Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?

 

 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.  

 

When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes."  And when he had come into the house, Jesus  anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"  Peter said to Him, "From strangers."  Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

 

- Matthew 17:22-27 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus, John, and Peter had returned from the mount of Transfiguration, they came to the multitude, and a man came to Christ, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

 

 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.   My study Bible comments here that Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection a second time (see the first here) in order to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and will not be taken against His will.  

 

 When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes."  And when he had come into the house, Jesus  anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"  Peter said to Him, "From strangers."  Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."  My study Bible explains that the temple tax was an annual head tax on all male Jews (except the priests) over twelve years of age.  This tax was for the maintenance of the temple (see Numbers 3:43-51).  Since Jesus is the Son of God, He is both High Priest and also "proprietor" of the temple, therefore He's exempt from the tax.  But nonetheless, Jesus pays it anyway, both to avoid unnecessary offense and to show that He has completely identified Himself with humankind.

 

 Jesus' solution to the payment of the temple tax is really quite ingenious if we think of it in a particular way.  As my study Bible says, He shows He truly is Son of God and Son of Man, human and divine, at the same time.  Just as He will in the future cleanse the temple to the dismay and indignation of the religious leadership (Matthew 21:12-13), so we understand that as "proprietor" of the temple (that is, as Messiah and Son of God) He is exempt from the tax.  He makes this point clear to St. Peter with His questions:  "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"  Peter said to Him, "From strangers."   In His divine identity, and as the Christ, Jesus is a kind of "king" in the temple of God.  But instead of standing on this point in order to "lord it over" others, so to speak, Jesus condescends to pay -- and not only for Himself but also for St. Peter. In this vein, we can see His compassion at work, as for St. Peter, this is a very important point among his community.  Peter has already said to those who questioned him that His Teacher does indeed pay the tax.  From other stories, we know how strongly the impact of shame within a community works upon St. Peter (see this story, for example, in which St. Paul takes him to task for it).  So, in some sense, just as Jesus publicly rebuked the crowds in yesterday's reading, but in private also spoke to the disciples of their lack of faith, here Jesus publicly avoids humiliating St. Peter.  But He does not order the money to be paid from the treasury of His ministry, neither does He produce money from any source of His own, so to speak.  But He does something miraculous, manifests another sign of His divinity in so doing, and instructs Peter (a fisherman by trade) to do what he knows to do:  to go catch a fish, and in the mouth of that fish is the temple tax for both Jesus and St. Peter.  In a type of protective show of humility as human being and the Teacher of St. Peter, Jesus instructs him:  "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."  This is shown in His explicit remark regarding avoiding giving offense to the temple authorities.  Of course, St. Peter is one of them to whom He remarked, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19).  So there is another ray of meaning in today's reading besides the straightforward story of this miraculous sign.  As a kind of symbolic reference, we can see the work that the disciples like St. Peter will do, in being "fishers of men," as that which will build the true temple and feed our worship of God.  In that is the fuel that will feed and provide for our needs a faithful going forward into the future.  It is also an act of pure faith and obedience to Christ by His disciple, and in so doing, produces "wealth" for the Kingdom.  Notice how specific Christ's instructions are, including telling this fisherman to "cast in a hook" (similarly to the specific nature of His instructions for His Triumphal Entry and the Last Supper).  His instructions are definite and deliberate.  So perhaps we should think of all the works we do for God and in our faith in Christ as that which stokes, feeds, and upholds the true temple of God, the Church; that is, the community of the faithful.  When we are called to do something, as St. Peter has been called to be a fisher of men, and we obey, then we produce the things that sustain the Kingdom, we are fulfilling the need we have on earth to sustain the Church.  We should also consider that we are each temples of God, and so our own faith and obedience, and whatever work of faith we are called to do, also sustains and nurtures God's presence within us and close to us, closer than our own heartbeat.  It reminds us that in yesterday's reading (above), Jesus spoke of prayer and fasting as those things which increase, magnify, and make our faith more powerful.  So it is when we are called to do whatever works for God and fulfill them; we make "profit" for our faith, for our Church, for the whole of the communion of saints and the Kingdom which does indeed dwell within us.  Let us consider Christ's compassion, His humility, His condescension for us, His love for His disciples, and above all, the ways in which we are called also to find a way in this world to do the work of our faith, for Him who is also divine and loves us as our faithful Lord Jesus Christ, our Teacher.  For He shows us this wonderful, perfect balance of the Kingdom, fulfilling all that He is here to do -- and He will show us that life for us as well, if we follow Him in faith in the ways we're shown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

- Matthew 7:-12

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

 

 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  So He said to them, "When you pray, say:

"Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

 For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one."

