Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 

 

- Matthew 11:7-15 

 

 Yesterday we read that, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, / Who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Here Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Malachi (Malachi 3:1), to affirm the true identity of John the Baptist in the spiritual story of salvation.  Let us note how Jesus defends John from all of the common assumptions about what makes a person "spiritual" or lofty in some sense.  He comments astutely regarding people's expectations when He explains that those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what do we expect of prophets?  John is a prophet and more than a prophet.  My study Bible comments that, in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  As Jesus indicates here, John is both the greatest and the final prophet of that Old Testament lineage.  But, as my study Bible notes, the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it. 

 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  There have been several interpretations regarding Jesus' statement here that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  My study Bible says that some suggest it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others have said that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Yet others have indicated that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.   According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible adds, the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  

 

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study Bible points out that it is not John who ascribes to himself this role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  As Christ has quoted from the prophesy of Malachi above, so this is an indication that in John the prophesy of Malachi is fulfilled, that Elijah would return before the coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5-6).  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  But, my study Bible adds, John is honored over Elijah because John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  is a common refrain Jesus repeats from the language of the prophets (see, for example, Jeremiah 5:21), to appeal to those with the capacity for spiritual "hearing" and understanding.

 Jesus says about John the Baptist, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  Well, John is in a king's house, indeed, but in the king's prison, and will die at the hands of the king and his corrupt court.  This is the life of the prophet and martyr John the Baptist, the one who is called "Forerunner" in the tradition of the ancient Church.  Jesus seems to be pointing out to this crowd of people who, long before the modern age of advertising and the internet, seem to be concerned that John was neither elegant nor very impressive in terms of his status in the society and his appearance.  Indeed, we know his appearance reflected his life lived outside of cities, utterly devoted to and dependent upon God.  The description of John makes it clear:  "Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Matthew 3:4).  This description is also an image of Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:8), further affirming that John was Elijah returned in spirit (Matthew 17:12-13).  We know that both Elijah and John lived for much of the time in the wilderness, and this would in turn inspire the monastic movement of the Church in its earliest stages, particularly of those we term the Desert Fathers and Mothers.  But the kind of radical humility lived by John the Baptist teaches us something very important and relevant today, as Christ's words about those who wear soft clothing indicates.  We seem to judge by appearance more than ever, and the age of social media has magnified this far beyond the proportions of the past.  We're presented with impossible images to aspire to and to consider the most desirable, even when they are created through technological programs rather than reflecting true images of human beings.  This is antithetical to the ministry of John the Baptist, and to Christ's strenuous defense of him in today's reading.  In fact, one might suggest to those who are struggling with issues of fitting in and image (such as body image) that John the Baptist would make an appropriate saint to whom to pray.  Today his radical poverty might frighten us, but it is indeed that which strips away all falseness, and asks for reliance upon God for the ultimate truth of who we need to be and what we need to do in our lives.  John is proclaimed by Christ to be the greatest among those born of women, a prophet and more than a prophet, and we should pay attention to what that teaches us today.  We are fed fantasies and images of what success must look like that drive some to despair and some to desperate actions, and we need the spiritual antidote to that kind of falsehood which does not rest in true values of identity and meaning.  John the Baptist continues to fill that role, dedicated to the greatest meaning ever manifest -- the Messiah Incarnate as human being.  Let us remember John the Baptist as an image of Christ's praise of greatness, who fulfilled his mission with the fullest success.  Don't let mere appearances fool or guide you in terms of the fullness of meaning and choices in one's life, nor of whom we will regard -- or even revere -- with respect.  John was the messenger sent before the face of the Lord, Christ, to prepare Christ's way.  In this role, his place with Christ the Bridegroom, John finds the greatest status in the Church. 

