Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me

 

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

 

- Matthew 18:1-9 

 

Yesterday we read that while Jesus and the disciples were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.  When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes."  And when he had come into the house, Jesus  anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"  Peter said to Him, "From strangers."  Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

 

  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."  Let us first consider that by now Christ has given the disciples two warnings of His Passion that is to come at Jerusalem (see yesterday's reading, above).  They have, as yet, no idea what it means that He will be "raised up."  Perhaps they think that the coming of the Kingdom is imminent, and they expect it to be a worldly kingdom, and so they ask about their positions.  My study Bible comments that this question a selfish interest in worldly power.  Christ points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, and emphasizes the virtues necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  My study Bible lists these as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In Orthodox iconography, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted as this child.  In certain legends of saints, he's the boy who gave the loaves and fishes (John 6:9).

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."  My study Bible explains that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  

 

"Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."  Jesus' reference to mutilation is meant to illustrate the need for decisive action in order to avoid sin -- and of course does not advocate literal amputation.  (He uses a similar illustration in the Sermon on the Mount, at Matthew 5:29.)  This also refers, according to my study Bible, to harmful relationships that need to be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  

 

 It should be quite obvious how serious Jesus is about the deadly nature of offenses in today's reading, given the descriptions here of both woe to the offender ("it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea"), and the drastic measures referred to here to keep from committing those offenses ("It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire").  Let us note that this conversation happens as Jesus has just given the second warning about what is to come in Jerusalem, and the disciples have begun asking questions about what positions of authority they will hold in His kingdom; that is, the earthly type kingdom they are expecting ("Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?")?  His first emphasis is on humility, a lesson to us all who seek to follow Him ("Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven").  So He first very explicitly uses a little child (perhaps St. Ignatius of Antioch) as an example to all the men of how they must approach the Kingdom.  Next, He reveals a stark warning against abuses of power; that is, offenses against the "little ones" ("Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!").  We must presume that because the disciples have just asked about positions of greatness in the Kingdom, this is Jesus' top priority -- that authority and rank in His Church not be used to abuse the little ones, the humble, including, of course, children.  If we think carefully about His words regarding mutilation to avoid sin which illustrates the dire importance of the problem, we may consider that He first mentions a hand or foot causing offense:  a hand may grasp what does not belong to it, it may reach out to take something, a foot can trespass over an important boundary and step where it doesn't belong.  An eye may gaze with lust or with envy or with greed to take something that doesn't belong to one.  These stand in for habits and offenses which will harm the powerless, the young, the small, and so Jesus here is speaking about the central importance of self-discipline, a willingness to change, and to discard habits that might be so ingrained -- or even feel so precious -- as to be a part of us like our eyes or limbs may be.  But it is up to us to learn the true discipline He desires if we are to follow Him.  This is, yet again, illustrative of another purpose for fasting, so that we learn self-mastery, a kind of ability not to indulge ourselves and not to be slaves of our passions, to say "No" to what we must reject even if it feels like an inalienable part of who we are.  We live in a world where so many of our desires may be instigated and catered to through modern telecommunications, instantaneous gratification being an objective "good" touted to us in popular culture.  But this is not the perspective of Jesus, and it is not truly the substance of what it takes to live good human lives, to build up our loves into something worthwhile and positive.  For that we need a discipline, we need to follow something or Someone who is going to take us to better lives and better communities, and that takes the discipline to say "No" to the things that tempt us with easy solutions to feel good, and not to do the work of self-discipline.  Let us reach toward Christ, to be the persons He calls us to be.  Let us cut off the habits and other things which cause harm, the easy indulgence, in exchange for the truly good:  for the humility to follow Him and learn as a child, and to enter into the kingdom of heaven, in order to assume whatever authority or grace He gives, and grow in His love and His teaching. Finally, let us recall His words: "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."  What greater concept of grace and gracious behavior can we receive than this?  To receive even one little child in His name is to receive Christ Himself.  Jesus gives us the tools for building our lives and communities on His grace.  Let us endeavor to reach the standards He teaches us. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you

 

 "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  

 

"Do not give what is holy to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. 

 

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

 

- Matthew 7:-12

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

 

 "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."  My study Bible comments here that we will be judged with our own level of judgment because we are guilty of the very things we judge in others (Romans 2:1).  We ourselves have failed in repentance and in fleeing from sin.  To pass judgment is to assume God's authority.  The phrase "with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you" is also found in Mark 4:24 and Luke 6:38.  Each is used in a different context, and there is no doubt Jesus taught this important message many times.  

