I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."  Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  

"I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." 

 

- Matthew 13:31-35 

 

Yesterday we read that, continuing His preaching to the crowds in parables, Jesus put forth to them another, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' " 

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."  Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."   My study Bible comments that the mustard seed and the leaven represent the disciples, according to Theophylact.  He said that they began as just a few men but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  They also stand for faith entering a person's soul, which causes an inward growth of virtue.  This soul, my study Bible says, will become godlike and can receive even angels.  

 

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."  St. Matthew quotes from Psalm 78:2.  In this context, the fulfillment of the words of the psalm teach us about the tremendous truths revealed in Christ's parables.  In this sense, just like Christ Himself, these truths are hidden in plain sight, so to speak.  They are revealed to those who will find faith, and come to understand; that is, to those with ears to hear.

 

 In today's reading, Jesus tells two parables:  the parable of the mustard seed, and the parable of the leaven.  The parables are similar in that they both tell of the growth of the Kingdom, although in each one the growth works in a different way.  That Jesus speaks of leaven as an illustration of the work of the word and the Holy Spirit is unusual.  Leaven is found frequently in the Bible, but most often it's used as an example of a bad influence; it's used negatively.  But here, this unusual reference is positive.  Leaven is a natural yeast.  It's enzymatic action works from within to transform the "whole lump" of dough.  St. Paul uses this illustration negatively in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, comparing bread leavened with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, to unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  Jesus uses leaven negatively when He teaches the disciples, "Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matthew 16:6), indicating their doctrine (Matthew 16:12) and their hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).  Whatever way, positive or negative, that Jesus is using the term in this instance, leaven indicates a kind of surreptitious, hidden, quiet way of working from within, and we can certainly put the word of Christ the Sower into this category, and also the working of the Holy Spirit within us.  Faith works from within, in the changes we can see in people that take place mysteriously through God's working in their lives, in the seed that takes root in the heart to transform people.  There is a kind of quiet choice going on in the inner workings of the soul, in the depths of the heart that only God can reach, only Christ the Judge can know.  This is why we pay attention to the heart, to the inner life:  that is, to the thoughts we nurture, to the ways we spend our time, to our prayers.  We need to nurture and grow that inner life, the seed that may sprout a crop of a hundredfold, sixty, maybe thirty (see again the parable of the Sower).   St. Matthew gives us a quotation from the psalms indicating that Jesus is speaking of "things kept secret from the foundation of the world."   Like the work of the leaven, these hidden, secret things may not be visible nor are they obvious to the world, but they nonetheless work in us, even as we listen to Him.  This is the work of the Logos, the Word, the One who spoke into existence the foundation of the world, who opens His mouth even now for us all, if we can hear.

 

 

 

 

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "

 

- Matthew 13:24-30 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the explanation of the parable of the Sower to His disciples.  He told them, "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "  My study Bible comments that this parable builds upon the previous parable of the sower.  Here Jesus gives attention to the enemy, who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  We should make clear what a tare is: it is a kind of semi-wild plant, a weed that looks like wheat, but it is very difficult for human beings to digest, toxic, and therefore unfit for consumption.   (Some suggest it is darnel.)  My study Bible explains that as falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds first appear similar to wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  Additionally, my study Bible comments that this parable explains why the Church does not condemn nominal members, and neither does it judge those who are outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment. 

 