 

And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

 

- Luke 11:1–13 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus was alone praying, His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  so they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and raised on the third day."  Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and In His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here  who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

 

  Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  My study Bible says that "teach us to pray" is an expression of a universal longing to be in communion with God.

 

So He said to them, "When you pray, say:  "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  The Father-Son relationship within the Trinity is a revelation of our own potential relationship with God, my study Bible notes.  It says that Christ, the Son of God, grants us the privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  As a "son of God," a Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God the same way Christ does the Father.  My study Bible adds that we must know that God is not our Father only because God created us.  God is only Father to those who are in a saving and personal relationship with God, a communion that comes only by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).  

"Give us day by day our daily bread."   Daily, my study Bible notes, is a misleading translation of the Greek word επιουσιος/epiousios, which literally means "above the essence" or "supersubstantial."  The expression daily bread, it says, indicates not simply bread for today, for earthly nourishment. This is bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, for the nourishment of our immortal soul.  This living, supersubstantial bread is Christ Himself.  In the Lord's Prayer, then, we're not simply asking for material bread for physical health, but for the spiritual bread of eternal life (John 6:27-58).  

"And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us."  This request to be forgiven is plural, my study Bible asks us to note.  So, we're directed to pray always for the forgiveness of others.  The term debts is a reference to spiritual debts (see Matthew 18:21-35).

 

 "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  My study Bible comments that God tempts no one to sin (James 1:13).  Temptations are from the evil one, the devil.  Temptations are aimed at the soul's giving in to the sinful passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5).  My study Bible further explains that no one lives without encountering temptations, but we pray that great temptations, tests beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), should not come to us.

 

 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs."  My study Bible claims that this parable demonstrates God's faithfulness to those who are in need and who pray with persistence.  The patristic consensus interprets midnight as both the time of our death and a time of great temptation.  The friend is Christ, who, as our only source of grace, provides everything we need.  

 

 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  In Greek, my study Bible explains, these verbs rendered ask, seek, and knock imply a continuous action.  They're better translated as "keep asking," "keep seeking," and "keep knocking."  It says that God responds when we persistently ask for things that are good.  Bread, fish, and an egg are all images of life and symbolize the gift of the Holy Spirit (see John 14:13-14; James 4:3).  

 

Jesus speaks of asking, seeking, and knocking.  As this comes in response to a request to be taught to pray, we can understand that He's speaking of what we do in prayer.  As my study Bible points out, these verbs are given in a form that indicates continuing action:  keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.  But while modern concepts of prayer focus on asking for something, we need to look closely to see what Christ is suggesting, what it's presumed the disciples are asking, seeking, and knocking to find in response to their prayer.  He says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  This is the thing most devoutly to be desired:  not for all our material woes to be solved, not for our wishes and dreams in a worldly sense, but to be given the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit that involves.  St. Paul names the fruit of the Spirit in this way:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).   Do we pray for such things?  When we seek to pray -- or to learn how to pray -- is it with such blessings and fruit in mind?  How much do we value these things?  When Jesus speaks to His disciples, it is with a foundation in the things He teaches, the life of the Kingdom He has come into the world to give us and to teach us about.  When He makes disciples, it is those who wish this life, who devoutly wish the Holy Spirit and the gifts and fruit of the Spirit.  We are taught to pray by Jesus with this grounding in mind, the orientation of this Kingdom devoutly to be wished.  We pray for the will of the Father to be done in this world as it is in heaven.  Let us think about what that means for us, and what we wish to be a part of.  For to pray for this Kingdom and for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven is to understand that we commit to this will and this Kingdom by living it in the world, by bearing the values of God's will into the world, and seeking to live and to do that will.  At the same time, let us understand that means practicing forgiveness, struggling against temptation, understanding our place in the spiritual battleground that is this world, to be delivered from the evil one who is the "ruler of this world."  How many understand this when we pray?  Bread, fish, and eggs give us images of the Spirit, my study Bible says; we think of the bread of life, the fish as that which was multiplied by Christ, the egg that would come to be a symbolic gift at Easter.  In the Greek of the text, the word for fish is ἰχθύς/ixthys.  Used as an acronym for the Greek words "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior" (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ) this ancient word for fish would give us the symbol of the early Church.  By contrast, serpents and scorpions are images of devils and demons.  Again these are images of contrasting kingdoms in spiritual warfare.  Let us remember the spirit in which we're given prayer, the things devoutly to be wished for and prayed for, the promise of the Holy Spirit Jesus makes to us here.  

