Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury

 

 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly. 

 

Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,  the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

 

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

- Mark 12:35–44 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the scribes came, and having heard Jesus and the religious authorities reasoning together in the temple, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him. 

 

  Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.  Jesus asks this question to lead the people to the only logical conclusion:  that He is God incarnate.  He quotes from Psalm 110.  My study Bible explains that they supposed the Messiah to be a mere man, and therefore the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David.  But David, as king of Israel, could not and would not address anyone as "Lord" except God.  But here in this psalm, David refers to the Messiah as "Lord."  So, therefore, the Messiah must be God.  My study Bible remarks that the only possible conclusion is that the Messiah is a descendant of David only according to the flesh, but is at the same time also truly divine, and sharing His Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  

 

 Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,  the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Here Jesus urges the people to beware the scribes because of their hypocrisy, and says that such hypocrisy will receive greater condemnation.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, a very extensive critique (and condemnation) of the scribes and Pharisees is reported in chapter 23.  

 

 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."  My study Bible comments that, according to patristic commentary, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  So, this poor widow is counted to have given a very great gift, as she kept nothing for herself.  Those who give out of their abundance but keep plenty for themselves, my study Bible says, are counted by God to have given very little.  In the conversion of Cornelius, we learn that God takes note of our giving (Acts 10:4).  According to some estimates, a modern (US) equivalent to the widow's two mites might be about approximately $2.00; in a cash economy and for a dependent person without income this amount becomes quite believable.  

 

 What does it mean to give?  In yesterday's reading (see above), we were given the two great commandments.  The first commandment teaches, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."  The second adds, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Jesus grouped these two together as the greatest commandments, which sum up all the law and the prophets.  Loving one's neighbor as oneself is often seen as manifested in the practice of charity, and acts of charity can take on many forms and many expressions.  When we think of giving, we most often think of money, as in the case with the poor widow giving all she had to the treasury of the temple.  But perhaps we should expand our concepts of giving to include the many other things that we can give in life.  We can give of our time.  We can give of our care, and kindness to others.  We can do many works which are charitable even if not nominally called that:  a good word to someone, letting someone know you think of them, paying attention where attention is needed.  Sometimes just spending time sitting with someone is a charitable act.  In this sense, if we should truly fulfill the first and greatest commandment Jesus gives to us, then possibly we might just find out what it is to give our all.  For if we really deeply love God in all the dimensions of focus in the commandment, then we might find that we give our whole lives to this spirit of giving, depending upon the need and where we are called should we live truly prayerful lives mindful of God.  We can practice giving our lives to God, and seeking that direction for God's will for us at any given time, whether we are at work, at home, no matter where we are and what we are doing.  This is a kind of fullness of giving that's not obvious to the world but incorporates the spirit of giving nevertheless, of being "all in" and deepening our faith in the process even as we practice giving in this way.  Expressing love is so often the process of giving, even giving when we don't know or think we have much else to give at all.  Anyone who has cared for a loved one -- even a pet that needs care -- knows this.  We find that we can give so much more than we thought we could when we're motivated by love.  This extends to our world, the care and stewardship of the creation which God has given us and put us in charge of properly cultivating and guiding it.  Genesis 2:15 reads, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it."  The whole of the Bible is filled with verses about proper stewardship of our world and what we do with this gift of resources we're given.  This poor widow in today's reading gives us a sense that even when we don't think we have much to offer, there is always something we have to give if we are "all in."  If we love God, we find resources we didn't know we have.  More importantly, if we have a full abundance of things we can give, we can "hand them over" in prayer to God to find the right role for our stewardship and giving.  St. James writes, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  Thus, all that we have, every blessing comes to us from God in the first place; we may practice the fullness of giving in returning all to God for God's blessing and guidance in how to use it and live God's will for creation.  In the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, there are repeated prayers that combine a commemoration of the Virgin Mary as an icon of the fruitfulness possible through faith, together with the prayer, "with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God."   We entrust ourselves to the Lord, and find fulfillment in so doing, giving ourselves to Christ's direction and guidance as Mediator for all things.  Let us find our gifts and live His teaching together with the poor widow He commends so highly in today's reading.

 

 

 

 

How is it you do not understand?

 

 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."   And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?" 

