Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come

 

 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  

 

"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 

- Matthew 12:22-32 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus knew that the Pharisees have now begun to plot against Him to destroy Him, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.  Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!  I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel nor cry out,  nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.  A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust."

 

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."   According to Fr. Stephen De Young (who has written a recent book on the ancient god Baal), Beelzebub is a deliberate corruption of the name "Beelzebul."  Beelzebul is the Greek transliteration of an Aramaic title for the god Baal, and its meaning is "Baal is lord" or "the great god Baal."  But Beelzebub is a title given by the Jews to ridicule the god Baal, and its meaning is "lord of the flies." Given Baal's association with the underworld, this could be a reference to rotting corpses, or possibly due to his image as that of a bull, with animal excrement; thus, "lord of the dung heap."  Baal was a god worshiped by the Philistines (see 2 Kings 1:2-16).  But here he is called ruler of the demons.  My study Bible comments that the impossibility of demons fighting against themselves illustrates the irrational pride and envy of the Pharisees in their opposition to Jesus. 

 

 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."  My study Bible explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the divine activity of the Spirit.  That is, blasphemy against pure goodness.  It says that a sin against the Son of Man is more easily forgiven because the Jews did not know much about Christ.  But blasphemy against the Spirit is a blasphemy against the divine activity known from the Old Testament already to these men.  It will not be forgiven because it comes fro a willful hardness of heart and a refusal to accept God's mercy.  But my study Bible adds that the Church Fathers are clear that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not an "unforgivable sin'; nor does Jesus ever call this sin "unforgivable."  According to St. John Chrysostom, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would be forgivable if a person were to repent of it.  Christ makes this declaration in today's reading knowing that those who blaspheme the Spirit are calling pure, divine goodness "evil," and that by their own choice they are beyond repentance.

 

In the Nicene Creed, we call the Holy Spirit "the Lord, the Creator of Life."  Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the "Spirit of truth" (John 16:13).  The Orthodox prayer to the Holy Spirit, with which all services are begun, reads as follows:  "Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all stain, O Good One."  Each of these things gives us a hint about the Holy Spirit.  Genesis 1:2 tells us, "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."  Thus we understand the Spirit as the One who gives life, who anointed Christ (an eternal reality made visible at His Baptism), who is active in the world and among us.  It is this activity of the Spirit, known to the Pharisees who now condemn Jesus' works as evil and demonic, that Christ says is a sin to condemn, to blaspheme.  To do so is an expression of hatred against goodness itself.  Perhaps we could call it the ultimate lie.  Why do people resist the good?  Why do people respond with hatred for what is good among them?  The answers to these questions may give us clues about what might be even a deeper mystery:  What is it that makes someone beyond repentance?  My study Bible says that Jesus makes this statement about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit knowing that, because of their choices, the men who make this accusation are now beyond repentance.  This implies that the power of our own minds, the power of our choices, can render us beyond help because we've gone so far down a particular trail that we will not perceive the options to reverse ourselves.  At least, this is the explanation that seems likely.  Perhaps we can be buried in our own thoughts of hatred and enmity so deeply that we no longer see clearly other possible options.  In the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark, we're told that Pilate knew the religious leaders handed Christ over to him for crucifixion out of envy (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10).  In chapter 2 of the Wisdom of Solomon (also known as the Book of Wisdom), we read all about the hatred of the good, and the envy of the devil through which death entered the world (Wisdom of Solomon 2; see especially verse 24).  So out of envy, we know, such blind hatred can come that not only causes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but an enmity that has no capacity to turn itself around of its own power.  It is, perhaps, only a mind open to the Spirit which is capable of repentance, for the Spirit indwells us through Baptism, which begins our journey with Christ.  Jesus tells the disciples at the Last Supper that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth, "because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17).  "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me" (John 15:26).  Let us remember the Holy Spirit and the good works of God in our lives.  Only Christ can judge, for He is the One who knows people's hearts.  The good and true and beautiful path for the soul is to Him.   Let us pray that we always stay on it, and are guided back when we take the wrong way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send the out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons

