He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

 Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

 

 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1–13 

 

In our past three readings, we went through what is known as the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus' final prayer, heard by His disciples at the Last Supper (see parts 1 and 2 in the reading and commentary for this past Thursday and Friday).   On Saturday, we read that Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  

 

  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As we enter earnestly into Lent (for the Eastern Orthodox, today begins the day of the full fast for Lent), the lectionary begins the Gospel of St. Mark.  My study Bible notes that the word gospel comes from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, which literally means "good news" or "good tidings."  This was a word known to all people of the extensive Roman Empire of the time, as public messages or declarations from the emperor were called by this name.  Here, the word refers not to Mark's writings per se, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That is, it is the good news of our salvation.  Beginning, according to my study Bible, points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry.  These are the preparation by Christ's forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.  

 

 As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  St. Mark provides us with the messages of the prophets Malachi and Isaiah (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3), which are fulfilled by the one whom we call the Forerunner, St. John the Baptist.  St. John ascribes to himself this role of "the voice" in Isaiah's prophecy in John 1:23.  

 

 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.   John is clothed in a way that markedly resembles Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:8), a hint that he fulfills yet another prophecy by Malachi, who prophesied the return of Elijah before the Messiah or Christ (Malachi 4:5,6).  See also Matthew 17:12-13; Mark 9:12-13; Luke 1:17.  

 

  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit, which my study Bible calls the power and grace of God divinely poured out on all believers at baptism.

 

  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Jesus does not need baptism, but in being baptized, my study Bible explains, the Lord accomplished several things.  First, He affirms John the Baptist's ministry, from whom many of His first called disciples would come.  Second, He was revealed by the Father and the Spirit to be the Christ, God's beloved Son.  This appearance of the Holy Trinity is a theophany, or manifestation of God.  Moreover, Jesus identified with His people by descending into the waters with them.  Here He prefigures His own death (as the waters of baptism signify death and coming up from them rebirth or in Christ's case, Resurrection) and so gives baptism its ultimate meaning.  By entering the waters of the Jordan, Jesus sanctifies water itself for future baptism.  Finally, He fulfills the many types given in the Old Testament, such as when Moses led the people from bondage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and when the ark of the covenant was carried into the Jordan so the people could enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3; 4).  Finally, by being baptized Christ opened the heavens to a world separated from God through sin.  

 

 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  This experience of forty days being tempted by Satan is given more detailed treatment in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13).   There Jesus endures temptations designed to separate Him from the Father, and to deny His relationship as Son of God.  Additionally, the temptations are to misuse His power for personal gain, indulging in common passions rather than sticking to His mission of loyalty to God the Father.  Let us take note that the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness for this test of temptations prior to beginning His public ministry in earnest, throughout which His various trials would present Him with occasion to consider misuse of His divine powers.  But even unto death, Jesus will remain ultimately loyal to the Father.  

 

  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Christ's forty days in the wilderness is the basis for Lent and its historical practices.  All of these Lenten practices are geared to help us to learn to say no to temptations to indulge our own passions, ideas which we know are not blessed through teachings by Christ nor a prayerful or faithful life, and to help us learn spiritual self-discipline of all kinds.  These practices are meant to shore up our spiritual strength, just as Jesus resisted the temptations of Satan.  Let us note that this was a deliberate period of testing, as such resistance to take an easier way out would always be present for Christ.  Looking at the temptations listed in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, we see that there was always the temptation to take shortcuts.  The devil tempts Jesus to seize worldly power. Well, there are a lot of people who wonder why Christ didn't do just that, and why He didn't impose His will on the world.  Wouldn't the world be a better place if He just wiped out all evil and demanded fidelity to God?  Well, no, actually.  The plan of God apparently invites us in, as human beings, to do the same as our Creator did, and invites us to participate fully in Christ's life even while we are in this world just as He did.  That's rather extraordinarily an elevation above being compelled to do something as if we were not given free will by our Creator for some higher purpose.  And love doesn't come from being compelled or enslaved.  So how could we learn love if Christ had used His power that way?  Indeed, He would have failed His mission, for God compels no one to love God, while always loving us and holding His hand open for us for our salvation, and for grace.  How would we learn what divinity is or means or does, if Christ did not Himself reflect the Father in the world ("He who has seen Me has seen the Father" - John 14:9)?  Moreover, Christ's temptation in the wilderness is a participation in our own lives in this world, as it reflects us and our place.  We live in a world where we are invited into salvation and grace while at the same time tempted by the devil and the evil in the world.  So He showed us the way, and Lent is meant as a time in which we practice what He showed us, we learn better what to do and how to live in this world while also participating in His kingdom as we can ("I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" - John 17:15-16).  Christ prepares us, by inviting us into this challenge, for something so much better than the slavery one finds to compulsions, addictions, easy indulgence, and all that goes with the seduction of easy solutions to the "cares of this world" that threaten to choke us at times and divert us from God's hope for us.  He will be asked repeatedly for a sign by the religious authorities, so that they can be convinced of His authority, and that He is the Christ, but He will not give signs on demand.  Let us be grateful that He endured all that He did for love of us, for our salvation, and to show us the way and true power of the Cross, with God's grace helping us.  Let us follow Him into Lent and meet our own challenges His way.  For we, too, have His angels ministering to us.