 

- Mark 8:11–21 

 

On Saturday we read that, in those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

 

  Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."   And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"  Once again, has Jesus has returned to Jewish territory (in our recent readings, Jesus has spent much time evading the Pharisees as He was in the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon, and then the Greco-Roman culture of the Decapolis).  So, in today's reading, we again feel the influence and scrutiny of the Pharisees, whom Jesus had quite possibly been evading after His last dispute with them.  My study Bible comments that the leaven of the Pharisees to which Jesus refers is their doctrine (Matthew 16:12) and their hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).  In Scripture, it points out, "leaven" is used both positively and negatively.  A positive example is in the parable of the Leaven found in Matthew 13:33.  Most often, however, it is found as a negative image, as in this case.  But, either way, my study Bible says, leaven symbolizes a force which is powerful enough -- and frequently subtle enough -- to permeate and affect everything around it (see 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).  

We note how seemingly slow the disciples are to understand Jesus' language, and what He is driving at.  It's almost a comical scene, a sort of play on words, to see how Jesus is speaking of leaven as a metaphor for the Pharisees' subtle, permeating influence as they demand a sign, while the disciples are focused on the mundane matters of organizing this ever-moving ministry.  "It is because we have no bread," they reason among themselves.  "He must be upset because we have no bread!"  We can all picture ourselves in such circumstances:  while we're busy trying to organize and follow a plan, the one with the real vision is trying to tell us something much, much more significant.  Indeed, part of the somewhat comical nature of what we read here today is just simply that which follows in Jesus' perhaps incredulous reminder to them of the two (not just one, but two!) feedings in the wilderness which they've so recently experienced.  We notice how Jesus goes through it piece by piece, and step by step, to work them through remembering what they seem to fail to grasp here:  "When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  It's like they are children who really, really need to be led bit by bit into this lesson.  We can almost hear the plaintive note in Christ's question that follows:  "How is it you do not understand?"  While in a completely rational and quasi-perfect world, in which every experience would lead to a completely logical conclusion, this might seem a little much.  But in terms of the true experience of human beings and the way our minds tend to work, this does not at all sound unusual.  In fact, what the Gospels give us so frequently, as perfect teaching tool, is a mirror of the common things we all do and experience, and even the difficulties of grasping the truly extraordinary nature of our faith. For, at heart, really, is not so much the miraculous nature of the feedings which Christ has given with meager resources to multiply, and through which we're given an early glimpse of the Eucharist, and so much more.  Rather, the depth of the matter here is the almost unbelievable concept that God became human, that the Man they know as Jesus, as their Teacher, is also divine.  How can our minds grasp this, really?  We might know it as an intellectual concept, as a given tenet of the faith, but in terms of really getting a hold of just how contradictory the concept is, it would in truth be hard to underestimate this reconciliation of impossible antithetical things in one Person.  And that is really the ever-continuing drama of our faith in the world.  It remains with us as the "stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks" in St. Pauls' words (1 Corinthians 1:23).  It's not just the Crucifixion that gives us this stumbling block and foolishness, but the whole of the almost stupefyingly difficult concept of the 'irreconcilable reconciled' in Christ Himself -- that God became human. No matter what the disciples have truly experienced in their day-to-day, hands on, time-bound material experience of life with Jesus, they still have not been able to process this extraordinary but nonetheless true picture of the reality which God has offered us in the Person and ministry of Jesus Christ.  It is the very thing at the heart of every struggle we might have with our faith, no matter what it is.  The disciples themselves passed out the bread to thousands of people from a handful of loaves, twice.  And yet, they still do not have the eyes to see nor the ears to hear the true message here:  that the things they think they know of their faith, the reality the Pharisees would present to them undermining the ministry of Christ by demanding a convincing sign,  is a kind of poisonous influence, and one that seeks to take away the gift of Christ's true reality presented to the world.  It is similar to Christ's response to St. Peter, when he cannot accept the message of the Crucifixion, later in this chapter.  Jesus' response is, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (Mark 8:33). It is perhaps more dramatic, but yet another instance where it is the divinity of Christ that is the stumbling block, for it is only in that understanding that we know the Crucifixion will serve as the trampling of death by death.  Here, Jesus refers to the leaven of the Pharisees, the doubtful, insidious chipping away at our capacity for grasping the things of God, the gifts inherent in the paradox of Jesus and His ministry.  Jesus asks, seemingly bewildered, "How is it you do not understand?"  It is as if we hear God asking, how He could do so much to show us, His creatures,  God's reality, and yet we still don't get it.  But it is a question we always need to ponder for ourselves, for so often we lose sight of the importance of this noetic capability within ourselves -- the place of spiritual eyes and ears -- and the need to strengthen our capacity for faith through the practices we inherit from our traditions:  prayer, worship, liturgy, the saints, the angels, and the whole reality of God within Whom "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).  How could Jesus multiply loaves and fish to feed a multitude two times?  How can God become human?  How do we understand the paradox of faith?  This is where we start and where we finish, and it is the place to which we always return.  It is the place where we need to come to find Him, and even paradoxically, to truly find ourselves, the Alpha and Omega of life. 

