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. 

 

 

 

The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest

 

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

 

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

 

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

 

- Luke 10:1–17 

 

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

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  These seventy are a second group of Christ's disciples appointed to be apostles.  Many of them are known from the records of the early Church, and went on to become bishops.  Here, they are sent two by two as heralds of the kingdom of God, going before Christ in every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Jesus is now on His way toward Jerusalem, and to the Cross.

 

 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  My study Bible notes that we are to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

 

 "Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  Jesus describes these apostles as lambs; this speaks of the sacrificial life of all followers of Christ, my study Bible says.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devout those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  

 

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  Jesus gives instructions similar to the ones He gave to the original twelve apostles (Luke 9:1-6).   They emphasize humility in the execution of their mission.  My study Bible points out that twice here He commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  This has a twofold significant, it says.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.   It notes that St. Cassian the Desert Father has said that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  When he asked why, the elder responded, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, my study Bible says, the ascetics would obey Christ's command here and His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2).  

 

 "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  Once again, the rebuke against those who will not receive them is to wipe the dust from themselves.  But this does not mean that judgment is not at work.  Note that the gospel message here is not just that there is a Kingdom in the future, my study Bible says, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

 

 "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.   But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   Judgment, as expressed by Christ here, is severe for those who reject Him after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, my study Bible says, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), and are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  

 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  This is a sign that there are warring spiritual kingdoms, and that Christ is the "stronger man" who has come to plunder the one who sways the world (John 12:31; 14:30).  

 

 In today's reading, Jesus sends out the Seventy, a second "wave," so to speak, of missionaries sent out into the world to proclaim the gospel message, the news of the kingdom of God.  We notice how He sends them out as emissaries going before a distinguished head of a state, to proclaim this news of His coming, and of what His kingdom is all about.  In Christ's time, the word for which we use "gospel" (εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, from which is derived the word evangelist) was in very common usage.  It indicated a message sent out from a government official, or the emperor, for example, to give some news or declaration to people about what was being done or proposed, in the same sense that we today might receive announcements from our government.  So, in a very clear sense, Jesus is announcing the arrival of a Kingdom in the midst of His people.  The Seventy are to go out and announce His arrival and "tour," so to speak, before Him as He starts His journey toward Jerusalem.  They proclaim the good news of the Kingdom, the gospel message that this particular King is sending out about what He is doing and bringing into the world.  But this is not a worldly, material Kingdom in the same sense as all the other kingdoms of the world.  In this paradigm the world is a kind of battleground for spiritual forces that influence and sway the world, and battle within the hearts and souls of people.  St. Paul puts it memorably:  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  This is a battle not just of our own hearts and souls and the way we choose to live our lives and the commitments we make, but also one that is unseen to the worldly eye.  Nonetheless, Christ's mission is one that is undertaken also on worldly terms, to teach us, to announce the Kingdom, and so that we also join into this unseen battle.  For the battle is all about us.  These Seventy appointed in today's reading would go on to spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.  They included Barnabas, who is said to have studied also under the famous teacher Gamaliel with St. Paul (when he was known as Saul of Tarsus).  Barnabas played a very significant role in the early Church, as he sought out Paul when everyone else was afraid of him, bringing him to the apostles, my study Bible reminds us.  Barnabas was the first sent with Paul to Antioch.  He was martyred in Cyprus where he was born; buried by his cousin Mark the Apostle and Evangelist, the site of his burial venerated still today.  Another of these Seventy was Titus, whom Paul called his brother (2 Corinthians 12:18) and his son (Titus 1:4).  Titus was well-educated in Greek philosophy and born in Crete but after reading the prophet Isaiah, my study Bible tells us, he began to doubt the value of the things he'd been taught.  After traveling with others from Crete who went to Jerusalem to see for themselves, and hearing Jesus speak, Titus joined those who followed Him.  He was baptized by St. Paul and served him, until Paul sent him to Crete and made him a bishop there.  These are just two examples of those who spread the kingdom of God and its gospel message to the world, appointed by Christ to go before Him.  Others among the Seventy are known to have preached as far as Britain (Aristobulus, the brother of Barnabas; Romans 16:10).   In today's reading, Jesus says, to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. "  In St. John's Gospel, we read the story of a Samaritan woman to whom Jesus reveals Himself, and the whole town who comes to Him as a result.  Jesus tells His disciples regarding this "harvest" of new believers, "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" (John 4:38).  Let us think of the Seventy, and remember that when we read or tell others about the Gospel, where we go to worship and in practicing our faith, we also enter into others' labors, such as these.  They went out into the Roman highways, the great innovative technology of their time, to spread Christ's gospel.  Today we have the "information superhighways" of the internet on which Christ's message of the Kingdom travels.  Let us remember all of Christ's instructions to the Seventy, and imitate them.  Would that our labors be as fruitful as theirs!

