No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon

 

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and were thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole boy will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

 

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the  other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

 

- Matthew 6:19–24 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  On Monday, our readings focused on Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount regarding three basic practices of our faith: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.  Embedded in those teachings were Jesus' specific gift to us of the prayer we know as The Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.  Yesterday we read that section of the sermon.  Jesus taught:  "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For  they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  

 

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and were thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  My study Bible comments here that by attaching themselves to treasures on earth, people cut themselves off from heavenly treasures.  It says they become slaves to earthly things rather than free in Christ.  The heart of discipleship is found first of all disentangling ourselves from the chains of earthly things, and secondly by attaching ourselves to God, who is our true treasure.  

 

 "The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole boy will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"  According to my study Bible, the mind (νοῦς/nous in Greek) is the spiritual eye of the soul.  It illuminates the inner person, and governs our will.  It adds that keeping the mind wholesome and pure is fundamental to the Christian life. 

 

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the  other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  If we are slaves serving two masters, then we attempt to maintain an attachment to both earthly and heavenly things.  My study Bible comments that this is impossible, as both demand full allegiance.   Here, it says, Jesus calls mammon ("riches") a master not because wealth is evil by nature, but because of the control it has over people.  

 

 Jesus' teaching regarding the inability to serve two masters bears more scrutiny to understand Him better.  In today's age of multi-tasking we might find it a little hard to understand.  But Christ's understanding is of the working of the heart and the soul, not simply the intellectual processes that distract us.  Moreover, we might further take a look at this word "mammon," which has a deeper meaning than simply material riches.   According to Strong's definitions, it comes from a Chaldee/Aramaic word that implies wealth as personified, the wealth in which one places confidence or trust.  This should recall to readers in the United States a motto which is printed on all U.S. currency:  "In God We Trust."  While this is, in fact, the official motto of the country, printed on our currency it implies a familiarity with this teaching by Christ.  It suggests to us in our contemporary period that while we enjoy incredible prosperity and wealth in our country as a whole, our confidence belongs somewhere else.  Our real confidence rests in real power, and there is no greater power nor authority than God.  To trust in riches in the context of Christ's teaching implies this confidence and faith placed in material things, without regard for a higher power or spiritual reality.  It's a reminder of St. Paul's teaching, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:10).  This teaching is popularly misquoted, failing to distinguish between money as subject and the actual subject of this statement, which is "the love of money."  This love implies a kind of loyalty, a depth of trust; in effect, at is to make an idol of money.  (The word in Greek translated as "love of money" - φιλαργυρία/philargyria -- literally means "friend of silver," as the most common forms of currency were in weights of silver.)  We can look at the story of the rich young ruler to take another look at this problem of the love of wealth (Matthew 19:16-22).  A young man comes to Christ, asking what he must do to attain eternal life.  He tells Christ that he has followed all the commandments from his youth.  He likely comes from one of the wealthy ruling families in the temple, perhaps from what was considered a type of aristocracy of Jerusalem.  In this sense, then, his wealth would be connected to family identity and inherited position.  But St. Mark tells us that Jesus loved him (Mark 10:21), and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  The young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Jesus does not tell this man to sell his possessions and give to the poor simply out of a sense of social justice, conscience, or other politically or socially compelling reason.  He doesn't say that his wealth is evil.  He does not tell this man to do so because he is in some sense "bad."  But it was his attachment to that wealth that was a hindrance to his following Christ, to fully loving God with all his heart and soul and mind and strength (Matthew 22:37-39).  We do not know exactly what type of stumbling block it provided; perhaps through family obligation.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that the command to sell all of his wealth was the first and easiest; and that it is far more difficult to follow all of Christ's commands for one's life.  But nonetheless the sacrifices any of us would be called to make in discipleship are different and specific for each person, and this was necessary for that particular young man.  Jesus encourages us all to detachment, to the understanding that our love of God must come first before all things, for we cannot serve two masters.  Let us understand ourselves as we are created to be.  We will always have such a choice, for this question of serving one master or another is a fitting and pertinent description of our nature, whether or not we want to accept it.  We will always have to choose one first, and cultivate detachment from the other.  Of course "mammon" or "riches" can come in all kinds of forms.  But it's always a question of what our ultimate love is, and where we are headed.  What do we treasure most?  Where is our true good in life?  Everything depends upon how we see -- with eyes guided by the light of Christ, or the darkness of idolatry?  

