Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written much still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that there was also a dispute among the disciples, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."   My study Bible tells us that when Jesus says, "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," the form of you in Greek is plural, indicating that Satan has asks for all the disciples.  But when He says, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren," the form of you used in this verse is singular, meaning that Jesus prays especially for Simon Peter.  My study Bible explains that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  Regarding Christ's words to St. Peter, "When you have returned to Me," see John 21:15-17.  "Strengthen your brethren" refers not only to the other disciples, but even to all the faithful until Christ returns.  

 

 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written much still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments here that the sword is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51), but refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  There is an additional meaning added by St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword represents surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking literally of swords, Jesus ends the discussion abruptly, with the words, "It is enough," or better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41).  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 53:12.

 

In today's reading, Jesus gives the disciples a sort of preview of the life to come as we await His return, even the life that we live today until the end of the age when He will judge in the fullness of the Resurrection.   For we do have still Satan at work in the world, seeking to sift as wheat those who love God.  This is why Jesus begins to prepare the disciples for the persecutions and difficulties and tribulations to come.  It is why we still need to be aware of spiritual battle, and to put on, in the words of St. Paul, "the whole armor of God" (see Ephesians 6:10-18 for St. Paul's full description of what that is).  We may wonder why, if Satan is indeed defeated, as Jesus has indicated (Luke 10:18), believers continue to do battle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  It is St. Peter himself who writes of this time that we await Christ's return and Judgment, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:8-9; see also Psalm 90:4).  But certainly throughout this age in which we await Christ's return, our own participation in this spiritual battle as faithful is important in the sight of God, for otherwise it would not have been so to start with.  What we can conclude is that God's love for us is so strong that, although of course God needs nothing from us, we are invited in to this "good fight" as St. Paul calls it in 2 Timothy 4:7.  Just as God works through God's holy angels, so God also invites us, those faithful who struggle in this way, to be a part of God's "forces" and works in the world.  For we human beings, God's creatures as are the angels, are those whom God would also like to work through and share His power and authority with, as indicated in so many places in the Gospels, and throughout the Scriptures.  Repeatedly we are told that we, also, may become "sons of God" by adoption, a phrase which indeed is also used for the spiritual beings, the angels of all ranks, who serve God.  In John 10:34, Jesus replies to the religious leaders, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '?"  He quotes from Psalm 82:6.  These "gods" also refer to angelic beings, God speaking to human beings and our own capacity to become like angels as Christ tells the Sadducees in describing the Resurrection (see Luke 20:35-36).  It is this process, playing out in this world and in this age as we await His return, into which we are all born with Christ's words in today's reading to His disciples.  Ultimately, as Jesus indicates to Peter, this is a battle for faith.  So let us be prepared, and take up His charge and commission to follow Him in the way we are taught, and knowing the spiritual landscape into which we go forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the things concerning Me have an end

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The king of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  In the first verse in today's reading, when Jesus says, "Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," this you is plural, an indication that Satan has asked for all the disciples.  But in the next verse ("But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren"), the you is singular here, which indicates that Jesus prayed particularly for Simon Peter.  My study Bible comments that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.   Regarding Jesus' word to Peter, "When you have returned to Me,"  See John 21:15-17.  My study Bible says that Jesus' command "strengthen your brethren" refers not simply to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until He returns.  

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that the word sword (in "he who has no sword") is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51, which will be in this Monday's reading).  Here "sword" refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  Also, my study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose, who adds an additional meaning.  He says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword is a reference to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking of swords literally, Jesus abruptly ends the discussion with the words, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that this phrase is better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41). 

