For of such is the kingdom of God

 

 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And he answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

 

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And he took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

 

- Mark 10:1–16 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught (following upon His teaching in this reading), "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

  Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And he answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  The basis for the Pharisees' question is Deuteronomy 24:1-4.  My study Bible comments that, in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in His day, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (in St. Matthew's Gospel, He does so both in the Sermon on the Mount, and later in a setting similar to this one; see Matthew 5:31-32; Matthew 19:1-12).  He emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  Jesus quotes from Genesis 1:27; 2:24.  My study Bible comments also that God's condescension, or allowance for human weakness, does not override the original principle of monogamous marriage as revealed in Genesis 1 and 2.  With authority, He adds His own clear prohibition against divorce.  See also Malachi 2:15-16.

 

 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And he took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.  My study Bible cites Theophylact, who comments that the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ rejects this thinking, and even sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of God.  Therefore, in the tradition of the Orthodox, children are invited (even as an example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  In Christ's context here, little children are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  Theophylact writes, "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."

 

 If we think about the sacrament of marriage as a holy institution (Holy Matrimony), then we begin to understand the perspective here.  What is holy is eternal, and that touches upon not simply our material lives, but our souls -- the deepest part of who we are as creatures of God.  It seems clear that we must see things from Christ's perspective and knowledge of the things that are eternal in order to understand what this union making "one flesh" really means, and what His teaching implies to us.  This eternal nature of marriage also extends to His illuminating statement in response to a question by the Sadducees regarding the life of resurrection, which we'll read later on in Mark's Gospel (Mark 12:18-27).  They test Jesus, posing a scenario of a woman married successively to seven brothers, and asking whose wife she is in the resurrection.  There Christ responds to describe this eternal life of the resurrection as one in which "they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."  From this illuminating glimpse of eternal life, it seems that we might infer that marriage itself extends to life even in this entirely different context and reality, and it gives a perspective on who we are in terms of the possibilities that God extends to us beyond our lives in this world.  Therefore we might consider the eternal quality conferred by holy sacrament as that which changes and transforms even the nature of human beings, making the seemingly impossible possible -- such as two becoming one flesh.  There is further commentary on divorce in my study Bible regarding it as a concession to our imperfect worldly life.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus cites the possibility of divorce based on sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9).  My study Bible adds that the permissible reasons for divorce were expanded in the ancient Church to include threat to a spouse's or child's life and desertion, in all cases acknowledging the spiritual tragedy of such a situation.  Importantly, it shows us that like so many other things, marriage can be destroyed by sin.  The quality of the little children praised by Christ in today's reading adds a poignant note to our consideration of issues of divorce, especially its impact on children and their importance and precious value in God's sight.  It may be surprising to learn that the Pharisees actually viewed divorce more closely to Jesus' perspective than their counterparts did, due to the abuses of divorce for financial gain in their time.  But any way that we look at today's reading, this eternal sense of the preciousness of life and the soul, and our own possibilities for resurrection and salvation, add to a deep sense of the transcendent nature of relationships and the depth of love brought to us by Jesus Christ.  For He is the true icon of marriage in His role as Bridegroom wedded to His Church, and this is particularly true in the sacrifices He will undergo for union with all of us.  What He considered to be worthy of every sacrifice we should take as microcosm for how love and marriage work, how relationship in its deepest sense is worthy of the mutual sacrifices we are prepared to make for what is precious -- and perhaps even priceless. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace

 

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 

- John 1:1-18 

 

In recent readings, the lectionary has taken us to chapter 12 of Mark's Gospel, in which Jesus was in the temple in Jerusalem, having been questioned and tested by those of the religious leadership.   On Saturday, we read that after His answers rendered the leadership afraid to dare to ask Him anything else, Jesus responded with a question of His own.  While He taught in the temple, Jesus said, "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." 

