Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 

 

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  

 

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

- Mark 9:30–41 

 

On Saturday we read that, coming down fro the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, when He came to the disciples who remained behind, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood."  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  

 

  Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Here Jesus predicts for a second time to the disciples His death and Resurrection (see this earlier reading for the first).  My study Bible says that this repeated prediction is meant to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and not being taken against His will.  

 

 Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   The disciples have been disputing who would be the greatest.  This is because, at this time, Jesus has begun the long journey toward Jerusalem, and has prophesied to them more than once what is going to happen there at His Passion and Resurrection.  They do not understand what it means; it's still mysterious to them.  But it's likely they presume that there He will come into His Kingdom, and this they envision to be a worldly type of kingdom, the common expectations of the Messiah among the people.  So when they dispute who would be greatest, they're speculating among themselves who will get the highest place among them in this worldly kingdom they imagine is coming.  My study Bible comments that it indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Addressing this particular problem, Jesus points to a little child as a model of true discipleship.  He emphasizes thereby the virtues required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  These are, as noted by my study Bible, humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  

 

 Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study Bible remarks that Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, that John's conscience has been pricked by Christ's teachings on being first and last.  But St. Ambrose, on the contrary, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  In either interpretation, my study Bible comments, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact comments on this similar passage in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 9:46-50), "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those who would use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

 

 Jesus teaches the disciples about greatness in today's reading.  He defines it through humility and through service.  He takes a little child in His arms, and tells them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   To honor God -- even God the Father -- is to seek to receive and to save even the least of these among us, even a little child.  Yet there will be more talk and more teachings about the relevance of little children to discipleship.  Jesus will teach, a little later on in St. Mark's Gospel, "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Mark 10:14; see also Matt 18:3-4, Luke 18:17).  This adds another dimension of humility to our understanding of discipleship.  For, what does it mean to become like a little child (or "as a little child") but to understand that we have so much to learn?  Humility, then, is receiving God and the things God seeks to teach us like a little child, who knows that they have so much to learn.  Indeed, in the Orthodox theological tradition, there is what is understood as an apophatic orientation.  What this means is that, as we understand there is so much more to God than we know, it is wiser to make negative statements regarding what we know God is not, than to proclaim what God is.  For God is so infinitely unknowable compared to our capacity for discerning and receiving God.  Only God is capable of fully knowing God in this sense in which we seek to know a person or a thing.  To become like a little child is to admit that we don't know.  When we approach God as a little child we are an appropriate disciple, for we approach with our minds open to be taught.  We remove our assumptions and our need to prove that we know better; perhaps even more importantly, we prepare to let go of the certainties we think we know, the follow God's direction for expanding our understanding and hence orientation to life.  If once upon a time I always assumed X was correct, perhaps as I grow in maturity spiritually I will grow to see the wisdom of a different way.  For this author personally, that has for a very long time been a process of coming to understand the traditions of the Church in a way I could not see and perhaps could not receive when I was younger.  It has meant discarding my own fears and reservations, and coming to see what was always there, but which I could not perceive without becoming more like a little child in my own orientation toward God, and in my prayers.  For this understanding, I had to un-learn a lot of assumptions and popular theories, and to incorporate in my own life the glimmers of wisdom in the Church I hadn't previously been able to understand.  And this is grace, to become like a little child in order to receive God's grace, Christ's teachings, where the Spirit seeks to lead in teaching us who we need to be and to become.  This is a lifetime process, just like the growth of a little child is an ongoing process.  To receive a little child, or even an adult, in Christ's name, is more than simply to practice graciousness, for perhaps the key phrase here is "in My name" as Christ teaches it.  For this is the true Kingdom He's speaking about; when we act in His name we are within the grounds of the kingdom of God, and clearly, as Jesus teaches us, the rules in this Kingdom are different than those of a worldly kingdom.   In His name, the stature of a little child is as if one receives even God the Father.  He also teaches in today's reading, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  Note again, that qualifying phrase, "in My name."  Once again this stamp, like the seal of a royal king or emperor, means that we are in the realm of His kingdom, not a worldly kingdom.  And there, even those who practice the smallest grace in His name and for the sake of another belonging to His name "will by no means lose his reward."  Let us consider all the things it may mean to become as a little child in order to receive and to dwell in this Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent then into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.  But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."

 

- Matthew 20:1-16 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was following up with His disciples regarding the rich young man who had come to Him seeking eternal life.  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."

