That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel

 

 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  

 

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

- Luke 22:24–30 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

 

  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study Bible comments that this small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed (see yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus corrects His disciples by first comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom my study Bible says they already considered to be an abomination, and contrasting them to Himself, who serves us, although He is Lord of all.  

 

 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  My study Bible quotes the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  The apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, my study Bible says, but by the witness of their own lives.  As God's kingdom begins with Christ's Resurrection, it notes, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23).  

 

 It's always remarkable to me how the disciples will betray all the impulses of human beings which are contrary to the intentions of Christ's Kingdom.  They show us who we are, in this sense, and the things we all battle against.  In particular this includes all of our varied and myriad impulses of selfishness and especially a desire for worldly power and position.  As my study Bible implies, how can they have any idea how in contradiction and out of place their squabble and their concerns are after receiving the holy mystery of the Eucharist?  But such is the stuff of the Gospels.  It's often long after events and teachings have taken place that the disciples come to grasp the fullness of Christ's meaning -- with more to come in the history of the Church.  But they tell us who we are, and so our Gospels show us what we're up against.  Jesus redirects them in an absolutely powerful manner.  For what He is doing is giving them the image of the true power they will wield, the high places which will be assigned to them in the Kingdom.  But it is not the type of Kingdom that they expect.  One can read in the Revelation that "a great, fiery red dragon" appeared as a sign in heaven, and "his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth."  This is a story in symbolic language of the fallen angels, drawn by Satan in his own self-centered desire for power, and accepting human worship rather than serving God.  The one-third of the angels drawn down with him (whom we now call demons, and formed the backdrop of the story of pagan worship of a pantheon of gods) are meant to be replaced by human beings -- those who will serve in Christ's heavenly kingdom.  These are those, like the apostles, who have continued with Christ in His trials by following Him in this world.  They will take the place of the angels who failed to shepherd humankind (see Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Genesis 6:1-4; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6 Revelation 12:7-9; Matthew 25:41).  The aspirations of the apostles for places in a worldly kingdom are redirected by Christ to a goal of service (as He serves) and a heavenly kingdom that awaits a destiny that belongs to "those for whom it is prepared by My Father" (see Matthew 20:20-23).  As we have commented recently and throughout this blog, Christ comes to wage a spiritual battle in this world, to reclaim it -- and us -- for Himself and the Kingdom of heaven from the one known as the ruler of this world in the language of St. John's Gospel, the god of this age as St. Paul writes.   Let us remember that God is enthroned -- or not -- in the hearts and minds of human beings.  But moreover, there is a greater destiny for us, upon which rests the life of the world, meaning the whole of creation in the language of Scripture.  Jesus has come to prepare such a destiny for us; let us follow Him into the spiritual battle He asks of us.  Let us do as He directs the disciples in today's reading, take our minds from being conformed to this world and to the place that Christ prepares for us, and where He asks us to follow.   For that is how the good fight is fought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." 

 

- Mark 9:30–41 

 

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

 

Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.   My study Bible notes here that this is the second time Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection (see Mark 8:31).  This is to show, it says, that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.  Note also the attitude of the disciples at this stage of His ministry; they do not understand, and are afraid to ask Him. 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  The disciples misunderstand the nature of Christ's kingdom.  Moreover, it's possible that they have taken Christ's prediction that "He will rise on the third day" (above) to mean that a worldly kingdom will be made manifest under Him.  Thus they were disputing who would be greatest in such a worldly kingdom under Christ.  In other words, who among them would have the highest rank or place.  My study Bible comments that, not only have they misunderstood the nature of what is to come,  but that this indicates a selfish desire in worldly power.   Jesus points to the notion of service as that which defines greatness in His Kingdom.  Even a little child received by them should be understood as if they are receiving Christ Himself, and even beyond, as if they are receiving the one who sent Him, God the Father.  This is the illustration Jesus makes of what it is to truly be first in His Kingdom.