Interestingly, there's another aspect about the type of weed described in today's parable that serves as a metaphor for heresy, and that is that this crop which looks like wheat acts like a kind of parasite.  Its seeds survive by growing among wheat, and falling into wheat harvests.  According to the article cited above, because of modern harvesting techniques, this weed has virtually been eliminated in most of the developed world, but still exists among wheat crops elsewhere.  Church Fathers have long described evil or the demonic as parasitical, as that which does not have true value or substance, but is sustained nonetheless in creation until the end of the age and the judgment of Christ.  Thus, we have another important parallel to the parable.  It's essential also that we understand that so often lies are half-truths, misleading statements or beliefs disguised as truth and given for human "consumption."  In fact, half-truths are also lies.  Like the weeds or tares in the parable, they resemble truth, but they deceive.  They act parasitically among those who would seek true faith, misleading and deterring others from finding Christ who seek Him.  This is why, throughout the history of the Church, Councils were called to debate theological questions, and to identify heresy so that people would be aware of them and understand the falsehood embodied therein.  Just as children from time immemorial have been warned of the dangers of seduction of various kinds, of evil intent lurking in a welcoming disguise, so lies and half-truths are things we need to be wary of -- to understand and to avoid because of their consequences.  We live in a modern world in which there are many good things seemingly promised by false or misleading values.  Consumption of every ostensibly good material thing doesn't necessarily fill the soul with happiness; wealth is useful but it doesn't suffice for the things that come only from God that feed the soul.  Nothing substitutes for our path to God, and yet heresies, lies, and half-truths would deter us with false promises.  "Enter by the narrow gate," Jesus taught, "for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it" (Matthew 7:13).  Perhaps the representation of false promises is best illustrated in addiction of all kinds, wherein whatever the addictive substance -- be it drugs or gambling or another type of consumption -- seems to promise comfort, or something good.  And yet it leads to a kind of slavery, a hell of its own (see John 8:34).  These are the weeds that grow among the wheat, the things that distract us from what is for our own true good.  Of course, this parable is one that also illustrates judgment, the understanding that we live with the wicked or evil, like "sheep in the midst of wolves," and in this light also serves to make us aware that we need discernment and caution in life ("be wise as serpents and harmless as doves"; Matthew 10:16).   Jesus will offer us an explanation of this parable a bit further along in chapter 13, so readers will be able to understand what He teaches the disciples about it.  Let us for now simply think for ourselves that the picture Jesus paints of our lives and our world is one in which we are not going to have a life that is "perfect" in the sense that all enemies or all bad or evil things will no longer exist.  On the contrary, He's calling us -- perhaps alerting us together with the disciples -- to the lives we're called to live in His name, and by following His word, the good seed.  Our calling is to live as His followers in this world, the one He paints through this illustration of the parable in today's reading.  We are called to an awareness of ourselves, who we are as His followers, and what He asks us to produce, even in the midst of life in which we grow side by side with tares, the bad weed that resembles the good wheat.  The kingdom of heaven has given us the good seed.  It's ours to make the best of it by cultivating the good crops it may produce in us, despite the tares. 

 

 

 

Take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand

 

"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."

 

- Mark 13:14–27 

 

On Saturday we read that, as Jesus went out of the temple in Jerusalem, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,  Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"  And Jesus, answering them, began to say:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and will deceive many.  But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles.  These are the beginnings of sorrows.  But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues.  You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.  And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.  But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.  But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.  Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

 

"So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."  The abomination of desolation was a prophecy of Daniel (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11), fulfilled in the Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70), when the Roman general Titus entered the Most holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before having the temple destroyed.  My study Bible says that the Lord's phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be living at that time.  The phrase let the reader understand is an encouragement to the early Christians who may have witnessed this event.  

 

"Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter."  My study Bible comments that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  Jesus' sympathy for nursing mothers is reinforced in Luke 23:29, when He blesses the barren in preparation for the time He describes.  My study Bible quotes commentary on that verse from St. John Chrysostom:  "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"

 

 "For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."   My study Bible points out that, here in St. Mark's Gospel, the account of the end times is given in a reverse or mirrored parallel form, often called chiastic (from the word "chi" meaning X in Greek).  That is, the topics He mentions in the first half of the passage are repeated and amplified in reverse order in the second half.  Taking the beginning of this discourse from Saturday's reading (see above), we begin to see the parallels.  He began (in Saturday's reading) with a warning to take heed about false christs, which is repeated here and amplified.  The second warning was about wars which He then described in detail just above these verses in today's reading, and includes the abomination of desolation.  The second-to-last warning is about tribulation here, which amplifies His warnings in Saturday's reading of being delivered up to councils, and betrayed and delivered up by family members.  Today's reading gives us the second half of that X shaped prophecy, the center of which was that "the gospel must first be preached to all the nations" in Saturday's reading (see above), which my study Bible calls the heart of the apostolic ministry and the mission of the Church.

 

"But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken."   My study Bible says that, according to patristic commentary, the sun will not be destroyed, but will be darkened in relation to the glory of Christ.  In other words, it will appear to be dark by comparison to the fullness of Christ's splendor.  Note that when Christ says that the powers in the heavens will be shaken, this can't be separated from the spiritual powers in the heavens, and the things described here are in response to that transition and glory in spiritual battle, the victory of Christ described in the next verses.  

