But whoever causes these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

 

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

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

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

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

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

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

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

 

- Mark 9:42-50 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

  "But whoever causes these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  It's important to remember that in the present context Jesus is speaking to these apostles who will become the leaders of His Church, as now He is beginning to move toward Jerusalem and His final confrontation with the religious leaders which will result in His Passion.  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity; in other words, all who are poor in spirit.  Let us understand also that these words are a continuation of His teachings in yesterday's reading, above, in which He spoke to the disciples of true greatness as service and humility, and the importance of how they will receive the "little ones" in the Church, even little children.

 

 "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  My study Bible calls this repeated reference to mutilation an illustration of decisive action to avoid sin.  Christ is not advocating literal amputation here.  He is speaking of the utmost caution He can muster for preventing abuses of the "little ones" in the Church.  A hand can reach out to strike, or to take what does not belong to it.  A foot may trespass over important boundary lines, or kick someone who is down.  An eye looks with envy, or with malice, or with covetousness of any kind.  There are many more ways we can look at these metaphors, but it is important to note that in all cases He is warning against buses and against scandalizing the little ones in the Church through abuses of power of various types.  The repeated warning of the possibility of going "to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched'" is a warning they -- nor we who descend from them in the Church -- can forget through its vividness and repetition.  Jesus takes these words from the prophesy of Isaiah; see Isaiah 66:22-24.

 

 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study Bible explains that to be seasoned with fire means being tested in order to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  The image comes from tests of purification for metals such as gold, in which impurities would burn away through fire.  In saying that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, Jesus quotes from Leviticus 2:13.  There, salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  

 

Jesus uses the image of salt, in the final verse in today's reading, to remind these disciples of covenant and loyalty.  To have salt in ourselves as Christ's disciples means to be loyal; to be loyal to Him first of all and His commandments, but in so doing we are loyal to one another through these teachings regarding how we treat one another in the Church.  In particular, of course, He stresses the most extreme caution against the abuse of power against "little ones," that is,  humble people in the Church.  If we understand the social structures of groups, then we are to perceive that a "little one," or one who is humble, can be anybody given a particular power dynamic.  In our schools and online, we have in the modern world repeatedly heard about precautions against bullying.  This is nothing new to our world, and yet we seem to be taken aback by its rampant use among social cultures in many forms.  But Christ's warnings go to steps far deeper and more potent than a modern social construct or admonition, for He is speaking of spiritual peril to those who are His disciples.  Abuse of power in His Church against the little ones takes on such a shape as to be worthy of a worse fate than if "a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea." At Christ's time, a millstone was a large circular stone used to grind down grain.  Driven by animal or human labor; they weighed hundreds of pounds.  This seemingly impossible fate described by Christ means simply certain death; He terms it to be, in fact, "worse."  Then there is the repeated warning of hell fire, in a vivid repetition of the words from Isaiah's prophecy, in which the Lord, now victorious over all things in the ultimate fulfillment of the purposes of God, looks upon those who refused His word and transgressed against Him.   The description is one not simply of eternal torment in some physical sense, but in a spiritual one, in which the shame of an entire created order plays a part in their final state.  It's doubtful there could be any more direly descriptive warnings than these that Christ gives to His disciples and future leaders of His Church, and all because they were arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom they imagine is coming.  So let us take Him as seriously as His words teach us He is, and regard our own conduct in living our faith, in the life of our Church.  It's all too easy to forget His teachings when power plays a role, when human beings are tempted to take shortcuts to the Kingdom.  My study Bible adds a final caveat to Christ's words about cutting off a hand or foot or losing an eye being preferable to such destruction.   It notes that these words, besides indicating a sharp need to curb our own harmful impulses, also apply to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Therefore we look to ourselves and our lives, for He speaks to all of us, each of us, and not simply those who would lead in the Church.  His words reach down into our own hearts, the places others can't see, but have meaning for all.

 

 

 

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

 

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

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

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

'Their worm does not die,

 And the fire is not quenched.'