 

 

 

 

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Matthew 11:7-15 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples (preparing them and sending them off to their first apostolic mission), that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to se?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, / Who will prepare Your way before You.'"   In today's reading, the words of Jesus regarding John the Baptist echoes themes found in many of the prophets (notably Isaiah), but in particular the prophesy of Malachi, and the special messenger who would prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.  See Malachi 3:1.  Jesus declares here that John is a prophet, and more than a prophet.  

 

 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  John the Baptist is the greatest of all the Old Testament type prophets.  But as this messenger of the coming of the Messiah, he forms a kind of bridge between the Old and New Covenants.  My study Bible comments that the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.  This does not imply that John will not be resurrected to the kingdom of heaven, but only that his life on earth came before something far superior.

 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  My study Bible indicates that there are several interpretations which have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  Some say that it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  But others have interpreted this to mean that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," that is, with tremendous power and force.  Yet others have commented that the kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  According to St. John Chrysostom, the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  

 

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study Bible remarks that John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does here.  This is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Malachi, in which it was predicted that Elijah would return prior to the coming of the Messiah (see Malachi 4:5-6).  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  Yet John is honored over Elijah, my study Bible comments, because John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.  

 

Here Jesus reveals that John the Baptist is the one returned "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), not only ostensibly telling these crowds about John the Baptist, and indeed praising John in the highest of terms, but also indicating that Jesus Himself is the Messiah in so doing.  Because the prophecy of Malachi is fulfilled in John the Baptist in this way, it's clear meaning is the John is the one sent before the Messiah, to prepare His way.   Jesus begins His strong defense of John the Baptist, by saying, "What did you go out into the wilderness to se?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet."  Jesus' vigorous defense of John shows both a fiercely protective and totally loyal perspective, giving us great hints about Jesus' character, and perhaps with these characteristics expressed both His human persona as well as qualities of His divine Person.  It teaches us by example of the powerful goodness in such qualities, which by definition we should seek as well to emulate.  There are other contexts in which we see both a strong protectiveness and deep loyalty as His first impulse, such as when He rushes in to defend His disciples during a dispute (see Mark 9:14-16).  Jesus asks the crowds what they expected of John, clearly referring to his clothing, for as we know John's dedication to God was so thorough that he expressed this by living a radical poverty, living in the wilderness, and relying on God completely.   St. Matthew writes, "Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Matthew 3:4).  This clothing echoes the dress of Elijah, another way of expressing the fulfillment of the prophecy in Micah that Elijah would return.  Jesus compares the "rough" John to those in more sophisticated and socially prominent environments, wearing soft clothing and living in kings' houses.  But this is not the stuff of which a prophet -- and this more than a prophet -- is made.  Ironically, however, John is indeed in a king's house, but he is imprisoned by Herod, and there he will be martyred (Matthew 14:1-12), dying a heroic and saintly death for his incredibly courageous work as a prophet of the truth of God.  Jesus' defense of John against the criticism of the people will continue in our following reading, in which He will rebuke the criticism that called John too rough and ascetic, while complaining that Jesus associates too often with the sinners of public life.  Let us understand His loyalty and love, and endeavor to see as He sees, and be the friend of all the good that He is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 

 

- Matthew 11:7-15 

 

 Yesterday we read that, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, / Who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Here Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Malachi (Malachi 3:1), to affirm the true identity of John the Baptist in the spiritual story of salvation.  Let us note how Jesus defends John from all of the common assumptions about what makes a person "spiritual" or lofty in some sense.  He comments astutely regarding people's expectations when He explains that those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what do we expect of prophets?  John is a prophet and more than a prophet.  My study Bible comments that, in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  As Jesus indicates here, John is both the greatest and the final prophet of that Old Testament lineage.  But, as my study Bible notes, the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it. 