 

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent then into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.  But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."  My study Bible explains that in this parable, the vineyard is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life, and also to the whole of human history.  The laborers, it says, are the people in every nation.  Each hour in this sense can refer to times in a person's life -- whether infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  There is a second meaning considering the span of history perspective, and in that idea this parable may refer to those called during the various covenants we know from Scripture:  with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  My study Bible adds that God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  It notes that Jesus teaches that the former should not be proud of their long service nor resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  To the latecomers, then, Christ teaches that it is possible even in a short time or at the end of one's life to recover and inherit everything.  In the early Church, therefore, this message applied specifically to the Jews (who were the first-called) and the Gentiles (those who were called later).  In our time, this can be applied to those raised in the Church and also to those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  The renowned paschal sermon by St. John Chrysostom is based on this parable, as he applies it to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist.  

 

Today's parable comes to us in context of readings with the theme of sacrifice; that is, what do we sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God?  The rich young man who came to Christ asking what he must do for eternal life was asked to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Christ -- then he would be "perfect."   Following this encounter, the disciples -- through Peter, who so frequently speaks for all -- said, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?" (see yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus replied, "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."  And Christ has followed this statement with the teaching of the parable in today's reading, about the laborers in the vineyard.  One thing He seems to make clear is that we should not expect a sort of worldly sense of work and reward  (or risk-reward, in modern investment terms) in equal measure.  In this economy of the Kingdom, all who labor, regardless of differing degrees of sacrifice and time, earn the same reward.  Jesus gives us a sense of this seemingly upside-down (by worldly standards) economy when He states flatly, "So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."  He also makes it plain that this reward system is purely up to the wisdom and discretion of the owner, the Lord, and not up to the laborers.  The landowner says, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?"  The ultimate good is God, the Lord, the landowner.  Out of some sort of envy (is your eye evil?) comes the thinking that we know better, have a better idea how things should be run than God does.  But we, like the disciples, are to trust that all things are in the hands of God, and thus the ultimate good is in the judgment and discernment of God.  There may be things that are quire mysterious to us, like whether or not it is fair or just that those who sacrifice more receive the same ultimate reward or benefit of eternal life.  But the ultimate good is in the discernment of God -- and we who are called, in whatever way, need to understand that how we are called, and the "work" we are called to, is just that:  appropriate to us.  This is true even if we do not understand the why and the wherefore.  This parable reminds us that, after Job had his long-desired confrontation with the Lord, the Lord began to reply with these words:  "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements?  Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"  (Job 38:4-7).  The vineyard owner is the One who told Isaiah, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways" (Isaiah 55:8).  This is an important theme throughout the whole of the Bible, and is expressed even in the ending to John's Gospel, in which Peter was given personal and explicit instruction three times. "Feed my lambs," said the Lord.  But then Peter asked, referring to John, "But Lord, what about this man?"  Christ replied to Peter, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me" (see John 21:15-25).  Therefore let us understand that, as we take up our own crosses (just as in that same passage from St. John's Gospel, St. Peter was warned by Christ that he would follow Him to his own cross), each one's own "labor" may be entirely different from the others.  Truly we may recall that St. John Chrysostom's commentary on the command Christ gives to the rich young man, to sell all that he has and give to the poor, is actually easier than following Christ in all things.  Life often does not seem fair -- and indeed, it is not.  But if we pay attention to the ways God will ask us to go forward, the things we will be asked to work at and perhaps to sacrifice, we just might find that all that we do in faith is in fact the remedy to the injustice we perceive.  All will receive the equal reward in God's sight, but not all will perform the same labors in life, and not every life or person will be exactly the same -- nor should we wish it to be.  "So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen." 

 

 

 

Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

- Mark 9:30–41 

 

 Yesterday we read that when Jesus came to the disciples (as He, James, John, and Peter came down from the Mount of the Transfiguration), He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."   

 

  Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  This is the second time that Jesus predicts His death and Resurrection to the disciples.  See this reading for the first.  My study Bible comments that He does so yet again in order to show that He goes to His Passion freely, and will not be taken against His will.

 

 Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  My study Bible comments that the dispute among the disciples as to who would be greatest indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Christ therefore gives them the example of a little child, as a model of true discipleship.  In this way, He emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven; these are (as indicated by my study Bible) humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  Here His emphasis is not simply on service, but also humility and what we know as graciousness -- as it is in receiving even these "least" not only receives Christ, but God the Father who sent Him.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  My study Bible notes here that according to commentary by Theophylact, John's comment is voiced as a regret, as his conscience has been pricked by Christ's teachings on the first and the last.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  But, my study Bible says, in either interpretation, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact is cited as saying, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.   On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

 