 

"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven."   Note that at Christ's first coming, He came in humility and mortality, (as signified through His entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt; see this reading).  But at Christ's return, His second coming, He will be revealed with great power and glory.  My study Bible refers us to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 on the gathering of the elect, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.  

 

What is the farthest part of heaven?   This seems to affirm that the elect include those on earth, but also those of the great cloud of witnesses, who stand in the resurrection.  This vast and incomprehensible number of souls is impossible for us to calculate, and I daresay, to even imagine.  In fact, much of what Christ has to say in this end times prophecy is to us, unimaginable.  That would include even those terrifying events of the Siege of Jerusalem, documented for us in history books, so vividly told here in Christ's forewarnings to the people.  These warnings -- such as to pray that their flight may not be in winter, or of the woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days -- carry with them the terror of such a calamitous and disastrous time.  They don't soften the sense of desperation and fear; quite the opposite.  Christ does not seek to minimize the dangers and harm that may exist for us in this world, particularly as His followers.  But He does warn us about them, and about the things we will be called upon to face for His name's sake -- and He also gives us His solemn promise and assurance of His return, and the gathering together of His elect from the four winds, and from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.  Let's consider once again the depth and breadth of what these words mean, and the unimaginable number of souls gathered in Christ's power and glory and His return.  "From the four winds" indicates all the directions of the earth, not a single soul overlooked from anywhere in the world.  That even the powers in the heavens will be shaken should give us a sense of the shattering of our present reality in exchange for another one at the end of the age, and in the fullness of the coming of His Kingdom.  None of these things can be glossed over or de-emphasized, for all of it is important to us, and none of it is sugar-coated for us.  It all comes as part of the package of our faith in Christ.  Often we get the impression that there has been so much progress in terms of medical science, or technology, or a host of other modern developments, that we have great control over our lives and our world.  But Christ tells us something quite different, which perhaps we discover in our own lives through time and experience, that despite all of these innovations and modern wealth and productivity, we still have unforeseen circumstances to deal with.  We remain with wars and rumors of wars (perhaps more destructive, violent, and frightening than ever); we remain with natural disasters we can't seem to fully control or explain; and we certainly remain with evil in our world and political machinations and hardships of all kinds.  While we have news reported and available to us with 24-hour availability, it does seemingly little to reassure us that all things are stable and cared for; quite the opposite, in fact.  But with Christ, we have something more.  We have His reassurance that not a hair on our heads goes uncounted by God (Matthew 10:30), not a sparrow drops to the earth apart from God's knowledge and will (Matthew 10:29), and that God knows the things we have need of (Matthew 6:31-33).  Let us first seek the will of God, to know God in prayer and communion and to build up our faith, to find the things that Christ has for us to do in the world.  For ultimately we are dependent upon God, from whom every good and perfect gift comes -- and who gives us warnings about our world and knows the dangers and fears we live with; for He has been with us as one of us, and offers us the Kingdom and our discipleship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old

 

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant selling beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

 

- Matthew 13:44-52 

 

Presently, we are reading in chapter 13 of Matthew's Gospel, the chapter in which Jesus introduces His style of preaching in parables.  After teaching the parable of the Sower (explaining in private to His disciples), then the parables of the Wheat and the Tares, the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven, Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age,  and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant selling beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."   These two parables illustrate the priceless nature of God's Kingdom.  My study Bible explains that the parable of the treasure hidden in a field is an illustration of those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, but receive Him nonetheless with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price is an illustration of people who, on the other hand, have been searching in their hearts for Him, and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls, it says, represent all the various teachings and philosophies of the world.  These treasures are hidden in the sense that they are neither recognized nor valued by those immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, my study Bible further notes, to receive the treasure requires that everything else must be sold; that is, a person must surrender all things in order to receive Christ (see also Romans 14:11).

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."   My study Bible describes the image of the fishing net gathering the good and wicked as similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares (in this reading).  But this parable extends the understanding that even those gathered into the Church are subject to judgment.  

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom on this passage, who notes that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament, but is praising it as a treasure.  Those who truly write or speak of the kingdom of heaven will draw from the unity of both new and old Testaments, for both are holy, with the New the fulfillment of the Old.  My study Bible further comments that this is indeed how St. Matthew composed his gospel.  In this Gospel, we will frequently read the words "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" accompanied by Scripture from the Old Testament. 