 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  There have been several interpretations regarding Jesus' statement here that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  My study Bible says that some suggest it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others have said that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Yet others have indicated that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.   According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible adds, the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  

 

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study Bible points out that it is not John who ascribes to himself this role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  As Christ has quoted from the prophesy of Malachi above, so this is an indication that in John the prophesy of Malachi is fulfilled, that Elijah would return before the coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5-6).  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  But, my study Bible adds, John is honored over Elijah because John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  is a common refrain Jesus repeats from the language of the prophets (see, for example, Jeremiah 5:21), to appeal to those with the capacity for spiritual "hearing" and understanding.

 Jesus says about John the Baptist, "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  Well, John is in a king's house, indeed, but in the king's prison, and will die at the hands of the king and his corrupt court.  This is the life of the prophet and martyr John the Baptist, the one who is called "Forerunner" in the tradition of the ancient Church.  Jesus seems to be pointing out to this crowd of people who, long before the modern age of advertising and the internet, seem to be concerned that John was neither elegant nor very impressive in terms of his status in the society and his appearance.  Indeed, we know his appearance reflected his life lived outside of cities, utterly devoted to and dependent upon God.  The description of John makes it clear:  "Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Matthew 3:4).  This description is also an image of Elijah the prophet (2 Kings 1:8), further affirming that John was Elijah returned in spirit (Matthew 17:12-13).  We know that both Elijah and John lived for much of the time in the wilderness, and this would in turn inspire the monastic movement of the Church in its earliest stages, particularly of those we term the Desert Fathers and Mothers.  But the kind of radical humility lived by John the Baptist teaches us something very important and relevant today, as Christ's words about those who wear soft clothing indicates.  We seem to judge by appearance more than ever, and the age of social media has magnified this far beyond the proportions of the past.  We're presented with impossible images to aspire to and to consider the most desirable, even when they are created through technological programs rather than reflecting true images of human beings.  This is antithetical to the ministry of John the Baptist, and to Christ's strenuous defense of him in today's reading.  In fact, one might suggest to those who are struggling with issues of fitting in and image (such as body image) that John the Baptist would make an appropriate saint to whom to pray.  Today his radical poverty might frighten us, but it is indeed that which strips away all falseness, and asks for reliance upon God for the ultimate truth of who we need to be and what we need to do in our lives.  John is proclaimed by Christ to be the greatest among those born of women, a prophet and more than a prophet, and we should pay attention to what that teaches us today.  We are fed fantasies and images of what success must look like that drive some to despair and some to desperate actions, and we need the spiritual antidote to that kind of falsehood which does not rest in true values of identity and meaning.  John the Baptist continues to fill that role, dedicated to the greatest meaning ever manifest -- the Messiah Incarnate as human being.  Let us remember John the Baptist as an image of Christ's praise of greatness, who fulfilled his mission with the fullest success.  Don't let mere appearances fool or guide you in terms of the fullness of meaning and choices in one's life, nor of whom we will regard -- or even revere -- with respect.  John was the messenger sent before the face of the Lord, Christ, to prepare Christ's way.  In this role, his place with Christ the Bridegroom, John finds the greatest status in the Church. 

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight"

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, 

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  

'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'"  

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  

 

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

 

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was  baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

- Mark 1:1-13

 

  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Today, following the commemorations of Nativity and the Christmas season, the lectionary begins a new daily cycle with Mark's Gospel.  It is the shortest and most brief of all the Gospels, with events happening in quick succession.  My study Bible explains that the word gospel is in Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, which quite literally means "good news" or "good tidings."  This was a Greek word commonly used in the Empire at Christ's time, as it was used for proclamations and messages coming from the Emperor and setting out policies or declarations.  So, in that sense, this is the gospel of another kind of kingdom.  It does not refer to Mark's writings per se according to my study Bible, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning, it says, points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry.  That is, the preparation by Christ's forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Jesus' encounter with him.  

