This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many

 

 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?"  And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.  Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."  So His disciples went out, and they came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.  

 

In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me."  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had never been born."  

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.  Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

- Mark 14:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that, following Christ's teaching on end times, after two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."  And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard.  Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they criticized her sharply.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  She has done what she could.  She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."  Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him. 

 

  Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?"  My study Bible has a note that tells us that while the synoptic Gospels date the Crucifixion on the first day of Passover, John's Gospel dates it to the Preparation Day, the day before the Passover.  So, therefore, in the synoptic tradition, the Last Supper (which is part of today's reading) is the Passover meal.  But in John's Gospel, Jesus, as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), dies at the exact time the Passover lambs are being slain in the temple.  While it is not possible to determine which is historically accurate, we must keep in mind that both traditions are theologically accurate.  That is, the Mystical Supper is the fulfillment of the Passover meal (the synoptic tradition) and Christ death is the fulfillment of the Passover lambs being slain (John's tradition).  

And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.  Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."  So His disciples went out, and they came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.  These two disciples are Peter and John (Luke 22:8).  Let us note once again, as in Christ's instructions for the preparation of His Triumphal Entry, the careful and deliberate planning by Christ even of the details that go into preparations for the Last Supper.  

 

 In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me."  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish."  My study Bible comments that Christ emphasizes here both that His betrayer is one of the twelve an that he is one "who dips with Me in the dish."  This is not so much to identify the person as to emphasize the deep level of this betrayal -- that this was one of His closest friends (see Psalm 55:13-15).  

"The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had never been born."  My study Bible says that divine foreknowledge of the betrayal takes away neither Judas' moral freedom nor his accountability.  For God, all things are a present reality; He foresees all human actions, but does not cause them. 

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.  Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."  When Jesus took the cup, He gave it to the disciples only after He had given thanks.  My study Bible comments that the verb translated as "give thanks" (εὐχαριστέω) has the Greek word "eucharist" as its root.  This immediately came to refer to both the Liturgy and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Before the end of the first century, it notes, a manuscript called the Didache ("Teaching") refers to the celebration of the Liturgy as "the Eucharist."  Also, my study Bible comments, in the year AD 150, St. Justin says of Holy Communion, "This food we call 'Eucharist,' of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing [holy baptism] for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ commanded us."  Jesus also says, "This is My body."  In the Orthodox Church, it has always been accepted that Christ words are true.  St. Justin writes that "the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."  Let us note that this is a mystical reality of the sacrament; it is accepted that it is true by the power of the Holy Spirit, but without explanation as to how this happens.  This was the viewpoint of the unified Church of the first millennium, and remains the perspective of the Orthodox.

 

 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  This hymn is a psalm from a group of psalms traditionally sung after the Passover meal (Psalms 113-118).  

In today's reading, we can discern the sacrificial nature of Christ's impending death, both through His words and teaching, and also the events of the Passover and particularly the killing of the Passover lamb.  In modern perspective, especially perhaps in the West, even the word "sacrifice" tends to have negative connotations.  That is unless, of course, there is a payoff to be reaped, where sacrifice is an investment for a good return.  One "sacrifices," for example, to pay for schooling which hopefully will return the investment with a good job or career.  But perhaps we need to understand sacrifice in a different context and within a different definition in order to see more clearly what sacrifice, in this sense in the Gospels, meant to the ancient peoples.  Primarily sacrifice was an act of community, with the sacrifice making a communal meal which included the deity of the people.  In our context, we therefore call the Mystical Supper, the Eucharist, "Communion."  We share in the Body and Blood of Christ, who became the Lamb of God for us.  He became the One sacrifice that replaced all, so that we have communion in Him, and we as faithful are called the Body of Christ, denoting that communion.  So we give thanks, in effect, for that which brings us communion, makes us one body.  The Lord's sacrifice and subsequent Resurrection makes this possible for us, and we are to understand it in this sense.  It is akin to the slaughtering of the Passover lambs in that the blood of the lambs saved the ancient Hebrews, freeing them from death, and enabling their liberation from slavery.  Perhaps we could more closely understand this in a modern context if we considered the sacrifices people make for their families, for the life of the communion or body of the family.  So we see Christ's sacrifice on the Cross, and our communion as we participate by partaking of His body and blood, mystically present in the Eucharist.  This is not a question of defining how precisely this happens in a physical sense, but rather asks of us a true understanding of the nature of His sacrifice and His gift of the Eucharist so that we may participate in His life, including His Resurrection.  It is very important that we understand this as a mystical reality, for it is not possible to accept without faith and the work of God present within all of it, and the work of the Holy Spirit present with us and in the midst of our worship.  Our communion is not simply ourselves as faithful, but also the whole body of the saints, which includes the angels and heavenly hosts, as well as Father, Son, and Spirit.  It is for this communion that we give thanks, for this sacrifice of Christ, who became human by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that we may fully participate, in turn, in the life He offers through this cup and bread. Its mystical reality is made possible through God and God's work in the world, including the Incarnation, which incorporates the Cross and the Resurrection.  For God will experience human death, and as such He will defeat the death that would seek to enslave us in many forms.  In this way, the whole "family" of God is nurtured, built, expanded into the inexpressible knowledge of God's infinite perspective.  We give thanks in the communion, the Mystical Supper that allows us to be a part of His Mystical Body that is also the Church, in which we each may play a role and participate in God's saving work.  Jesus says, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many," meaning for all.