 

 

 

Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man

 

 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- 'then he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

'These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me. 

And in vain they worship Me, 

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" 

When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the  mouth, this defiles a man."  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

 

- Matthew 15:1-20 

 

On Saturday we read that, following His feeding of five thousand men, and more women and children, Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the son of God."  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,  and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

 

  Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- 'then he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"   When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the  mouth, this defiles a man."  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."  My study Bible explains that the tradition of the elders is a reference to the interpretations of the Law by Jewish teachers.  Jesus refutes their views that ritual purity depends on outward actions.  Instead, it is the state of the heart that determines a person's purity.  Here also, Jesus shows that the commandment of God cannot be superseded by people's religious traditions. Devotion to God includes both obedience to God's commandments and service to others -- and these two things cannot be separated (see also James 2:14-18; 1 John 4:7-21).   

 

In today's reading, Jesus yet again emphasizes the state of the heart as the true state of a person, the place upon which we're judged.  But there is more to it than this simple statement.  The state of the heart is responsible for what comes out of the mouth, for the things we say, and thereby the evil things upon which we'll be judged.  Jesus gives examples, saying, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."   This is why, in Christian practice and history, what's called the "guarding of the heart" (Proverbs 4:23) has been so significant.  In this sense, the inner life and the works we do are connected, but it is the guarding of the heart -- that is, an awareness of what we are doing and thinking, and taking steps to notice and to correct habits internal to us which put us in a bad place -- that ensures salvation, and a life lived on Christ's terms.  This is by no means the first time Jesus has addressed the connection between the reality of the heart and the ways we express ourselves, and what that has to do with judgment.  In the Sermon on the Mount, He equated the statute against murder with the effects of name-calling (Matthew 5:21-26).  He spoke of the statute against adultery and tied it to lust in the heart (Matthew 5:27-30).  He also forbade the swearing of oaths, emphasizing, "Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No" be "No" (Matthew 5:33-37).  In chapter 12 of St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of Satan. He said to them, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:33-37).   Again, the emphasis is on our language, what proceeds out of the mouth, as Jesus says in today's reading, and in particular how that is connected to the state of the heart.  We could compare today's reading to the habits people are very proud of mastering in today's world, such as fasting, and in particular weight loss.  We also observe many who feel they are helping the world and preventing cruelty to animals through vegan and vegetarian diets.  In many religious traditions, regulation of diet plays a role.  This remains true in Christianity particularly for Orthodox Christians, for whom vegan or semi-vegan fasting days officially form roughly half the days of the year on the Church calendar.  But as Christians, we're not called to follow rules legalistically; fasting is a practice "remember God" and to learn and apply self-discipline to all areas of our lives, including the guarding of the heart, how we treat others, and especially that which proceeds out of our mouths, to paraphrase Jesus.  It's important that we note Christ's condemnation of hypocrisy, for there are ways of showing things outwardly that mask the reality of the heart, as the quotation from Isaiah in today's reading indicates (Isaiah 29:13-14).  Perhaps the great damage done by hypocrisy in the world is directly attributable to the failure to take these teachings of Christ seriously and apply them to our lives.  We might think for a few moments of the horrors done in the world in the name of progress, purporting to follow theories that were supposed to make countries better places, even the world a place of greater equality, democracy, justice -- all resulting in mass deaths in the millions over the past century or so.  Christ cites the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in today's reading, and He will go on to scathingly condemn them throughout a whole chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel prior to His death on the Cross, which includes the disastrous conclusion for Jerusalem due to the failure of its religious leadership (see Matthew 23).  When life becomes a series of memes, repetition of slogans, and theories purporting new solutions to old problems, we open the door to a hypocritical front masking all kinds of unsavory motivations and will to power at any cost.  Let us consider the importance of the guarding of both our hearts and lips, the prudence that asks of us sincerity and purity of the heart as true goals in life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You cannot serve God and mammon

 

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  

 

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness.