 

"Do not give what is holy to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."  My study Bible says that dogs and swine refer to heathen peoples (Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15), but would also include Jews who do not practice virtue.  According to patristic commentary, "dogs" are those so immersed in evil that they show no hope of change, and "swine" are those who habitually live immoral and impure lives.  Pearls are the inner mysteries of the Christian faith, it notes, including Christ's teachings (Matthew 13:46) and the great sacraments.  These holy things are restricted from the immoral and unrepentant.  This is not in order to protect the holy things themselves, as Christ needs no protection.  But we protect faithless people from the condemnation that would result from holding God's mysteries in contempt.  See also Luke 23:8-9 for Jesus' response to Herod's questioning.

 

 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"  The verbs ask, seek, and knock are present progressives.  In other words, their effect is to say "be asking," "be seeking," "be knocking."  There is a synergy here which my study Bible cites:  our effort is commanded, but never apart from the immediate help of God.  We ask in prayer, we seek by learning God's truth, and we knock by doing God's will.  My study Bible also comments that people are called evil here not to condemn the whole race of human beings, but to contrast the imperfect goodness that is in people (that is, our goodness is mixed with sin) with the perfect goodness of God (see Matthew 19:16-17).  If imperfect and even wicked people can do some good, so all the more will God work perfect good.  

 

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  The "Golden Rule" fulfills the demands of the Law and the Prophets, says my study Bible, and it's also a practical application of the commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:39-40).  My study Bible calls it a first step in spiritual growth.  It adds that the negative form of the Golden Rule ("Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you") was well-known in Judaism.  Jesus' form, however, is positive, and this is the action that begins to draw us toward God.  See also Luke 6:31.

 

 In the context of the Sermon on the Mount as a whole, and in particular today's reading, we need to make sense of it in terms of being directed at disciples, those who follow Him.  We're first told, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."  This is another form of the Golden Rule in today's last verse, but applied specifically to judgment.  How do we look at our neighbors, or in particular our fellow disciples of Christ?  We should consider how we wish to be judged, for we will be judged the same way.  It seems to me this is directly invoking how we treat one another.  Jesus goes on, "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye"  In chapter 18 of St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus will speak of mutual self-correction in the Church.  This verse reflects this notion of mutual correction as a way of helping with discipleship, and emphasizes the humility necessary to do this appropriately.  In monastic practice, a good elder is one who is experienced spiritually, so that their own knowledge of themselves and their mistakes and corrections can be beneficial to others, and they may correct helpfully and with love and mercy, not the kind of judgment Christ forbids here.  If we're blind to our own errors, we're in no position to help, and will easily practice projection upon others.  In this context we read, "Do not give what is holy to dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."  For a person to benefit from spiritual help, they must be disposed toward acceptance and not rejection.  Even the greatest spiritual treasure may be hated by one who does not wish to accept it.  Jesus then says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"  This is a great exhortation to spiritual growth and discipleship, for it emphasizes the generous nature of God for those who do seek and ask and knock with sincerity.  As my study Bible points out, these are meant to be ongoing always with us; it's a continual pursuit and practice. We keep asking, keep praying, keep knocking through the practices and resources we have in the Church. And the world needs that resource and experience.  Finally, here again is the summing up:  "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  Do you want to learn?  Then help teach.  Do you value kindness, humility, mercy?  Then offer it to others, and in particular we need to model this among the faithful in the ways we treat one another.  Do you wish to gain self-knowledge, spiritual understanding?  Offer what you have, but be properly discerning.  This message of the Golden Rule is a deep emphasis on the communion involved in all of this pursuit of following Christ in discipleship.  God is first of all our Father in heaven, as Jesus references God, so let us understand what we are to be about, all the time.  Let us understand that the good God who gives to us may also reward us with knowledge of ourselves, even of what we need to change in our habits or ways of thinking.  But we continue to ask and seek and knock for how to go forward in God's love and teaching.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 "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." 

 

- Mark 9:42–50 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.   And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."   But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

"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."  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.   Let us begin today's reading also by understanding that it is connected to the things we read in Saturday's reading, above, in which Jesus spoke of receiving "little ones" (compared to and illustrated by a little child) and also strangers in His name, as if we are receiving Him -- and not only Him but the One who sent Him also.  

 

"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.'"   This strong warning, with its stark images of mutilation, is so important that this language appears twice in St. Matthew's Gospel, once in the Sermon on the Mount, and again in private teaching to the disciples, as here reported by St. Mark (see Matthew 5:29-30; 18:8-14).  Here also we note that this warning is so strong that Jesus brings to it language of images of hell (see Isaiah 66:24) and eternal suffering from fire.  