 

 

 

 

Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it

 

 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?"  And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.  Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."  So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.  

 

In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me."  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had never been born."

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.  Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

- Mark 14:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that after two days (following Christ's prophecy of the destruction of the temple  and discourse on the end times), it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."  And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard.  Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.  But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they criticized her sharply.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.  She has done what she could.  She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."  Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.  And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.   

 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?"   And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.  Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."  So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.   These two disciples are Peter and John (Luke 22:8).  My study Bible notes that the synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) date the Crucifixion to the first day of Passover, while John puts it on this day, the Preparation Day (the day before Passover), on which they killed the Passover lamb (John 19:14).  Therefore in the synoptic tradition, the Last Supper is the Passover meal, while in John's Gospel, Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:29), dies at the exact time the Passover lambs are being slain in the temple.  It's impossible to determine which is historically accurate, but both are theologically accurate.  The Mystical Supper is the fulfillment of the Passover meal (in the synoptic Gospels), and Christ's death is the fulfillment of the Passover lambs being slain (John's Gospel).

In the evening He came with the twelve.  Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me."  And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  And another said, "Is it I?"  He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish."  Jesus emphasizes both that His betrayer is one of the twelve and also that he is one who dips with Me in the dish.  My study Bible remarks that this is not so much to identify the person as an emphasis on the level of betrayal involved here -- that this was one of His closest friends (Psalm 55:13-15).

 

"The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had never been born."  My study Bible comments that divine foreknowledge of the betrayal doesn't take away Judas' moral freedom, nor does it take away his accountability.  For God, all things are a present reality:  God foresees all human actions, but does not cause them.  

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.  And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.  Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."  To give thanks has at its root the Greek word eucharist.  This word immediately came to refer to both the Liturgy and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  My study Bible reminds us that the Didache -- written before the end of the first century -- refers to the celebration of the Liturgy as "the Eucharist."  In 150 AD, St. Justin said of Holy Communion, "This food we call 'Eucharist,' of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing [holy baptism] for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ commanded us."  Christ says, "This is My body," which the Orthodox Church has always accepted as true, "that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus" (St. Justin).

 

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  My study Bible tells us that this hymn is a psalm from a group of psalms traditionally sung after the Passover meal (Psalms 113-118).