It is amazing and illuminating to consider all these treasures that Christ describes, stretching from the period of the Old and through the New Testaments.  If we roughly generalize that time period, the revelation to Abraham is thought to have been approximately 2,000 years before the birth of Christ, and now we are 2,000 years after it.  Of course, the Old Testament does not begin with Abraham, but with the creation of all the universe, and the existence of the God without beginning.  (Let us once again ponder the beginning of John's Gospel, which echoes Genesis 1, but teaches us about the One who makes all things new; see John 1:1-5.)  The Bible as a whole teaches us about the continual intervention of God throughout our worldly history, and God's revelation to us -- which is all of a whole.  It is all a part of the treasure that Christ describes, "old and new" to us.  When we go through periods of life where we feel a great instability, either on a personal scale or a larger one, we should consider this consistent spiritual revelation throughout the history of the world as a reminder that God is always with us, no matter what our experience or what we think we see in a worldly sense.  Moreover, in the context of today's reading, it might give us pause to observe the evolution of our spirituality through the Bible Scriptures, and the history of worship indicated therein and through the Church.  Because while we may hear within our own understanding of time, so often the words and teachings we're given indicate something timeless, and outside of time.  Christ's miracles may be immediate, but this is part of the manifestation of the divine Son as Incarnate Jesus, a "sign" that the kingdom is present to us in that immediate and extraordinary form.  But we should not confuse, for example, the pearl of great price as indicating that its discovery is a kind of once-in-a-lifetime action only.  For the pearls that Christ gives us, the great pearl that is our faith, is something we need to understand as part of that timelessness of God also that runs through time and history in our world:  it continues to give as we continue to evolve in our faith.  The parable expresses the idea that we give all that we have for this pearl of great price, and we must not necessarily confuse that with a one-time choice, but with an action that continues throughout our lives.  As we are human beings in time, our capacity for repentance comes not as an all-at-once learning curve.  On the contrary, the learning curve of the disciples throughout the Gospels is there so that we learn how we grow in our faith, coming to discard what needs to be put aside, and to more deeply embrace what this pearl of great price does in us, and how Christ leads us.  So let us not be discouraged by what seems a tall order, or setbacks, or confusion, or things that seem to contradict what we find in our lives.  For this pearl of great price is the one thing that unites all contradictions, and it is and must be to that pearl, to our treasure, that we turn to find resolution and to continue "asking, seeking, and knocking" (Matthew 7:7).  Indeed, if we know where our treasure is, every obstacle, setback, or seeming contradiction must work to spur us to look "upward" to that place where all contradictions are resolved, to go to prayer, to seek guidance, to go forward in this journey of faith -- just as we see that spiritual journey of God's revelation in the Bible.  We await, as Christ has taught, the end of the age, when all things will be revealed (1 Corinthians 13:12).  But through everything we experience, we are taught to cling to this treasure, old and new, to learn it more deeply, to pray with it, to experience its truths which deliver us more of the same, and hope, and faith.  For this is the journey we are on, the priceless pearl we have been given, if we can receive it.

 

 

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field

Christ Pantocrator (detail from Deisis mosaic).  1261, Haghia Sophia cathedral, Constantinople (Istanbul)

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he has found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

- Matthew 13:44-52

Yesterday we read that, after preaching several parables,  Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he has found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  My study bible takes these two parables together in a commentary.  It explains that the parable of the treasure hidden in a field is an illustration of those who unintentionally stumble onto Christ and His Church, but nevertheless receive Christ with great eagerness.  The parable of the pearl of great price is an illustration of those who have been searching in their hearts for Christ, and finally find Him and His Church.  The other pearls give a picture of all the varied teachings and philosophies of the world.  These treasures are hidden in the fact that they are not recognized nor valued by the people who are immersed in worldliness.  In both parables, to receive the treasure asks of the purchaser that everything else must be sold.  In other words, a person surrenders everything else in order to receive Christ.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."    My study bible comments that the image of the fishing net, which gathers the good and wicked together, is similar to the parable of the wheat and the tares.  (See yesterday's reading, above, in which Jesus gives His interpretation of that parable to the disciples; and also His original telling of the parable in this reading from last week.)   However, the parable of the fishing net further emphasizes that even those who are gathered into the Church are subject to judgment.