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

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'  

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

 

- Mark 9:42–50 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.   And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."   But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.   Let us begin today's reading also by understanding that it is connected to the things we read in Saturday's reading, above, in which Jesus spoke of receiving "little ones" (compared to and illustrated by a little child) and also strangers in His name, as if we are receiving Him -- and not only Him but the One who sent Him also.  

 

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

And the fire is not quenched.' And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where  'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"   This strong warning, with its stark images of mutilation, is so important that this language appears twice in St. Matthew's Gospel, once in the Sermon on the Mount, and again in private teaching to the disciples, as here reported by St. Mark (see Matthew 5:29-30; 18:8-14).  Here also we note that this warning is so strong that Jesus brings to it language of images of hell (see Isaiah 66:24) and eternal suffering from fire.  

 

 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study Bible comments that to be seasoned with fire means being tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  This is similar to testing the purity of gold, for example, by fire, for impurities will burn away.  We should keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is also understood through images of fire.  In saying that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He is quoting from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, my study Bible says, salt had both religious and sacrificial significance.  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world (see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  

 

Jesus' reminder about salt in His final words in today's passage reminds us that His teachings to His disciples (including all the faithful) are given to us in the context of covenant.  All of His teachings are included in that covenant with us, our own loyalty to our Lord.  For He is the One through whom salvation comes, and so it is within our following of Him that we are bound to His teachings.   In today's reading, Jesus has extremely harsh words of warning for the disciples.  These follow immediately upon His teachings about power and authority and "greatness" in His Church and Kingdom.  In those teachings, we were given the basis for the expression of love that permeates authority in God's Kingdom, and should be always present in the Church.  Even the "least of these," even the little children received in His name, must be received as if we receive Christ Himself -- and by extension, even the Father who sent Him.  It is the same for strangers who act in His name, and even those who do the least action in His name, and for any who show the smallest act of mercy to one who is "in His name" (who belongs to Him).   In this sense, authority and grace are connected, and service is the watchword for greatness, as is humility.  But all of these gracious teachings permeated with a generous love, are not without their harsh and strict warnings that are coupled with them in today's reading.  For those who violate this law of service and humility and love - who commit offense which causes one of these little ones who believe in Him to stumble, the consequences are as dire and as grave as He states in His warning.  Moreover, to take swift action to deal with our own abusive behavior -- our indulgences or tendencies which lead to any violation of His teaching about service and humility -- is the only course of action.  Jesus uses physical amputation of diseased limbs or an eye to save one's entire body as an image of what it is to save one's life in the spiritual sense.  An eye may look with covetousness, fastening improperly on what is inappropriate or what does not belong to us.  A hand can stray either in a rebuke or a physical altercation, or to reach out to take or grab where it should not.  A foot may stray or trespass over boundaries that need to be respected.  Our own impulses to abuse or offense -- especially to the least powerful and most humble -- are those things which Jesus warns against most starkly here in the context of what it is to be great, to become a leader and teacher among those in His flock, to be given His authority.   The abuse of this station of authority conferred by Christ is treated most seriously by Him, indicating to us how important it is that authority in the Church -- and our understanding of what greatness is -- be understood in the way that Christ teaches.  For in His name so much and so many become an icon of Christ, teaching us what it means to respect holiness and the preciousness of a soul. Most particularly, it teaches us about salvation and the important status that confers:  a priceless assignment, and the most worthy of efforts.  For the solemnity of such a task cannot be overestimated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Away with you, Satan!

 

 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be temped by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "

 

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written:

    'He shall give His angels charge over you,'

and,

    'In their hands they shall bear you up,

    Lest you dash your foot against a stone.' "

Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' "

 

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

 

- Matthew 4:1-11 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, sarom heying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

 

  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be temped by the devil.  My study Bible explains that to be tempted means to be tested in fundamental areas of faith.  It is the Holy Spirit who leads Jesus into the wilderness after His Baptism to be tested by a struggle with the devil.  (In St. Mark's Gospel, the Greek literally reads that the Spirit "throws" Jesus into the wilderness.)  My study Bible remarks that we who are baptized in Christ need not be defeated by temptations because we also are aided by the Holy Spirit.  It says explains that the wilderness is a battleground, an image of the world -- both the dwelling place of demons and also a source of divine tranquility and victory.  

