O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!

 

 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 

- Luke 13:31–35 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."   

 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"  My study Bible comments here that today's passage shows first, Christ voluntarily going to His Passion.  Secondly, it displays His great love for Jerusalem in spite of its continual state of rebellion.  Finally, He reveals His foreknowledge of how He will be received on the first Palm Sunday.  

 

Let us note that Jesus' cry, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem" is a lament made with love and sadness, and Jesus also shows His commitment to the mission entrusted in Him, remaining in Jerusalem, "for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem."  It's quite interesting to think of this image that Jesus has given, of Himself as a would-be mother hen gathering her brood under her wings.  This is a striking maternal image of Jesus that He gives to us directly.  We might take a close look at some historical architecture of Churches to see how it reflects Christ's image here.  Looking at the beautiful and majestic dome of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Church, built in what was then Constantinople (532-537), and minus the minarets added later, we see a very rounded maternal image which reflects Christ's desire to embrace His children as a hen would under her wings.  (See this architectural drawing of the structure.)   This Church was the largest cathedral built in the world for nearly a thousand years, but nonetheless its shape manages to convey the sheltering in the wings of a mother hen, a rounded image with a brilliantly illumined dome that seemed to float above the people.  Interestingly the name Hagia Sophia, "Holy Wisdom," is also feminine in its Greek form, although it refers to Christ Himself.  Why is it important that Christ gives us this picture?  Because it teaches us how our faith works in so many balanced and powerful ways.  Those who would suggest that our faith is merely one of patriarchy would be entirely mistaken, because in Christ's language and practice during His ministry the feminine plays a great role as well.  His love for Jerusalem -- the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! -- is clearly stated here in maternal terms.  It is little wonder that for the Orthodox world, perhaps the greatest image of protector is that of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos, or "Mother of God."  She is, additionally, considered to be the greatest of the saints, and exalted as the one who exemplifies our faith among human beings.  She bore possible shame and humiliation in her acceptance of her role given by God, protected and sheltered our Lord, and in humility bore the pain that would come as well.  Of course, the whole of the Church and all the faithful is necessary to the faith, and no one is left out. But Christ gives us one of the greatest images we have of what it is to love and care for one's lost children in this image of the mother hen and her brood, and the great desire to protect.  In chapter 15, Luke will also give us the parable of the Prodigal Son, with its image of the father who runs to the returning prodigal.  But let us for today be grateful for Christ's portrayal of His love as that of a hen who longs to protect her lost children, and who will nonetheless stay for the sacrifice He must make at their hands, although they will leave their home desolate.

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him

 

 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you will live also.  At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."  Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.

"These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  

 

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  

 

"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.'  If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.  

 

"And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.  

 

"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.  But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do.  

 

"Arise, let us go from here."

 

- John 14:15–31 

 

In yesterday's reading, we were given the beginning of Christ's Farewell Discourse to the disciples at the Last Supper.  He told them, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  And where I go you know, and the way you know."  Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."  Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."  Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake to the works themselves.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." 

 

  "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  Let us note the significance of this statement to our faith, and to our own discipleship.  We show our love for Christ by keeping His commandments, and this He commands to us.

 

 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."  How are we to know Christ's commandments?  We have the Gospels, the Old Testament Scriptures, the Epistles, and the Revelation in the Holy Bible.  We have the testimony of the saints and the entirety of the Church.  But Christ teaches also this important event, the sending of the Helper.   In Greek this word is Παράκλητος/Parakletos), a title that also means "Comforter," "Counselor," and "Advocate."  The word indicates One who comes when called (to one's side).  This is the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible comments that the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus also calls the Spirit of truth, is in each believer, and that we are called to know Him.  The Holy Spirit prays in us and for us when we do not know how to pray, enabling us to pray in Christ's name (John 14:13-14; Romans 8:26) and giving us words of witness when we speak the gospel (Mark 13:11).  Note how Christ indicates that in the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, Jesus is also present with us and to us:  "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you will live also."  My study Bible comments here that the brief separation of Jesus from the disciples at His death will lead to a deeper mystical union after the Resurrection and also to the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  

"At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."  Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."  That day is a reference to Pentecost, the day of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible cites St. Chrysostom, who teaches that it is "the power of the Holy Spirit that taught them all things."  Note once again, how closely linked the keeping of His word, the living of His commandments, is to loving Christ and in turn receiving the love and indwelling of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Conversely, Jesus says, "He who does not love Me does not keep My words."

