  They will most assuredly choose to put Him to death as a result.  But Jesus walks in the light, even as He proceeds into a gathering darkness.  Finally, in this understanding, we go back to the very beginning of the Gospel, which declares, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:4-5).  All of these things are reinforced for us, as they further unfold, so that they can reveal and further illumine the facets of meaning of Christ Himself, and all those things given to us in the Gospel story, in the word.  For we are called upon also to walk in this light, with Christ as our light in the world, even into the very dark corners we may find we inhabit at times.  Christ walks toward danger because He knows where He is going.  This is not an adventure of the sort you might read about in a comic book or even in a heroic epic mythology.  This is a spiritual journey into which Christ is sent, and sent by the Father, in order to bring the light to the darkness, although, as the Gospel teaches, the darkness did not comprehend it.  If we follow in His footsteps, we may find that we are not meant to convince all that is "dark" of the truth of this light, for even the very educated and enlightened religious leaders of Israel were capable of choosing blindness to Christ (while there were many who did not).  No, we may find that we are called to shine that light even where the darkness will not comprehend, but in faith and in accord with the purposes of the light which leads us through prayer and worship.  This seems a paradox to a materialistic mind, but we shouldn't forget all the facets of the truth of Christ's healing which are revealed to us:  He defies all material reality.  He needn't be present physically for a healing to happen.  And for the things we know of God, even time does not stop the presence of God, although we are also bound by time in this world.  So let us understand that to bear the light is not necessarily to solve every problem and correct every ailment or darkness.  Neither will we necessarily change the minds of those who would deliberately choose blindness, darkness.  But we shine the light we are given in order to glorify God, just as did Christ, and the rest is really not up to us.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-16).  Like Christ we are to be salt, to retain our "flavor" in faith to Him and the commandments we're given, even to the sacrifices we might be called to make.  But we shine the light He gives so that our Father may be glorified, even as Christ does.  We have confidence that this is so, even when, like Christ, we do not necessarily receive the "praise of men" for doing so, or when the darkness does not comprehend it.

 

 

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops

Christ the Teacher/Pantocrator, with Gospel open to John 11:25, Greek

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

- Matthew 10:24-33

Yesterday we read the continuation of Jesus' teaching to the Twelve, as He sent them out on their first mission:   "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a  father his child; and the children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."  Jesus continues to warn the disciples about the persecution and hatred that is to come.  He refers back to something we read in chapter 9, that the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by the power of demons (9:34).  My study bible notes that in today's passage, the phrase do not fear is repeated three times all together, in order to embolden the witness of the gospel in the face of adversity and difficulty.  It adds that Christian believers, both then and today as well, must neither be intimated by persecution nor fail in their mission to preach.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."  My study bible says that, as Jesus tells us there is no need to fear the killing of the soul, we are to understand that souls are immortal, and ours by grace.  Fear Him is a command to fear God (Proverbs 9:10; Luke 1:50, 23:40; Acts 10:2; Colossians 3:22; 1 Peter 2:17), as God alone has the power to judge the soul.  We are instructed, by contrast, to resist the devil (James 4:7) and not to fear him.  The word for hell is literally "Gehenna."  In Jewish history, Gehenna was the valley of Hinnom; it became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3, Jeremiah 32:35).    King Josiah stopped these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By the time of Christ, my study bible explains, this valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered continually.  Because of such associations, Gehenna took on the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.  Nevertheless, Christ's warnings regarding judgment are quite real.

In today's reading, Jesus says, " For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known," and also, "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."  These are sentences which express the idea of revelation, of openly showing something to the world that was previously hidden or secret, possibly known to only a few.  It tells us about the growth of the gospel, and what is coming into the world.  It also gives us a sense that the spread of the gospel is similar to the Incarnation itself.  Christ was born at night, without fanfare except for the shepherds in the hills (Luke 2:8-20), who only know because the glory and rejoicing of heaven is uncontained and made known by the angels.  Similarly, the Magi of the East, the "wise men" (Matthew 2:1-2) know because they can read the stars (also associated with angels in Scripture; see Revelation 1:20).  These things of great portent happen in ways unknown to the world, and yet they unfold to become magnificent, brilliant, a light to the world.  We might think of revelation as limited to particular things or messages, such as prophesy or the specific ways that God is revealed in Scripture.  But the truth is that through Christ's words, we should understand that the action of revelation goes on all the time, and even that we are to be a part of it.  At the end of today's passage, He says, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."   This is a continuation of the action of revealing what is covered, and coming to know what is hidden.  It follows upon His command that what He tells in the dark, we should speak in the light -- and that what we hear in the ear we are to preach on the housetops.  To confess, in the sense of the way the Greek word is used here,  is to express a belief, to agree.   Therefore Jesus isn't speaking specifically about witnessing; instead He's speaking about proclaiming His truth, preaching the word He has given, sharing the gospel.  He reveals that gospel to us, and we in turn may give it to others.  Our choice to either confess or deny what He offers is linked to what we choose to reveal or to help suppress; in turn His own action will be reciprocal to ours as we choose to live our lives.  Do we deny His truth?  Or do we share it?  Jesus does not present other "in between" alternatives.  In a sense, to fail to profess is similar to denial -- because we remains hidden through silence, a lack of expression in the world.  In what ways do you live the gospel and so reveal it to others?  How do we follow His commands and act on them?  What are the things you learn from your faith and then pass on to others?  Let us not keep it hidden, but profess it so that its beauty may be given to all.