As Christ is surely on His way to His Crucifixion, He extends the final great gift to His flock, and to the Church.  He gives us the gift of the Eucharist.  Surely I am not going to be the most eloquent writer among all those, sainted and not, who have written and taught us about the significance of the Eucharist and all that it gives us -- nor among those to come.  But today it strikes me that this final parting gift (in addition, of course, to His Passion to come) is something we must never underestimate in its lasting impact and gifts to us.  We must understand the Eucharist as much more than simply a memorial or a way of remembering Christ and His Passion.  We must understand it as the first Christians understood it and as instituted right from the beginning in the Church.  It is inseparable from mystery in the fullest theological sense and in the context of the Church itself and its varied Mysteries.  A mystery in this sense is a kind of a door to the mystical Kingdom of Christ.  Here, His literal reference to His Body and Blood is also inseparable, it seems to me, from what it means to be part of the fullness of the Body of Christ, the entire mystical Church, and to be united within that communion, which is also the communion of saints.  To take the Eucharist is a way of affirming that we enter into participation in Christ's Body as fully as possible -- and the fullness of this is an ongoing mystery.  It is something into which we enter as a lifelong process of faith and its work within us.  And let us not forget that through Christ, we are also in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit, for where One is, there is also the Trinity.  In short, in the Eucharist, Christ is offering us the gift of Himself, even as He goes to His Cross and His physical death as a human being.  In the Eucharist, He makes it explicitly clear this it is the very icon of His Incarnation, and as my study Bible indicates, His words, "This is My body" and "This is My blood" were from the beginning understood as solemnly true.  We may not understand at all how this happens, but it was from the beginning accepted as simply a mystery that could not be explained in worldly terms.  For the Orthodox Church, it has always remained so, and scholastic explanations were never a part of doctrine.   Whatever we understand about the Eucharist and its deep and enduring mystery, we understand that we are invited into Christ's Incarnational life, and that the Eucharist gives us Christ Himself, both fully human and fully God.  In our taking of the Eucharist, one way it is understood is as medicine.  Just as God became human in order to heal our brokenness, so the Eucharist is a kind of medicine for what ails us; we seek a deeper union with God in all ways possible:  through prayer, through worship, through the practices of the Church available to us, and through the Church's Mysteries.  In it, Christ offers His fullness for our own lives and we must consider, in my perspective, the fullness of the varieties of levels -- both known and unknown -- on which this might be at work within us.  What do we need help with?  Do we have a spiritual problem?  Do we have an emotional problem?  Do we have problems with relationships?  Do we need help finding God's way forward for us?  All of these and more questions are addressed and may be answered in the giving of this gift for which we give thanks, identically as we give thanks for the gift of His life, the Incarnation itself.  Let us not underestimate the extent of the gift with which He leaves us -- for the value of the gift is determined by the Giver, Whose sight is infinite and Whose horizon is so inexpressibly far from our own.  These immeasurable measurements also extend to the depths of who we are which only God knows, and to the full trajectory of our lives of which God only knows the fullness.  Let us be truly thankful for the gift whose value is so far beyond our capacity to calculate for ourselves.

Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

- Luke 10:1-17

Yesterday we read that when the time had come for Him to be received up, Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

  After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Luke gives us an additional group of apostles, besides the twelve.  These seventy are noted in Church history as having had a great impact throughout the known world, and from them came early bishops of the Church in various parts of the world.   Note that like the twelve apostles, they are sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  My study bible calls us to note that Jesus tells us to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  Lambs, my study bible tells us, speak of the sacrificial life of the apostles, and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves, it says, are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you."  As lambs, humility befits the conduct of the apostles of Christ.   They are not to be ostentatious in their travels.  They are characterized by peace.  And note how simply this peace works:  as a kind of grace, peace is wished upon a home.  But, like faith, a son of peace must be present to receive such a blessing; if not, it will return to the apostles.

"And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  My study bible points out that twice here Christ commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  It notes a double significance to this repeated instruction:  first, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple; and second, the gracious reception of the  hospitality of others takes priority over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  My study bible adds that when St. Cassian the great Desert Father visited  monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as guest.  When he asked why, the elder told him, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, these monastics would obey Christ's command here and also His command that we not "appear to others to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2).  Once again, we must note that these instructions speak of the conduct of humility.

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  My study bible encourages us to note that the gospel message isn't simply that there is a Kingdom in the future, but rather that this kingdom of God has come near.   Note that whether the apostles are received or are not, in both instances the message is the same, that "the kingdom of God has come near to you."

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  My study bible comments on these statements by Jesus that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  By contrast, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), and are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  Note that in the final statement here, Jesus refers to the presence of the Kingdom that has come near, which means His presence and also the presence of the One who sent Him.

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  This affirms the implication of Christ's final instructions before the seventy were sent off:  that His presence is with them, and therefore His power.