 

 

 

 

 

The kingdom of God has come near to you

 

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

 

"But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

 

- Luke 10:1–16 

 

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

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Here my study Bible comments that we are to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you."  Lambs, my study Bible notes, speak of the sacrificial life of the apostles and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  Note the humble behavior that Christ prescribes, and which is in keeping with the understanding of oneself as a lamb.  There is no ostentation in dress, wealth, or possessions, including no ostentatious greetings.  The offering of peace is a hallmark of what it is to be a lamb of Christ.  It's also important to understand Christ's guidance that this peace may not be received by all. 

"And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  Here Christ commands these Seventy apostles twice to eat whatever is offered to them.  My study Bible says that this has a twofold significance.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered -- and that is even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes priority over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  These commands remained true for the religious who would follow in the Church, as it does today.  My study Bible cites St. Cassian the Desert Father, who noted that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed in order to honor him as a guest.  When he asked why, the monastic elder replied, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, my study Bible continues, the ascetics would obey Christ's command here and His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18).  See also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2.  Let us also remark that these practices are a continuation of Christ command for humble behavior.  

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'"  My study Bible notes that the gospel message is not simply that there is a Kingdom in the future, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

"But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  My study Bible comments that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, it says, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), ad are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  

 

 My study Bible has a rather extensive and informative article on the Seventy who were appointed to go out as missionaries; that is, as apostles.  Although they are not as prominent as the Twelve, these Seventy carried out their missions with fervor and enthusiasm.  In the Tradition of the Church we know that they remained true to Christ and their calling, and fulfilled a vital role in the spread of the gospel.  Also, these were not random choices or accidental volunteers but they were true disciples and apostles, whose labors, my study Bible adds, carried the message of Christ throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.  There are various lists of the Seventy, but all are remembered in the calendar of the Church.  January 4th is the day they are all commemorated as a group, and there are records of them that were to be found from place to place, preserved in the centuries that followed.  This is especially true of the locations where they labored.  One of these Seventy was Barnabas.  He was a Jew of the tribe of Levi, born in Cyprus to wealthy parents.  He is said to have studied together with Saul of Tarsus (later St. Paul) under Galiliel.  He was originally named Joseph but called Barnabas (Son of Consolation) by the apostles (Acts 4:36), as he had a gift of comforting people's hearts.  When everyone else was afraid of Paul, Barnabas sought him out and brought him to the apostles, and Barnabas was first sent to Antioch with Paul by the apostles.  They separated over the issue of taking Mark, Barnabas' cousin, on a missionary journey, but later reconciled (Colossians 4:10).   This is just one story of the Seventy, and there are many more recorded in the Church history.  Others among them were Titus, whom Paul called his brother (2 Corinthians 12:18) and his son (Titus 1:4).  Originally from Crete, trained and educated in Greek philosophy, Titus began to reconsider his education after reading the prophet Isaiah.  He joined other venturing to Jerusalem to see for themselves, having heard of Jesus Christ.  Titus joined those who followed Him, and was baptized later by the apostle Paul, serving in his ministry to the Gentiles.  Eventually Paul sent him to Crete and made him a bishop.  Said to have been in Rome at the time of the beheading of St. Paul, in the Church it was told that he buried the body of Paul, his spiritual father, before returning home, where he was later martyred in Cyprus.  Many of the names of the Seventy are found throughout the New Testament Scriptures, such as Aristarchus (Acts 19:29; Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24); Sosthenese (Acts 18:17; 1 Corinthians 1:1); Tychicus (Acts 20:4; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:12; Titus 3:12); Simeon (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3), nephew of St. Joseph the betrothed of the Virgin Mary; and Aristobulus (Romans 16:10), who preached in Britain and died there.  Many of these became bishops in the Church in various places of the Roman Empire, from East to West, North to South, and including Jerusalem.   