But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly

 

 Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 

 

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

 

- Luke 21:29-36 

 

On Saturday, Jesus continued His discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem (and the temple) and the end times to His disciples:   "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear  and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

 

  Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."   We perhaps can take a double meaning to the phrase this generation.  The events of the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem would come within one generation of the time that Jesus was speaking these words. But, perhaps more significantly, Jesus is giving a warning to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church (as my study Bible puts it), and not only to those alive at the time of Christ.

 

 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."   Jesus' emphasis, in all the warnings we have reported in the Gospels, is on the unknown time of His return, which will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.   His emphasis is repeatedly upon our own watchfulness, our understanding of the things we are to be about as His followers, and an awareness of the judgment to come at His return.

 

Jesus says, in His final words of warning in St. Luke's Gospel, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly."  We might think there's an exaggeration here, that such behaviors as He warns about would not apply to His disciples (carousing, drunkenness).  But note that He is speaking not of some terribly flagrant sins or extreme behavior.  Jesus is warning us of things that weigh down our hearts.  We need to consider carefully His words here, for He's not just speaking of violations of some code against sinning.  He's speaking of things we do in our lives that might seem good, or divert us to some kind of pleasure, or even the necessary things of this world with which we must concern ourselves.  He's talking about being burdened with things that are, in fact, not necessary to ourselves and should not be the focus of our lives, should not divert us from the life in the Kingdom we are meant to live and to pursue as the center of our lives.  The things that weigh us down are unnecessary burdens, even things we might think we need, but we don't.  It's important to note that He places the cares of this life in the same category of weighing down our hearts with carousing and drunkenness.  Are we over-consumed with worry about what we look like, what we'll wear, what house we have?  Do we think all the time about our work lives, or even what college our kids will get into?  While all of these things may be necessary, they are not all good to focus on with the kind of all-consuming intensity they can take on.  This is because, like carousing and drunkenness, they become diversions from the things which are really and truly important in Jesus' perspective, that involve the care of our soul.  For what is salvation?  Is it getting the best house, or keeping our reputation in the society?  Is it making sure we put on a good show, or obsessing over having "perfect" lives according to someone's image or theory they've put before us? (See Luke 12:22-34.)   The primary importance of the time of our lives, in Christ's view, is the life of the Kingdom that He has for us.  That is, living prayerfully, and always aware of where we are at, what we are dealing with, what choices we're making, and mindful of His return and living so as to be prepared for that.  Do we love those whom we need to love?  How are we judging ourselves and others?  Are we spreading false values we don't really believe in?  Most of all, are we caring for our hearts?  How do we relieve ourselves of the burdens that weigh us down, and find Christ's help to do so?  Are we aware of the spiritual life that permeates our world and our part in participating in that?  These are things that are weightier and far more important matters to concern ourselves with according to Christ and His teachings.  Do we remember who we are?  Do we remember God?  Do we cherish the gifts we're given by God?  What do we do with them?  All of these things matter to Christ, and not the things that would distract us from living the fullness of that life, our awareness of His Kingdom that lives in and through us, and the care and love of neighbor as ourselves.  Let us be consumed with love for Him and for the life He offers and invites us to live instead.  For this is truly the "work" He has for us to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?

 

 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.

 

- John 10:31-42 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Christ's disputes with the religious leaders at the Feast of Tabernacles (during which He performed the sixth sign of seven in John's Gospel, the giving of sight to a man blind from birth), there was a division again among them because of these sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."

 

 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  We see the response of the religious leaders to Jesus' statement from yesterday's reading (see above), "I and My Father are one."  As discussed in the commentary yesterday, this is a clear statement of equality with God, that Christ is Himself fully God.  The religious leaders clearly recognize this claim of divinity, and therefore accuse Him of blasphemy.  

Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?"   In saying, "You are gods," Jesus is quoting from Psalm 82:6.  My study Bible explains that people who receive God's grace in faith will partake of His God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and can rightly be called "gods" in this sense.   According to St. John Chrysostom, Jesus is effectively saying to them, "If those who have received this honor by grace are not guilty for calling themselves gods, how can He who has this by nature deserve to be rebuked?"

 

"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  What are Jesus' works?  All the things He has done in His ministry, His teachings, the disciples who learn from Him and follow Him, and the works which include the signs reported in the Gospels.  All of these, He is saying, come from the Father, and so for which do they persecute Him?  My study Bible comments that because He is going to His Passion voluntarily and according to His own will (John 10:17-18), His accusers cannot arrest Him until He is ready (John 7:30; 8:20; see Luke 4:28-30).

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.  Once more, John's Gospel reveals to us that many of those who first followed John the Baptist later became disciples of Jesus (John 1:29-42).

In chapter 8, at the Feast of Tabernacles in the autumn, Jesus asked the religious leaders, "Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?" (John 8:46).   In today's reading, Jesus reiterates His innocence (now at the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, in winter), asking, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  He is accused of blasphemy, of making Himself equal with God.  But in His defense, He quotes from the Psalms, "You are gods."  He reiterates again about the works He's done:  "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  As we have observed so frequently, everything Jesus does and is points back to the Father, and His words and teachings reflect this.  His union with the Father is inseparable from what He does in His ministry.  Therefore He continues to ask those who condemn Him, for what is He condemned exactly?  What has He done that is blameworthy?  What are His works?  Does not everything He has produced through His ministry reflect His tie with the Father?  Perhaps we could also ask, with Pilate, "Why, what evil has He done?" (Matthew 27:23, Mark 15:14, Luke 23:22).  But all of these questions invite us into two place for ourselves.  First, we should ask the same questions about Jesus.  We should think about the idea that His works reflect the Father into the world.  They bring us closer to God the Father, and especially to know God.  We can't underestimate this gift, and how far it reaches to us and out to an entire created order.  We can look at Christ's works and understand what they do, the "character" of God, so to speak.  He heals.  He restores order.  He gives sight.  And -- maybe most powerful of all -- He gives of Himself, just as He teaches His disciples that service is what renders someone great.  He teaches love as His new commandment, setting down the example of love as Himself and His own works, as He has loved first ("A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" - John 13:34).  But the second place that takes us is also powerful, and challenging.  He asks us to do the same, to reflect God's love, character, works, and will into the world, just as He has.  He invites us in to be "gods" and "God-like," because we are capable of knowing God, and seeking to do God's will also.  As God is light, and Christ is the light shining in the darkness, so we are also invited to participate in and to reflect that light ourselves.  Let us understand the notion of works, and how it is meant to express substance, character, essence.  Jesus teaches, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit" (Matthew 7:18), and "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:20).  Let us participate in His light, as He invites us to do, and bear the fruits of our Father in the fullness of living, as He commands us to pray (Matthew 6:10).