Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?

 

 "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

- John 8:47–59 

 

Jesus is currently at the Feast of  Tabernacles in Jerusalem, as we read through chapter 8.  He has been in disputes with the religious leaders, who unsuccessfully tried to have Him arrested.  Yesterday we read that they answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.  I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

 

  "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" My study Bible comments that, unable to defeat Christ through logic or truth, these enemies resort to personal insult.  They will do so again in the following chapter (John 9:34). Personal insult (as well as Scriptural error) was also their response to Nicodemus when he questioned whether Jesus should be judged without a hearing (John 7:50-52).

 

 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Once again, Christ's own witness comes up for questioning.  Who lies, and who tells the truth here?  He offers His Father again as witness, the One who honors Him.  Abraham also bears witness through the Scriptures.  For Jesus, the value of all things is measured through relation to the Father, including Christ's own honor.

 

 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Once again we recall that in St. John's Gospel, the term the Jews most often refers to the religious leaders, not the people.  It is akin to naming the rulers of a city, the word in Greek translated by some as meaning "Judeans."  Jesus and His followers (which included the author of this Gospel) are all Jews.

 

 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  I AM (Greek εγω ειμι/ego eimi) is the divine Name of God in the Old Testament, which was first revealed to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-15).  For these religious leaders, my study Bible explains, this is a direct, explicit, and unmistakable claim to perfect equality with God, as evidenced by their reaction here (see also Mark 14:62-64).  It notes that St. John in his Gospel places special emphasis on the use of this Name to clearly reveal Christ as God.  This divine claim illuminates Christ's authority even over death, which is a power that belongs only to God the Father.  

 

It seems quite ironic (or perhaps we should just say interesting) that the insults which come to Jesus (as they did earlier to Nicodemus) take on the same character that we find in our own headlines so often.  He's insulted as to His possible origins ("You are a Samaritan") and also He's called evil (You . . "have a demon").   They used the same kind of insults with Nicodemus, asking if he were a Galilean too.  In formal logic, these are called ad hominem fallacies, personal attacks on a person rather than a solid and truthful argument about something. It seems that this sort of attack will always be with us somehow, and we should pay attention, because in this case it's directed at the Person who is truth (John 14:6), the Logos (Word) Himself (John 1:1).  This attack is on the One who is the light of life, the co-Creator with the Father.  These false attacks are attacks on the One who gives life, and will ultimately judge.  It has to make us think about the essence of good and evil somehow, to consider how profoundly in error this behavior can be, and it invites judgment on a scale that doesn't exist normally between imperfect human beings who all are guilty of error in some way or another.  Jesus said Himself, perhaps illustrating the point, and speaking of blasphemy against the Spirit, "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" (Matthew 12:31-32).  It all adds a very profound weight to consider when we ourselves indulge in personal insults and false arguments instead of a sincere focus for truth.  This is an often overlooked foundation of our faith.  For, if we worship the Person who is the truth, as He said, then should we not always be faithful in serving truth, in seeking what is real and true, and good and beautiful, and not indulging in what we see are false arguments used even against the Son of the living God?  Why is it important that we ourselves refrain from using fallacies, lies, manipulations, and other such tactics when we interact with others?  There is a much deeper foundation to our own need for dispassion and rational faith in what we know to be good, and true, and beautiful than we might consider in our every day lives.  It is what we read here that should give us pause, in the heat of an argument, during heightened passions and arguments and confrontations, beyond all other considerations we might have.  And that is for the simple reason that such things are even paraded in accusation against the Judge Himself, the One who is the arbiter of all things.  When we indulge in such behaviors we're doing ourselves no favor, but serving the master that would make us a slave (John 8:34).  We forget who we are and the One whom we truly must desire to serve, the One who tells the truth and teaches us to abide in His word, for it comes from the One who sent Him, and who is true (John 7:28).  Once again, we are in the approach to Lent, and it's the perfect time to consider why cultivating our capacity for these virtues has always been in the teaching of the Church, and particularly emphasized as goals through the practices of Lent.  Let us find the discipline to be as true as Jesus, and abide in that truth.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am among you as the One who serves

 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

- Luke 22:24-30

Yesterday we read that when the hour had come for Christ's final Passover supper, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it had been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study bible comments here that this small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed to them (see yesterday's reading, above, in which the first Eucharist has been instituted).  Christ corrects His disciples -- first by comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they considered to be an abomination, and then by contrasting them to Himself.  Christ serves us although He is Lord of all.