 

 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

 

- Matthew 6:19-24 

 

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer.  He said, "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 

 

  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  By attaching ourselves to treasures on earth, my study Bible says, we cut ourselves off from heavenly treasures.  In this way, people become slaves to earthly things rather than free in Christ.  It says that the heart of discipleship lies in disentangling ourselves from the chains of earthly things, and attaching ourselves to God, the true treasure.  

 

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness."   My study Bible explains that the mind (in Greek, νοῦς/nous) is the spiritual eye of the soul.  It illuminates the inner person and governs the will.  To keep one's mind wholesome and pure, it says, is fundamental to the Christian life.  

 

  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  As slaves who serve two masters, people seek to maintain an attachment to both earthly and heavenly things.  My study Bible calls this impossible, since both demand full allegiance.  Jesus calls mammon ("riches") a master not because wealth is evil by nature, but because of the control that it has over people.  

 

What does it mean to serve two masters?  We live in a world where we can pursue different passions, ambitions, goals.  In Christ's teaching, there is one great and first commandment:  to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength; and there's a second which is like it, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  Let's note that the world love is the active principle in both of these two great commandments.  These are, after all, the two commandments which Jesus teaches contain all the Law and the Prophets (see Matthew 22:35-40).  And in this context we are invited in to consider Christ's words in today's reading.  He speaks of two masters in order to tell us that for we human beings, this is impossible.  We can't serve two.  We will have to choose what we place first.  Jesus speaks of riches in a way for us to understand what hold our own desires and focus have on us; that is, whatever it is that we place first in life.  This word mammon (μαμωνᾶς/mamonas in the Greek) becomes personified so that we can understand this sort of relationship we establish through such choices.  The word had come to mean riches or wealth in Christ's time, but importantly comes from a root meant to indicate what one puts trust in.  When we consider that the root of the word translated as faith or belief in the Gospels means "trust," then we come to understand the competing realities Jesus is talking about.  We cannot trust in both God and mammon; we have to choose one, because it will determine the value of everything else.  What is our true treasure?  By what do we measure the value of all else?  In this context, also, it's important to see that when we make anything our master short of God -- where that depth of trust belongs -- then we become slaves of that thing.  True freedom is found in the reality which Christ brings to us and offers us.  So wealth, once we make it our ultimate treasure, becomes the thing we slave for; this in turn in our modern age can be seen also in the images of addictions of all kinds, whether that be drugs, or gambling, another person, a cult, or whatever else we give our souls to.  In short, worship -- faith -- only belongs with real confidence in one place.  Jesus literally speaks of treasure, which is another definition for mammon.  What is our true treasure?  What do we place first in substance, power, authority, value?  What do we treasure first?  All else will be subject to that.  He speaks of the eye; how do we see things?  What do we gaze upon to want or desire?  If it's not the light of Christ that fills the eye, then we have darkness -- and how we see determines our whole lives, even the place of the soul and the path it follows in life.  In His explanation of the parable of the Sower, Jesus illustrates the pitfalls of those who cannot produce good fruit by suggesting "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches" as thorns which choke the good word (see Matthew 13:1-23).  Let us understand this is a choice of what we put first, what we cherish.  In our very next reading, Jesus will expand upon this subject, addressing our anxieties over the material things we need in this context.  He will teach, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  Let us choose wisely what and Whom we serve, and all else will be placed in proper relationship.  For this is the very definition of righteousness.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not commit adultery." But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart

 

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it our and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 

 

"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  Bu I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. 

 

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

 

 - Matthew 5:27-37 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5 - 7.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught,  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

 

  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  My study Bible comments that the issue here is not the God-given mutual attraction of men and women, but rather the selfish promptings of lust.  Sin doesn't come out of nature, it notes, but rather out of the distortion of nature for self-indulgence.  Thoughts that enter the mind involuntarily are not sins, but they are temptations.  They only become sins when they are held and entertained.  

 

 "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it our and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."  This imagery is not to be taken literally, my study Bible says, but refers to decisive action to avoid sin and to continue in purity.  Elsewhere Christ uses similar imagery in His teachings once again (see Matthew 18:8, said in the context of avoiding offenses or abuses against the "little ones").  My study Bible moreover comments that this teaching applies to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties.