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Today, as the first week of Lent is beginning, the lectionary takes us to the Gospel of John.   (For the West, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday this week.  For the Oriental Orthodox such as Armenian Apostolic and Coptic Churches, Lent begins today.  For the Eastern Orthodox, this week is a time of preparation for Lent which begins a week from today.)   Today we are given for our lectionary reading a text which is commonly called the "Prologue" of John.  In the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we are given the story of the life of Jesus Christ.  In the stories of His birth as a human infant, we are given prophesies about the divine role He fulfills, but for the most part, Christ's divinity and its nature is revealed as we go through the Gospels and especially Jesus' earthly ministry, to His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension.  But here in John's Gospel, the pattern differs.  In this Prologue, John begins with the fullness of Christ's divine identity, especially in this first verse.  In the beginning, my study Bible explains, recalls the creation story of Genesis, but it speaks even more clearly of the Creator.  Moreover, as Genesis spoke of the first creation, this Prologue of John (today's full reading) reveals for us the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word (in Greek, Λογος/Logos):  This phrase teaches us the identity of the Word; the Word is the eternal Son of God.  Just as we needed to understand the impact of the words of Scripture (especially "I am") when Jesus quoted from Exodus 3:6 in His response to the Sadducees in Thursday's reading last week, so we also need to take the word "was" from this sentence and understands its meanings and what it teaches us.  Since the Word is eternal, "was" in this sentence indicates existence without reference to a starting point.  That is, in the words of my study Bible, it emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  "Logos," my study Bible says, can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," all of which are attributes of the Son of God.  The Word was with God:  Again, we must look to the specific words and their meaning to understand what the text tells us.  The Word -- the Son of God -- is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.  The Word, the Son, is God with the same divinity as the Father. 

He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  My study Bible comments here that the Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6, 9; Hebrews 1:2) and not simply an instrument or servant used by the Father.  It notes that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them, while the Son was not made but is eternally begotten of the Father.  

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  My study Bible comments that only God has life in Himself.  Therefore, the Word, being God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The life was the light of men:  "Men" is translated from masculine Greek ἀνθρώπων/anthropon, meaning human beings, humankind.  My study Bible points out that here the text introduces humankind as receiver of the divine light.  As they participate in the life of the Son, believers themselves become children of the light (John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation saw it at the Red Sea; Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).  

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  Darkness is an indication of both spiritual ignorance and satanic opposition to the light.  My study Bible comments that those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves, and strive to keep others ignorant as well (John 3:19).   The Greek word which is translated as comprehend means both "understand" and "overcome."  Therefore, my study Bible says, darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, nor can it understand the way of love.  

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.   This John, whom the Gospel introduces here, is not the author of the Gospel, but rather John the Baptist.  

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  My study Bible says that Christ offers light to every person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him; therefore, they can neither know nor recognize Him.  Those who accept Hi have His light.   There is an Eastern Orthodox hymn which is sung at the end of Liturgy, after hearing the Gospel and receiving communion:  "We have seen the true light, we have received the heavenly Spirit."

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: . . .  Here the word translated as the right also means "authority."  It is an indication of a gift from God, not an inalienable right.  Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  By grace, my study Bible says, they inherit everything that Christ is by nature.  To believe in His name is to believe and trust in Christ who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior. 

 

. . . who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  To be adopted as a child of God is not a matter of ethnic descent (of blood) as it was in the Old Testament.  Neither are we children of God simply by natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor by our own choosing (the will of man).  But to become a child of God, my study Bible explains, is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested, it says, in the sacrament of Holy Baptism (John 3:5-8; see Titus 3:4-7).  

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  Here we have yet another verse that is packed with a fullness of meaning as it introduces us to Christ Incarnate.  As my study Bible puts it, the Word became flesh clarifies the manner in which the Son and Word of God came to His people (verses 9-11, above), and points specifically to the Incarnation.   It says that the Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature:  body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality -- everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As God and Human in one Person, Jesus Christ pours divinity into all of human nature, for anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  Jesus Christ is truly our Physician.  Dwelt among us:   In the Old Testament, my study Bible reminds us, God's presence dwelt ("tabernacled" -- Greek ἐσκήνωσεν/eskenosen, also "tented") in the ark of the covenant and later in the temple.  Here, the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory is a reference both to Christ's divine power and shown by His signs and wonders (John 2:11; 11:4, 40), and to His humble service to human beings, shown most perfectly on the Cross (John 12:23-32; 13:31).  In both ways, He reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  Only begotten of the Father:  My study Bible comments that the Son has no beginning, but has the Father as His source from eternity.  Christ is called "only" begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (The Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through another mystery which is called "procession"; see John 15:26).  Full of grace and truth:  This phrase, my study Bible explains, qualifies both "the Word" and "His glory."  "Grace" is Christ's uncreated energy which is given to us through His love and mercy.  "Truth" includes His faithfulness to His promises and covenants, and to the reality of His words and gifts.  

 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  My study Bible conveys the understanding of this passage by noting that, in saying we have all receive of His fullness, the Scriptures confirm that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it.  In Christ, it says, God's children become gods by grace (John 10:34-35) without ceasing to be human beings.  A classic patristic image is that of a piece of metal thrust into fire:  it takes on the properties of fire, such as heat and light, without ceasing to be metal:  so human nature permeated by God takes on properties of the divine nature.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression which signifies an overabundance of grace.  