In yesterday's reading, we commented on how the focus was on faith, and how faith would be necessary for the future Church.  Here in today's reading, besides the corrective discipline necessary for the disciples to understand the nature of service, we see a hidden emphasis on the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Clearly, this also would have to be understood as instrumental to the future Church.   Although not nominally the subject of Christ's actions in today's reading, we find insight in Theophylact's comment:  "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  Indeed, in speaking of grace, the entire concept of what grace is and does -- and especially of what "graciousness" would come to mean is laid out for us in Christ's response to the disciples self-centered response to His repeated predictions of His death and Resurrection.  Our understanding of grace and of graciousness is always something that needs repeated renewal and awareness in the Church.  For without it, we don't really have Christianity.  This is first of all found most poignantly in Christ's teachings on how the "little ones" are to be treated, coupled with His expression of acts of compassion in His name:  "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."   In Matthew's Gospel, a similar statement by Jesus emphasizes the gracious care of the "little ones" -- "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42).  Of such is what we know not only as compassion but graciousness.  It is the foundation of what would come to be understood as what constituted "gentleness" (as in a gentleman or gentlewoman), and good manners, social conduct which defines a good society.  If we consider this on a social basis, apart from political movements which would strictly define and limit those to whom we may be "gracious" or "kind" or "compassionate," then we come to see its importance as a social value, in a society structured upon righteousness and peace.  Today's reading begins with Christ's second warning about His death and Resurrection, which possibly leads the uncomprehending disciples to think that a worldly kingdom will soon manifest, in which Christ will rule.  Hence their disputes about who will be the greatest.  Their thinking is in purely a worldly sense, with worldly understanding of greatness.  But Jesus' reply is intended to set this thinking on its head.  Not only is He beginning to correct their expectations regarding an earthly kingdom, He starts with conduct and relationship between persons as the definition of greatness to which they must learn to adhere.  His teachings turns worldly notions of greatness upside down, emphasizing graciousness and compassion -- and especially the treatment of the least powerful, such as a little child.   This is the greatness in His sight, and it should still serve to define for us what makes a person "great."  Christ's description of Judgment, in His parable of the Sheep and Goats, defines even salvation on this basis (Matthew 25:31-46).   For in that parable, it is acts of compassion -- or the lack of it -- that determines judgment by Christ.  So we should, all these centuries later, continue to understand our place in the world as those who would follow Christ.  No matter how many ways the world wants to redefine concepts of justice or righteousness, or even right-relatedness, it is only in this sense that such concepts remain true and meaningful for all of us, for each of us, no matter who we are.  For it is before Christ that we all stand as equals, and before Christ that the true reality of our lives is laid bare.  It is only He, the One who suffered for us, to whom our ultimate loyalty belongs.  Let us follow His gracious teachings for us, which alone offer to each of us the capacity for true greatness, as well as its reward.

Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.  

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet,  to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

- Mark 9:30-50

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came to the disciples (as He came down from the Mount of Transfiguration), He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.    And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.   My study Bible comments that Jesus here predicts His death and Resurrection a second time (see this previous reading) to show that He is going to His passion freely, and not being taken against His will.  

 

 Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   Perhaps Jesus' warnings about His Passion, and especially that He will rise on the third day has convinced the disciples that He will come into a worldly kingdom as Messiah, and thus they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest in that kingdom.  But my study Bible comments that such a question indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, and thus emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into Christ's kingdom.  My study Bible names those virtues of the "little child" as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In the iconography and tradition of the Orthodox Church, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted as this child.  In certain legends of saints, he is the boy who gave the loaves and fishes in John 6:9.   Let note that the kind of humility, and expression of love, that Christ asks for is to condescend to even a little child, in the same sense that Christ as Son so deeply condescended to become one of us as human being.  Within the name of Christ ("whoever receives one of these little children in My name") there are no disparities; this is a communion and kingdom of love.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  According to Theophylact, John makes this comment with regret, and his conscience has been pricked by what Christ said earlier.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expected full obedience to accompany such blessings.  But in either interpretation, Christ's response teaches us that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes (on the similar passage at Luke 9:46-50), "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those who use Christ's name without good faith see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.   Once again, let us notice in this passage the pervasive nature of the communion between those who act in good faith in Christ's name.  Any act of kindness or compassion in His name, no matter how seemingly small or trivial ("a cup of water to drink, because you belong to Christ"), results in the same outcome, one will by no means lose one's reward.

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  My study Bible adds that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).  Here Jesus makes it clear that not only are the good things we do in His name rewarded, but to harm the "little ones" -- the humble and meek of the Church, those with less agency and power, and especially those dependent upon teachers such as these disciples will be -- will result in disaster for the one responsible for misleading them, and causing them to stumble.  The power and authority of the name of Christ works both ways:  for the good, and against abuse.