As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your   way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   John's first quotation is from Malachi 3:1, and he is declaring himself to be this messenger sent by the Lord to prepare the way for the coming covenant.  The second quotation is from Isaiah 40:3, a message meant to comfort a people in captivity and desperate for redemption.   These quotations would have been understood in the context of the time and the history of Jewish spirituality to invoke those prophecies of Malachi and Isaiah, and were given to a people under the power of another historical empire.  But this gospel is not simply political nor historical, and neither is the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.  John preaches a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  As we can see from the response of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem, the very center of Jewish life, they come to the wilderness (a barren region from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea) to the Jordan to be baptized for repentance, and confessing their sins.  To repent in Greek is μετανοια/metanoia, which literally means "change of mind," and indicates a deep change of heart, a total reorientation of one's life.  Note it is accompanied by confession of sins, and baptism, to be followed by a life of fruits worthy of the change.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  The clothing of John the Baptist evokes yet another prophet, as he is clothed in the manner of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  This is an indication that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return before the Messiah, as prophesied in Malachi 4:5.  Note the humility of John the Baptist, whose life is dedicated to service of this coming Lord and His kingdom.  His life was the inspiration  and model for the monasticism that would develop in the early Church.  John prophesies the power of Christ and the divine nature of Christ's baptism to come.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was  baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Christ's Baptism by John was commemorated by the early Church on January 6th, together with Nativity.  In the Eastern Churches, Christ's Baptism is still commemorated on this day.  It is often called Epiphany (meaning "showing forth" or "manifestation") or Theophany, which means a manifestation of God.  Manifest here in these short verses in Mark is the Holy Trinity as witnessed, with the Spirit descending upon Christ "like a dove" and the Father's voice declaring from heaven God's beloved Son.  

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  We may read details of Christ's temptation by Satan in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.  In each case, Jesus is challenged regarding His identity as Son, and His loyalty to the Father.  Forty is a significant number, evocative of the forty years that Israel was tested in the wilderness, proving to be at times both disobedient and disloyal.  Christ's responses to Satan in Matthew and Luke come from Deuteronomy, and the story of Israel's testing.

We might wonder why Jesus needs to be tested, and that this testing immediately follows His Baptism and the appearance of the Trinity, including Christ's divine identity as Son.  We understand the confession of sins of the people who come from Judea and Jerusalem, and their desire to receive a Redeemer, the Messiah.  But why does Jesus need to be tested here?  Why does One who is essentially sinless (as we've been taught) need testing?  This tells us something essential about our own journeys in the world and the spiritual life.  It does not matter what one has already understood and endured with prayer; we will be called upon for greater growth, new testing, and an expansion of our faith on this journey.  Repentance and redemption are not simply one-time incidents, but rather constitute a pattern and a lifetime of the growth of faith and reliance upon God.  Just as Israel journeyed on the forty year trek in the wilderness, so Christ is here driven by the Spirit into the wilderness.  (In the Greek language of the text, He is literally "thrown" or "cast" by the Spirit into the wilderness.)   The testing is part of the journey, and notable for its emphasis on worldly ways of thinking that question God's providence, our capacity for faith in what doesn't necessarily make pragmatic material sense to us.  Christ's responses in Matthew and Luke are all powerful rebukes that emphasize loyalty to God, and they are meant to be an example to us for our own lives.  What is more important to us?  Is there something God wants to teach us?  Is there a road of faith, a deepening and growth of faith?  Are there things in our lives we need to reject or "change our minds" about?  Whatever the path of faith, it is clear that a reliance on God is a journey and a struggle for growth, not simply a mental declaration or signing up for the teachings of one group or another.  Faith is a much deeper kind of encounter, an entrance into what Christ will repeatedly call the kingdom of heaven in His teachings.  It is not just a way of life but a way of being in the world, an awareness that our lives hold so much more than the material alone.  As Jesus teaches in Luke's Gospel, this kingdom is within us and among us (Luke 17:20-21).  He will say in John's Gospel, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), indicating to us that our faith is a "road" (the literal meaning of the word translated as "way"), and it is truth and life.  These words are not simple metaphors for a code or a set of values we ascribe to.  They denote the complete experiential reality of this lived faith which touches upon all of us and all that we perceive, including the struggles of we encounter.  There is nothing that is lost to this journey, nothing in which there is no hidden capacity for meaning or redemption, for this is truly the mystery of God -- that even at the Cross we may find our deepest faith and most powerful transformation and purpose in the redemptive power of Christ and the meanings we're given -- even the destruction of death and the transfiguring power of life in abundance, connecting us to what is eternal.  Let us follow this good news, this deepening power of faith, and open up to the confidence it may give us in a sense of who we are, and whom we are called to become, even as we walk through the challenges that meet us on the road of Christ.  The voices in the Gospel call to us from times past and all throughout history to prepare the way of the Lord.  Even the voices of the prophets echo to make His paths straight, for we do not journey on this road alone, but with the Lord, and with God's faithful.  That is and remains timeless, ever-present, if we are but mindful and awake to it.

