For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?"  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

 

- Luke 19:11-27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

  Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?"  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"  Let us first note that the text tells us the purpose of Jesus telling this parable:  because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  So we must consider why Jesus tells the disciples this story at this time, and what it means for them.  My study Bible comments that the parable illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  Indeed, in the version of this parable in Matthew's Gospel, the sums of money are given in talents rather than minas.  Both were a great deal of money (a talent was larger), but we should understand how our modern English word came into being from this parable.  According to some, a mina was worth several months' wages for a typical worker, so this is not a trivial sum but is equal to a significant commitment of the time of one's life and labor.  Here, my study Bible says, the minas represent the goodness God has bestowed on each person.  The amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).   The wicked servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring what he was given, as idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness, my study Bible says.  Keeping it in a handkerchief is symbolic of earthly pursuits; this word for handkerchief can also be used for the shroud covering a face or head for burial.  The bankers represent other faithful people to whom the man could have gone to help him use his resources properly and wisely.  Since help was available to hin in the Church, my study Bible says, the man has no excuse.  

Jesus speaks a parable which refers to God-given wealth.  Of course, we might consider wealth to be of a variety of substances, from our own gifts and talents, to our capacity for hard work, our time, and any number of things we could consider.  But first let's ponder the text's telling us that Jesus gave this parable because He was close to entering Jerusalem, and some thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  So, He's telling this parable in the face of expectations that this heavenly kingdom was near in a material sense, which He would receive and establish in Jerusalem.  But Jesus prepares the disciples for the time to come by giving this parable teaching that our outcomes depend upon what we do with our resources.  As disciples, we are considered to be servants to the Master, to work for this kingdom and for its manifestation, and in this we take our substance.  God invests us with abilities, capacities for all kinds of things we can do as we live our lives, and we are expected to bring a "profit" out of them.  Are we capable of love?  Of the pursuit of humility which leads to the virtues Christ speaks about?  Do we have material wealth, and do we use it in the ways we're taught by Christ, especially through charitable giving?  What do we do with the resources we're given to work for that Kingdom, making a profit for it?  God's love and the gifts of the Spirit are another kind of currency which we can invest in the world and through which we build the Kingdom also, for even if we think we have nothing else, God's love makes it possible for us to love in return, inexhaustible in its Source.  The authority bestowed as reward is an authority in the Kingdom, a Christian equivalent to the positions political allies or servants might gain when a government of their party comes into power.  But authority in the kingdom of God is something else altogether, a part of the blessings of the Kingdom distributed by Christ in ways mysterious to us, and perhaps for a future not revealed to us.  In the meantime, we have spiritual investments and profits to make for the Lord while we still live our earthly lives.  Jesus is teaching here that the time of our lives is not simply a space or stretch of existence to pass and to fill us, but something that forms the ground  of all the ways we might build up the Kingdom, and that each resource we have is precious in God's sight.  Are we faithful in living and carrying out Christ's commands?  How do we invest or spend our time and talent, our resources of life, our energies?  How do we pass our time in ways profitable for the kingdom of God -- or do we spend it all in earthly pursuits of the flesh alone?  All of these things will count in the fullness of the Kingdom He will manifest at His return.  How do you invest your talent, time, and gifts?  On this day of Thanksgiving in the United States, let us consider all the ways we have a wealth of things to give, God's good work to pursue in God's name, and consider ourselves truly blessed.

 

 

Go your way; your son lives

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast. 

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  

 

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  So Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. 

 

- John 4:43–54 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Christ had begun to speak with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, His disciples returned from purchasing food in the town, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all thing that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.  In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true:  'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

 

  Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast. Christ's own country is Galilee (John 1:46; 2:1; 7:42, 52; 19:19).  There were Galileans present at Jerusalem during the Passover (see this reading), where Jesus had performed many signs.  My study Bible comments that  while the Galileans received Christ, having seen His signs at the Feast, St. John Chrysostom gives greater credit to the Samaritans (see yesterday's reading, above) for having accepted Christ based on words alone, without the accompanying signs (see also John 20:29).  

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."   My study Bible comments here that Christ is admonishing the people in general (as you in this last verse here is plural both times), and not only the nobleman.  It says that faith based on miraculous works alone is insufficient for salvation; such a type of incomplete faith will quickly turn to scorn when the miracles cease (John 19:15).  