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die,

and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet,  to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  This reference to forms of mutilation is an illustration of decisive and strong action, deliberately shocking as it is meant to give us a sense of what measures we are to go to in order to prevent abusive behavior.  It's not an advocacy of literal amputation, but an illustration regarding what it is to avoid sin, to cut off even what is so habitual that it feels as if it is indeed a part of ourselves.  A hand may go where it is not welcome, intruding upon others, to take what does not belong to the person.  A foot may hurt, or cross boundaries not open to it, treading upon others or where it should not go.  An eye may gaze with covetousness or with envy, or even malice.  My study Bible comments that these illustrations of drastic steps to cut off sinful behavior can also refer to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 66:24.

 

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study Bible explains that to be seasoned with fire means to be tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  When Christ states that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He quotes from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Especially for the ancient world, but still today, salt had preservative powers, was necessary for life, and the ability to give flavor.  Thereby it had religious and sacrificial significance.  My study Bible explains further that to eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  In Matthew 5:13, Jesus says to His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

Jesus gives the starkest warnings possible regarding abuses of power and authority in His Church, especially in harming or misleading the "little ones."  As my study Bible says, "little ones" does not refer only to little children, but to those who are simple and have the heart of the poor, all those who are poor in spirit and look to the authorities and teachers in the Church for guidance.  Overall, Jesus gives to the disciples a clear sense of the power and authority regarding actions done in His name.  The smallest and least significant act of charity done in His name ("a cup of water to drink") results in reward for those who do so because the recipient belongs to Christ.  And, on the other hand, Jesus gives the starkest and most shocking warnings possible -- in language that is meant to startle and cause the hearer to pay attention -- regarding doing harm to the little ones in the Church.  In this way, the disciples who apparently were engaged in a somewhat too flippant dispute regarding who would be greatest (have the most powerful positions) in the kingdom they anticipate, are startled into the solemnity of their future service in the Church, and what powerful forces are at work in their choices.  Humility is the number one requirement, an understanding of what it means to be like a "little child" and what it means to care for the "little ones" -- being aware and mindful of how they function as future leaders and pillars of the Church.  It is time for Christ to give them a strong lesson in what leadership will mean in His kingdom, in His Church, and for the missions that will be ahead of them in service to Christ and in His name.  We should seek to pay equally close attention to Christ startling words and images, and take it equally seriously in terms of how we live out our faith, and what it means to show real leadership and shoulder such responsibility.  How would our lives look if we all took the power of acting in Christ's name so seriously as He describes it?  What would that look like if we were so careful of the little ones -- or so conscientious about the harm we might do?  Let us also pay close attention to Christ's words when He says that dire consequences would follow for one who "causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble."  Perhaps we might try to imagine what it would mean to cause one of them to stumble:  a misleading teaching, some form of abuse that results in terrible consequences and problems to deal with, or abuse of a darker kind that misleads and causes little ones to stumble.  There are all kinds of ways we might imagine what He is talking about -- but there is no doubt about the stark nature of His warning and the consequences to ourselves, and especially for those in positions of leadership.  Let us consider the powerful words Christ has reserved for this occasion, because He does not always speak so harshly.  Let us only imagine the real power of the teaching that we are to hear Christ's sayings (teachings) and do them (Matthew 7:24-25), and to keep His words, remembering that "the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me" (John 14:24).  Jesus gives us a taste, a stark clue, of the power that is at work in those words either to harm or to do good -- and how that power will also be at work in the ones who use it for good or for ill (to cause a little one to stumble).   Let us think about how powerful a force our own lives can be if we choose to live them in good faith.   For, after all, to receive a little one in His name is not only to receive Christ, the also the One who sent Him.

 

 

 

 

Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me

 

 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

- Mark 9:30-41 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the Transfiguration, when Jesus (with John, James, and Peter) came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and become rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So he asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

 

Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  This is the second time that Jesus has predicted to the disciples what will be coming after Passover in Jerusalem, known to us as Passion Week or Holy Week.  The first time He spoke to them of His death was directly after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ (see this reading).  Let us note that at this time Jesus again did not want anyone to know of His presence, although they are in Galilee.  It is not yet His hour for death.  In this second revelation to the disciples about what is to come, He includes that He will be betrayed.  My study bible says that this second prediction of Christ's death and Resurrection is done to show that He is going to His Passion freely, and is not being taken against His will.  Note also the reaction of the disciples:  they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   My study bible comments that this dispute over who would be the greatest shows a selfish interest in worldly power.  They have likely assumed that Christ's prediction of what is to happen at Jerusalem heralds the coming of a worldly kingdom, ruled by Christ.  So, they began to dispute the positions each would have in such an imagined kingdom.  My study bible comments that, pointing to a little child as the model of true discipleship, Jesus emphasizes what is necessary to be first or greatest.  One must be servant of all, understanding that to receive even a little child is to receive Christ, and to receive Christ is to receive the Father who sent Him.

Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."    My study bible cites the commentary of Theophylact on this passage, who sees John's comment as a regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Jesus has just said about the last and the first (see immediate verses above).  On the other hand, it notes, St. Ambrose sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany the blessings of ministry.  But in either understanding.  the response of Jesus teaches that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.   Theophylact writes:  "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.   Regarding those using Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23, Acts 19:13-16.

In today's reading, our Lord gives great expression to His own compassion and open heart.  There is first of all His willingness to sacrifice Himself for those whom He has come into the world to save.  He has brought the love of God in Himself as a gift to the world, and as a part of that gift He will express the greatest love possible, He will lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13).  His generosity extends to all possible boundaries in terms of the love He shares.  In His teachings to the disciples regarding how they are to become the bishops and "great" in His Church, He extends the same generosity as a demand upon them.  He tells them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."   Unless one truly considers the hierarchy of creation, the "ratio" of grandeur, if you will, between creature and Creator, one cannot begin to truly grasp the magnanimity of His teaching that follows:  "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."   If the disciples think that being the "greatest" is something they really desire, then they must consider what He tells them, that to receive a little child in His name is to be receiving Him -- and that to receive Him is to receive the Father who sent Him.  How gracious and expressive of the expanded heart of Christ can they be?  These words express far more than we can even imagine.  In His final expression to the disciples in today's reading, He expresses great generosity in embracing those not of His immediate following, but who also work miracles in His name, extending tolerance among followers.  If only we had individuals in public life who sought to embody such a spirit of gracious and generous behavior, rather than the many who seem to desire to divide and enrage.  I wonder where we would be if all could seek to measure up -- to no matter how small a degree -- to the generous spirit of Christ?  It is part and parcel of our faith to understand the idea that to receive a child in Christ's name is to understand that one also receives Christ, and thereby the One who sent sent Him.  We take this to such depths of rootedness in our theology that we understand it as teaching us that all are created in the image of God, and all carry the image of Christ within.  And yet, we seldom see this attitude embraced around us, at least in our so-called secular lives.  As I have written before in this blog, the secular life -- for a Christian -- is not meant to be separately lived from the holy or sacred.  Rather, it is our internal life of reaching toward Christ in worship and communion that is meant to tinge all of our life, and that includes our common relations with those around us.  There might be times when we really do need to stand up and distance ourselves from injustice, abuse, and bad behavior that goes contrary to what we know is good, or true, or beautiful.  But that does not stop us from understanding that ours is meant to be a communion in love, and a participation in the grace of God.  It is possible to disagree with one another on all matters of public (and even private) dispute, and yet, at the same time, to hold oneself to the highest standard of loyalty in communion and worship of the generous and gracious Jesus Christ.  In a world that seems to ratchet up degrees of hatred by the day, let us consider our place in our worship of Jesus and where He calls us to be both in relation to Him and in conforming to His teachings.  There is nowhere in the Gospels where Jesus speaks frivolously or vainly.  On the contrary, He promises that it is in following His word that we are His disciples.  In John 14:15, at the Last Supper, He tells the disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."  There is nothing He says that is negotiable or negligible.  Each word has meaning, all is deliberate and chosen.  Everything that He teaches to the disciples is also meant for us.  Unfortunately, in today's world, we may observe even those who proclaim they act in the name of love and tolerance, and yet manage to preach hate, vengeance, and evisceration for their political and social enemies.  Let us consider the words of St. Paul:  "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma" (Ephesians 5:2).  Let us endeavor, in all our worldly lives, to ever be that sweet-smelling aroma that fills heaven with its love of Christ, and seeks truly to live to His word and teachings.

 

 

 

 

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing idle here all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

Yesterday we read that 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 and 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."

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'  So they went.  Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing idle here all day?'  They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.'  He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'  So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.  And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'  But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.  Did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what is yours and go your way.  I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?'  So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."   My study bible explains that in this parable, the vineyard is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life and also to the entirety of human history.  The laborers are all the people in every nation.  Every hour can refer to varying times in a person's life, whether that indicates infancy, or youth, or adulthood, maturity, or old age.  My study bible adds that it also has a second meaning in the span of human history:  referring to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  Another aspect of this parable is the teaching that God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  My study bible says about this that Jesus teaches that the former shouldn't be proud of their long service, nor resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  For latecomers, the parable teaches that it is possible even in a short time, or at the end of life, to recover and inherit all.  In the early Church, this applied specifically to the Jews (the first-called), and the Gentiles (those who were called later).  At the present time, this can be applied to individuals who have been raised in the Church and those who find the Church later on in life.  Both receive an equal reward.  The paschal sermon of St. John Chrysostom (read in the Orthodox Church each Easter) is based on this parable, and applies it to each person's preparation through Lent in approaching the paschal Eucharist.