 

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  

 

 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send the out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  

 

- Mark 3:7–19a 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 

  But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.   My study Bible notes that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (although it wasn't Christ's time to die) and also to preach in other places.  As we can read, by now a great multitude follows Him.  As we by now recognize as a pattern, the unclean spirits cannot resist Him, and recognize and name who He is:  "You are the Son of God."  But consistent with this observed need for secrecy until the correct time to reveal Himself openly, Jesus sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  

 

  And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send the out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.   Jesus appoints the twelve from His disciples, who will now become apostles.  The terms disciples and apostles are frequently used interchangeably, my study Bible says.  The Greek word for disciple means "learner" and apostle means "one sent out" (as on a mission).  That they might be with Him indicates they are disciples; that He might send them out makes them apostles.  Jesus gave them power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons, while He did these things through His own power.  My study Bible comments that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, the names of the twelve are given in pairs (Matthew 10:1-4), suggesting who may have traveled together on their first missionary journey, as St. Mark's Gospel will tell us that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7). 

 

In the Orthodox tradition, there is made a distinction between what is called God's essence and God's energies.  This distinction is made specifically to understand that as human beings, we are incapable of grasping God's essence, or true substance.  Our concepts and capacity for perception are too limited to know or grasp God as God exists in God's fullness and true Being.  But what we do grasp are called God's energies which reach toward us.  These energies are frequently called mercy or grace.  These reach to us and give us experiences of God, qualities of God, and all manner of aspects of God such as wisdom and the things that are known to us of God.  As such we can understand also God's working through the whole of creation in that we can find a presence or revelation of God in the beauty of the world.  We know that God has created many beings, such as angels and their varied ranks and ministries, which we as human beings cannot see, but who nonetheless minister to us and guide us, and help to facilitate God's salvation among us.  These also are working in God's energies which come to us.  When we are touched by the Holy Spirit, if we take on characteristics or qualities we recognize as holy, these are also revelations of God's energies at work in us.  As the angels have these qualities of God such as service, love, mercy, wisdom so also the energies of God may bless and allow us to take on such qualities (see the fruit of the Spirit listed by St. Paul for example).  So participation in these energies allows us to take on qualities of God and become through time transformed in God, in Christ, for this is our nature.  The inverse is also true:  if we choose to participate in what is evil, we will be going down a road of taking on the qualities of evil.  Today's choosing of the Twelve is another example of God's -- Christ's -- energies distributed and shared with human beings.  These twelve are being given the grace to go out as apostles to preach, and the power to heal and cast out demons.  They are, in effect, being commissioned to share in Christ's mission, and distributed out to the world just as the angels are sent among us, and this is the way that we need to see the ongoing mission of Christ on earth.  When we engage in prayer and worship, in all aspects of the sacraments we're given, we participate in that life of Christ, and so we may take on the surprising aspects of grace freely given to us, and our repentance works in order to open us to God's life for us.  The greatest examples we have of this process are the saints, too numerous to count, and their varied virtues manifest in myriad ways -- even hidden ways we don't see and might never know.  Through the stories we read in the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, Epistles, and in the whole tradition of the Church we know of the transformation of these Twelve who will go out to the world.  But their mission is ongoing, and so we may also participate in this life and Christ's energies and love for us.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

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

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  My study Bible comments that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) tell us that Peter was married.  Additionally, it notes that Christ's healing miracles are diverse.  Here, He heals by touch; at other times He heals with a word (Matthew 8:13).  This healing is immediate and complete; others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or need the cooperation of the person being healed or that person's loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  

 

  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we note St. Mark's repeated emphasis on what is called the Messianic Secret, as He did not allow the demons to speak.  That is, the heretofore kept secret of Jesus' identity as Christ, the Messiah.  