 

 "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  Bu I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."  In contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in that day, my study Bible explains, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (Matthew 19:8-9) and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  The possibility of divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality shows that marriage can be destroyed by sin.  In the Orthodox Church, my study Bible points out, divorce and a second marriage are allowed as a concession to human weakness and a corrective measure of compassion when a marriage has been broken.  Accordingly, a third marriage is permitted under specific and limited circumstances.

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."  My study Bible notes that trust cannot be secured by swearing an oath by things that are not in man's possession anyway, but only through simple integrity.  

 

 What is lust?  Here Jesus speaks in the context of adultery; and let us note that He is addressing men in the context of His society at the time.  So when Jesus uses the imagery of amputation of that which is diseased in order to save one's life, He speaks about curbing impulses, taking action to deal with one's own behavior and impulses.  He says, " If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it our and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."  An eye may covet what doesn't belong to it, give looks that are inappropriate, gaze with desire where it doesn't belong.  A hand may reach to grab what is outside of proper boundaries, to steal from others (like another's spouse).  In this context Jesus also introduces the topic of divorce, an easy way to break up a marriage in His time.  Finally there is the question of integrity; He urges His followers once more to keep it simple, and not to indulge in theatrics when pledging an oath.  We must note how one's word must speak for itself in a kind of chastity that is fidelity to God.  We can also take His words about lust and interpret them more broadly, as applying to anything we might covet or desire inappropriately, whether that be the wealth of someone else, or property, or others' talents, or whatever else we might in some sense envy.  For personal integrity plays a great role in all that He teaches here.  It plays a role in our regard for spouse and care of those who depend upon us (let us consider the position of women and children in His society), it plays a role in how we speak to others in that our word is our bond.  It plays a role in what we seek in life, the things we choose to fix our eye upon or reach out to grasp.  In all these things, once again, we seek the integrity that He embodies.  We seek a communion with Christ so that we may place our desires in His hands, and be taught what that kind of integrity means for us, to trust in Him to lead us into the proper path.  That would include "cutting off" the things within ourselves that are unhelpful, improper, and lead us to stray from discipleship under Him in our lives.  Christ helps us therefore with what it means to have a kind of honor, in that we first honor God, so that God teaches us to live our lives with honor, to regulate ourselves, and gives us the strength and grace to do so when we are otherwise weak.  We all face temptations, but Christ offers us a way beyond the control of our desires and temptations, no matter what they are.  Ask anyone who struggles with sobriety what it means to trust in Christ for help to stay on that path and make their lives healthy in every way they can.   In the Revelation, we're told that Christ stands at the door of our hearts: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).  Let us invite Him in, so that He may guide us in sobriety and integrity, and shape our hearts to be like Him.  For this real salvation, our most helpful guide for life.  

 

 

You are not far from the kingdom of God

 

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him. 

 

- Mark 12:28–34 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus is now in Jerusalem (the setting is what we call Holy Week), they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  so they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment."   And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.  In Christ's response to one of the scribes, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith.  This is called the shema' (meaning "hear," which is the first word of the confession).  As the second, He quotes from Leviticus 19:18.  Thus, my study Bible remarks, Jesus combines what is already present in the Old Testament to create a new understanding for us:  love of neighbor is an expression of love of God.  

 