 

 "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."  My study Bible comments that to be seasoned with fire means being tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  This is similar to testing the purity of gold, for example, by fire, for impurities will burn away.  We should keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is also understood through images of fire.  In saying that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He is quoting from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, my study Bible says, salt had both religious and sacrificial significance.  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world (see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  

 

Jesus' reminder about salt in His final words in today's passage reminds us that His teachings to His disciples (including all the faithful) are given to us in the context of covenant.  All of His teachings are included in that covenant with us, our own loyalty to our Lord.  For He is the One through whom salvation comes, and so it is within our following of Him that we are bound to His teachings.   In today's reading, Jesus has extremely harsh words of warning for the disciples.  These follow immediately upon His teachings about power and authority and "greatness" in His Church and Kingdom.  In those teachings, we were given the basis for the expression of love that permeates authority in God's Kingdom, and should be always present in the Church.  Even the "least of these," even the little children received in His name, must be received as if we receive Christ Himself -- and by extension, even the Father who sent Him.  It is the same for strangers who act in His name, and even those who do the least action in His name, and for any who show the smallest act of mercy to one who is "in His name" (who belongs to Him).   In this sense, authority and grace are connected, and service is the watchword for greatness, as is humility.  But all of these gracious teachings permeated with a generous love, are not without their harsh and strict warnings that are coupled with them in today's reading.  For those who violate this law of service and humility and love - who commit offense which causes one of these little ones who believe in Him to stumble, the consequences are as dire and as grave as He states in His warning.  Moreover, to take swift action to deal with our own abusive behavior -- our indulgences or tendencies which lead to any violation of His teaching about service and humility -- is the only course of action.  Jesus uses physical amputation of diseased limbs or an eye to save one's entire body as an image of what it is to save one's life in the spiritual sense.  An eye may look with covetousness, fastening improperly on what is inappropriate or what does not belong to us.  A hand can stray either in a rebuke or a physical altercation, or to reach out to take or grab where it should not.  A foot may stray or trespass over boundaries that need to be respected.  Our own impulses to abuse or offense -- especially to the least powerful and most humble -- are those things which Jesus warns against most starkly here in the context of what it is to be great, to become a leader and teacher among those in His flock, to be given His authority.   The abuse of this station of authority conferred by Christ is treated most seriously by Him, indicating to us how important it is that authority in the Church -- and our understanding of what greatness is -- be understood in the way that Christ teaches.  For in His name so much and so many become an icon of Christ, teaching us what it means to respect holiness and the preciousness of a soul. Most particularly, it teaches us about salvation and the important status that confers:  a priceless assignment, and the most worthy of efforts.  For the solemnity of such a task cannot be overestimated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye. 

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."

 

- Luke 6:39–49 

 

In our current readings, we are going through what is known as the Sermon on the Plain, in Luke's Gospel (beginning with Tuesday's reading).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued, "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other one also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, saying that Christ does not judge anyone (John 8:15; 12:47).  So, therefore, "if the Teacher does not judge, neither must the disciple, for the disciple is guilty of worse sins than those for which he judges others."  

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Here Jesus is seemingly dividing people into the "good" and the "bad," which we might read as in contradiction to the previous statement regarding refraining from judgment.  But, in context, Jesus seems to teach here about the necessity of what is called guarding our own hearts.  We are responsible, in this sense, for what we nurture and call our "good treasure," or should we treasure evil.  See also Luke 12:33-35.

 

 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."  My study Bible comments here that simply hearing the gospel alone is not enough.  This is because salvation is not based on hearing alone, and not on faith alone, but also on doing the things spoken by Christ.  See James 2:24.

 