Christ's sending out of the Seventy is yet another mark of the turning point that has come in His ministry.  As He has now twice warned the disciples of His coming betrayal and death, and even more importantly, He has now "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (see yesterday's reading, above), so He also appoints this new group of Seventy to be sent out as missionaries, as apostles.  It shows us this paradoxical movement of the Kingdom, that even where it is being rejected, it is also sent out, and spreads, and the seeds of the gospel are to be planted everywhere.  This is a kind of movement always replicated, always expanding -- perhaps even in the sense that a relatively "new" frontier is here on the internet where the seeds of the gospel continue to be planted.  Note that Christ tells them that as they preach, they are to say, "The kingdom of God has come near to you."  In this we rest assured that the Kingdom is not merely to be found in one place or another, but is also truly within us and among us.  We are temples of God, as St. Paul says, and so the sending out of the Seventy, in addition to the Twelve, is a way of spreading the Kingdom out into the world and the Empire, beyond the borders and boundaries of what was already known in the birthplace of the Church.  So, even as Christ and the disciples are rejected, and as Christ heads steadfastly to Jerusalem and His Passion, the gospel expands, the Kingdom is taken to the ends of the known world.  This is a movement we should always imitate, always renewing, always necessary.   For the kingdom of God is with those who carry it into the world, wherever they are sent.

 

 

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father

 

 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 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!"

 

- Matthew 13:36-43 

 

Yesterday we read that, after telling the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Jesus gave the people more parables:  "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 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."  Here, as He did also with the parable of the Sower, Jesus gives an explanation in private to His disciples regarding the second parable He gave, that of the Wheat and the Tares, also known as the Wheat and the Weeds (see Thursday's reading).  Again, we note, as in the parable of the Sower, Jesus is the Sower, the Son of Man.  But the good seeds sown here are the product of His word, the sons of the kingdom.  That is, the believers that have taken in His word, and become a new people of the Lord thereby.  The enemy, who sows his own seed, is the devil.   And those who take in that seed, receive it, and are nurtured on it, are the sons of the wicked one.   But the harvest time is the end of the age -- and those sent to do the harvesting are the angels of the Lord.  

Jesus teaches, "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!"   Note that at the end of the age, Christ's Kingdom is all in all, and it is those sons of the wicked one who are the interlopers, the ones who don't belong.  Here Jesus details what that means:  the things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.  This is about what is done, let us note -- offenses and lawlessness.  And those who practice this will be, like the tares or weeds, cast into the furnace of fire.  Wailing and gnashing of teeth are images from Jewish Scripture (particularly the Book of Enoch) concerning descriptions of Sheol or Hades.  "Wailing" and "gnashing" indicate anguish and despair, mourning and anger, a poisonous kind of grief.  For this again is the Kingdom, a place where time as we know it does not exist.  Worldly time and and the eternal state of the Kingdom play a role in Christ's recent teachings.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught that His parables reveal things that have existed since "before" the creation of the world and time.  These parables reveal things kept secret from the foundation of the world, and He is the One who can do that.  He is the One who was with God before the world, who in the beginning already "was," who was with God, and through whom all things were made (John 1:1-5).  In that passage from John we also read, "in Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."  But in this time of the harvest at the end of this age, there are those who are cast into the furnace of fire, and then those others, the righteous, who perhaps even in the midst of this fire will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.   There is the patristic understanding that the fire we associate with hell and the divine energies of God are one and the same -- it all depends upon how compatible we are with those energies, with the divine reality of this Kingdom.  When it is fully manifest, in that time "when all things are made subject to Him," and when God is "all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28) then midst that divine light that is the life of men, even then the righteous will shine forth as the sun.  For now -- and even at the time of Christ's Incarnation -- this light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot comprehend it.  For now is the time of seeding and growing, and all grow together as we look to the end of the age.  But the light still shines, and if we but listen and do, it shines in us nevertheless. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).  At that time of the end of the age, all will be revealed as it truly is for all to see.  Let us be among those who will shine forth as the sun.