And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. In the whole of today's reading, Jesus effectively reverses the falling to temptation of Israel in the wilderness.  The Israelites were tested for forty years in the wilderness, and proved disobedient and disloyal.  My study Bible explains that God humbled them by first letting them go hungry and then feeding them with manna to help them learn to be dependent on Him (Deuteronomy 8:2-5).  Here in today's passage, Jesus is tested with hunger for forty days, but He does not sin.  All of His answers to Satan are from Deuteronomy, and all call for loyalty to God -- which Jesus' life and righteousness exemplify.  My study Bible adds that Jesus fasted to overcome temptation, and in so doing gives us an example of our own power and limitations in the face of temptation.  It's not the hunger of His flesh that controls Him.  Instead, He controls His flesh.  The Lord's fast of forty days is the foundation of the forty-day Lenten fast in the Church before Holy Week, and also of a traditional fast before Christmas.  

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "  Here the devil challenges the relationship of Christ to the Father.  If You are the Son of God isn't simply a taunt to Jesus, but it also calls into question the Father's declaration at Christ's Baptism (see yesterday's reading, above), challenging Christ's faith and obedience.  The devil, my study Bible says, wants Jesus to act independently and to detach Himself from the will of God the Father.  In Christ's divine nature, it notes, He shares one will with the Father and the Holy Spirit; He can do nothing of Himself (John 5:30), separately from God the Father.  But in Jesus' humanity, He has free will, and therefore at all times He must choose to remain obedient to the divine will of the Father. Jesus responds to the tempter by quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3.  By rejecting this first temptation, Jesus is rejecting an earthly kingdom.  He also shows us not to pursue earthly comfort alone in the "food which perishes" (John 6:27).  My study Bible remarks that while Adam disregarded the divine word in order to pursue the passions of the body (Genesis 3), the New Adam -- Christ -- conquers all temptation by the divine word, which gives human nature the power to conquer Satan. 

 

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, / Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  The holy city is Jerusalem.  Again, the devil tries to shake Christ's confidence and loyalty to God the Father, saying "If You are the Son of God . . .. "  My study Bible says that as Christ had defeated the devil through the power of the Scriptures, Satan now vainly tries to use the Scriptures to put God's power of protection to the test.  The devil is quoting from Psalm 91:11, 12. 

Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' "  Again, Jesus quotes from the book of Deuteronomy and the story of Israel's temptations in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 6:16).  My study Bible explains that trials and temptations come on their own; we should never intentionally expose ourselves to danger in order to test or prove God's protection.  To do so is to tempt the LORD.

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.  My study Bible comments that God's Kingdom is not one of earthly power and possessions.  It says that in the devil's test, Jesus was being asked to choose worldly power over the Kingdom of God.  The devil is the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31), "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), because the whole world is in his power (1 John 5:19).  Here, Christ is refusing the road of earthly glory, which would lead Him away from His suffering and death for the redemption of the world, as my study Bible notes.  Jesus quotes again from Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 6:13, 10:20; see also Joshua 24:14, referring to the same event).