 

 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.   When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments that Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He is God incarnate, Jesus prayed continually, and frequently found a solitary place in order to be free from distraction.  This is despite the multitude's need of Him.  Christ's ministry comes forth from His communion with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to the people in their needs.  Christ's praying in the morning shows us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and after that we will be equipped to serve others.  

 

  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.   My study Bible tells us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 gives us a description of the purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was a duty entrusted to the priests.  It says also that leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclear was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), however Jesus touched the leper, expressing His compassion, and showing that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean (Romans 14:14; Titus 1:15).

 

In today's reading, we receive the clear message that there is a type of warfare going on behind the scenes, so to speak, in our world.  That is, there are unclean spirits, demons, created beings of a spiritual nature who are in opposition to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  These are beings created as angels, but as Scripture illustrates in various places, they have chosen to oppose the plans of God.  Most particularly this oppositional force is focused on human beings.  As we can see, Christ Himself is the divine Son, He is God, and therefore they are powerless to oppose Him.  All forms of healing seem to be seamlessly mixed with Christ's power to cast out the demons.  Often it is the demons who cause disease or illness in the Gospels, but their effects may be many and quite varied.  What we find in today's reading is interesting for its revealing of the recognition by the demons of who Jesus is.  Just as in yesterday's reading, they are subject to Christ's commands ("Be quiet . . . !"); in today's reading, we're told, He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Besides the fact that this Messianic Secret must be kept, besides the fact that all things in Christ's ministry must unfold in accordance with the Father, and therefore the revelation of His identity as Christ must come later, there might be another reason why we should take it seriously that Jesus forbids the demons or unclean spirits from speaking.  In Christ's time practices calling on such spirits or demonic powers were widespread.  Indeed we read in the Bible of prophesy or divination or magic or other practices by all kinds of means, and always with demonic influence of one kind or another involved.  We, in our modern sense of history without context, may completely underestimate how common such involvement was, for even the pagan gods that were worshiped were considered to be a part of these spiritual forces in opposition to the Holy Trinity and the other spiritual powers (or angels of various types) loyal to God.  Therefore, when we read that Christ forbade the demons or unclean spirits from speaking, we should consider that this is a powerful message in the context of these warring spiritual powers who also contest for human involvement in such practices.  That is, in terms of the practice of ritual magic, or even the common pagan worship of Christ's time, and many other such practices, there is a subtle message here that even if the demons seem to know something that is true, we as followers of Christ are never to go there.  Even with true information, such as that Jesus is the Christ, it's God's will that is supreme and that we must seek -- for all of salvation must work not in accordance with any random acts or bits of information, but for a specific pattern that unfolds in the right way and the right time (as we discussed in yesterday's commentary).  These sorts of practices that involve arcane knowledge or magic of one type or another are misleading at best, often causing trouble to those who practice or seek it, and leading to bad ends, especially involving people in evil they don't understand.  It's important that in our time we take this seriously, for there are all kinds of ways in which popular culture seems to take on a veneer of interest and curiosity in such practices under their many guises, and for varied reasons given.  Jesus' commands to the demons tell us not only who is the more powerful, but also give us the message of separation.  There is no compromise with evil.  Our God is not who we manipulate or coerce to do us favors.  The God we worship is the One who needs nothing from us, who loves us, and who offers us salvation instead, and shows us the way to walk in the light.  Let us not be tempted by the dark, but seek God's will only in all that we do, first.  Jesus shows us the way by starting everything with prayer.  Such manipulative practices as discussed above seek specific outcomes, view life in material terms alone.  A modern materialist mindset would tend to view outcomes as the one important value:  Christ's healings, for example.  But Christ begins with solitary time in prayer with God first, for this is our Source for all things, including which outcome is important and when.  For we can't know what God knows, but we can always seek God's will as Christ does.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you

 

 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that he would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And he got into the boat and returned.

