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"

 

 "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."

 

- Matthew 5:21–26

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the disciples, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

  "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."  My study Bible tells us that this repeated formula in Christ's Sermon on the Mount but I say to you is a statement of total, divine authority (Matthew 7:29).  Christ is the Creator of humankind and also Author of the Law; as the Lord He can speak with this authority.  While there is anger which is not sinful (Psalm 4:4; Mark 3:5), here Jesus is forbidding sinful anger, and He identifies it with murder.  The council is the supreme legal body among the Jews.  Hell is in Greek γέενναν/Gehenna.  In Jewish history, my study Bible explains, Gehenna was the Valley of Hinnom.  It became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 32:35).  King Josiah put an end to these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By Christ's time, the valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered endlessly.  Because of these associations, Gehenna acquired the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.  Hell is the final condition of sinners who resist God's grace.  

 

"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."  Peace with other believers, my study Bible says, is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  The liturgical "kiss of peace" at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, a preparation of the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14).  See also Jesus' formula for mutual correction in the Church, in Matthew 18:15-20.

 

"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."  My study Bible points out that St. Luke places this teaching in the context of the end of the age (Luke 12:57-59).  Here Jesus teaches it in the context of reconciliation surrounding the Liturgy.  Delay in reconciliation allows for the spread of animosity and other evils (Ephesians 4:26). 

 

Forgiveness and reconciliation are important concepts in the Church, and it's important to note that these are two different words for two different things.  While we are all commanded to forgive, it's not always possible to reconcile.  For example, this is true of an abusive or harmful situation, in which two parties may conflict to the extent that harm is created, or abuse is tolerated.  But forgiveness is the "giving up" of sin in the same sense that a debt can be forgiven, as we'll read in the following chapter of this sermon (Matthew 6:12).  We do this in the context of prayer before our Father in heaven.  As shown in Jesus' teaching on mutual correction (Matthew 18:15-20), reconciliation calls for steps beyond forgiveness.  In today's reading, Jesus seems to teach us the importance of guarding against offenses, and also the reparation for offenses.  We read in the Gospels examples of such reparation and reconciliation, for example, in the story of Zacchaeus the chief tax collector (Luke 19:1-10).  In the story of Zacchaeus, it must be understood that tax collectors were despised within the Jewish society, for they were fellow Jews who worked for the Romans, routinely taking more than was necessary for paying tax and using the power of the Roman state to practice extortion for their own benefit.  In Zacchaeus' case, when Jesus comes to Jericho where he lives, and calls upon him, Zacchaeus states, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  Of this reconciliation, a reconstitution of community, Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  But nonetheless, we can always practice forgiveness, the "giving up" or "letting go" (as the word literally means in the Greek), as Jesus teaches us as part of the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.   Here in today's passage, Jesus places the emphasis on the aggressive act of anger which is unjustified, and provokes unnecessarily through insult or injury of some kind.  Raca is an insult implying a person is empty-headed; "you fool" is the translation of an insult implying mental deficiency, undevelopment, lack of intelligence.  In Greek, it is μωρος/moros, from which we derive the English word moron.  In modern Greek, this word is used to literally refer to an infant.   One imagines that such demeaning insults mean something additionally significant within a social or public context.  Christ's comments just prior to the ones in today's reading spoke of the Law and the Prophets, and Himself as fulfillment.  If we think about the Law given by the Lord to Moses, we understand the important community emphasis on those laws; they weren't simply made in order to teach individuals what to do and how to act within an individual context.  The Law was made to create a community of God's people, and the prayers and practices of the Temple were designed to ameliorate the effects of sin in community.  The blood of sacrifice that was to be sprinkled upon the altar was for purification (not payment) -- and this is another prefiguring of Christ and His Blood shed for us.  Therefore we see this particular sin of anger without cause, and the casting of insults upon others within community, as akin to murder.  It destroys relationships and relatedness, and we are to understand righteousness as right-relatedness. In today's reading, Jesus begins to explain to us why and how we are to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  Christ's gospel is part of the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, but it extends beyond a legalistic scrupulosity of simply following the rules.  Instead, we're to begin to come to terms with the inward passions that drive harmful actions, and of course this will correspond to the action of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, which would come to us as a gift of Christ's fulfillment of His mission (John 16:7-11), and as part of Christian Holy Baptism.  Within the context of community also comes the need for reconciliation and forgiveness.  But this is done within a community meant to be "the people of God."  The remedy for sin is holiness, not payment.  This is where Christ is leading us, and what the Incarnation as salvific remedy for the world is all about.  The fire of hell is the same purifying fire that is the Holy Spirit, and our experience of that depends upon our orientation to where He leads, our acceptance of the repentance to which we're called.  