How do we worship the devil?  Does the devil come to us and claim that if we worship him, he will give us all that we want?  Well, it might not happen in this clearly declarative way in people's experience (that would be quite frightening to witness), but temptations come nonetheless, and in ways that we can all relate to through the examples here.  If we pay close attention to our prayer lives, we might find that we are prompted in deep prayer to a kind of humility that doesn't make sense in terms of "the world's" logic.  In the world, we are constantly tempted -- particularly on the internet -- to conform and aspire to all kinds of images and acquisition of things that will impress others, declare us to be "good" or "superior" in some sense, perhaps even "great" in terms of achievement or the things we have.  There are numerous studies regarding, for example, internet use and young people in terms of the depression caused not through isolation alone, but through the endless feed of impossible images to acquire for oneself.  This is particularly true when it comes to body image for young women.  These are all forms of temptation that ask us to turn away from the heart -- and concerns about the state of our hearts -- to outward acquisitions that will favorably impress others or give us a sense of being acceptable on purely worldly terms.  Great skill, hard work, beauty in whatever form (such as dance, art, music), are all wonderful things to enjoy.  But at the expense of devotion to God, to what is truly good for us, even to the place of our communion with God where we'll find true identity (and not something patched together from what the world is offering today), none of these things are worthwhile in the sense that they take us off the path of our own righteousness and love of God.  The communion with God of the heart is the place where from which Christ speaks for all of us when He expresses His loyalty to the Father.  It is in this place where we find the One who loves us and knows us better than we know ourselves, and who can teach us who we are and what we need to pursue in life and even in the world.  This is the place where we learn both love of God and proper love of neighbor.  The themes we have encountered so far in our readings in St. Matthew's Gospel which have begun this week all center on what constitutes righteousness.  Jesus exemplifies the love and loyalty to God -- lived faithfulness -- that define what it means to be truly righteous.  When we have the humility necessary to understand that we need this guidance, then we can find Christ who has lived and experienced this world for us first, to show us His light so that we can walk in it through a world filled with temptations to  false and misleading ways in life.  They may look good, but don't deliver.  Above all, we will find the love that anchors it all in a deep sense of being truly cared for.  Let us trust in Him and His way for us.  Let us note how all the things offered to Christ are things that would make Him "great" on worldly terms.  But His loyalty to the Father comes first, and the greatness of Christ is what will be accomplished through humility, loyalty, and love.

 

 

 

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

 

 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 answer1ed 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 disputes over His teaching on His Body and Blood,  Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of the 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.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  My study Bible comments that the simple desire to know and follow God's will is the key to understanding it.  Spiritual blindness comes from unwillingness to know God or recognize the authority of God.  It cites St. John Chrysostom as paraphrasing Christ in this way:  "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." 

 

 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."   In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gives various blameless Sabbath violations (Matthew 12:3-5) when accused of doing work on the Sabbath.  Here Jesus points out their own exception for circumcision on the Sabbath.  Therefore, if circumcision can be performed on a Sabbath, why not making a man completely well on the Sabbath?  My study Bible comments that this therefore demonstrates that the law is not absolute over human need or service to God.  

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 from Jerusalem say, "We know where this Man is from . . .."  But my study Bible comments that the crowds are mistaken, in both an earthly sense and in a divine sense.  In terms of Christ's humanity, they know Jesus as being from Nazareth in Galilee.  But they are not aware that in fact He was born in Bethlehem, a factor prophesied in terms of the identity of the Messiah.  More than that, they cannot understand His teaching that He has come from the Father in heaven, and that in His divine identity He is eternally begotten before all ages.  So, therefore, both in a human and a divine sense, His origin is unknown to them.  

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?"  Christ's hour, as discussed in yesterday's commentary, is the time of His suffering and death.  My study Bible comments that He is Lord over time, which is an authority possessed by God alone.  Jesus comes to the Cross of His own free will, and in His time, and not according to the plots of human beings (see John 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."   My study Bible explains suggests that this latter statement refers to Christ's 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'?"  To go among the Greeks means to go among the Gentiles.  My study Bible says that this unwitting prophecy points to the time after Christ's Ascension when His name will be preached among the Gentiles by the apostles.  