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God

 

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 

- Luke 9:51–62 

 

On Saturday we read that on the next day, after Jesus, Peter, James, and John had come down from the mountain of Transfiguration, a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.   And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Jesus has twice given the prediction of His Passion to the disciples (Luke 9:21-22, 43-45).  Now, as He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, it is clear He goes to His Passion.  But it is likely that the disciples expect that He goes toward Jerusalem in order to fully take His place as the Messiah, the Christ of God (9:20).  Therefore John and James Zebedee, whom Jesus has called "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17), respond in a way that might characterize one seizing material power in the context of rulers of the time.  But just as Jesus has recently corrected the disciples regarding who would be greatest in His Kingdom (see yesterday's reading, above, and the example of the little child), this response is also an opportunity for correction to the disciples regarding "what manner of spirit you are of."  The very nature of the holiness Jesus brings into the world works not to destroy men's lives but to save them.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  My study bible writes about the statement, I will follow You, that there is a cost to discipleship.  Here Jesus reveals three of them.  First, the disciple relinquishes personal or earthly security.  If Christ the Lord has nowhere to lay His head, neither will the disciple.  Moreover, there is nothing, not even the honor that is due to parents, that can be an obstacle to serving the Lord.  Finally, a disciple cannot delay in accomplishing the good that is demanded by Christ.  

Jesus says, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  Let us be assured that this does not mean a person is permanently barred from the kingdom of God.  Jesus is speaking of the demands of discipleship, the way of following Him.  If we think about the good we might miss, or the things we might have, then we are not "all in."  In other words, if our loyalty is in question as to where our deeper love calls us in the soul, then we're not prepared for this journey of discipleship and especially the taking up of our own crosses daily.  Earlier in this chapter, Jesus has taught the disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (9:23).  That taking up of the cross is a way of crucifying everything in our lives.  If this sounds harsh, one must understand it in the truly experiential terms of the journey toward Christ.  Every day of our lives, we'll be asked, in some form or another, what our real choice is, what we truly desire.  A prompting of the heart may tell us what we truly love better than what the world offers us at any particular given time.  Does our spouse need help, when we might spend the same time working at something that brings personal worldly glory?  Is a friend hurt who needs comfort?  Is there a way to donate to a cause to help someone truly needy, but that will not give us the worldly currency of a different and more widely applauded cause?  These are just daily examples of choices we might have to make, in which somehow our worldly lives are crucified.  Our choices become times of the cross, where we need to make a decision, and choose who we really are.  How we find who we really are becomes a matter of what we love the most, where our real loyalty lies, and thus who we become.  Are we going to be modeled in the image of Christ?  This is the cost of discipleship and the true goal invested in discipleship.  Christ becomes the model, giving us the image He has of us, His creation.  This is the long road of discipleship, the ways in which we take up our crosses daily.  We exchange one way of life for another, a worldly or "earthly" way of thinking and being in the world, for Christ's way of thinking and being in the world.  In this way our true image of the self is created, tested in the fire, brought to the Cross.  And as Christ indicated when He spoke of taking up one's cross daily, for each of us this is going to look different.  We are each going to have specifics we need to live, and to walk through, and to make choices about, all in the light of that Cross.  This is the way life is, and those who are outside of Christ's discipleship will not understand it except in vague terms of morality or some other kind of compass.  But the life to which we are called by Christ is a life of love and loyalties within the practice of that love.  Do we save life or destroy it?  This is the manner of spirit we are of.  What are we called upon to nurture and love?  Are we all in, or is there something else that calls our loyalty?  Our lives are meant to be journeys of faith; let us consider with what courage we look toward Him on that road. 

 

 