"These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."  Again, Jesus speaks of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in His name.  We recall from the past couple of readings what it means to be "in Christ's name" -- His name is an extension of His Person, which includes His will.  Therefore the Holy Spirit "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."  My study Bible comments that we therefore have confidence in the apostles' doctrine (Acts 2:42) because the Holy Spirit is their Teacher.  The Holy Spirit brings to remembrance not only Christ's words, but also their meaning.  We have confidence in the Church, it says, because the Holy Spirit is our Instructor as well from Pentecost until today, leading us into all truth (John 16:13).  St. Irenaeus is quoted here:  "Where the Church is, there is the Holy Spirit and the fullness of grace."

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you."  Peace was the customary Jewish word of both greeting and farewell, my study Bible explains.  Perfect peace, it says, is brought by Christ, who reconciles humanity to God (Ephesians 2:14).  Peace is a part of the traditional greeting of Christians to one another (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3), and the greeting "Peace be to all" is offered many times during the liturgical services of the Church.  

"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.'  If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I."  My study Bible comments that "My Father is greater than I" does not mean greater in nature or essence, as the Father and the Son share one divine nature.  Neither does it mean that the Son is created, because the Son is begotten from all eternity.  Rather, it means that the Father, as the Fountainhead of the Trinity, is the eternal cause of the Son. 

 

"And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe."   My study Bible says that before it comes refers to our Lord's Passion.  Telling these events beforehand strengthened the disciples' faith.  

"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.  But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do."  The ruler of this world is the devil, who my study Bible says dominates the realm of those who do not love Christ or keep His commandments.  It notes that Jesus said that the devil "has nothing in Me" because there can be no compromise between Christ or His followers and the devil.  Jesus became Man, but He was never stained with sin.  

"Arise, let us go from here."  My study Bible explains that Jesus takes His disciples to another room or location to complete this discourse, in order to gain their undivided attention.  According to St. John Chrysostom, their current location was susceptible to intrusions, and the disciples were likely to be distracted from fear.

It's important to connect the idea of following (or "keeping") Christ's commandments and having a connection of love with Him.  Faith is not merely an intellectual act; it is the depth of entrusting someone, resting in His word, and living your life through it, that is really the product of faith.  In this sense, faith and works cannot be separated.  Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments," and "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me."  As Jesus gives this such great emphasis, we must ponder it, take it seriously.  Just to make it very clear, He also says, "He who does not love Me does not keep My words," adding that the word He gives is from the Father ("the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me").  So His word, His commandments, all of the things we read that Christ taught, the things passed on to us from His apostles, these play an integral and deep role in our lives of faith not only because they are teachings we try to follow, or a set of codes, or a principle.  Neither are they abstract or theoretical.  But Christ's word is in some sense an extension of His Person.  Following His commandments is the way that we show that we love Him, and it is the way that we come to Him, learn from Him, receive the Holy Spirit, and even moreover, how we in turn learn to love.  Because His word comes from the Father, and we know that God is love, it is in the discipleship of keeping His word, keeping and living His commandments, that we learn -- even experientially, in ways that touch the depths of us and all that we are -- what love is.  It is in the faithful keeping of those commandments that we, in fact, grow in faith, grow in learning what He is all about, become greater in understanding what love is and does.  And it is in the keeping of His commandments, the living of them, the love we share in doing so, that we receive not only the Helper who will help us to learn and remember and understand, who will come to us "when called" with the word we need, but both Spirit and Father, together with Christ the Son, will come to indwell us.  Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."  It is seemingly impossible to overemphasize the importance of these teachings, for this is our gateway to living life in the Kingdom, to the indwelling of Father, Son, and Spirit.  It begins, ends, and joins the future in love, for, as we said above, God is love (1 John 4:8), and it is in God's kingdom that we wish to dwell -- and in this way God's kingdom can dwell in us, even as we are still in this world.  Let us remember from yesterday's reading (above) that Christ has said that He is the way, or the path.  He is the road, the journey.  Father, Son, and Spirit may indwell and journey with us, giving us remembrance of His word, teaching us how to live it, and growing this understanding of love within us as we go.  Note also that Jesus tells the disciples, "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."  (He then affirms all of His teachings about love and keeping commandments by asserting that He goes to follow the Father's commandment to Him:  "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do").   Let us endeavor to do likewise, to love Christ and keep His commandments, and to grow in that love and understanding, so that the ruler of this world also has nothing in us.  This is Christ's peace that He gives to us!