 

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  

 

- Luke 8:26–39 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Then His mother and brothers came to  Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

 

  Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.   The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.  Once again, the Gospel has thrust us into an opening in which we view the "unseen warfare" going on all the time in our world, with human beings as the battleground.  This unfortunate man is occupied by a legion of demons, language suggestive of the political occupation of Israel but teaching us about the "strong man" whom Jesus has come into the world to overthrow (see Luke 11:20-22).  We see evidence of the enslaving, destructive, and torturous nature of the demonic influence, the realm opposed to Jesus, in the description of this afflicted man.

 

 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that he would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And he got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  My study Bible comments that, although the malice of the demons is great, they can do nothing against the will of God.  Therefore, they can only enter the swine with the permission of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of the herd shows that the man had been protected by God care.  Otherwise, he would have perished under the demonic influence.  It further reinforces that swineherding was not lawful for the Jews, my study Bible comments, and shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every price.  While there are those who teach that the presence of the swine indicates a Gentile population, this passage would seem to indicate otherwise.  Jesus forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5), and He Himself was reluctant to seek them out (Matthew 15:24).  These are likely to be Jews engaged in a sinful occupation.  their hardhearted response to the healing of this man seems to be further validation of their irreverent attitude.

 

Let us take a look at the man who's been "relieved" of the affliction of a legion of demons.  The last part of today's reading tells us:  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.   In some sense, the man has been through a terrible ordeal from which he's been relieved.  It reminds us, perhaps, of a person who has been through the experience of a terrible addiction, years of self-destructive behavior, with his world that of people who know him in this state, find ways to tolerate him, or otherwise live side by side in the same place.  But now that this man is healed and cleared of the demons, the ones who were formerly his "neighbors" in this wilderness of tombs and caves and deserted places away from the city want nothing to do with him.  For he in his "right mind" and in his healed state, is a symbol of the effects of Jesus, who has also sent the legion of demons into their swine.  For the swineherders of this region, the loss of their property is a far more distasteful experience than any good news of this man's healing could cover.  They've made their choices, and just as they sought an occupation sinful in the eyes of Jews for a lucrative Gentile market, so they choose again that the power of God working to relieve a man of a legion of demons is not what they want anything to do with if it threatens their livelihood by which they profit handsomely.  They have made their choice for money over the values of their faith, and now over the direct act of the Messiah.  The healed man understands this and knows that his former habitation is no place for him to remain.  Like an addict seeking to be freed of a life of addiction, he no longer fits where he was and must find a new life, and new company.  But neither does Jesus allow the man to continue with Him and with the apostles.  Instead, Jesus finds the healed man the right occupation, and gives him a new path to pursue.  He's told, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."   This is, in fact, a strong indication of Christ's work on us when we come to a kind of dead end -- when we can't go on the way we were, need to change, and to find a new life, so to speak, a new direction.   It is Christ who will give us direction, a new place we can't necessarily create of ourselves, for God's perspective is so much greater than ours is.  There are times when God will give us inspiration beyond what we could have planned or even the alternatives we can see, just like with this healed man, to whom Jesus gives a great new job -- and sends home with glorious good news.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent

 

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them. 

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

 

- Luke 4:38–44 

 

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

 

  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  My study Bible comments that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) show us that Peter was married. 

 

 So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.   In St. Matthew's version of this story, Jesus heals St. Peter's mother-in-law with a touch (Matthew 8:14-15).  But here in St. Luke's Gospel, the emphasis is on Jesus' rebuke of the fever (both things could no doubt be true).   My study Bible quotes from the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."

 

 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.   Both this passage in Luke and the passage that follows the healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law in Matthew report this activity in that same evening.  That is, both report the casting out of demons connected to healing from disease (see also Matthew 8:16-17).  We can see how such activity is linked to the "rebuking" of a fever.

