He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons

 

 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"  And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."  And their eyes were opened.  And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it."  But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.  And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke.  And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!"  But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons." 

 

- Matthew 9:27–34 

 

Yesterday we read that a ruler of the synagogue came and worshiped Jesus, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.

 

  When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"  And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."  And their eyes were opened.  And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it."  But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.  And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke.  My study Bible comments that, according to Isaiah, the messianic age is signified when "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear" (Isaiah 35:5).  These healings, it notes, are a sign that Jesus is the awaited Messiah, as is the use of the title Son of David by the blind men, which expresses their faith in this truth.  

 

And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!"  But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons."   To cast out demons by the ruler of demons is impossible, my study Bible says, for the aim of the devil is to consolidate power, not to destroy it.  Moreover, Jesus cleansed  lepers, raised the dead, and remitted sins -- works which demons could not perform.

 

 We note that the Pharisees, by now no doubt somewhat challenged and alarmed by the fact that the multitudes marveled over Christ's works, call His works evil, saying that He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.  Already we can see Jesus is growing in fame and renown for the great works He is doing, so that the people marvel, and thus He is becoming something of a rival in the eyes of the Pharisees, the ones who seek to regulate the faith and wield power within the religious institutions of the Jews, especially in interpreting the Scriptures and hence, the Law.  Jesus is not a member of the establishment, not among their number, not a scribe.  Neither is He a part of the Levitical priesthood.  He is an outsider, and His ministry -- as we read when He took on Matthew the tax collector as a disciple (in this reading) -- is a also a ministry that includes outsiders.  In fact in many ways we see Christ's calling not only to those left out, in some sense, who could not be included according to the Law, but also to those excluded for violations of the Law, such as lepers and the woman with the years-long blood flow in yesterday's reading (see above).  In His preaching and teaching to His disciples, and the use of their power and authority in His Church to come, He will also emphasize the care of the outliers, the ones on the edge, the ones with little to no power or social stature.  These He will call "little ones" and His constant call will be to avoid misleading them, offenses in the use of power toward them, and the greatest of care to see in them not only Himself, but also the One who sent Him (see, for example, Matthew 18:1-14).  The parable of the lost sheep found in the last few verses of that passage emphasizes the same.   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus open His sermon with the first Beatitude:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).  The "poor in spirit" are those with the attitude of the poor, those who in their humility are dependent upon God.  They are the outliers, the ones whose heart comes not from social position but the love of God, regardless of outward status.  But for the Pharisees, this "outside" status of Jesus reflects for them only opposition, and so they label all that He does the power of the devil, the evil one, regardless of the goodness of outcomes.  In today's reading, the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the time of the Messiah is fulfilled, and yet the Pharisees still see Him this way, and openly label His works those of the ruler of the demons.  As we know, evil seeks to destroy, but Christ's works fulfill the blessed potentials of human beings, enabling the blind to see, and the mute to speak, restoring humanity as Creator to creature.  It's easy to label our seeming opponents as evil, if we see them as rivals for something, and in so doing, these Pharisees are not only slandering Jesus, they're committing blasphemy.  This same accusation by the Pharisees will come again, even more explicitly, in chapter 12 (notably in the case of a demon-possessed man who is both blind and mute), and Jesus will make it very clear what kind of sin it is to label the works of God evil (see Matthew 12:22-32).  Perhaps there is a great lesson for us in the types of healing in today's reading, in how one sees and how one speaks, for while Christ heals, it is the Pharisees who do not see clearly, and who speak untruths, even blasphemies against the work of God.  It is Christ who heals us in every way, in how we see, and teaches us how to speak, and for this reason we seek Him for our own healing in all ways.  He Himself is the antidote to the blindness of the Pharisees, and their reckless ways of using their power.  We seek Him so that He can do His good work in us.  As St. John says, "We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  

 

 

Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!

 

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

 

- Matthew 20:29-34 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."  (This was the second prophesy of His Passion that Jesus has given to the disciples.)  Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one of Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about the drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know  that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.  My study Bible comments that these two blind men greet Jesus as Lord, the common title for God, and Son of David, which is a title which was deeply associated with the Messiah.  Although Christ knows what we want before we ask, it notes, He calls us to ask freely so that we might learn of His mercy.  There is also a spiritual interpretation of this miracle in patristic commentary, in which the two blind men symbolize future generations who would come to faith only through hearing, without the benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  In this interpretation, my study Bible notes, those who tried to silence the blind men are persecutors and tyrants who, in each generation, try to silence the Church.  But nonetheless, under persecution, the Church all the more confesses Jesus Christ.

