Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also

 

 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.  

 

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."

 

- Matthew 23:13–26 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying:  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all of their works they do to be seen by men.  They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'  But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  And do not be called teacher; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

  "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it."  My study Bible comments on this passage that because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  So, therefore, leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1).

 

 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."  My study Bible comments that the warnings in this passage (and several verses that will follow in tomorrow's reading) are especially important to Orthodox Christians. Certainly they apply to many other Christian denominations as well.  It notes that the Church has maintained the ancient practice of tithing ("these you ought to have done"); sacred vessels ("you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish"); holy rites; and following the tradition handed down from fathers of the Church.  These practices, it says, can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ, or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  Regarding "strain out of gnat and swallow a camel," my study Bible explains that the Pharisees would attach strainers to the mouths of decanters in order to avoid accidentally consuming a ritually unclean substance.  

 

The scrupulosity of the Pharisees is well-illustrated in Christ's scathing criticism that they "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel."   It shows for us a clear emphasis on the details of observed piety, while the inner life and the fruits of the love of God are neglected.  In another memorable phrasing, Jesus says, "For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith."  As my study Bible comments, we always run the risk of placing all our emphasis on externals and forget the power of faith, that inner life of the love of God.  Once again, we return to our reading from Tuesday, in which Jesus, in response to the Pharisees' questioning, set out the first two great commandments, upon which "hang all the Law and the Prophets."  The first commanded a total love of God, with all the heart, and soul, and mind.  The second was like it, to love neighbor as oneself.  The second flows from the first.  With their emphasis on external piety and position, on their appearance and place and rank with others, they have forgotten to first "cleanse the inside of the cup" so that the outside may be clean also.  This is once again a reference to the inner life, and the pure hearts Jesus asks us to work for, as our first work of faith (Matthew 5:8).  That is, heart and soul and mind dedicated to love of God.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the inner life, and our care for it, so that the love of God can produce its fruits and grow in us throughout our lives.  But a hypocritical focus on externals is what He condemns here in the practice of the Pharisees.  As my study Bible points out, all of these things and the traditions of the Church are meant as expressions of our faith, working to help us to shore up that faith within us, and to practice our faith and make it strong, to help us to express that love of God.  But it is a hypocritical focus only on the externals that is the source of the problem here, that is emphasized in Jesus' pronouncement of "woe" to these leaders.  Jesus calls them "blind guides" for they can't see what's in front of their eyes, nor can they sense what they lack in terms of their own faith and the fruits of the love of God.  Again, as my study Bible says, these warnings are not just for Christ's particular place and time, but they are always words in effect for all of us, so that we focus on our lives and the practice of our faith.  In modern times, our lives are seemingly governed by image and images, which are fantastically expanded and distorted through social media.  We need more than ever an understanding of what it is to cultivate a purity in heart and an internal, wholistic love of God which bears fruit in the growth of the soul and in love -- and not simply a reliance on slogans, movements, fashion, or to be seen by others.  As the celebration of Christ's Nativity approaches, let's remember where all the meaning comes from, and focus on cleansing the inside of the cup as He asks.    

 

 

 

 

You are not far from the kingdom of God

 

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him. 

 

- Mark 12:28–34 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus is now in Jerusalem (the setting is what we call Holy Week), they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  so they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment."   And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.  In Christ's response to one of the scribes, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith.  This is called the shema' (meaning "hear," which is the first word of the confession).  As the second, He quotes from Leviticus 19:18.  Thus, my study Bible remarks, Jesus combines what is already present in the Old Testament to create a new understanding for us:  love of neighbor is an expression of love of God.  