Jesus is very focused on "doing," as my study Bible says.  Let us take the passage on the treasures of the heart, for this is seemingly suggesting (if taken out of context) that we are born with good or bad hearts.  But taken in context, Jesus is saying that these things depend upon what we actively nurture and treasure in our hearts.  He is encouraging us to decisive action to root out personal sin, to correct our ways of thinking, and to treasure the things that He offers us as good, and from God.  This is a question of action, of decision, making choices actively throughout our lives.  Faith, in this sense, is about doing, and is not simply a one-time decision or declaration.  It is active and ongoing, requiring of us our attention, all the time, and not resting on the laurels (so to speak) of the things we proclaim we believe.  Discipleship is an active process -- and in His description it is active in pursuit of a heart of "good treasure."  This is not necessarily amassing a set of good deeds, but of an ongoing day-to-day process of choosing that good treasure over evil.  Note that Jesus doesn't say that out of the good treasure of the heart we simply do good deeds.  He is talking about what we say, even the words we use. This is the level of attention He asks for in discipleship.  He says, "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   In the example Christ begins with in today's reading, He speaks of our eye as a metaphor for how we see and perceive the world, and specifically what we see and judge in others' behaviors.  He speaks in the context of the community of disciples, in which we can read that helpful correction of one another is prized.  But such helpful correction is only possible through good discernment, from a heart filled with "good treasure."  In the metaphor of the eye, He says that we must remove the plank in our own eye before we can remove the speck in a brother's.  If  "a disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher," then Christ is suggesting that our perfection can only be reached when we are "like Him."  This again suggests what we aim for in choosing the good treasure of the heart, and discarding the evil.  What is like Christ?  What is not like Him?  In this way, we become the disciples He asks us to be.  Finally, He asks, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?"  This final "capstone" of His teaching once again emphasizes doing, and in particular, doing His commandments, the things He says.  For these things are the rock of our foundation, the one good thing to build the houses of our lives upon.  Again, this is about discipleship which is ongoing, and for a lifetime, a constant consideration and activity which we're awake and alert to as needful for our lives, and always practicing.  Let us follow what He teaches us!

 

Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another

 

 "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."

 

- Mark 9:42–50 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  

 

  "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."  This dialogue is a continuation from yesterday's reading, in which Christ spoke to the disciples about what it means to be great (see above).  In yesterday's reading, He took a little child, and taught, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Here, He continues His discussion of what it means to be a leader in His Church, and the treatment of the "little ones."  My study Bible comments that "little ones" include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  These are the faithful who will come into the Church, and need their guidance, protection, teaching, and care.  Here He begins His warnings to those who would commit abuse or harm, violating their positions of trust and power, causing the little ones who believe in Him to stumble.

 

 

"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.'"  Here Jesus quotes three times from Isaiah 66:24.  Here Jesus warns strictly of the importance of avoiding sin, and doing whatever we can to do so.  My study Bible comments that the reference to mutilation is an illustration of decisive action to avoid sin -- this also refers to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Jesus speaks symbolically but vividly, to make the strongest point He can regarding what sin does to us.  Let us consider that a foot can trespass over boundaries where it should not go; a hand can reach out to hit or to grab in covetousness; an eye may look with greed or envy or lust where it should not.  Let us keep in mind these warnings are the strongest for those in positions of authority and stewardship in His Church, and their treatment of the "little ones" who come to them in trust.  See also Matthew 5:29 in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

"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."   Jesus draws these images from various forms of sacrifice.  To be seasoned with fire, my study Bible comments, means to be tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  In saying every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, my study Bible says, Jesus quotes from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Jesus also uses these words about salt losing its flavor in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13).  Salt had a meaning of binding people together in loyalty; it's also a symbol of our binding in covenant with God.  Therefore in loyalty to  Christ's teachings and covenant, we may have peace with one another. 

In our loyalty to God we are to adhere to Christ's teachings.  In particular, these teachings in today's reading on how we treat one another, and in particular about the use of power -- and the virtues of service -- become core values of how we are supposed to live our lives as faithful, and in community.  Christ's deepest, gravest warnings come to His disciples who will be leaders in His Church, and they are all about how power is used, and in particular the treatment of the "little ones," those without power or clout, with little social status.  As representatives of God's Kingdom, they must take these words to heart, and so must we.  This is a part of our covenant with Christ, the salt He asks us so vividly to retain as the flavor of His Church, His people in the world.  This strong sense of consideration is a powerful incentive for mindful care.  If, as Jesus taught in the reading from yesterday (see above), we're to see Christ in even the little ones we receive in the Church, then we must consider what kind of careful behavior that alerts us to bring to our relationships and community.  How is it we receive the people who are seemingly the least important?  As my study Bible commented in today's reading, the "little ones" aren't simply children.  This term indicates all those of lesser stature or status, the ones who come to Christ in faith and need teaching, leadership, community -- for all of these things contribute to our formation as followers of Christ and faithful.  So let us take Jesus' dire warnings -- thrice repeated for emphasis -- to heart, and learn what it means to be a part of this living kingdom of God He asks us to bear into the world, and among ourselves.  For we are the salt He asks us to be, and that is the flavor of life abundantly.

 

 

 

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness

 

 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  

 

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

 

- Luke 11:27–36 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.  When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." 