This parable illustrates yet another way that the "rules" of the kingdom of heaven do not work according to worldly rules, and in particular according to the rules of material life (or mammon, if you will).  Jesus illustrates this same principle when He tells His disciples at the Last Supper, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).  In today's parable, Jesus gives a clear illustration that "not as the world gives" does God give.  He is speaking to His earliest disciples, and therefore when Jesus tells them that "the last will be first, and the first last" (repeating this phrase which He also stated in yesterday's reading, above, and so giving it great emphasis), He is clearly referring to them in particular.  It is yet again -- for these immediate disciples at that time -- an emphasis on humility, particularly in response to the earlier question about who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (see Wednesday's reading from last week).  There will be those who come after they who will also be "great in the kingdom of heaven."  In this parable there is a radical reckoning of equality in a spiritual sense.  It possibly emphasizes for us that in this kingdom there is no space and no time, even as at the Transfiguration Moses and Elijah both appeared speaking together with Christ, and each was immediately recognizable to Peter, James, and John.  In short, the "rules" of this kingdom are not the rules of the world.  We aren't rewarded according to worldly rules; there is a different standard involved.  And clearly, it is God who sets the standard.  Our expectations have to be subject to our faith and the perceptions that come from "work" in this kingdom, from participation in it.  On the surface, the parable seems like it is told to the disciples to enforce the message of humility:  that each will be called in a different way, and there is to be no comparison between one person's labor and another's, one person's reward and another's.  That also reinforces the lesson taken from St. Chrysostom's comment on the story of the rich man in Monday's reading, that for each follower the sacrifices asked will be different.  Above all, what is reinforced in today's reading is a galvanizing kind of equality within this kingdom of heaven, that we each have our own part to play:  we are not to look to one or the other nor to compare rewards.  Each is called according to his or her own life; each is called with the bargain being only between the landowner and themselves.  In the final chapter of John's Gospel, St. Peter is told three times by Jesus what his job is to be in this kingdom; Jesus tells him, "Feed my lambs."  But then Peter sees the disciple John, and asks what John must do.  Jesus replies, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me" (see John 21:15-25).  In other words, the things asked of each one apply only to that person.  Yet for all of us, the reward is the same.  As this applies to each one of us today, just as it did then, 2,000 years ago to the disciples, let us consider what Christ asks of us.  In the passage at the end of John's Gospel we've just cited, Jesus first asks Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?"  Let us ask for ourselves this question, and understand that Christ is always asking each one of us the same.  Let us turn to Him and offer ourselves, and leave ourselves open to what He asks.  Don't look around and assume everyone's gifts nor offering is the same; you might find it surprising what it is that God asks of you.  But humility is the key to accepting that answer, just as it was for St. Peter, and for all the rest.

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 and 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 them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.  Now behold, one came  and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, " ' You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure 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."   There have been various attempts at interpretation of this vivid saying of Christ of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  My study bible names a couple of them:  that the word for camel in Aramaic resembles the word for "rope" or possibly that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which a camel could possibly squeeze if it first were relieved of all of its baggage (which would symbolize possessions).  There is a saying in the Talmud:  "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever the origin, the phrase gives us an understanding of what is preposterous, impossible.  Salvation is impossible for those attached to riches, my study bible says.  This is clearly shown by the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?"  But through the grace of God, even what is impossible for human beings alone becomes 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."  Of judgment, my study bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments, "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."  The apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, my study bible says, but rather with the witness of their own lives.  God's kingdom begins with Christ's Resurrection, and therefore the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (16:19, John 20:23).