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

 - Luke 10:1-16

Yesterday we read that when the time had come for Him to be received up, Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  As in yesterday's reading, we observe Jesus' actions as He heads toward Jerusalem, as Christ the King coming to His Bride, the Holy City.  He sends out seventy other apostles, as a king would send out emissaries before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  There are many stories in Church tradition about the Seventy; they were prominent hand-picked men known for their devotion and perseverance.  One among them was Barnabas, whom my study bible says was a Jew of the tribe of Levi, born in Cyprus to wealthy parents.  He is said to have studied under Gamaliel with Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle.  He was originally named Joseph, but was called Barnabas, meaning Son of Consolation, by the apostles (Acts 4:36), as Barnabas had the gift of comforting people's hearts.  My study bible adds that it was he who sought out Paul when everyone else was afraid of him, and brought him to the apostles.  Barnabas is the one first sent to Antioch together with Paul.  This relationship was broken only when Barnabas wanted to take his cousin Mark together with them on a missionary journey, but Paul at that time did not yet trust Mark.  Later they were reconciled to one another (Colossians 4:10).  My study bible notes that many ancient accounts say that Barnabas was the first to preach in Rome and Milan, but was martyred in Cyprus, and later buried by Mark at the western gate of the city of Salamis.  Another one prominent among the Seventy was the apostle Titus, whom Paul called "brother" (2 Corinthians 12:18) and "son" (Titus 1:4).  Titus was born in Crete and educated in Greek philosophy, but after he read the prophet Isaiah, he began to doubt the value of what he had been taught.  He joined some others from Crete who were going to Jerusalem to see Christ for themselves.  After he heard Jesus speak and saw His works, he joined Jesus' followers.  He was baptized by St. Paul, and worked with and served Paul in his role as apostle to the Gentiles.  He traveled together with Paul until Paul sent him to Crete, making him a bishop.  My study bible notes that tradition says Titus was in Rome at the time of the beheading of St. Paul, burying the body of his spiritual father before returning to Crete.  There he converted and baptized many, remaining bishop until he rested at ninety-four years of age.  Many more among these Seventy would become prominent in the Church, such as bishops Aristarchus (Acts 19:29; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24), Sosthenes (Acts 18:17; 1 Corinthians 1:1), Tychicus (Acts 20:4; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7; 2 Titus 4:12; Titus 3:12), and Simeon (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3), nephew of Joseph, and successor of James as bishop of Jerusalem.  Aristobulus (Romans 16:10) was the brother of Barnabas; he preached the gospel in Britain and died peacefully there. 

Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Christ instructs us to pray not only for the harvest of those who follow Him, but also for the laborers who will go to  them. 

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  My study bible says that the image of lambs speaks to the sacrificial life of the apostles, and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves are those who would seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  The instructions to the Seventy remind us of Jesus' earlier instructions to the Twelve (9:1-6).  Both sets of instructions emphasize humility in their conduct.  My study bible points out that Jesus twice commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  This has a double significance.  First, they must be content with whatever is offered to them, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of the hospitality of others takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  This notion of hospitality extended to the early monks of the desert.  St. Cassian the Desert Father is cited by my study bible as saying that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  His host told him (somewhat paraphrasing the words of Christ), "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again." 

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  Here is the gospel message in its truth.  It's not only that there is a Kingdom in the future -- it's that the kingdom of God has come near.   It remains important to consider what it is that we reject when we refuse to receive this message.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   In Luke's reported Sermon on the Plain, Jesus strikingly gave for "woes" in addition to His beatitudes (see this reading).  Here also, Luke includes "woes" which Jesus pronounces for the cities that reject the testimony of the presence of the Kingdom.  My study bible says that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  By contrast, those people who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in this regard (John 15:22-24).  They are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).

There is a lot to consider in today's reading.  Jesus sends out the Seventy, yet more laborers for the harvest, sent out like emissaries before His face as He sets His course for Jerusalem.  The presence of the Emperor or any of his official state representatives denoted the presence of the Empire, and so it is for Jesus.  Those whom He sends out as apostles bring the Kingdom near to the people they encounter on their journeys.  Again, as with the sending out of the Twelve, we note the humility with which Jesus' emissaries or ambassadors are meant to conduct themselves.  Hospitality is the highest rule; acceptance of whatever is put before them, and whatever lodgings are offered is a core instruction by Christ.  But there is an important kind of power at work here, an imperative that also is a sort of hospitality -- and that is the response we give to the gift that is offered.  To be offered participation in this Kingdom is to be offered the gift of life itself, and more.  It is life in abundance, everlasting life.  It is life in all the possible aspects of renewal one could contemplate, and beyond.  To reject this grace isn't simply to pass on something, to mutter, "No, thanks," as if in polite company.  It is, instead, to reject something necessary to our souls.  It is a rejection of the fullness of life, of the gift made of Christ's power and authority which He lays before us, offering us participation in it.  How can we grasp what we lose when we turn down this offer?  It is something beyond our capacity to estimate.  Let us consider the laws of hospitality and how far they extend into our very nature as human beings.  Communion and grace are the very substance He offers us, to make a part of ourselves; to refuse is to deny our true nature.  To accept is to find ourselves.  How do you participate in this harvest which is ongoing?