 

 Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study Bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who sees John's comment as regret, his conscience being pricked by what Christ said about receiving a "little child," above.  But, on the other hand, St. Ambrose sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  Either way, my study Bible notes, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples. Theophylact is quoted as saying, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Matthew 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.  Note how recognition of those are part of Christ's Kingdom is a kind of reciprocal action.  A little child received by them is like receiving Christ Himself, or even the Father.  Here, even one who so much as gives a cup of water to drink in His name, to one who belongs to Christ, will by no means lose his reward.  

In a sense, the teachings given by Jesus in today's reading teach us what it is to live in the Kingdom of God, which must then by definition be a kingdom of love.  The action of service and serving, of receiving even one of the least status in the Church, because they are a believer, is as if one were serving Christ Himself, and even God the Father.  These are the actions of love, for God is love (1 John 4:8).  And even if someone is to give, in a simple act of kindness, a cup of water to drink in Christ's name, and for the sake of one who believes, there is reward in it because of this power of grace at work, the power of the Kingdom.  This reciprocal, mutual service -- the kindness even to one without status or power, in faith and by recognition of faith in Christ -- is what we understand as truly gracious living.  It is the practice of grace, a sharing in the love of God and God's mercy, in which we all must seek to participate who believe, who follow Christ.  This is what Jesus is sharing with the disciples in today's reading, and teaching them about the nature of the Kingdom, and what must follow in the Church of the believers to come, in which they seek to be "first," or great.  He is teaching His disciples, those who will become leaders, bishops, and presbyters of His Church, what it is to bring His Kingdom into the world, and to be truly great in that Kingdom.  This sort of behavior is that which calls upon us for humility, a willingness to serve in His name, for His sake, on behalf of those who believe, who come for direction and guidance in the Church and to find and follow Christ.  This would be understood and fulfilled in time through many activities of the Church to come, from the establishment of the first hospitals which sought to give care to all, to prison ministries, and even to our own notion of gracious living, common courtesy.  Over time it would extend to the notion of "noblesse oblige" due to the earliest higher educational institutions evolving out of the Church and the sons of the aristocracy who were the earliest non-ecclesiastical pupils. Thus, of what it means to be a "gentleperson."  But we must begin and end with Christ, in our conduct and how we live our lives, and this is particularly true within the Church itself.  For if our Churches cannot be models of this loving and humble behavior, how are we ourselves models of what Christ has called for?  The key here is humility and what it truly means.  Many people think of humility as a kind of self-debasement or slavery to others, but as presented here by Christ it does not mean that at all.  It means, in fact, that we serve Him, above all, and the One who sent Him.  We serve the God of love, and the Son who came above all else to serve us, and to give us grace and mercy.  Let us remember what that means, and always be mindful of how that asks us to conduct ourselves -- especially to the all the "little ones," those who cannot necessarily pay us back (Luke 14:12-14).  At the very least, we can say that Christ calls us to a way of thinking that is not purely transactional, but gracious, merciful, and based on love.  Let us recognize His presence among us.

But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me

 

 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  

 

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

- Luke 22:24-30 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

 

  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study Bible comments that this small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries Christ has just revealed.  He corrects the disciples by first comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they themselves considered an abomination, and contrasting them to Himself.  For Christ serves us even though He is Lord of all.  

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  Here my study Bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan, who writes, "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  My study Bible also notes that the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but by the witness of their own lives.  As God's kingdom begins with the Resurrection of Christ, it says, so the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23). 

 