 

I am willing; be cleansed

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

On Saturday, we read that after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  So far in this first chapter of Mark's Gospel, we've been given one healing act by Christ, and that was an exorcism.  In Saturday's reading, above, He commanded an unclean spirit who recognized Him as the Holy One of God, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  But here we have the first healing of an illness:  Simon's mother-in-law has a fever.  This is in the family home of Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew.  In Matthew's Gospel, we're told that Jesus "rebuked the fever" which implies, in the words of St. Cyril of Alexandria, that there "exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."  But here, Jesus acts through touch, in that He took her by the hand and lifted her up.  If we think about it, this seems to be quite a symbolic act of restoration to her place in the household, an image of the fullness of Christ's Incarnation, in which He will be lifted up in order to lift up others (John 3:13-15, 12:31-33).

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Once again, the text emphasizes Jesus as one who heals, or sets aright.  As Logos, or the Word (John 1:1-4), Jesus is the One through whom all things are called into order.  And here we observe that action, and the people's response to it, as the whole city was gathered together at the door of Simon and Andrew's home.  He healed many who were sick with various diseases, He cast out many demons.  Christ did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  As in yesterday's reading, when in the synagogue He told the unclean spirit to "Be quiet!" so here He commands silence for the same reasons.  His identity must as yet remain secret, as the hostility of the religious leadership will grow, the people's expectations are for an entirely different type of Messiah who will be a worldly political leader, and His desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based only on the signs He performs.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments here that Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Though He is God incarnate, He prayed continually, frequently finding a solitary place in order to be free from distraction, despite the multitude's need of Him ("Everyone is looking for You").  Christ's ministry, my study Bible tells us, comes forth from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit and flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning teaches us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then will are we equipped to serve others.  

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  Jesus tells the leper to "say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest" and offer the proper things "commanded by Moses, as a testimony to them."  Leprosy was a terrible scourge of the time, which brought people severe hardships.  My study Bible reminds us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13, 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 describes the purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was a duty entrusted to the priests.   My study Bible says that leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins -- as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but Jesus touched the leper, showing His compassion, and also that He is not subject to the Law, but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean.