 

 

 

What is truth?

 

 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evil-doer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  

 

Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  

 

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."

 

- John 18:28–38 

 

Yesterday we read that, following Christ's arrest by night in the garden of Gethsemane, Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple.  Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.  But Peter stood at the door outside.  Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.  Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?"  He said, "I am not."  Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves.  And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.  Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?"  He denied it and said, "I am not!"  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"  Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

 

  Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evil-doer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible says, the irony here is notable, as Jesus' accusers don't fear being defiled by condemning an innocent Man to death -- but they would not set foot into a court of justice.  

 

 Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," . . .  that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  My study Bible explains that because the chief priests of the Jews didn't have an actual crime with which to make an accusation against Jesus, Pilate refused to pass judgment.  When the chief priests declare, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," they're not talking about the Law of Moses, but the laws of the Roman occupation.  The Romans, as occupying power, reserved the sole right to execute people.  So, therefore, the chief priests relied on Pilate to sentence Christ to death.  

 

 . . . that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  According to the Jewish law, stoning was the usual means of execution.  But, Christ had prophesied that He would be killed by being lifted up on the Cross (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32-33).  Therefore He had foreknowledge that He would die, not at the hands of the religious leaders of Jerusalem, but by the Roman method of crucifixion. 

 

 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate asks Jesus, "What have you done?"  My study Bible comments that it is unheard of that the accused would have to name the charges against himself in any court; it's the captors who name the crime.  That Pilate has to ask Jesus what the charges are shows that the chief priests could not name any crime He might have committed.  More importantly, the unfolding of this time shows that Christ was Lord over the events of His death (see John 18:4, 8).  Notably, even the governor has to come to Christ for the trial to proceed!

 

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."  Pilate's words indicate he can come up with no charge of his own against Jesus.

 

 Pilate asks the question anyone wants to know, philosophers still seek to answer, and which dominates all academic sciences:  "What is truth?"  Over the many centuries before and after Christ's human lifetime, people have sought and come up with a variety of answers and theories, and they continue to do so.  But Christ has a particular answer, and Christianity has a particular answer to this question.  The great irony (among many ironies, clearly) is that Pilate asks this question of the One who stands before him, who is the truth, the One who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6.  Of course, this sense in which Jesus is the Person who is the truth is in the sense of the Logos, the Son.  He is truly the One by whom all things are measured, in relation to whom all things have meaning, and who will in the end be the judge of all things.  Christ, as Logos, gives each of us meaning, and has for each a name and identity (Revelation 2:17; 3:12).  In this sense, we find ourselves in relation to Him, through faith, and through the ongoing effort to live a faithful life.  We come to know ourselves, even to be transformed, through such a relationship and process.  This is, above all, an experiential process, one we come to know through living and experiencing it.  But saints, Church Fathers and Mothers, theologians, and an ongoing stream of faithful have taught and given us this understanding to us for centuries.  This is seen in the Old Testament in the action of God calling Abram out from one life to another, and renaming him Abraham; and in the new name given to Jacob to become Israel.  It is seen in the New Testament, in Christ renaming Simon Cephas, or Peter from the Greek; and naming James and John Zebedee Boanerges, meaning Sons of Thunder.  And this is indeed the lived experience of the Church and the faithful we can't count and don't all know.  "What is truth?" is a question which we, as faithful, answer in the fullness of the real Name of Christ; that is, this Name which becomes ours by adoption, of the house which also becomes ours by adoption (John 8:35).  While a materialist perspective might teach us that everything is relative, and meaning is only determined by what we desire at the moment, this so often proves a recipe for chaos and futility, a dead end that doesn't leave us with much meaning in life, and for all kinds of reasons.  There will always be a foundation of values we need to be able to count on, that can transcend our ongoing varied, collective, contradictory, and unusual experiences, and this is particularly true if tragedy strikes, unforeseen trauma we can't explain to ourselves in normal terms.  We require a relation to something -- actually to Someone -- much greater than ourselves to put all those pieces of collective and personal experience in a place that can not only make sense, but give us meaning and even purpose.  Why need truth be a Person, rather than the materialist sense of facts or reasons?  Because for truth to be transcendent, to give us meaning and purpose, to find real value and worthwhile substance, we need love.  And we need the Person who is love, who loves us, and who can teach us that transcendent love for ourselves to learn to live and practice as well.  There is no substitute for such truth, for it is at the core of our value even if no one else values who we are, nor will teach us that truth about who we are.  And Christ is the truth that can lead us there, show us His way to walk through a world of chaos or tragedy, and give us more than just selfish impulse or rigid law or conformity to a crowd or the next best theory (or fashion) we can find.  His is the kingdom that is not of this world, but surpassing it.  In Him, the contradictions are reconciled, and there is depth of meaning even in the Cross.  For He has overcome the world for us, and is always waiting to show us the way for us, too.  For His way is not out or beyond the world, but through it -- and He is the light of the world that we need to follow.