 What does it mean to be a part of the kingdom of God? Here Jesus makes it clear that to participate in this kingdom, we must first receive it as it is given to us by Him (I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me).  We must understand it as a gift.  He makes it clear that this is linked to the fact that these disciples "are those who have continued with Me in My trials."  St. Ambrose, in the quotation from my study Bible, also clarifies that the means by which the apostles participate in that bestowed kingdom of God is "by rebuking error with virtue."  In this way they become the living stones spoken of by St. Peter:  "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:4-5).  So if we are to break down these teachings about the kingdom of God, we are to understand that the gift the disciples are given really has to do with the persistence of their faith, and their willingness to engage in what we can call spiritual battle in this context:  they have persisted through participation with Christ in His trials, and fought such battles by rebuking error with virtue.  If the gift of the Kingdom also comes with the enduring presence of the Holy Spirit, then our lives as followers of Jesus, and inheritors of this Kingdom as successors and fellow disciples means that we, also, must seek to live this kind of life.  This is how we carry the kingdom of God within us and through the world.  This is given to us in contrast to the earthly desire for greatness expressed by the apostles, their misunderstanding of what Christ's kingdom will be about, and what it will mean to be participants in it.  Jesus is leading them through His example of service, and not greatness on worldly terms.  As those who are given this Kingdom, they also will continue in trials, as Christ did before them, and they also must rebuke error with virtue, as Christ did, and showed them His blessed way of life.  Imagine what kind of repentance must have happened among them to go from one expectation (of worldly greatness in an earthly kingdom) to another (of service, endurance in trials, and the virtue exemplified and taught by Christ).   As those who would seek to inherit this Kingdom, and to participate in it, perhaps we must also consider what that means in the same way -- that expression of virtue in response to error.  In a very pragmatic and materially-oriented society, it seems that many have given up on such a standard in social mores.  Where once there were socially-acceptable characteristics of politeness, today we experience applause for behavior that shocks or outrages (nominally in the name of "progress" or "rights"), or is violent or provocative, often for similar reasons.  Unfortunately thanks to the widespread use of all kinds of media, and the attention that follows, such behavior and its public expression frequently goes viral thanks to social media and its addictive and even voyeuristic nature.  So, rebuking error with virtue, in such an environment, remains a challenge within yet new contexts.  But we are still those who would inherit this Kingdom, and the one way to do so is by being those living stones, and participating in the ways that we are called to do so.  If Christ's kingdom is born through His trials, so that it may open to the world through His Resurrection, then such struggles, and the full story of Resurrection, become what we're a part of -- the energies of grace in which we participate.  Let us consider what our struggles are and hold fast to Resurrection, for there is where we find ourselves as members of that Kingdom.  Today is the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.  We have already noted St. Peter's understanding of "living stones."  Let us quote from St. Paul also, relative to today's passage:  "If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.  If we deny Him, He also will deny us" (2 Timothy 2:12).  Let us endure as living stones!

 

 

Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things

 

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

 

- Luke 20:1–8 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation." Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

 

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  The religious leadership in the Temple ask Jesus, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  My study Bible says that these things refers to Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as Messiah and the cleansing of the temple (in yesterday's reading, above), as well as His teaching of the people and preaching the gospel (see the first verse of today's reading).  These elders confront Him since it was the duty of the priestly descendants of Levi to manage the Temple.  My study Bible comments that while Christ was descended from Judah (Luke 3:33), yet He is the High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4), which is a priestly line far greater than that of Levi, for this authority is from God the Father. 

 

 It's important to note, in this beginning of the account of events which happened in Jerusalem during Holy Week, that despite the fact that we know Jesus will go voluntarily to His death (and has told the disciples this three times), Jesus gives His all here in disputing with the religious leaders.  He will not back down from the truth, nor telling the truth.  His decision to accept the will of the Father, His mission of going to the Cross (which He discussed with Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration in chapter 9), does not mean that He is going without a fight.  That is, without His own defense of His gospel and His teaching -- nor even without His criticism of the religious leaders.   As He has said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here" (John 18:36).  But this does not mean there is no spiritual battle going on in which He engages, nor does it mean that He will cease from preaching and defending the truth He is here to bring to the world.  In this context, Jesus shows us yet another example, for while His kingdom may not be "of this world," it certainly is of the truth.  As He has said, He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), and while He must go to the Cross, this does not mean that the words spoken in truth do not also come from the Father (John 12:49), that these debates in which He engages the religious leadership -- in front of all the people who listen attentively (per yesterday's reading) -- are not also an essential part of His ministry.   Here, He gives as good as He gets, so to speak -- and this powerful speaking and dogmatic teaching is in no way contradictory to His acceptance of the Cross and voluntary death.  We should not confuse His refusal to do earthly battle with a refusal to speak in vigorous defense of His ministry, and neither should we be confused ourselves between our need for the virtue of humility and the times when we are called to tell the truth, and especially to live the gospel of our faith.  For Christ here is the great example.  He says of Himself that He is gentle and lowly of heart, but the "yoke" He brings to us is one He will exhaust every effort to bring, without reservation or hesitation, with clarity, and with the most remarkably effective speech we know.  In this He is dynamic and powerful, and astonishes all the people, including the leaders, who cannot stop the spread of His gospel -- not even with crucifixion.  So let us not confuse humility with submission to lies and falsehoods, with a denial of our faith, or with reluctance to live our faith.  There will be a time when Jesus will not speak, but that time will come when there is no more to say, when every opportunity for repentance on the part of those who reject Him has been exhausted -- and that is the time of Crucifixion (John 19:8-12).  Above all, His is a saving mission, and we read mistakenly if we do not see His words in this context.  Everything He says is done not in the spirit of self-defense, but a defense of the Kingdom and His ministry, and especially in the effort to save all who listen, before the hour of His Passion.  Let us ponder these mysteries, and the One who does everything to save us, even going to His death as He does.  In today's reading, let us note, Jesus does not leave room for needless fighting and dispute, but responds to their refusal to answer with His own distinctive choice, asserting His authority in His own way:  "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Let us learn from Him!

