Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  

 

- Matthew 25:31–46 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been teaching the disciples about the end times, including the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, His Second Coming, and the judgment that will entail.  (End times includes all of the Christian era; the time of the Church in which we await Christ's return.)  He culminated these prophesies with parables about the disposition of the faithful at this time in which we await His return and judgment).  In Yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the parable of the Talents: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."  My study Bible calls today's reading the majestic climax of Christ's discourse, which is not simply a parable, but a prophesy of the universal judgment that will indeed come.  Since the Cross is now near to Him, my study Bible says, Jesus raises the hearer to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat and the whole world before Him.  As we will read, the standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward others.  The works which are produced by faith are emphasized, for saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do reflects our true inner state.  The least in the parable refers to all the poor and the needy.  My study Bible adds that the needs described in this parable include both physical and spiritual needs.  So, therefore, the hungry or thirsty are not only those who need food and drink, but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.  

 

 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  Christ uses sheep here to illustrate the righteous, as they follow His voice and are gentle and productive.  Goats indicate the unrighteous, as they do not follow the shepherd, and also walk along cliffs which represent sin.  

 

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: . . . "  My study Bible says that inherit is a term used with regard to sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants, for the righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).

 

" . . . for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  My study Bible comments that to see Christ in everyone is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). 

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."   That the fire was prepared for the devil shows that God did not create hell for man, my study Bible asserts.  Rather, people choose this torment by their coldness of heart.  

 

One thing is certain about judgment, as portrayed by Christ in this landmark parable.  What He will be looking for -- that is, the thing that divides everything up between the sheep and the goats -- is compassion, the practice of mercy.  It seems to me that this practice involves much more than following commands, or doing what is right in our own sight, or even making precise moral choices.  Compassion is something that comes, first of all, from God who is love.  It is in light of this grace and mercy that we learn, also, how to practice grace and mercy ourselves.  Notice how the parable makes very clear what it is to follow our Master.  For He is our Shepherd, and His sheep know His voice, and they follow Him (John 10:27).  As Jesus Christ is the Logos, the Word, He is the originator of all things which we might be and become (John 1:1-5).  How can we know Him?  He has manifested Himself to us, as one of us, and so we know what and whom our Creator is.  We know what He has done as a human being; we know His mercy and love.  He knows the hearts of people (Acts 1:24).  As sheep, we hear His voice, and He calls us by name (John 10:3).  Therefore, as His obedient sheep, our actions are to be like Him, and we are made in such a way that we may grow to become more like Him through grace.  Our compassionate Lord (Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Mark 1:41, Mark 6:34) has come into the world so that we might know Him and know His Father (John 14:9).  In this parable of judgment, we can see many of Christ's teachings at work.  In St. Matthew's 10th chapter, Jesus teaches His disciples, "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:40-42).  Note that "receiving" emphasizes the many ways to practice a sense of hospitality.  These acts of mercy and kindness remind us also of the teaching in the parable of the Ten Virgins, whose lamps would be kept lit through their supply of oil (the Greek word for oil sounding identical to the one meaning "mercy") to meet the Bridegroom (see this reading).  In yesterday's reading (see above), we read the parable of the Talents.  St. Chrysostom comments on this parable in one of his homilies, saying that it teaches us that it's not only sins of commission which matter, but also sins of omission.  He says, "Do you see how sins of omission also are met with extreme rejection? It is not only the covetous, the active doer of evil things and the adulterer, but also the one who fails to do good" (Manlio Simonetti, Matthew 14–28, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 229).  This principle, also, is made very clear in today's parable of judgment given by Jesus.  The good things done by the sheep are contrasted with the failure to practice mercy by the goats.  In teaching about the end times, and His Second Coming, Jesus has repeatedly emphasized for His disciples that they must be watchful.  He has taught, "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:42); and, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matthew 25:13).  This emphasis on watchfulness is not about simply watching for the signs of His return, and certainly not about making timetables and predictions.  To be watchful, in Christ's examples and parables, is to be a good servant, to be alert for the opportunities to serve, and to be alert to the ways in which we can carry out our Lord's wishes and commands.  At this time as we prepare for Christmas, there is a traditional fast among the Orthodox, before we feast in celebration of Christ's Nativity.  Let us take this time to hone our watchfulness, to place an emphasis on our own spiritual alertness for the opportunities of mercy and grace, of receiving those who come to us in His name, that often present themselves when we least expect it.  Let us be alert to His call, the voice and presence of our Shepherd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer to Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?   Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

 

- Matthew 25:31-46 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been prophesying to the disciples about the end of the age, and His return, at which time judgment will happen.  In yesterday's reading, He gave the following parable:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went ad traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

  "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."  Here begins what my study Bible calls the majestic climax of Christ's discourse.  It notes this is not simply a parable, but a prophesy of the universal judgment that is to come.  As the Cross is now near to Jesus, He is raising the hearer (His disciples and those who will follow) to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat with the whole world before Him.  My study Bible declares that the standard of judgment shown here is uncalculated mercy toward others.  Those works which are produced by faith are emphasized here -- for, my study Bible says, saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do is a reflection of our true inner state.  

