All these evil things come from within and defile a man

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

 Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.   For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  

 

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man  from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1-23 

 

Yesterday we read that, Jesus having sent the disciples in a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while He went to the mountain to pray, when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.   For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  My study Bible remarks that the issue here is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions.  Certainly Jesus does not prohibit them (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  The issue here is when people set human tradition which is contrary to the tradition of God.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law.  For the Pharisees and the scribes these became as authoritative as the Law and frequently superseded it.  According to that tradition, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself, but not for anybody else, including one's parents.  My study Bible adds that secondary traditions such as this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, which is contained in the commandments of God.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13.

 

 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man  from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study Bible comments that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God, and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God (see Christ's examples here) and these are what defile a person.  

 

In Christian thinking, we have no "evil foods."  But what we do have are evil ways of thinking, of being in the world.  We might choose to participate in evil through actions which are harmful.  Jesus names some evil things here:   evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  Most importantly, He clarifies by telling us, "All these evil things come from within and defile a man."   What this does is set out before us the clear message that we, in fact, are the source of our own "pollution," so to speak.  If we want to look toward a kind of purity in life, then we must look to ourselves and our own awareness of what we do, what we choose, the things in which we participate in life.  It points to a life of self-discipline -- discipleship, really, if you will -- as the key to avoiding the thing that are "unclean."  In the fasting practices of the Church, it must be clarified, there are no bad or evil foods.  Fasting is a discipline meant for the purpose of developing this kind of discipline, of discipleship.  That is, developing the capacity to say no to what tempts us but is not good for us.  Fasting from particular foods is also a form of sacrifice in the sense that we do so mindful of God, to whom we're grateful for all things.  It's a way of structuring that devotion and putting our highest good first.  We also abstain from bad behaviors, gossip, engaging in social media in ways that are detrimental such as the kind of bullying or insulting behavior we see with the slightest provocation in that particular social setting.  All of this is done to the advantage of keeping God in mind, remembering what we're to be about, and this faith gives us strength to find the discipline we need for a positive, creative, productive life, not indulging in the things that do more harm than good.  We can also think of our time as something we structure around that discipline.  In this reading, in which Jesus fed five thousand men (and more women and children) in the wilderness, we asked the question in commentary, with what things do we feed ourselves?  It's important to use this kind of discernment in terms our time, and what we choose to "consume."  Today's reading gives us pause to consider what we might abstain from that really isn't good for us -- or our communities -- at all.  Jesus names a few of those things in our reading, and calls them "evil things which come from within and defile a man."   In today's hyper-consumerist society, where all kinds of things are to be had at the touch of a button, we might need such discipline now more than ever, and for our own good.  Spectacles are to be had that pervert or subvert our relationships with one another, such as a massive internet porn presence, harmful to nurturing relationships especially for our young men, as so many suffer from a kind of addiction that corrupts the capacity for healthier interaction and fulfilling the basic need of finding a marriage partner and a family.  A sacrifice, in the ancient world, was done for the purpose of community, forming a meal including both God and community.  Should we choose to sacrifice these things that are harmful to ourselves and our capacity for healthy relationships, we might see that we strengthen such bonds with both God and community in so doing.  Let consider Christ's words, and our deep need to pay attention to what He tells us are the real things that defile who we truly are, and who we are meant to be in our loving Creator's sight.

 

 

 

 

All these evil things come from within and defile a man

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  he answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."

He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

- Mark 7:1-23

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus had sent the disciples by themselves across the sea to Bethsaida (see Thursday's reading), when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard he was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  he answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  My study bible notes here that the issue is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions.  Christ most certainly does not prohibit those (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  The real issue here is setting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God.  Jesus refers to the tradition of the elders; this is a body of interpretations of the Law.  For the Pharisees and the scribes, it was as authoritative as the Law, and frequently superseded it.  In accordance with that tradition, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself, but not for others -- even one's own parents.  My study bible says that secondary traditions such as this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, contained in God's commandments.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13, Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study bible says that food cannot defile a person; it is created by God and therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God, and these are what defile a person.