 

 

Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22-36 

 

Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."   My study Bible notes that John the Baptist is called the friend (or the "best man"), while Christ is the bridegroom.  The bride is the Church, the people of God.  It says that John confesses his role in the coming of the Messiah -- that he is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and thus he rejoices in that celebration.  Let us take note of John's declaration, "Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  Jesus will also use the language of joy in a similar way, at the Last Supper (see John 15:11; 16:22-24; 17:13).

 

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  My study Bible comments here that John expresses a humility that serves as an example for all believers.  He renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  By allowing Christ to increase in him, John himself finds true glory.  Moreover, this statement is indicative of the end of the old covenant.  As the law vanishes, the grace of Christ abounds.   In the liturgical calendar, this is expressed.  John's birth is celebrated by most denominations at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), while Christ's birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25 for most; January 6 when the celebration is joint with Epiphany, also known as Theophany, the event of Christ's Baptism and the beginning of His public ministry).  

 

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  My study Bible comments that here John echoes the teaching of Jesus Himself (John 3:18, from yesterday's reading, above).  It asks us to note that the word "alone" is not found in this statement of faith.  It quotes St. Chrysostom here:  "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

 

 John the Baptist says, "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  As noted above, Jesus uses the same language of joy when He speaks about His relationship with the disciples.  John's particular relationship to Christ defines identity, a true identity in the fullness of his own spiritual  understanding, his place in the sight of God.  As this is what defines identity in the fullest sense, it is in the fulfillment of that identity that joy -- this kind of joy -- takes place and is made possible.  This has meaning for all of us, for it is that same sort of joy that Jesus addresses to the disciples.  We understand ourselves in relationship to Christ the Son, and in this fullness of who we are, of where our soul is linked to Creator, and how we experience that in faith,  we come to the truth of identity.  It is in the living and fulfillment of that identity that we also find this kind of joy.  The word in Greek is χαρά/chara.  It also means delight.  When we find this place in which we are embraced in love, and taught who we are, we find our joy.  John understands that he is the friend of the bridegroom, like the "best man" at a wedding, as my study Bible notes.  Therefore in standing beside the Bridegroom, Christ, in hearing Him, and in finding his own place in this salvation dispensation, John takes joy, he finds his delight.  So it is with each one of us, drawn to this place of finding ourselves.  That is, finding ourselves in Christ, this place where love draws us like a type of gravity, to the place where we find comfort, home, where we know and are known.  It is this place where we find direction, and experience an embrace unlike any other for its acceptance and teaching and care.  That joy is in the fulfillment of who we are as those created "in the image and likeness of God" (Genesis 1:26), that true icon or true face of who we are.  When we are drawn by this gravity of love, and respond in trust (or faith), we are taken on this journey of discovery of who we are through this relatedness, this place for us -- and that becomes the lifelong path of faith.  We may not find that path to be straight, we may be taken on a journey that asks us to examine many things about our beliefs, our habits, our practices.  We may be taken on a long journey of change, an evolution of the way we think.  Like John the Baptist, it is a worldly, limited sense of self which decreases, as Christ increases in us.  But what draws us in this deep place is the love of God, and the joy found there -- for there we are free to find ourselves and to live that abundant life.  