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  So Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"   Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This nobleman's great concern is clearly for his child, although his faith in Christ is weak.  My study Bible says that he does not understand that Christ is Lord over illness even from a  distance, nor does he grasp that Jesus would have the power to heal even if the child were to die.  Then he asks about the timing of the healing, as he still does not completely trust the Lord's authority.  It's only after all is confirmed that he and his whole household believe.  Therefore, it notes, in healing the child from a distance, Jesus heals not just the body of the child, but also the soul of the nobleman.

This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. This is the second of seven signs that Christ performs as reported in John's Gospel.  My study Bible says that as He has revealed He can see into the hearts of people from a distance (John 1:45-48), Christ now demonstrates that He can heal from a distance; therefore, His divine power knows no earthly limits.  There are some similarities between this sign and the miracle which is recorded in Matthew 8:5-13, there are also some crucial differences; they are two different encounters.

It's rather interesting that Jesus has come again to Cana in Galilee -- where He made the water wine -- and here is also the setting for this second sign in John's Gospel.  We might wonder what it is about Cana specifically that enables or allows Christ to perform such miracles, as they are also dependent upon faith (Matthew 13:58).  We remember that, as my study Bible explains it, John uses the term "signs" in his Gospel, to show that these miraculous actions point beyond themselves to the truth that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  So, while the first sign was turning water to wine at the wedding in Cana, here Christ heals the nobleman's son from a distance.  It is a clear statement of Christ's authority as One who is divine, who is God, for who else could perform such an action?  Indeed, this is the point of the encounter with the centurion in the similar story in Matthew 3:5-13.  We have to wonder at the statement that forms a central crux of the story in today's reading, though, Christ's declaration, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."   Possibly, having returned from Jerusalem, and coming again to Cana, Jesus felt that more signs and wonders would not be necessary, that His previous signs both at Cana and in Jerusalem at the Passover would be enough.   He is apparently disturbed enough by this to remark upon the lack of faith He's finding.  Perhaps He's disappointed in these demands for signs and wonders, but that also becomes another reason for the healing.  The "little" faith the nobleman starts with in asking Christ to heal his son is enough for Christ to go on, so as to build up and strengthen a beginning faith.  For, after all, Christ has come into the world in order to save, and for salvation, it is necessary to have faith.  At any rate, we might assume, also, that the nobleman is used to giving orders himself, having a high rank in the society.  At this stage, Jesus (although not a nobleman, nor even a Levitical priest or member of the ruling Council) in some sense is socially equal to the nobleman; it is the nobleman who must approach him and plead for help, demanding that He "come down" to heal his son.  But Jesus need not travel down to where the boy is, and with only the words "your son lives" the boy is healed.  This is a command indeed, that traverses space and time so as to be instantaneous.  There are no barriers to Christ, and thus what we see is an expression of power and authority that knows no boundaries at all, beyond the capacity of the nobleman to imagine.  It places Christ squarely in the place of the divine, the One to whom "every knee should bow" (Philippians 2:10).  So Christ is beyond the nobleman in this sense, someone with superseding authority beyond all that we know.  This is the great sign of God's Kingdom being present in Him, yet again, for the second sign given in John's Gospel.  He has insight into those who would become His disciples, insight into the Samaritan woman at the well to whom He directly revealed His divine identity, and now here, He heals at a distance as well, without needing to be shown, without needing to be present, without being told about the ailment leading to death of the boy.  All of our conventional understanding of limitation are not present to Him, but He is clearly present in all ways to us.  That is, in His Incarnation, He heals what ails, and brings His divinity to our humanity.  If He can heal this boy, He can also hear our prayers, for there is no stopping the action and intention of the Lord.  All we need is our faith.

 

 

Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he hard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. 

 

- John 4:43-54 

 

 Our recent readings have included the story of the Samaritan woman, whom Jesus met at Jacob's well.  See readings from Thursday and Friday.   On Saturday, we read that at this point Christ's disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.  In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true:  'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  Jesus' own country is Galilee (see John 1:46; 2:1; 7:42, 52; 19:19).  This saying, that a prophet has no honor in his own country, is so central to the story of Christ that it appears in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24).

 

So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.  Galileans were present at Jerusalem during the Passover which Jesus has attended (the first of three Passover feasts reported in John's Gospel; see John 2:13-25).  At that feast, Jesus performed many signs.  While the Galileans received Christ having seen His signs, my study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom who gives greater credit to the Samaritans, as they accepted Christ based only on His words and teaching, without the accompanying signs (see also John 20:29).  