 

 

 

   

 

How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?

 

 "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. 

 

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

 

- John 5:30–47 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus answered and said to the religious authorities who questioned Him after He healed on the Sabbath, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

 

 "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."  My study Bible explains here that the divine will is common to the three Persons of the Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- for all fully share the same divine nature.  When the Son is said to obey the Father, this is a reference to Christ's human will, which He assumed at His Incarnation.  Jesus freely aligned His human will in every aspect with the divine will of God the Father, and so we are called to do likewise.  

 

 "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"  My study Bible has a lengthy note on these verses.  First, it asks how Christ's witness could ever be untrue?  It cannot (see John 8:14).  Rather, my study Bible says that Jesus is anticipating the argument and here He is speaking the thoughts of the Jewish leaders whom He's addressing (He does the same thing in Luke 4:23).  In Jewish tradition, my study Bible explains, a valid testimony requires two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6).  Here Christ offers four witnesses to confirm His identity as Messiah and as Son of God.  First is God the Father (verses 32, 37-38).  Then there is also John the Baptist (verses 33-35).  Finally, there are His own works that He has done (verse 36), and the Old Testament Scriptures, through which Moses and others gave testimony (verses 39-47).  

 

What is this that Christ says about honor and its importance to us?  On some level, all human beings -- and even animals -- want something that is called honor.   We can consider honor to mean reputation, or status, or fame, or renown.  Somehow it conveys our presence to others and the way others think of us, where we have significance in a society or a group.  The honor we receive back from others influences also the ways that we think of ourselves.  For this is the way that our minds work.  Even for groups of animals, status within the group is essential to function.  In verse 44 of today's reading, Jesus asks, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"  This word that is translated as "honor" is usually translated as "glory" in the Greek.  It is δόξα/doxa.  So, considering this word, we can see its relation to reputation, renown, status among a group or society.  It is the word from which we derive the term doxology, a hymn of praise to God.  So Jesus is putting to these men a kind of challenge, to consider where they think their honor or glory comes from.  Does it come from God?  Or does it come from human beings?  Is their greatness something derived from impressing others, or from following God?  If our own notions of honor are sought by pleasing God, then where do we think our "glory" comes from?  If we look only to the world and ignore our relation with God in what we do, then where does our glory or honor come from?  In some way, this question exemplifies and underscores all that is contained in the Gospels, in the story of Jesus Christ and His ministry of salvation for this world.  For where does our honor or glory come from?  The Cross itself (and Christ's Crucifixion) exemplifies this very dichotomy, this contrast in where we think our honor or glory lies.  For in going to the Cross, Christ gave us the starkest example of One who sacrificed all worldly honor and glory for the honor and glory bestowed by God, and in so doing, He "trampled death by death" as the Orthodox Paschal Troparion declares.  As St. Paul put it, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).  St. John the Baptist, in his rigorous asceticism and radical humility, also exemplified a life lived for the glory of God only, without regard to worldly honor.  One could say that the very definition of a saint is of a person who gives all for their love of God, whatever that means in their lives.  To seek honor or glory from the only God is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).  This is from the command known as the Shema, after the first word in Hebrew (meaning "hear"); it is the Jewish declaration of faith.  It is also called the first great commandment by Christ (see Matthew 22:36-40).  It is this commandment to which Jesus' question appeals in addressing these religious leaders.  Where does their honor or glory come from?  How can they understand Him and what He says if they do not truly love God?  He says in all earnestness, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"   Today we can ask ourselves the same question. Where does our honor come from?  Where is our glory?