 

This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you

 

 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

- Luke 22:14-30 

 

Yesterday we read that the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.  Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, 'Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

 

When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  My study Bible tells us that Christ has a fervent desire for this Passover because this meal will impart the mysteries of the new covenant to His followers.  Moreover, this event will inaugurate the great deliverance of humanity from sin through the power of the Cross.  

 

 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." This first cup is a conclusion to the Old Testament Passover meal which Christ eats with His disciples in order to fulfill the Law.  Until the kingdom of God comes is explained by my study Bible to mean until Christ's Resurrection; at that time He will again eat and drink with His disciples (Luke 24:43; Acts 10:41).  

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."   In the language of the text, gave thanks has as its root the Greek word eucharist (ευχαριστία), which my study Bible says immediately came to refer to both the Liturgy and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Before the end of the first century, a teaching manuscript called the Didache refers to the celebration of the Liturgy as "the Eucharist."  In the year AD 150, St. Justin said of Holy Communion, "This food we call 'Eucharist,' of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing [holy baptism] for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ commanded us."  Jesus says, "This is My body . . .."  My study Bible comments that the Orthodox Church has always accepted Christ's words as true, "that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus" (St. Justin).  See John 6:51-56, 1 Corinthians 11:23-32.

 

"But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  My study Bible asks us to note that Judas is also invited to this table for the mystical supper, as Jesus is seeking by all means to save him.  Judas' unworthy participation leads to his utter destruction (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-30; compare to Esther 7).  Note the tie between Christ's words regarding "the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you" and the betrayal in the spilling of His blood.

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study Bible comments that this small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed.  It notes that He corrects the disciples by first comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they themselves considered an abomination, and contrasting them to Himself, who serves us even though He is Lord of all.

 

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  My study Bible quotes the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan on this passage:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  My study Bible comments that the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but by the witness of their own lives.  Since God's kingdom begins with Resurrection of Christ, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23).  

 

 In this initiation of the Eucharist in Luke's Gospel, we read:  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."   Let us begin to consider what this means, that Christ repeats twice this notion of a voluntary sacrifice:   My body which is given for you; My blood, which is shed for you.  In reading about the notion of sacrifice in the ancient world, we discover that sacrifice did not have the kind of connotation that it has for us today.  A sacrifice was a meal which was shared, it created community through that sharing.  Part of the sacrifice, in the Jewish tradition, was burned, and this was the part "for God" at that communal table.  But the point was the sharing, the institution of community, and especially through communal meal.  To share or give a gift for another is also a way of creating community, relatedness in a particular way.  Christ effectively gives Himself -- His Body and Blood -- as a sacrifice once and for all, in order to create community with us.  This is made explicitly clear in His words that His body is given for us, and His blood is given for us (for you is plural).  We become this community through the affirmation of the New Covenant in His blood, again through sacrifice creating a bond.  We are to continue to participate in this sharing, this creation of community (His kingdom) in remembrance of Him, affirming that community and that bond and our participation in His sacrifice.  This community which bears His name, created and affirmed through His sacrifice in which we continually participate, has hallmarks to it that make it distinct from other kingdoms of the world (and indeed, the rule of other kings).  Jesus says, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  Our ongoing participation in His sacrifice commits us to the conditions of this community and its way of life that is to be different from the world; it is marked by service, another emphasis on giving, of which His sacrifice for us is our great example.  Service also is in keeping with voluntary sacrifice and giving, not as payment nor penalty, but as a gift to create, nurture, build, and extend community.  This is the Kingdom we inherit and in which we participate as adopted sons and heirs.  Its great bedrock is love, for God is love (1 John 4:8).  This is how Jesus characterizes His sacrifice Himself, for He tells us, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (1 John 15:13).  When we partake of the Eucharist, let us remember its significance as Christ's sacrifice for us, making community, teaching us to participate in it, and laying the foundation of love for His Kingdom in which we are invited to share and to become more "like" Him.  He taught us that "a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master" (Matthew 10:24).  A gift, a sacrifice, a service is an act of love meant to create and harbor community, relationships.  Let us think about how and why we, too, will make that investment in our faith, following Him, with careful consideration for where we cast our pearls in so doing.  For betrayal of such sacrifice, even if prophesied, is not without its penalty as well.