 

 Today's reading asks us to consider for ourselves where our own blindness may be, and how it might be remedied and healed.  These two men understand their circumstances, and they pray to Christ -- as Messiah and Lord -- for their healing, which is His mercy.   They are asked by Christ, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  This invites us to consider not just what we want or would like God to do for us, but whether or not we understand our own blindness, and therefore what help we need to see.  The people who call for them to be quiet can be compared to our own voices, or to the voices of those around us, who don't want us to recognize our blindness nor what we need.  The blindness in today's reading can be compared to the blindness of denial to the truths that are around us and even within us, and especially denial of our need for Christ and the ways in which He can heal us.  In the Bible, Jericho is often considered a city symbolic of sin; in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the attack on the man needing help occurred on this road between Jerusalem and Jericho which Jesus now travels.  If we take today's reading symbolically, we might get great insight by considering how often circumstances would ask us to remain blind when we seek to be healed of the falsehoods we tell ourselves in order to "keep the peace," when in fact we need to face the reality of our circumstances.  Christ, as the way, the truth, and the life, is the One who brings the healing light to us that exposes the falsehoods we tell ourselves, or the lies that keep a bad circumstance from being opened up and cleansed for the good of all parties involved.  In this allegorical sense, it is these two blind men on the side of the road who are the ones who truly see, while the rest demand silence.  It is these two blind men who, in fact, recognize their Healer and Savior, and call to Him, who are the ones doing as He would desire.  And it is these two with whom Jesus will engage with a heart-to-heart question, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  As an allegorical story, we might ask ourselves why they are the only ones who seem to honestly want what Christ has to offer -- and in His truth and insight into the heart of human beings, He engages with them.  We human beings have a remarkable capacity for denial, for keeping ourselves blind so that we don't "rock the boat," as the expression goes, so that we can live with things we really should be doing something about to heal rather than leaving them as they are in neglect.  We might turn a blind eye to unpleasant facts we'd rather not face, or to problems -- for whatever reason -- we don't really want to solve.  But let us note:  this is not to suggest that radical solutions are necessary for everybody, or that we need to tear our world down in order to heal it.  Such theoretical abstractions are misguided.  What we need to do is what these two blind men do:  we need to appeal to Christ the true light for our healing, to help to show us what's in our hearts, and what is the truth we need to embrace and accept.  For this is the way of mercy and true justice, not destruction or hate, but love.  Let us remember that when we seek Christ's mercy, we seek His light and compassion, and we should be prepared to follow Him out of our own Jerichos, as these blind men do -- not heeding the voices that tell us to keep quiet or stop seeking our Lord.  Let us always remember that when we pray, "Lord have mercy," we ask for healing and light, the truth that saves.

 

 

Lord, that our eyes may be opened

 

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

 

- Matthew 20:29-34 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."    Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.  My study Bible remarks that the two blind men greet Jesus as Lord, which is the common title for God, and Son of David, which is a title deeply associated with the Messiah.  It notes that even though Jesus knows what we want before we ask, He calls us to ask freely so that we might learn of His mercy.  Additionally, there is a spiritual interpretation to this miracle in the patristic literature of the Church.  In that perspective, the blind men symbolize future generations who would come to faith only by hearing, without the benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  Those who tried to silence the blind men represent oppressive persecutors and tyrants who, in every generation, try to silence the Church.  Nonetheless, under persecution, the Church all the more confesses Jesus Christ.