Jesus asks the disciples, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the thing concerning Me have an end."  In His question, we can see that Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time to come, as He is about to be betrayed and given over to the Romans.  He has said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5).  But this Light is not going to be with the disciples as the human Jesus for very much longer.  Now they will need to care for themselves in a different way, He's saying to them. They will need to prepare for a different time in the world when He is no longer with them and guiding them as His disciples in the same way.  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12, and so indicating what end will be fulfilled in Him.  He has also taught them, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).  What is coming for Jesus will be the beginning of persecutions for those who follow Him.  Therefore Jesus is now preparing the ones who follow Him, His disciples, for the time that is at hand, and how they will have to live in the world without Him in the flesh.  There is a great component revealed earlier, when Jesus addressed St. Peter, saying, "Simon, Simon!  Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat."  As indicated above, this "you" is plural, meaning that although Jesus addresses Simon (and with a double exclamation of his name, so truly grabbing his attention), He does so as Simon Peter so often represents and speaks for all of the disciples.  With the coming of the Cross, the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah, Satan seeks to sift them all as wheat.  But it is Simon whom Jesus also calls upon -- despite his coming denial of Christ -- to return and to strengthen the brethren in this new period of difficulties and persecution that is coming. Many have noted that the Old Testament verse which is most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Psalm 110:1, "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."  Jesus quotes this verse when He poses a kind of riddle to the religious leaders in the temple (see last Friday's reading).  This verse is important because it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Messiah is both human (a son of David) and God (the only One whom King David would call "My Lord").  Yet we must go to the verse that follows to understand something important about the time for which Jesus is preparing the disciples as He is about to go to betrayal and the Cross.  "The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!" (Psalm 110:2).  To rule in the midst of one's enemies is a strange condition indeed.  How does a King do this?  Well, if the "LORD" (God the Father) is addressing King David's "Lord," the Son and Messiah, then what is being said is that Christ will rule by His rod of strength out of Zion, even in the midst of His enemies in this world.  We know who Christ is, and that He came into the world to depose the devil, Satan, the "prince of this world."  But clearly, Christ rules in the midst of His enemies, for the time in which we live now is the same era for which Christ is preparing the disciples.  It remains a period in which we know the Kingdom, and the King, and we also know that the Spirit of God is at work in the world.  But at the same time, we are aware that this is a time of spiritual battle, even of persecutions and hatred.  St. John writes in his first Epistle, "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world" (1 John 4:2-3).  The spirit of the Antichrist remains in the world, and so Christ "rules in the midst of His enemies."  And this is the state in which we find ourselves in the Church.  Just as Christ warns the disciples, this is the period in which we live, and so we should not be surprised to find adversities of any and various kinds, even frightful news about horrific militias, betrayals, and those who would seek even to call themselves Christian even as they support such fearsome forces at work against Christian communities.  Let us consider, at this time, that Christ nonetheless continues to rule in the midst of His enemies, and that He has commanded us simply to endure as the faithful.  Like St. Peter, we must be prepared to be called on to strengthen our brothers and sisters who are persecuted, even as there are Christ's disciples whom Satan still desires to sift as wheat.  It is our faith that is our greatest weapon of strength, and for this Christ has prayed.  Let us remember to follow Him as He said, and endure in that faith as our true weapon given by God, the living word by which we live (Hebrews 4:12). 

If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you

 

 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  

 

Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

 

- Matthew 10:5–15 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

 

 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food."  My study Bible comments that the disciples' mission is like Christ's:  to preach and to heal.  Note that Jesus sends them only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  My study Bible says that Christ's earthly ministry was focused on the Jews (Matthew 15:24) so that, after the Resurrection, the Jews could not blame the  disciples for going "to uncircumcised men" (Acts 11:3).  It notes that Jesus prepares the disciples to be single-minded in their mission to preach and heal.  He first reminds them that His power is free, in fact, a gift from God; and then instructs them to carry no money so that they cannot be accused of greed, and also so they would learn dependence upon God.  

 

"Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  My study Bible notes here that Christ commissions His servants to give a greeting of peace, which is the same peace that was proclaimed by the prophets (Isaiah 52:7), the same peace He would offer to the disciples (John 14:27, 20:19), and the same peace which would be revealed as a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  Note the responsibility for the acceptance or rejection of that peace rests upon those to whom it has been given, and the consequences of rejection.