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  My study bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan commenting on this text:  "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."   It notes that the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but rather by the witness of their own lives.  Since the kingdom of God starts with Christ's Resurrection, the authority of judgment has been given to the apostles and their successors (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23).

Throughout the whole of the Bible, there is repeated reference to God's work which in some sense turns the worldly order upside down.  Isaiah makes a prophesy of the downfall and transformation of the kingdoms who oppose of Israel, and their eventual worship of the Lord.  But even in Zion, there is trouble for those who did not call upon the Lord in the time of trial.  He writes of the proud and mighty, "Indeed the Lord of hosts will cast out and destroy such a man, and take away your robe and glorious crown, and cast you into a large and unmeasured country.  There you shall die, and there your beautiful chariot shall be brought to dishonor and your master's house trampled.  You will be taken from your stewardship and position" (Isaiah 22:17-19).  The Greek Septuagint version of Psalm 34:10 reads, "The rich became poor, and they hunger; but the ones seeking after the Lord shall not lack any good thing."  Hannah's song reflects this influence of the Lord turning the world's order upside down, as when she sings, "The bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength."  See the whole of her song at 1 Samuel 2:1-10.  Out of all of the examples we can choose, we must pick Mary's song, called the Magnificat (after its first word in Latin), which Luke gives us in the first chapter.  Mary sings, "He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty" (see the whole of her song at Luke 1:46-55).  In giving us the Beatitudes (found in both the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, and the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6), Jesus invokes a sense of the world turned upside down, in which the poor are blessed, as are they who mourn and are meek.  Here in today's reading, He speaks of the kind of Church He wants, the representation of the kingdom of God, in which He contrasts the worldly power of the Gentiles with the kind of power He wants from His disciples, citing Himself as their example:  "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  St. Ambrose comments on Christ's pronouncement that they will become judges that they "will rebuke error with virtue."   Christ's way is not meant to be the way of the world.  God's work in us will startle and surprise us.  We, also, may be "turned upside down" and our thinking is changed through the work of prayer.  Things we once thought we had to live by are toppled over, and we come to see a different way.   God's power is not like worldly power.   God's power does not merely manipulate and control, and in participation in His Kingdom, Christ also asks us to share in that power and allow it to work through us.  We may be called upon to bear a cross.  We may respond to unkindness with gentleness and righteous behavior.  And in difficulty, we may find there is a grace for us -- a way to see that has to do with perceiving what God holds for us even in hardship.  But it is this way of life, and these sorts of experiences, that actually give us "good judgment."  Jesus notes that these disciples are the ones who have borne the greatest faith, the ones who have continued with Him in His trials.   This is the key to understanding how we come to know God's power: we stick with our faith through all things, meaning that in humility we endure, and we live to experience and to see the changes God can make in our lives and in our world.  We welcome the insights, contrary to worldly expectations, which our faith has for us.  We can look at the world and all of the images we create for ourselves, but there is one place in which we dwell, where we look for the truth of who we are.  We look to the One who serves to teach us where we need to be and who we need to be.  Let us remain blessed in that place, though it is not necessarily the way of the world. 

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."

- Luke 11:14-23

Yesterday we read that as Jesus and the disciples went toward Jerusalem, He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."   The text that follows immediately in Luke (between today's lectionary reading and yesterday's) has already been given in the lectionary, in preparation for Ascension Day.  It includes the Lord's Prayer; see this reading.

 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Beelzebub was a name of the Jews for a pagan god of their ancient enemies (Ba'al).  This name means "Lord of the Flies" and was used in derision of a Canaanite god, Baal. But here, it's directly used as a reference for Satan.

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.   A sign from heaven would be a spectacular form of proof of Jesus' divine origins and power.  My study bible comments that a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see 4:9-12).