 

 

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 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught,  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 

  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."'"  Today's lectionary reading skips over the beginning of chapter 13 (Matthew 13:1-23), in which Jesus told the parable of the Sower, and introduced parables as a way to teach and preach in His ministry (see this reading, and this one, give at the beginning of May).  It's important that we review the foundational parable of the Sower, because today's parable builds on the parable of the Sower.   Here Christ shifts His attention from the Sower who sows the seeds of the gospel, to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  Tares are weeds that closely resemble wheat, but their grain is indigestible for human beings.  My study Bible notes 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 lies to resemble the truth.  This is an illustration of heresy, something that seems like the truth but deviates from it, or perhaps is what we might call a half-truth.  My study Bible also notes that the devil sows while men slept -- indicating that heresy and lies creep in where people are apathetic.  Additionally, we are told that this explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those who are outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, my study Bible says, so also many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment. 

 

 We have observed over the course of the past few readings, as Jesus disputed with the Pharisees who have now begun to plot against Him, a dire warning to those whose hearts and minds are so closed as to rule out the capacity for repentance.  These men rejected the healing miracles of Christ, calling them demonic, or asking Him to produce a "sign" on demand for them.  As this 13th chapter of Matthew begins, Jesus turns to teaching the crowds in parables.  A parable invites the hearer to think more carefully, to pay a particular kind of attention.  Oftentimes a parable will create reflections within us, pinging upon memories, or giving a particular kind of light to some circumstance in our lives, opening up insights.  And the same parable, heard at different times, will bring different reflections, or add a different kind of light to yet another detail that becomes important at that time.  All of this is related to how we see and how we hear spiritually, related to our capacity to open hearts and minds to the truths Christ is telling us, to His word, and to Him.  The parables invite us to open our hearts to the deeper truths hidden in the simple stories of every day life for an agrarian society, where planting, sowing, and harvesting were familiar to everyone.  But today's story of the wheat and the weeds give us additional characteristics to notice in the context of Christ's disputes with the Pharisees and scribes.  They teach us that it's important to pay attention, that we're responsible for the truths we're offered.  It also teaches us that we need to look closely, to discern, to be aware of what is truth and what is a half-truth, and not to be complacent or apathetic.  If our digestion depends upon looking closely at the difference in a crop of grain, then we need to think about what our minds will "digest" and about the outcome of something good and nutritious or something that really doesn't feed us well.  Jesus gives us the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (or Weeds) to teach us that we need to look closely, to evaluate what we see and hear, and to hold firmly to the truth He gives, because it is the standard by which we judge what else is offered.  St. Paul writes, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify" (1 Corinthians 10:23).  We might start with this understanding of discernment, if only to grasp that what sounds good on the surface might not actually be helpful or good.  The parables teach us that Christ wants those who will be awake and alert to the spiritual truths He gives us, and also for us to be paying attention.  Those who respond care enough about what He offers to open our minds to His truth, and grasp it well enough to separate truth from misleading appearances.  Let us not be asleep or apathetic to what goes on around us.