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

- Matthew 22:15-22

In yesterday's reading, Jesus told a parable to the chief priests and elders in the Temple at Jerusalem. This is the third parable He has told them after He was questioned as to His authority to cleanse the Temple. In yesterday's parable, Jesus told the story of a king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to all who were invited. But they weren't willing to come. He sent out his servants again describing all the preparations for the wedding feast and what awaited the guests. But the ones who were invited spurned the invitation, making light of the wedding, and going off to their own business or their farms. The rest of the invitees did worse: denigrating the servants and having them killed. So the king was outraged and had the murderers killed, and burned their city. Then he sent out his servants to the highways and invited everyone they found, both bad and good, so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in, he saw a man without a wedding garment. He asked, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?" And the man was speechless. Jesus said, "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" To tell Jesus that He "does not regard the person of men" is to say that He has no prejudice, He judges fairly. This is a question meant to trap Him into a choice: His answer will either make Him look like a revolutionary against the Romans or a collaborator with them. The Herodians are the party of those who supported Herod, the local king who ruled in the name of Rome. Herod the Great extensively built up the Temple in which they are standing.

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money." "Hypocrites" is literally "actors" in the Greek. They are those who wear a mask in the ancient plays. So, Jesus -- who has just been told He does not regard the person (or more literally, the face) of men -- is calling His questioners those who wear a false face, a mask to cover up their true person. It's a unique kind of irony, the type of which fills the Gospels. My study bible points out that it is a characteristic of His divinity that Jesus reveals the true face of these people, "the secrets of their hearts." The One who does not regard the face of men knows the true face, the person, in the heart.

"Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. We remember that Jesus has cleansed the Temple by overturning the tables of the money changers. The money changers were those who exchanged Roman coins for temple currency, precisely because of this face of Caesar which was considered defiling by the devout Jews. Caesar, after all, was hailed as a god. But we get a deeper sense here of what is "in the name" of Caesar as opposed to the name of God. Jesus' answer confounds their question: He will not choose from the opposing points of view they present to Him. He will teach His own way. He remains supremely independent, and in a deeper sense of irony, "disregarding the face of men" even as He speaks of the face on the coin. In another characteristic of His divinity, He refuses to be pigeonholed into the alternatives they offer Him, and silences them with His own questions.

My study bible has an important note here: "The distinction between the things that are Caesar's and the things that are God's does not imply a division of life into two domains, the secular and the sacred. Rather, God is Lord over all. We must fulfill legitimate governmental requirements which do not conflict with our responsibility toward God (Rom. 13:7). Paying taxes and similar duties are not detrimental to godliness. The fact that the Jewish establishment had a Roman coin in hand proved they accepted and used this coin, thereby accepting the earthly rule of the one who issued it." In our worldly lives, it can be truly difficult to distinguish between good and bad. What is worth our time and effort, and what is not? But if we remain like Christ, we have a good start in discerning where it is we need to go in life; what do we use and what do we not use, how do we live our lives? If we understand that the supreme hand behind all things is God, then that means that our choices rest in God's hands. The world may seem to offer us one alternative or another, and this will always be the case. But the worldly perspective, the worldly deals that always seem to be on offer, can be entirely misleading, and for hidden, hypocritical purposes. Often, Jesus will allude to such worldly deception, such as in the phrase "wolves in sheep's clothing" by which He will also teach us to use discernment. By "disregarding the face of men" but always regarding the face (or the Person) of God, we retain our independence, like Him -- our discernment. And that is what we are being taught by today's reading. When we really can't find our way out of a "bad or worse" situation, we know where we need to turn to see outside of that box of what the world seems to offer to us. We have Him to show us the way, His Way. Christ is our gift for many reasons, but especially when we find ourselves in this type of dilemma, when we are offered one way or another, neither of which fits the real person we want to be. How does He teach you to be yourself today? How does He lead you beyond the hypocrisy and deception, the inauthenticity, we might find in our supposed alternatives in life?