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges."  Jesus raises a logical question.  They accuse Him of using the power of Satan to cast out demons.  But why would Satan want to cast out his demons, if they are indeed his "men" or his "soldiers," members of his house and kingdom?   He then also raises the question about the Jewish tradition of exorcism, when He asks, by whom do your sons cast them out?   Their response will judge His accusers.

"But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  The finger of God is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  Here is a natural image of war, from the ancient world to the modern, and even a kind of paradigm for the spiritual battle that goes on in our world, even through Christ's exorcism.  A strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace and his goods.  But when a stronger comes along, all the armor he had is futile, and his goods go to someone else.  Here, the strong man is Satan, the "prince" or "ruler" or "god" of this world, and a stronger, Christ, has come along to raid his goods, to liberate human beings for Himself and for the One who sent Him (1 John 4:4).

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."   This is a clear statement that Christ is the stronger man in His parable above.  My study bible says that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  It adds that those who work in opposition to Christ are different from those who work in good faith toward His purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see 9:46-50).   Quoting St. Seraphim of Sarov, it notes that "only good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit," and therefore deeds done for any other purpose, "even if they are good, are deeds that scatter abroad."

We may wonder, all these centuries after the Incarnation, why it is that the "prince" of this world still seems to hold so much sway.  But that seems to be the natural reality into which we are born.  In recent days, the plea in the Lord's Prayer, translated "lead us not into temptation," has been in the headlines.  I do not wish to dispute about what exactly these words mean in the Greek.  But let us understand that we still live and are born into a world of temptation and where we will all surely face temptation (for even Christ was tempted; see 4:1-13).  And this is the spiritual battleground, which runs through the heart of each of us, and in which we're bound to struggle, like it or not.  We may wonder why Christ hasn't just fixed everything so that evil doesn't exist, or so that we don't have to think of ourselves as in the middle of some kind of struggle for power, control, dominance.  But when we do that, we forget about the one thing needed (see yesterday's reading, above).  That is, we forget about the nature of the spirit of God (9:55).  Our God is a God of love, who wants volunteers, and not slaves.  That is, love is a voluntary act.  One cannot compel love.   This is perhaps why Jesus, after speaking about exorcism in this passage, adds a statement about a house swept clean, but in which apparently the voluntary nature of our faith has not met with such a commitment, and there the unclean spirit brings back seven more like him, and the last state of that person is worse than the first (11:24-26).  In all of this spiritual battleground, we are not merely goods or pawns.  Human beings are meant for more; we are capable of love, and in such love is this battle fought and waged also by us as soldiers, if you will.  Christ may cast out all the demons and devils of this world, but human beings are capable of love -- and the things one loves or does not love seem to make such a great difference in life.  It is faith that makes a great difference between what we build in our lives and do not.  The reason for this is that faith is related to love; its root in Greek is the word for "trust."  What is love but a deep trust, a decision to give oneself to another?  This is our true bond with Christ, how we become one of His.   He may liberate all of us from evil influence, but how would this make us full human beings, capable of giving trust and love?  There is something deeper to which He aspires for each one of us.  How many of us realize its great significance for the things of which we are capable, the stature we have in our Creator's eyes?   We do not live in an existence caught between two absolute oppositional powers, good and evil.  We live in a world in which we are allowed to come into temptation, and even where evil still is at work, but for a purpose, because we are equipped for something greater than helpless matter.  Christ shows us the way with the Cross, by which evil is turned back upon itself, and "death is trampled by death," as the Easter hymn says.   We are equipped for faith and love and trust, out of which comes something far greater than a vote for one side or the other.  Like the apostles, we each are capable of sharing in Christ's power, God's grace invested in us, a living and active Kingdom carried within us and among us.  But that happens through love and trust, and persistence and endurance -- and this choice remains anew for each generation.  To those who understand the power of God as merely "power" in a worldly sense, all of this is lost.  With His last statement in today's reading, Jesus enforces the difference. 

Who then can be saved?