Wisdom is justified by all her children

 

 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.   And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  

 

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:  

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

'We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

We mourned to you,

And you did not weep.'

"For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

 

- Luke 7:18-35 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had concluded His Sermon on the Plain in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I am also a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.  Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region. 

 

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.   And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  My study Bible notes that John the Baptist was imprisoned soon after Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:14).  Although John directed his disciples to follow Christ (John 1:29-31, 35-37), there were those who remained with him.  While John's own faith was strengthened by Christ's signs, my study Bible says, in patristic commentary this encounter is universally viewed as a means used by John to convince his remaining disciples that Jesus was indeed the Coming One.  Just as John proclaimed himself to be the "voice of one crying in the wilderness" (Luke 3:3-6, Isaiah 40:3-4), Jesus here responds to John by echoing to the words of Isaiah regarding the time of the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5-6).

 

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:   'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'"  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  As both John and Jesus have echoed prophesy in expressing their identity, here Jesus turns to the prophesy of Malachi (Malachi 3:1) to proclaim the identity of John to the multitudes. My study Bible notes that although John was the greatest prophet, his earthly life and ministry remained in the period of the old covenant.  It says that the new covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than the greatest outside it.  This does not imply that John will not be resurrected to the Kingdom, but only that his life on earth came before something far superior.  Regarding the Pharisees and lawyers, see Christ's response to the temple authorities concerning John the Baptist in Luke 20:1-8.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:  'We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not weep.'  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."  My study Bible explains that this was a game which children would play in two groups.  One group would mimic musicians, and the other one would refuse to respond appropriately to the type of music that was played -- for mourning or dancing.  It notes that the Pharisees were so rigid in their religion that they were unable to respond to and engage the world around them.  Therefore, they rejected John as being too mournful and ascetic, and Christ as being too merciful and joyous.  But in spite of being rejected by the Pharisees, both John and Christ are justified -- not by the opinions of human beings, but by their children.  That is, by those who would come to believe and be faithful.  

How do we know whose children we are?  In various places in the New Testament, we're reminded that to be a child of someone means that we behave as they did, we think like they did, we do things like they did.  Perhaps ironically, considering the theme of today's reading, both John the Baptist and Jesus used such terms in chastising the religious leadership.  John the Baptist preached to the multitudes, "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones" (Luke 3:8).  In John's Gospel, Jesus says similarly to the Pharisees, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father" (see John 8:39-41).  In becoming children by adoption, we are encouraged to realize that we are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27).  Therefore, we are to become more "like" Christ.    In the Sermon on the Plain, which we've just read through in Luke's Gospel, Jesus teaches, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher" (Luke 6:40), and He teaches to "love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:35-36).  The teaching is clear, that to be a "child" of someone is to become "like" them, to grow in their image.  This, for Christ, is discipleship, and how we are to grow in likeness so that we are known as God's children, "sons of the Most High."   But, as the lesson from today's reading makes clear, we must also have insight to understand this.  The rigid legalism of the Pharisees only condemns by outward appearance, and do not recognize the godly elements in both John and Jesus, the wisdom that is at work in their ministries, as different as they may seem in outward expressions of their love of God.  Jesus is the Bridegroom who feasts with His friends while He is in the world, whose friends will fast later (see Luke 5:34-35).  John is the great ascetic, whose life is devoted to nothing but the love of God, and preaches repentance to the world in preparation for the Christ (Matthew 3:1-6).  What is striking in today's reading is the loyalty Jesus shows to John in defending him so vigorously to the Pharisees.  Similarly, He defends His disciples in public when He encounters them involved in a dispute, but later corrects them in private (Matthew 17:13-21).  When the disciples discover someone not of their group casting out demons in Christ's name, He tells them, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side" (see Luke 9:49-50).  What Jesus shows us in these examples is a brotherhood that exists between all believers, that all children of God (or "sons of the Most High") are united in a kind of love that supersedes easy judgment by appearance.  When we look at the whole history of saints in the Church, we see a plethora of personalities, actions, those from a myriad of walks of life, and every country where there are faithful -- and a multitude unknown to us also.  We must be united in this desire to be "like God" but in the ways that God calls each.  For that we need the discernment of a loving heart that has already wrestled with one's own faith and errors, survived correction, and earnestly seeks the way of Christ -- even in how we approach those not of our nominal flock.  To be like Christ is to seek to recognize all of wisdom's children. 