 

 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he hard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  Again, we're given an important signal here in the Gospel about faith and miraculous signs (wonders).  My study Bible points out that Christ here is admonishing the people in general, as you is plural both times) and not only the nobleman.  It says that faith based on miraculous works alone is not sufficient for salvation.  This kind of incomplete faith quickly turns to scorn should the miracles cease (John 19:15). 

 

 The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.   My study Bible explains that this noblemans's concern is clearly for his child, although his faith in Christ is weak.  He does not understand that Christ is Lord over illness even from a distance.  Additionally, he doesn't know that Christ would have the people to heal even if his child were to die.  Finally, my study Bible says, he inquires about the timing of the healing, as he doesn't completely trust the Lord's authority.  Only after all of this is confirmed will he and his whole household believe.  So, as He heals the child from a distance, Jesus in fact heals not only the physical body of the child, but also the soul of his father.  

This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.  This is the second sign of seven reported in John's Gospel.  My study Bible declares that having revealed He can see into the hearts of people from a distance (John 1:45-48), Jesus now demonstrates that He can heal from a distance.  Thereby He shows that His divine power does not know any earthly limits.  It also notes that there are certain similarities between this sign and the miracle reported in Matthew 8:5-13, there are several crucial differences, and thus it's clear they are two different encounters.  

Today's reading seems to take us onto the path of consideration of faith and signs.  How does one work without the other?  How is one complete in and of itself, and the other incomplete?  After Christ is seen by some of the disciples post-Resurrection, the disciple Thomas declares he will not believe without proof.  As Jesus makes an appearance to them when Thomas is present, He offers to Thomas to touch the wound in His side, and to witness the wounds in His hands, at which point Thomas declares, "My Lord and My God!"  Jesus tells him (and all of us), "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (see John 20:24-29).  This question of proofs obviously would remain important for the life of the Church to come, just as it is indeed important for us today.  Many people read the texts of the Bible with a deliberate skeptical eye, and beyond, discounting all possibility that the miracles or signs reported can be real.  But it is wise to be skeptical also of placing limits on God and what God can do, because there is so much that we simply don't know.  Modern theoretical physics postulates many dimensions to the universe, not all of them necessarily operate by the same physical rules we do.  Neither can we limit for certain the potentials of a Person like Christ, whose existence would transcend all of those possible dimensions.  But let us consider this connection between faith and proofs, and what substance or reason makes these signs so significant for Christ's mission to us.  Certainly they are not simply to convince people of His divinity.  Jesus makes it very clear that it is not His intention to draw faith through proofs of any kind.  Instead, these "signs" are just that -- like an icon is meant to do in Church, they point to something beyond themselves.  They teach us not only about Jesus, but about God the Father and the Spirit as well.  They teach us something that is essential to know in order to understand Christ:  that there are no limits to His divine power.  Wherever we find ourselves, whatever place we're in or circumstances with which we need to cope, Christ transcends all of them in His divinity, and He is there with us through faith and the power of God.  We have contrasted in today's reading the worldly thinking of the father (the nobleman), and his attempts to verify Christ's power together with the effect of this sign of healing on him and his whole household, and not simply the restoration of the child to physical health.  In this we are given a more complete understanding of Christ's mission in the world, the significance and effect of His signs, and how they prove useful even for us.  For while we may not experience what it is like to live with Christ physically present in human form, we can know what it is like to call upon and depend upon our faith for help to us.  As we go through our own lives, our own faith will also be tested, and we will find ourselves in circumstances where we need to trust to God to help us find the answers and correct response.  Outcomes are not guaranteed to be precisely what we would have preferred, but help is always there as we are led forward in ways meant to strengthen our faith and draw us closer in communion with God.  Let us consider what signs are for, the One to whom they point, and our own faith and its progress through our life.

For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them.'"

 

- Luke 19:11–27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, as He continues on His way toward Jerusalem.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."   