As we are in Lent, this is a particularly pertinent time to think about Jesus' words in today's reading (and my study bible's comment that food cannot defile a person as it is created by God, and therefore pure).  Historic traditions of Christian fasting vary from (and within) denomination to denomination and also from place to place.  There is no fixed list of foods which are "forbidden."  The tradition of fasting is not meant to denote sinfulness in terms of which foods are consumed.  It is rather a tradition developed for ascetic practice, for discipleship, so that we learn that we have the capacity for choice, for self-control.  We develop a capacity for detachment.   It is not our appetites that control us as human beings, but we have the ability to say "no" to what looks good in order to pursue better and higher goals, and to put into practice what is best for us.  We also make time for God with fasting practices -- allowing ourselves for a time to pursue thoughts and occupy ourselves with other things besides preparation of elaborate meals, entertainment, and the various efforts and labor that contribute to what is on the table.  We learn that we are more than the food we eat, that there is "other food" that is necessary for full nurturing of what it means to be human.  But above all, the tradition or "exercise" of fasting is meant to help us understand that we can say no to sin.  (Ascetic discipline:  askesis literally means "exercise" or "training" in Greek.  Used for athletes and soldiers;  monastics traditionally are considered "spiritual athletes," training for spiritual goals.)   In fasting, the body becomes a means to learn mental discipline, to put into place the goals that spiritual life would teach.   We fast so that we learn we may fast from sin.   All of this is purely positive, our creation and the world purely good.  As such, in the Christian tradition, there is no food that is sinful to eat.   Rather, here Jesus tells us what the things are from which we can and should learn to abstain.   He lists "evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness."   Not only that, but the Teacher tells us yet another dimension of sin, and one which is extremely important.  These are not things, He tells us, that come from outside of us, but rather from the heart.   To be a spiritual athlete then, is to guard the heart -- to keep a good watch over one's heart, to keep in mind that there are things we don't necessarily see about ourselves, and to come to terms with the fact that our watchfulness and discipline are really about our own conduct and our willingness to know ourselves better.  In Jesus' loving teaching, this is not a condemnation.  Rather, real sinfulness comes from an unwillingness to change what we know is wrong, a determination to prefer evil, to prefer lack of discipline, to simply not care out of deliberate ignorance and selfishness.  One must repeatedly consciously nurture and choose these evil things Jesus describes to fall into a category of condemnation.  We are all susceptible to the things we learn from the world -- and to taking them into our own hearts.  But we have the choice to make a determination that we are not slaves to sin; we are human beings created by God in God's image, with a capacity for choice.  And there we come to the discipline of fasting as a tradition of Lent.  We fast so that we learn we may fast from sin.  We learn that we can transcend; we're not limited by our apparent appetites and options.  We in the modern world can learn a lot from the ancients; it may surprise you what powerful things fasting with the proper intention can do for one's consciousness.  Let us consider the goodness and love with which these traditions are given.  They are meant to bolster us, not condemn us.  We do the good we know and can do, and trust that we will be shown what more comes next, like athletes training for "the good fight."

What comes out of a man, that defiles a man

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitcher and cups, and many other such things you do." 

He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" --' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

- Mark 7:1-23

Yesterday we read that when evening came, the boat the disciples had taken toward the other shore was in the middle of the sea; and Jesus was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.  

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitcher and cups, and many other such things you do."   He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" --' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  My study bible says that the issue here is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which certainly are not prohibited by Jesus (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  The issue here is putting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law.   For the Pharisees and scribes it was as authoritative as the Law, often superseding it.  Jesus' example, that of Corban, were offerings which could be promised to God so that property or earnings might still be used for oneself but not anybody else -- including parents.  My study bible tells us that secondary traditions such as these obscure the primary tradition of the Law, contained in God's commandments.   For Jesus' quotations from the Old Testament, see Isaiah 29:13; Exodus 20:12, 21:17; Deuteronomy 5:16.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."   My study bible says that food cannot defile a person.  It is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God.  These are what defile a person.