 

 

 

 

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father

 

 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 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught another parable to the crowds, 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!"  Here Jesus is explaining the parable taught in Friday's reading, as the disciples request in private to "explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  It's important to understand that tares are a type of plant that resembles wheat, but is considered a weed that is indigestible for human beings.  This parable of the tares of the field is one Jesus told immediately following the parable of the Sower, and it builds upon that parable.  The attention here is focused on the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  My study Bible comments that, as falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  In the similarity of the weeds (tares) and wheat, we see how lies, falsehoods, and half-truths can bear resemblance to truth.  Those who follow become sons of the wicked one through participation and living the life of the falsehoods, just as sons of the kingdom are those who live the life of His word.

Clearly, this parable of the "tares of the field" is a parable of judgment, and it expresses Christ's pronouncement and prophecy of a judgment to come.  We should remember that Jesus taught in the original parable that both wheat and tares should grow together, so as not to uproot any of the "good seed" -- and that both should grow together until the time of the harvest has come.  So, clearly, the harvest is the time of judgment, at the end of the age.  Many people today seemingly reject notions of judgment, but that's not what Christ is teaching here -- and He's being very clear about it.  One thing we can be certain of is that this time of the harvest (the time of judgment) will come at the end of this age.  We simply have idea when that is.  In fact, when questioned about it, Jesus refused to give fodder to speculate.  See Matthew 24:36-44.   The only things He did tell His disciples (and therefore the Church) is that "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only," and that "the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Moreover, what we can come to understand as well is that there seem to be two kinds of time in the picture that we're given of worldly life and heavenly life.  Here in this world, we follow a linear kind of experience of time.  But the time of the life after this one seems to be different, and so the rules about change and the experience of whatever that life is like are different.  Moreover, Christ has said that that next life offers a complete transformation of life.  When quizzed by the Sadducees regarding a woman married successively to seven brothers (Matthew 22:23-33), Jesus responded:  "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."  So, from Christ's words, we may conclude that a complete transformation of life takes place, and also that time is experienced differently, as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all live to God, although their lives did not overlap in worldly time.  We simply cannot calculate the complete understanding of what kind of changes these mean for us, nor how judgment is enacted considering such things.  What we do now is that what we choose in our worldly lives -- and whether or not we pay attention to Christ's words and seek to live by them -- does make a difference.  We're repeatedly told in different places in the Scriptures that our compassion and capacity for mercy makes a great deal of difference to our ultimate disposition and the judgment at the end of the age (for example, Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 16:19-31).  From Christ's teaching today, we may conclude that we grow spiritually, in some sense, like plants grow -- and it depends upon the seeds from which we grow.  In the parable of the Sower, Jesus emphasized what kind of soil His word can take root in, and grow and produce spiritual fruits.  Here, to be either sons of the kingdom or sons of the wicked one depends on what we choose to grow upon and cultivate; without the seed of Christ, people commit things that offend, and practice lawlessness.  Ultimately these will result in judgment.  There is a clear distinguishing here between what is cast into the furnace of fire, and the righteous who shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  But of that time we don't know, and we are all given the time of our lives to repent, to turn around and follow Him.  Let us at least take this parable, and His certain warnings about judgment, seriously while we live in the world.  

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"

 

 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 the 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 explained the parable of the Sower (see earlier readings from Tuesday and Wednesday):   "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 the 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 on the previous parable of the sower.  Here, it says, Christ gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.   As falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so also the Antichrist will come after Christ.  The weeds first appear similar to wheat in this parable -- and so the devil crafts lies to resemble the truth.   That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic, my study Bible adds.  This parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  As wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, there are those who might ultimately find salvation but would be otherwise lost if condemned before the judgment of Christ. 

 