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

What does it mean to sacrifice everything for Christ?  This is something we have to contemplate and think about.  I know what it is to need to cut off relationships with family because of religious faith, but that comes from a deep conviction of loyalty to God, an earnest desire for prayer and for peace with one another, and an impossible choice that simply has to be made.  It also comes from a place of forgiveness:  one has to be willing to include all of Christ's teachings in the choices that we make, not just one or two.  What we are to understand in life is that to "follow Him" requires of us a great huge life in which we participate, not a partial one.  This is not about following one commandment or another; it is about a full participation in an expanding understanding of a way of life that is whole and fulfilling, not partial and not abstract and not theoretical.  It is not about forming opinions and values with which we go about judging one another.  In fact, this is a good time to remind ourselves of what judgment is and means according to my study bible (as noted above):  the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but rather with the witness of their own lives.  They will learn to live the life Christ initiates them into on a deeper and gradual basis of immersion, so to speak, to be like Him, and they will rebuke error with virtue.  The kind of freedom that is claimed in this level of a life lived in Christ is total, and it grows over time.  If we are truly to follow Jesus, we do so with a growing commitment, and a gradual growth of what we are willing to sacrifice in order to be truly free to follow Him.  Hence, the image of the impossibility of the camel going through the eye of the needle:  what will be asked of us might be things we thought unthinkable to give up, but necessary for our own movement forward into God's life and love.  It is necessary to begin to think about what we have and where we go in prayer, for prayer has to be the guide for all of us in life, plus guidance in the context of the Church.  Historically the Church frowns upon extremes.  At the time period of the early Church there were philosophers and gnostics and all kinds of sects that practiced extreme forms of purification, with highly black-and-white theories of the pure and the tainted, or the good and evil of what was inside of us.  But Jesus gives us a different example of how we need to understand ourselves.  We may have a choice in this world between forces of evil such as produced the fall and sin, but it is Jesus who stands out like a beacon, having gone through this world as a human being, and showing us the way.  There is just the choice to follow Him, to understand that we ourselves have so much to learn, and that He does not require us to be "perfect" except in one sense only:  that we be willing to give up whatever it is that stands in the way of following Him.  If we are called to separate from those who would harm us or our spiritual lives in order to follow Christ more perfectly, then the time has come to step up and do it.  If we must let go of our "once in a while" habit that we know separates us from God and is destructive to our prayer life, then when that time comes, let us step up to the place.  If we need to commit our time more fully to prayer, let us heed the call and give up that time to Christ.  These are the ways in which Christ asks us to sacrifice in order to follow Him.  Moreover, if we have a hard time doing this by ourselves, we know that we are not alone in this -- nor is it expected that we ever do it all "just by ourselves."  What is impossible for human beings becomes possible with God -- for with God, all things become possible.   The many possessions of the wealthy man are all things that can come between his loyalty to Christ and his need to take care of those possessions:  one by one each must be placed in God's hands for discernment and judgment about how to live in this world and heed where God asks us to go.  And let us not forget that everything -- every blessing and gift, and all things -- come from God in the first place.  It really doesn't matter what we are talking about; it is all a journey of placing our lives and ourselves more deeply in the hands of God.  But, as He said, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (11:30) -- and He replaces what we feel we lose by the hundredfold.  It is all a matter of placing ourselves in His hands and trusting, to commit our lives to follow Him.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first of all shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

- Mark 10:32-45

 Yesterday we read that as Jesus was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  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."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  My study bible points out here that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events they would face.  It suggests that this also confirms that Christ was going to His death of His own will and choosing.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  My study bible suggests that this question on the part of James and John Zebedee for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple.  It says that this shows an earthly misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God.  In Matthew's Gospel, we are told that it was the mother of Zebedee's sons who requested this honor (Matthew 20:20-21).  But clearly from their answer in the plural (and the text here in Mark), John and James themselves are involved in this request!  That's important, because it is consistent in the Gospels that we are given the mistaken understandings of the disciples, and their correction by Christ.  It tells us that we are all on a journey, and our faith and discipleship is not about immediate perfection.  Jesus makes this clear by telling them, "You do not know what you ask."   My study bible also comments that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  The Cross is a cup, it says, because He drank it willingly (Hebrews 12:2).  His death is baptism, as He was completely immersed in it, and yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6). 

So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first of all shall be slave of all."   Christ's prophecy of John and James participating in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom that each will indeed lead after Pentecost.  James would be the first among the apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2).  John would face persecutions throughout his life, including exile on the island of Patmos, where the Revelation occurred (Revelation 1:9).  My study bible adds that Christ declaring that the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give does not mean that He lacks authority.  Instead, it means that they are not His to give arbitrarily.  Those places will be given instead to those for whom God has prepared them.   St. John Chrysostom comments with regard to those sitting as equals on the right and left hand of Christ in His Kingdom, that no one could possibly occupy this position.  Regarding the highest places of honor given to human beings, the icons of the Orthodox Church universally depict the Virgin Mary (most blessed among women, Luke 1:28), and John the Baptist (greatest born of women, Matthew 11:11) holding these places.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."   For many is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