It's beautiful that we have this concept from Jesus regarding the two greatest commandments in the Law, and how they frame the gospel message.  Jesus has put it in different words in other readings, especially when He spoke to the disciples about receiving even a little child as if they are receiving Him -- and not only Him, but also the Father who sent Him (see this reading and commentary).  In that teaching, Jesus taught us to see others as icons; in this instance He was teaching the disciples (meaning all of those who would follow as well) that in His Church they are to see all as icons of both Himself and of the Father.  Today's reading and Christ's teaching asks us in a sense to love as if we saw others as icons of ourselves.  That is, we're not to love others the same way we love ourselves, but rather the meaning here is to love others as we would like to be loved ourselves.  There's an important -- possibly even immense -- world of difference in these two things.  If I may copy a note from my study Bible for my readers, it notes as follows:  "Rather, we are called to love our neighbor as being of the same nature as we ourselves are, as being created in God’s image and likeness just as we are. As the Fathers teach, we find our true self in loving our neighbor."  It's important to understand, also, that Jesus gives this as the second command, but the first is to love the LORD our God "with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."  For if we are honest, it is in learning to love God in the ways described here that we learn how to love in the first place, for God is love.  None of us is born perfectly knowing how to love.  Some might think that love means indulgence, never discipline or punishment.  But, for example, to love a child is also to teach that child discipline, to take proper care of itself and its health.  If we're honest with ourselves, neither are we perfect -- and to love us as we need to be loved, as we would prefer to be loved, would be to lovingly let us know when we're making mistakes, and going down the wrong path.  If this were not so, Christ would have quite a different ministry than the one we know from the Gospels, in which He was unafraid to speak out against what was evil.  In John 7:7, He says, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil."  Unfortunately this also implies that there are all kinds of things that sound good, or may be done with good intentions, but which have evil effects.  Not without reason is there a popular saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  If we recall one most striking example, when St. Peter proposed that Jesus should never be killed, Jesus' response to him was harsh indeed:  "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (see Matthew 16:21-23).  Certainly all of us can sympathize with St. Peter's call that Jesus should not be killed, and yet we know Jesus' striking response, meant to convey precisely this notion that not all that sounds good is good, but to follow the will of God is the true good.  In this we come fully around to the wisdom of Christ's teachings here, and which commandment comes first and which comes second.  For without God's love and guidance, we don't truly know the good, and we can't truly know what love is and how to live it.  We need that discernment to understand the difference between what God wants of us, and what we, on the other hand, may think is good, or sounds good to us.  Let us pray for the discernment to follow Christ's way, to love the LORD our God as fully and deeply and completely as the promise in this passage and confession of faith states, and in so doing learn to truly love one's neighbor as oneself.   For Jesus says Himself, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (John 7:13-14).  He is the narrow gate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What comes out of a man, that defiles a man

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  

 

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand?  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1-23 

 

Yesterday we read that when evening came (following Christ's feeding of the five thousand), the boat of the disciples was in the middle of the sea; and Jesus was alone on the land where He had gone to pray.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.   

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."   My study Bible frames this is as not concerning the observation of Jewish customs or tradition, which Christ does not prohibit (Matthew  5:17-19; 23:23).  The conflict here is setting human tradition which is contrary to the tradition of God, such as that which was given to Moses for the people.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law.  For the Pharisees and the scribes this became as authoritative as the Law and often superseded it.  According to that tradition, offerings (which were called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself, but not for anybody else, including a person's parents, my study Bible explains.  It notes that secondary traditions like this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, contained in God's commandments.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand?  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study Bible explains that Jesus teaches that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God, and these are what defile a person.  