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

- Luke 9:51-62

On Saturday, we read of Jesus healing a little child (through exorcism) that His disciples could not heal. He then warned His disciples once again what is to come to Him in Jerusalem. Jesus taught His disciples about the necessary humility in their work in the kingdom, that even the little children are great who are of this kingdom - "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great." He further added to the lessons of humility when He was asked by John about others they saw casting out demons in Jesus' name, who were not a part of their own group. Jesus said, ""Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. My study bible notes, "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem marks a turning point in Jesus' life and ministry. From this point in the Gospel, Jerusalem and the Passion is the next step of Jesus' journey. The Greek verb received up describes the Ascension, the ultimate goal of His Passion and Resurrection." To set one's face toward something is to be resolved, and clearly Jesus is now heading toward Jerusalem and all that He will undergo there (as He has now repeatedly warned His disciples). To "set one's face" is an interesting expression; it occurs also in the Old Testament in words of prophecy (Isaiah 50:7). But the word for "face" (prosopon/προσωπον) is also significant in other ways in this context. It can also mean "Person" in the sense of one's entire personhood, the true image of the self. Therefore, I presume, we are to understand this word applies to all of Jesus' personhood - both divine and human, in the fullness of His true identity. This is His mission being fulfilled - as He discussed His "exodus" with Elijah and Moses at the Transfiguration. The "face" as indicator of personhood or persona is an important spiritual understanding in these texts: just as Caesar's face is imprinted on a coin, so all set with the seal of Christ belong to Christ, and act "in His name" (as are the messengers he sends before His face). The word for "messengers" here is angelous/αγγελους - the same as that for "angels," giving us an allusion to a double picture of sovereignty of this kingdom and His "face."

And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And they went to another village. My study bible notes that, "Jesus does not exclude the Samaritans (v. 52) from salvation, even though this village refuses to receive Him (v. 53). Other Samaritans welcome Him (John 4)." (See the readings referred to in John 4 here and here.)

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." Jesus has just finished (in Saturday's reading) teaching His disciples about humility. This is very soon (in Luke's Gospel) after the apostles have returned successfully from their first mission, in which Jesus' power was invested in them and used by them to heal and to preach, and to cast out demons. But shortly after this return, they have been taught several lessons about their use of that power: that they can go further, that He will give up His life and they must be prepared to give up their worldly aspirations and needs as His followers, that they need more faith, more humility - to recognize that even a child is great in this kingdom, and that others who work in His name should also be allowed to do so. When Jesus tells them here that "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of," He is once again speaking about His kingdom and this sovereignty of His face, His name. They are "of a spirit" that is to save, not to destroy. They still need to learn about this power which He shares with them.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God." And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God." And here we have further lessons on discipleship - not only for Jesus' immediate disciples, but for those others who come to Him and would follow and be a part of this mission, this kingdom. My study bible has a lengthy note which I will repeat here: "I will follow You: There is a cost to discipleship. Jesus talks of three such costs: (1) Provision for personal security does not mix with true discipleship. The disciple will be no more secure than the Teacher. If the Teacher has nowhere to lay His head (v. 58), neither will the disciple. (2) Discipleship demands singular commitment to the Kingdom of God. A disciple must be willing to let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead (v. 60). (3) Discipleship does not look back to reconsider, or operate by delayed response. It means taking hold of the commission given by Christ and moving forward."

Jesus has His face set for Jerusalem - and what is to come, His "exodus." (See the discussion of this word at His Transfiguration.) He will endure suffering and death, a humiliating and excruciating death by crucifixion, reserved for the greatest criminals. He risks all -- all that He has invested in those whom He loves and has gathered to Himself as disciples. What will become of them, His flock? Yet He has "set His face" and set His own "hand to the plow." He is working for something greater than Himself, in the name of the Father. He is on a mission to which He is singularly dedicated, and He asks no more of us who would follow Him than He is prepared to give Himself. This is not a sovereign ruler of a kingdom that demands slavery in the sense that we pay for Him - no, this is a ruler who shares everything with us, and sets down His life by example. We are family, with Him. This kingdom is linked by love. And He is here to save and not destroy men's lives: He is a ruler of compassion and mercy and justice, and so it must be with His followers as well. How will you set your hand to this plow? What do you do to "set your face" with His? Can you let the dead bury the dead? What will you forgo for this true kingdom of love and salvation? What does discipleship call you to at this time in your life?