The issue of touch is significant in today's reading, as it appears twice during healing.  First there is Peter's mother-in-law, who is sick with a fever.  The fever itself does not render a touch by Christ strange, but then there is the issue of a Man like Christ with a respected woman of Peter's household.  Certainly there were public restrictions regarding male and female conduct and familiarity which were part of the contemporary society. (and that included regulations regarding touch).  But the emphasis here on Jesus' taking hold of her hand is on healing.  In some sense, this is a scene between Peter's mother-in-law and Jesus which is reminiscent of a doctor attending a patient at the bedside.  His touch is respectful; neither does He sit on her bed where she is laying with fever.  But most of all, His touch is healing and accompanies the healing.  She is at once restored to her place in the household, a very important place indeed.  Not only is she likely the eldest female, but it is her privilege (not a drudgery) to serve Christ and the disciples which have begun to gather in their home.  But then the Gospel magnifies indeed this understanding of a touch from Jesus Christ.  For in the healing of the leper we find Jesus acting contrary to the prohibition against touching what was unclean, but this is also in the service of compassion and healing.  Let us note immediately that Christ's respect as a devout Jew is also for the Law given by God, and He tells the leper to go and follow the Law as given to Moses in making the proper offering and presenting Himself to the priest.  And so, in the image of the healing of the leper is contained another summing up of Christ's ministry:  He is the Physician who heals from compassion, and His expression is for compassion as a way of true fulfillment of God's law.  He will show this over and over again when He heals on Sabbaths, and is finally persecuted for doing so by those overzealous for their own traditions over and against the Law and the true intent of the Law.  What we can take from Jesus is an understanding that compassion and healing are ways of upholding the prime commandments of God.  Jesus will sum up all the Law and the Prophets in two commandments:  the first and greatest is to love God with all one's heart, and soul, and mind, and strength; and the second is to love neighbor as oneself (see Mark 12:30-32).  We become more "like" what we love; therefore this set of commandments is a way to learn love from God, and to share that with neighbor, whom God has also made in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26).  But, importantly, and to distinguish how this love works, it is not a love which is expressed in sentimentality or romanticism.  It is not a love that infantilizes others, nor does it smother them or disrupt their growth if they need to stand on their own.  It does not diminish others by discounting their own capacity or responsibility.  This is a love that works above all to heal.  And the compassion Jesus expresses is always to heal, to set aright, to cleanse, to restore (especially to proper order).  Let us remember that even a rebuke from the Lord is an act of love; Revelation 3:19 reads, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."  Those whom Jesus loves are called "disciples" -- they are those who will learn from Him.  All of this is compassion with intent to heal, to set aright, to put in order.  Mark's Gospel is the one which will report to us that Jesus taught, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).  Let us continue on the journey of the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who saves and heals, and who teaches us about the compassion to do likewise.

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

- Luke 9:51-62

On Saturday we read that it happened on the next day (after the Transfiguration), when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great." Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.   The time has come for Jesus to be received up; that is to be received into heaven -- the time has come for His Passion, death, and Resurrection.  Jesus has steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem:  His Person is now totally identified with what is to happen at Jerusalem, His entrance as Messiah and the Passion to come.  It is Jerusalem where the Messiah will be received, and make His departure.  This Samaritan village refuses to receive Him, most likely, according to many commentaries, precisely because He is going to Jerusalem.  Many note the traditional conflict between Jews and Samaritans about the proper location of the temple (see the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4:1-23, especially her question to him in verse 19).

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Second to Peter, the characters of James and John Zebedee are pretty clearly marked out in the Gospels.  It is John who has just told Jesus that they forbade another from casting out demons in His name (see Saturday's reading, above).  We know that Jesus has given His own name to these brothers, Boanerges, meaning "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17).  John, who will go on to teach us that God is love in His first Epistle (1 John 4:8), will clearly learn this lesson of discipleship.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."   My study bible comments that there is a cost to discipleship.   Here, Jesus reveals three of them.  First, a disciple relinquishes personal or earthly security.  At this point, Christ has nowhere to lay His head, nowhere He can call His "home" (and keep in mind He is on His way to Jerusalem, where He will be rejected).   If this is true for Him, it is also true for the disciple.  Second, there is nothing that can be an obstacle to serving God, not even (as in the example here) the honor due to parents.  Finally, no disciple can delay in accomplishing the good that has been asked by Christ.