 

"All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  My study Bible informs us that Christ uses sheep in order to show the righteous, for they follow His voice and are gentle and productive.  Goats illustrate the unrighteous, in the sense that they do not follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which represent sin.

 

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"  Inherit, my study Bible tells us, is a term that is used with regard to sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants.  The righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  

"Then the righteous will answer to Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?   Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  My study Bible comments that to see Christ in everyone is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).   Additionally, we should consider the least as all those who are poor and needy.  These needs here are not limited to physical needs, but also include spiritual ones.  

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  My study Bible says that as Jesus says the fire was prepared for the devil, it shows that God did not create hell for human beings.  But people choose this torment by their own coldness of heart.  Those who are hungry or thirsty, it also notes, are not simply ones who need food and drink -- but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.

 

 An interesting observation we can make here is the correlation between  the choosing of coldness of heart and aligning ourselves with spiritual forces of evil; that is, the devil and his angels, those for whom the everlasting fire was prepared.  Indeed, what does coldness of heart do in this sense?  It neglects to help those in need, it neglects to give love, it neglects compassion.  It neglects to hear the call of those who are harmed or hurt by bad behavior, and neglects to notice those harmed by bad policies or practices many will support because it is encouraged within a social community.  Coldness of heart renders one incapable of considering a "neighbor" to be one who is made of the same stuff one is, created as a human being by God.  It will teach us to neglect to make "neighbors" through our actions, like the Good Samaritan of the parable in Luke 10:25-37.  Coldness of heart renders one capable of thinking of fellow human beings only insofar as they are of use to oneself, and discarding them on the basis of lack of usefulness when that doesn't prove to be the case.  Coldness of heart does not recognize other bonds besides what has usefulness.  It therefore damages relationships, unaware and unconcerned about the consequences.  Coldness of heart renders arrogance, a sense in which all that matters is one's own desire and interest,  a selfish perspective.  This kind of self-centeredness caters to cruelty; for why recognize the pain of others when it is inconvenient to oneself?  In short, such coldness of heart is irresponsible, damaging relations with abuse.  Moreover, it's the foundation of the types of hypocrisy condemned by Christ in His indictment of the practices of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23.   This coldness of heart is described by Jesus when He says of the scribes and Pharisees that "they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matthew 23:4).  Coldness of heart declares, "I don't care," and it is an indication of the kind of laziness illustrated in yesterday's parable (above) by the one his master called his "wicked and lazy servant."  That is, one who doesn't care enough to invest wisely, and according to the instructions of the Lord, whatever resources and life we're given by God.  To be lazy and wicked is to take the easy way out and through things, to want something for nothing, to play the game of entitlements that is borne of arrogance and a sense of superiority, that does not hear the call of Christ and respond to it.  In his conclusion to his first inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln of the United States used the phrase, "the better angels of our nature" to evoke that which calls us to remember our bonds to others, our union or community.  He said, "Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection."  President Lincoln may have been speaking about the looming United States Civil War which would in fact begin in earnest the following month.  But his own understanding of "the better angels of our nature" comes clearly through the gospel message of Jesus Christ, and what it is to prefer such "better angels" to alliance with that which is cold-hearted and neglectful.  Passions, which are seemingly hot or warm, are in fact agents and enablers of this ruthless coldness.   Thus, we have the historical emphasis in the Church teaching discipleship on these terms of self-awareness and self-mastery.  The lack of such is one more example of what it is to be truly lazy and unaware of what it is we are doing.  In Christ's teaching of judgment, the sheep and the goats resemble the difference between those who are paying attention, and those who are not.  The sheep are those who both hear and do the commandments of Christ.  In chapter 12, Jesus teaches, "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (see Matthew 12:46-50).   Let us find the way to hearts that hear and do, who know the voice of the Shepherd.

 

 

 

 

Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?

 

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled. 

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

- Mark 14:43–52 

 

Yesterday we read that, after instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper, Jesus said to the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise. Then they came to a place which was named Gathsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

  And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  My study Bible notes the phrase for Judas, described as "one of the twelve."  Once again, as in Mark 14:20, the text emphasizes the level of betrayal here.  That Judas was one of the twelve makes him one of Christ's closest friends.  Let us note that this betrayal is to all of the others of the twelve as well.  My study Bible comments that the fact that a kiss is needed to signal the mob is a statement about those who were in that mob.  The Jewish leaders and even the most common people would have recognized Jesus.  This shows that the soldiers were mercenaries, dispatched by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  According to John's Gospel, this group included Romans (John 18:3).  In the Orthodox Church, there is a prayer at each liturgy for the strength not to kiss Jesus in betrayal as did Judas.