 

  And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  My study Bible tells us that these verses are read on most feasts of the Virgin Mary in the Orthodox Church.  Jesus corrects this woman from the crowd, not by denouncing his mother, but by emphasizing her faith.  People are blessed in God's eyes if, like Mary, they hear the word of God and keep it.  The Greek word μενοῦνγε/menounge is translated here are more than that.  In Romans 10:18, it is translated as "Yes indeed."  This word corrects by amplifying, not by negating.  

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."  The sign of Jonah is explained by the study Bible as, first of all, the fact that the rebellious Ninevites were willing to repent at Jonah's preaching, and second, that Jonah coming out of the great fish prefigures Christ rising from the tomb (Matthew 12:40).  In contrast to the repentance of the Ninevites in the Book of Jonah (Jonah 3), the failure of Jesus' fellow Jews to repent at something far greater -- the preaching of Christ and His Resurrection -- will result in their judgment.  For reference to the queen of the South, see the story of the queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10:1-10.

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light."  Here and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches about disciples bearing the light He brings into the world, thus being light in the world (see Matthew 5:13-16).  God is the true and uncreated Light.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible notes, light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  My study Bible also notes here that light is necessary both for clear vision and for life itself.  Faith relies on this divine light, it says, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  For much of the Christian Orthodox, the Paschal (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle lit at the altar and passed to illuminate all in the Church with the invitation, "Come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."  My study Bible explains that the mind (νοῦς/nous in Greek) is the spiritual eye of the soul.   It says that it illuminates the inner man and governs the will.  To keep the mind wholesome and pure is fundamental to the Christian life. 

In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus spoke about casting out demons and spiritual warfare, after He was accused of performing exorcisms by the power of Beelzebub, or Satan.  In the final verses we read, Jesus taught, "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."   This is a picture of a person who goes from bad to worse, without repentance or "change of mind."  It is an illustration of how we choose one way, and continue down that same road.  In today's reading, Jesus ends with words teaching us about illumination, choosing the light, and shows that this also magnifies and expands.  Each "way" will continue to grow within a person.  He says, "The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness."   The earliest teaching document known to us in the Church was written before the end of the first century, and it's known as the teaching of the apostles.  This is called the Didache ("Teaching").  It speaks very much of the "two ways," the way of life and the way of death, also found in Jewish tradition.  This is also what is illustrated by Jesus' teaching on darkness and light.  Jesus' explanation about one's eye being darkened, and that darkening the whole of the body, indicates a pervasive growth of the choice for one way; by the same token, the eye being full of light also affects the whole body.  This can be understood as metaphor for the whole of oneself, which is affected by how we see and how we hear (see Luke 8:16-18).  It's important to understand that human nature is not to stand still; we are not fixed eternal points in the sense that God is in the fullness of God's being, which we cannot comprehend nor estimate.  We are fixed in time, and hence we are creatures with movement.  By Jesus' way of speaking, we understand that we are either going in one direction or another; and this explains the importance of the capacity for repentance, for changing our minds and thus changing much more than a simple intellectual process.  For "mind" in this sense involves the whole of the capacity for how we see, how we understand, how we take in even the things of God which are revealed to us in ways that are not obvious, affecting spirit, soul, body, thinking, strength.   Therefore Christ's words come to us today in the context of yesterday's casting out of the demon by the finger of God, the Holy Spirit, who gives us light and helps us to be the shining lamps Christ calls us to be.  As He indicates, the refusal of what He offers, the refusal to open the mind enough to take in His words and follow them, will have eventual consequences, for it is road we join, a way, not a fixed point that stands still.  

 

 

 

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.  

 

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."

 

- Luke 6:39–49 

 

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Plain, found in the Gospel of Luke.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."  Christ does not judge anyone (John 8:15; 12:47), my study Bible notes.  It cites the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, saying that therefore, "if the Teacher does not judge, neither must the disciple, for the disciple is guilty of worse sins than those for which he judges others."

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  This is an argument teaching us that we're to focus on on our own flaws, and to practice self-correction.  Jesus is addressing this sermon to His disciples, who will one day become elders of His Church; therefore, how will they correct others when they have no correction of their own flaws?  How will they understand repentance if they have none themselves?

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Without our own repentance and ongoing process of correction, our internal reality can only reflect the flaws, the falsehood, and thus direct our outward actions, our fruits.  Therefore we make choices, and we must be aware of our own missteps and mistakes, choosing the good treasure and not the evil.  If we would be teachers like the Teacher, this must be the requirement first.

