By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?

Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men' " -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another; and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'? "

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.

- Mark 11:27-12:12

 Yesterday we read that, the day after Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.   And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men' " -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Here is the important question for the religious authorities, the one that they have asked Christ numerous times already -- but it is especially pertinent here in Jerusalem, the day after Jesus has cleansed the temple (see yesterday's reading, above):  "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"   Everything hinges, for them, on questions of this authority.  My study bible remarks that since Christ is not a Levitical priest, the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge His authority to cleanse the temple.  It notes that as He is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, Jesus stumps them with a different question of His own, about the baptism of John the Baptist.  Both Jesus' question and the one posed by the religious leaders command the same answer -- therefore it would lead a person to confess that Christ has come from heaven, and His authority derives from there.  It's interesting for us to note how the religious leaders fear the people, as John was widely revered as a holy man.  Let us contrast John's fearless criticism of King Herod and his unlawful marriage to Herodias with the behavior here of the religious leaders, who are afraid of the people.  My study bible suggests that by not answering the chief priests, scribes, and elders directly, Christ teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another; and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others."  My study bible explains that in this parable, the man represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are those leaders who are entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant who is sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God, and the son refers to Christ Himself.  When the Son is killed and cast out of the vineyard, interpretation understands this on at least two levels:  first, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem (at Golgotha, which was at that time outside the city walls), and second, that He was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not by those of His own vineyard.  The others who later receive the vineyard are the Gentiles, brought from all over the world into the Church.

Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? "  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away.  The stone is Christ, and the text clearly tells us that the leaders have understood that He has spoken the parable of the vinedressers against them -- and so does the crowd, whom they fear.

Questions about authority have been all-important throughout Christ's ministry.  They have been most important to those "in authority."  How does Jesus have the right to speak with authority when He teaches (as in this reading)?  How does He have the authority to cleanse the temple (see yesterday's reading, above)?   Where does He get this authority that the people recognize when they received Him into Jerusalem waving branches, and chanting the verses fit for the coming of God's promised Kingdom (in this reading)?   Jesus answers this question in His own roundabout way, with a question about John the Baptist.  John, known to the multitude as holy man and prophet, and considered by the Church to be the last and greatest of the Old Testament-style prophets, clearly is considered authoritative not by declaration of religious authorities, but rather through the work of God in the world, through the Holy Spirit.  And this authority is recognized among the people.  How were the Old Testament prophets recognized?  Where did their authority come from?  Those false prophets who served the kings had a kind of formal "authority," but the prophets to whom Jesus refers as "servants" in the parable of the wicked vinedressers received no formal authority, but were later recognized as prophets.  They spoke the truth to kings, as did John, and for the most part received the kind of fate which John received as well.  Matthew and Luke report Jesus' lament over Jerusalem:  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34).   In the eyes of the Gospels, it is of such relevance to us that "no prophet is accepted in his own country" that this saying by Jesus appears in all four (Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24, John 4:44).  Indeed, in the Church, saints -- who often embody prophetic action, among other gifts -- are seldom, if ever, formally recognized in their own lifetimes.  So the question of authority becomes tinged with an even greater importance than we might consider even from reading this passage.  On His way to Crucifixion, when Jesus prophesies to the women of Jerusalem regarding the devastation to come, He asks, "For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"  In other words, the cost of abandoning or spurning the authority that comes "from heaven" may be much higher than we can calculate, if we have given ourselves over to that which does not know God's love (in this case, the Roman army in the Siege of Jerusalem, carried away in the frenzy of war and the seeking of gold and other loot).  Ultimately, we are told, all authority comes from God (Romans 13:1).  As Christians, we are members of a Kingdom, given the gift of grace, the help of the Holy Spirit, and the indwelling of the Trinity.  And as those who declare ourselves a part of this faith, we cannot afford to misunderstand where authority comes from, to have an apprehension of the solemnity of our own consciousness of God's work in us and in the world, including the presence of that Kingdom.  We must be aware of questions of authority, and especially of that ultimate resolution.  It still holds for us to follow solemnly Christ's teaching of "greatest commandments" -- to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:35–40, Mark 12:28–34, Luke 10:27).   For this is what it means to truly understand "authority" and where it comes from, and we must, as faithful, retain our own healthy reverence for such authority and keep it uppermost in our hearts, minds, souls -- as Christ teaches us to do.  Without this awareness, how will we recognize God's work in the world, even when others don't?  Will we simply follow the rules, making outward appearance of piety -- or whatever code of conduct or social construct deemed for the moment, "correct"?  Our faith is supposed to mean something, lead somewhere, teach us discernment.  For we follow Christ who taught us that we are to remain alert to the end, and to endure in our awareness and consciousness of what we are to be about.  We are to be those "good servants" who are always prepared for our Master's return, for it is ultimately His authority which we serve.

Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him

 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people.  And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and release Him" (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).  And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" -- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.  Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.  But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"  Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done?  I have found no reason for death in Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."  But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified.  And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.  So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.  And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

- Luke 23:13-25

Yesterday we read that after Christ's trial in the council, the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."  Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered him and said, "It is as you say."  So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man."  But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."  When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.  And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.  Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.  Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered nothing.  And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.  Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.  That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with one another.

 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people.  And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and release Him" (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).  And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" -- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.  Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.  But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"  Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done?  I have found no reason for death in Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."  But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified.  And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.  So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.  And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.  My study bible points out that Pilate attempts to release Jesus three times.  In response, three times the chief priests and the rulers incite the people to demand He be put to death.  Finally, the demand is for the release of a rebel.  Barabbas means "son of the father."  My study bible says it indicates to which father these particular rulers belong -- the devil, a fellow rebel (John 8:44).

Why is it that the innocent suffer?  Why do we see this scene repeated in our world, where it is the most innocent -- and in this case, the only true innocent -- who suffers and pays the price for the sins of the rest?  Perhaps Christ is the only one who is not manipulating anyone; He does not scheme for material power, He does not have a hidden agenda.  There is nothing duplicitous about Him.  My study bible uses the term "rebel" for the religious leaders, meaning their own rebellion against God, against the coming of the Son (see the parable of the vinedressers given by Jesus to them in the temple).  Certainly we understand that Christ has known that this would be His end -- for after all, He has warned the disciples three times of what was to come to Him in Jerusalem, in quite explicit detail.   Another question comes a close second, and that is, why does God permit it?  Indeed, we may ask why God permits any evil in our world.  I don't have all the answers to these questions.  But first of all, we may be given to understand clearly that evil is a choice we can make in our lives.  That is, evil exists as an option, an influence, a rebellion against truth and the good and the beautiful -- those things we associate with God.  We can point to the usual "culprits" inside of us, the influences and impulses that are at work in such a choice, all forms of selfishness and self-centeredness (as opposed to being God-centered), in particular, envy.  (Pilate, if anything a clever observer of human nature, probably essential to his rise in the Roman hierarchy, understands this himself; see Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10).   These leaders want what they feel is their entitled share of the full pie, the whole ownership of the vineyard.  An innocent person, one who wields little to no currency or power in a given circumstance, makes an easy target, for obvious reasons.  Consistently the Gospels tell us that the religious leaders fear only the people, who love to hear Christ, and who have sought out champions for themselves, holy people like John the Baptist and Jesus.  Here in this crowd which they can easily stir up, the leaders have their way; they long to be rid of one who is not of their order, has no material authority, and stirs up the people as a natural leader.  It is only Gamaliel who will later show the wisdom befitting his position, when he counsels the religious leaders not to persecute the early Church (Acts 5:33-42).  It is a separate question to ask why the innocent suffer, and why Christ bears His suffering.   The Revelation, our book of the eschaton, the fullness of time, tells us that Christ is the Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 1:5, 3:14).  What is Jesus witness to?  Why does going to His death fulfill this role of witness (martyr in the Greek)?  He is a witness against the evil of this world, against the one "who was a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44), and those who continue to carry out his work in the world.  Christ bears witness, through His innocence.  He does not participate in the evil Himself, and therefore His testimony is true and pure.  It is a part of the culmination of the age which is judgment, a final and true reckoning, which is only possible through true witnessing, honest testimony.  Who makes a more competent witness than one who has no split allegiances, no hidden agenda, no conflict of interest?  Our own need to follow in Christ's footsteps may mean that we, too, experience what He did:  the injustice done to the innocent.  Truth is a threat to those who hate truth; the light is problematic for those who do not want their deeds to come to light (John 3:19).  Until such time as we are given to know better, we understand the need for living our lives in that light, so that we, too, may be witnesses and give true testimony.  We seek to live His way, alert and awake to who we are and what we need to serve -- but not in naivete.   It is part of our mission to be wise as serpents and simple as doves; to know what our world is about, and yet to see the purity of heart Christ praises.  It is in this struggle and tension that we are true witnesses, and we may live and share in His life by bearing our own cross as He did.  Let us be glad to share in His light, for it means the salvation of the world from the alternative we can observe only too well if we but look with the eyes He asks of us.

Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?

 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many people came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about His Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.