Discipleship is a long road, which is meant to pull on each and every thing we have and are, and teach us what to do with it, how to change, what to discard, and how our lives can serve God even in the details.  We note above the characters of James and John Zebedee, and the name that Jesus gave to them, "Sons of Thunder."  Their characters seem fiery, quick to answer and flash a response or command, as they are revealed through the Gospels (particularly that of John, whom we also know that Jesus loved; see John 13:23-25).  John is so beloved a friend and disciple that he's the one to whom Jesus entrusted the care of His mother (John 19:26-27).  Through the fiery, whiplash-quick temper, Jesus sees and knows a man capable of great love and thereby knowledge of God, who would go on to give us so much in the form of the Scripture that we have.  But what of John's capacity for anger?  Jesus rebukes him by saying, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."   In the lives of the desert saints, the men and women who went to the deserts of Sinai to be the first Christian monastics, we have a strong tradition of what is called in Greek "apatheia," which sounds like the English word "apathy."  But it doesn't have the same meaning.  It means to be dispassionate, not to be ruled or controlled by our passions.  And this is an important and essential part of discipleship.  We must be able to put Christ first, before our anger, or disappointment, or envy, or desires of all kinds.  We must be able to do this to serve God.  And so, apparently, do John and James Zebedee, as we learn from Jesus' correction.  In a book I've previously mentioned in a recent reading (In the Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers), the author, John Chryssavgis, mentions one "way" of dispassion of the desert monastics, and that is to see each passion as a kind of wound.   It is meant for us to understand that it is our Creator who has endowed us with our passions, but they are meant for particular kinds of uses in our lives, in order to serve the highest good, to be true disciples.  When our passions run away with us and dominate us, our lives are not in order -- they can work to separate us from God.  But under discipleship, our passions may take on beneficial roles meant to serve God.  Anger, which can be used in ways that are harsh and outside the role Christ has for us -- precisely as witnessed in today's Gospel reading in Jesus' rebuke, can instead serve Creator, as when Jesus is grieved at the sight of an injustice or callousness or hypocrisy of the religious leadership.  See, for example, Jesus grieving at the hardness of heart of the Pharisees who would deny someone the healing of a withered hand in Mark 3:1-6.  In this point of view, we understand that our creation is basically "good" -- as it must be by creation of God.  But that we need to understand who we are within a depth of return to love of God, in communion with Christ.   Our own impulses and emotions, and all of our passions and desires, are given over to Christ in discipleship, and we change and are transformed through that discipleship.  This is the image of Transfiguration for all of us, as our true identity may be revealed through the work of our Creator within us (indeed, even the Trinity is at work within us).  What we seek in discipleship is precisely this kind of depth of change from within.  It is not something we call upon with our own desired image of ourselves in mind; that is not Christ's purview.  But we submit ourselves to the "manner of spirit we are of," and we learn within that discipleship.  Witness the examples given above of the people who delay to follow Him when commanded.  None of the impulses that the would-be disciples have are "bad" -- one must consider that he will have no home, another must not go first even to bury his father, and yet another must not even return to say good-bye.  These are not nominally bad things, but they are hindrances to the necessary discipleship for the followers Christ asks for; and discipleship comes through putting the Lord first, and learning what the Lord would ask of us in the moment of choice.  This is our road, how our own passions become transformed, transfigured, put to better use, and serve a world that is hungry for the love of God.  Where are you on that road?  Have you put your hand to the plow?  Are you ready to follow Him?   Christ Himself becomes "home" -- and where He is, there we follow.  And do we not all want our homes to reflect His love?