 

  "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."  My study Bible comments here that hearing the gospel only is not enough.  Salvation is not based on hearing alone, not even on faith alone, but on doing the things spoken by Christ (see James 2:24).  

In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus uses vivid metaphors for removing from ourselves faults and flaws that cause unrighteous behavior.  In Matthew 18, He teaches, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell" (Matthew 18:8-9).  In that particular instance, this teaching comes in the context of doing harm to a "little one."  More importantly, it comes after a question by the disciples as to who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 18:1-7).  In that context, Jesus' teaching can be understood as warning these future leaders in His Church against abuse, especially against those of lower stature, the vulnerable, those who will come to them for guidance.  And eye can look with covetousness or lust, a hand can reach out to strike or to grasp where it doesn't belong, a foot can stray over boundaries not meant to be crossed.  This is Jesus telling us about self-correction, about casting off even those things -- our impulses and desires -- that seem as much a part of us as hand, or eye, or foot.  Here in today's reading Jesus is teaching the principle of self-correction before we are ever in a position to correct another person.  Again, as discussed above, Jesus is addressing the Sermon on the Plain to a great multitude, but we're told that before He began speaking, He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples (Luke 6:20).  Therefore, these teachings are specifically directed to those who follow Him.  And in His words here, we can see that they are directly given to those who are being trained by a teacher, and what that means.  There is a mutual correction among "brothers" (fellow disciples) also implied here:  "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  It's clear that we are meant, in our discipleship under Christ, to grow into something, to become more like our Teacher.  We can't do that unless we are prepared to cast off what makes us unlike the Teacher, and with the help of our Lord and the Holy Spirit, this becomes an ontological effort.  That is, it's not just the outside that changes, but the inner person.  He makes this clear when He likens human beings to trees that bear fruit:  it's the tree that must be good before it will bear good fruit.  It is taken even further and made really clear to us when He speaks of the heart:  "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Perhaps the greatest pejorative Christ uses about those whom He does not want us to be like is in this one-word sentence:  "Hypocrite!"  He, of course, will aim this criticism at the religious leaders (see Matthew 23).  But here He applies it to would-be disciples who do not put in the effort at personal change, paying attention to their own problematic impulses and desires, and applying correction.  This is because, as He says very clearly, the things we're blind to in ourselves so often wind up projected onto others.  We may very well understand -- for instance -- and see something that others do that we think is selfish or greedy, but the much bigger plank in our own eye is our own selfishness and greed that we're blind to.  Without a prayerful attitude, a mindfulness that is focused on God and where God leads us, even taking us to our own need for personal correction, we might very well cultivate the attitude of the Pharisees who "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:23-24).  The historical practices offered by the Church:  prayer, fasting, worship services, confession, and a true understanding of repentance, all emphasize the condition of the heart, and this foundational assumption given to us by Jesus in today's reading that "a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" -- that "a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   Therefore we guard our hearts, we pay attention to the inside, the inner part of what it is to be human, and not just the outside.  The big emphasis here is on the condition of our own hearts, and not only does our outward "fruit" depend upon that, but even our ability to see clearly if we want to correct what is around us.  Not only do we need to have that spiritual experience of what it is to grow, to change, to be corrected, to be alert for our own flaws and impulses, but we'll be useless as disciples and good teachers for others without it.  Correction isn't about judgment and condemnation; it's meant to be for the betterment of all.  Ultimately, this is what repentance is all about.  So how is one not accustomed to putting in that difficult work of personal change going to be able to truly help another?  Christ Himself became human in His Incarnation so that He could be our true Teacher.  He became one of us.  In all things, He brings compassion to human beings.  So it is with ourselves.  Unless we also follow and put in that spiritual effort, how can we view others with compassion who must do the same?  Jesus' answer is that we won't even be able to see clearly without it.  Let us take His words to heart!

 

 

 

Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

 

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire." 

 

- Matthew 18:1-9 

 

Yesterday we read that while Jesus and the disciples were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.  When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes."  And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"   Peter said to Him, "From strangers."  Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

 

  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."  My study Bible comments that this question, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" is an indication of a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, and in so doing emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  These virtues are named by my study Bible as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In Orthodox iconography, it says, St. Ignatius of Antioch is shown as this child.  In certain legends of saints, he is the boy who gave the loaves and fishes (John 6:9).  

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."  Little ones, my study Bible says, include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.   