 

It's beautiful that we have this concept from Jesus regarding the two greatest commandments in the Law, and how they frame the gospel message.  Jesus has put it in different words in other readings, especially when He spoke to the disciples about receiving even a little child as if they are receiving Him -- and not only Him, but also the Father who sent Him (see this reading and commentary).  In that teaching, Jesus taught us to see others as icons; in this instance He was teaching the disciples (meaning all of those who would follow as well) that in His Church they are to see all as icons of both Himself and of the Father.  Today's reading and Christ's teaching asks us in a sense to love as if we saw others as icons of ourselves.  That is, we're not to love others the same way we love ourselves, but rather the meaning here is to love others as we would like to be loved ourselves.  There's an important -- possibly even immense -- world of difference in these two things.  If I may copy a note from my study Bible for my readers, it notes as follows:  "Rather, we are called to love our neighbor as being of the same nature as we ourselves are, as being created in God’s image and likeness just as we are. As the Fathers teach, we find our true self in loving our neighbor."  It's important to understand, also, that Jesus gives this as the second command, but the first is to love the LORD our God "with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."  For if we are honest, it is in learning to love God in the ways described here that we learn how to love in the first place, for God is love.  None of us is born perfectly knowing how to love.  Some might think that love means indulgence, never discipline or punishment.  But, for example, to love a child is also to teach that child discipline, to take proper care of itself and its health.  If we're honest with ourselves, neither are we perfect -- and to love us as we need to be loved, as we would prefer to be loved, would be to lovingly let us know when we're making mistakes, and going down the wrong path.  If this were not so, Christ would have quite a different ministry than the one we know from the Gospels, in which He was unafraid to speak out against what was evil.  In John 7:7, He says, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil."  Unfortunately this also implies that there are all kinds of things that sound good, or may be done with good intentions, but which have evil effects.  Not without reason is there a popular saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."  If we recall one most striking example, when St. Peter proposed that Jesus should never be killed, Jesus' response to him was harsh indeed:  "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (see Matthew 16:21-23).  Certainly all of us can sympathize with St. Peter's call that Jesus should not be killed, and yet we know Jesus' striking response, meant to convey precisely this notion that not all that sounds good is good, but to follow the will of God is the true good.  In this we come fully around to the wisdom of Christ's teachings here, and which commandment comes first and which comes second.  For without God's love and guidance, we don't truly know the good, and we can't truly know what love is and how to live it.  We need that discernment to understand the difference between what God wants of us, and what we, on the other hand, may think is good, or sounds good to us.  Let us pray for the discernment to follow Christ's way, to love the LORD our God as fully and deeply and completely as the promise in this passage and confession of faith states, and in so doing learn to truly love one's neighbor as oneself.   For Jesus says Himself, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (John 7:13-14).  He is the narrow gate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true

 

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

 

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

- John 5:30–47 

 

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

 

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

 

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

Jesus provides four witnesses to His identity, double the required number of two.  It makes one wonder.  Suppose we had to provide witnesses to our own identity.  One of Christ's witnesses He chooses is the works that He does.  He says they testify to Him, to His identity.  Certainly elsewhere He has testified to the fact that everyone's works testify about them.  "Therefore by their fruits you shall know them," Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 7:15-20).  So, He's not the only one whose works testify to His identity.  What "fruits" do we produce with our lives and our efforts?  Moreover, Jesus speaks of His obedience to the Father, that His works come out of the things the Father has given Him to do.  Do we follow the works Christ would have us do?  Whom do we seek to serve in the things that we do in the world?  It seems like our hearts will to a great extent determine outcomes, or at least the fruits we produce, whether or not they seem "good" to others.  In the Sermon on the Mount, once again, Jesus speaks about where our heart is, and where our treasure is.  "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).  What do we love; or rather, what is our first love?  What's our top priority, and what do we love the most?  Surely our works, the things we do, will be witness to that love in the heart.  In this particular saying of Jesus, it's often posited that He's speaking about helping those less fortunate, that when we do charitable acts, we have "treasure in heaven" rather than on earth.  But this, also, is testimony by our works, even if only God knows about it.  Thereby we also could say that our Father is witness to who we are.  If we thought more about life in this sense, that our efforts, our work, and the fruits of our own labor testify to who we are, then perhaps we would take more seriously how we spend our time, where we spend our energies, and the purposes to which we dedicate ourselves.  Note that this is not a moralistic argument or framework.  Rather, this question of witness to our labor and the fruits thereof is more of a question about what we love, and what we put first; that is, what it is to which we dedicate ourselves.  It becomes a question not of what others might think, or how the world would judge, but rather where our own loyalties lie --- for it is the things to which we are most loyal that will speak the loudest about ourselves and who we are in our hearts.  There are those who posit that where we place our attention is the place we devote our energies to.  Perhaps this suggests a devotion as well, and a need to chose wisely what we will focus on, what we try to help, to resolve, or even to wonder about.  Attention is perhaps most clearly denoted in prayer, a focus on the One we worship and our relatedness found there.  So, again, this is not so much a moralistic framework as it is a question of devotion, of attention, of care.  Where do we place our efforts and energies?  Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).  In another context, Bob Dylan paraphrases, "Gotta Serve Somebody."  Let us choose whom we serve carefully, for by our fruits we shall be known as well.   Who will be your witnesses?