Sometimes Jesus' teachings on the internal life of a person can be somewhat confusing; or rather, the truth is, we might become confused about how they actually apply to our every thought, such as in His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount on murder and adultery (Matthew 5:21-30).  Jesus' emphasis there is on how such violations of the law begin within the heart, and the importance of guarding our hearts and knowing and correcting ourselves in this sense.  But here, His teaching, while it emphasizes the internal state of a person and one's heart, makes clear that what is truly defiling is the evil that comes out of the heart -- not simply restrictions of food.  Indeed, there are things we may avidly consume which are harmful and defiling to us (such as entertainments that encourage lust, violence, covetousness, the components of Christ's teachings about murder and adultery in the Sermon on the Mount just cited).  Jesus' emphasis here on what comes from within, out of the heart of men, is on evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness."  He says that all of these things are evil, and that they all come from within and defile a person.   Therefore, similarly to the teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, we are to guard our own heart in terms of the things we nurture and encourage within ourselves.  Clearly all of these things come from the heart, and so Christ is asking us to be aware of them, to be conscious of where our own spiritual vulnerabilities and temptations are, to correct ourselves and our thinking in this sense, before these things are acted upon.  (An evil eye, by the way is envy.)  It is easy to get caught up in outward appearances, showings of virtue in some sense, and to thus eliminate concern and care for the thoughts we nurture in our hearts as if they don't matter.  But this leads also to the hypocrisy that Christ condemns most vehemently in Matthew 23, His grand critique of the behavior of the scribes and Pharisees.  There, Jesus teaches His disciples that as teachers, the "scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do" (Matthew 23:2-3).  In other words it's not their teachings according to the tradition of Moses that are the problem, but rather their hypocrisy:  "For they say, and do not do."  The practices which He criticizes in today's readings are those things that easily lead to and cover hypocrisy, where greed or covetousness or lust, and all manner of corrupt behaviors that follow, are cultivated and covered by an outward appearance of virtue.  So while one may focus on how well one fasts, or how strictly one can follow outward "good" behavior, if we don't understand that everything we are and do, good and bad, comes from the heart, then we lose the sense of God's presence  to us, and how we need to fight the good fight of faith.  In simplicity and humility we approach God in this sense, for God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The best of the practices of our faith, the things given in tradition such as fasting during Lent, making the sign of the Cross, all of our liturgical practices and prayer, the use of icons -- all of these things are good and proper when we make proper use of them to shore up our faith, to encourage others, and especially to cultivate and practice a deepening reliance upon God and to learn God's mercy and truth, and live by it in community.  But when the focus becomes purely outward we lose sight of the place to which Christ calls us, and the truth of His teachings in today's reading.  Much of our common life in this time focuses on outward appearance especially through the use of social media.  Many are all too aware of their presence online, what they present to others, how one is seen or can cultivate an image for outward consumption.  Let us also note that those things Christ names as evil things which come from the heart (evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness) can easily stem from and be cultivated by social media and popular culture.   We might call that emphasis on appearance before others and the ruthless demand to adhere to certain social choices our modern day "commandments of men," in the words of Isaiah quoted by Jesus.  An unrelenting focus on outward appearance before others may disrupt the deeply personal reality of faith and of the heart, encouraging us to follow and to fear the crowd more than we focus on the love of God first and its root in us.  Thus our real spiritual struggle becomes one of self-discipline and discernment, holding fast to the love of God first before all else.  Let us consider our focus and remember Christ's words and teachings in today's reading.  For there will always be those who criticize, but the love of God in the heart knows no rival for goodness and truth.

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more

 

 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  

"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  

 

Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  

 

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.    But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

 

- Luke 12:32–48 

 

Yesterday we read that one from the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

 

  "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  My study Bible comments that do not fear is a recurring theme in this discourse.  Little flock is a reference to all believers.  They are "little" in two ways.  First of all, they are insignificant in the eyes of the world, and second, they are small in number when compared to the earthly and heavenly creation.  Let us consider what it is to have treasure in the heavens:  what we sacrifice from an earthly perspective, we gain when done for the kingdom of heaven.  Of such is money bags which do not grow old,  treasure where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 

 

 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately."  This is a call to be vigilant, says my study Bible.  It echoes the imagery of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).  In Christ's time, one would "gird one's waist," hitching up and fastening clothing in order to work, so that it would not interfere nor be soiled; here Christ uses this expression as a metaphor for readiness to do virtuous action.  Lamps burning indicates active spiritual discernment (see Tuesday's reading, in which Jesus teaches, "The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness").

 

 "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them."  My study Bible comments that the mark of a true disciple is vigilance in performing the work and exemplifying the virtue of the master.  To be watching is to be alert, vigilant, ready to act -- especially upon the commands of the master as a servant.  Note that Christ says such servants will find that the master will gird himself for work and serve them, as Christ did when He washed the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper (see John 13:1-17).

 

"And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants."  The second and third watch is between 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m..  According to my study Bible, these are interpreted as hours of heightened temptation.  Therefore those servants are the most blessed who remain faithful during the night.  Let us note also that this can be interpreted as a time of metaphorical spiritual darkness and difficulty, when the Light is no longer with them or seems far away from our lives (John 12:35).  It's also a time when all others are sleeping -- again, metaphorically understood as a time of falling away and forgetfulness, with a lack of spiritual awareness or zeal.  