 Today's parable given by Christ seems to round out some of the recent teachings we've read in the Gospel of Matthew lately.  There has been a lot of emphasis by Christ on where our hearts are, on the importance of loving God past the minimum, so to speak, and past the kind of legalism of the Pharisees that couldn't see the spirit of the law for the letter.  Most recently, we've been introduced to parables through the parable of the Sower, speaking about Christ's word that He sows among us and what we do with it, what kind of ground it falls upon in us, how it's nurtured, or not.  We've focused on faith and our endurance in faith.  But here there's another fullness offered that takes us into a new dimension about faith, and that is how important it is that it not be "rooted out" by putting too fine a point on perfection.  Every care must be taken so that those who do have faith are nurtured as much as possible, even to the point of tolerating the seeds of the enemy if that is necessary in order to prove the faithful.  It's a reminder of the story in Genesis about Abraham's dialogue with God in Genesis 18:16-33.  This is the story in which God reveals a plan to bring justice to Sodom and Gomorrah.  But Abraham starts questioning God first:  "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?"  When God indicates that would work to spare the city, Abraham begins to bargain:  "Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?"  When the answer comes that God would spare the city, Abraham bargains God all the way down to but ten righteous people, and for those ten God would also spare the city.  So in this story about refraining from uprooting the unrighteous for the sake of the faithful, we also get a similar answer that teaches us about the preciousness of faith -- or perhaps we should say, the preciousness of faithful people.  Clearly, to God, these precious faithful are worthy of sparing all for their sake.  When we get impatient with the world for the things we see that we feel are wrong, we should take heart and ponder this story.  What, really, would our lives be like if we all got instant justice?  Have there been times when you have made a mistake, or lapsed in your faith?   At the present stage of my life, my mistakes are uncountable, and the things I once believed that I now think were wrong are also uncountable and past my memory capacities!  In short, we should be thankful for God patience, and the mercy that gives us more time and a space to reconsider.  Life may seem at times very difficult because of all the wrong things we see in the world, the things that make people's lives difficult and harsh, the wicked and evil things people can do to one another.  But God has a wisdom and a foresight beyond our own, and we should be thankful for that mercy, and the breathing space to grow and come to maturity.  Above all, we should understand this as a way to nurture the faithful, for real justice might also shock us for the things we don't know and are hidden from our understanding.  Let us be grateful for the wisdom of God, and the judgment that comes in the fullness of time, and not before it.

For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light

 

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  

And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

 

- Mark 4:21-34 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus again began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was one the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some  a hundred." 

 

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."   Jesus' analogy about the lamp and its light is also used in the Sermon on the Mount, at Matthew 5:15, but in a different context.  Here these words are part of Christ's call to attentive listening and discriminating response.  My study Bible comments that we must not only hear, but hear properly.  More will be given to those who respond to Christ with open hearts, and they will therefore grow in understanding.  My study Bible quotes St. Mark the Ascetic:  "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you."  Again, we find another saying here as part of the Sermon on the Mount ("With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you"), as well as in Luke's Gospel (see Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:38), each in a different context.  No doubt, my study Bible remarks, Jesus repeated this particular message many times.  

And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."    This parable is found only in Mark's Gospel.  My study Bible explains that the kingdom refers to the whole span of God's dispensation or plan of salvation.  The man is Christ, and the seed is the gospel, as in the parable of the Sower in yesterday's reading, above.  The man's sleep, according to this interpretation, indicates Christ's death, from which He will rise.  That the man does not know how the seed grows shows that Christ does not manipulate human beings' responses to the gospel.  But instead, each person is free to receive it and to let it grow in one's own heart.  The harvest indicates the Second Coming, when all will be judged on their reception of the gospel.  

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  My study Bible says that, according to Theophylact, the mustard seed represents the disciples, who began as just a few men but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  It also stands 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 (the birds of the air may nest under its shade).

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.  Again the Gospel emphasizes that Jesus speaks to the large crowds who now gather to Him in parables.  He wishes to engage those who will truly desire what He offers, past the fascination or draw of the miracles and signs He does.