 

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.    My study Bible comments that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  Miracles and healings, it says, testify both to the truth of the message and to the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  This same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  

 

So far in Luke's Gospel, there has been established a pattern underlying Christ's mission and ministry that spells out a Kingdom come to be declared even in the midst of one under a "prince" making war against that Kingdom.  If we think about the Spirit immediately leading Christ to the desert to fast and be tempted by the devil, we see such a confrontation taking place.  This kind of battle isn't a kind of warfare we understand through worldly life.  Spiritual battle is essentially what Jesus did; it is to resist temptation and hold fast to faith in and obedience to God.   In today's reading, Christ's healing activities are connected to this world as battleground, where He has come to overthrow the "prince of this world" or "god of this age," the devil (John 14:30; 2 Corinthians 4:4).  Each episode or interaction we've read about so far emphasizes this reality as underlying Christ's ministry, whether He is facing temptation, or preaching with His authority, or healing sickness, or casting out demons.  Even when the demons speak up, He silences them, another action of opposition to their "leader," and an act of authority belonging to His Kingdom.  In today's reading, He replies to the people's request that He stay with them by declaring this mission, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."   Here is here bringing the kingdom of God closer to people, Christ Incarnate.  He's bringing the Kingdom into the world, preaching its gospel.  People do not yet know nor understand the Incarnation, but the demons know who He is, and He is already challenging the gates of Hades by bringing His ministry into the world.  His very presence is like a battle cry; resisting the temptations of the devil the great weapon, healing diseases and casting out demons a declaration of a greater power here than the prince of this world (Luke 11:20-22).  When we pray to Christ, when we resist temptation, when we follow His commands, and live as He asks, then we also join in this battle, and find ourselves in the midst of a battleground that not everyone can see.  But He calls us to this place, and He asks us to join Him under the sign of His Cross.

 

 

He begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country

 

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had so often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. 

 

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  

 

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

- Mark 5:1-20 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus had been preaching in parables, on the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

  Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.   My study Bible comments that the country of the Gadarenes was in Galilee, an area of many Gentiles living among the Jews. 

 

And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had so often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  Let us note the signs of this man's terrible affliction, an occupation by a legion of demons.   He can't be bound, and has a kind of superhuman strength, even pulling apart his chains, and breaking his shackles in pieces.  He's a picture of chaos, and cannot be tamed.  He cannot live in community but among the dead in the tombs, nor can he live a healthy life, constantly crying out and cutting himself with stones.  He has no rest from this, night and day.  But nevertheless, there remains a part of this man who runs to Christ for help, for when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.

 

And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. My study Bible comments that these demons recognize Jesus as Son of the Most High God.  Note how this legion of demons do not want to be sent out of the country. 

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there in the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  In this region of mixed populations, Gentile influence caused many Jews to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine, which was forbidden by the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Perhaps they raise swine for the Gentile market, a lucrative practice.  My study Bible comments that, although some teach that the presence of the swine indicates these are Gentiles, we know that the Lord forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), so it is more likely these are Jews engaged in what is for them a sinful occupation.  My study Bible comments that although the malice of these demons is great (for we observed the torment of this man), they can do nothing against the will of God.  So they can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of this herd shows that the man had been protected by God's care, otherwise he would have perished under the demonic influence.  It also reinforces that swineherding was unlawful for the Jews, and shows the incomparable value of human beings, whose salvation is worth every sacrifice.  

  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  Again, emphasizing the lack of response to faith in these people, we see that they care far more for their swine than for this man and the remarkable healing of a human being.  They respond simply with fear, and plead with Jesus to depart from their region.  They want nothing to do with Him.  They care only for the swine they have lost.

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  Clearly we can understand how this formerly demon-possessed man does not want to remain in this region, where he's been plagued by demons, and in which the people care more for their swine than for the healing of a human being.  Moreover, the people here have rejected Christ.  But Jesus has an alternate plan for him:  He will go home to his friends, tell them what great things the Lord has done for him -- and he began to proclaim in Decapolis, a place of both Gentiles and Jews, all that Jesus had done for him, so they all marveled.  