Jesus defines the things that defile a person:  evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  He further proclaims that these things come out of a man, and from within.  It is Jesus who has also warned us about our own blindness to ourselves (Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:42).  To defile is to make unclean.  By one definition, it means to "make common."  That is, to take something sacred and to treat it as ordinary -- to take what God has set apart as holy and make it mundane.   We find something akin to it in St. Paul's statement, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  How we hold and carry ourselves, the things we tolerate as expressions of ourselves, either hold ourselves to a particular standard -- the high esteem in which God has placed human beings -- or they defile us.  Jesus shifts entirely the image of defiling to something that is internal, a choice, even a sense of the self and what we consider true to ourselves.  In this we come to understand the notion of person, true image.   God -- Christ -- is the true mirror for who we truly are.  If He, the Creator, claims that in expressing these things we defile ourselves, then we have to take Him at His word if we are to even vaguely understand who we truly are.  We, in this light, betray ourselves with defiling behaviors and habits.  We can take a look at these things that Jesus lists here and see them all as types of betrayal.  They are mostly forms of deceit.  The evil eye, for example, is envy or jealousy.  It is a kind of covetousness, one that suggests that what we see others as having really should be ours.  This kind of thinking is not only belittling the other person as a human beings (reducing them to commodities we want to get), but it also reduces ourselves -- because the hidden thought here is that we as persons are somehow belittled by not having something we think others have got.   Jesus forces us to focus on true identity and the nature of the self with this statement.  He teaches us that the gold standard is really our own integrity, stemming from within us, upon which we must build our lives.  That integrity is intimately connected with the Creator who made us, and who knows us as we truly are.  Jesus' statement conveys the importance of self-knowledge, a kind of self-knowledge that only comes via the reflection in relationship to Creator.  When Simon Peter saw the huge catch of fish which came at Jesus' instruction, He fell down before Him, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:5-8).  And the whole story of Peter's discipleship is one of overcoming his own inner impulses that hid the tremendous strengths that faith and grace would reveal in him.  If we learn one thing from Jesus, it is this tremendous shift to the work of salvation, found right here in these issues of the self, the true person -- and what defiles us.  It is the work of grace to reveal -- and our choice to embrace through faith and courage.

Take heed that no one deceives you

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

- Matthew 24:1-14

In yesterday's reading, we read the last part of Jesus' final public sermon, a grand critique of the practices of the scribes and Pharisees.  (See the earlier readings of His sermon here and here.)  He is speaking in the temple at Jerusalem.   He said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."    This seemingly simple pronunciation could not have been simple in its impact.  The temple at this stage was an extraordinary architectural creation, one of Herod the Great's more ambitious projects.  (Herod was also known as Herod the Builder.)  The temple was called one of the seven wonders of the world, as it had been embellished and rebuilt in such an extraordinary way.  Construction had begun in 19 BC.  While the main part of this new construction was completed by Herod's death in 4 BC, construction would still continue for over 60 years.   At the time the enlarging and beautifying of the temple would have been continuing for over 45 years.  Construction would continue until 63 AD.  But Jesus' stunning prophecy here was fulfilled at the Roman Siege of Jerusalem, in 70 AD.   With the exception of one retaining wall, called by custom the Wailing Wall or more accurately the Western Wall, the temple was completely destroyed, so that not one stone would be left upon another, as it had been rumored, and so the soldiers believed, that there was gold between its massive stones.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows."   There is no doubt that associated with the destruction of the temple would be the end of the age.  Jesus' great emphasis here is on deception -- warning the disciples not to be deceived.  The greatest warning is in being deceived to follow a false Christ.   The wars and rumors of wars would most immediately apply to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, but also characterize subsequent periods since.  My study bible tells us that wars are not a sign of the imminent end but rather of the opposite -- that the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).  In the Greek, the beginning of sorrows is literally the beginning of "birth pains."