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom here, who comments that Jesus does not exclude the Old Testament, but rather praises it as a treasure.  Those who truly write or speak of the kingdom of heaven, my study bible says, will draw from the unity of the new and old Testaments, as both are holy, with the New being the fulfillment of the Old.   This, in fact, is how Matthew composed his gospel, in which we frequently read of events which happened that it might be fulfilled which was spoken (see 1:22; 2:15, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:56; 27:35).

So, what is treasure to you?  What constitutes treasure?  A treasure is something more prized above all else.  It is something coveted, and zealously guarded, as that which brings and adds value to us and to our lives.  A treasure is something which is loved, held highest in value, given esteem in some sense.  A treasure is also something which we will go out of our way and make the greatest effort to preserve and to protect, even to enhance its value if possible.  All of these qualities Jesus ascribes to the kingdom of heaven, teaching those who would be His followers about how they should prize what He offers, and what they might participate in and be a part of through His ministry.  In the parables of the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great price, we're told that this one prized thing is worthy of the sacrifice of everything else in order to have it.  The treasure hidden in the field reminds us of the secret and hidden nature of this treasure as well.  It's in the prayers we say in secret to our Father in the secret place, and who hears in secret (Matthew 6:6).   The very word mystery, so frequently given to us as part of the Church and all of her sacraments, means "hidden" or "secret" -- and so we are given yet another understanding of this Kingdom.  It may not appear to all, nor be apparent to anyone else, but becomes real and present to us through faith.   The parables of the mustard seed and leaven also gave us hints of the hidden mystery of the Kingdom.  The leaven was hidden in the meal until it transformed the whole thing through an inner, mysterious action.  The tiniest of seeds produced a great tree.  The pearl of great price is the parable most often cited when we're speaking about the value and worth of this mystery of the Kingdom.  But even such a pearl and its value would not be obvious to everyone.  It would take a kind of expertise, and one who has searched such treasures with a long experience, to know it when he or she found it.  Again, the parable speaks of a kind of mystery that only some will know and understand.  Perhaps in looking at these parables and the "hiddenness" that we find in them, we come to understand another important facet of our faith and about the Kingdom.  Not everybody is going to love this or understanding it.  Not everybody is going to value it, or be aware of its value.  Each parable asks us to be aware of what it is that we are being offered, and even if no one else knows or understands what treasure we have, we are to value it as priceless, and above all other things.  Finally, in today's reading, Jesus gives us yet another parable invoking the image of judgment.  We will find in this world both good and bad, valuable and worthless, all somehow bound up together.  But that is not to be our concern except for our need for discernment.  This is the way that things must be, and only God's judgment is to separate good from bad, and that will come at the end of the age.  Our work is to hear His commandments, to value what He offers, and to be the best disciples that we can be, even in the midst of a confusing world where not everyone is going to value the same things that we do.  Finally Jesus speaks once again of treasure:  "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  We have a long, long tradition of treasures, and each year, each century, every saint, and every faithful person, brings more to this treasure.  New or old makes no difference to the value of the treasure -- each one adds to the other.  Let us consider the frame of mind which Jesus asks of us:  we are to learn to discern true value, and live by such an understanding.  We place the treasure of this Kingdom first, and we recognize its value and the worthiness of all parts of it, both old and new.  This isn't a fad and it isn't a fashion.  It's not the "latest thing" -- but it is the greatest thing.  Let us live in accordance with the vast value He places upon this treasure.  In the icon above, which is the center of a mosaic in Haghia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom"), the cathedral of Constantinople, we see Christ as ruler of all.  He is pictured holding the Gospel, the living word.  We notice its bejeweled and golden cover, indicating that it is the true treasure.  It almost looks like a treasure box.  But let us remember that the treasure is "hidden" within, in His living word to us and given for us -- even as He is also the "Living Word" who gave His life for ours.

Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field

 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 13:36-43

Yesterday we read that Jesus continued teaching about the kingdom of heaven in parables, saying:   "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."  Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."