No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  That no one has seen God at any time means that no one can see the nature, or essence, of God.  In the Old Testament, we read that to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  Only One who is also divine can see God, and therefore the Son is the only One who can declare God.  However, my study Bible explains, this revelation of God's energies can be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); Isaiah saw God's glory (see Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41).  

John's Gospel begins by giving us a full picture of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ.  It is, in some sense, a great blessing to begin reading through this Gospel as we start to go through Lent.  Because of the depth of its perspective, and the echoes of the great mystery of God and the mission of Jesus Christ which begin and will permeate this Gospel, it is perfect for the contemplative time that Lent is supposed to be for us.  Lent is the period that prepares us for Easter/Pascha, and the great and even unfathomable meanings of the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Christ, and what these great gifts -- and His sacrifice -- mean for us as those who call ourselves His followers.  Let us begin, then, with the great and essential import of the things we gather from today's reading, the Prologue of John, in which we're told of the true origins of Jesus, His relationship to the Father, His mission, and the extraordinary grace we've been given through Jesus Christ.  Because it remains true, as the Evangelist writes, that we receive grace for grace, even these centuries later, in inspiration for our lives, and in hope even when times are bleak.  We have this great gift of God, made for us, and it tells us so much, especially about God's love for us.  Let us then begin this Lenten journey in a prayerful mood to receive this Gospel.  In the Cherubic Hymn of the Orthodox, which precedes the Liturgy of the Eucharist, it is sung, "Let us now lay aside all earthly cares: that we may receive the King of all."   Lent is a time for laying aside these "earthly cares" as best we can, and focusing so that we may receive the King of all.  Let us keep this in mind as we go forward into the days of this special time.

This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day

 

 "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."   Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."  And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

 

- John 6:27–40 

 

Yesterday we read that when evening came, Christ's disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum.  And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.  Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.  So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.   But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.  On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone -- however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks -- when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"  Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."   

 "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."   It is important that we understand that Jesus is saying that to believe in Him, who is sent by God, is the work of God. 

 

Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?  What work will You do?  Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."   Let us take notice that the first thing the people do is demand a sign, even though they are the same people who were miraculously fed in the wilderness from five barley loaves and two small fish (see Monday's reading).   But rather than directing the people back to the sign which they've just received, Jesus directs them to God the Father who sent Him.  He explains clearly that it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven, but rather the Father who gives the true bread from heaven -- even to them.   For even as the bread from heaven was given by God the Father to Moses and the Israelites, so God the Father has sent the bread of God who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.   Notice the comparison between the words of the people, "Lord, give us this bread always," and the words of the Samaritan woman in chapter 4:  "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."

 

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.  But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."   Jesus clearly calls Himself the bread of life.   And this bread of life is clearly linked to faith.  Once more it is all linked to the Father; even those who will come to faith in Christ are those whom "the Father gives Me."  We would do well to recall here that Jesus said Peter's confession of faith in Him was revealed not by flesh and blood, but by My Father who is in heaven" (see Matthew 16:16-17).  

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.  And this is the will of him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."  My study bible comments here that Christ has two natures -- and therefore two wills.  That is, the divine will and a human will.  It notes that the Sixth Ecumenical Council, which was held at Constantinople (AD 680-681), proclaims these two wills of Christ do not work contrary to one another, but rather "His human will follows, not resisting nor reluctant, but subject to His divinity and to His omnipotent will."  

Christ gives extra emphasis on the bonds and promises of God for those who believe in Him.  First, He proclaims, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out."   Further down He repeats, giving yet another new emphasis:  "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day."  He makes a promise:  "He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst," meaning that this food is imperishable, and will always nourish us.  And finally there is this additional promise:  "And this is the will of him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."  All who are given to Christ by the bond of faith through which the Father gives to Him will by no means be lost or cast out, and He will lose nothing of all the Father has given to Him.   Moreover, this bread is for eternal life.  In Christ's words there is a picture of a tremendous circle of communion, in which we are not only given to Christ through our faith which the Father gives to us ... but also we will be held and never lost.  Moreover to be held in this circle or communion of faith is to be promised a bond and nourishment which will sustain eternal life.  It is a kind of eternal circle of communion, expanding and teaching us what it is to be held in God's steadfast love and mercy, an understanding already running throughout all of Jewish spiritual history, notably through the Psalms of King David, and now made more explicitly and fully manifest through Jesus, the Son of Man.  Of course, we are endowed with free will as human beings, and so we also may destroy relationships of all kinds through sin.  But on the part of God the Holy Trinity, the promise is absolutely steadfast and eternal, and given to us so explicitly here in the words of Christ.  He is the bread of heaven, a bread which is given for eternal life, and so that nothing might be lost of all that the Father has given to Him.  Its nourishment is inexhaustible, its supply always there for us.  Let us receive that bread in all the ways available to us, for our real nourishment!