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  Jesus speaks of the period of great tribulation.  In the traditional interpretation this is not referring mainly to the final years before Christ's return, but encompasses the whole of the Christian era.   As my study bible puts it, all these calamities and all this opposition cannot stop the spread of the gospel.  It notes that persecutions against the Church often increase the number of souls being converted.  St. John Chrysostom has commented that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, they could not prevail over twelve Jews unarmed with anything but the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We turn to Jesus' warning and His great emphasis on discernment.  It's our watchfulness and endurance that is important.  And the most important thing is faith.  The destruction of this extraordinary temple, rebuilt as one of the world's most ambitious and beautiful projects by Herod the Great, serves as a reminder of one constant message of the Old Testament:  that it's not in "chariots" or material power that we trust, but God.  There's a constant reminder throughout Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament, that the battle is won by God.  And then there is the commentary by St. Chrysostom that while the Romans would subdue countless Jews involved in a political uprising, those relatively few Jews armed with the gospel would not be stopped from spreading it throughout the Roman world.  It enforces something important about our faith.  When we are in times of peril and fear, threat and disruption, we are to remember Jesus' great emphasis on enduring, on not being deceived, on the essence of our faith as refuge.  Right now "wars and rumors of wars" seem to abound in our world.  Violence has reached a level where we hear of it all around us, and we see it all around the world.  Much of it has a religious overtone to it.  And Christians are persecuted for their faith in many parts of the world, as are other religious minorities.  It is a time of "birth pains" that we can see every day, with "wars and rumors of war" playing out.  The media brings these things to our attention and the horrors are beyond words to describe in barbarity, and in hatred, and the killing and enslavement of innocents.  Where does our faith root us in this time?  Jesus' emphasis is not on timetables, nor expectations of the end.  Our emphasis must be on watchful, prayerful lives.  We take refuge in the gospel, in His word, in His commandments.  We endure, as He has taught us.  And our job is also to be alert, and awake -- not to be deceived by false prophets, or false Christs.  In the times we are most tempted by fear and tribulation, Jesus calls us to focus -- to watchfulness.  What is a "good servant" to be about?  Where is our focus?  It is a time for prayer, discernment, guidance.  This is not so that we "do nothing," nor that we hide.  It's the opposite:  it is a forceful, positive turn to the place where we find direction and discernment, for good judgment.  We are not called to be blind sheep following blind guides, a term Jesus has used in a recent reading.  We are called to be alert and aware of what is around us, and also of our own internal flaws that may cause us to be blind.   It is a time to remember His commandments and what our faith asks from us.   We remember the two greatest commandments in the Law, as Jesus has told us:  to love God with all that we are, and to love neighbor as oneself.  And we remember the new commandment He gave us:  to love one another as He has loved us.  Advent is the perfect time to consider what all of this means, even in times of persecution and instability.  I don't think that there is a more needful time to center in the peace of God, in the word of Christ, and the refuge of prayer as a time of focus, watchfulness, and discernment.  We need to recollect what we are to be about, to remember who we are, to hold fast to what He teaches us, and not to be carried away by the times.  Instead, we continue to carry out His commandments.  What we need is true wisdom, and an understanding of where His peace and grace call us.  How do you put your faith into practice today?  Where do we find strength in weakness?  What are you going to put your faith in?

Follow Me

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael said to Him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

In yesterday's reading, John the Baptist brings his disciples to Jesus, who is identified as the Christ. (See Behold! The Lamb of God!) In today's reading, more disciples come to Jesus, to form his early group who will be the Apostles.

The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." My study bible comments on this first verse that "Philip immediately obeys, perhaps because he already knows about Jesus, or beholds the divine presence in him." Whatever it is, the disciples of John the Baptist share the revelation that Jesus is the Christ. From the very beginning in John's Gospel, we are treated to a sense of the relatedness of spiritual reality within Christian theology and understanding. Just as the Trinity is united, so we as Christ's followers are brought to him by one another; there is a constant series of relationships that evolve and grow, one into another.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" As John the Baptist has brought his disciples to Jesus, Andrew, Peter and Philip are all from the same city, and so, we are given to understand their relationship to one another before they became disciples: first of John and then of Jesus. In turn, Philip found Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew). Nathanael's skepticism is interesting, because it teaches us a couple of things. First of all, that Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, has a "bad" reputation in the sense that it is considered to be in Gentile territory, and therefore unlikely to be the place where a very spiritually "pure" person, such as a prophet or the Messiah, would be from. Secondly, it teaches us about Nathanael, and his open expression. Philip tells him, "Come and see." This is something that each person has to recognize and know for themselves - and despite the skepticism, Nathanael approaches Jesus. He will come and see for himself. Jesus greets Nathanael's approach with the now-familiar statement: "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" My study bible notes that no deceit implies a pure heart which is capable of recognizing Christ. Nathanael is one of straightforward thinking. "No deceit" is often translated as "no guile." It gives us to understand that Nathanael's nature is one not given to any form of trickery or duplicity.