 

Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!

 

 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  

 

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

 

- Luke 5:1–11 

 

Yesterday we read that, after teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. 

 

  So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.  The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee, Gennesaret being the name of a fertile plain and town nearby.  The name may derive from "garden," and mean "prince's garden," attributed to the fertility of both the agricultural land and the fishing in the lake.  

Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  My study Bible reminds us that sitting was the traditional Jewish position for a teacher.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.

 

 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose of Milan, who sees the spiritual meaning of this command ("Launch out into the deep") as an invitation to give one's life over to the deep mystery of the knowledge of the Son of God.  

 

  But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.  And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  Christ draws people to Himself by things with which they are already familiar.  My study Bible gives the examples of the Magi who were drawn to Him by a star (Matthew 2:2), and the tax collectors drawn to Him by a tax collector appointed as disciple (Luke 5:29), so here He draws the fishermen with fish (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23). 

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"  Peter's cry in the face of divine power is not a rejection of Jesus, my study Bible says (contrast Luke 8:37).  Peter is suddenly cast in the light of Christ; he responds in a way common to holy people.  That is, a perception which makes them keenly aware of their own unworthiness (compare Isaiah 6:5; Revelation 1:17).  

 

  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.  And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men."  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. This great catch of fish is an image of the apostles bringing humankind to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, my study Bible tells us.  It also fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah 16:16.  An Orthodox hymn of Pentecost proclaims to Him, "Through the fishermen, You drew the world into Your net."

 

While astonishment in others has led to rejection (see Christ's visit to the town where He was brought up, Nazareth, in this reading), here the sheer astonishment of these fishermen produces an entirely different response.  We can also see the strong comparison between the townspeople of Nazareth, Jesus' former neighbors, and St. Peter.  His neighbors were resentful at His "gracious words" and also that He spoke with authority.  When He reminded His neighbors from Nazareth that Elisha and Elijah were sent to foreigners by God to do miraculous works, they were outraged enough to seek to kill Him.  But here, let us note Peter's seemingly automatic response to holiness:  his recognition that he is a sinful man, and cannot measure up to the divine presence before him.  These are completely different responses, characterized by humility (and the self-awareness that goes with it) in Peter and the lack of it in the townspeople.  Ironically, Jesus was telling the people of Nazareth that He would not produce miracles and signs on demand, implying that faith is the ingredient necessary for such events.  Here we can see the faithful response of the fishermen, the immediate recognition of holiness by Peter.  In some sense, the light of Christ shone in Peter's perception both to illuminate His holiness and also Peter's sinfulness (or perhaps we should say "less than holiness" for this is a statement of comparison to the perfection of Christ).  St. Peter often illustrates for us what it is to be an imperfect human being, but one with a great capacity for faith, and for change in light of the illumination of Christ.  He is the one who initially rebukes Christ after he hears that Jesus will be crucified, but at the same time, he's the one who confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (see Matthew 16:13-23).  But the same humility we experience in St. Peter in today's reading is also present at Christ's rebuke in that passage in Matthew 16, for although he's told in front of the others, "Get behind Me, Satan!" by his Lord, Peter nonetheless continues as a devoted disciple among the Twelve.  Let us consider this great man, whose flaws are on display in the Gospels, and whose greatness comes through nevertheless.  For he is a great example to us all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone

 

 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  

 

Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.  