 

"Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."  See also Matthew 5:29.   Jesus is referring to a type of emergency operation, in which a diseased body part must be removed in order to save the body from spreading infection or disease.  He is using such as an illustration of decisive action to avoid sin, and how dangerous sin -- that which causes offenses -- is to the soul.  My study Bible adds that this also applies to harmful relationships which must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  

What are offenses, and what does Jesus mean by this?  Let us begin with the question asked by the disciples:  "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  My study Bible calls it a selfish interest in worldly power.  If we compare the kingdoms of the world (or even the states of today), we understand the pursuit of power -- and therefore position -- to be the primary aims of those involved, the "great ones" or "greatest" who rule.  But greatness for Jesus Christ has another definition, which has hopefully touched our world to some extent, and given us concepts of rule that involve more than simply conquering and exploiting.  Perhaps the disciples understand that the Kingdom to come will be like a worldly kingdom; perhaps they misunderstand what it means that Christ will be raised at the third day following His Passion.  This would coincide with the popular expectations of the Messiah.  But Jesus must make them understand what kind of Kingdom they must serve and how they must serve it.  Most importantly, He gives us the concept of greatness.  But in so doing, He begins, importantly, with what they must do and not do as those who wish to be great.  They must first be "converted and become as little children," for without this there is no entry into this kingdom of heaven!  "Therefore," Jesus says, "whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."   This is an upside down image of the kind of worldly power the disciples know from the empires and kingdoms around them.  How can being humble as a little child make one the greatest?  Then Jesus leads them into an understanding of His version of leadership.  Jesus' first and highest priority is the little ones who in faith will come to them in His Church:  "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!"  Exploitation, false teaching, leading the little ones astray, offenses that cause them to be lost, will meet with the severest punishment.  Jesus proclaims woe to those who cause such offense.  This is an image of leadership in stark contrast to figures we can read about in the Gospels, like Herod Antipas or his father Herod the Great.  And then comes what is perhaps the most powerful teaching of all:  "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."  Jesus is using the image of a body part that needs amputation to illustrate the power of our habits which cause offense, harm, abuse to others; and in this case it is in the context of using power over those who are "little ones" in our world.  That is, those who come in humility and faith -- trust -- into the Church and under their care.  A hand or foot can strike one less powerful, either one can stray where it's not wanted, cross boundaries that shouldn't be crossed, reach out to take or steal what doesn't belong to it.  An eye can gaze with envy, with covetousness, with hatred and rage, with the desire to control or to exploit.  What Jesus is speaking about is the internal life of a person, and how essential it is that we know ourselves, our flaws, and be willing to take decisive action to cut from ourselves the habits and impulses that lead to the offenses He condemns.  And this then becomes the definition of leadership -- the capacity to sacrifice the things we might even hold dear, the habits of a lifetime that are  hard to break, and cast them from ourselves in order to make greatness meaningful in terms of serving God.  This in turn is discipleship.  That is, it is the discipline which He asks of His disciples, and in turn of us.  What we should note at this stage is that Jesus is ultimately most concerned with the "little ones" who will be in the care of these future apostles and bishops of the Church.  He is teaching them how greatness is connected to the qualities of God which are most highly associated with grace and mercy, the extension of care and compassion.  In terms of the ways that power -- especially state power -- worked in Jesus' time, this is a powerful antidote to its frequent and even normative abuses.  Caesar's "greatness" was concerned with how many he had conquered, even killed in battle.  Christ offers a different greatness, and one which would come to revolutionize the world, bringing institutions of care and compassion such as hospitals and charitable behavior into social life.  But for now, let us pay close attention to Christ's most powerful admonitions which come in the form of prophesying "woe" for those by whom abuses to the little ones in the Church come.  It is a word we need to pay attention to today, and His teaching about a willingness to sacrifice our own impulses to abusive or manipulative power remains equally necessary as it was then, a reminder about what makes us human beings of truly "great" stature.  In a highly consumerist-oriented society of the modern developed world, we might be easily misled to think that some sort of greatness is measured by how far we can indulge our own desires.  But this is not the greatness described by Jesus.  On the contrary, Christ's greatness depends upon our own discipline and is clearly measured by an internal yardstick of self-mastery in service to something much higher than ourselves.   True greatness in this Kingdom is not measured by our own yardstick but rather taken in the measure that Christ gives us.  Let us endeavor through our lives to take His measure for ourselves, and seek the greatness He gives us.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).   But this word "meek" has taken on characteristics in modern language that mislead our understanding of Christ's greatness, for Jesus' meekness and gentleness is strength under control, in discipleship and obedience to God, and seeking God's way for ourselves.  Let us more fully seek to embody the kind of strength He gives us through faith.