- John 10:31-42

Yesterday we read that by the end of Christ's time at the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a division again among the leadership because of His sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Once again the leadership (this is the meaning of the term the Jews in John's Gospel) take up stones to put Him to death for blasphemy.  Jesus emphasizes once more that the works He does bear witness to Him.  Even if they don't believe His words about Himself, they should believe the works they have seen and know about as testimony.  You are gods is a quotation from Psalm 82:6.  My study bible explains that people who receive God's grace in faith will partake of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and can rightly be called gods.  St. John Chrysostom expresses what He's saying this way: "If those who have received this honor by grace are not guilty for calling themselves gods, how can He who has this by nature deserve to be rebuked?"

Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  Christ is going to His Passion voluntarily, and according to His own will (10:17-18), they are unable to arrest Him until He is ready and it is "His hour" (7:30, 8:20; see Luke 4:28-30).

And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many people came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about His Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.   Faith comes also through those with whom Christ has relationship, like John the Baptist whose work as prophet is through the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus' works express His identity.  Once again, we are confronted with the reality of who Jesus really is, and that His works bear witness to that identity.  Surely we are asked to follow.  When we think of His works, we think of healing, "making whole" as it is so often phrased in the Gospels.  For which of these do they condemn Him?  How do these works tell us about Christ?  Surely, "making whole" is something we pray for when we pray to Him.  We pray for ourselves, for our friends and loved ones, for our communities, and for our world.   To be "made whole" is to be restored to the true condition of our creation.   Our Creator, therefore, is the help we need to become "whole" -- for real healing.  This can go in all directions.  In the Gospels, the works that Christ does in terms of restoring wholeness vary greatly, and happen in all kinds of conditions and even through varied methods.  For example, in the events for which the leadership is angry with Him -- healings which have taken place during various festivals in Jerusalem -- we've read of Christ healing the paralytic by simply telling him to take up his bed and walk (see this reading, in which, interestingly, Jesus speaks of "working").  Unfortunately, for this the leadership condemn Him, as He told the man to carry his bed on a Sabbath.  And then we read more recently of Christ's healing of a man blind from birth, this time by the method of using His own spittle and the soil, to make mud put on the man's eyes (see this reading, in which once again, Jesus spoke of working the works of God).  But making whole comes in other forms as well as physical healing.  Jesus heals those who are clearly "out of their minds" or who have various diseases and illnesses.   In another sign given only to the disciples, Jesus walks on the water (see this reading).  He tells them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  Let us consider the great sign apart from its miraculous properties, and in the framework of the fear of the disciples crossing a stormy sea; His action and work of comfort to them, telling them not to be afraid, is also a form of making whole, of healing, and one which we all need to hear.  Faith is a difficult struggle that involves facing our own fears and growing in our dependency upon God.  Yet, this is the way to wholeness, to be made whole, restored to the condition of our creation.  In all ways, then, we observe that Jesus' work is to "make whole."  Whether we are in need of this restoration (and who is not?) or we can help to offer such restoration to others, to "make whole" is a sign of God's work in the world.  When we pray for others, we do the same.  When we pray for the world, so we offer the world back to God in order for God to return it to us in right relation, understanding that its true nature is to be filled with the presence of God.  Our lives and faith are sacramental, and it is in the nature of sacrament that "making whole" happens.  In today's reading, John the Baptist works through faith as prophet and holy man to bring others to the faith as well.  In this he also shares in the work of restoration and wholeness.  If faith is truly a journey, then it is one to wholeness, to fullness, to the restoration in the sight of Creator on all levels.  Which way does this work in your life today?  In which ways do you need this work?  How does the world know you as His follower in such work of restoring to wholeness?

If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water

 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does out law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

- John 7:37-52

In our current reading, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot), an eight-day autumn harvest festival, commemorating the time Israel dwelt in temporary shelters (tents or "tabernacles"), following Moses in search of the Promised Land.  Yesterday we read that at about the middle of the feast Jesus went up to the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.   Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of your keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."  Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"  The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.   The last day, that great day of the feast is the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  On this day there was a ceremony of the drawing of water from the pool of Siloam, a remembrance of the water that flowed from the rock struck by Moses (Exodus 17:1-7).  This gives the context reflected in Jesus' words here:  "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."  My study bible comments that the living water Jesus speaks of is the gift of the Holy Spirit and the new life that accompanies this gift. 

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  The Prophet refers to the expected Messiah.  That is, the Savior whom Moses foretold would come (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).   Bethlehem, birthplace of King David, is the town from which the Christ was prophesied to come (Micah 5:2).  Once again, John gives us the backdrop to the life of Jesus, and the controversy that surrounds Him among the people and the leaders.