I marvel myself at today's story, because one is able to find so many things of value in it.  One thing we might note in today's reading is that much seems to be connected to place.  The demons beg not to be sent out of the country.  The demons don't want to leave this place; it seems they've found a home here.  The people of this area, the swine-herders, reject Jesus as a community, and plead with Him to depart from their region.   There is a kind of effect to the story that seems to suggest there is more that happens with such an occurrence than meets the eye, that the place itself may become somehow tainted by bad influence and the lack of faith that invites or accepts such influence, even rejecting Christ.  This is seen in the Old Testament Scriptures, as the land is depicted as a gift from God, and responds with fruitfulness or not depending on the people's faithfulness or rejection of God.  This seems to be especially clear in the story of the Promised Land (see Leviticus 26:3-5; Deuteronomy 11:26-28; 2 Chronicles 7:14).  In Christian tradition, home blessings remain a regular part of Orthodox Christian practice, and to sprinkle holy water in places of growing things such as gardens and agricultural produce is very common.  This author can attest to the effects I seem to have observed upon my own gardens over time.  While in a very secular modern context, we seem to treat land as something neutral, which our own plans and construction can turn into whatever we want, certainly place in the context of the Scriptures is something that is responsive in the way human life is responsive to spiritual faithfulness or the lack of it.  We've all heard stories of haunted houses, and seemingly haunted places such as battlegrounds where terrible deaths and killing have taken place, and we may take that as we might.  Nonetheless, the reality of faithfulness becomes part of the story of the Scriptures, and its effect upon the land we inhabit and cultivate.  This tells us a special story about the connectedness of all things, but not external to the centrality of God and our faith and our living of that faith.  We can picture the life in the Garden we're given of our earliest ancestors, in which all things are in communion under faithfulness to God, and the effects of sin on that peaceful and productive life.  So, for today, let us consider how "place" is not a neutral concept, but is also a part of how our lives become changed and challenged by our faithful living -- or the lack of it.  What do we tolerate and what do we want to send away from us?  Do we see people in our lives like this demon-possessed man, and what do we think forms part of the healing solution to these problems?  Do we turn to God for order out of chaos when we experience such unbalances in one way or another in any aspect of our lives?  Let us consider more than simply ourselves and our bodies within the limited concept of life that we think we inhabit and in which we practice our faith, for life is much more to us than that.  Let us observe that, according to the Scriptures, God places human beings in the world to tend and to keep the garden -- and all in it -- which God has created and given to us (Genesis 2).  We are to be like God, setting things in order and making them fruitful, learning from our faithfulness and growing in God's likeness.  But the first sin changes everything, and even the ground becomes cursed; effects on human life are shaped through that as well (Genesis 3).  So let us consider the power of faith and all the things of which life consists, for under God we are part of the whole and there is nothing left out.  Yet, even so, that interconnectedness and its state also depends upon how we live in relationship to God, not simply upon our own constructs and theories.  How do you treat a gift such as this? 

Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"

 

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house.

 

- Mark 3:7–19a 

 

On Saturday, we read that it happened that Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  My study Bible comments that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (see yesterday's reading, above) -- although it was not time for Him to die -- and also in order to preach in other places.  

And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  Note Christ's popularity at this point in His ministry, already so great that He's in danger of being crushed by the multitude.  Surely His growing popularity was not lost on the Pharisees who already plot against Him.  

And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  Once again, St. Mark emphasizes that the demons know who Christ is, the Son of God (see also Mark 1:25).  Once again, my study Bible notes that Christ's desire to keep His identity hidden as Messiah is foreseen by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Among the reasons for secrecy are the growing hostility of the religious leaders (the Pharisees already have begun to plot against Him with the Herodians), the people's misunderstanding and expectations of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader, and finally in the midst of their clamor for healing, He wishes to evoke faith among the people not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house.  My study Bible comments that terms "disciples" and "apostles" are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve who are called by Christ, and appointed by Him.  Disciple means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out" as these will be.  Jesus also appoints them to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  While Christ casts out demons, heals, and performs miracles by His own power, He gives to the disciples this power.  My study Bible comments that the names of these Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  At Mark 6:7 we read that they were sent out two by two, while in Matthew's Gospel the names are given in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled with whom (Matthew 10:1-4).