 

 

Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done

 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.

- Luke 22:39-51

In yesterday's reading, the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."    Christ's agony, my study bible notes, is an expression of His human nature.  His human will is expressed through His desire to take this cup away.  But He submits His human will to the Father, and reveals His divine will to be one with God the Father's.  Moreover, Christ's agony teaches us about our own struggles as His disciples; we seek to submit our will to God's, even as we pray "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (see 11:2).   My study bible quotes Gregory the Great:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."  He willingly takes on and expresses our humanity in Himself, and thereby conquers weakness.  But moreover, His understanding and message is that all things are in the hands of God.  This goes hand in hand with His teaching to the disciples, "Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Only St. Luke the physician gives us the story of this healing.  Christ has a way to go to His Passion, and it is not through violence.  There is also a spiritual meaning perceived in Christ's action:   Christ gives people the ability to hear the truth and thereby come to salvation (see 8:8, 14:35).

How do we know what God wants for us?  How do we know what God's will is, and what God wants us to do?  It seems to me that the one thing we can do always is pray as we have been taught:  "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (11:2).  This prayer is not an abstract plea or petition.  It is a personal prayer (although corporate in nature, as we pray to Our Father in heaven).  This is not merely about some future time that might happen to someone else in some future generation or age.  It is about the kingdom of God which lives within us, and which we seek to live through our worldly lives.  Today's reading specifically exemplifies that struggle, as given to us in and through Jesus Christ and His life in the world.  He struggles with what He knows the Father wants from Him, but His human nature is completely contrary to what He is asked to do.  And this, as my study bible says, becomes our own struggle.  There are times in our lives when we pray to know what God wants of us, and we come to find -- when we give up all our ideas of what we "should" do and "should" want -- that what God calls us to will take us outside of worldly expectations, social rules, family assumptions about good behavior, and everything else we know and believe to be nominally "good."  In our struggle to be faithful, there will be times when we will need to follow Christ in His footsteps, although our own sweat may be like great drops of blood falling to the ground, there is something we know we have to do and with which we need to follow through because it is our "hour" to do so.  We live in a modern world that might quite frequently call upon us to do something that seems good, but is not the place where we live God's will and God's kingdom lives in us.  We may find that living such a life calls upon us to do things that seem like we're going about things wrong-headedly:  a call to mercy might not bring us immediate monies or remuneration of a different kind, a "no" to someone may seem like it's unkind or socially awkward, a changed value system may call us to stand out among family or friends.  But this is what it is to seek to dwell in this Kingdom and follow the Father's will for us.  St. Paul says of this strange way of living the Kingdom, "We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (1 Corinthians 4:12).  Can we imagine the conflicts going through Jesus at this time in His agony?  What will become of His followers?  He knows that going to the Cross will be a "stumbling block to the Jews, and foolishness to Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:23).  And yet, it is what the Father asks of Him.  It is what He has repeatedly warned the disciples was coming.  In faith, He will go where He is asked to go, although every impulse within Him focuses the other way.  God will call us each in a unique way to bear our own crosses.  We, of course, are not Christ Himself, but we will be asked -- in one way and another -- to participate in His life.  Through this participation our lives will be shaped, we will find ourselves changed, and looking back on the pathway we're given, we'll find that despite all our expectations to the contrary, God had a plan.  The times when we refuse that will and give in to the worldly pressures will turn out to be obstacles that later need to be overcome and revisited, and they will call for courage on our part.  This is my experience.  Let us pray, "Your will be done," and live that Kingdom in the world as best we can, and follow Him.  Let us note that an angel comes to strengthen Christ, in response to His prayer.  Moreover, it is prayer that He chooses at this time of struggle, and prayer to which He exhorts His followers in this terrible time of temptation.  These examples teach us how powerful prayer really is -- and what it means to be truly awake to the present moment of our lives.