What is this peace that Christ offers, and that by extension He commands His servants and representatives, the disciples sent out as apostles, to give to others?  My study Bible comments, as noted above, that it is the same peace proclaimed by the prophets.  Isaiah 52:7 says that the same One who proclaims peace is the One "who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"  Well, we certainly know who that is, for He is the One who brings the gospel to us.  Clearly the peace He offers is Himself, and is in Himself, and is extended to us in the Spirit which also gives this peace.  In a sense, this peace can also be called a confidence in Christ, for when we take heart in Christ, and find our identities in Him, we have a sense of the sureness of the rock upon which we build our home, our faith (see this reading).  Christ's peace is therefore a kind of energy (for want of a better word) or force that acts as a kind of power unto itself, and is found in His name, which we accept or reject.  Peace has also the meaning of reconciliation, and perhaps this is where we find the strongest sense of what Christ's peace is, for all things are reconciled in Christ.  In Him, all things are set in good order, and they are renewed, for He is the way, the truth, and the life not just for us, but for all of creation.  As Jesus begins His farewell discourse to the disciples at the Last Supper, He tells them (and all of us), "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1), and this, too, is a statement of peace.  For this peace is a product of trust, and trust is the root of belief as Jesus uses the word here.  In fact, in the Greek, it's the very root of the word translated as "believe."  In Whom do we trust? In what do we trust?  How are we reconciled to Christ, the One who has the way, the truth, and the life for us?  For there, in that trust, is where we find our peace, when we know that despite all our uncertainties, and troubles, and not knowing, there is a place for us we can trust in, and our loyalty to Christ is not misplaced.  For ultimately, God is love, and we know He loved us (see 1 John 4:7-11).  When we offer Christ's peace, it seems, we offer all of these things, ultimately bound up in our trust in God's love through Christ who has taught us love through His life, and taught us to love as His new commandment (John 13:34-35).  These are the things in which we trust, He is the One in whom we trust.  The peace He offers is Himself, and there is no other like Him.

 

 

 

The kingdom of God has come near to you

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to haven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

 

- Luke 10:1-16 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the time had come for Christ to be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."   

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Records of these seventy disciples exist through Church tradition, and the stories of these disciples are known to us from among the places where they would evangelize and do their missionary work.  Among the distinguished names are many who would become bishops of the Church, having served this mission as apostles throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.  Notable among them are Barnabas (Acts 4:36), who was the first to seek out St. Paul when all else were afraid of him, bringing him to the apostles.  Also among them was Titus, whom Paul called his brother (2 Corinthians 12:18) and his son (Titus 1:4).  Let us note that these seventy were appointed to go two by two to every city and place where Christ was about to go; they are heralds who will announce the kingdom of God, in the same way that messengers would be sent to announce a monarch or noble, proclaiming the doctrine or message of the king.  This is the very origin of our understanding of  "gospel" -- from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, to "evangelize" is to tell of the good message of the kingdom.  The same word was used for announcements of Caesar; so it became our word for the message of Christ's Kingdom.

 

Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  My study Bible points out that here in Christ's instructions we are to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."   According to my study Bible, lambs suggest the sacrificial life of the apostles and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  We observe the "lamb-like" behavior with which they are to carry themselves on their apostolic mission.  They are not to carry great amounts of supplies, money, or clothing with them; neither are they to make ostentatious greetings such as a party of those of high rank would do.  Their conduct is to be humble and representative of God's peace.  Note that wherever they are received, they are to offer a blessing of peace -- but this blessing will not remain unless a son of peace is there.  They are not to trade up lodgings for better accommodations, and remain as humble as the household and what is offered to them.  My study Bible points out that twice here Christ commands them to eat whatever is offered to them ("eating and drinking such things as they give," "eat such things as are set before you").  It says that this has a twofold significance.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  These are important teachings about hospitality and charity.  My study Bible adds a note about St. Cassian the Desert Father, who said that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  When he asked why, he responded, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, ascetics would obey Christ's command here and also His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2.

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' "  My study Bible clarifies that the gospel message is not simply that there is a Kingdom in the future, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

"But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  If the kingdom of God has indeed come near, the effects of its presence are clear -- the rebuke of wiping off the "dust of your city" will have its effect in the Day of Judgment.  

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to haven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Jesus compares the places where He has made manifest the power of His ministry among cities in Galilee near His "headquarters" of Capernaum, and the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon.  My study Bible comments that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, it says, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in this regard (John 15:22-24), and they are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  