 

 

 

 

 

 

You are not far from the kingdom of God

 

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.

 

- Mark 12:28-34 

 

Yesterday we read that the religious leaders in Jerusalem sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him. Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.  My study Bible says that, in response to one of the scribes, Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith.  It is called the shema' (meaning "hear," from the first word of the confession).  He then quotes from Leviticus 19:18, thereby combining what is already present in the Old Testament to create a new understanding.  My study Bible says this new understanding declares love of neighbor to be an expression of love of God.    The Pharisees, it says, had found 613 commandments in the Scriptures and they constantly debated which was central, thus this question appears to be something with which they'd always be preoccupied.  Jesus summarizes the Law with these two.  My study Bible makes clear that the latter commandment means that we're called to love others as of the same nature as ourselves, created in God's image and likeness as are we.  It says that as the Fathers and Mothers of the Church have taught, we find our true selves in loving our neighbor. 

How can we find our true selves in loving our neighbor?  One thing is clear, if we take a look at Christ's parable of judgment, the one of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46), we read that the supreme rule is one of active compassion.  It is in this sense that we can see, defined for us, what it looks like when we love neighbor as ourselves.  In that parable Jesus says that the sheep on His right are the ones who made acts of compassion for Himself.   When He's asked when these acts occurred, He says, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."  The same is true in the negative for the goats, who failed to do those acts, to whom Jesus says, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." Of course, in Mark's Gospel, we've already read Jesus' teaching to the disciples, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  This comes in response to the disciples' disputing who would be the greatest among them. See Mark 9:33-37.  Each of these examples given to us teaches us how Jesus views the inter-relatedness implicit in coupling these two laws of Moses together.  In terms of how we are to conduct ourselves in His Church, we're to couple these two things together in our own conduct:  that we first love God with all our mind, soul, heart, and strength.  There is no place in us exempt from this devotion, this love of God we're asked for.  But that is extended also to the love of neighbor as oneself -- we're not to be endlessly disputing who is greater.  Instead we have a deeply loving relationship to God that will claim everything within ourselves, and within that depth we know that others are in the same category, that we are all equally called to that love and share in this endeavor.  It's there we find ourselves, and it's in that place that genuine love will teach us who we are.  We are called to live our lives with that understanding, that we're all called to the same faith and to the love that faith asks of us.  Such a perspective gives us one in which we're blessed to help others along the way and to share in the bounty of that love God calls us to in the first place.  Clearly the scribe in today's reading comes to understand Christ and to recognize His teaching.  Thus, Jesus tells him, in a sense welcoming him to the life He offers:  "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

 

 

 

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

 

 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.  But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  

 

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.  Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

 

- Luke 11:37–52 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus spoke, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!  And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light." 

 

 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you."  Here Jesus begins to give criticisms of the Pharisees similar to those found in Matthew 23.  His repeated message of woe to them is a message about judgment that is to come.  My study Bible explains woe as a term which indicates complete and devastating destruction (Luke 6:24-26; see Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Here, addressing the issue of the formal observance of the Law in ceremonial washing, Jesus emphasizes the inward part, making an allusion to the inward part of a human being.  This "inward part" is neglected by the legalism of the Pharisees.