 

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

- John 6:1–15 

 

 In our recent readings, the lectionary has taken us through chapter 8 of John's Gospel.  In that chapter, the setting is autumn of the final year of Christ's earthly life.  He attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and while there disputed with the religious leaders in the temple.  They sought to have Him arrested, but the temple officers were so struck by Christ's words that they were unable to do so.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus replied to the religious leaders, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

  After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.  Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.  Today the lectionary skips backward in John's Gospel, to chapter 6 (we'll return to begin chapter 9 next week).  This entire chapter parallels the story of the Passover and Exodus of Israel from Egypt in several significant way.  This is the second Passover festival recorded in John's Gospel, so it is now the middle of Christ's earthly ministry; one year from this time He will make His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and begin what we know as Holy Week, leading to His death on the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.  Here in these verses, we understand the following parallels with the Passover story:  in the Exodus account (Exodus 11 - 17), God first performed His signs against Pharaoh, ten gave instructions on how to be saved at the time of the Passover (Exodus 11:1-12:14).  Here, a great multitude followed Christ because they saw His signs, and these events take place at Passover. 

 

 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."  One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?"  My study Bible says that Christ is testing Philip to increase his faith here, for Philip needed help in understanding Him (John 14:8-10).  Two hundred denarii, it says, corresponds to over six months' wages for a laborer.  Andrew has greater faith than Philip:  he knows that the prophet Elisha had multiplied bread for over 100 men (2 Kings 4:42-44), and so offers the food brought by a certain lad.  Nonetheless, even Andrew is still weak in faith, as he questions what a mere five loaves could do for the number of people there.

 

 Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down."  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost."  Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.   This feeding of the multitude is the fourth of Christ's seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  This feeding miracle is reported in all four Gospels.  My study Bible comments that the description of Christ as He took the loaves, gave thanks  (Greek ευχαριςτω/eucharisto), and distributed them prefigures the celebration of the Eucharist. 

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."  Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  My study Bible remarks that although Jesus had performed greater signs than this, these crowds were so desirous of an earthly Messiah that they declared Jesus to be the expected Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) only when they were filled with earthly things (see John 6:26).  Because of this misunderstanding, my study Bible says, He departed from them.  

I always find it intriguing that the Gospel lets us know that because Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.  It tells us about the multitude (these five thousand men whom He has fed in the wilderness), and what they are looking for in a Messiah, or as they call Him, the Prophet.  It seems the time of the promised Messiah was expected to be a period of prosperity, at least a time of foreign rule to be overthrown, and a return to the time of the kingdom of David.  Certainly these men, we're told, sought to force Jesus to be king because of this great sign of the miraculous feeding in the wilderness.  As we go farther along into chapter 6, not only will events mirror the story of Exodus, as we read in today's commentary from my study Bible, but the theme of feeding, and its fulfillment in the Eucharist will play a very strong role in what Jesus will preach to the people.  This effort to take Jesus by force to make Him king also reveals to us much about Jesus.  He doesn't want a title or an honor because of His miracles;  the signs that are given to us in the Gospel are meant to convey a different message.  His is not a position merely of authority or power in a worldly sense, but they are meant to point to something greater which is beyond the immediate worldly circumstances.  They point to God, and to the presence of God, and God's love for God's people.  For this is the real message of Christian faith.  It is in John's Gospel that we're told, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  While we know a great deal of emphasis on the saving mission of Jesus Christ, perhaps we are inclined to overlook the first part of this verse that teaches us emphatically about God's love for us.  This feeding miracle in the wilderness (in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, there is an additional miraculous feeding of four thousand) teaches us about God's love in the very gesture of hospitality and care it represents and conveys.  The miracle, of course, is in multiplying the loaves and the fish, something only the Creator could do; it is the sign of God's presence in an extraordinary sense.  Of course, the Eucharistic significance is there also, tying in both the Passover and the Eucharist to come in which all is fulfilled in Christ, who feeds us today in the same extraordinary and holy way.  That He refuses to be made king is simply an affirmation of the motivation of God's love behind all things He does, including His care and feeding in the wilderness, and this message of love present in today's reading and this fourth sign in the Gospel.  But what does one want when one gives love?  Do we want worldly glory and fame, a kind of adoration based on what we can do for others?  Or is love a language and communication of something completely different?  Love asks and awaits for love in return, for this is what communion is all about.  Like the parable of the Prodigal Son, in which the prodigal's father simply awaits his return to be a joyous reunion, God asks us for love in return, but does not coerce nor command it from us, for that's not how love works.  Let us ponder this great mystery, as we follow Christ returning alone to the mountaintop.