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.   The one who stood by and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest is identified as Peter in John 18:10.  Jesus rebukes him for using the sword, as Peter still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, a fulfillment of the Scriptures which prophesy Christ's salvation for humankind.  That Christ's death was foretold in the Scriptures, my study Bible tells us, served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest test. 

 

 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.  My study Bible says that to flee naked is a great shame and humiliation (Ezekiel 16:39; Amos 2:16).  It notes also that some teach this young man was James, the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19), while others claim it was the apostle John, who was the youngest of the twelve.  Most others believe that this was Mark, the author of the Gospel, as it was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name (as is the case in Luke 24:13; John 21:24).   My study Bible points out that the other evangelists do not report this incident.  It says that they would not have been inclined to humiliate Mark, whereas Mark would have been more likely to relate such an event which concerned himself.  

In yesterday's reading, Jesus quoted from the prophesy of Zechariah:  "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" (from Zechariah 13:7).  In today's reading, the Shepherd, Jesus, is struck through betrayal and arrest on behalf of the authorities, committed by outsiders -- those who cannot even recognize Him.  Today's reading asks us to put ourselves in the places of the disciples, the other members of the twelve now betrayed by Judas who gives Christ a kiss to do so.   Imagine their disarray, and panic, and unpreparedness for this moment.  But even until He is taken away from them, Christ guides them to the last moment, teaching Peter, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).  They've been with Him all this time, and so He has taught them His way.  But no one is really prepared for this particular time, and this very particular depth of betrayal.  Like the naked young man who does his best to follow the Master as he can, but who must run naked after they try to seize him too.  Christ follows the teachings of the Old Testament, for He is the same Lord who taught Israel not to put their faith in weapons and the power of sheer material might.  In both the Letters to the Romans and the Hebrews, St. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy, in which the Lord proclaims, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay" (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; Deuteronomy 32:35).  We might think of their disciples and their fledgling movement.  How could they know what would happen?  How would they know what to do?  There is a report in the Acts of the Apostles of the time in which the Church continued to grow, and the high priest and the Council grew more indignant, having Peter and others thrown into prison.  But the prison doors were opened, and again the apostles were preaching, so that members of the Council plotted to kill them.  But the teacher Gamaliel (spoken of by St. Paul in Acts 22:3) advised the Council:  "Now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God" (see Acts 5:12-42).  Today we must consider, as the disciples had to at that time, in what do we place our faith today.  The world is filled with weapons capable of enormous destruction many times over, with technologies that may exert enormous control, and wield all kinds of influence and power in ways we might not even understand or be conscious of over our own lives.  We grow increasingly dependent on material power, technology, and our social interdependence based upon these structures, including that of telecommunications and even the waging of wars.  But we need to consider, despite this enormous-seeming material power and capacity to manipulate, where we place our faith first.  That power of the sword to which St. Peter turned in order to defend Jesus from betrayal and arrest is with us today, in so many ways no one at that time could have considered.  And yet, we are still to turn to these words as our words of faith:  "Vengeance is Mine," says the Lord.  "I will repay."  If we put our faith in the sword then we will die by that sword.  Our faith must continue to be in something else, something beyond, as the wise words of Gamaliel once taught.  In this particular struggle we each have our own battle to wage, but with what weapons?  St. Paul urges us to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  For all the weapons of this struggle, see Ephesians 6:10-18.  For if we do not remember these things first, before all else, how will we know where we are going?  How will we be assured of what it is we are to be about?  How can we be aware of what Christ asks us to do at this time?  We cannot worship God and mammon, we will put our faith in and serve one, or the other (Luke 16:13).  We must know which we serve first, and that must lead the way for all else.  As He teaches us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  For the disciples from this moment, they will be scattered as the prophecy teaches, and eventually in hiding.  But shortly after Christ's death will come a revelation to the women at the tomb, the hope of the hopeless, the good news of the Resurrection.  Let us remember the power of the Lord and seek first God's kingdom, for our struggle is not confined simply to the things we see in the world, but involves so much more.

 

 

Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." 

 

- Matthew 25:31-46 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been teaching the disciples about end times.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the parable of the Talents:  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servants; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and his your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

 

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."  My study Bible comments on today's reading, describing it as the majestic climax of His discourse on the end times.  This is not simply a parable only (of the sheep and goats images in the verses that follow), but also a prophecy of the universal judgment which will indeed come.  Since the Cross is now near to Him, my my study Bible says, Jesus raises the hearer to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat, and the whole world (all the nations) before Him.  