Traditionally, blindness in Scripture often represents sin in a certain perspective.  That is, sin as ignorance of the things of God, as blindness to understanding or receiving the things of God in the heart.  It symbolizes a lack of insight, an inability to perceive.  In chapter 13 of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus begun preaching in parables.  Quoting from Isaiah, He explained His use of parables to His disciples, using metaphors of seeing and  hearing:  "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Matthew 13:13-17, Isaiah 6:9-10).  St. Paul uses the same quotation in Acts 28:23-29.  We also note that Jesus is passing out of Jericho in today's reading.  In Scripture, Jericho was also a town symbolic of sin; in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the man who is later helped by the Samaritan is attacked by robbers and left for dead in this same road between Jerusalem and Jericho (see Luke 10:25-37).  So, we can read this story also as a parable, and understand that the gift of Christ -- and especially through the Holy Spirit which will be given to the world -- is a gift of sight to those who truly desire it.  Let us note how these blind men pray, with humility and faith.  They ask for mercy; they understand that they ask for a gift, not an entitlement.  They understand that Christ's mercy is a gift of compassion; they recognize the Giver in their prayer, and the immense goodness of God who gives life and meaning to the world.  As my study Bible has pointed out, they call Him Lord, a title for God, in recognition of the real majesty of the Person standing in front of them.  And they call Him Son of David, a title for the Messiah.  Their prayer for mercy is the prayer of a heart which has come to recognize the true weight and value of God in one's life, to understand and depend upon God's love and how precious that is to life.  And the gift of their sight opens them up to a life in front of them, to that road leading to Jerusalem on which Jesus travels, and they can now travel with Him.  The gift of sight, then, is the gift of life, and this is how we should understand the precious gift of spiritual sight, which gives meaning to the rest of our lives and guides us in what we will do.  The psalmist declares, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105).  Christ the Word is the lamp to our feet and the light to our path, and the gift of sight enables these men to follow that lamp and that light on the path to Jerusalem with Him.  Let us pray for our eyes to be opened, as they did, for Christ illumines our whole world, and makes our path straight so we can see our best way forward.

 

 

Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. 

- Matthew 20:29-34

Yesterday we read that Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.  The title Son of David is a title for the Messiah, and Lord is the common title for God.  These two blind men greet Jesus with both titles.  My study bible comments that although Jesus already knows whatever it is we want before we ask, we are called to ask freely so that we might learn of His mercy.  In stories in the bible, Jericho was a city synonymous with sin (see the parable of the Good Samaritan).  Blindness as a metaphor for those who live in the ignorance of sin, without the light of God.   So there is one metaphorical understanding here of the two blind men symbolizing a fallen world, one which needs Christ's light for healing.  My study bible gives another spiritual interpretation of this miracle, with the blind men symbolizing future generations who would come to faith only through hearing, without having the benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  Those who try to silence these blind men, in this interpretation, are persecutors and tyrants who, in each generation, try to silence the Church.  Nonetheless, under persecution, the Church all the more confesses Jesus Christ.

What is blindness?  In some sense, these two blind men represent the world which struggles in a place of darkness; that is, of spiritual darkness.  It needs the light to be whole, to be healed.  We need the light to know where we are going.  They call out to Christ because He is the true hope for blindness.  The people tell them to be quiet, and in a sense we could say that this is the world that won't really respond or listen to our true needs.  It is Christ who responds.  And in their darkness and their own need, they are capable of recognizing the one person who can help.  They are capable of recognizing Christ as both Lord and Son of David, in His true identity.  Perhaps we can infer from this aspect of the story that it is in our deepest need, and true recognition of our brokenness or flaws that we come to terms with our own reality.  If blindness is a metaphor for our collective inability to see spiritually, then these two men who recognize their real problem give us a sense in which it is in fully coming to terms with our condition and need that we are capable of both knowing Christ and also turning to Him as the place where we get help.  In a sense, they also illustrate that He is the last and best hope, the place where we turn when we know that the world and all it offers cannot and has not really helped us.  Their voice is the voice of prayer, the way in which we communicate our real needs.  All around us, the world grasps for solutions to its problems.  There are a myriad of political solutions offered.  There is the solution of thinking that if only we had more wealth we'd fix ourselves.  Better healthcare is certainly an advantage over what is lacking.  But wisdom -- a true spiritual wisdom -- is always necessary no matter what we have and no matter our position in life.  Wealth and all the things that go with it don't keep us from problems like loneliness or despair.   They can't provide us with the wisdom of Christ's guidance in life.  They can't take us to the places where Christ gives us both solitude and companionship as necessary.  They cannot feed us with the love of God, and the meaning and beauty of God's life for us.  They can't give us a sense of ourselves in a true way:  wealth won't give us the true look at ourselves to know our blindness, and neither will it give us the choice to understand our spiritual potentials in Christ.  In some sense, this story reveals that the blind men are truly better off than the rest of the crowds.  They know what their ailment is.  They know what they need.  They know where they need to turn for help.   It is the crowd that is possibly more blind than they are, because it is these healed men who will follow Jesus on the road knowing that they have been healed by Him.  The multitudes are those who follow Jesus today, and yet at the end of Passion week in Jerusalem, they will be among those who are manipulated by the leaders to call for His crucifixion.   It is one thing to be blind and know that one is blind and needs help; it is quite another to be blind and unaware of that fact.  In some sense, we all live in Jericho, a place with a lot of problems, and brokenness.  It has failures, it has those who merely join a parade of life without crying out to the One who is the author of life, the bringer of our salvation, and without following Him on the road out of Jericho with the knowledge that whatever they've received is just the beginning of the journey.   If we were not also victims of spiritual blindness, perhaps we all would know of Christ's compassion and love for us, that whatever it is we have in life -- the good things we are capable of understanding -- it is down to the Lord and God's love for us.  Perhaps we, also, would start that journey with Him, and follow, knowing that our need for Him is always present, and that His guidance is the universal truth that is always drawing us to deeper union.  In the Church, our refrain in worship is always "Have mercy on us, O Lord!" 

Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!

Christ healing the two blind men.  Mosaic, completed 1315-1321.  Chora Church (Church of the Holy Savior in Chora), Constantinople

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

- Matthew 20:29-34

Yesterday we read that Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.  And the third day He will rise again."  Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.  And He said to her, "What do you wish?"  She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."  But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."  And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave -- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.  My study bible points out to us that these two blind men greet Jesus as Lord, which is the common title for God, and also as Son of David, a title which is deeply associated with the Messiah.  Although Jesus knows what all of us want before we ask, He calls us to ask freely, my study bible says, so that we might learn of His mercy.  There is also by patristic tradition a spiritual interpretation of this miracle, with the blind men symbolizing the future generations such as ours, who will come to the faith only by hearing, without benefit of having seen Christ in person (see John 20:29).  The ones who try to silence the blind men are persecutors and tyrants who, in each generation, try to silence the Church and those who cling to their faith.  Nonetheless, even under persecution, the Church all the ore persists in confessing Christ.

The Evangelist John writes twice, "No one has seen God at any time."   In the Prologue to His Gospel, John writes, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (John 1:18); and in his first Epistle, he says, "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us" (1 John 4:12).  Let us look carefully at these statements, and in relation to the commentary in which my study bible cites John's reporting of Jesus' words to Thomas after the Resurrection:  "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).  There are all kinds of ways of perceiving, in accordance with the spiritual interpretation of today's passage.  To see physically with one's own eyesight is perhaps the least of the ways in which we can perceive God, and the things of God.  It takes more than that to perceive the things of God.  It takes a kind of capacity for faith that requires of us a different type of sensibility, a different sense and energy of perception, a different kind of "sight."  Let us note that for the Evangelist, there are two methods of perception noted in the passages quoted above.  One is hearing, as the Son (who spoke the world into existence in Genesis), declares God.  And the other method of perceiving is through love:  If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.  When Jesus speaks to Thomas in His appearance after the Resurrection, He doesn't say what method of perception others will use to come to faith, only that there are those who have not seen and yet have believed, and that they are blessed.  In today's story, the two blind men by the road display a faith that declares both that Jesus is Lord and that He is the Son of David, the Messiah -- He is both divine and human, the Anointed One.  He is not merely a glorified human being, or Good Teacher, but they really know who He is, He is the Messiah, both divine and human.  They understand innately, it seems, the Incarnation.  They grasp something about Him that others don't.  They also know He is merciful, and they reach out and grasp for that mercy.  The more they are told to be quiet, the more they persist in crying out for Christ's mercy.  Jesus' response is, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  This story tells us something about our own faith.  Perhaps it is those in need who perceive God the most.  Perhaps our senses which are not filled in the conventional ways, as through sight, are honed and sharpened to perceive and to find what we need all the more through a state of being in which we find ourselves in a "broken" and imperfect world, one beset with sin, in which it is hard to find and to see God.  Jericho was a place notorious for sin, and so this story appears in this particular place for a reason.  Sin is a way of blinding our sight spiritually.  Without a perception of God, we don't get a full picture of the world and its truth, its real created reality.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave us a picture of the world as the vineyard, and God as the vineyard owner.  We might go through life thinking that we see, and yet blind as to who the vineyard owner really is, or even that there is an owner.  We might go through life thinking that the ownership of our world is simply up for grabs, to whomever is the highest bidder, or the most ruthless or cunning, or simply the loudest.  We might go all through our lives blind to the fact of God's love and God's mercy and Christ's compassion, as displayed in this story.  We might, in fact, find that we are blind to our own capacity for shared love, and thus to God's presence as stated in the Epistle of John.  There are all kinds of ways in which we might be blind, but there is one thing for certain about real perception:  it changes the game.  Real seeing gives us a hook, an angle.  It behooves us to pray to God, to ask from Jesus for what we want.  There is a reason to suppose that the vineyard owner is really the One in charge, and there is a reason why it is love, in fact, that drives real life.  Without God in the picture, and without the declaration of the Son, we don't have any of that and we are blind to that strength which lies hidden within even an imperfect and a fallen world beset with what ails us.  We don't have God without real sight, and that is a pitiful thing indeed.  Let us pray for His light, so that we may truly see.