 

 

 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you

 

 "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

 

- Matthew 7:1–12 

 

In our present readings, we are going through the Sermon on the Mount.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  So why do you worry about clothing?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For after all these things the Gentiles seek.  For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." 

 

  "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."  My study Bible comments that we will be judged with our own level of judgment because we are guilty of the same things we judge in others (Romans 2:1).  That is, we have also failed in repentance and in fleeing from sin.  It notes that to pass judgment is to assume the authority of God.  The second part of this verse is found also in Mark 4:24 and Luke 6:38, each in a different context, as Jesus no doubt repeated this message many times.  

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."  This is a continuation of Christ's teaching in the previous verse, but with more specifics.  Note how it continues on themes of the "eye" -- and whether or not our eye is "full of light" (Matthew 6:22-23).  Here the plank in one's own eye is that which obstructs true vision.  But Christ is speaking of our own faults and flaws we need to correct, and our "blind eye" toward ourselves.  Moreover, Jesus will recommend mutual correction in the Church.  But how can one become a true  brother and teach others when we have failed to implement our own correction or repentance?

"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."  My study Bible says that dogs and swine refer to heathen peoples (Philippians 3:2; Revelation 22:15), but this would also include Jews who do not practice virtue.  According to patristic commentary, "dogs" here is meant to apply to those so immersed in evil that they show no hope of change, and "swine" are images of those who habitually live immoral and impure lives.  The pearls are the inner mysteries of the Christian faith, including the teachings of Christ (Matthew 13:46) and the great sacraments.  My study Bible says that these holy things are restricted from the immoral and unrepentant, not to protect the holy things themselves, for Christ needs no protection.  Instead, we protect those who are faithless from the condemnation that would result from holding God's mysteries in contempt.  Let us also note the context of mutual correction which Jesus discusses above:  while humble correction or teaching can be helpful and instructive, it is wasted on those who cannot value it, who may even in fact respond with vicious hostility.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?"  My study Bible explains that the verbs ask, seek, and knock are present progressives.  That is, they convey the teaching that we should "be asking," "be seeking," "be knocking."  There is a synergy here:  our effort is commanded, but not apart from God's immediate help to us.  My study Bible says that we ask in prayer; seek by learning God's truth; and knock by doing God's will.  

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"  My study Bible comments that Jesus calls human beings evil not in order to condemn the whole human race, but rather to contrast the imperfect goodness that is in people (in other words, our goodness is also mingled with sin) with the perfect goodness of God (see Matthew 19:16-17).  If imperfect and even wicked people can do some good, it notes, all the more will God work perfect good.

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  This is known as the "Golden Rule," and it fulfills the demands of the Law and the Prophets.  As my study Bible importantly notes, it is a practical application of the commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:39-40).  This is, it says, a first step in spiritual growth.  The negative form of the Golden Rule was well known in Judaism ("Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you").  Christ's form is positive:  this is the action that begins to draw us toward God. 

In chapter 18 of St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus lays out a model for mutual correction in the Church (see Matthew 18:15-17); it's a teaching for what to do with a sinning brother, particularly one who has caused offense.  It's given in the context of Christ's teaching on forgiveness.  When Jesus teaches today that, first, we must not judge, and second we must correct our own flaws before we can helpfully teach others, we see an overarching context of mutual correction or edification, which includes constructive criticism -- and must always be done with love and mercy.  In St. Luke's Gospel, we find the similar teaching of the Golden Rule, "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise" (Luke 6:31).  On that passage, St. Cyril of Alexandria calls "the natural law of self-love" the basic standard of how we're to treat others.  As Christians, the entirety of today's passage conveys, we're meant to be continually growing.  This is, in effect, the purpose of discipleship.  As Jesus teaches us also to "keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking," He's implying also a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and for the things of God.  For these are the mysteries into which discipleship initiates us and continues to take us more deeply.  To understand one's own errors and make correction is to become capable of helping or teaching others along the way.  But without that effort, we simply judge; we are not practicing mercy, love, or the Golden Rule.  For indeed, if we would desire to excel in real discipleship to Christ, then we might understand how to help others who desire the same thing.  But we shouldn't presume to cast those pearls before people who find no value in such discipleship, as Christ warns us here.  So our growth must be seeded with mercy and kindness, our conduct so -- but the righteousness and love Christ teaches is also meant to be discerning.  It is quite similar to His teaching to the apostles upon sending them out on their first mission:  "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  Let us keep asking, seeking, and knocking to grow in learning Christ's ways of loving righteousness, and in those "good things" God will give to us.