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."   In yesterday's reading, we learned that the chief priests had sent officers of the temple to arrest Jesus in the middle of the feast (verse 32).  On this day, the last day of the feast, no arrest has yet been made, because the officers had been converted by Christ's teaching.  My study bible comments quoting St. John Chrysostom:  the Pharisees and scribes who had "witnessed the miracles and read the Scriptures derived no benefit" from either one.  These officers, however, although they could claim none of this learning, were "captivated by a single sermon."  When the mind is open, "there is no need for long speeches.  Truth is like that."

Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does out law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."  Nicodemus, we remember from chapter 3, had spoken to Christ, and had increased in faith.  But, my study bible points out, his defense of Christ is still based on our law.  This is not yet a public profession of faith, which will come later (see 19:38-39).   In accordance with the law, Jesus must be given a hearing before He can be judged (Exodus 23:1; Deuteronomy 1:15-17).  My study bible also comments here on the statement that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.  It notes that this shows blind hatred and also ignorance of the Scriptures by the Pharisees, as the prophet Jonah came from Galilee, from the town of Gath Hepher, only three miles from Nazareth (2 Kings 14:25).  Significantly, elsewhere Jesus refers to His death and Resurrection -- when a sign or proof of identity as Christ is demanded of Him -- as the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matthew 12:39, 16:4; Luke 11:29-30).

Jesus is in the middle of controversy.  He has come into the world to reveal something, to reveal Himself as Truth (14:16), and to offer a gift of salvation through faith in this truth and in His teachings.  He will offer Himself also as sacrifice, even as nourishment in the Eucharist.  But such a great undertaking is not met with universal appreciation, nor understanding!   Instead, His life during His public ministry is one of challenges and dangers, misunderstandings and hostility.  In this, we should all take heart as we come to know and understand that the truth will not get us universal approval, and that ridicule in the public eye does not amount to a "hill of beans" as the expression goes.  What is important is the integrity of faith, the solid ground on which we stand in an internal sense when we put our trust in Christ, and the love expressed and experienced through faith.  But His is not a careless proclamation for all to believe, nor does He expect universal approval.  His "hour" has not yet come; it is not time for Him to go to Jerusalem for the final confrontation in an open manner as will happen on the day we celebrate as Palm Sunday.  His mission is deliberate, not careless, as He will teach His own apostles also to be deliberate and careful in their missionary work as well.  "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).    This is not the dramatic fanfare of films nor the heroism of fairy tales and war stories or modern superheroes.  This is the grit and toughness of every day life, the things in our hearts that keep us from finding our Lord, and the challenges and hostilities we nurture in this world that remain ever with us.  Jesus' heroism is about faith, a fidelity to the Father's cause and will, the One who sent Him, as He has said.  He will follow in that faith and loyalty to the end, ready to sacrifice for the salvation of all.  Does a modern superhero make that kind of sacrifice?  Can we understand the challenge of undergoing this kind of struggle for something much greater than ourselves, even for love?  What we serve is Truth, but this Truth is a Person -- a Person who loves us and loves the world.  John's Gospel presents us with all the difficulties of a struggle for faith:  the doubt, even torment, in the midst of the world with its hostilities, selfishness, misunderstanding, envy, turmoil, and all the rest of the things that go into a life of struggle.  It doesn't shrink from telling us the whole story, all of the truth of what it is to tell the kind of truth that Christ tells.  It invites us in to the light that He brings, so that we may share in it, but it does not teach us fairy tales; it gives us a microcosm in the life of Christ of the things that plague our world and with which we struggle as human beings, even if it is an inner struggle.  Let us observe the crowds, as they respond to Christ, and the people who grow more apart in response to Him:  some to more faith, some to outright hostility and violence.  Where does this story find you in the choices you need to make, in the sacrifices you might give up for this truth in your own life?  Let us remember His teaching of endurance and prudence, and make our own choices to follow Him.  Our depth and abundance of life is in the rivers of living water that He promises.

Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live

 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

- John 5:19-29

On Saturday, we read that there was a feast (the Feast of Weeks, or the Old Testament Pentecost, fifty days after Passover), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.  Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"  The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."  Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.  And that day was the Sabbath.  The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."  He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"  Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?"  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."  The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.  For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.  Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."  The leadership have clearly understood that Jesus implies absolutely equality with the Father.  That He can do nothing of Himself, my study bible says, proves that His every act and word is in complete unity with the Father and with the Holy Spirit.  This discourse gives us the revelation of the unity of Father and Son in nature, will, and action.  And therefore, as Jesus states here, the Son fully shares the divine attributes both of giving life and executing judgment.  Christ's judgment, we may note from today's reading, is based on both faith ("he who hears My word and believes") and works (Jesus' word at the end of today's reading:  "those who have done good").