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into."   Again, we can understand this metaphorically, with the thief as the devil and the influence of evil (see John 10:1-10).  

"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Here is the sobering, straightforward call for constant vigilance and quickening of our spiritual awareness.  My study Bible comments that it is not the place of anyone to try to predict the time of the return of the Son of Man, but rather to remain faithful and to be ready at every hour.  

Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers."  Here my study Bible comments that the previous parable was to all people, but this parable is to the apostles and their successors,  the rulers and teachers of the Church.  These exhortations and principles of virtue, it says, and the warnings against corruption, apply specifically to those entrusted with spiritual leadership.  Note that Jesus gives images of the abuse of those other fellow servants and selfish indulgence and exploitation of the master's household.   

"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.    But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."  My study Bible says that the judgment of the teachers of the Church will be strict (James 3:1).  The many stripes (formal punishment by lash, given in specific number) given to those who are willfully and knowingly disobedient is a symbol of condemnation.  The few stripes are for those who are disobedient out of ignorance, and indicate chastisement or correction.  

Jesus speaks to His disciples, telling them that they must continue in vigilance as His servants (servants to the Master in the parable), even after He is Ascended and no longer with them as the Jesus the human being.  The vigilance He asks, therefore, is also asked of us as the descendants of these faithful to whom He speaks in the Gospel.  So we must ask ourselves what it means to be vigilant, what it means to be watching ("Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching").  It's important to note that this word "blessed" is the same one used in the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain.  This kind of blessedness isn't about worldly blessings, but a state of being associated with participation in the kingdom of God ("Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom").  The word for "watching" in the Greek of the Gospel passage is γρηγορέω/gregoreo, which is highly correlated with action and quickness.  It means to be alert, watching, staying awake.  If one is a servant to a master, it stands to reason that we can infer Jesus is speaking about following His commands the He has given while He is in the world as Jesus, and practicing His worldly ministry.  At the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).  So, to be watching, to be vigilant, is to always be on the alert for ways that we follow His commands, within the circumstances in which we find ourselves at all stages of our lives.  Note how this includes caring for the others in His Church specifically addressed to those in leadership.  Jesus asks, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers."   A steward is one in charge of a master's household and his goods.  To give His household their portion of food in due season is to "Feed My lambs" as Jesus said to Peter in His final appearance before His Ascension (John 21:15-19).  But to abuse and exploit others in the Church, to abandon responsibility, to be self-indulgent and ignoring the commands of Christ, all of that is to forfeit the name of a disciple or apostle.  We are guaranteed, in this language found here in Luke, that Christ will come at an hour we don't expect, and therefore it is constant vigilance that is asked for, not forgetting what we are to be about as good servants to the Master.  He says, "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.    But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."   Note Christ's fairness:  those who do not know will not be held to the higher standard, but those who have been given much in the way of the spiritual truth and teachings of Jesus, will be responsible for much.  Let us therefore be prepared and vigilant, learning and growing, watchful and wakeful and alert to the call of our Lord and Master.  Let us do as we're asked as good servants.  Let us not be complacent, but be prepared to grow in the living of our faith. 

 

 

 

 

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye.  

 

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."

 

- Luke 6:39–49 

 

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Plain, found in the Gospel of Luke.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "But I say to you who hear:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.  To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also.  And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who asks of you.  And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.  And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.  But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.  But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and you shall not be judged.  Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you:  good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

 

 And He spoke a parable to them:  "Can the blind lead the blind?  Will they not both fall into the ditch?  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher."  Christ does not judge anyone (John 8:15; 12:47), my study Bible notes.  It cites the commentary of St. Cyril of Alexandria, saying that therefore, "if the Teacher does not judge, neither must the disciple, for the disciple is guilty of worse sins than those for which he judges others."

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  This is an argument teaching us that we're to focus on on our own flaws, and to practice self-correction.  Jesus is addressing this sermon to His disciples, who will one day become elders of His Church; therefore, how will they correct others when they have no correction of their own flaws?  How will they understand repentance if they have none themselves?