 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 Jesus that He might put His hands on then 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 in 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 notes varied interpretations that have been given for this impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  Some suggest that the word wasn't came, but rather "rope" (which sounds alike in Aramaic), or that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which a camel possibly could barely squeeze if it were first unloaded of all of its baggage, which would symbolize wealth.  In the Talmud there is the expression "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  We also must take into consideration Jesus' gift for figures of speech, His prolific images given to us throughout the Gospels and in His preaching.  But whatever this particular phrase refers to, my study bible says, it displays the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  It's not a condemnation of rich people or wealth, but rather it is all about attachment and its difficulties.  (There are example of wealthy and powerful people who are holy in the Gospels, such as Joseph of Arimathea.)  The disciples respond, "Who then can be saved?" giving us a picture of the widespread application of difficulty conveyed here.  But by God's grace, even that which is impossible for human beings 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 notes about judgment that St. Ambrose of Milan, commenting on Luke 22:30, writes, "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."  They won't judge with earthly judgment, but rather by the witness of their own lives.  God's kingdom, it notes, begins with the Resurrection of Christ.  Therefore this kind of discernment (judgment) has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (see also 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."  Christ isn't commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  According to St. Chrysostom, this is a reference to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members could be cut off because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  My study bible adds that believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense but rather a spiritual one:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.

So what is it about attachments that make them so difficult an obstacle to our faith?  Throughout the Gospels (and indeed, the whole of the Bible), we're given a message that our assignment in life is to choose what we truly love.  When Jesus is asked, "What is the greatest commandment?"  He responds with the first and the second: " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (22:35-40).  The Cross offers us this choice of what we will love first, and what we receive in exchange, as Jesus teaches the disciples in today's reading.  Wealth not only symbolizes attachments, but objects that we covet or take delight in can either enhance life and faith or they can stand as obstacles to putting the love of God first, as Jesus does in enumerating these commandments.  In Jesus' teaching here, great wealth can set us up for tremendous difficulties in finding ourselves, our true heart, putting Christ first so that all else is put into appropriate perspective.  In the Gospels figures like Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus play an important role in Jesus' life and ministry (and at His death on the Cross).  The centurion of Capernaum is cited by the local elders as one who has "built us a synagogue" and "loves our nation," and Jesus says of him, "I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Luke 7:1-10).  Even the family of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Jesus' great friends, seem to be of high standing in the community and known to many in Jerusalem.  In John's Gospel, it is Mary who anoints Christ's feet with a very costly bottle of perfumed ointment (see John 11, 12:1-8).   All of this is to note that the Gospels do not bar those of powerful and affluent standing from faith.  Rather, those individuals who are distinguished in their faith and are in such positions are they who put everything in service to their faith in Christ.  They not only act in accordance with such faith, but they also risk everything they have, including public standing, for their love of Christ.  Their testimonies to faith are in all of their choices.   Of the centurion at Capernaum we know nothing of his subsequent life, but according to various histories, the rest of these figures went on to serve in the Church in one way and another, and presumably leaving their former lives behind.  But their wealth did not stop their faith.  Rather, all that they had, owned, and did was in service to that faith, and in the Gospels, their lives are transformed in service to that faith.  Each of us has things to which we are attached, things which we perhaps crave or intensely desire.  As to the rich young man in yesterday's reading, his wealth likely defined his identity and family standing.  The poorest among us may have some objects to which we cling as prizes.  But the story of the Gospels is the story of faith -- and perhaps the greatest secret of all is that when faith comes first, then everything else is our lives is transfigured with meaning through our participation in the Cross, and the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ.  That would include all that we have.  This is the powerful story given to us in the Gospels and through the testimony of the entire Church in all of its history.  When we're faced with choosing between what we have and what He offers, let us remember this and choose wisely -- or else the great wealth becomes the obstacle to everything we might have if one is willing to "lose one's life in order to truly find it.