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

- Matthew 5:38-48

We continue now through the readings of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, in preparation for Lent. We began with the Beatitudes on Monday. Tuesday we read about Jesus teaching His disciples that they are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. In the next reading, Jesus expanded on the law against murder, and yesterday we read His teaching on the importance of watching our thoughts, and cultivating a life in which we choose carefully what we dwell on and what we cast away from ourselves. Today Jesus continues with teachings on justice, and expanding how we understand what this means.

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." We turn now to the problem of justice, and Jesus seeks to define for us a concept of justice that takes out the idea of retribution - a measured response that is somehow created only by the act of the "other." In some sense, Jesus creates an independent spirit here, in which our choices to respond to others really comes from a relationship to God. This is the whole essence of a righteous life, and one of compassion and discernment. In other words, the equation becomes not one of tit-for-tat, not dependent only on the choices of the other person, but mediated by a relationship to God who is loving and compassionate - and who is the true Judge.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Jesus once again takes an equation and changes its balance, to include God as a part of that way that we seek to relate to others. He compares our relationship to others with God's relationship to all of us. From the earliest years of the church, when it was under great persecution, St. Paul encouraged Christian believers to pray for civil authorities and those in power. "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. " (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Our lives and actions are to be mediated by God's love in all relationships. This is not a prescription for abuse, and it is in no way a surrender to the "prince of this world" and its injustice. Instead, it is a kind of resistance, but one that must work in a particular way to be most spiritually effective. It is a way to carry on a life dedicated to the love of God and its manifestation in the world. It sets us apart by allowing us the spiritual freedom to choose how we will respond, and to be bound by our own love of God - and therefore seeking that love in how we relate to others. My study bible says, "Love is not merely an emotion. It is a divine grace -- an uncreated divine energy -- which inflames the soul and unites it to God and to other people (see 1 John 4:7-21)."

Forgiveness can be a subject of great difficulty. What do we do with those who care nothing for our feelings, from whom we receive no acknowledgment of our suffering? We recall Jesus' words about God's sun and rain falling on all equally, the good and bad, just and unjust. We need, first of all, patience with God's justice, and a sense in which we take our cares to God, our complaints -- and find the best way to respond. This may mean no response at all, as in turning the other cheek. It may simply mean a peaceful demeanor, as in St. Paul's words of "peaceful and quiet lives." But justice is always included in this equation of mercy and compassion and godliness; it is not left out. To misuse these words for selfish ends, to condemn those who simply do not accept abuse in order to continue such behavior, is to miss the point entirely. We each have the responsibility of our own relationship to God, our own hearts to examine, as Jesus has taught in the previous readings from the Sermon on the Mount, especially yesterday's. Therefore, think of the rain and the sun, and ask in prayer how best to proceed. How does one deal with the injustice inherent in our world and its relationships? Jesus taught us to speak out when necessary, to uphold the values of love and truth, and to look to ourselves for what it is we must cleanse first. We recall the patience of God's love, and the time we are given to learn it better for ourselves. Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. We are given time to continue in that journey, to find our way, and to carry with us the great desire to do it as "our Father who is in the secret place" would ask.

The poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always

And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think -- that He will not come to the feast?" Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."

- John 11:55-12:8

In last week's readings, we read of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This was the seventh (and final) sign or miracle reported in John's Gospel. After this event, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered in council. They expressed their fears about Jesus' popularity: "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation." Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, responded this way: "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish." See last week's readings for the story of the raising of Lazarus, and Saturday's regarding the response of the council: It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people.