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Without our own repentance and ongoing process of correction, our internal reality can only reflect the flaws, the falsehood, and thus direct our outward actions, our fruits.  Therefore we make choices, and we must be aware of our own missteps and mistakes, choosing the good treasure and not the evil.  If we would be teachers like the Teacher, this must be the requirement first.

 

  "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.  And the ruin of that house was great."  My study Bible comments here that hearing the gospel only is not enough.  Salvation is not based on hearing alone, not even on faith alone, but on doing the things spoken by Christ (see James 2:24).  

In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus uses vivid metaphors for removing from ourselves faults and flaws that cause unrighteous behavior.  In Matthew 18, He teaches, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell" (Matthew 18:8-9).  In that particular instance, this teaching comes in the context of doing harm to a "little one."  More importantly, it comes after a question by the disciples as to who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 18:1-7).  In that context, Jesus' teaching can be understood as warning these future leaders in His Church against abuse, especially against those of lower stature, the vulnerable, those who will come to them for guidance.  And eye can look with covetousness or lust, a hand can reach out to strike or to grasp where it doesn't belong, a foot can stray over boundaries not meant to be crossed.  This is Jesus telling us about self-correction, about casting off even those things -- our impulses and desires -- that seem as much a part of us as hand, or eye, or foot.  Here in today's reading Jesus is teaching the principle of self-correction before we are ever in a position to correct another person.  Again, as discussed above, Jesus is addressing the Sermon on the Plain to a great multitude, but we're told that before He began speaking, He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples (Luke 6:20).  Therefore, these teachings are specifically directed to those who follow Him.  And in His words here, we can see that they are directly given to those who are being trained by a teacher, and what that means.  There is a mutual correction among "brothers" (fellow disciples) also implied here:  "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye."  It's clear that we are meant, in our discipleship under Christ, to grow into something, to become more like our Teacher.  We can't do that unless we are prepared to cast off what makes us unlike the Teacher, and with the help of our Lord and the Holy Spirit, this becomes an ontological effort.  That is, it's not just the outside that changes, but the inner person.  He makes this clear when He likens human beings to trees that bear fruit:  it's the tree that must be good before it will bear good fruit.  It is taken even further and made really clear to us when He speaks of the heart:  "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Perhaps the greatest pejorative Christ uses about those whom He does not want us to be like is in this one-word sentence:  "Hypocrite!"  He, of course, will aim this criticism at the religious leaders (see Matthew 23).  But here He applies it to would-be disciples who do not put in the effort at personal change, paying attention to their own problematic impulses and desires, and applying correction.  This is because, as He says very clearly, the things we're blind to in ourselves so often wind up projected onto others.  We may very well understand -- for instance -- and see something that others do that we think is selfish or greedy, but the much bigger plank in our own eye is our own selfishness and greed that we're blind to.  Without a prayerful attitude, a mindfulness that is focused on God and where God leads us, even taking us to our own need for personal correction, we might very well cultivate the attitude of the Pharisees who "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:23-24).  The historical practices offered by the Church:  prayer, fasting, worship services, confession, and a true understanding of repentance, all emphasize the condition of the heart, and this foundational assumption given to us by Jesus in today's reading that "a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" -- that "a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."   Therefore we guard our hearts, we pay attention to the inside, the inner part of what it is to be human, and not just the outside.  The big emphasis here is on the condition of our own hearts, and not only does our outward "fruit" depend upon that, but even our ability to see clearly if we want to correct what is around us.  Not only do we need to have that spiritual experience of what it is to grow, to change, to be corrected, to be alert for our own flaws and impulses, but we'll be useless as disciples and good teachers for others without it.  Correction isn't about judgment and condemnation; it's meant to be for the betterment of all.  Ultimately, this is what repentance is all about.  So how is one not accustomed to putting in that difficult work of personal change going to be able to truly help another?  Christ Himself became human in His Incarnation so that He could be our true Teacher.  He became one of us.  In all things, He brings compassion to human beings.  So it is with ourselves.  Unless we also follow and put in that spiritual effort, how can we view others with compassion who must do the same?  Jesus' answer is that we won't even be able to see clearly without it.  Let us take His words to heart!