One thing we can note from today's passage is the power of the kingdom of God "come near."  What does this mean?  Has the fullness of the kingdom of God manifested to these people?  We know that the world remains the world, and we expect a fullness of the Kingdom at the end of the age, when there will also be a judgment by Christ.  But what does this mean that the kingdom of God has come near to the people to whom this announcement is made?  Somehow it is clear that the kingdom of God is present with those who are sent out on this mission of Christ.  The kingdom of God is at work in their ministry, and we can read in Christ's words its effect as well.  The blessing of peace that goes upon any house which the disciples enter remains with those "sons of peace" who may reside within.  But if such a one is not a member of the household, the blessing does not remain upon the house.  This is but one aspect that gives us a hint about this kingdom of God.  There is a judgment that comes with it, that asks of us a type of response -- and its rejection also has an effect due to its power.  Somehow the energy or power of this Kingdom interacts with something within us; it responds to faith or the rejection of its message, what we might say is a lack of faith.  Ultimately Christ's message here is about faith and the lack of receptivity not simply to the message of the Kingdom, but even to the presence of the Kingdom itself, the energies and spiritual reality that accompanies it.  This is not a question of signing a loyalty oath or swearing allegiance as to a king of emperor or head of state.  It is a question of how we respond to these energies of peace, the power of Christ's charity and presence within the kingdom of God that is carried within faithful people such as these Seventy who are sent out to bear that message and that Kingdom into the world, as "lambs among wolves."  Their peaceful and humble demeanor are in some way a part of the working of that Kingdom, and perhaps they are even essential to the power of its energies, even to judgment by Christ.  This is something we should consider always in our own conduct, for each one of us, if we carry our faith within us, is ostensibly a part of this Kingdom, and a part of its ministry, its evangelizing, its good news.  As we can read in the instructions given to the Seventy by Jesus, there is a way we are to conduct ourselves as carriers of this Kingdom and its message; there is a way that God's power works in us and among us, there is a way we are expected to conduct ourselves as those with whom, like the disciples, He may share His power and authority through grace.  We should observe these careful instructions, and especially their iterations of peaceful and humble behavior, conduct that is gracious, and the aspects of charity they convey.  We should understand that this is part and parcel of the Kingdom and its message, what is required of us to be effective carriers of God's blessings, and even God's grace and power in the world.  For how could judgment possibly be true unless we are effectively true to Christ?  Moreover, we should take seriously what it is to be given the grace of Christ and also effective judgment of rejection.  All of these things take gentleness, the sensibility of discernment, and humility to embody in the world.  It is an experiential Kingdom, not simply one of ideas or concepts, for grace does not work merely through intellectual choice, but within a greater spiritual reality that encompasses the various aspects of our lives and the fullness of being.  It is here in Luke's Gospel that Jesus declares to the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21).   Let us consider the Seventy sent out into the world, who would continue their apostolic journey through all the parts of the world they could reach, for we have the records of their lives in each of these disparate places.  They shaped Christianity and in so doing become models for us today, for each of our lives has the challenge to bear that grace, the presence of the Kingdom, the reality of faith to others, and we are to learn as they did how to do so with humility and peace.  Jesus says to them, "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  We must always consider how we bear Christ's image into the world, how we bear God's kingdom near, so that this remains true for our own generation of laborers to serve the harvest. 

A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house

 

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. 

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff --- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. 

 

- Mark 6:1-13 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side (after healing a man with a legion of demons), a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.   My study Bible comments that this double response to Christ of being both astonished and offended occurs frequently with those who encounter Him (see Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).  Christ's rejection in His own country foreshadows His rejection by the whole Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  Jesus' brothers and sisters are His extended family; this language is used for relatives such as cousins and nephews in Scripture (as is still common across the Middle East today).  They are possibly children of Joseph from an earlier marriage or other family relations.

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."   Of such significance is this statement, that it is found in all four Gospels; see also Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24, John 4:44.

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.   My study Bible says that Jesus could do no mighty work there, not because He lacked power, but because of the unbelief of all but a few in Nazareth.  While grace is always offered to all, it notes, only those who receive it in faith obtain its benefits.  

 

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  Matthew lists the names of the apostles in pairs, suggesting who might have traveled with whom, as here Mark tells us Jesus sent them out two by two (see Matthew 10:2-4).  The first note regarding their mission is that Jesus gave them power over unclean spirits.  It suggests to us a military parallel to this mission; they are sent out against an enemy force, albeit a spiritual and not material one (see Ephesians 6:12).

 

He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff --- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.   My study Bible comments that the mission of the disciples (now "sent out" as apostles) is like Christ's they preached and healed.  It also comments on the single-minded nature of this mission, and how Jesus prepares them for that -- they should carry no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts, to wear only sandals and one tunic.  This humility indicates that the power with which they go out is from God; they go out without ostentation nor can they be accused of greed; and they will learn dependence upon God.  In Matthew's Gospel He admonishes them to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16).  My study Bible remarks also that anointing the sick with oil has not only medicinal value but sacramental value as well.  As God's healing power is bestowed through creation (Mark 5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14).  