 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   In today's reading, Jesus explains the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, given in Thursday's reading.   Just as with the parable of the Sower (see readings of May 7 and May 8), in private Jesus explains the meaning of the parable of the Wheat and the Tares.   We recall that tares are plants that resemble wheat, but are weeds and do not give the grain of wheat.  Jesus explains the parable by giving us a vivid picture of judgment, and speaking of the end of the age.  It's strong talk, and comes together with changes in His ministry that we can observe.  He is being confronted by the religious authorities, who now have decided to plot against Him, to try to destroy Him (see this reading).  He introduced concepts of judgment in replying to the scribes and Pharisees who demanded a sign from Him, a kind of proof of His identity (in this reading), saying that those figures in the Old Testament -- all foreigners -- who responded to the work of the Holy Spirit in Solomon's wisdom and in the preaching of Jonah, would rise up in the judgment to condemn "this generation" that asks for a sign. 

In chapter 12, Jesus used strong words of Judgment after He was accused of casting out demons by the power of demons.  He told the Pharisees:  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."   It is perhaps in this clear and plain-spoken reference to the Holy Spirit that we find Jesus' most explicit reference to Judgment and its workings in the world.  The greatest gift He brings us, the outpouring of the Spirit for all people, becomes something which has an effect upon us whether or not we want that effect.  It brings us choices, and significant choices.  When we are in the presence of the holy, remaining neutral becomes an impossible task -- we are faced with acceptance or rejection in our response, a "yes" or a "no."  But amidst this stark choice, there is also the gift of time, and of repentance.  There is the power to reconsider, to "change one's mind," which is the literal meaning of the Greek word for repentance, metanoia.  My study bible was quick to note, in the reading referenced just above, that Jesus does not say that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.  The potential of repentance is key to our understanding of our faith and of ourselves.  We are beings in time, with a fixed identity only in the power of Christ, the image in which our Creator has fashioned us.  As human beings who may not only "change our minds," but also become more deeply molded in our faith, becoming unified with Creator who has come to call us back to Him,  beings within whom the Kingdom may dwell in the ongoing presence and work of the Holy Spirit, and who are ministered to by angels, assisted in prayer even with countless saints, we are not fixed in time.  Rather, identity is something that may expand and grow, casting off what is not good nor profitable, and the things which stand in the way of God's love in us.  Therefore, none of us can have an absolute sense of what judgment is like or will hold, even for ourselves, nor for anyone else.  We cannot have the perspective that God has, nor the love, nor the mercy, nor God's capacity for healing.  What we  can understand is the depth of love in which we are held, but also the worth and value to which we are called.  Our love means something; what we love and make a part of ourselves means something about who we are.   Perhaps Jesus' most telling words about the end of the age are in His statement about the work of the angels, sent out at His command, at that time: that they will  gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.  These are the things for us to consider, and for time to heal and repair, for "change of mind" to address.  Let us remember that we all grow in understanding and that none of us are finished with what St. Paul called the "good fight of faith."  It seems, rather, that the beauty He looks for in us exists midst weakness and imperfection (2 Corinthians 12:9), even shame and all manner of things that are offensive to the world (1 Corinthians 4:9-13).  In this vein, let us remember that it was His Crucifixion that Christ called the hour of His glory (John 12:23-33).  Let us look to His love to teach us what it is to shine forth as the sun.

Every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old

 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

- Matthew 13:44-52

In our recent readings, Jesus has begun to preach to the crowds in parables.   On Friday, we read that Jesus taught the parable of the Wheat and Tares.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  New parables give us new glimpses of the nature of this Kingdom.  My study bible tells us, "The Kingdom of God is compared to an earthly treasure and a costly pearl.  The driving desire of men for wealth pictures the desire of the soul for heavenly riches.  The jewel is described as hidden because it requires faith and perseverance to discover it.)  Recent readings have taught us about mysteries, things "kept hidden" (such as in the statement, "I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world").  Again, it is the same Greek word used here.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.  So it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."  My study bible tells us:  "The Kingdom is compared to a fishing net which gathers the good and the wicked, an image similar to that of the parable of the tares.  The point is that the final judgment will finally disclose and separate the wicked from the righteous."  Again, as in yesterday's reading (and the parable of the Wheat and Tares which it explains), the subject of Judgment returns.  The end of the age is the time when the world is claimed for this Kingdom, a kind of completeness of reconciliation.

Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  My study bible says here:  "Jesus does not reject the Old Testament; rather, He commends it and calls it treasure.  Fulfillment is found, however, in the New Testament, which leads to a complete understanding of the Old Testament.  This parable describes how Matthew, a Christian scribe, composed his Gospel."