Over the past several readings, Jesus has been emphasizing humility and service, as well as sacrifice.  He has emphasized the apostles' care of the littlest ones, and made it clear the highest penalty would be paid for abuse.  He has taught about divorce, and the hardness of heart involved in easy divorce.  He has also spoken about the precious value of children in His sight.  In today's reading, there is once again a dispute about places of greatness (see also Monday's reading, which began this "cycle" of recent readings).  In today's case, it is James and John Zebedee who, in a sense, separate themselves from the rest of the disciples, and ask for the particular places of honor they desire.  But Jesus teaches them about honor by speaking about sacrifice.  He speaks of Himself first as one who will sacrifice, as He begins addressing this question by speaking about His own cup and baptism.  That is, His cup of the Crucifixion, and His baptism of death.  In a sense, He is telling them that they must be prepared to follow Him even into these places of the greatest sacrifice -- if they wish these places on His right and His left.  But even so, He cannot give these places in an arbitrary sense.  When we think of this Kingdom, we must accept that it is a communion far greater, wider, and deeper than we can understand.  Moreover, even He will defer to this wider authority than we understand.  But this leads Christ to a profound conclusion for all of us who live in this world and seek to serve that Kingdom, for Christ compares the values that govern His understanding of greatness to those which govern worldly kingdoms, when He says, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them."  He uses this as stark contrast to the living Kingdom which the apostles will bear into the world, and which we as faithful seek also to bear into the world, when He says, "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first of all shall be slave of all."  So, in the first place, Jesus seeks to give us an understanding of greatness for ourselves that is at odds with the "greatness" of the worldly.  Moreover, this teaching about sacrifice also applies to us, who form the Church today, as much as it did to the apostles.  We are once more given the understanding that to participate in Christ's kingdom, we will seek to follow Him wherever He leads.  But let's think for a moment about a pragmatic way of turning to this thinking about greatness.  We have modern notions of greatness that also have to do with aspirational achievement of a certain status within the society.  Due to the huge machinery of public relations, which also includes every medium of communication open to us today, we might think of rap stars, movie stars, or pop stars of any kind as "great."  We have ratings agencies that monitor the attention the public pays to various public spectacles (for want of a better word) such as popular television programs, or sports spectacles.  We follow our favorite teams, or city teams in all kinds of sports.  Individual athletes, as in the ancient world, may also be considered great.  We root for politicians and parties, we hate their opposition.  But Jesus addresses directly the notion of power as tied with greatness, and that worldly notion of power as one who may "lord it over" another.  In this sense, we can still see Jesus' understanding in the ways in which the person who occupies a "great" place may exploit, use, and command power over others.  There is a great deal of popular attention to the abuse of positions of "greatness," especially private abuses of individuals (such as sexual abuse of any kind) that would not be so readily tolerated by others.  In this difference we can see to some degree the conflict of Jesus' perspective with a worldly perspective.  But far from being merely moralistic, Jesus' understanding of greatness extends right down to our identity and existence, for we are to see ourselves within a continuum in which the One who sacrificed for all is at the top.  And it is this "greatness" with which we are to ally ourselves and our sense of ourselves.  Those for whom aspiration includes a place of greatness in which we may simply "lord it over" others are therefore still opposed to the kingdom of God.  For there is a fundamental disconnect between these concepts of greatness.  As we still, to a certain extent, live in a world in which some who lord it over others are seen as great, let us consider where our own understanding of greatness comes into our lives in order to monitor or regular our responses to life.  What do we admire?  Whom do we admire?  To what sort of greatness do we aspire?  Moreover, we could ask ourselves what sort of greatness we model for others.  Do we show the maturity of sacrifice for the sake of the good?  Or are our own notions of greatness for ourselves nevertheless tinged with the selfishness of this worldly model Christ presents of the Gentile kingdoms?  What kind of love do we carry?  What friendships are important to us?  Where is our honor?  We live in a world rich in material goods and prosperity, particularly for those "first world" countries at the top of a list of developed or industrial nations.  But at the moment, as I write my blog, due to the pandemic of the coronavirus, each country is to some extent shutting down its usual economic activity in order to combat the virus, so that health care systems do not become more overwhelmed than necessary.  This is an admitted prioritization of particular need over other need, and it is also a prioritization of health care for all who may have access to that system.  So we see ourselves as sacrificing for the greater good.  We call our doctors heroes, as well as so many others who work for us all.  At this time, let us stop to consider our models of greatness.  How do they fit with this particular time, or our actions right now?  What can we do to get more closely in touch with Christ's vision for what makes us truly great?  It is a good time, an important and essential time to focus in prayer.  For it is in a crisis like this that time for ourselves in prayer is so important.  Through prayer we will find strength and hone our top priorities.    We will find guidance for how to conduct ourselves through uncertainty.  And we will focus on better ideas of what is essential and important, and what is not.  It is at times like these, in fact, that God lifts up the lowly and scatters the proud in their conceit (Luke 1:46-55).  If we are wise, and willing to see beyond the usual appearances the world presents, this is a time of opportunity to focus on who we are and where we are, to get ourselves "right with God," to refocus on life with the right priorities to stand us in good stead through the future.  We may adjust ourselves and our identities better, and repent (or change) the things that don't put us on a good road.  Let us not be like those who scatter.  Let us endure in His word, in His strength, and in His love, by finding what is real and true in God's sight.  This is our opportunity!