 

  Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them.'"   My study Bible comments that this parable illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  In Matthew's Gospel, this parable is told using the example of the monetary unit called "talents" (τάλαντα/talanta in Greek).  A talent was a very large sum of money (originally it was a weight equivalent measure for pure metal such as silver or gold).  According to this numismatic website, one drachma or denarius was a day's wage; a talent at the time of the New Testament was worth 6,000 denarii.  Here in Luke's Gospel, Jesus tells this story using mina as the currency, which was worth less than talents but still substantial enough.  A mina was worth 100 drachmae, so the equivalent of 100 work days for one of these servants.  At any rate, our modern use of the word "talent" comes from the parable found at Matthew 25:14-30.    These large sums of money (either talents or minas) represent the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  According to my study Bible the amount that each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  It says that God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, for all are invited to share in the same reward (authority over a city for each mina earned).  The wicked servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring the mina entrusted to him.  My study Bible comments that idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  To put away the mina in a handkerchief is symbolic of burial clothes, or treating the mina in a very "earthly" way.  Putting the money in a bank could represent the Church, where there are collective resources to guide us to use our natural abilities and resources wisely.  My study Bible comments that since help was available to him in the Church, the man has no excuse. 

In Matthew's Gospel, the parable of the Talents is given just prior to Jesus' discourse on Judgment (Matthew 24:31-46).  In that context, it's a reminder about how we use our resources, including time, talent, skills, and effort -- as well as material resources -- in terms of the Judgment and exercising compassion and care, especially toward the "least of these."  Here in Luke's Gospel, this parable appears just prior to Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, and so the setting poses this parable within the context of establishing Christ's Kingdom in this world.  It also is told just prior to His Passion, death, and Resurrection, and so the parable also works to teach us -- and the disciples -- about what He expects from them, and us, while He is away in a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  As such, we are His servants, and we are asked to be profitable servants while we await His return.  In the final verse of the parable, the nobleman says, "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them."  So there are those who serve him, and those who do not, and we read the reward to each, including the faithless.  Our nominal faith is meant to be exercised, lived, and expressed through our skills, talents, resources, abilities -- and not hidden away.  This gives us an impression of what it is to be part of living Kingdom.  This not an ideas-bound idea of faith in the kingdom of God.  That is, this parable does not teach that faith is just an assent to a set of ideas or a code.  Rather, Jesus teaches us active participation, and participation that is meant to go somewhere, to grow and to generate new resources, profitable returns on investment, and a dynamic strength, even met with great reward -- and one presumes, then, new investment and profit to be generated.  If we stop to consider who this "nobleman" is, and what sort of kingdom we're talking about, we come to the conclusion that this is not meant to illustrate a worldly kingdom, but rather a spiritual one.  And so, in that light, we must consider that these are gifts of the Spirit, the kind of wealth that belongs first of all in potential for the faithful, and so must be made the most of.  When Jesus says, "For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him," He is echoing statements made earlier within the context of asking for spiritual gifts.  In chapter 11, Jesus tells the disciples, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you," and, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (see Luke 11:9-13).  When Jesus is explaining the purpose of speaking in parables to His disciples, He tells them, "Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  This is clearly in reference to spiritual understanding and spiritual gifts.  Later on, He says, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more" (Luke 8:18; 12:48).  So spiritual gifts are not only precious, but must be used and work to maximize potential, yielding much more than might be expected -- and for the Kingdom, this is the natural order of things.  It is the unnatural order that such gifts remain buried or hidden, put away and not used -- and most definitely those with no faith whatsoever miss this equation entirely.  What Jesus seems to promise in this story is that for each of us there are particular gifts waiting to be used -- and when those gifts are spiritual in nature, they are of a substance to multiply.   This is exemplified in the miracles of the loaves and fish.  Moreover, our own capacity for spiritual gifts means that God will seek to give us more challenges to meet, more "authority," so to speak, capacities within which we can use those gifts for His Church.  Let us rise to meet those challenges to which we're called, for Christ always promises us more.

For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

 

- Luke 19:11-27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho on His way toward.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, 'He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."   

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"  My study Bible comments here that this parable, like the one in Matthew 25:14-30, illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  (In Matthew's version, the currency is "talents" -- in Greek, ταλαντα -- a very valuable ancient currency.)  Minas were also an ancient currency; one of slightly lesser value than a talent, but still considerable within the framework of the parable.  Each designated a particular weight's worth of precious metal, gold, or more frequently, silver.  Each mina, according to some sources, was worth approximately 100 days' wages for a worker.   The money, whether in talents or minas, represents the goodness which God has bestowed on each person, my study Bible says.  It comments that the amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).   Let us note that in God's reward, considerable authority was given in return for being "faithful in a very little."   But the wicked servant could not evade responsibility for basically ignoring the money entrusted to him.  My study Bible comments that idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  To leave the money in a handkerchief is suggestive of two things.  First of all, the same term translated here as handkerchief was also the term for a shroud, a burial covering for the head.   We understand this term therefore to be associated with bodily refuse, decay, and death; in other words, things which are entirely earthly.  Therefore we could consider the resources with which he was entrusted were used for purely earthly pursuits.  The bank represents the Church, to which he could have turned to help him use his gifts wisely.   Since this was available to him, he therefore has no excuse.  