And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. My study bible notes regarding this verse, "Because Jesus is the Lamb of God (1:29), the connection between the Passover and the death of Jesus is important, and John emphasizes it over and again (see 2:13, 23; 6:4; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14, 42)." This event becomes the central focal point of the events of Jesus' ministry; for the early church, and to this day in many regions where the church took root, Easter (and its preparations including Holy Week) remains the central feast day of the year.

Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think -- that He will not come to the feast?" Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him. So, we are to understand that He is a hunted man. Not only do the chief priests and Pharisees seek Him, but they have given orders that others should report Jesus' whereabouts. This means, of course, that Jesus knows He is a wanted man when He goes to the feast.

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. My study bible notes, "Six days before the Passover, the third Passover mentioned in John, begins the last week of Christ's earthly ministry, which is narrated in careful detail. The time for signs and miracles has passed. It remains for the Son of Man to be glorified through the completion of His mission (12:23; 13:31; 17:1, 5). As Passover draws near, the Lord returns to Bethany to spend the Saturday before Palm Sunday at the home of His close friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha (see 11:5)."

There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. A note reads, "The account of the anointing contrasts Mary's act of devotion -- the 'extravagance of love' -- with Judas' bitter cynicism. Anticipating His death, Jesus considers the anointing to be a symbol of preparation of His body for burial (vv. 7, 8)." I think it is significant that we understand this as an act of love. It sets the stage for a contrast between rules - made with good intention - and the acts of true love and devotion. One can just imagine the fragrance of the oil permeating the entire dwelling. It would mean that no one could miss this significant act. Reading about spikenard is interesting; this was an extraordinary luxury. That she wipes his feet with her own hair is an act of extraordinary devotion.

But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. We have an understanding of the expense of the ointment, which Judas is quick to note. John tells us that Judas is a thief, and kept the money box. Clearly, Judas is thinking about expense and cost - and what it would mean for their operations.

But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." Jesus here clearly comes down on the side of Mary and her act of devotion: He is with them yet a little while. The poor, and the need for charitable works, they will have with them always. This is clearly interpreted by Jesus as a prophetic act on Mary's part, an anointing before burial. It is an act of love and devotion by someone to whom He was deeply attached. See John 32-35.

What is the difference between love and good works? I think this story is very significant in terms of the question it poses to us. It's one thing to carry out a good economy, good works of a charitable nature. But love doesn't always work with strict rules and economy. There will always be times that call for something personal and extra to express our love and personal connection with someone or for something. Then we are in a different realm of not just following the rules for our own and others' good. Then we are in the realm of true love and devotion. This level of mercy, this room for love, is something essential and important. I think it's important for all personal relationships, and important for organizations of all types. There must be room for love, for the personal, for the extra measure that is necessary in a relationship of love. In other Gospels, Jesus countenances her act with the statement, "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her." It is the extra act of care that can sometimes make the whole of a difference. We need to know there is love and mercy as the connection between us. Otherwise all might become just "economy" - no matter how good a practice is.

That our eyes may be opened

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" They said to him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

- Matthew 20:29-34

Jesus is on his way toward Jerusalem. He has warned his disciples what will happen in Jerusalem, how he will suffer and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead. Here in Jericho, he encounters two blind men who call out to him. In Jericho, we recall the triumph of the people of God (Israel), who destroyed the walls with a mighty shout in unison.

Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" My study bible notes on this section: "This last miracle before Jesus' triumphal entrance into Jerusalem reveals the arrival of the messianic age. For this reason, the two blind men greet him as Lord, the common name for God, and Son of David, a title deeply rooted in popular messianic expectation. Jesus knows beforehand what they want -- and what we want. But he calls us to ask freely that he might answer in mercy. Matthew reports two blind men; Mark mentions only one (Mark 10:46-52)." Once again, we remark on the "doubling" we find in the gospel of Matthew. In Mark's gospel, we encounter Bartimaeus, the blind beggar in Jericho, as my study bible notes. In today's story, there are two blind men who call out to Jesus. Other instances of this "doubling" in Matthew include the story of the two men possessed by demons in the country of the Gergesenes (as contrasted with the man who was called Legion in Mark's gospel), and the two miracles of feeding of the multitudes in Matthew - one of five thousand and the other of four thousand. I personally do not understand the reason for this sense of doubling, except in one kind of instance: in the feeding of the multitudes, the first happens among the "lost sheep of the house of Israel;" that is, among the Jews. In the second instance, there were many Gentiles present. Matthew's gospel is written primarily from the Jewish perspective and for a Jewish audience; it is possible that this sense of doubling is intended to convey that this gospel is for all people, both Jews and Gentiles.