"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."  Jesus says that "the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God."  My study bible remarks here that the term the dead refers both to those who are spiritually dead -- who will find life in Christ, and to the physically dead, who will rise in the general resurrection.  This is confirmed by Jesus when He raises Lazarus from the dead (11:38-44) before He goes to His own death as human being.  These verses (5:24-30) are read at the Orthodox funeral service, confirming the same reward for those who fall asleep in faith.

The passages in today's reading echo, in some sense, Jesus' revelation to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in the previous chapter.  There, He told her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  That echo of the words, the hour is coming, gives us a sense of the importance of this time, the immanence of the Kingdom and its revelations for the world.  Here in today's reading, Jesus gives a revelation to people who, if we think about it a little, also seem like those very unlikely that He would give this revelation to:  the leadership.  Contrary to the woman at Jacob's well and her townspeople, these men for the most part will not become followers, but rather they seek to put Him to death as a result of this revelation.  Should we conclude that Jesus has made a mistake?  Quite the contrary, since Jesus has just said that "the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner."   If we understand Christ, then, on His own terms as He has stated here, we see that what is happening is salvation, an attempt at salvation for these religious leaders.  Jesus is telling them the truth about His identity, and about His capacity for judgment, and also the promise of eternal life through faith.  Jesus is Himself the promise of life itself -- and this is what He offers to these leaders by speaking the truth to them.  Through them also, as the religious leadership of Israel and all the Jews, He offers to the whole nation the salvation that is a part of His promise.  That their response matters so much to His human life, to the Cross that is to come, is undoubtedly already understood as the story that will be given to us who will come later and hear.  But this is how things unfold:  everyone is offered salvation.  These men bear important places; their lives are not simply told as specific individuals, but rather as those who rule Israel.  But Jesus' words, prefaced repeatedly by "most assuredly" ("amen, amen" in the original language of the Gospel) are marked for all of us here as solemn promises we must pay attention to.  Again, there is a parallel with the revelation to the Samaritan woman.   Jesus told her about the water He would give, a "fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  Here, the leadership are responding to Jesus' healing of the paralytic who could not get down first into the pool at the Sheep Gate (see Saturday's reading, above).  Jesus' message, therefore, is quite consistent, both to the Samaritan woman and in today's reading, to the religious leaders.  But there's a great distinction, in that in today's reading, He speaks of judgment, and the importance both of faith and works.  Their rejection of Jesus is not simply a rejection of faith but also a rejection of the understanding that their works determine God's judgment, in that they will seek to put Him to death.  Let us consider the truth of His words and what they mean for each of us:  how we need to weigh our choices, how our faith impacts the very substance of our lives -- and how "everlasting life" is not so much about length of life, but rather about the quality of life itself and the abundance He offers, that which is capable of giving resurrection to those both living and dead -- in the here and the now, and in the life of the age to come.  

Many are called, but few are chosen

 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready.  Come to the wedding."'  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.  But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'  So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'  And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  For many are called, but few are chosen."

- Matthew 22:1-14

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, as He spoke to the leadership in the temple in Jerusalem:   "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and leave his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.  Again, he sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready.  Come to the wedding."'  But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.  And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them."  In the readings from yesterday (see above) and Tuesday, Jesus has given parables in which, like this one, He gives a message of the transfer of the Kingdom from the Jews who place no faith in Him to the Gentiles.  This one is set as a joyful wedding banquet (see also 25:1-13).  Christ is often called the "Bridegroom" (9:15, John 3:29), and St. Paul uses a marriage analogy for the Kingdom (Ephesians 5:21-33).  Here in the parable, the repeated sending out of servants shows the Father's great desire to have His people with Him in the Kingdom, my study bible says.  This is similar to the many servants sent and abused in the parable of the vinedresses in yesterday's reading.  The first group of servants in today's parable is interpreted to be Moses and those with him, while the second group is composed of the prophets.  These groups call those who are initially invited, the Jews.  The third group represents the apostles sent to the Gentiles, those who were not initially invited but are now called.  The oxen represent the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, while the fatted cattle represent the eucharistic bread of the New Covenant.  (Fatted from the original Greek would be better translated as "wheat-fed" or even more literally "formed from wheat.")  So both the Old and the New Covenants are fulfilled at the wedding of Christ and His Church.

"But when the king heard about it, he was furious.  And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city."  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom here, who teaches that Christ is prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70, thereby attributing this destruction to an act of God rather than simply to that of human beings.  Nevertheless, there is patience and mercy shown by waiting forty years from the time of Christ, giving the whole of the generation a chance to repent.