"And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: . . ."   My study Bible explains that Christ uses sheep to illustrate the righteous, because sheep follow the Shepherd's voice, and they are gentle and productive.  Goats are used to indicate the unrighteous, because they don't follow a shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which represent sin.  (We should keep in mind that these are symbols used because of particular traits, not an indictment of animals in nature!)  Inherit is a term used with sons and daughters rather than strangers or servants, because the righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  

". . . for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  My study Bible comments on this passage that to see Christ in everyone is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).   It notes also that the standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward others.  The works which are produced by faith are emphasized here, for, it says, saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do reflects our true inner state.  The least refers to all the poor and needy.  My study Bible notes also that the needs described in this parable include both physical and spiritual needs.  Therefore, the hungry or thirsty are not those who need food and drink alone, but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel, and the infinite expressions possible through that gospel and our understanding of faith.

 

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  My study Bible points out that Jesus says the fire was prepared for the devil; it explains that this shows that God did not create hell for human beings.  Rather, people choose this torment through their coldness of heart.

In yesterday's reading and commentary, we noted that the parable of the Talents (see above) indicated an emphasis on positive action by Christ.  That is, it did not stress the negative ("do not") but rather positive action by his servants in the use of the talents given by the master, in order to produce profit for the estate while he was away.  Each servant was rewarded accordingly upon the master's return.  In today's parable, Jesus takes this positive action one step further, by describing activities that are positive uses of the "talents" we're given by God, a heart capable of expressing compassion or "love in action" in any number of ways, and far more than we're given in the sample Jesus names here.  These are all actions which in some way are expressions that become fruit of the Spirit; because, if we listen to the Spirit with which we're blessed, this great grace we're given, our hearts are capable of such expression.   We are capable of loving others as we love ourselves.  That is, with the help of God, we become capable of the discernment to find such expression, even if it comes through an encouraging word or a prayer, even when no one else knows.  I am constantly surprised by the subtle action of prayer, and the response of people to prayer even when I haven't told them I pray for them.  This connection through spiritual life is genuine; the Kingdom among us one that forms relationship and relatedness, a community that is unseen and yet known and understood, perceived with faith.  It is this network of relationships, this communion, about which Christ always speaks, and which is effectively shown to render the power of judgment itself.  For it is how we participate in such a network, how we act to pursue such a community -- to add and contribute to it, to support and nurture it -- is how we participate and become the sheep He asks us to be.  Let us consider the very personal nature of the actions that Jesus names.  They are direct responses to need, to treating another as we would desire to be treated.  These acts of compassion are person-to-person; they are not detached theories of regulation or rules of morality.  They are rather acts of the heart that come from within, from the place where the Kingdom dwells within us and lives among us. 

 

 

I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled

 

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

- Mark 14:43–52 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to the disciples at the conclusion of the Last Supper, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise.  Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

  And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  The phrase one of the twelve once again indicates (as in verse 20 of this chapter) the depth of betrayal involved here, that this was done by a friend and one of Christ's closest disciples.  The fact that a kiss is needed to signal the mob, my study Bible points out, is a commentary on those who comprised the mob!  The Jewish leaders and even the most common people would have recognized Jesus, as we have observed from the times of debate in the temple (see, for example, Mark 12:37).  It shows that these particular soldiers were mercenaries, dispatched by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, a group with included Roman soldiers according to John's Gospel (John 18:3).    My study Bible notes that Orthodox Christians pray at every Liturgy for the strength not to kiss Jesus in betrayal as did Judas, but to be like the thief who confessed at the Cross (Luke 23:42).

 

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.  In John 18:10, we learn that it is Peter who has used the sword.   In Matthew 26:52-54, Jesus rebukes him for using the sword, as he still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly.  But here Jesus affirms that salvation for mankind, as indicated in the Scriptures, will be fulfilled through the Cross, and He goes to His death willingly.  It is at this point that they must give up ideas of defending and protecting Him from arrest, and they all forsook Him and fled.  That His death was foretold in the Scriptures, my study Bible says, served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest test.

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.  My study Bible explains that to flee naked is a great shame and humiliation (Ezekiel 16:39, Amos 2:16).  Some teach that this young man was James, the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19), while others say it is the apostle John, who was the youngest of the twelve.  But most others believe that this was Mark, the author of the Gospel, as it was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name (see Luke 24:13, John 21:24).  Also, my study Bible adds, the other evangelists do not report this incident.  They would not have been inclined to humiliate Mark, but Mark would have been more likely to relate such an event concerning himself.  To my mind, it is a testimony to the humility of the disciples, and of Mark in particular.