 

 

 

 

 

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd

 

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what the had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  

 

 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

 

- Mark 6:30–46 

 

Yesterday we read that now King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to th king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples hears of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 

  Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what the had done and what they had taught.  This verse continues the narrative of the Gospel from the reading in which Jesus sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission (see this reading).  Yesterday's story of the beheading John the Baptist (see above) was given parenthetically, as an explanation of Herod's fear that Jesus is John the Baptist returned from the dead.

And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  My study Bible comments that Christ gives rest to His disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  

So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  My study Bible comments that this miracle is reported by all four evangelists.  It shows Jesus feeding a great multitude of His people as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  It notes that the Church Fathers see in this an image of the Eucharist, which is an idea made clear in John 6.  There is another feeding miracle reported in Mark 8:1-10, in which Jesus feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish.  Some modern scholars have attempted to say that these are simply the same story, my study Bible says, but the witness of the Gospels is clear that they are two distinct accounts -- and Christ Himself refers to them separately (Mark 8:17-21).  The text tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion, a phrase used consistently concerning our Lord (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).  It shows that Christ's power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  My study Bible further mentions that there is a spiritual interpretation in patristic literature which teaches that the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ and therefore feed the universe.  The two fish are representative of the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  That the apostles gather the leftovers shows that the teachings which the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of the Church.  Additional understandings from this miraculous feeding include that we are shown here we should never eat without giving thanks to God.  This terminology, my study Bible says, points to the Last Supper (Mark 14:22-24) which also leads to a eucharistic interpretation of this miracle in today's reading.  As the disciples distribute the bread to set before the multitudes, so also Christ feeds the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.

 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.   After this significant occasion and development in His ministry, note that Christ departed to the mountain to pray.  So we should imitate Him at each new turn in our own lives, for guidance and the strengthening of our faith.

The feeding of the five thousand is also significant in the symbolism of the numbers.  Five is often seen as a number that symbolizes change, and this is, effectively, the story of the New Covenant, in which Christ -- as my study Bible says -- feeds the universe.  The "thousand" number gives us the sense of universality, and the multitudes included therein.  He who spoke the universe into existence, as the Word Himself, is the One who also comes into our world as the Son of Man, living the life of a human being, a creature of God, and so able to feed the entire creation through all that He does in that life, and through this New Covenant, His gospel.  At His Ascension, we understand that He rises -- including His now-glorified human flesh -- to sit at the right hand of the Father.  That is, He sits on the throne of judgment, as the Almighty, and so fills the place as the One to whom every knee shall  bow, rendering God all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).  This story not only teaches us a sense of universal fulfillment through Christ, but also of the universality of the very food He offers, which may include all a universe can give to us, regardless of our specific needs.  We turn to Him first, regardless of our need, our problem, our desire, our question to Him.  He is there for all, and this miracle declares this to be true.  Let us remember that all that He does comes from compassion.  The text says that Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  For He is our great Good Shepherd, who serves, protects, guides, and feeds us with what we need.

And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd

 

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  

When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

 

- Mark 6:30–46 

 

Yesterday we read that King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 

  Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  We recall that the disciples have been sent out on their first missionary journey (see this reading).  Now they return and tell Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  My study Bible explains that Christ gives rest to His disciples in order to show those who are engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  Although He wishes to withdraw to a deserted place with the disciples, the emphasis here is on the fame that has spread about Jesus.  So much so that the multitudes ran there on foot from all cities.   Let us note that although He had planned for some time with the disciples by themselves, He sees the crowd are like sheep not having a shepherd; thus He is moved with compassion for them.

When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  This feeding miracle is central to the Gospels, and is found in all four.  Jesus feeds five thousand men, and yet more women and children.  Here they are fed by the Lord as the Israelites were fed by Him in the desert (see Exodus 16).  My study Bible notes that in patristic commentary this feeding is seen as an image of the Eucharist, an idea which is made clear in John 6.   Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.  In His blessing, my study Bible remarks, we are taught that we must never eat without giving thanks (the word Eucharist comes from the word for giving thanks in Greek).  The terminology used is suggestive of the Law Supper (Matthew 26:26).  The disciples give the bread to the people, as Christ continues to feed the Eucharist to His flock through the hands of bishops and presbyters.   My study Bible also notes a spiritual interpretation of this miracle, in which the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ, and thereby feed the universe.  The two fish, according to those interpretation, represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In the gathering of the leftovers by the apostles, we see that the teachings which the faithful are not able to grasp are nonetheless held within the consciousness of the Church, my study Bible adds.  