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.  So he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?'  And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  For many are called, but few are chosen."  The wedding garment would have been provided by the king, so therefore the man had no excuse for not wearing one.  Thereby he is speechless.  My study bible says the refusal to wear the garment that was given is an illustration of those who refuse God's hospitality, or who rather want His Kingdom on their own terms.  Specifically, this garment refers to the baptismal garment, and by extension, a life of faith, repentance, virtue, and charity.  Without these, my study bible says, a person will ultimately be cast into outer darkness.  As in 20:28, for many is an Aramaic and Greek expression which means "for all."

Since Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem, His actions have spoken of the consequences of rejection of the Kingdom, the lack of faith in those who have been well-prepared to receive Christ.  Of course, each of these conversations have taken place in the context of confrontation with the religious authorities, the religious leaders of the people, and so the impact of these parables and Jesus' statements is meaningful before these men who are fully prepared to receive and know the Messiah.  The parable itself, in today's reading, illustrates the fullness of preparation, and the lack of excuses, the extent of the king's mercy and efforts so that all are included and prepared for the wedding feast.  But the refusal of the king's servants, the failure to respond to repeated invitations, and the lack of a wedding garment among those who do come, ultimately has an effect and does not go unanswered.  The question here is what we are to think about God's mercy.  How long do we refuse it?  Can we listen to the words of Christ, can we understand the goodness in His ministry, and refuse?  Suppose we are the religious leadership of the people, those who teach and are responsible for the words of the prophets, the fullness of the Scriptures, and the transmission of all of Jewish spiritual heritage to the people.  Would we be responsible for our response to Christ?  In the cleansing of the temple, and in Jesus' reply to these authorities regarding their treatment of John the Baptist, we see and hear a Jesus who finally declares that the time has arrived for judgment to be known.  It doesn't imply that God's mercy is finished.  But it does imply that for these men and for their generation, the time is now to pay attention.  This is Jesus' hour.  His time has come.  He is in Jerusalem for a purpose, and He knows that this is the final week of His life, and that the Passion is to come.  His ministry has continued until this point for three years, but now these men will plot successfully to put Him to death, and it is the hour of His glory.  While God is always prepared for our repentance, there comes a time when we have received sufficient warning and preparation for us to make that decision, and our failure becomes a refusal.  It is important to understand that this cuts two ways; it's not simply that we are able to make a choice, but that we diminish our own capacities for making good choices by continual refusal of mercy and love.  In the language of the Scriptures, our heart becomes hardened.  We can neither see nor hear spiritually, and this is something to take very seriously (13:14-15).  Christ gives us to understand that we are all called to this place of reception of the Creator, this wedding feast for everyone, but our repeated and continued refusals have consequences.  God's love and mercy are endless, but our time is limited.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we remarked upon St. John Chrysostom's understanding of the difference between one who stumbles upon the stone which is Christ, and the one upon whom that stone falls.  We know of God's mercy, but do we understand the consequences of our own choices?

Whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and leave his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

- Matthew 21:33-46

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

  "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him."  My study bible explains that in this parable, the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers are the leadership who are entrusted to care for the people.  Every servant who is sent by the owner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God, while the beloved son is a reference to Christ Himself.  That the Son is cast out of the vineyard to be killed is understood on two levels:  first, that Jesus was killed outside Jerusalem, and also that Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, not by those of His own vineyard.  

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and leave his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."   As in yesterday's reading (see above), the leaders convict themselves using their own principles to answer Christ's parable.

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  This stone is Christ.  St. Chrysostom comments that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while still in this life.  Those on whom the stone falls are unrepentant people suffering utter destruction in the final judgment.  