 

 

With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible

 

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  

 

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

- Matthew 19:23-30 

 

Yesterday we read that little children were brought to  Christ that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"   So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  My study Bible tells us that there have been various interpretations suggested for this impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  Among the various theories suggested is included the idea that the word was not "camel" but "rope" (for these words sound alike in Aramaic), or that the "eye of a needle" was a name used for a particular city gate, through which a camel might just squeeze if it were first unloaded of all its baggage, which symbolizes wealth.  There is also an expression in the Talmud "for an elephant to go through the eye a needle."  Whatever this phrase refers to, my study Bible says, it expresses the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  This is made clear by the response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"  But by God's grace, even what is impossible with men can come to pass.  

 

 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."   My study Bible has a very illuminating explanation for what it means to judge in this context.  It quotes St. Ambrose of Milan as saying of Christ's judgment, that "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  These apostles, it says, will not judge with earthly judgment, but rather by the very witness of their own lives.  As God's kingdom begins with the Resurrection of Christ, so the authority of judgment is already given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth.  See also Matthew 16:19; Luke 22:30; John 20:23.

 

 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  My study Bible says that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom asserts that this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  My study Bible says that it also means one must accept that unbelieving family members may cut of ties due to the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but in a spiritual sense -- the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  

 

Jesus' words about it being "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" affirm for us the interpretation of yesterday's reading, in which Jesus told a rich young ruler (whom He loved) that if he wanted to be perfect he should, "go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure heaven; and come, follow Me."  In accordance with my study Bible, the problem with an abundance of riches is not in the riches themselves, nor even in ownership, but rather in the attachment to riches that is so common to humanity.  That is, such attachment becomes a stumbling block to salvation, as it leaves a person tied to the possessions in ways that may become a hindrance or obstacle to following and seeking Christ in all things.  It affirms the need for grace and the working of the Holy Spirit ("With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible") and it is yet another image of the life of the Cross, in which we will be called upon to separate from ourselves even things we consider quite dear if they stand in the way of Christ's directions for us.  In the New Testament, prominent and wealthy Jews, members of the Sanhedrin, became devoted followers of Christ (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea) so the problems is not ownership or wealth per se, but rather when love of money (or anything else) keeps us from loving God as fully as we're called.  The disciples confess here in today's reading that they "have left all and followed You."  For them, that included the things Jesus mentions here, such as "houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands."  In each example we're taught something about the life of the Cross that each of us may be called to in faith, and each in our own way, with our own particular cross for salvation.  We note again that the rich young ruler in yesterday's reading (see above) was not an immoral person, neither was his wealth immoral, nor used for immoral purposes.  Quite the opposite, he was a person who had observed the commandments of the Law the whole of his life.  But Christ calls us to "perfection" ("if you want to be perfect"), and for that the impossible becomes possible through the grace of God.  And there we come to the expression of judgment that Christ makes in today's reading, and what it means to judge according to my study Bible.  This is not about "passing judgment" on someone else, but simply about living a life as an example and standard that sets a bar.  In and of itself, this is what Jesus means by "judging."  The life of the kingdom that we are all called to, even here and now in this world as my study Bible points out, is made possible through grace.  God calls us each in a particular way, and makes that path possible for each of us.  May we be truly grateful.

 

 

 

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment

 

 "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."