 

 "But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."  To observe formal practices of tithing, while remaining untouched by the love of God or the need for justice is to bypass the spirit of the Law while following its letter.

 

"Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  The emphasis on outward observance causes judgment by appearance, the pleasing of other people rather than God (John 12:43).  Jesus likens this inward state of neglect to death, emptiness, nothingness -- painting a forlorn picture of the unknown graves of the dead.  

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."  Here the lawyers or scribes, who are closely allied with the Pharisees, complain to Jesus.  Again, Jesus speaks of their hard-heartedness, similar to that of the Pharisees.  These men scrupulously and zealously study and give opinions in the Law; in this context they load men with burdens hard to bear, but never show mercy in so doing, nor the compassion to truly help others. 

"Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation."  Jesus now links the Pharisees and scribes to the same leaders who built the tombs of the prophets and killed them in the past.  He speaks of God's justice, in which all these things are known, and which will require a response.  Regarding Zechariah, my study Bible comments that some patristic teachers say this was the prophet at the time of Joash the king (2 Chronicles 24:20-22) while others say it's a reference to the father of St. John the Baptist.  According to tradition, Zechariah (or Zacharias), the father of the Baptist, was also murdered in the temple.  

"Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."  My study Bible comments here that, because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  Therefore leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1). 

Today's list of "woes" given by Jesus encapsulate in some sense what it means to be a hypocrite.  Indeed, in Matthew 23, Christ's grand critique of the Pharisees and the scribes, His condemnation is punctuated multiple times with the accusation, "Hypocrites!" Today's reading gives us an idea of exactly what the problem with hypocrisy is:  it hides from ourselves our own interior disposition, and the problems with it that we need to correct.  Jesus says, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness."  Outward observance is possible without ever coming to terms with our own needs and problems and shortcoming we need to correct.  This kind of blindness to oneself also leads to projection, and false judgment of others.  In response to their criticism of His lack of ceremonial washing, Jesus advises them to be charitable with what they have, teaching them the consequences of such:  clean hands:  "But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you."   But then He continues to explain the problem with tithing for outward appearance's sake, and the disconnect with the heart that results:  "But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."  The point of charitable giving is serving God's justice, ameliorating the harsh conditions we know in the world, and so properly done out of the love of God and of justice.  Jesus continues, "Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  Their emphasis on worldly glory (the best seats in the synagogues . . . greetings in the marketplaces) hides their true reality:  emptiness without substance, empty of virtue, to be forgotten and passed over.  In Christ's criticism of the lawyers (scribes) He goes even further; these experts who know the law and render opinions have used it to obstruct the purposes of God.  They cover the fact that they inherit the ways of those who killed and persecuted the prophets before them, in their hypocrisy building their tombs and mourning over them.  They have inherited the ways of their spiritual fathers, doing the same to those prophets and apostles who will come (and to Christ the Son as well).  They not only obstruct the knowledge of God for themselves, but they hindered those who were entering in to such -- thus fully defeating and obstructing the whole purpose of the Law.  Hypocrisy, in short, allows us to hide from ourselves the true state of our souls, our inner part, and what we do -- so that it may cover up even a multitude of the worst kind of sins.  My study Bible has a note on the warnings given to these religious leaders in Matthew 23.  It says that these warnings about hypocritical practice of our faith are especially important to Orthodox Christians.  The Church, it says, has maintained the ancient practices of tithing, sacred vessels, holy rites, and following the tradition handed down from our own fathers (and mothers).  These practices, it continues, can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ -- or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  Let us understand that these words of Jesus Christ are not just for people who would be religious leaders and teachers 2,000 years ago.  They are for us today, especially for all of us who would be disciples of Christ, and seek to follow as He teaches us.  Let us learn from His words and take them all to heart.  For the wisdom of God will send yet more to us, and this wisdom is Christ Himself.  

Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you

 

 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.  But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  

 

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.  Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

 

- Luke 11:37–52 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus taught the people, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."   