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had."

- Luke 20:41-21:4

Yesterday we read that some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, you have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." ' Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  Interestingly, it is some of the scribes -- experts in Scripture -- who have just approved of Christ's answer to the Sadducees regarding resurrection and what the Scriptures indicate (see yesterday's reading, above).   Immediately following, Jesus here challenges them regarding what the Scriptures indicate about the Messiah.  This directly involves Jesus' identity as both human and divine.  The first reference to the LORD in Christ's quotation applies to God the Father, and the term my Lord refers to Christ, the Messiah.  The question is answered in that Christ is the Son of David in His humanity and David's Lord in His divinity.   As king of Israel, David could not and would never address anyone as "Lord" except God.  But in the first verse of Psalm 110, David refers to the Messiah as "Lord."   The only possible conclusion for the scribes -- experts in Scripture -- is that the Christ, the Messiah is both a descendant of David and also shares His divine Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  We can perhaps assume that it is their failure to give an answer to His question about the understanding of the Psalm that leads Jesus to make these statements to the people.  Most likely, as in the question regarding the authority of John the Baptist, they understand His implications regarding the Scripture, but refuse to answer.  He links their failure to respond truly to their love of stature in the eyes of others, a love of position -- their deep desire for the praise of men over the praise of God (John 12:42-43).  

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all of these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had."  Immediately after condemning the hypocrisy and focus of the scribes on their status among people, Jesus singles out this widow -- who in her humility gives a greater gift to God than all others.

There is an American expression (which most likely derives from an earlier English expression), in which one gives one's opinion as "my two cents."   It's a way of indicating humility and politeness while nevertheless stating one's opinion or position on a matter.  The idea is that one's opinion may be just that, one's own opinion -- but it is nevertheless of value to oneself.  So it is understood that the expression comes from the story of the widow's two mites put into the treasury of the temple.  There is a lot to be said for the evolution of language through time, and the expression actually helps to illuminate the truth of Christ's teaching in singling out the poor widow.  She's the image of humility in her poverty.  There is no nonsense about her.  In contrast to the showy and ostentatious hypocrisy of the scribes, who apparently (according to Jesus) love to assert themselves and their public honors in front of the world, this poor widow gives all she has to God, out of her poverty and sincerity and tremendous love.  She becomes, in the image given to us by Christ, the antidote for what plagues, demeans, and even delegitimizes the religious authorities -- their hypocrisy that results from their love of position, of "the praise of men" as opposed to the praise of God.  She, on the other hand, has devoted her whole life to God and contributes everything at her disposal.  She becomes, in some sense, the image of the people of God, of Israel.   It is an image in which poverty is a positive quality -- one in which poverty serves as a great leveler to get down to the truth and total honesty and transparency.  She cannot hide behind an image in the eyes of others; she has only what she truly has, and it is all that she can offer.  And yet a whole heart offered to God is simply the greatest gift that we can give; it is all that we can give.  When we strip down all the worldly honors and images and opinions others have of ourselves, we simply stand as we are before God -- and it is in that place where we offer ourselves as we truly are.  This is the great gift that God wants.  The scribes could never admit that the words of the Psalmist indicate Christ as both human and divine.  It would eradicate their standing among those who await a Messiah who will be merely a great and righteous king, who can re-establish the political and material fortunes of the land of Israel.  They could never admit that Jesus who has no worldly position and no worldly authority could nevertheless be a divine and human Messiah.  This would go too far in threatening their places and the whole of the order in which they participate.  Christ looks to the poor at heart for His disciples, for those who have only their two cents to give (that is, their whole heart and soul and mind and strength).  These are the ones -- both rich and poor, both common people and prominent members of the Council -- who can hear His call and who will clearly respond to it.  It is this image of the poor widow that teaches us about the value of humility to ourselves, stripping down to what is real and true, and to what really counts.  For that -- her two cents -- simply becomes everything we have.

Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

- Matthew 9:1-8

In yesterday's reading, Jesus encountered two demoniacs on the "other side" of the Sea of Galilee, in Gentile territory. They were so fierce with the mental derangement that possessed them, that they were consigned to live among the tombs. Even so, no one could pass through that way. The demons recognized Jesus, and begged that they be sent into a herd of swine nearby -- they feared their power would be curbed before the day of the Last Judgment. Jesus accepted their request, and the swine ran down the cliff to their destruction. The people, having heard the news, all came to meet Jesus, but asked Him to leave their region. See What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?

So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. We see the familiar pattern: from Gentile territory He now crosses back over to His home territory in Galilee. This city is Capernaum, which serves as His headquarters for His Galilean ministry, and from which several of His disciples come. Peter's family home, for example, is here.

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." Here is a case in which a man's friends bring Him to Christ. He's a paralytic; by definition, he can't do for himself, he can't walk. In spiritual terms, we might see an analogy: he is 'stuck.' There are times when my study bible has noted that sin is a form of spiritual paralysis, in which we can't seem to go forward and grow spiritually. Then, our friends can truly help, through faith and prayer. Prayer, we remember, is a petition -- and its effects show us our inter-connectedness in the spiritual reality of God, in the Body of Christ. Here, the gospel tells us that Jesus is responding to their faith. My study bible says, "As shown by the healing of the paralytic, faith is an indispensable condition for salvation. And faith is collective as well as personal, for the faith of the paralytic's friends is required for healing, and the saving faith of the paralytic impresses the multitudes."

And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" I find it striking that the gospel reveals to us the inner thoughts of the scribes. It is a way in which this literature touches on all of us -- life isn't just a collection of external events that happen to us; there is an entire inner world in which Christ is deeply concerned, for each of us.

But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." Indeed, Jesus finds so much importance in the inner life of human beings, that here He responds specifically to the inner thoughts and indignation of the scribes. He brings it out into the open, and responds, with His call for the paralytic to walk. This is all in order to teach, to display something to them all. In yesterday's reading, the demons learned of this power. Today, He displays it for the scribes and all the people.

And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. Here, the "marveling" of the crowds can be likened to being awe-struck. This is a truly awesome event, with its real connotations of the extraordinary, perhaps even provoking a kind of fear. It is utterly unexpected, unknown, a revelation. My study bible points out that there are three ways, in this story, in which Christ reveals His divinity, in properties that belong to God alone. He knows what is in the hearts of the scribes (He is the knower-of hearts), He grants the forgiveness of sins, and this healing is performed merely by the power of His word. But there is a deeper sort of awe here, and it is explicitly recorded for us here. God has become human. It is awe-inspiring any way you look at it. It will be also foolishness and a stumbling block, and for many it remains so today. God is glorified, Who "had given such power to men."

So let's consider the truly awe-inspiring events in this story for ourselves. How can God become human? What does this mean, in terms of the limitations of human beings, and the true value God places upon each one of us? In yesterday's story of the healing of the demoniacs, we asked ourselves similar questions. My study bible pointed out the great worth that Christ -- that God -- places on human beings. Here, an individual human being, with all of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, is incarnate God. If that is not awe-provoking in the possibilities it implies, I don't know what is. Why should God do this? Why is this the plan? We know one answer we are told plainly: because God so loved us, loved the world. And then we must ask of ourselves, what limitations then can we place on God? The answer is that there are none. We just don't know how God might work in our own lives, or someone else's. Holiness, Bishop Kallistos Ware, for one, has written, is infinitely creative. Evil, on the other hand, always seems to be "stuck" (read paralyzed) in the same old thing. As Christ will teach, we cannot limit the work of the Holy Spirit in the world. This is not up to us! It is infinitely creative, always "making new" in ways that will surprise us, that we can't expect, coming in through the cracks in our own defenses that we can't see. So, when we pray, let us consider the unlimited nature of the things of God, what is witnessed in today's story in the gospel, how we can't really put limits on God, at all, in any way. Let us consider into what realm we enter when we pray, and with what mercy and generosity our prayer may be accompanied in ourselves, and met by God who is love.