 

 

 

Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great

 

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

- Luke 9:37-50 

 

Yesterday we read that, it came to pass, about eight days after Peter's confession and Jesus' first prophesy of His Passion (see Thursday's reading), He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered; and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. 

 

  Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  Note that the disciples who could not cast out the spirit from the boy are the ones who remained behind, while Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mount of Transfiguration (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible remarks that while these disciples' faith was incomplete (see Matthew 17:19-20), Christ's rebuke is also to the crowds, whose faith was weaker still (see Mark 9:22-24, in which Jesus teaches the father he must believe, in words similar to His teaching to Jairus prior to healing his daughter).  

 

 And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen His disciples for the terrifying events they would face, and to assure them that Christ was not powerless but went to the Cross willingly.  

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  My study Bible comments that this question indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  It is possible that this question is prompted by a misunderstanding that Christ will come into a worldly kingdom after His betrayal (see Matthew 17:22-23, in which Jesus adds that He will be raised up on the third day).  Jesus emphasizes what will be understood as gracious behavior; the virtues of humility and care for "the least of these My brethren" (see Matthew 25:31-46).  Their lives are to be dedicated to service and care, not worldly notions of greatness.

 

Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."   According to my study Bible, Theophylact views John's comment here as a regret, as his conscience had been pricked by what Christ said above about the least and the great.  But St. Ambrose of Milan, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either interpretation, my study Bible notes, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

In today's reading, we seem to get examples of what happens with a lack of faith, and then what happens where an abundance of faith is present.  There is first of all the example of the child who could not be healed.  Jesus exclaims, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?" because of the lack of faith.  In Mark's version of this story, Jesus tells the father of the boy, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  And immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" (see Mark 9:14-29).  In Matthew's reporting of this story, the disciples later privately ask Jesus why they could not heal the boy.  He says to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matthew 17:19-21).   We see the difference between the 'inner circle' of Christ -- those three pillars of faith among them, Peter, James, and John, who accompany Christ to the mount of Transfiguration -- and the other disciples, who could not heal the boy.  In the context of the Gospels, the differences here can all be attributed to the levels of faith of the participants.   Later on, when it is reported that there are others who are casting out demons in Christ's name, we see the effects of faith even among those who are not nominally a part of the group of the twelve disciples, as he does not follow with them.  In some sense, it seems to point to an overflowing abundance of faith, so powerful that it distributes even among those who are not a part of their group, and is clearly effective at doing something the disciples recently could not do.  This effect of faith has implications for both power and authority, because demons are cast out through both.   In between these two parts of today's reading, we have Christ's strong teaching about humility and service, and this is an important coupling, because it really teaches us about how faith becomes truly effective.  Our faith is perhaps truly tested and strengthened through tests of humility.  Without humility, how can we share in the power and authority of Christ?  How could we give up the praise of the world for the praise of God (John 12:43)?  How can we have a true and secure faith?  If we do not understand what it is to be obedient to Christ, how can we truly share in His communion, and participate in His ministry to the world?  Without humility, how could the disciples accept the validity of another who does not follow with them?  Finally, we take a look at the core here, the words so powerful that the disciples cannot understand them, cannot take them in.  Jesus says to the disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  His strong imagery ("let these words sink down into your ears") expresses to us the difficulty He knows the disciples experience in taking in this message -- and we read that they still do not understand.  It is something unthinkable for them.  How can the Messiah be betrayed?  How could the Christ be defeated or suffer?  We will see what happens through Christ's Passion, but this is the story of the greatest humility of all, the One who, although divine, will give up His human life and suffer for us.  It remains the most powerful story of sacrifice for the sake of others, for the salvation of the world.  It is the ultimate story of obedience to God, and Christ will set the example for all, so that when He speaks of each of us taking up our own crosses daily, we will know the length to which He was prepared to go for our sakes first.  Each of these factors teaches us about faith, and the things that are necessary for and make up components of a strong faith:  humility, discipline, a willingness to sacrifice, the capacity to serve, and the ability to see Christ in even the "least of these His brethren."  For here we are, following Him, and in our faith we are to grow, and these components must grow together with that faith as well.  Let us be good disciples and follow where He leads first.