What does it mean that the kingdom of God has come near to you?  Where is this kingdom of God?  Is it still present with us?  How about Christ's power to heal, or to cast out demons?  What of the judgment that Jesus teaches?  These are all questions that remain with us.  One answer to these questions that the Gospels would give us, is, of course, faith.  That is, where faith is, and the degree to which faith is present with us, conveys and carries the presence of Christ and Christ's kingdom.  How full is our faith, really?  How deeply has it permeated, transformed our characters, made us into that image of Christ that is within for each of us?  We could think, in particular, about the instructions of Christ to the seventy apostles, and how they convey and are permeated with notions of humility:  not to take an ostentatious trip, in which grand greetings are exchanged and met along the way, or announced with fanfare.  Whatever is offered, they accept.  They are not to "trade up" for better lodgings or more luxurious fare.  Everything becomes a question of grace for these lambs that are sent out among wolves.  How often do we allow grace to run our own lives?  Can we live on faith of this kind?  How do we practice humility in every day affairs?  Life is complicated, and every one of us has decisions to make regarding our own conduct as those who may carry Christ with us in our faith.  We may live in nominally Christian countries, but that doesn't mean that we don't daily face the same challenges of carrying the cross He commands us to carry (9:23).  The work of faith remains with us:  a challenge to learn humility and reliance upon God, to understand what it is to have gracious behavior, and to know that there is both power and responsibility within true faith.  These remain challenges for us all, and they remain daily questions to answer in the conduct of our own lives.  What is important to remember is not that we are promised one thing and another, but rather that we are each a part of something which we carry with us.  This kingdom of God which has come near remains with us, even as we are part of the Body of Christ, the Church present in the communion of saints and all those, such as the members of the seventy whose names and histories the Church commemorates still, both known and unknown to us.  It is present with us and near to us even in the Scriptures, the living word, and in our worship services, and in the help present to us which we don't see.  Our lives, in this context, become questions to us:  will we help carry this kingdom into the world?  Do we know what it is to be lambs among wolves, and to understand the depth and meaning of humility first and foremost before God?  Our questions may shift in appearance with each generation, but they remain in substance most likely the same.  It is all a question of what it means to carry this Kingdom with us, and where it leads for each and every life and for the cross that remains ours to carry with us.  We each have that question to answer, and it remains for us -- that is, how do we carry out this mission, even as we may still be lambs among wolves?

The kingdom of God has come near to you

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

- Luke 10:1-16

Yesterday we read that when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said, to Him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."   Yesterday we read that Jesus sent His apostles before His face as He determined to go toward Jerusalem.  Here we read of the appointment of seventy others who now do the same, sent out two by two to every city He will enter on His way toward Jerusalem and His Passion.  These seventy were also hand-chosen, made up of members well-known to the Church, including Barnabas and Titus.  My study bible suggests that we note Christ teaches us to pray not only for the harvest of believers, but also for laborers who will minister to them.  Wolves are those who would prey on the lambs of Christ; lambs are animals that are associated with sacrifice and characterize the lives of apostles and Christ's followers.  Peace is the hallmark of the journey, peace is what unites those who bring the Kingdom near and those who receive it.  Wolves here is used figuratively as those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow Christ (John 15:18).  Note once again the command for gracious behavior:  they are to accept whatever hospitality is first offered, and that includes foods.  This touches on the fasting disciplines traditional in the Church and particularly for monastics:  hospitality takes precedence!  Christ gives two commands emphasizing this:  graciousness, mercy, and charity figure into this practice of receiving what is set before to them.  They are to heal the sick, and here is perhaps the most important word Christ gives:  they are to say, "The kingdom of God has come near to you."  Its impact is felt in the next statement:  where that Kingdom is rejected, there will be judgment.  All the apostles are to do is to wipe off the dust of the city from themselves, but the emphasis here is given twice as well:  "know that the kingdom of God has come near you."  My study bible says that the gospel message isn't simply that there is a Kingdom in the future, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  My study bible explains that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  But in contrast, it's important to note that those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24).  It is their God-given conscience that counts (Romans 2:12-16).  Indeed, there are Orthodox writers who say that around the world many who have never heard the name of Christ have nevertheless sought to reach toward Him in their own faiths.   Once again we note that Judgment is left to God; all these apostles are to do is wipe off the dust from themselves as a rebuke to the city where they and Christ's kingdom are rejected.