 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks  after a sign and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

- Matthew 12:33-42 

 

Yesterday we read that one was brought to Christ who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

 

  "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."  Jesus begins by once again speaking of the heart, and how the depths of the heart bring out what is there through speech.  This is why we, as followers of Christ, practice the guarding of our hearts, and seek to know ourselves in this sense.  We bring all things to Christ for our own healing, thus seeking to make the tree good.  Jesus uses the title brood of vipers for the Pharisees, echoing John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7).  My study Bible says this title indicates their deception and malice, and their being under the influence of Satan -- just as they accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the ruler of the demons (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible explains that the heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, and the place from which spiritual life proceeds.  It comments that when God's grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts.  On the other hand, it notes, when malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion.  

 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks  after a sign and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  After so many signs, my study Bible notes, the Pharisees show their wickedness by demanding yet another.  Jesus does not cater to those who demand a sign out of wicked intent.  The only sign for them will be Christ's Passion and Resurrection; this is the sign of the prophet Jonah Jesus refers to.  He mentions the men of Nineveh who repented at Jonah's preaching (see Jonah 3), and the queen of the South is the queen of Sheba (see 1 Kings 10:1-13, 2 Chronicles 9:1-12).  Adulterous generation is an echo of the illustration used for Israel by the prophets when Israel was unfaithful to God (Jeremiah 3; Hosea 2:2-13).  

 

Our words are important, and Christ seems to teach and affirm this in ways which are significant throughout His teachings.  For example, when He preaches in the Sermon on the Mount, He likens name-calling to the statute against murder.  See Matthew 5:21-26.  He also suggests the importance of our words -- or really the powerful use of words in sticking to the minimum we need -- a little farther along in the Sermon on the Mount, when He speaks of swearing oaths (Mathew 5:33-37).  There He teaches us, "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."  A simple integrity seems straightforward enough, yet how hard is it for us to adhere to this in the heat of a moment, or in times of fear or stress?  But in today's reading, He takes this emphasis on our words to deeper and more profound levels.  He says, "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."  What does one find in the abundance of your heart?  My heart?  Anyone's heart?  This is a great, and apparently grave question.  For Jesus teaches that we will indeed by judged by those words, and He doesn't speak lightly regarding this judgment.  Even every "idle word" counts.  He says, "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."  Good and evil, justified and condemned:  these are very strong words, indeed.  And yet, the One who teaches us that our words matter so deeply, the One who has fashioned His teachings with such words that they withstand 2,000 years of history to speak to us so clearly -- certainly knows what He is saying, for He Himself is the judge.  He Himself is the only One who really knows the hearts of people (Acts 1:24; 1 Kings 8:39).  If we take His words seriously, then we should begin to take our words more seriously than we usually seem to do.  Particularly if we're talking about "conversation" on the internet, where it's so easy to express an opinion, to "flame" someone with language we might not normally reserve for in-person encounters, we should think about what Jesus has said here.  He, again, isn't just the Judge; He is the Logos Himself, the Word.  He knows the power of words, and He, as Lord, spoke the world into existence at creation (Genesis 1:3).  It's a powerful thing to ponder just what kind of words we may use if we consider that it is also Jesus who taught us that the Holy Spirit Himself would give us words for testimony in times of trial and persecution before the powerful.  Jesus told the apostles in preparing for their first mission, "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you" (Matthew 10:19-20).  Consider that it is the Logos, the Christ, who teaches us that the Spirit who proceeds from our Father will speak in us and give us words -- well, that's quite a staggering achievement to grant any human being.  We might call it truly a manifestation of God in and of itself on such an occasion.  Words are so important that Christ gives such testimony primary importance for the apostles as they go out into the world.  We live in a time when the world is encircled and enmeshed within telecommunications almost instantaneously transmitting one word to another across continents and oceans.  And yet, how we do need to take His words seriously!  How we could thrive with a sense of integrity that He asks of us!  How life could be meaningful and profound if we paid attention to what we said with the knowledge that it reveals whatever is in the heart, and that we will be judged by it.  Let us give thought to the power of words, the power He Himself teaches us all about, and exemplifies as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock

 

 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'  

 

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall."  And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

 

- Matthew 7:22-29 

 

We have been reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).   Today's reading (above) completes the Sermon; we began with the Beatitudes in this reading.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught: "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.  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.   Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." 