He who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves

 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors.  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

- Luke 22:24-30

In recent readings, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  It is Holy Week.  He has made His Triumphal Entry, cleansed the temple, and faced the challenges of the leadership.  He has also returned a few challenges of His own.  He speaks to the leadership, His disciples, and also the public.  (See readings from last Saturday,  Monday,  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday).   In Friday's reading, Jesus began to speak about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and how they are to endure what is to come, and on Saturday we read His teachings on both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age, when He will return.  In Monday's reading, Jesus taught how we are to await His return.  In Tuesday's reading, we read of the plotting of the leadership to take Him, and of preparations for the Passover, which we know as the Last Supper.  In yesterday's reading, we were told that when the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.   My study bible tells us that "in view of Jesus' willingness to die for the world, the concern of the disciples over who among them is the greatest is reprehensibly small-minded."  Perhaps their concern stems from the fact that Jesus has just spoken of the coming of the Kingdom and its fulfillment, and they've misunderstood His meaning.  Whatever the cause, they are vying for position among themselves.

And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors."  My study bible says, "Some kings called themselves benefactors, a title which is not without irony considering their tyrannical rule."  The Greek word for benefactor can also be translated as "do-gooder" or "doer of good works."

"But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  A note says that "Jesus Himself is the supreme example of His teaching that greatness consists in humble service to others."  In all ways, they (and we) are to look to our Teacher as the supreme example of what it is to truly be His follower.

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  My study bible says, "Jesus is not speaking of two different kingdoms but of one kingdom which will be fully revealed at His glorious return.  then, the disciples will sit on thrones occupying honorary positions as reward for sharing Christ's trials."

We often hear about what humility means, but Jesus' position here regarding His disciples goes much further to illustrate exactly what He means than most of us can picture easily.  When we think of leadership, we think of authority, the ability to be in charge.  But Christ's kind of service goes further than a simple understanding of what leadership means.  It extends much deeper into our own considerations of what authority means, what it is to "lord it over" others.  Humility comes first as a state of mind and state of the heart; it is an inward intention to please God, a willingness to "step down" from worldly considerations of power into a completely different idea of where power comes from and what it means.  Jesus' life serves us as an interpretation of His words here.  He did not rule a kingdom in the worldly sense.  He did not take profits for Himself, He did not take a position in a conventional sense of rule.  He didn't make extravagant public works to call Himself a "benefactor" either!  In all ways, Jesus lived His life in consideration of one thing:  what pleased the Father.  In this sense, He was willing to submit His entire life to this purpose, and every element of His life.  This is an inward state of humility.  It's an attitude about what matters most.  In this perspective, our conventional understanding of what gives us authority is stood on its head:  notions of "who is greatest" don't apply.  Rather, what Christ tells us is that it is those who've "continued with Him" in His trials who will receive this Kingdom, and will sit on thrones as Judges.  (We look to the history of Israel and its Judges to begin to think about what this means, and add to it Jesus' implications of cosmic rule.)  Christ isn't speaking here of a life lived with fanfare or the capacity to lord it over others, but one in which we may face many trials, go through suffering, and be "on the outs" with others, if this is where God's love takes us.  But this quality of service, our imitation of Christ, is available to each of us, because it begins in the heart.  It is borne of an understanding that nothing comes before pleasing God, not any worldly consideration of rank, hierarchy, authority.  God's love is about upholding the values of true relatedness, righteousness and justice, through all things.  Like Christ's great suffering, and His sacrifice, these things may seem to make no sense when we are in the middle of them.  But His honor isn't the same as worldly honor, and that remains a permanent challenge to each of us to fathom for ourselves -- especially when we go through times of trial ourselves.

It's also worthy to mention some of the implications of the language here in today's reading for us to consider.  To serve (Gr. diakonon) is our root for "deacon" and it is a word that implies serving at table.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus introduced the Eucharist, encouraging all to "take" and distribute.  In this context, to lead is to be one who serves and distributes this Eucharistic meal to others, and this should be considered in all its broad senses of offering Christ to the world.  We remember that it was St. Peter who was told to "Feed my lambs."  We also look at the language for "let him be as the younger."  The word "be" here is more like "to become."  The one who is greatest  is the one who can become the younger.  Our ordinary understanding of growth, therefore, is reversed by Christ in this image of "becoming the younger."  (We recall that He taught we must receive the kingdom of God as a little child.)   Service is therefore implied in all ways, including the energy we have for serving at this table.  How do you offer Christ to the world?