Jesus' words regarding Judgment are extreme, and therefore powerful.  Certainly there is no doubt this is intentional speech.   We see the seemingly great contrasts between these words and His teaching and instruction on the character and behavior of the Seventy.  Twice He teaches them they must graciously accept whatever hospitality is offered to them.  Rather than expressing any form of retaliation where they are rejected they are simply to wipe the dust off them in rebuke.  The gracious message, "The kingdom of God has come near to you," is always the refrain no matter what the city's response is.  But Judgment isn't something that can be taken lightly, and we really shouldn't see contradictions in any of this.  Christ teaches us about spiritual reality and the responsibility of being messengers of this Kingdom.  Their every word and deed is to reflect the true graciousness of this Kingdom, and the fact that they are ushering in a spiritual kingdom into the world.  "The kingdom of God has come near" is a message that teaches about what is coming into our world, what exists within us and among us as those who wish to be a part of this life of the Kingdom, even as we live in this world.  And that's where we take our start in understanding the true message of the Gospel and Christ's mission into the world.  We are all still a part of this mission, where the Kingdom is near, and we have a choice to accept or reject.  Christ makes it very clear that the message of the Kingdom, the spirit which guides these apostles, must be present in all that they do.  It's not just about nominally joining a Church, it's about how one lives all of one's life.  It is about action.  Grace is the great hallmark here, but we are always invited into choice.  We are responsible for what we reject, how we choose.  He tells us that there will be plenty of wolves out there for His sheep, but they are to rely on humility and grace; they serve Him, not a worldly master.  In times of difficulties and uncertainty, we need to remember the grace and peace of this life that He offers.  Our peace -- His peace given to us -- is the connecting tie  between those who bring the good news of the Kingdom and those who receive it.  To be a son of peace is to be a child by adoption, via faith.  It is to carry His Kingdom with us and within us.  His Judgment is always present with it, but so is the grace that responds to repentance or change of mind.  Let us remember this and persevere in His peace, in what He offers and calls us to in mission, in the good news of the Kingdom.  Let us not forget the importance -- the great significance -- of this choice we are called to make each day.

I send you out as lambs among wolves

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.

"He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

- Luke 10:1-16

Yesterday, we read that, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  The seventy apostles (or disciples) are by tradition understood to be devout "laborers," some of them also mentioned in the New Testament.  Among them are Barnabas and Titus. My study bible suggests here that we are to "pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them."

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  My study bible says that "lambs speak of the sacrificial life of the apostles and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18)." 

 "Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  We notice the reliance on God conveyed in these directions -- everything starts there first.  To remain in the same house is to stay in the first place offered, and not to "trade up" for better accommodations, no matter how humble the home may be.  My study bible tells us, "Twice here Christ commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  This has a twofold significance:  (1)  the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple; and  (2)  the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines."

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.'"  The message is not just that there is a Kingdom in the future, but rather that the kingdom of God has come near."   It is present in those who carry it, those who are sent bearing it into the world, those who bear signs of its presence.

"But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."    Once again, as with the first sending out of the Twelve, these apostles are to shake the very dust off their feet in rebuke to those who reject them and their message -- the kingdom of God that has come near.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.   He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  My study bible notes, "Judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), and are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16)."  We note the powerful representation in this Kingdom that has come near:  those who hear the apostles hear Christ - for rejection it is the same, but Christ as "bearer" of the Father ("I and the Father are one") means also it is the Father who is rejected.  Relationship or communion, in this Kingdom, is everything.

Judgment is a difficult proposition for a lot of people.  It makes them uncomfortable.  But what Jesus speaks about here is a rejection; that is, a rejection on the part of those who don't want to hear about it, don't want to welcome the disciples.  It's a rejection of the message of the Kingdom coming near -- and that is the essence of the message.  We can take it as the essence of His mission to and ministry in the world:  the kingdom of God has come near.  Then the question posed to all of us becomes more clear:  Do you want it, or do you not want it?  In effect, the judgment becomes a question of rejection by those to whom it is offered.  It is not up to us how that judgment happens or even to judge how reception or rejection happens (after all, this judgment is in the future, and we are not the ones who know the hearts of all).  But it does give us a very important clue about how we are to bear the Kingdom into the world and also about how we are to deal with rejection.  This is the second time the apostles are told to wipe the dust off as a sign of rebuke, and to move on in their mission (the first time was in the sending out of the Twelve).  I think this is a good guideline for all of our lives.  It is important that we understand we're not the ultimate judges here.  The concept that rejection simply means a "rejection" back (shake the dust off!) and moving on, focusing positively on the work that is at hand, just as the Kingdom is "at hand."  It's a good guideline for the ways in which we live our lives.  As disciples and apostles, it would seem, their mission is simply offering this Kingdom in all that they do.  That includes gracious behavior everywhere they go, akin to humble behavior everywhere they go.  They are not told to show great might and force as representatives of this Kingdom but rather the power and force of the holy:  they heal, they cast out demons, they preach the Gospel message.  "Greet no one on the road" is an admonition to refrain from elaborate formal greetings, and to remain humble in this sense.  They are lambs in the midst of wolves; this is the way the Kingdom comes into the world, and it is the way we are taught to bear ourselves.  Grace comes first as a way of representing Christ and the Father.  Let us get the message clearly.  Let us remember the power of grace.