 

  "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"  My study Bible couples together this verse with the one above it from yesterday's reading:  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  These two verses combine to make a threefold testimony of the deity of Christ, it notes.  First of all, Jesus calls Himself Lord here.  This refers to the divine name "Yahweh" of the Old Testament.  He also speaks of the will of My Father; this will He fully knows and shares, and that is only possible for One who is also a divine Person.  Finally, as judge, He is revealed as God, for only God can execute true judgment.  In that day refers to the final judgment.

 

 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall."  And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."    Jesus makes a similar statement in Luke 6:46-49.  My study Bible comments that hearing the gospel alone is not enough, for salvation is based not on hearing alone, nor on faith alone, but also on doing the things in Jesus' sayings (see also James 2:24).  

 

 Jesus says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall."  This statement as a whole illustrates quite vividly what is in fact a dire warning.  Jesus could have simply left us with the statement about a man who built his house upon a rock, but He didn't.  He went on to tell us quite clearly as a warning that we have two seeming choices to take, each with quite different outcomes.  He is, of course, speaking of the rock of His teachings taken as a whole.  We do the best we can to follow, and each day, each moment, we're reminded that He's our Teacher, and we need to consider the things He teaches us when we choose how we will live, how we seek Him, how we practice our faith, how we live in community with others.  In some sense, this last illustration of the house is a repetition of His teaching of what's called the "two ways," as when He used the image of a narrow gate for the path He wishes for us to take.  This narrow gate asks us to focus on something specific and particular, and that is this body of teachings which He calls the rock upon which we can build our homes, our lives, that will withstand the difficult storms that may come.  Elsewhere Jesus calls Himself the door.  He teaches, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad" (Matthew 12:30).  So faith is our bedrock to which we cling.  Through the Sermon on the Mount, He's preached a teaching based in love:  the love of God for us, and how we return that love, how we practice it among one another.  But judgment in His hands is also something we're meant to remember.   This is still the "jealous" God who wants our love and fidelity, the father of the Prodigal who longs for his straying son.  As in a good marriage, Christ seeks our faith, and wants us always to return, even if we stray, and His teachings are for our well-being and our good -- His warnings are not given to condemn but to save.  Let us show our love by seeking to live what He teaches us, and going to Him in the privacy of our secret room when we are troubled (Matthew 6:6).   Let us bear the fruit He asks of us.

 

 

 

 

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

 

 "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."

 

- Matthew 5:21-26 

 

In Saturday reading, Jesus taught,  "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

  "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." According to my study Bible, this repeated formula but I say to you is a statement of total, divine authority (Matthew 7:29).  As He is the Creator of human beings, and the Author of the Law, Christ speaks with this authority.  While there is anger which is not sinful, my study Bible comments (Psalm 4:4; Mark 3:5) here Christ forbid sinful anger, and identifies it with murder.  The council was the supreme legal body among the Jews.  Hell (in Greek γέεννα/gehenna) is the final condition of sinners who resist God's grace.  Raca is identified as an Aramaic word essentially meaning "empty" but giving the connotation of lacking intelligence, and being therefore worthless.  It was an insult in Christ's time.  The term for fool in Greek is μωρός/moros.  This word has evolved to be used in modern Greek as a term meaning "baby," but likely comes from a usage here indicating dullness or stupidity, underdevelopment.  It's the root of the English word "moron." 

 

"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."  My study Bible notes here that peace with other believers is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  The liturgical "kiss of peace" at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, preparing the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14).  

 

"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."  My study Bible says that St. Luke places this teaching in the context of the end of the age (Luke 12:57-59); here it is in the context of the Liturgy.  It says that delay in reconciliation allows for the spread of animosity and other evils (Ephesians 4:26-27).  