It's important that we understand the concept of mystery, of things hidden.  The sacraments in the Church are also called mysteries (especially in the Eastern Churches), and it is important that we understand that when we participate in worship and in divine grace, we are opening up to mystery.  That is, to the Kingdom which is so often described by Jesus as containing "things hidden"  or "kept secret."  The Eucharist, for example, is a perfect illustration of this mystery of the Kingdom.  It's not just the mystery that we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, but the mystery goes far beyond that.  It is the Kingdom itself into which we are invited to participate, and we simply don't know all the treasure that is contained therein.  In Baptism, we are given the gift of Baptism into the Spirit.  How can we possibly know or understand the great mystery -- the things "hidden" or "secret" -- in the grace that is conferred upon us at Baptism?  Can we know how God will come to work in our lives?  Can we understand or predict exactly how the Spirit will work with us and within us?  When we participate in the life of the Kingdom we are invited to an overwhelming mystery, something unknown, that cannot possibly be calculated, by anyone.  The infinite creativity of God goes to work in us, and in that mystery is also the workings of the Father that bring us to faith, and the mystery of the cooperation of our own spirit with this work.  No one can predict any of these things, nor can we understand the full workings of the Kingdom.  Therefore, the things kept hidden or kept secret become of fundamental importance to us.  When we enter into a life of faith, it becomes an unfolding journey.  Our own reconciliation, and the process of healing us as those who become members in this Kingdom, becomes a kind of a process that the leaven hidden in three measures of flour illustrates.  The journey we are on may be filled with treasure hidden in this field for which we are willing to give up all else, and that beautiful pearl that is worth everything else in our lives.  What could that be worth, and what could it be?  This is also part of the mystery.  We don't know what God will bring us, what this relationship with Christ will give us, or what it may call on us to discard.  But we do know that it must change and transform us, in a hidden and secret way, in a mysterious process that we can't predict.  Standing on the shoulders of others, advised and guided by those who've made the journey before us, treasures old and new from the spiritual experience of other scribes can help to point the way, and to affirm our faith.  In this we take sustenance and nurturing.  In the Kingdom, there is a great cloud of witnesses, a communion of saints, to teach us more about our faith and to help strengthen and encourage us in the journey, with things both new and old.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

- Luke 2:1-14

As we continue our readings for Christmastide, today we visit Luke's account of the birth of Christ. Yesterday, we read about Joseph and his betrothed wife Mary, and the angel's announcement to Joseph in Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus. See St. Joseph - And he called His name Jesus.

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. My study bible notes here that "Octavian, who as emperor was called Caesar Augustus, ruled the Roman Empire at the zenith of its expansion and power (31 B.C. - A.D. 14). The registration is for the purpose of taxation." Given the historical setting provided by Luke, scholars calculate that the census most likely began about 6-5 B.C.