And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.  But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  Christ's criticisms of the Pharisees focus on their hypocrisy.  They scrupulously follow the rules and customs established, marking outward piety in appearance, but neglect the internal reality these practices are meant to uphold.  Thus Jesus asks, "Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?"  To pass by justice and the love of God is to neglect the weightier matters of God (Matthew 23:23).  My study Bible comments that because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  Therefore leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1).  For Orthodox Christians in particular, these warnings are to be taken to heart today.  My study Bible adds that the Church has maintained the ancient practices of tithing, sacred vessels, holy rites, and following tradition handed down from Church Fathers.  It notes that these practices can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ, or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.  Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."  My study Bible explains that woe is a term indicating complete and devastating destruction (Luke 6:14-26; see Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Regarding the prophet Zechariah, some patristic teachers say that this was the prophet at the time of Joash the king (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), and others say it refers to the father of St. John the Baptist, who, according to tradition, was also murdered in the temple (Luke 1:5-25; 57-80).  

St. Ambrose comments on Jesus' remark to the Pharisee, "But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you."  He writes that Jesus is saying that acts of mercy and compassion cleanse us (see also Christ's parable of the Sheep and the Goats).  It is a chastisement for their superiority, self-righteousness, and hypocrisy.  But let us note how acts of compassion would work to undo the criticisms of Christ, for acts of compassion would also heal the harsh hypocrisy of legal imposition that keeps the key of knowledge from those whom they are meant to lead.  Compassion, writes St. Ambrose, becomes a remedy for what ails the society.  Moreover, the word of God is another grace that would be a remedy for the circumstances.  Augustine points out that any act of mercy is an example of almsgiving:  not simply giving food or clothing to those who need them, but visiting the sick or those in prison "redeems the captive, bears the burdens of the weak, leads the blind, comforts the sorrowful, heals the sick, shows the erring the right way, gives advice to the perplexed, and does whatever is needful for the needy."  To forgive a trespass or spiritual debt is to give alms.  Even for someone in power to correct an abusive underling is an act of mercy (Proverbs 3:12).  All of these are remedies for the spiritual problems Jesus describes, and there are as many acts of compassion as circumstances we have in life.    Finally, to give the word of God, the "key of knowledge," is compassion, for it begins as the grace of God.  Standing before these men is One who comes in grace and who offers the word of God (indeed, who is the Word of God), but because their own internal hearts are hardened, they do not nurture this love within themselves and cannot therefore recognize Christ either.  Therefore, true acts of compassion, a cleansing of the "inside of the cup," would also begin to remedy this situation, restoring them to true spiritual leadership for the people in their places of power.  But instead, they will emulate their fathers who built the tombs of the prophets who came before Christ, and seek the murder the One who comes in grace with the key of knowledge for all.  It must be seen that this desire to murder is an expression of the failure of spiritual leadership, the ultimate expression of hypocrisy which is zealous only for its own place and position in the world, but not for the love of God which both asks from us and is nurtured by humility and compassion.   Who can understand the forgiveness of Christ without the exercise of compassion?  In Christ's statement, therefore, we can read a recipe for repentance and transformation, a remedy for hardness of heart, a beginning of understanding, which no legalistic zeal can give us despite the outward appearance of piety.  Let us remember the acts of compassion Christ will look for in the time of His own judgment, and go and do likewise.  Even the smallest, most obscure act of kindness, unknown to anyone else, is the best road to faith.

There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true

 

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

 

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

 

- John 5:30-47 

 

Our recent readings in this chapter follow Christ's healing of a man who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years, telling him to take up his bed and walk.  The religious authorities called this a violation of the Sabbath, and have accused Christ of making Himself equal with God in His statements that followed.   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 into life.  Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." 

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

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true."   My study Bible asks, how could Christ's witness ever be untrue?  It cannot.  But what Jesus is doing here is anticipating the argument with the religious authorities and speaking their thoughts to them.  He does the same thing in Luke 4:23.  He is preparing the ground for offering witnesses to His authority.