The Gospels really illustrate for us the pitfalls of self-righteousness.  The leadership is so sure of their own authority that they can't see their own blindness to living holiness in their presence.  They can't understand the authority of Christ.  They illustrate the principle of hypocrisy that Jesus warns us all about in the Sermon on the Mount, when He teaches that we can't possibly correct others properly when we're blind to our own much greater faults, and fail to correct them first (Matthew 7:3-5).  We note once again their fear is of the crowds; their actions are not honest.  John's Gospel tells us that "even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).   For Jesus, everything comes down to the love of God in the heart.   In the following chapter, Jesus will be challenged by the scribes and Pharisees with a question regarding the greatest commandments in the Law.  He will reply that the first and great commandment is "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."  (The second is like it, He will teach:  "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.")   But it is this love in the heart that puts God first that shields us from the hypocritical blindness to ourselves that comes from self-righteousness, a trusting only to ourselves and a failure to conceive of our own flaws or to presume we have a ways to go before we can properly judge anyone.  To be truly aware of the love of God asks of us the humility to receive it.  It is a strange thing indeed to understand real faith that communicates a kind of love that does not allow us to delude ourselves that there is no room for growth, that always has a powerfully loving way of showing us our flaws and leading us to greater understanding and learning.  Indeed, if we really literally translate the word for disciple from the biblical Greek, we come up with "learner."  The love of God -- a relationship of love with God in the heart -- guides us always into a better way, isn't afraid to show us our flaws (sometimes in painful ways in which we live out our mistakes so that we may see them), but is only possible with the humility and dependency this requires.  It is the failure to understand this guidance that we need in our lives that makes us self-righteous.  St. Chrysostom's distinction between the "two ways" of the stone that Christ speaks about is all-important to this understanding, and yet we hear so little of it.  Perhaps we're too focused on worldly notions of perfection and success as signs of our own goodness.  To fall and stumble in life gives us a chance for change, for repentance (literally "change of mind" in the Greek).  It gives us a chance to see the flaws we're blind to, and to come to a loving God who leads us to a better way.  But without that consciousness of our own fallibility, we are stuck in our sins.  Repentance is an ongoing process of living out our baptism, being open to the surprising "new life" God will lead us to, and letting go of the things we cling to falsely.  Self-righteousness is a way of trusting completely in oneself, holding oneself as judge while being blind to our own faults.  In an atmosphere of condemnation and judgment and finger-pointing, let us understand our first duty to ourselves is humility before God, a need to be shown the way  -- an awareness that, as "learners," we will always have this deeply personal need.

Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."

- Matthew 18:1-9

Yesterday we read that while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to disciples, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.  When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes."  And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"  Peter said to Him, "From strangers."  Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."  My study bible tells us that this question from the disciples indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Perhaps as Jesus has just warned them for a second time of what is to come, they presume that when He is raised up on the third day it will mean an immediate manifestation of the expected kingdom of the Messiah.  They therefore ask about positions in the kingdom.  But Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, and emphasizes the virtues that are required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, which my study bible names as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In icons, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted as this child.  In certain legends of saints,  St. Ignatius is the boy who gave the loaves and fishes (John 6:9). 

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!"  Little ones, my study bible says, include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.   These men will have positions of greatness in the Kingdom, but they must understand that their way will be to love those who come into the Church, the little ones in their care.

"If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."   As in yesterday's reading with references to images of faith, we find a repetition here in Matthew's Gospel.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus previously made reference to images of mutilation as preferable to the loss of one's entire life (5:29-30).   That was in the context of teaching on adultery.  These images are an illustration of taking decisive action in order to avoid sin.  They are metaphors for the difficulties with which we may part with our own proclivities and selfish impulses in order to serve a higher purpose and meet God's way of being in the world.  My study bible says that it also refers to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5). 

What could it mean to cut off and discard a hand, or an eye, or a foot?   Jesus is directing the disciples toward the selflessness that will be required of them as custodians and pillars of His Church.  He's teaching them what kind of leadership will be required of them for positions in this Kingdom.  They've got a worldly model in mind, of the many kingdoms that populated the world at the time of Christ.  But His kingdom isn't to be like one of those, and the leadership required for His kingdom must be different.   If they wish to be great in His kingdom they must first consider the little ones in their care, the ones He entrusts to them.  The little ones come first, and any harm to a little one will result in the greatest loss and condemnation for those in leadership.  A hand seeks to take what doesn't belong to it, to grab something because it is there.  A hand can also cast abuse and commit violence against the less powerful.  An eye is covetous; it may seek to take what doesn't rightfully belong to it.  So much depends on how we look at things and at people.  Jesus encourages His disciples to love and care for the littlest ones who will be in their charge.  A foot can abuse and kick.  It can walk where it doesn't belong, it can overstep proper boundaries.  All of these abuses He alludes to with metaphors of mutilation are abuses of power with which we're all familiar.  They are the ways that the powerful and those in authority may exploit and abuse those with less power and particularly the littlest ones, the least powerful.  Jesus gives us a different model of leadership.  As disciples, all of our impulses come into question.  Even things we've never questioned before must be cast off in an effort to build true leadership and appropriate care in His kingdom.  It is the littlest ones that must come first.  These are the ones who will come to the Church looking for leadership and guidance, and the disciples must be prepared to give proper leadership and guidance as Christ has given as example, and which He will teach in His final command:  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).  He teaches us what love is in leadership, but first of all teaching about what is most necessary.  The little ones, in fact, become the model for humility.  How do we measure up?  Which parts of ourselves are we willing to discard for His vision of leadership and greatness?