In today's reading, Jesus tells the religious leaders, "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."  This is a complicated statement, and quite interesting, because He posits directly to them that they don't recognize that His doctrine is from God, because they don't will to do God's will.  Essentially what He is saying is that those who truly desire to serve God will also recognize Him, and where He is coming from, so to speak.  What is important here is the consistency of authority that is at work when instead of seeking only to serve ourselves we seek to serve God.  Or, as Jesus has put it, the One who sent Him.  Jesus puts this in the framework of a mission, with Himself as Servant, loyally serving the One who has sent Him.  It puts us in mind of a good soldier, or a good loyal servant, or one who serves a higher ranking authority in government or any other institution or enterprise.  If one is loyal to the one who sent you, then the mission is carried out with loyalty, true to the plan of the person one serves.  But to seek one's own glory and own will is to be inconsistent with the mission, a poor servant.   With this kind of logic, Jesus clearly frames an argument challenging the religious leaders about their lack of comprehension of what He does and who He is, because they are not loyal to the One whom they are supposed to serve.  As the religious leaders of the people, they are entrusted with the care of the flock of Israel, the beloved people of God.  They are meant to serve God by caring for this flock, and leading the people back to God.  But they seek their own glory instead, vying for their own authority rather than that of the One whom they're meant to serve.  They seek their own ends for their own purposes.  In Matthew 23, Jesus gives His full speech in condemnation of the devices and practices of the religious leadership.  Here, as they begin to show their desire to attack and be rid of Jesus, He tackles the heart of the problem and their divided loyalties which keep them from serving God and recognizing that He does so Himself.   If we take these words at face value, we can see how they would also apply to ourselves, because Jesus invites us also to consider whose will we seek to serve.  How will we recognize Him for who He truly is?  If we love and seek to serve the Father, we will also recognize the aim of Jesus; we will mutually seek to serve the same will of the Father.  And this continues as a kind of testing pattern for all who come into the Church and call themselves Christians:  whose loyalty is commanded in us?  Whom do we seek to serve?  Whose will do we desire to do?  In a sense Jesus is teaching that in that will of God the Father all those who love God may converge to recognize one another.  If it sounds complex, it needn't do:  we're meant to pray to find the way to discern, and to look to our hearts for where our love and loyalty lie.  Let us consider the power of this faithful Servant and His mission, and that we are invited to share in and do our part serving the same.

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's

Peter Paul Rubens, The Tribute Money, ca. 1612.  Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco - Legion of Honor

 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

- Matthew 22:15-22

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke another parable to the chief priests and elders who questioned Him regarding His authority (after the cleansing of the temple):  "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."

 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.  And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.  Tell us, therefore, what do You think?  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the tax money."  So they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.  In the questions so far brought to bear upon Jesus by the leaders in the temple, we can see how strong a role the opinion of the public plays.  Jesus subtly turned the tables on His questioners when He asked them about John the Baptist, as John was revered by the people as holy man and prophet, and so the leadership was afraid to say anything against the Baptist (see Tuesday's reading).  In Wednesday's reading, we were told that the leaders wanted to seize Jesus right away, but they feared the crowds, who believe that Jesus is a prophet.  Into this context, and the backdrop of the highly favorable opinion of the crowd to Jesus, comes this question which is posed as a kind of test.  It's, in fact, designed as a trap for Jesus.  If He answers "yes," it would turn the Jewish people against Him, who resent the taxes they're forced to pay to the Romans (and the Jewish tax collectors who take those taxes).  If Jesus gives a "no" answer, it would bring on charges of treason by the Roman state.  But, my study bible says, Jesus defeats their plan and shows that a believer is capable of rendering the state its due while serving God (Romans 13:1-7).  As the coin bears the image of the Roman emperor and is properly paid to him, so each person bears the image of God and therefore belongs to God, my study bible explains.  Conflict arises when the state demands that which is contrary to God.  In another note, my study bible adds that the distinction between things that are Caesar's and things that are God's doesn't imply that there is a division of one's life into the secular and the sacred.  Instead, we must understand that God is Lord over all of life, even including the secular.  We fulfill governmental requirements that don't conflict with our first responsibility to God (contrast the passage in Romans cited above with Acts 4:19, 5:29).  To pay taxes and uphold similar civil duties are not detrimental to personal holiness.