 

 

 

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

 

- Mark 9:30–41 

 

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

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  This is the second time that Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection to the disciples (see also Mark 8:31).  My study Bible says that He does so in order to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and is not being taken against His will.  Note that the disciples still cannot comprehend what He is saying to them.  

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Today's reading really reflects upon the conventional understanding of what the Messiah would bring.  Just as the disciples cannot comprehend that the Messiah should be killed, they also seem to expect a worldly or "earthly" kingdom to be initiated by Christ.  Hence, their dispute as to who would be the greatest.  That is, who would occupy the highest position in such a kingdom.  My study Bible comments that it indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Thus, Christ points to a little child (see Matthew 18:2-4).  This emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into His Kingdom.  The qualities of the little child are humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In Mark's version, Jesus' emphasis on receiving the little child teaches the disciples the need for humility and service:  even in receiving one of these little children, we receive Christ Himself -- and not only Christ, but the Father who sent Him.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side."  My study Bible comments on this same story in Luke 9:46-50 that Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Christ has just said.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either sense, Christ's response shows those acting in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes:  "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those using Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16). 

"For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  In some sense, this statement is another version of the one about receiving a little child in Christ's name.  It also is like another parable teaching about the nature of the kingdom of God.  There is a kind of network effect at work here, where faith forms a circuit of blessedness.  For a person to show hospitality in Christ's name -- even a cup of water to drink --  to such a one who bears the Kingdom is to also receive a reward.

Jesus tells the disciples, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."   I can't say that I perfectly understand what the word "reward" means in this context.  One supposes it has to do with the ultimate Judgment of Christ, and the understanding of the heart that is possessed only by God.  In Greek the word is μισθός/misthos, a word indicating something like wages, payment for work, recompense for labor.  (In modern Greek, it means "salary.")  In this case, we can consider it the reward for a good work.  It is the same word used in Matthew 5:12, where Jesus states in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11-12).  It is a reward in the sense that one reaps what one sows, as again it is the same word used when Jesus states speaks of hypocrites who fast in order to show to others their holiness, and He declares, "Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward" (see Matthew 6:16).  In this case, He means there is no heavenly reward awaiting, but only the "worldly" award they sought in making such an appearance to others.  If we dismantle this sentence, we see there are two parts to the blessed action:  The cup of water is given by someone "in My name" and to "you" who "belong to Christ."  It is a sense in which believers who offer the least gift of charity in His name, to others who are seen as belonging to Christ shall not lose their blessed reward.   Jesus has just introduced a little child who, if received in His name, is the same as receiving Christ and also the Father who sent Him.  Moreover He has added that the disciples should not discourage others who work in His name.  Putting these two teachings together, we can simply imagine the many scenaria that would apply here to our own graciousness, and the gift of hospitality which is so important and was so cherished from the earliest years of monasticism.  Do we know who we receive?  Do we act in His name to offer graciousness or kindness to another, even a cup of water?  Let us recall the words of St. Paul, referring to the hospitality of Abraham: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2).   This two-way reciprocity of both receiving and giving in His name and those who belong to Christ reminds us of the instructions Christ gave to the disciples when sending them out on their first apostolic mission:  "And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" (Matthew 10:12-15).  The special peace of which He speaks is linked to the blessing of the reward He names, a very spiritual understanding of blessedness and the hidden realities that connect us in faith and in grace.  There is a blessedness to faith which is not only necessary for Christ's miracles, healings, and exorcisms, but also for the spiritual fruits of a life in Christ.  Let us not forget how they are connected to hospitality, an understanding of graciousness, and how we are linked to our fellow faithful in His name, even strangers whom we don't know.  For we are connected in a fellowship which belongs to Him, and to the One who sent Him.