Again, in today's reading (as in yesterday's, above), Jesus shows His great strength.  He has a most difficult, almost impossible, mission to complete.  It is a mission solely for the Son, for the Christ, as He indicates when He says, "But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  It's important to understand the notion of prophecy and the fulfillment of the Scriptures, as my study Bible indicated in a note on a passage in Thursday's reading.  In Mark 14:20-21, Jesus prophesies to the disciples the one who will betray Him is "one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish."  He then adds, "The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born."  In a note on this passage regarding prophecy, my study Bible states that divine foreknowledge of the betrayal doesn't take away Judas' moral freedom, nor does it take away his accountability.  For God, all things are a present reality:  God foresees all human actions, but does not cause them.  So it applies also in today's passage, when Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of the Scriptures.  It is in this context that we can almost hear Jesus marveling that they did not manage to take Him as He openly taught daily in the temple.  He asks, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?"  And as my study bible notes, clearly the people they've brought with them are mercenaries, and include Romans as well, for even the temple police were unable to arrest Him as they listened to Him preach.  They came back empty-handed, telling the chief priests and the Pharisees, "No man ever spoke like this Man!" (John 7:45-46).  The added statement, that the Scriptures must be fulfilled, is a testimony to the vision of God, that although this event seemed so unlikely given Jesus' ministry, openness, and popularity among the people, God's vision is supreme.   The prophecy is written in Scripture because a future event is revealed in a divine way by God -- the event does not happen because it is in Scripture.  When Jesus makes this remark, we can only conclude that He is affirming God's supremacy and omniscience regarding the life of the Christ, such as God revealed to Isaiah who wrote of the Messiah as the Suffering Servant.  It's in some sense an affirmation that no matter how things look to us as human beings, we can trust to God's vision and word.  Moreover, it is an affirmation to His disciples that this is so, and that He goes voluntarily to His death, even after having prayed for God to take the cup of death from Him in yesterday's reading:  "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  In all ways, we can rest assured, Jesus does not go to His death as One who seeks death, nor who simply wishes to emulate something because it has been written.  There are several times that Jesus flees persecution in the Gospels, and evades those who wish to kill Him, or travels even to Gentile areas to avoid the scrutinizing and increasingly hostile eyes of the leadership, especially after an open conflict with them.  Right to the end, Jesus prays that, if possible, God can make another way for the salvation plan of the world to be fulfilled.  He is here, now, in this circumstance because it is absolutely certain that this is the way that God the Father allows to happen, and He will acquiesce to that will simply because He is assured that this is the hour and the way the Father allows and wishes for Jesus to accept.  It is impossible for us to know the mind of God; it is only by revelation that this can happen, and even then what a person such as a prophet or saint is given is just a glimpse of that reality.  It isn't until Christ goes to the Cross that anyone could know how the Scriptures would be fulfilled, or what the complete picture of the plan for salvation would unfold, or what the life of the Messiah would be like.  It isn't until the Passion that we can understand what the notion of the Kingdom means, or that the Scriptures would be fulfilled in a way that the faith of human beings becomes an essential part of its fulfillment and the ongoing plan of God after the time of the Messiah.  It isn't until these events unfold that the Scriptures regarding Christ's divinity could be manifested and understood.  The signs of the Incarnation may fill the prophetic writings in the Old Testament, but the fulfillment of such could only be fully understood after the life of Christ in this world.  And so it is in today's reading:  the Scriptures must be fulfilled, even if the leaders have gone so far as to hire mercenaries to bring Him in, including Roman soldiers (in other words, paid Gentiles), to do it.  It is, if we but take a closer look, a testimony to the shocking and surprising depth to which evil will go; but nonetheless despite the depravity -- which includes Judas, one of the Twelve, betraying Him with a kiss -- even this evil was foreseen by God and becomes part of a plan through which the salvation of the world will be achieved.  These are complex paradoxical concepts, but they are nevertheless testimony to the nature of God.  For human beings, paradox becomes the one way in which we can approach God whose ways are not our ways and whose thoughts are not our thoughts.  For despite the evil that continues in this world, we are assured that our faith in God is not misplaced, and that, as great saints of the Church have taught, with God infinitely more good can come of evil than the sum of the evil alone.  That, in a nutshell, characterizes the salvation of this world, and although seemingly paradoxical to our minds, we must understand that this is the way of God for us.  God does not come into the world as a "conquering hero" and fixes everything, eradicating all evil permanently so that we can live in a kind of perfect peace and prosperity and infinite health.  Instead, we human beings are invited to the Cross, to take up our own crosses, and to participate in this struggle with the Son, who is the suffering Messiah.  It is paradox that invites us into the ways of God, into faith and prayer, and to participation in the life of Christ who loves us and asks us to follow Him.  The risen Christ stands at the door and knocks and desires for us to invite Him into our hearts, where He will dwell to show us all things to do so (Revelation 3:20).

 

 

 

When did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you drink?