So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. A note here reads: "Though Mary is with child, the Gospel does not call her Joseph's wife but rather his betrothed wife, for she is still a virgin. Some manuscripts read simply 'his betrothed.' Although betrothal was binding in the Jewish tradition, the couple did not engage in sexual relations during this period." We read in yesterday's reading of the character of Joseph, a kind man who would not put his betrothed in a position of public scandal -- and also of the annunciation of the angel to Joseph in a dream, telling him about the Child and mother. Joseph travels with his family to the historical city of his ancestors for registration, the city of David. In yesterday's reading, Joseph is called "son of David" by the angel, due to his Davidic ancestry. In today's reading, we learn they travel from Nazareth.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. A note here reads: "The firstborn Son is 'holy to the LORD' (v. 23) and has special significance as primary heir and carrier of patriarchal blessings. Firstborn does not necessarily mean others will be born after Him, but only that no child was born before Him. Manger: a feeding trough for livestock. The hills around Bethlehem held many caves where domestic animals were kept by night. It was in such a humble cave that Jesus was born." One imagines the people - others also of the ancestral lineage of David - crowding into Bethlehem for the census. I have read that many homes were built in front of such caves, which were used for livestock as an attachment to the property. This idea of Jesus' birth in such a cave is ancient tradition in the Church; writings dating from the second century speak of this tradition. My friend, Deacon Shant Kazanjian of the Armenian Apostolic Church, spoke to me about the ancient icons of the birth of Jesus, and this picture of a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a stone manger - represented not as a trough but as a table, as a sort of altar - and inside of a cave. Theologically, it is a picture of Christ being born into our world, as one of us: the cave is like a tomb (indeed, like the tomb in which He will be buried after the Crucifixion), the swaddling cloths like those in which contemporary dead were buried after anointing. Even the gifts of the Magi, which we will read about later, contain elements for burial (the myrrh for anointing, the frankincense for prayers). In effect, Christ is born into the depths of our world, overshadowed by death, to become one of us, and to bring light into the darkness. The stone manger, as a sort of table, is representative of an altar on which He is given to us as grace giving this Gift to the world, who will also become the sacrifice for all of us, so that we may have life abundantly. This is the way the ancient Church understood this birth.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. A note reads: "Not to kings, priests or biblical scholars, but to Shepherds living out in the fields do the angels announce the birth of Him who would be Lamb of God and Shepherd of the sheep." These fields have traditionally been identified as somewhere near the Bethlehem suburb of Beit Sahour, overlooking the hill country there. Jesus, of course, will call Himself the Good Shepherd, and those who hear His voice are His sheep. The identification of Jesus with the shepherds at His birth will remain an essential symbol for Christianity, and play a distinct role in its theology throughout the centuries.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. A note here reads, "The appearance of the angel and the radiance of the glory of the Lord underscores the divine event that is taking place, the birth of the eternal Son of God in His human nature." Once again, we encounter the element of grace at work through the action of angelic messengers in this story. This time it is an announcement to the shepherds. The nativity story is filled with such encounters, some of which we've read about in recent readings: to Zacharias, to Mary, to Joseph, and now to the shepherds in the fields.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. My study bible says here: "Christ means 'the Anointed One,' the Messiah. The title Lord shows He is God; Savior shows that He will save His people from the power of sin and death." This birth, this powerful event in which Christ is born into the midst of our world, is not something to fear. The power of grace brought into the world and working in it is something for which we experience great joy, its news good tidings for everyone. This Lord is not coming to judge, but to save, a great Gift to the whole world.

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" A note here says, "Christ comes to bring peace and goodwill toward men, for He is the incarnate love of God, reconciling humanity to God and people to each other." The Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger, is a sign to them, a sign to the shepherds, who represent us all, doing our best to care for all that we love, in stewardship in God's world. God brings the most vulnerable of children, a Babe, as His gift to us, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. He will be the sacrifice given for us, the Son given to us, so that we all may have life.

The shepherds represent all of us who need that light and the saving guidance it brings, so that we may have life in abundance, and all that includes, even peace and joy and goodwill. I think it's quite powerful that this image of the shepherds brings us not only a single angelic messenger making an announcement, but suddenly "a multitude of the heavenly host." This is impossible for me to imagine. And there is more, they are "praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'" What we have is at once an image of angelic presence in heaven itself, worshiping and glorifying God, and the great Gift of the Son in our midst. This heavenly event is an eternal reality, but it is ever-present to us, as it is to those shepherds at this moment in earth's history, when we receive our Gift. God's grace makes the heavenly presence a reality available to us, and we celebrate this Gift each Sunday along with that heavenly angelic presence. But first, it manifested before those shepherds who received the Good News, the Sign, the good tidings of great joy. The song of praise will be echoed in the words of Christ at the Last Supper, as He promises that He gives us His peace, and teaches us to love one another as He has loved us. The Gift that is given in this birth of the Babe is a Gift He will institute for us as the Eucharist, that keeps on giving to us, as we "do this in remembrance of Him." That Babe in the cave is born to us as God, as a Gift from God, as Son, as light that comes into the darkness for us. Through angelic messenger, and a whole multitude of the heavenly host, we are proclaimed recipients of this good news, this great joy, this saving grace. But without the love and care of those who hear, who receive this grace and good news, such as Mary and Joseph, where would He be? Where would this story be? How would we have these good tidings of great joy? As He is born the most vulnerable Babe, let us remember our part in God's grace, the part of the shepherds and all those concerned with this story. That role continues in a lineage of grace right through to our times. Where would we be without those who also hear and receive and do their part, with grace working through them? We each do our part as bearers and receivers of this great news, of the light that comes into the darkness.