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority

 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."   Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"

- John 7:14-36

Yesterday we read that after Jesus' teachings on His Body and Blood, He walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.  But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good'; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him."  My study bible tells us that the simple desire to know and follow God's will is the key to understanding it.  Spiritual blindness, it says, comes from unwillingness to know God or to recognize God's authority.  It cites St. John Chrysostom, who paraphrases Christ as follows:  "Rid yourselves of wickedness:  the anger, the envy, and the hatred which have arisen in your hearts, without provocation, against Me.  Then you will have no difficulty in realizing that My words are actually those of God.  As it is, these passions darken your understanding and distort sound judgment.  If you remove these passions, you will no longer be afflicted in this way."  But moreover, Jesus speaks of humility, and goes to the heart of our personal aims.  His teachings here reflect what He's said earlier in John's Gospel, when He asked:  "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" (see John 5:41-44).  What we note, also, is Jesus' full dependence upon the Father, including for the doctrine which He teaches.

"Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." At the previous feast in Jerusalem, the Feast of Weeks (or the Jewish Pentecost, also called Shavuot in Hebrew, which commemorates the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai) Jesus healed a paralytic on the Sabbath, making him completely well (see this reading).  In Matthew's Gospel, when He is questioned about "work" on the Sabbath (His disciples plucked heads of grain to eat), Jesus gives several examples of blameless "violations" of the Sabbath (see Matthew 12:3-5).  In that case and in this one, Jesus expresses the idea that the law is not absolute over human need or service to God.  This is part of what it is to judge with righteous judgment, and not merely according to appearance.

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from."   Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."   The crowds think they know where this Man is from.  But they are mistaken, in both an earthly and divine sense.  They know Jesus as being from Nazareth of Galilee, but He was actually born in Bethlehem (7:42; Luke 2:1-7).  Beyond this, my study bible says, they can't comprehend His teachings that He's come from the Father in Heaven, eternally begotten before all ages, and therefore His divine "origin" is unknown to them as well. 

Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"    Jesus' hour is the time of His suffering and death on the Cross.  He is the Lord over time, an authority which is possessed by God alone.  Christ comes to the Cross both of His own free will and in His time -- not according to the plots of human beings (see 8:20; 10:39).

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."   Jesus refers here to His death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.

Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"  As so frequently happens in John's Gospel, Jesus' words are misunderstood by those who simply take in their surface meaning.  To go among the Greeks means to go among the Gentiles.  It is an unwitting prophesy, my study bible says, the first of others the leaders will similarly make (see also John 11:49-52).  Here, they point to the time after Christ's Ascension, when His name will be preached among the Gentiles by the apostles.  

 Jesus speaks quite plainly, but as He preaches and speaks among both the people and the religious leaders, confusion and misunderstanding abounds.  In yesterday's reading (above), the Gospel gave us the conflicting and contradictory opinions of the people about Jesus.  Not only do the people disagree among themselves, they they are all afraid to speak for fear of the leadership, who seek to put Jesus to death.  The Gospel seems to give us a message that the ways in which we "hear" Jesus' words, or the "face value" that we give them, seem to depend upon where we are coming from in the first place.  That is, our understanding of the Person who is Christ will shift depending upon our own inner orientation to begin with.  Indeed, the greatest point that Jesus repeatedly makes is that our impression of Him will be aligned with our own relationship to the Father in the first place, and will reflect the love of God (or lack of it) in the heart.  In short, everything depends upon faith to begin with, and faith is a much larger issue -- reflective of a much more central and significant piece of ourselves -- than we might normally conceive it to be.  What role does the state of the soul play within us?  As we have seen, those who are receptive will grow in their faith.  The disciples themselves begin without much understanding of Jesus at all.  They are not chosen for their great learning or impressive religious credentials.  On the contrary, for the most part they are simple men "of the land."  Jesus does have followers among the leadership, such as Nicodemus, who is given to us in chapter 3 as one in need of Christ's teaching, despite already being a "teacher of Israel."  It's not a question of how much faith or knowledge we already have, but it all comes down to how receptive we are to His words in the first place.  And that receptivity depends upon the state of the heart and its orientation toward God, its love of God.  In that understanding, the Gospels seem to say to us that this very core of who we are is either something we are invested in or not.  We either depend upon that love and rely on it to inform our lives, or we neglect it.  From the perspective of Christ's teachings, those who neglect this depth or core within themselves simply lose out.  They lose out on all that He has to offer, even life itself (6:63).  At the festival, the confusion over Jesus' identity mirrors the confusion and conflict over the very issue seized upon by the leadership.  What does the Messiah do?  What is a violation of the Sabbath Law?  Who is Christ if He is not the giver and teacher of the Law?  All of these questions are contained in the central identity of Jesus, the biggest question of all.  In order to answer that question, we search our own hearts for the place in which we truly hear.