Why do the people in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth reject Him?  We must note that we're told Jesus marveled because of their unbelief.  It seems that even His reputation, His disciples who follow Him, His wisdom, and His mighty works done elsewhere do nothing for the townspeople's unbelief.  They know what they know, and they think they must know all about Him.  He is the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon.  And aren't His sisters there with them?  He can't possibly be a person who speaks with wisdom and authority and does "mighty works."  The text tells us that they were offended at Him!  In the Greek, the root word for that which is translated as "offended" is σκανδαλίζω/skandalizo.  And yes, we can easily see it is the origin of the English word to "scandalize."  It literally means to set a trap or snare, to cause to stumble.  Their own indignation at what they perceive to be socially incorrect is their stumbling block; it is the cause of their failure to recognize Christ's authority and power.  Christ's response, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house" is very important -- particularly, as is noted above, because it is found in all four Gospels.  For what it instructs us to notice is that the nature of the prophetic is to take us outside of our own narrow definitions of life, to open up to us what we're missing, to show us what lies beyond what we think we know.  The townspeople "know" a particular order of things, a particular ranking and hierarchy, and also a particular set of relationships in and amongst and between themselves.  This includes Jesus the carpenter, and His extended clan, in their hometown and their experience of Him growing up there.  But that does not include whatever was hidden from them.  It doesn't include what we might call the "apocalyptic," which literally means in Greek that which is revealed.  That is, the things which God, of necessity, reveals to us because we don't commonly perceive the things of God with our limited means of perception and ways of looking at things.  Jesus is revealed as divine Son through His ministry, but how can that be true of the Carpenter, from Nazareth, one of their neighbors and relation to the rest of His brothers and sisters and mother whom they know?  God calls us outside of our normal experiences, and outside of our set values on things, outside of the ways we already know and have learned to relate to things and to people.  When that happens, our world is changed, shaken up.  We're taught to rethink, to repent -- which literally means, in the Greek word for repentance, to "change our minds."  But what we might crucially observe from this scene in Christ's hometown of Nazareth is the relationship of faith to our capacity to open our minds to the things of God, even when they shake up our notions of how things have always been, or what we have "always" believed.  Faith asks of us to open up, to look toward something that we don't yet know in full.  It asks us to look toward a future, and to grow in understanding, especially in our relationships both to God and to our neighbor.  It is this crucial aspect of faith that seems to be addressed here by Jesus,  even when He is in their midst, even when His perplexing show of wisdom and His mighty works are on display before them.  ("Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!")   Yet God is revealed in this Carpenter whom they've always known but never suspected could possibly play this role.  God's work is revealed in His hands -- those same hands that no doubt they've seen work with nails and will yet bear the marks of nails!  (See John 20:24-29.)  There are times in our lives when, through faith, we will be called out of what we think we know, and asked to expand in faith to something new, a way to shake up our lives and change the way we see the world, even change the way we relate to one another.  These might easily be times of great scandal, when there will be some whose indignation will follow upon the path we choose in faith, in response to a prayerful life.  But Christ has come before us to show us that this is also part of a life of faith, even pronouncing it the lot of a prophet, even when honor is found with outsiders.  Let us remember Jesus' response of humility, and the disciples who will follow Him in the apostolic mission He gives them, as He sends them out in complete humility and dependence upon God, for this is the way of the prophets in the world.

 

 

Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that, at the Last Supper, Christ's final Passover meal with His disciples, there was also a dispute among the disciples, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelves tribes of Israel."