 

 

 

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

Christ's descent into hell, 1495-1504, Dionysius workshop, Moscow School, from Ferapontov Monastery, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of  John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 - Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that after Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples before their first apostolic mission, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Jesus defends John the Baptist, and praises him for his role in salvation history.  He quotes Malachi 3:1, in proclaiming that John is the fulfillment of that prophecy.  He even calls John "more than a prophet."   My study bible says that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  But this is the time of a new covenant, which is Christ's ministry.  My study bible comments that the new is of such incomparable value that those who share in it are greater than John was without it.  It does not mean that John (and all who came before) will not share in that heavenly Kingdom; it just is stating that John's role and life on earth came before something far superior was manifest for the world.

"And from the days of  John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  My study bible offers several varying interpretations which have been given for this statement by Jesus that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  One understanding is that it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others say that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world in a "violent" way; that is with great power and force.  There are yet others who say that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  My study bible quotes commentary by St. John Chrysostom, who states that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those with such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  This statement reinforces the idea of the change in the world "from the days of John the Baptist" and those breaking into the Kingdom.  This is due to the special meaning of the phrase Elijah who is to come.  In addition to the quotation which Jesus gives from Malachi regarding John (above), Malachi also prophesied that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6).  My study bible comments that although John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), Jesus does.  Jesus is saying that John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76), and his destiny was similar.  But John, my study bible says, is honored over Elijah because John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.  

So what does it mean that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence?  I personally think it makes sense to me that Jesus is talking about those who are crashing in, taking it by storm, so to speak.  If John the Baptist is Elijah who is to come, then his role as Forerunner of the Kingdom makes inroads for the world in what was already there.  That is, the kingdom of heaven was not simply created or invented at the time of Christ.  It always was.  But what happens with the Incarnation is that this Kingdom becomes available to human beings -- it becomes a part of the world.  It ceases to be secret and unknown, and this is part of revelation of "things hidden since the foundation of the world."  Thereby this heavenly Kingdom is likened here by Christ to a worldly kingdom, which foreign kings and armies enter into by force.  Up until now, this was that place to which only the deeply holy could enter,  those to whom it was given.  But now this Kingdom opens up to the world, even to those who have already passed.  Christ's Incarnation, Passion, death, Resurrection, and subsequent Ascension makes all of this possible.  The icon above is an image of Christ's descent before Resurrection, proclaiming the Kingdom even to those in Hades (Ephesians 4:8-10, 1 Peter 3:18-20).   This has all begun with the days of John the Baptist, who went to all of Israel proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (3:1-2).  John prepared multitudes through baptism and preaching repentance.  Jesus continues that expansion through His ministry, and now by sending out the apostles on their first mission.  So how do we break into this Kingdom?  How do we allow it to "break in" to us, our communities, our lives?  There is a way in which we are to hear and receive the good news, the gospel message, and take it in with faith.  It plants itself in us, and that presence of the Kingdom grows.  Let us break in and expand it, grow it through prayer, bring it forcefully into the world simply through living our faith and Christ's commands.  It is a kingdom truly to be desired, its blessings good for all, for the life of the world.