Alpine Ibex goat on a precipice; cliffs are symbolic of the dangers of sin

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

- Matthew 25:31-46

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the parable of the Talents:   "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'   Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and his your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory."  My study bible calls today's entire reading the "majestic climax" of His discourse on His Second Coming and the end times;  clearly this is Christ's prophecy of universal judgment to come at that time.   It comments that as the Cross is now near to Jesus, He raises the hearer to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat, with the whole world before Him.  The standard of judgment expressed here is, in the words of my study bible, "uncalculated mercy toward others."  What is emphasized are the works that are produced by faith; a saving faith always produces righteous works.  When one is motivated from the heart, the works one does reflect the state of the heart, our true inner state.  When Jesus speaks of the "least" (verse 40:  "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me") refers to all the poor and needy, my study bible says.  The needs which are described in this parable are both physical and spiritual; in that respect, those who need food and drink also hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel (see also 5:6).

"All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left."  My study bible comments that Christ uses sheep to illustrate the righteous, as they follow His voice, and are gentle and productive.  Goats illustrate the unrighteous, as they do not follow the shepherd, and they walk along cliffs, which represent the dangers of sin, even the threat of oblivion (see 8:32, also Psalm 37:10, Revelation 9:11).

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'"   Inherit is a term commonly used with sons and daughters, as opposed to strangers or servants, my study bible points out.  The righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).

"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  My study bible comments that to see Christ in everyone is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (22:39).

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."  My study bible says of the fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels that it shows that God did not create hell for man.  Rather, people choose this torment by their coldness of heart.

How will we be judged?  Judgment is a great mystery as no one really knows the depths of our hearts as the Lord does.  Just like in Jesus' parables about the good and the bad growing together (such as in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (13:24-30), the "sheep" and the "goats" remain clear to Christ, but possibly indistinguishable to us.  We might look around ourselves and think that we can easily identify those who practice mercy and those who do not, but appearances can be deceiving either way.  We don't know everything about someone else, both merciful and cruel behavior can be something hidden, that others simply do not see; and again, one has to know the heart of a person to truly understand their motives.  One thing is certain, however, and that is that Jesus expects of us mercy if we desire to receive mercy, and most particularly this is true if we are His children by adoption.  His children will be "like Him," and perhaps above all we can see that Jesus is compassionate.  Time and again we read that He was "moved with compassion" for those in need; it also describes the behavior of the merciful Master understood to be the Lord in one of His parables (9:36, 14:14; 18:27).  In one patristic commentary, the sheep and the goats are images of human beings in whom Christ is either thriving or ailing.  That is, it is the healthy Christ in us who shows mercy in all the ways of the examples given here, and it is an ailing Christ in us who fails to do so.  In either case, the help and nurturing of the Christ in us is the practice of mercy.  Let us note, however, that mercy is not the product of a morbid guilt, and does not preclude justice.  Indeed, Christ's justice is perfect, as in so many cases mercy is the true prescription for justice.  Neither should we forget that kindness is mercy; even if we are unable to fulfill a direct and explicit request, kindness remains possible to us.  This is ultimately about seeing Christ in others, and especially the practice of the first and second greatest commandments:  to love God with heart and mind and soul, and to love neighbor as if our neighbor were ourselves.  When we think about mercy, we must think about nurturing and feeding (as in those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness"), because without proper nurturing we do not truly feed the Christ in us.  This is not simply about giving things to whomever asks, but about the practice of mercy.  It is not merciful to spoil a child or simply to indulge them in bad behavior:  just the same, we offer what we know or believe to be good if we ourselves we in the place of the recipient.  In another light we might shed on the "hidden" nature of mercy, we might compare a person who has spent a lifetime with a primary aim of seeking power and wealth who fails to practice mercy, but we can ascribe the same to a person who has spent a lifetime feeling pity for themselves and hence excluded the need for themselves to practice mercy to others.  No matter where we fall on the scale of life's benefits or unfortunate circumstances, there is one thing of which we can be certain:  we will all be called to account in Jesus' teaching of judgment.  There is none who does not fall into this picture of the sheep and the goats.  There might be times in our lives when we fit one or the other.   Let us note that Jesus emphasizes as sin in this parable the sin of omission:  those who miss the mark are those who fail to put into practice a calling to mercy.  What we begin with, however, is the understanding that in the journey of life we mustn't forget our main calling:  we are all called to become children of God by adoption.  It matters not where we start, nor even what life hands to us, we are all called to this vocation.  How do you need the call?  Let us remember that another way in which this parable has been understood is that when we suffer in life through the failure of mercy, Christ suffers with us, as He is neglected through us.  When we receive mercy in life, Christ also receives mercy through us.  None is alone, and none is born by nature to find a place "with the devil and his angels."  Indeed, even there, Christ comes offering constant mercy and calling us to the same, as it is truly His will that all might be with Him.  If we find ourselves seemingly stuck on a dangerous cliff, He'll show us the way to proceed.  It is His very gospel that calls us out of the prison of the evil one, the mindset of selfishness and abuse, of predatory violence and neglect.  Even the least of us may show mercy -- for this door of Christ is open to all of us, for "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep" - John 10:7).

Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?

And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they forsook Him and fled.

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

- Mark 14:43-52

Yesterday we read that, at the Last Supper, their Passover supper, Jesus said to the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise.  Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.   Once again, we note that Mark makes it clear that Jesus' betrayal comes from a close intimate, one who was a friend, one of the twelve.  My study bible also points out to us that the very fact that a kiss is needed to signal this mob is a commentary on those who comprise it.   Both the Jewish leaders and even the most common people, my study bible says, would have recognized Jesus, as He was teaching daily in the temple, and was welcomed to Jerusalem at the beginning of the week (see this reading).  What this shows is that these soldiers are mercenaries, sent by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, a group which John tells us also included Romans; that is, a cohort of troops from a Roman legion (John 18:3).  The traditional liturgy of St. John Chrysostom includes a prayer for the strength not to kiss Jesus in betrayal as did Judas.

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they forsook Him and fled.  John 18:10 identifies the one who drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest as Peter.  Jesus gives the admonition that His death has been foretold in the Scriptures, and that they must be fulfilled, a statement meant to strengthen the disciples at the hour of their greatest test.  It is a signal to them not to resist, and so they forsook Him and fled.

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.  My study bible comments here that to flee naked is a great shame and humiliation (Ezekiel 16:39; Amos 2:16).  It notes also that there are some who teach that this young man was James, the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19).  Others think that this was the apostle John, the youngest of all the twelve.  But most others believe that this was Mark, the author of this Gospel, as the common literary device for a writer was not to give one's own name (see Luke 24:13, John 21:24).  The other evangelists don't mention this incident.  My study bible notes that they would not have been inclined to humiliate Mark, while Mark would have been more likely to relate such an event concerning himself.

 Mark gives us the details, in these last two verses in today's reading, of the young man who followed Christ, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  Let us keep in mind that the disciples had been hastily around from sleep, surprised by the contingent of Roman soldiers plus officers and servants of the chief priests and Pharisees.  John says there was a cohort of soldiers, which means there were several hundred, the equivalent of a modern military battalion.  John tells us also that they came with torches and lanterns and weapons, which Mark defines as swords and clubs.  We can imagine the shock for the disciples, and Peter drawing his sword and responding in haste.  Only Jesus really knows and understands what is happening, and continues to advise His disciples, reminding them of the fulfillment of the Scriptures.  Mark tells us of this young man, most likely to be himself, who follows Christ but is then seized by part of this group, and so flees naked away, a great humiliation.  It is a depiction for us of the desperation of this time, the panic of the disciples in their inability to act against what is happening.  In yesterday's reading, above, Jesus told them (and quoted from Scripture), "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'"  Mark gives us his own humiliation, an illustration that the sheep are scattered.  How would the Church recover and organize itself?  It is a teaching to us about overcoming the worst of times -- and about all things being in the hands of God.  Christ's continual admonition to them was to turn to prayer to resist the temptations that would come to them this night and through the events of His Passion; we get the sense of the panic and terror.  Let us recall His words in our own times of panic or terror, and the temptations that lie in times of overwhelming stress and fear, when we haven't got control over events that threaten us or fill us with dread.  We are to resort to prayer, we keep alert and awake to what we are to be about, how to understand the time, and seek God's guidance.  He has given us a Comforter, a Helper, and He remains with us.  But let us remember the example of the disciples:  in the darkest of times, nothing may be clear to us.  We might not understand what direction our lives or events out of our control are taking.  And it may simply take time for us to regroup and reconnect.  But God is at work, His presence remains for us; the Resurrection is present.  Let us remember to give God's peace time to work out, and that prayer is the one real weapon we have that goes to the depth of where we are.  It is prayer that penetrates all things, and transcends all things.  It is prayer that puts us in the presence of the One who is aware of every sparrow, for whom every hair of our heads is numbered (Luke 12:6-7).