 

 Anger can do many damaging things to our lives.  In this context of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the examples of dismissing a person with insults; perhaps we should see the difference between the two that He lists here as one that is an actionable public insult which can be brought to the Council, but the other is a total dismissal of a person as a human being, even as a soul.  If we keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to disciples, then in the context of the body of the faithful, this name-calling terms another person's faith as worthless.  In that light we consider His teachings on receiving children in the Church, or His constant reiteration of the need for care of "the least of these" in His Church as care for those who are liable to receiving such treatment, including the simple and humble.  See Matthew 18:1-9 for His warning to the disciples about abuses in the Church.  I recently had an encounter with anger that led to murder in which a wife is now accused of murdering her ex-husband, after fighting a custody battle in which she wished to deny him access to his children, which she'd previously agreed to.  This angry and vindictive battle escalated over many things and culminated in his murder by conspiracy.  It was these teachings of Christ which first came to my mind as I heard the facts of that development among a couple I had once known fairly well; there are now two ten year old children without a father, and a mother who is in prison.  Where those children will go is still in question.  Nothing has suggested to me more Jesus' warning here about reconciliation, especially this teaching:  "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."  Of course, Jesus is speaking metaphorically of prison, and is referring to the judgment of God.  My study Bible points out that there is such a thing as righteous anger, which Jesus sometimes embodies in His compassion for those who suffer.  Perhaps what this indicates to us is our deep need for discernment at all times, a discipline that comes from love of God, and practicing what Christ teaches.  In another commentary on this passage, St. Augustine cites a passage from the Epistle of St. James.  St. James writes, "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.  But no man can tame the tongue" (James 3:7-8).  He comments if no human being can tame the tongue, we must take refuge in God, who will tame it, for just as no animal can tame itself, so human beings also need God to tame the tongue.  So, therefore, we take refuge in God.  In this way, he points once again to the deep theme contained in the Sermon on the Mount, and that is the foundation of the love of God, which is the beginning of righteousness.  God extends love to us, and we return that love.  In a deep communion with Christ who is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, we find our righteousness.   In Christ, then, and the work of the Holy Spirit, we find the capacity to "tame the tongue," to develop discernment, and to temper our anger.  While the Law could condemn, it is Christ who saves.  Let us pay attention to what He tells us.

 

 

 

Your faith has saved you. Go in peace

 

 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  

 

And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

- Luke 7:36–50 

 

On Saturday we read that the disciples of John the Baptist concerning all these things that Christ was doing in His ministry.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.' For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not weep.'  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of  tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

 

  Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."   My study Bible comments here that this Pharisee was intrigued by Christ, as evidenced by his invitation.  And yet, he clearly does not believe in Christ -- which is shown in his reaction to Jesus' mercy.  Moreover, Jesus points out the man's lack of even common hospitality (verses 44-46), a sure sign of lack of respect.  My study Bible further elaborates on today's reading that Christ's encounter with this sinful woman is an icon of the grace that's found in the Church.  St. Ambrose of Milan commented that through her, "the Church is justified as being greater than the Law, for the Law does not know the forgiveness of sins, nor the mystery in which secret sins are cleansed; therefore, what is lacking in the Law is perfected in the Gospel."

 

 And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."  My study Bible notes that the suggestion that a man could forgive sins was beyond the bounds of the law as understood by the Pharisees (see Luke 5:21).  But Christ wasn't a mere human being only; He was the very Lawgiver Himself.  St. Cyril of Alexandria is quoted as commenting, "Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?"

 

One thing is very striking about today's reading.  In our present day and age we tend to take Christ's mercy for granted, which is unfortunate.  But taking things for granted is very important to today's reading, for what we read in this woman's love for Christ seems to be a supreme expression of gratitude on her part.  We don't often see gratitude as a form of love, but in this instance we have the perfect illustration of that concept.  Jesus says it Himself, "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."   It is surprising how little importance we often give to gratitude, but in Christ's eyes here, it is practically everything.  This woman's status in His eyes is clearly elevated -- and praised -- for her expression of love and gratitude.  So long as we feel entitled to grace, or entitled to forgiveness (or perhaps "entitled" to just about anything), we will struggle to understand the proper role of gratitude in a well-ordered life and its place in our ways of thinking.  This is especially true for those who call ourselves Christian.  There is nothing that surpasses the importance of recognizing how significant our dependence upon God really is, and the light that casts on how we live our lives, and how we view ourselves and our circumstances.  With her fragrant oil, this woman shows an extravagant thanks indeed, a gratitude that can only be borne of being freed from a kind of slavery to her sin.  It is this the Pharisee doesn't see, and perhaps cannot understand.  He doesn't see the reality of Christ, doesn't even receive Him with the hospitality (or common courtesy, as my study Bible says) that would no doubt be shown to a fellow Pharisee.  Do you and I value what Christ has to offer us?  Do we understand the depth of dependency upon and the love of God for us?  This is what we see if we but open our eyes and look at the extravagance of love, the release from a debt.  And yet, how many of us may take this for granted?