 

  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."   Just as we have observed over the course of the past few readings, beginning with Tuesday's, the Gospel does not tell us that the ultimate source of the evil events surrounding Jesus' Passion are simply the work of men.  Rather, the square blame is placed upon spiritual sources of evil, under the name of Satan, whom elsewhere is called the prince or ruler of this world (John 12:31, 14:30).  As we've seen, from the beginning of the synoptic Gospels and Jesus' temptations by Satan in the wilderness, and through the recent readings, Satan works through the weaknesses and especially the passions of human beings.  We've remarked upon the envy of the religious leaders toward Jesus, the greed of Judas, and the disputes among the disciples as to who would be the greatest among them.  Here, Jesus warns Simon Peter that it is not only he whom Satan has asked for, but all the disciples, as you in the first verse is plural (in Satan has asked for you).  But you in the following verse (in when you have returned to Me) is singular, which my study Bible says indicates that Jesus prayed especially for Simon Peter.  It says that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  Regarding Christ's words, "When you have returned to Me," see John 21:15-17.  Strengthen your brethren, my study Bible says, refers not only to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until Christ returns. 

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  Jesus warns the disciples again about what is coming, and that this is a time of evil intent.   He reminds them of the prophecy concerning Him and this time of opposition:  "And He was numbered with the transgressors" (see Isaiah 53:12).  Regarding the sword, my study Bible tells us that we are not to understand this literally (compare to Luke 22:49-51, in which Christ heals the ear of the servant of the high priest).  Rather, it refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12).   My study Bible also cites St. Ambrose, who gives an additional meaning to this text.  St. Ambrose comments that giving up one's garment and buying a sword refers to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking of swords literally, Jesus abruptly ends the discussion with the words, "It is enough" -- which are better translated, "Enough of this!"  (See Deuteronomy 3:26, Mark 14:41.)

As we have seen in the readings of this past week, and as indicated above, the Gospel assigns a particular root cause of the complicated machinations against Christ to spiritual forces of evil.  Satan works through human beings, on vulnerabilities and weaknesses, manifest in our passions.  The religious leadership is vulnerable to evil through envy; Judas is vulnerable through greed; and the disciples themselves have just engaged in a very petty and out-of-place dispute over which one of them would be the greatest in Christ's kingdom.  Let us understand that the disciples themselves have no idea what that Kingdom will be or will look like.  They only know they have come into Jerusalem in a Triumphal Entry, Christ has been teaching in the temple daily, and Christ's mysterious prophecies about what is going to happen in Jerusalem have not been things they can completely grasp.   Although they have been warned several times by Jesus, the events that are about to unfold are simply unthinkable to them.  At this point Jesus gives an explicit warning to Peter, but on behalf of all of the apostles, as the you is plural in the Greek:  "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat."  In other words, Satan wishes to destroy this movement of the followers of Christ.  Jesus then adds (with you in the singular this time, directed toward Peter specifically), "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."    As the one with the strongest faith, Peter will be tempted with denial in the courtyard of the home of the high priest (Luke 22:54-62), and at the same time Christ entrusts him with the job of strengthening his fellow apostles, and by extension all of us in turn.  Over the course of the past week, in these events in which great spiritual evil is at work (according to our text), we observe some things about spiritual opposition to Christ.  It works, first of all, through temptation, and secondly, it does so by playing on the weaknesses of human beings -- and specifically what are called in traditional spiritual language our passions.  That is, the things we lust for, things of which we make idols of some sort.  This should give us pause to think for a moment that the Gospels do not teach us that we are all to be superheroes who are without a single weakness or flaw.  On the contrary, even Peter, whose faith is arguably the strongest of all of the apostles, will display a weakness upon which temptation plays successfully, even when a servant girl confronts him as one of Christ's followers.  The text tells us that all of the disciples have succumbed to a truly petty and deeply inappropriate dispute about who would be greatest among them.  In other words, to be a human being is to have vulnerabilities and weaknesses.  We should not despair that we are not super human, or do not measure up to the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, who resisted every temptation put His way by Satan (see Luke 4:1-13), and completed His mission in the world with the fullness of perfection.  What the Gospels tell us, on the contrary, is about how much we need Christ, and how this help is always available to us.  Not only are we given examples which teach us why it is so important to understand our own passions and vulnerabilities and weaknesses (and to do something about them; see Matthew 18:6-9), but the Gospels teach us that we have strength and help through the Lord, and the whole host of the saints, which include the angels.  St. Paul writes of his own struggle with what he called a "thorn in the flesh":  "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  We needn't despair over our state as human beings, because the story of Christ and especially His Passion is all about God working through even the worst of our times, the deepest of our struggles, and in the midst of difficulties.  Our power is in humility, in knowing ourselves and our dependency upon God, and especially this spiritual place from which true strength comes.  This is what we rely on, and what we know we need.