 

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.   After an extraordinarily busy day, replete with a new revelation of God's mercy and intimation of the Eucharist to come, Jesus follows through with His plan for prayer and rest. This time He departs by Himself, after sending away the multitude and the disciples, instructing them to depart for Bethsaida from this deserted place.  But Jesus now takes time go to the mountain to pray at this new juncture in His ministry of the feeding in the wilderness.

 

One of the most notable details of this reading is Jesus being moved with compassion for the people  because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  How can we underestimate what it is to be "like sheep not having a shepherd?"  That is, to be people without guidance?  Think of the setting; it is a wilderness scene.  That is, it is far away from the cities with their community organization and patterns of behavior shaped by institutions such as the temple or local administration of any kind.  This is an important symbolic setting.  In the Genesis account of the creation of the world, we read that "the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2).  These words, describing something as "without form," and "void" is a way to describe what is in some sense chaotic, what does not have order and direction.  It is similar, in some sense, to describing people as being like sheep not having a shepherd.  It needs One to guide, to put in order, to establish real substance for life to thrive.  "The deep" is also a way of describing chaos, a place where human beings cannot live, and that is also true of "darkness."  It needs the Lord to create and make an order so that life can not simply be established but also be brought to good fruition, where life can be pronounced "good."  This in a sense is what the people in the wilderness are like.  They run to Christ because they need Him in this same sense that sheep need a shepherd.  The chaos of a herd that knows not where to go, that might follow first this one or that one, is similar to the way that Christ not only describes these people but also suggested in His response:  He is moved with compassion for them, for such is their need.  Note that He has already expressed the desire to go away from the crowds, to get away from all of those people who now form the multitudes which are constantly demanding of Him and His ministry, as there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  Jesus has already wished to come Himself to a deserted place to discuss with the disciples the results of their first apostolic mission.  But even with this desire, the apparently unexpected state of this crowd draws His compassion, and something new is born.  Like the Spirit hovering over the chaos of the waters, here, the power of God works to institute the beginnings of the structure of the Church and its central framework of worship:  the Eucharist.  It is yet another "beginning" (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1), in which the Spirit that hovers and gives birth to new "good" things provides not simply food in the wilderness to feed the multitudes, but the start of the Eucharist that will feed to us the food of Christ forever, as long as there is worship in this world.  Note that Christ's first response is that He began to teach them many things.  So, for as long as there are people in the world who are like sheep not having a shepherd, there is now an established way to find His guidance, to receive His Body and Blood, and an entire Church with innumerably rich traditions around it as well for our nurturing and for a good life.  We have an abundance of creativity that has gone into this creation, begun yet anew with this feeding from the Lord in the wilderness.  It's important that we note it begins with His compassion, for all things begin with the love of God; there is no other reason why we are created, why we live in a universe of uncountable proportions that teems with life we can't always see, like the chaotic deep water that became alive with innumerable forms of fish and other life through the hovering of the Spirit.  We are here by God's love, and God's love continues to feed us with what is good, because all too often we find ourselves as sheep not having a shepherd, whether we know it or not.  Sometimes we might mistake that for freedom, but children always need their Father to teach them about life, to show them the way, and the right things in which to hope for the future.

 

 

Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you

 

The Ascension of our Lord, by John La Farge.  Completed 1888.  The Church of the Ascension in the City of New York

 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  And He said to them, "Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.  Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.  But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"  So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.  And He took it and ate in their presence.  

Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."  And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.  Amen.

 

- Luke 24:36-53 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the report of the women from the empty tomb, Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.  And they talked together of all these things which had happened.  So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.  But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.  And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?"  Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?"  And He said to them, "What things?"  So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.  But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.  Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.  Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early astonished us.  When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.  And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."  Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"  And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.  Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther.  But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent."  And He went in to stay with them.  Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.  And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"  So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"  And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

 

  Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  My study Bible comments that "Peace to you" is the resurrectional greeting of Christ, which is proclaimed by the priest or bishop frequently in Orthodox worship services.  