 

 

 

gratitude underrated

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 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."

 

- Matthew 5:21–26 

 

This week, we are reading through the Sermon on the Mount, in preparation for Lent, which begins next week.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

  "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."  Here Jesus begins His expansion of the Law, first citing the statute against murder (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17).  He begins with a formula He will repeat, "but I say to you."  My study Bible comments that this is a statement of total, divine authority (Matthew 7:29).  As the Creator of man and Author of the Law, it says, Christ can speak with this authority.  Additionally, my study Bible notes that while there is anger which is not sinful (Psalm 4:5; Mark 3:5), here what Jesus forbids is sinful anger -- and He identifies it with murder.  The council is the supreme legal body among the Jews.  Hell (in the Greek, Γέενναν/Gehenna) is the final condition of sinners who resist the grace of God.  

"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."  My study Bible comments that peace with other believers is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  It says that the liturgical "kiss of peace" at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness; this prepares the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14). 

 

"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."  St. Luke places this teaching in the context of the end of the age in his gospel (Luke 12:57-59).  Here, it appears in the context of reconciliation surrounding the Liturgy.  My study Bible comments that delay in reconciliation allows for the spread of animosity and other evils (Ephesians 4:26-27).  

 

My study Bible notes that in St. Luke's Gospel, the warning about reconciliation to one's adversary comes in the context of the end of the age, but here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses this image (of coming before a judge against an adversary) in preparation for the Eucharist, and within the communion of the Church.    The intuition here tells us something significant, that going before the Eucharistic cup, and coming into the Divine Liturgy, we are standing before Christ.  When we partake of His mystical body and blood, when we gather to worship, we are standing in the presence of the Judge.  Therefore, our capacity for reconciliation, for remembering a "brother" who "has anything against you" is important, and we should take it seriously.  When we practice confession before taking the Eucharist it is in a similar pursuit:  we seek to be reconciled to the Judge, to God, before we partake.  All of these various framing of the pursuit of peace and reconciliation lead to the same place, to the place where we are before Christ and in the communion which Christ creates among believers, and this is the place where we are to be reconciled.  This is the place where peace is necessary and important.  We should not forget that in that place we also have the presence of the Holy Spirit who helps us to do this work Christ asks of reconciliation. Indeed, it has been at times during the liturgy that I find myself able to forgive people and things I could not at other times.  Being there in the presence of Father, Son, and Spirit enables the heart to ease, and that is indeed a blessed feeling, a miraculous-seeming sense of letting go.  And that is what forgiveness is.  So whether or not we have something we need to do in order to repair our own trespass, or we need help to reconcile that which is not otherwise mended by another, the liturgy -- and the Eucharist -- become those places where the judge is, before whom we may leave all things.   It's clear, of course, that Christ's final words here apply to the final judgment as well, and our need to repair our trespass before we leave this world.  Remember, too, Christ's words about murder.  Sometimes name-calling, or any form of an insult or diminishing of another, can be poisonous to a relationship and by extension to a community.  As we are about to enter into Lent, today's reading should give us pause to consider all the ways we might contribute to that pool of influence for good or for bad.  Let's watch our words, as part of this historical period traditionally reserved for fasting.  St. John Chrysostom is famously quoted as saying, "For what does it profit if we abstain from fish and fowl and yet bite and devour our brothers and sisters?"  Let us begin by following Christ's clear teachings here, and consider our words and abstain from using them in ways that are self-indulgent and poisonous or abusive to peace.  We always have this choice; let us start there, and honor Him by doing so.