When do civil or other duties contradict with our belonging to God?  In much of the Gospels, we read about "the name of Jesus," or things done "in His name."  See, for example, John 14:14, in which Jesus teaches the disciples, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."   This understanding of the name of Christ, or when we use the sign of the Cross, saying, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" comes precisely from the time when the image and name of the emperor were essential to the understanding of this question in today's reading.  To do something "in the name" of the emperor or ruler or monarch was to be under his (or her) house, a part of personal identity.  Moreover, anything that denoted the presence of the emperor -- such as an image on a coin -- denoted this name and thereby this authority.   So another question here that possibly cuts to the heart of the matter, and one which would be so crucial to the earliest Christians who might face martyrdom over such a question, is just how far and how deep each identity goes.  If we are, in fact, part of the "house" of Caesar because we are Roman citizens, and yet we are also praying and seeking to live our lives "in the name" of Jesus Christ, where does the conflict come in?  The same could be true of family duties, in which our family name also reveals identity as part of a "house."  Do parents have absolute rights over the souls or their children?  Do brothers and sisters, or husbands and wives?  In such a context, we also have answers from Jesus as well, found elsewhere in the Gospels.  Jesus emphasizes the true permanent monogamous state of holy matrimony, but also makes note for us that such bonds can be broken by sin, and that there are conditions under which divorce is permissible (see 5:32, 19:9), conditions which were expanded in the early Church.  While family or state might demand ultimate authority over identity and loyalty, in truth there is only one authority which is ultimate, and that is the author of our very lives and souls -- the One who bestows and creates all things to begin with.  This is precisely the question which early Christians struggled with in determining a course of action that might result in martyrdom.  Many early saints were soldiers, for example, and those who fought valiantly.  Martyrdom, however, came when they had to choose to accept honors given for their valor, and whether or not that constituted accepting religious loyalty to another god.  These are the saints known as military saints, who refused to participate in Imperial cult rituals although they served as loyal soldiers, such as St. George.  These questions remain important to us today, but also in the sense of loyalty to group, clan, political party, or any other affiliation we might have.  We have to decide to whom we ultimately truly belong, and where our ultimate loyalty and identity are sourced.  These are not simple questions, as St. Paul discusses at length in the Epistle to the Romans.  He clearly indicates an important and good place for ruling authorities, and for the duty of paying taxes (Romans 13:1-7).  But he also notes that while disputes among Christians are possible, they are not worthwhile.  They may do damage to the community, while it is at the same time acceptable for each to follow conscience -- even if that means different choices for different people.  Whatever choices we make according to faith or conscience, each must do according to the Lord and seek to avoid scandalizing others in the faith so as to weaken the community (Romans 14).  Therefore we are to understand that in the fullness of life, all must "live or die" to the Lord.  Therefore what we seek is a life lived through the examples of both John the Baptist and of Jesus, "for John came neither eating nor drinking" and Jesus "the Son of Man came eating and drinking."  While both were condemned by the religious leaders, Jesus said that wisdom is justified by all her children.  (See Matthew 11:1-19.)   In all things, we must seek to live prayerful lives, and be accompanied by prayer through all we do and choose.   St. Paul advises us, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).   In today's reading Jesus clearly gives us the understanding that to pay a tax is not a sin so long as we understand our true and ultimate loyalty to God.  In the Church we are given ways to shore up that loyalty, to make good decisions, and help to do so through the tools we're offered, the saints which surround us, our brothers and sisters, and especially the prayer that connects us all in the Body of Christ.  Let us not forget the Holy Trinity dwells in each one (John 14:15-21), and keep that prayerful communication strong and continual so that we are rooted in the right relations in which we belong, and through which we take meaning and identity.   Our ultimate solution to each question lies in this loyalty, and not in the abstractions of philosophies and debates, for it is here where beauty, truth, and goodness dwell.  Let us keep our connection strong to the place where the Source of love calls us.  This is the fullness through which we find the truly rooted answer to every question, and no real contradiction.

Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve"

 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.  And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had had ended, He was hungry.  And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:

'He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you,'

and

'In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

 And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"

Now  when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

- Luke 4:1-13

In  yesterday's reading, we read that as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John the Baptist, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.  But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.  When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.   There is a dual symbolism here in Jesus' exodus into the wilderness, says my study bible.  First, it fulfills the Old Testament type, in which Israel journeyed in the wilderness for forty years after its "baptism" in the Red Sea.  Second, it prefigures each individual's own journey through the fallen world after baptism as we struggle towards the Kingdom.  Let's note that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.  The temptation happens while we are engaged in a spiritual journey; the struggle is part of the road in this world.

And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had had ended, He was hungry.  And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"  We note that every time Christ rebukes the devil, it is "with the truth and power of Scripture," as my study bible puts it.  As faithful, we become immersed in Scripture in order to resist and drive away temptation (Psalm 119:11).  Jesus' quotations are from Deuteronomy, and speak of loyalty to God.  Here, the devil challenges His relationship to the Father.  Here the quotation is from Deuteronomy 8:3, reminding us of the temptation in the wilderness of the Israelites.

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.  Therefore if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"  Here Christ is tempted with the notion of authority.  This will come up again and again in His ministry, as the leadership in the temple will challenge Him, asking by what authority He does what He does.  But Jesus asserts His own authority as the stronger man, when He responds, "Get behind Me, Satan!"  Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:13, asserting both the Father's and therefore His own authority.

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,' and 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  Satan also uses Scripture, but without understanding their truth nor their power.  (The Pharisees similarly use Scripture in error in John 7:52.)  My study bible says that knowing and quoting Scripture without true understanding is worthless and at best ultimately condemnable.  Outside of the work of the Spirit (at work in Holy Tradition), Scriptures are robbed of authority and truth.   The quotation is from Psalm 91:11-12.  We note also the malice and corrupt intent behind the quotation, another important indication that the use of Scripture will be false.

And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"  Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16.  Again, similarities will occur as the religious leadership repeatedly demands a sign from Christ to prove the presence and power of God, just as in the wilderness the Israelites tempted God (Exodus 17:1-7).

Now  when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.  There will be additional opportune time(s) for temptation.  My study bible refers us to Luke 22:40-46 and Matthew 16:21-23, both times when Jesus is tested when He is facing the Cross.

 How do we think about temptation?  I feel this is not an easy question, because there are so many ways into which we can be deceived into thinking that something is good for us when it is not, or that something is bad for us when in fact it is the way God leads us.  If we look at the examples that Jesus faces, His temptation often comes from "normal" human impulses.  He's fasting as a kind of practice of resisting temptation, a form of devotedness to God.  But every time Jesus is tempted it is in some sense based on the challenge to His identity as Son, testing His relationship to the Father, His identity from the Father.  His hunger may be a source of temptation, but Satan's real goal is something much deeper than simply tempting Christ on the basis of human need or vulnerability.  Satan's real goal is destroying the authority of God, the power of faith and the relationships of all beings, even the Son, in the truth of God.  Challenges and temptations may come in all kinds of forms, but the basic challenge is really to God's authority in us, the heavenly authority conveyed through faith.  That's the real temptation.  The devil in today's reading uses worldly goals to tempt, to deceive, to blind, but the real aim is the disruption of relationship to God, the destruction of saving faith.  And I think that's what we need to remember when we think about what temptation is.  There are all kinds of things in life that we need, that are essentially good, or that are even beautiful in many ways.  But the real question is all about where we find the fullest life, the truest beauty, a depth of joy, and a peace that isn't reliant on what everybody else thinks and does.  All of those things are rooted in salvation, the relationship to God, the life of fullness and abundance Christ offers us.  Real temptations are those things that seek to rob us of that abundance, and joy, and peace, and beauty.  They are the things that ask us to give up what truly fills us, the inheritance of sonship, the authority that offers real leadership in all times.  That is a loss that is eternal -- and internal.  We are asked to give up who we truly are, just as Christ is tempted to do here.  Let us remember where our real treasures are.