Whomever I kiss, He is the One

And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

- Mark 14:43-52

Yesterday we read that, at the Last Supper, Jesus said to the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise.  Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.   Mark underscores the depth of betrayal by Judas, describing him as one of the twelve.  But my study bible points out something else:  that this great multitude accompanying Judas needs a kiss to signal who Christ is.  It's a commentary on just who comprised this mob of people.   The Jewish leaders and the most common people would have recognized Christ; He's been daily teaching in the temple and is known to all the leadership.  We've been told that the common people heard Him gladly (see this reading).  At the culmination of a three year ministry in which He's preached in Jewish communities all around Israel, and after which He's been welcomed into Jerusalem as Messiah, it's  a safe bet that these soldiers are hired mercenaries, who were sent by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  According to John's Gospel, this group included Romans (in John 18:3, the word in Greek translated as soldiers means "cohort," a division of a Roman legion).  Indeed, John's Gospel also tells us that their own officers sent by the leadership to arrest Jesus in the temple simply could not do so ("No man ever spoke like this Man!" -- see John 7:45-46).  As faithful, we pray for the strength not to kiss Jesus in betrayal as does Judas here.

Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.  John's Gospel identifies Peter (John 18:10) as the one with the sword, and Matthew records Jesus' rebuke (Matthew 26:52-53), emphasizing Jesus' willing acceptance of this time and His mission, which Peter still fails to grasp (see Matthew 16:21-23).   Jesus' pronouncement that the Scriptures must be fulfilled is yet another signal to the disciples that He accepts willingly what is happening, but -- as with Judas' betrayal -- Jesus signals that the fulfillment of prophesy does not diminish the responsibility and free choice of those who seek His death and participate in the injustice to come.   As He quoted from Zechariah's prophecy in yesterday's reading, above, His sheep are scattered.

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.  To flee naked, my study bible says, is a great shame and humiliation (Ezekiel 16:39, Amos 2:16).  There have been those who teach that this young man was James, brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19), and other say it was the apostle John, who was the youngest of the twelve.  But most believe that this young man was Mark, the author of the Gospel.  It was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name (as in the examples of Luke 24:13 and John 21:24).  The other evangelists do not report this incident.  My study bible says that they would not have been inclined to humiliate Mark, but Mark himself would have been more likely to relate such an event concerning himself.  It is a telling detail about the arrest and the conduct of the authorities, coming as it does in the middle of the night while these men are sleeping, even outside the normal procedures of the Law (see John 7:51).

When systems of law and authority break down, what do we have left?  Jesus' arrest is a telling incident, a warning against injustice and violation of civilized norms of law.  It tells us about our capacity for suspending our own most cherished notions of development when power is threatened, when we decide our own infallibility or righteousness is something we can take for granted -- or when we decide that a particular victim isn't deserving of the usual protections offered to all.  Prejudice works that way, but our blindest prejudices are against those who seem to threaten our places somehow -- against the ones who have upset our plans in one way and another.  Christ's humiliation and arrest -- accompanied by the detail of the naked young man who fled the scene -- is foretold.  He has warned the disciples many times by now of what was to happen.  But none of that, not the fulfillment of Scriptures and not prophecy, excuses the injustice that is about to happen, nor does it somehow take away the responsibility of those who violate their own procedures to do so.  What this evil moment does teach us, and should always remind us of, is how easily even good systems with well thought-out and intentioned laws can break down in the face of our own sense of loss and authority.  The leaders of the people fail to truly lead here.  Instead, they need to protect their places which they do not want disturbed by Jesus.  In Mark's next chapter we will read that Pilate understands the envy and bitterness of these leaders who have Jesus arrested, and their motivations in handing Him over ("he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy" - see Mark 15:9-10).  Manipulation allows these men the claim that it is through violation of Roman Law that Jesus is executed, allowing them to hide their crime behind charges of treason against Caesar.  But all of this is something that illustrates each of our capacities for blindness to our own sins, and the need for faith to guide us in our choices.  When our own places become more sacred than holiness or following the teachings we know to be true, then we are in a depth of trouble.  It takes something greater than ourselves to guide our actions where we are blind to our flaws, where we feel threatened by circumstances, where our emotional lives can lead us astray.  And it takes a leader like Christ to teach us how we must be guided in times of uncertainty and persecution, as He guides His disciples.  In yesterday's reading, He told them to "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation."   For the disciples who are now fleeing and scattered, and for the religious leadership who seeks Jesus' death, this is important and appropriate advice, the best sort of guide to deal with the times of upheaval and uncertainty.  Each of us needs to take this advice to heart, and to understand that the best of us can stumble, the best-laid plans can fail miserably and terribly, the greatest systems of thought and the most well-intentioned procedures -- even those given through the word of God -- can fail us when we fail to understand our own need for guidance.  To be able to give up all, as does Jesus, to the will of God is the one way we can find righteousness, because it is the one way we can rise above ourselves and our limitations of sight and understanding.  Where we fail to rely on God, we fail to grow beyond what we already think we know.  Christ's death on the Cross will shatter the assumptions of so many and in so many ways.  But it is the one way we are led forward into something better.  It is the way of holiness, and the way in which Christ teaches us what true acceptance of faith is and means.  Can we live as He has taught us?  We love Christ for what He has done for us.  How do we live that love without betrayal?