Nathanael said to Him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!" You are the King of Israel! How do we know people? How do we understand our faith? Knowing and knowledge are important concepts here. We consider our faith to be a form of trust in Someone, in the Person of Christ, in the Persons of the Trinity. And so it is with this encounter between Jesus and Nathanael. Jesus has the ability to know others more intimately than they know themselves - as was revealed by his renaming of Simon Peter. But Jesus' divine knowledge is linked also with Truth and truthfulness. Like meets like here, in this understanding and knowing: Nathanael is one without guile, one with a heart open to Truth, a truthful nature. My study bible says that "Jesus' foreknowledge stirs Nathanael to a joyous confession of faith." But we will see how relatedness and relationship work throughout the Gospels, by adoption we become sons, we become like God. But first there is the great requirement of the heart that is open to Truth, without deceit or guile. That is, without intent to deceive or trick, a form of a lie. Jesus' greatest criticism in future will come in the form of the word "Hypocrite" - whose original meaning is "actor." As we practice repentance in this journey of faith in His Name, we will find that repentance is a form of giving up what binds us in falsehood or blindness, and opening our hearts to receive deeper truth or understanding. This is the process of salvation, and of healing.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." My study bible has a very long note on this passage: "In ancient Jewish thought, the Son of Man is a mysterious being of heavenly origin who is to usher in the Kingdom of God (see Dan. 7:13,14). Jesus is this One (see Matt. 24:30, 31). In Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder connecting earth and heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (see Gen. 28:12-15). Jesus--the Son of Man--is "Jacob's Ladder," man's access to God, the final and fullest revelation of God. In His Incarnation, God and man are united. In the teachings and miracles of His public ministry, the Kingdom of God on earth is inaugurated. His Cross, set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaches into heaven. Through His Resurrection, Ascension, and exaltation to the right hand of God, human nature is raised into heaven. And through His Second Coming, all things will be reconciled to God. In Christ, heaven and earth are joined."

My study bible's note is important for this theme of joining, of relatedness and relationship, especially in the sense of understanding that Christ links human nature to heaven -- and that through the Second Coming, we await reconciliation of all things. Therefore we are to understand that on every level, this text is about relatedness, and its connection to knowing. How do we understand a person? What is it about someone that you can immediately trust? Like attracts like. We begin with the characteristics that draw one to another in this story: a firm commitment to spiritual truth, a willingness to see beyond appearances, and in Nathanael, to see for oneself, a directness. This is a human example of a heart open to knowing and to learning, despite doubts and skepticism. How do we come, one to another, to this sort of union, to a formation of union in relatedness and relationships? We follow our hearts, and we are also given to understand the hand of God in that place of the heart, leading us if we will but listen. What does it mean to have an open heart to truth? to spiritual understanding? Often, we find, it is quite easy to fool ourselves in life. We offer up defenses for not seeing things we don't want to see, to make it easy to live with something. But healing always requires the doing away of denial, of lies, of deceit. Repentance is opening up our eyes to new things to learn, and the discarding of the old blindness. Where do you need to go on that journey of the face-to-face encounter today? Are you ready to see for yourself? To have a heart in which there is no deceit? Often, our fears can bind us. But nothing should stand in the way of the relationship that is the most important of all. And in that face-to-face encounter, to be ready to be led out of our own blindness, to see and to know better. An encounter with Christ is also coming to know ourselves, as reflected in Him. This is the greatest gift we could have. Nathanael, in the Hebrew, means "Given of God." Let us remember that we take our own identity from Creator, and in this encounter and its transforming effect, we more truly find ourselves.