 

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

 

 Following Jesus' offering of witnesses and witnessing to the religious leaders regarding His identity, we might ask ourselves what witnesses of us?  Are there things we do that bear witness to the truth or reality of the person inside?  When we pray, do we find a kind of witnessing in our encounters with God, or with our faith?  In the midst of worship, there are times when I find myself confronting things I've done in the past, or aspects of my life that seem to come before God.  Certain people who have hurt me very deeply have come to mind -- and I have found that it is only right inside the depth of the worship service that I feel the capacity to forgive and to know my love for that person.  These things seem to form some kind of witnessing about the person that I am, what is in the heart.  Our "outward signs" or works can either be good witnesses or not, but that depends upon whether they come from the heart or they are meant as a cover for what is in the heart.  And certainly doing things to elicit praise from others doesn't necessarily say anything about us, except that we desire that outcome.  Jesus asks these leaders, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" John's Gospel calls us to this depth because it reaches into the meanings and underpinnings of our relationship to God, of the heart.  Just as Jesus reveals identity through relationship, in some sense, so we can consider our walk with God, our desire for communion, and call this a kind of testimony about ourselves.  Jesus reveals His closeness with God the Father:  "There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true."  He says that the works that the Father has given Him to do are ways in which there is testimony that bears witness that He is sent from the Father.  Who sends us to do our works?  Are we inspired through our prayer or our love of God?  In a certain sense, Jesus states here that it is the very judgment of these religious leaders that reveals their lack of love for God:  " But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive."   He also mentions the Scriptures and Moses, who bear witness to Christ, but both also reveal the truth about the religious leaders.  They don't truly have faith in either, for otherwise they would recognize Christ, whom both Moses and Scriptures speak about and witness to.  Moses and the Scriptures have long formed a basis by which we also measure our own choices, actions, character -- but especially we study Scripture because it helps to shape us, it gives us an outlook, a lens to look through.  It also gives us an orientation toward God that helps shape our character, and asks us to question ourselves, our hearts, and make changes that are desirable.  Scripture is called the word of God, even the "breath of God" in some traditions, making a poetic allusion to the Spirit (in the Greek of the text the same word means "breath" and "spirit" in John 3:8).  We look to the witnesses Christ names for Himself as also the things that give us testimony that helps us to gauge who we are, and to find ways to grow in character and inner life in a good way.  We seek to be "like Christ," to adopt a mindfulness of God and the things of God, so that what we do -- again, like Christ -- testifies to who we are.  Just as Christ links witnessing about Himself to the love of God in all of these examples, so let us seek also to understand what in our lives and relationships testifies to who we are.  Jesus says of John the Baptist, "He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light."  The true Light is Christ (John 1:4-5).  But we may reflect that light, just as did John the Baptist, and kindle it within ourselves, so that its illumination testifies to all (Matthew 5:16).

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

 

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

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

 

- John 5:30–47 

 

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

"I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."   Here Jesus continues to address the prerogative of judgment which the Father has given to Him.  But the action of "giving" is reciprocal.  My study bible explains that the divine will is common to the three Persons of the Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- for all fully share the same divine nature.  When the Son is said to obey the Father, this refers to His human will, which Christ assumed at His Incarnation.  Christ freely aligned His human will in all aspects with the divine will of the Father, and so are we called to do likewise.  