There is a very interesting writer, lecturer, and artist named Jonathan Pageau, who specializes in symbolism and how it is at work in our lives.  His fascinating website includes many video and other presentations; it's called The Symbolic World.  One can also find many of his video presentations on YouTube, which often feature other well-known figures.  Pageau is one of the many contemporary figures who evoke an understanding of what we might call the things that are hidden in plain sight.  That is, the symbolism inherent in stories, Scripture, and what we observe in the world, and the echoes of meanings behind them.  There are many contemporary artists, thinkers, and those concerned with a renewal of faith who focus on these subjects.  Some call this idea "re-enchantment," indicating that in our contemporary culture, our societies have lost a great deal of our historical understanding of beauty and truth, and the meanings that filled daily life for our ancestors.  The reason I bring up this topic is not simply due to its contemporary appeal for many, but rather to speak further about Jesus' love of teaching in parables, and His obviously powerful use of them.  If we look carefully at Scripture, what we find is not so much teaching material, nor even direct and obvious commandments, but stories.  We are taught through stories.  In fact, some say that we cannot live without stories, and after blogging on Scripture for such a time I would say that I must agree with that.  For the story of Christ's ministry isn't only about "teachable moments," as a particular popular expression puts it.  The story of Christ is meaningful to us simply because it is a story.  When we read the stories of what Jesus did, of how He spoke to people, of how He responded to people, of all the things He did in His ministry, then we grasp on to meanings that affect us and help us.  We learn in a way that one can't get simply from hearing a lecture.  When we have stories to tell one another, stories that are told to ourselves, stories about Christ that we can repeat to ourselves, elements of which we remind ourselves in times when they come back to us to illuminate something going on in our own lives -- in all of these ways, the stories (or perhaps we could say Story of Christ's life) give us echoes and meanings that continue throughout our lives, and new illuminations when we need them when we go through our own story to tell of our lives.  We live by stories, and this has been called "The Greatest Story Ever Told."  So the Son has come into the world in order to give us His story, the story of His life, but more importantly, of His ministry, so that we can tell it to one another and benefit from it immeasurably ourselves.  Reflective of that wisdom that sent Christ into this world is the wisdom of Jesus in giving to us parables, stories that can reach down into us in ways that lectures and teachings and commands cannot.  For these stories, drawn from every day life, illustrate the mysterious ways of the Kingdom in ways that we can grasp, and learn to understand -- and in ways that ask us for growth in continual renewal of how we come to know more deeply the truths of those simple stories.  The poignant aspect of the mustard seed, growing into a sturdy bush with branches that even give shelter to the birds of the air -- angels, perhaps, in disguise -- continues to echo its meaning to us in just these few beautiful but simple words of Christ.  When we run out of witty remarks, or pithy statements, or deep treatises of fact or theories, what we need are stories.  Let us grasp those stories and hold fast to them that they may continue for those who come later.  Let us consider how powerful stories are, and how much we all need them, for they teach us so much -- and no one has told them better than Christ.  We simply need the ears to hear.

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

 

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

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

 

- Luke 10:1–17 

 

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

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Here Jesus appoints seventy more apostles to carry out and preach the word of God.  The records of the Church indicate that these served with dedication and zeal, and many of them are mentioned in the Book of Acts and also in the letters of St. Paul.  Many became bishops of various cities throughout the countries in which they traveled and made converts, as the Roman Empire of the time made possible such travel.  My study Bible notes here that Jesus instructs us to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

 

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."   My study Bible comments that lambs speak of the sacrificial life of the apostles and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves, it says, are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  This statement by Christ amplifies the teachings in yesterday's reading (see above) regarding discipleship.  

 

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  My study Bible asks us to notice that twice here Christ commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  It notes that this has a twofold significance.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  St. Cassian the Desert Father writes that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  My study Bible says that when he asked why, the elder replied, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way the ascetics would obey Christ's command here and His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2). 

"Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  My study Bible comments that the gospel message is not simply that there is a Kingdom in the future, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

 

 "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  My study Bible comments here that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), and are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).