And there is another similarity here that recalls another story from Matthew's gospel. That is the way in which Jesus is addressed by the blind beggars: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" We hear this same cry, using this title, in the story of the Canaanite woman who wanted help for her daughter who, we are told, was "severely demon-possessed." In that case, the woman was pointedly told by Jesus that he was sent for "the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she "argues" with him, saying that even the dogs get the children's crumbs under the table. And for her persistence, she was rewarded with the healing of her daughter. This was the first explicit instance of Jesus' mercy expanding to include Gentiles, whose faith makes the connection to healing and mercy. So, in this story of the two blind beggars in Jericho, just before Jesus enters Jerusalem to be greeted triumphantly as Messiah, we are reminded of just where this gospel will go, that it will go out to all people, although Jesus is firmly identified as the Jewish Messiah.

Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!" As with the Canaanite woman, these beggars are shushed by the crowds, the ones who are also in the story. In the earlier case, it was the disciples who told the woman to be quiet, and asked Jesus to send her away, as she continued to pester them to help her. So, we learn here of the persistence of the blind beggars in calling out to Jesus for mercy.

So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asks for specifics. First he observes their persistence -- how much do they want what he has to offer? And then he asks them to put yet more effort into this connection in faith with him. "What do you want me to do for you?" This, in its way, is also similar to the event with the Canaanite woman, in which she was goaded, in a sense, to express her persistence in faith, in seeking specifically what Jesus has to offer, her desire for his presence and relationship in her life, his mercy and healing. This delay, the asking for specifics, the time spent "urging out," in a sense, the desire on the part of those who would be healed for what Jesus is offering, is a kind of analogy to prayer. It is the way God deals with us in prayer. We are asked to come to this table with specifics, for our desire to be flamed and fanned, to pursue in prayer what we want and need, to hone our desire for the mercy and healing that is offered from the Lord.

They said to him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. What do they want? They want their eyes to be opened. How analogous is this to prayer, to the spiritual enlightenment we seek in this relationship? Healing and mercy are synonymous with enlightenment, with good or true sight. We all want our eyes to be opened. Truth and love are synonymous when it comes to this relationship of faith. We don't get one without the other. The mercy that is in salvation involves healing all of ourselves, all that ails us, be that on spiritual, mental, emotional or physical grounds. It is "all of the above."

And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him. Those who are healed become his followers. This act of the receipt of sight is an act not just of getting something physical that they want for themselves. They are changed, transformed, healed through the truth that is this mercy, that is salvation. In that transformation, they thirst for more. They are changed and become his disciples, his followers. They have found the place in which they wish to remain, and to go forward in following. So, as we march toward Jerusalem with Jesus, we go, too, as the blind beggars. We pray for mercy, and remember that mercy is the balm for every rough edge, for all that ails us in this world, be it on any level within ourselves. Our sight that we wish to be restored to is not just a physical sight, but it is the mercy we wish to know as the reality of God, and our place in God's kingdom. Mercy, as we have often said on this blog, comes in the word in its Greek form as the same word for "olive oil" (eleos), which was the basis for all healing balm in the ancient world. What we pray for is that which softens the world, gives us mercy and love - and the truth that this reality of the love of God is there for all of us. We just have to make certain it is what we really want. It is not there for those who do not value it properly, nor for those who do not truly want it. In time - similarly to the delay in the answering of the prayers of both these blind beggars and the Canaanite woman - we have time to choose, to decide. Is this what we really want? How do we refine our prayer? For what do we pray? Do we understand mercy as the "opening up of our eyes" or as the thing that heals us of the "demons" of this world, that sets us free from that which causes spiritual pain and blindness? Let us consider, then, what do we pray for when we pray for mercy, so that we truly see.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she cried out after us." But he answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But he answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

In today's reading, Jesus is in the land of the Gentiles. We recall Matthew's orientation as a gospel primarily aimed at a Jewish audience. In the last reading (on Saturday), Jesus had gone to the other side of the lake (the Sea of Galilee) and to the land of Gennesaret. There he found great faith, such that the people there believed that all they had to do was touch the hem of his garment and be healed of sickness.