This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting

 

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

 

- Mark 9:14-29 

 

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

 

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Jesus is returning, together with Peter, James, and John, from the Mount of Transfiguration (see yesterday's reading, above).  This is why the people are running to Him.  He finds the rest of the disciples disputing with scribes.  Note that Jesus' first response is to question the scribes; He will speak to His disciples in private. His conduct is to protect and nurture His disciples; if they need correction, it will be done away from the public.

Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."   Today's entire reading is about faith and the lack of it.  Jesus addresses this statement to all of the crowd in general, but will also speak to the disciples in private, teaching us that we ought first to correct people in private (see Matthew 18:15-17).  My study Bible comments that Christ rebukes the man for placing the blame on the disciples when it was his greater lack of faith that prevented the boy's healing.

Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." My study Bible comments that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  The malicious harm and suffering caused to this child is indicative of the nature of the demonic.

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  Those who could not cast out the demon are the nine disciples who remained while Peter, James, and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus.  This kind, it says, refers to all powers of darkness, and not simply those that cause a particular illness.  It says that the banishment of demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting, as there is no healing and no victory in spiritual warfare without all three.  Beginning with the Didache, my study Bible notes (that is, the earliest teaching document of the Church), the patristic writers have taught that both the person in need of healing and the person performing the healing must believe, pray, and fast. 

As Jesus' ministry begins to face hostility, rejection, and criticism, this episode teaches us about the importance and significance of faith.  We don't often hear a lot about fasting in a modern world, except that it might help with weight loss or health in some forms.  But linked to prayer and faith, fasting takes on a different character.  Yes, it remains healthful when practiced as the Church has advocated in its traditions (that is, a temporary vegan diet practiced at certain periods or on certain days, to very roughly generalize).  But it also takes on something that is lost outside of faith; that is, it is a way of practicing remembrance and love of God with a "whole body" action.  We abstain from certain foods at certain times to sharpen  and refocus our lives more deeply on prayer and our faith at certain periods of time.  Just as we take the Eucharist "in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19), so there are times when we abstain in remembrance of the Lord, in preparation and deeper focus for an important spiritual event such as during Lent, in the weeks leading up to Easter.  In the Eastern Church, the present time is a time of fasting in preparation for the commemoration of the Dormition of Mary the Mother of God.  There is also a traditional fast,  now rarely practiced, in preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ; that is, Christmas.  These times of conscious fasting or abstaining from certain foods give us a focus, they teach us to prepare for the time we will feast in commemoration of something with great significance.  They teach us to be conscious of what we are about, the time we're in, the things that are of great importance to us.  In the context of the exorcism that Christ mentions in today's reading, it is natural to understand the commitment implied in fasting when coupled with prayer in preparation for a type of spiritual battle in this sort of healing.  In fasting, we take our faith practice one step further, we remind ourselves that our entire humanity -- that is, including our physical bodies -- is involved in the commitment to our faith.  We are "all in," we fully commit ourselves.  We are constantly reminded what is worth every sacrifice -- and even why abstinence is important to faith. That is, it is a reminder that we abstain from other things, like cursing, or extreme passion, giving in to anger or rage, casting away from us impulses for envy and jealousy, and thinking that puts us in a very dark or negative state.  Fasting reminds us to focus on Christ, and the saints and angels, and the great love and treasure we find in our faith -- that its beauty and goodness are worth temporal pleasures.  Note that in the Christian tradition, we are taught to fast as we can.  This is not a contest regarding how well we stick to the rules; it's not for the sick, or those whose physical health will be worsened by it.  Neither is it a competition.   It is something we do as we are able.  And this is the beauty and power of the fast, that it is done in loving remembrance of the One who loves us first and best.  He is the One who loves us, who corrects in private, and seeks always to protect and love us as His children, even when His children reject Him (Luke 13:34).  It is coupled with prayer in Christ's statement because it is similar to prayer, in that we remember the Lord when we consciously abstain for a period of time.  Finally, the deeply "incarnational" nature of fasting reminds us of Christ who took on every aspect of our humanity, including suffering and death, in order to transfigure our lives and set us free for the life He offers to us.  Let us never forget the Lord who loves us that much, and commit to that love with faith and trust we seek to build as we are able.