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

In today's reading, Jesus tells the religious leaders:  "I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"   This is a theme that is returned to in John's Gospel, this idea of receiving "honor that comes from one another," and its conflict with "the honor that comes from the only God."   In chapter 12, John tells us, "Nevertheless 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).  In Luke's chapter 15, in another theme regarding the conflict between the honor that comes from men and the honor that comes from God, Jesus preaches, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 15:13).  But when the Pharisees, whom we're told were "lovers of money," deride this teaching, Jesus replies, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 15:14-15).  So there are several angles that appear in the Gospels to illustrate this conflict between the honor that comes from men (or rather, other human beings) and the honor that comes from "the only God."  It is enlightening that Jesus uses the phrase, "the only God," because we can so easily make an idol out of the praise of men.  When social media stars become admired, rich, and famous because one Instagram photo can make them millions of dollars, we are living in a world that simply exemplifies what it is have the honor that comes from men, multiplied exponentially, particularly when the notoriety and admiration come from nothing resembling the ways we know to honor our communion with God and with the sacred.   When Jesus speaks to the leaders in today's reading, no doubt He's speaking of the honor that comes from highly-esteemed places in the religious hierarchy, or the fame of a renowned rabbinical teacher.  But in a culture which values notoriety for its own sake, or for all kinds of reasons that might be antithetical to what it is to serve and perform the word of God, simply choosing to please God can become a kind of subversive, even "counter-cultural" act.  Showing kindness to the one who is left out of the social hierarchy because they don't wear the right clothes is one small way to do that.  Expressing mercy and forgiveness to one attacked and bullied for an honest heart, rather than one that conforms to the deceit of the day, is another.  There is an inordinate emphasis on how we appear, what words we use, and all kinds of forms of social currency that lie on the surface only.  This is the recipe for the kind of hypocrisy Jesus repeatedly condemned.  But the one with a pure heart is capable of seeing beyond these things.  That is because the deep connection to God in the heart invites us to a deep connection with others, beyond the surface judgments and the latest scapegoat.  Jesus makes clear that this begins with a genuine love of God, and a desire to please God before all else.  Let us be the rare ones who seek to do that, in a culture that seems to value the "honor that comes from men" in ways unimaginable in the time of Christ. 

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

 "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.  If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

- John 5:30-47

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

"I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."  My study bible says here that the divine will is common to the three Persons of the Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- for all fully share the same divine nature.  When we read that the Son obeys the Father, this is referring to Christ's human will, assumed at His Incarnation.  He freely aligned His human will in every aspect with the divine will of the Father.  As He is our Teacher, we are called to "Follow Him" and do likewise.

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"   My study bible tells us that Jesus is anticipating the argument and speaking the thoughts of the religious leaders (as He does in Luke 4:23).   In Jewish tradition, a valid testimony requires two witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6).  Here, Jesus offers four witnesses in order to confirm His identity as Messiah and as Son of God.  The first is God the Father, the second is John the Baptist.   As third witness, He offers His own works, and finally the Old Testament Scriptures, through which Moses and others gave testimony.

It seems to me that a key component of Jesus' discourse in today's reading is found in the following remarks, made just after Jesus cites the leaders' diligent and constant searches of the Scriptures, in which they believe they have eternal life.  He notes that the Scriptures speak of Himself.  He then tells them, "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"   This failure to know Him, to understand Him, to believe Him, runs through the entire discourse.  There is a contrast between the worldly perspective, in which the understanding only of worldly honor ("honor from men") is contrasted with the love of God.  That is, the preference for the honor that God gives to the honor that comes from other human beings.  Everything comes down to the first great commandment, the love of God with all one's heart and soul and mind (Matthew 22:37-38).  On this point, Jesus is not only entirely consistent, but with these men, He shows us an example of what the failure to honor this first and greatest commandment does in us.  We lose the plot, we replace love of God with other priorities, whether we do so intentionally or not.  We place other gods before us, because this is the nature of what it is to be human beings.  Moreover, we are unable to recognize when God is at work in our lives, or those through whom God is working.  Our capacity for worship must be fulfilled in a proper way, otherwise we place first something different in the place of that primary love.  It becomes a  key question in our choices and our psychological and spiritual well-being.  We fail to perceive properly without it, and it sets up for us a proper relationship to the world as well.  It is with this perception that Jesus adds, "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"  Finally, we must take note of this statement:  "Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved."   Here is the fullness of the mission of Christ, the meaning of the Incarnation.  Everything He does, He does not do to condemn, but to save.  He tells these men the truth about themselves and their mistaken perspectives in order to save them.  These are His words and His aim, plainly and clearly stated.  Even those who would condemn Him, He has come to save.  But can they hear His words?  Will they choose to do so?   With His own questions ("How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"), He seems to reflect the psychological and spiritual impossibility that they will hear what He is telling them, that they will receive what He says and does to save them.  Let us consider our own places.  What can we hear?  What do we understand?  His saving mission continues.  Will we take it up and participate in the life He offers?  What do we put first before all things as the most precious truth we have?