My study bible begins with a note on this entire passage: "This story, of a humble Gentile woman who is tested and then praised by Jesus for her faith, is mentioned also in Mark 7:24-30 but with two major differences: (1) Matthew says the lost sheep of the house of Israel (v. 24), while Mark says only, "Let the children be filled first." (2) In Matthew the woman is recorded as shouting, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (v.22). The Jewish orientation of Matthew's version accounts for his concern to show Jesus as the Son of David, endowed with divine majesty even in his humanity."

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she cried out after us." Jesus travels from Gennesaret (just northeast on the Sea of Galilee) to the region of Tyre and Sidon, further northeast on the coast - see map of the Decapolis at this time. As my study bible pointed out in the note quoted in the previous paragraph, this woman, although not a Jew, recognizes Jesus with a Jewish messianic title: "O Lord, Son of David." As a Gentile, she is drawn to this great Teacher she recognizes as the expected messiah of the Jews. In Saturday's reading, we also recall the story of Peter's attempt to walk on water toward Jesus - after Jesus signals him to try, saying, "Come." When Peter begins to sink, he cries, "Lord, save me!" This cry of the woman, "Have mercy on me," is the same cry. She needs help. She turns to him for that help. Not only does Jesus remain silent, but his disciples urge him to tell her to get away from them, for she is pestering them. This is a picture of prayer. We persist in asking, reminding, seeking a dialogue with God, with the divine. This is what this woman is doing.

But he answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." My study bible notes here: "Jesus' answer should not be understood as an insult, but as a way to reveal the treasure of the woman's faith. In her can be envisioned the future Gentile Church, the true Israel, coming to Christ." In a sense, this is very Middle or Near Eastern, this dialogue. He is, in a way, goading her, bringing out of her an answer - her reply. It is a test of faith through dialogue. Again, we come to our prayer life, which asks of us persistence - and an understanding of what we truly want and need via that need for persistence.

Then she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But he answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." My study bible notes, "The faith and humility of this woman are shown in that (1) Jesus' hesitancy was not enough to discourage her; (2) in her answer, she implies that she is a dog, and she calls the Jews masters." Again, this dialogue tests her faith. We note that the text tells us that she "worshiped him." Instead of walking away, as his disciples urged him to do, Jesus is goading her on, awaiting her answer. In this time, it would have been normal for this Jewish man not to even speak to a Gentile woman, even expected. Yet, he engages her, despite his disciples' request to repudiate her and send her away. Her answer reveals her strong wit, her intelligence, her persistence, and her faith. Of such are the disciples Jesus seeks for himself.

Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. It's not just that her persistence pays off - she also reveals her character. She has spirit in her persistence, alacrity, intelligence and wit. And she also has the truth firmly in her grasp and will not let go. She recognizes Jesus not only as the Jewish messiah, Son of David, but as the Lord she worships. She will not let him go without a fight. In the bible, this is always a positive indication of character, as in Jacob's wrestling with the angel for a blessing (as he was on his way to Canaan). To struggle with God in a positive sense is what happens in this dialogue between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. She also "wrestles her blessing" from Christ. This is done in faith, and it is a sign to us of our engagement with him, and what he asks for. To "wrestle with God" is to engage in dialogue and prayer. It is also in a sense, similar to the story of Job, who wants his day with God and will not give up in his struggle until that time. So we are also asked for persistence.

In 1 Corinthians, St. Paul writes: "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." So, our struggle with God is similar. We know only in part. We seek to grow in faith. We know that there is a time when we shall "know fully" - even as we are fully known. To become a child of God by adoption, as in the story above, is to come to our identity, to find who we are in that relationship. The struggle of a prayer life, then, is a constant struggle for the blessing of knowledge "to know as we are known." We seek who we are in our prayer life. The Canaanite woman recognizes Jesus as the Messiah of the Jews, and yet she also declares she worships him as well, calls him Lord, and asks for his blessing -- in this case, the freedom of her daughter from demonic possession and enslavement. She wrestles with him, and comes to know his life, and find herself in that relationship, where she belongs. She is emblematic of the Gentile Church, that which is to come, she assumes identity through her struggle. Let us remember that to engage with God is a lifelong story, a struggle for understanding, to come to know as we are known by "the knower of hearts." As with any other relationship, we invest our time with persistence and patience in prayer, and to grow in love. He but awaits our struggle, according to this story, and we do so in faith.

"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." (Matthew 7:7-8)