But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  And He said to them, "Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.  Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.  But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"  So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.  And He took it and ate in their presence.   Christ eats before the disciples, not because in His resurrected body He needs food, but to prove to the disciples that He is truly risen in the flesh (they supposed they had seen a spirit).  My study Bible adds that the spiritual significance assigned to these foods:  fish is active virtue, while the honeycomb is the sweetness of divine wisdom.

Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."  And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And you are witnesses of these things."  And you are witnesses of these things.  Once again, Christ responds with a revelation of the fulfillment of the Law the Prophets in Himself.  Again, my study Bible asserts that it is partial faith to believe either in a Messiah who only suffered or one that would only reign in His glory.  Complete faith must see the Messiah, as Jesus says, as encompassing both, for all was foretold in the Law and the Prophets.  Remission of sins refers to the putting away of sins in baptism, preached by St. Peter at Pentecost (see Acts 2:38).   

"Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."  My study Bible tells us that are endued with is literally "have put on." This is the same verb found in Ephesians 6:11 ("Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil"), which also means "to clothe," and so indicates the complete protection of spiritual armor.    Tarry is literally "sit down" in the Greek term.  My study Bible explains that it is an instruction not just to stay in place but to take rest and to prepare attentively before a great and difficult task (compare Mark 14:32).  The Promise of My Father is, of course, the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:4).

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.  Amen.   My study Bible comments that the Ascension of Christ is celebrated forty days after the Resurrection (Acts 1:3).  This event is a fulfillment of the type given when Elijah ascended in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11), and it marks the completion of Christ's glorification and lordship over all creation.  At the Incarnation, my study Bible explains, Christ brought His divine nature to human nature.  In the mystery of Christ's Ascension, He brings human nature into the divine Kingdom.  He reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in His glorified body, revealing His glorified human nature -- indeed, human flesh -- to be worshiped by the whole angelic realm.  At Vespers of Ascension, the Orthodox sing, "The angels were amazed seeing a Man so exalted."  In some icons of the Ascension, Christ's white robes are tinted red (as can be seen in the mural above, painted by John La Farge), which indicates the shedding of His blood for the redemption of the world and the ascent of that life-giving blood into heaven (Isaiah 63:1-3; see also Psalms 24:7-10).  

What can it means for us that Christ's human flesh ascends with Him into heaven -- even as we view the reddish/pink tints on His white robes that remind us of His suffering, and the shedding of His blood for us.  How can we comprehend the millions of ways in which our world, and even the place of humanity in the entire universe of creation, might be affected by the carrying of that blood into heaven?  No doubt it is all on our behalf, and "for the life of the world" (John 6:51).  In John 6:33, Jesus states, "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."   This may be seen as being somewhat ironic in light of the Ascension, as in giving life to the world, so His shed blood also ascends with Him back into heaven.  Clearly bringing His human life with Him -- and all that entailed -- also gives to us a gift of unification with God signifying something much more, even those "many mansions" and that "place" He tells the disciples He goes to heaven to prepare for them (John 14:2).  One can only wonder at the effects of our worship, for, even as we worship in our churches, the angels in heaven worship with us.  And so, how much more united are we in such worship after the Ascension of Christ, having completed His mission in the world as one of us?  How much closer do we draw together than was possible before?  If indeed our ancestors were created for life in the paradise God made on earth (Genesis 2:7-9), then how can we not see Christ's Ascension as that which opens the gates to us for a return to Paradise?  In our recent reading about Christ's Crucifixion, we read that "it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two" (Luke 23:44-45).  These words indicate an extreme disruption in the powers of creation, but at the same time, the veil torn in two indicates for us also a greater communication between the inner Holy of Holies and the faithful.  And perhaps this is the word we seek, for not only does it open up a deeper communion, but also communication, which will be exemplified in the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, and most clearly in the "tongues of fire" enabling all present to hear in their own language (Acts 2:1-12).  It is impossible to calculate all that has come from this new reality, both fulfilled and symbolized in the red-tinted robes of Christ, for even human flesh becomes exalted and worshiped in heaven.  Let us consider this gracious gift and elevation, too far above us to fully comprehend, but given to us so that we may find ourselves in Him.  For we are so much more in Him than we can imagine of ourselves.