I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

- Luke 4:38-44

Yesterday, we read that Jesus, upon leaving Nazareth, went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  The story of Peter's mother-in-law is in each of the Synoptic Gospels.  It tells us that Peter had a home and a family.  This house in Capernaum is often called Jesus' ministry's headquarters in Galilee.  This sense in which Jesus rebukes her fever can be interpreted as one of correction, true judgment, a fitting dispensation.  And what the text tells us -- and does so in other Gospels as well -- is that she is immediately restored to her proper place in the home, which is in fact one of honor and worth.  As Son and Logos, Jesus restores a proper and fitting order, so to speak.  Further as to "rebuke," my study bible has an interesting commentary from Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.    Peter's home seems to become a kind of hospital, a place of care for ailments and afflictions.  Christ heals here by touch.  The tie with the demonic, that which creates destructive disorder, dysfunction, ill harmony, chaos, a kind of imbalance, is clear.  It does not seem strange that this is tied with disease.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading, they know who He is, but He does not allow them to speak and identify Him publicly as Christ.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.   Although He is now known for healing, Jesus' primary mission is to preach the kingdom.  Healings and signs testify to the truth of His message and to the identity of the Teacher (see 5:24).  My study bible adds also that this pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).

What is healing?  Can we separate what it is to be human into the components of mental, spiritual, physical, and consider that they are not inter-related somehow?  I think modern medicine would recognize that disease can be linked through all levels of life, with statistics correlating disease with stress levels, for example.  Even the interrelation of mental health with possible breakdown in genetic patterns is a subject for exploration.  Regardless of how modern (Western) science may view disease or not, Christ as Logos is the one who brings into the world a kind of divine order.  His entire mission is about setting things aright, deposing that which causes affliction, disease, ailment, dysfunction, and disorder on a cosmic scale, which ultimately afflicts individuals on the most personal level.  Christ's work of salvation is that which ultimately heals and restores to good order and true right-relatedness for all things.   Every restoration to health is a sign of the presence of the Kingdom.  That is the way that we must see His ministry.  Various forms of medicine support the concept of "balance" and harmony as integral to health, such as systems of acupuncture, for example.  But what we remember about Christ is that He's in the world as the "stronger man" to fix whatever it is that needs healing, and this extends to humankind's relationship with God.  Working from this cosmic level, we have a power in Christ that is at work in all things, from Creator to creature, and He takes particular care to tell His disciples the importance of "the least of these."   To indicate the kind of power we're talking about, which permeates all things and all places, we take the words from Revelation:  "Behold, I am making all things new."  In the Greek, as regular readers of this blog would recognize, the tenses read more literally, "I am always making all things new."  It is Christ whose work permeates into the "least of these" moments of our lives, to the absolute level of being, to the most intimate secret of the heart.  It is in His love and care we take refuge, and in Him we live and move and have our being.  This is the power we trust and know in our Lord, and His great superseding love that supports the abundant life He offers to the world.  As Logos, He wants what is truly good for all, even in the times we don't.

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head

And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, he gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

- Matthew 8:18-27

Yesterday's reading gave us examples of three tremendous healings by Jesus, three miraculous healings. They come immediately after the Sermon on the Mount (see all the readings that follow The Beatitudes). Jesus healed a leper, the servant of a centurion, and Peter's mother-in-law. Then many brought the demon-possessed to Him, and He healed them with a word - and also many other illnesses. With the centurion, Jesus marveled: "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." See Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.

And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, he gave a command to depart to the other side. This isn't the first time in the Gospel that we're told there are great multitudes following Jesus. In yesterday's reading, when we're told Jesus is coming down from the mountain after the Sermon on the Mount, great multitudes were also following Him. So we know of His great popularity at this time. Here, He decides that He will travel to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." In this passage, we're taught that a man of learning, of the Law, a scribe comes to Him and declares ardently His devotion. Scribes themselves were authorized to teach, so this is a tremendous compliment. Jesus implies here the greater commitment that will be asked of the scribe to become His disciple: His poverty for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus is not a part of the mainstream, not a part of the institutions of the religious, and so has no real home or house or property to speak of. He hasn't got the social status or recognition that comes from being a part of the Temple authority or the Jewish religious establishment. While the scribe professes that He will follow Jesus wherever He goes, He must be prepared in discipleship to go further than he may expect. My study bible makes a note on the term "Son of Man" that Jesus uses for Himself here. "Since Son of Man refers to the Messiah (Dan. 7:13), it expresses both His humanity and divinity. Here it refers to Jesus' human condition; in 25:31-33 it describes His divine authority as Judge." No doubt the scribe knows full well the term Son of Man. He calls Jesus "Teacher" -- but Jesus opens up to Him more of His identity, and reveals a messianic secret to one who may perhaps begin to understand.

Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Here is another great example of what it is to be asked to go beyond what one may expect in discipleship. Both this example and the one with the scribe indicate perhaps hardship and certainly sacrifice. The scribe may enjoy a great place in his profession in the temple, an honored place. Here this disciple wishes to go home and bury his father. My study bible points out that this isn't negating the command to honor parents. It says, "He means that nothing ought to be more urgent to us than the things of the Kingdom. Those who ignore heavenly priority are spiritually dead." We may consider that we are unaware of the circumstances of this disciple's family. We also remember that the second occasion when Jesus will marvel (the first was in yesterday's reading -- at the faith of the centurion) is in the lack of faith He will find among His own, in His own hometown. But the message is clear from both examples here, of this disciple and the scribe: in discipleship we may encounter times when we are called beyond the places we feel prepared to go, and especially in making sacrifices we haven't previously understood, things and values and ways of thinking and being we might hold very dear. We may have to make a choice between the "pearl of great price" and other things we value if it comes down to that. In the lives of the apostles, such choices will be commonplace. We may not always understand how or why we are called one way or the other, just that we are faced with the choice.

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" Taken up to this point, this story is a reminder of the sacrifices (especially of security in one form or another) we may feel called to make, the times when our emotions storm up in us due to outside forces beyond our control. In a life of faith, everything is not in our hands alone. We may not feel prepared to go through the things that we will experience, and that life will present to us.

But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Jesus addresses all of our fears here. This question could possibly be asked many times in a lifetime of faith! My study bible points out that this scene is often depicted as characteristic of the Lord and His Church as a whole: It has often gone through storms and needed deliverance. Let us understand Jesus' human condition and the tremendous ministry we have so far witnessed. He also needs sleep! "His inactivity," says my study bible, "intensified the disciples' fear, giving this miracle a greater impact." Rebuking the winds and seas reminds us again of Jesus' divinity, and teaches us -- in the image of the Lord and His Church -- to remember what faith embraces as a whole, in just Whose hands our lives remain. Faith calls on us to expand that understanding in the mystery of this scene taken as a whole. We may often feel threatened one way or another, but faith will stretch us in our reliance on God for the outcome. Now it is the disciples' turn to "marvel."

So, today's reading as a whole gives us a perspective on what it is to encounter the tests to our faith that may occur in discipleship. We may be called upon to do things and go places that strip us of the familiar, of the comforts we're used to. This may happen on a personal, physical, social or psychological basis. And, powerfully enough in this reading, these may be things we are asked to forgo, to sacrifice, for the sake of the kingdom. We may not know why or how, exactly, this works, just that we are called upon to go this way in His Way, as we "Follow Him." In this way, our faith is stretched, taken beyond our own thoughts of our limits, pulled in new directions so that we understand ourselves better than we do now. How has faith stretched you? Has it taken you to places you didn't expect, or asked of you sacrifices you hadn't considered? In so doing, do you face your own fears? Let us remember the picture of the disciples with Christ in the boat. We may feel that God is "sleeping" - not present to us. But all of this has the effect of stretching our faith, taking us to new places, exploring our own capabilities as disciples. Can we wait on God? Can we rest in prayer? In our own inevitable fears, can we choose to hold on to faith? God may take us where we hadn't known we were capable of going. How has God called on you to serve, and where has it taken you in your own understanding of who you are, and who you are called to be or to become? Let us remember that He has shared it all with us, first.