 

 Many people suggest that -- for at least those of us in the West or in nominally Christian countries where the message of Christ has been heard for centuries -- we live in what some are calling a "post-Christian" world.  That is, a world in which the message of Christ has been preached and heard and part of the fabric of society for a very long time, and is now -- at least for some of the population -- fading.  That is, we live in countries where statistics indicate that those who formally hold Christian faith are receding in numbers.  Oddly, the same statistics have those who declare themselves to be "spiritual" rising nonetheless.  So, what are we to make of such stories and social reports in the light of Christ's words in today's reading?  Let us consider what it means to be exposed to Christ's gospel message of mercy and compassion, of salvation, and of the presence of the Kingdom -- and to reject that living witness.  It is very important to consider spiritual life on these terms, for we're not simply talking about an intellectual acceptance of a message.  Neither are we talking about obedience to something people can't fathom nor understand, in a blind sort of a way.  There are many who say that they were raised in homes where the Christian message was taken to one tangential extreme or another, and so have rejected Christianity, or at least embraced an ambiguous agnosticism, as a result of such experiences.  Many people possibly do not understand the fullness of the message and have perhaps been subject to distorted images of Christ and Christ's teachings.  But we know that in the world of today the gospel is available to all through popular media and in many translations, and churches of all sort also have media outlets that reach out to the world.  But there is one thing, or so it seems, of which many people are unaware or never seem to consider, and that is the presence of the Kingdom, and the power of Christ's spiritual truth.  As we can read in today's gospel passage, the Seventy return to Christ declaring, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  This is evidence of a spiritual presence, of something beyond intellectual assertion or a simple doctrine of doing good in the world, or a philosophy that sounds appealing and good.  This is powerful evidence of something that goes beyond words, or perhaps we should say, something for which the words and teachings of Christ are an icon.  That is, an opening to much, much more than words on paper, a sign of much more.  It is when that sign and that presence are rejected that we should not be too sure about the effects of such rejection.  Just as, for many people, good fortune or some sort of material blessing is automatically accounted as the result of one's own "luck" or personal merit, rather than something that suggests gratitude to God, so it is also with bad luck or bad fortune.  People fail to realize that stumbling blocks that come our way can also be lessons, teaching tools, salvation tugging at our sleeves to pay attention and to clean up our act, to become aware that there is more to life than luck or merit or ambition.  There is also holiness, and there is also the presence of the Kingdom which Christ has brought to us.  This is why the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum are those given warnings of "woes" in Christ's words in today's reading.  They have been the places that have benefited from the mighty works of Christ, witnessing the power of the presence of the Kingdom, and yet have rejected His ministry and mission.  In Mark's Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" (Mark 9:41).  Have you been blessed by such a "cup of water" by one who, through faith, has seen the face of Christ in you?  In today's reading, Jesus tells the Seventy, "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  How has a person of faith passed on to you this living reality of the Kingdom through a kindness or even a correction?  We may be in what some call a post-Christian world, but we also need to stop and look around us at the things we take for granted which have come to us as a result of the presence of this Kingdom and Christ's teachings.  Justice systems have evolved which take care to protect the innocent through the conviction that comes from knowing that the greatest Innocent was also condemned to die the most ignominious criminal death.  As such, Jesus is the great Witness to the injustice of this world.  Activists against the institution of slavery were emboldened and inspired through Christ's gospel.  The first hospitals were created by Christian faithful.  Our whole understanding of charity, and the need to protect the "least of these" can be traced to inspiration through the spread of this gospel to the world.  The concept of holiness and compassion cannot be swept away by those who would admire sheer material power and manipulation, because there are consequences to the world should we lose these precious things.  Perhaps along with the loss of such values comes a more hostile society, one in which we forget that even our opponents are human beings, one which neglects day-to-day compassion in favor of slogans that have not produced a kinder or better society by any social measure we can construct.  When even justice is reduced to a concept that benefits a select group even as it hurts others, then we have lost truth in favor of lies and manipulation.  When our sense of justice is corrupted to the point that personal conscience is rejected in favor of goig along with the crowd, then we ourselves have lost the value of our soul.   When we lose the humility He teaches, then we are in danger indeed of our own arrogance and where it leads us.  One might suggest here that we can witness this kind of "post-Christian" society in varied examples from the past century, and that we should take them to heart as examples.  Let us consider what we lose when we disparage His words and lose the presence of this Kingdom among us.  Let us hear His words and carry His kingdom into the world, within us and among us, the gospel message alive through living our faith.