Wisdom is justified by all her children

 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

'We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

- Luke 7:18-35

Yesterday we read that when Jesus concluded all His Sermon on the Plain in the hearing of the people (the readings from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick."  Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   John the Baptist was imprisoned shortly after Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:14).  Although John has directed his disciples to follow Christ (John 1:29-31, 35-37), there are those who have remained with him.  While John's own faith was no doubt strengthened by the signs that Jesus performed, says my study bible, the Fathers universally see this encounter as a means John used to convince his remaining disciples that Jesus was truly the Coming One.   The things Jesus names are those acts identified in the sayings of the prophets of Israel as those forms of grace which will characterize the time of the Messiah (see for example Isaiah 35, 61.

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3:1, tying John as well into the eschatological news of this time of the coming of the Messiah, and the prophesies that foretold the time.  Although John was the greatest prophet, his earthly life and ministry remain in the period of the old covenant.  The new covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than the greatest outside it.  This doesn't imply that John won't be resurrected to the Kingdom, but rather that his earthly life came before something much greater.  Jesus asks the crowd about John with words that hint at the false prophets of old, who lived in palaces in luxury and told kings what they wanted to hear.  "A reed shaken by the wind" is not a mighty prophet driven by the Holy Spirit, but rather a weak man submitting only to the whims of rulers.  The true prophets of Israel are those with whom John may be closely identified by his rigorous life outside of the society and his ascetic way of living, devoted fully to serving God.

And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.   The text gives us the paradox of faith, the importance of choice, repentance, and the inner heart -- and the effectiveness of the ministry of preparation and baptism by John.  For comparison to these verses, see Mark 11:27-33.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;  We mourned to you, and you did not weep.'  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"  Jesus refers to a popular game played by children.  The children would divide into two groups:  one group would mime musicians who would play music either for mourning or dancing.  The other group of children responded.  In Jesus' example, they refuse to respond appropriately to the type of music being played.  My study bible tells us that the Pharisees were so rigid in their religion that they were unable to respond and engage the world around them.  They rejected John, therefore, as being too mournful and ascetic, while Christ was rejected as too merciful and joyous.

"But wisdom is justified by all her children."  Although both John and Christ are rejected by the Pharisees, they are both justified, says my study bible -- not by the opinions of people, but rather by their children, those who would come to believe and be faithful.  Children are also an image of works.  This is an echo of Jesus' recent teaching in the Sermon on the Plain, that "every tree is known by its own fruit" (see Thursday's reading.)

Today's reading gives us the perspective of the paradox of holiness, in its juxtaposition of John the Baptist and Jesus.  One is rigorous and extremely ascetic, living in the wilderness, dependent only upon God.  But the other feasts with tax collectors and sinners.  How can they both be holy?  How can they both be holy men of God -- and Jesus even the Messiah?  But when Jesus teaches that wisdom is justified by all her children, then we come to understand a great truth, both about Scripture and the entire nature of holiness and the work of God in the world.  If we take a look at the saints, we see men and women who are anything but seamlessly identical.  Saints are those who in one way or another have distinctive and powerful personalities, even those known for their great humility, who withdrew into deserts not to be seen for decades, who lived for the simplest act of kindness.  Many of them had personalities that others would criticize as full of flaws; none are cookie-cutter perfect.  But wisdom is justified by all her children.  That is another way of saying that by their fruits you shall know them.  Saints are those through whom God works in the world, whose "yes" to God is perhaps most archetypally given in the words of the Theotokos, that is, literally, the God-bearer, the Virgin Mary, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).  Saints are those for whom everything in their lives is geared to hear God's word and to do it, whatever form that may take, however strange it may appear to others, for whom the reliance on God is all-important.   The Gospel teaches us that for each person, this holy road may appear quite different, even contradictory by worldly standards, but it is God's unfolding work in the world that is transcendent, and by whom all are justified.  The word "wisdom" is sophia in the Greek.  It is a feminine word in Greek.  But Wisdom is also the word for the Lord, for Christ Himself, the One who is incarnate as the human Jesus, but who speaks throughout Scripture.  Let us look, as Jesus teaches us, at all the children of wisdom scattered throughout Scripture and throughout history, and come to know their work, their participation in what He offers to us, and join in on that holy road -- His way.