 

The commentary on the different names for the Twelve is quite interesting.  It becomes even more intriguing to think about what we might call nicknames or second, special names given by Christ to those who are closest to Him.  The one who will become known for his faith (and also for his failures) is Simon, whom we know as St. Peter.  The text tells us that Simon is the one to whom He gave the name Peter.  Our English name Peter comes from the Greek word Πετρος/Petros, which means a "stone."  This name has both a serious and perhaps is also a fond play on words, because from our Gospel stories we also know Peter as the one who, at the Last Supper, swore he would go to prison and even die with Christ before betraying Him (Luke 22:31-34), but following Christ's arrest, was so terrified of being identified as a follower that he denied Christ three times (Luke 22:54-62).  Yet, Peter nonetheless had the faith to return to Christ, and was clearly forgiven.  Such was his faith that we know he fulfilled Christ's prophecy for him, dying for Christ as a martyr to the faith following the period of his leadership among the apostles (see John 21:15-19).  James and John Zebedee here are said to have been given the name "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus.  Once again, we might note a possible double meaning in this name, perhaps affectionately given by Christ to His good friends.  In St. Luke's Gospel, we're told that at one point Jesus and the disciples pass through a village of Samaritans who refuse to receive them, because Jesus at that time is set to go toward Jerusalem.  These brothers, the "Sons of Thunder," upon seeing this, ask Jesus, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  Jesus must turn and rebuke them in turn, saying, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them" (see Luke 9:51-55).  But as the early Church unfolded under the leadership of these apostles, James became the first bishop of Jerusalem, and was then the first to be martyred among the Twelve, executed by sword by King Herod (Acts 12:1-2).  John would go on to live a long life of struggle and exile, but producing five books of the New Testament:  the Gospel of John, three Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation.  This is indeed another fulfillment of their name, "Sons of Thunder," both in preaching and boldness, in their courage and the profound contribution of the written word by John.  Moreover, John would become the one to whom Christ entrusted the care of His mother, calling him her son in His stead (John 19:26).  These three given the special names reported here in Mark's Gospel are also significant in the sense that they would form Christ's inner circle during His ministry, called to accompany Him at particular moments, perhaps due to the fact that their faith was the strongest (see Mark 5:36-37, 9:2, 14:32-34).  Together, the three of them form what is called His "inner circle."  What we see in these special names tells us things which are significant for our faith.  First of all, they give us a sense that in Christ's sight, each one of us has an identity that is particular, and to which we are called, within which we are seen fully with both our contradictions and potentials for growth in His light.  Each of these three would fulfill the prophecy inherent in the name given to them, and yet each also would notably fail at times to do so, as recorded for us in the Gospels.  These names teach us that Christ knows us personally and intimately, and that while we may be called to become an integral part of a community of His followers, learners, and even perhaps apostles, we are each also known within that community as individuals.  Christ sees with the eyes of love, and so these names also reflect that love and care, and perhaps even His deep and affectionate humor and correction for our flaws.  One thing is certain, that they give us a sense of how well we are known, and that we are loved despite our failures and need to learn and to grow.  Let us remember this gift of the personal that teaches us so much about who we are in Christ's sight and how we are loved.  Let us know how and by Whom we are called.  For our saints exemplify in each one how we are called to identity, uniquely and specifically, and yet serving the One.