Of such is the kingdom of God

 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."   In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." 

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

- Mark 10:1-16

 In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His talk to the disciples about who would be greatest in the Kingdom.  As those who will be charged with caring for His flock, He taught them to receive humble believers ("little ones") not only as if they were receiving Christ Himself, but even His Father.  He continued, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."    Under Mosiac Law, divorce was very easy -- for men.  Under Roman Law both men and women could divorce.  Jesus speaks against common practices of His time, and the misuse of divorce.  This isn't the only time He condemns (in Matthew's Gospel, He speaks against it twice).  Jesus' teachings are always about love and community.  What He is against here is divorce because of "hardness of heart."  Men simply had to write a certificate of dissatisfaction.  But women were left without means and social standing.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus allows divorce for grounds of "sexual immorality."  For the early Church, this taught that marriage bonds could be destroyed by sin and abuse (divorce was permissible in cases of threat to child's or spouse's life and desertion), but this was always understood to be a spiritual tragedy.  Marriage, as spiritual union given by God, has an eternal nature.  Jesus' private teaching to His disciples emphasizes the seriousness Jesus gives to marriage, and is remarkably notable for its equal treatment of and responsibility conferred to husband and wife.

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.  Once again, as in recent readings (Monday's and Tuesday's), little children (as symbol of "little ones") become central to His teaching.  Earlier, He was teaching about the care that must be given by His disciples to the "little ones" of the flock, even the reverence with which they must be received.  Here, He emphasizes their goodness and praises their understanding -- that all must come to faith with the kind of faith exemplified by a child.  Jesus' blessing of the children can also be seen in context with His pronouncement of the sanctity and eternal character of marriage.  It is an emphasis on the goodness of community, and the goodness essential need for inclusion of every single one of its members:  men, women, and children.  This is a great teaching on the Kingdom, and how it cherishes the life of all persons, all faithful.   Consistent with His teachings taken together, there are no "little ones" in terms of care and love, no  soul is diminished in its value and belonging by virtue of social stature.

Jesus' essential inclusion is always a great lesson to us.  By that I mean that Jesus' notions of community are repeatedly given to us as both inclusion and needful of all those who approach Him.  In His healing miracles, He repeatedly brings people into the community who have been excluded, such as in healing a leper or the woman with the twelve years blood flow.  Restoring a withered hand or the capacity for a paralytic to walk is also restoring them to full participation in community.  When He heals Peter's mother-in-law from a fever and she gets up to serve them, He has restored her to her rightful place in the home and even in His ministry - one in which she is needed and valued.  (I hope I needn't mention the honor in serving Christ to my readers.)   It is always a question of community.  Here in today's reading, we have important lessons which cannot be lost upon us.  The first is the eternal quality of marriage as a spiritual institution.  This is the ultimate sense of community, that we are a part of something that goes far beyond what we know or understand, even what we know and understand of ourselves.  Our bonds in Christ, and this outside of "father and mother," go much further than is imaginable; this is what it is for marriage to be a holy institution, a kind of spiritual mystery, a divine reality.  This bond can be abused just as the bond between Creator and creature can be abused; it's something to care for and to cherish, not to take for granted -- and in this sense is also like the bond between Creator and creature.  Our souls, it seems, depend on what we cherish, what we acknowledge as a gift, how we go about making the best of what we can.  Marriage is no exception.   Male and female, we are all included in this.  Jesus' pronouncement on marriage is a firm affirmation of who and what constitute essential elements of community:  there is nobody secondary or lesser in His statement.  There is none who is not necessary, of great value.  And this extends to children.  I don't think we can minimize Jesus' praise of the faith of children.  It's not only meant as an example or metaphor for all of us, although Jesus makes that clear too.  This is real praise of children, a cherishing of the littlest ones.  He invites us in to consider their value to Him, especially in their faith which serves as the greatest example to us.  We can't minimize what that means in terms of a child's value to community in the sight of Christ, and particularly on spiritual terms.  If faith becomes the measure of who we are, then children top us all, at least in the way Christ approaches them in today's reading.  It tells us something dynamic about the nature of citizenship in the Kingdom, that truly the littlest ones must be welcomed, loved, and cherished just as if they were Christ Himself, or even God the Father (as He taught in Monday's reading).  It teaches us about how truly essential each is, and how we may only strive to recover the innate understanding in the part of ourselves that remains a child.