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed"

 

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

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

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

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

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

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

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.   Here, Jesus heals by touch, taking Peter's mother-in-law by the hand and lifting her up.  Notice once again the use of the word immediately in Mark's Gospel, how her fever immediately left her.  Jesus restores her to her place of honor in the household, as who serves Christ and His ministry.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  My study Bible notes that Mark tells us that Jesus did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  This is yet a second emphasis in Mark's Gospel of this need for His messianic identity to be kept a secret (the first was in yesterday's reading, when Christ cast out an unclean spirit who identified Him as "the Holy One of Israel").  

Now in the morning, having arisen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments on this passage that here Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  It says that although He is God Incarnate, Jesus prayed continually, frequently finding a solitary place so that He is free from distraction, despite the multitude's need of Him.  Christ's ministry comes forth from that communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and it flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning, it says, teaches us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then will we be equipped to serve others.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  My study Bible tells us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  In Deuteronomy 24:8 we find the description of the purification of lepers and of leprous houses, a duty which was entrusted to the priests.  For this reason, Jesus tells the healed man, "Show yourself to the priest," as this was necessary according to the Mosaic Law for re-entering into the community.    Leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were therefore unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple, my study Bible says.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but here Jesus touched the leper nonetheless, and showed His compassion.  Moreover it shows also that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean.  

In his Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul writes an extensive discussion concerning practices within the Church.  It's important to remember, in that context, that the early Church was made up of people who were Jews and also of people who were non-Jews, and all were living in a society that was nominally pagan in its codes and practices.  The discussion of eating meat found therein is important because virtually all meat available in the wider marketplace was from animals that had been sacrificed to idols, so therefore for Christians this presented a significant problem, as food sacrificed to idols was to be avoided (Acts 15:28-29).  In Romans chapter 14, St. Paul writes, "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."  In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul has an extensive discussion based on what is good for the whole of the community, the importance of not scandalizing others in the faith, and preventing sin. All of this is based on and around what is called the Law of Love.  While his topic is ostensibly about food, this teaching clearly applies to other things as well, and here is where the comment in my study Bible, "to the clean, nothing is unclean," is used to frame Christ's touching of the leper to heal him.  Let us note that this saying is not used to justify or to permit just anything, but rather to teach us what it is to first begin -- as Jesus does in today's reading -- within our relationship to God, which is the basis for all else that we do in the world.  To be "clean" in this context is all about this inner reconciliation to God, as illustrated in today's reading by Jesus starting His day a long while before daylight, and finding a solitary place, in order to pray.  If we look carefully at the Torah and its system of sacrifices as established for the temple, we will understand that the entire root and aim of the practices was setting the community in right relationship with God, as community and as individuals.  (A very good book on that subject is Welcoming Gifts: Sacrifice in the Bible and Christian Life, by Fr. Jeremy Davis.)   As Jesus practices a day begun very early in prayer, He shows us how His ministry must flow from there.   It is our orientation to God that focuses us on what we do with our lives; and, as God is love (1 John 4:8), it is to God we turn to learn what it is to live love, to "do" love, so to speak, how to live in community in a proper and righteous and truly loving way.  It is in this right relationship to God that we find what is "clean," and that our sight is cleansed so that we view the world and our place in it properly.  This, of course, is an ongoing process, and full of change, as life is full of changes, and we are asked basically to grow as learners and disciples of Christ.  We are meant to learn to see by His light.  Psalm 36:9 reads, "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."  Jesus Himself, through His life, death, and Resurrection, and of course His own voluntary sacrifice on the Cross, and therefore in the Eucharist, becomes that reconciliation for us, and so He teaches, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).  What we find with Christ is an ongoing relationship of love, and teaching, and learning, and growth toward God, deepening who we are and cleansing what we need to cleanse, making right our relationship with God so that we find how we need to walk in accordance with His light.  Christ's compassion teaches and instructs us, but without His guidance, we lose our way in abstractions and demands and self-flattering hypocrisies.  For we are those who, without that light, find all kinds of idols to worship, even things which seemingly are good but nonetheless lead to harm.  Let us have the humility to be cleansed by Christ, in order to find our way to see as He asks us to see.