Let us keep in mind that Jesus is now journeying near Jerusalem, and also that we have just read the story of Zacchaeus, the rich chief tax collector, and prior to that the story of the rich young ruler.  The text tells us also that this parable is told because the disciples thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Let us remember also that the disciples have several times asked about their positions in Christ's kingdom.  If their expectation is of a worldly sort of kingdom, with Christ as a messiah-king, then we understand their curiosity about the positions they may hold in that expected kingdom.  But Jesus has over and over again taught them about humility and service, especially in response to their questions regarding who will be great in this kingdom (see Luke 9:46-48, 17:5-10, 22:24-27).   So putting these teachings together with the recent readings which involved wealth and authority, we can discern first of all a direction in terms of what we do with worldly resources.  That is, for whom and for what do we use those resources?  A dedication to Christ asks us to put things in proper order through the lens of faith, first.  We can observe the difference in Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler.  Compare these also to the recently-given lesson of the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  Do we know how we stand before God?  Do we know what we really need, and what we really need to do with what is at our disposal?  Moreover, today's parable is distinctly directed toward the disciples, who expect that, as they are about to enter into Jerusalem, Jesus is on the brink of establishing a worldly kingdom.  We know already their curiosity and expectation of important places in this kingdom, and Christ's teachings about humility.  But what of this parable?  It teaches us again about responsibility and about resources.  He's telling them that He expects them to be good servants, good stewards -- to produce spiritual fruits and "profits" from whatever talents and resources they have, from the teachings He's entrusted to them, and the responsibilities these confer.  In some sense, it's a magnified repetition of the teaching regarding service:  "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do'" (Luke 17:10).  Only this time, He expects more than service, He expects them to be "profitable" -- to multiply the blessings and produce of the kingdom of God to the best of their ability, or with the help and assistance available to them in the Church.  So let us consider, then, what might be the investments God has made in us?  Do you have a talent, a gift for something?  Are you intelligent, or possibly persistent?  Can you endure difficulties?  Do you have patience?  Were you blessed with an ability to make material profits or to produce material goods?  Whatever way in which you have gifts given by God, there is a way to make them profitable for the kingdom of God.  There is a way to see God's blessings on all that one does or has, and to make this the focus on one's life.  Christ leaves the disciples -- and the rest of us who seek to follow Him -- with this magnificent direction in our lives.  We're not to remain idle and await His return in expectation.  We're to seize the day, the here and the now, and remember there is always something to be done in His name.  Whether we give love to someone who needs it, a good word, a donation, our time and effort, our intelligence -- it really makes no difference what the resource or capability is -- we are expected to be working to produce a profit, a gain, to increase even a hundredfold if possible (see Luke 8:8).  We build up the kingdom of God by our participation in it, by shoring up our own faith and that of others, by glorifying God in whatever way is open to us, be that something we think is small or great.  Let us be grateful for the opportunities we're all given to do so.

 

 

Go your way; your son lives

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  

 

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

 

- John 4:43-54 

 

Yesterday we read that, while Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well (just after His revelation that He is the Christ), at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.  In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true:  'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.  Jesus' own country is Galilee.   John reports Jesus' testimony that a prophet has no honor in his own country; this statement is present in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24).  Galileans were present at Jerusalem during the Passover (John 2:13-25), when Jesus performed many signs, my study Bible explains.  While the Galileans received Christ having seen His signs, St. John Chrysostom gives greater credit to the Samaritans (see the readings from Wednesday and Thursday) based on words alone without the accompanying signs (see also John 20:29).  

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  My study Bible comments that Christ is admonishing the people in general (you in Christ's statement is plural both times) and not merely the nobleman.  Faith based on miraculous works only is insufficient for salvation.  This kind of incomplete faith quickly turns to scorn should the miracles cease (John 19:15).  

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This nobleman's concern is clearly for his child, although his faith in Christ is weak, my study Bible says.  He doesn't understand that Christ is Lord over illness even from a distance, nor does he sense that Jesus would have the power to heal even if the child were to die.  He finally asks about the timing of the healing, still not completely trusting in the authority of Christ.  It's only after everything is confirmed that he and his whole household believe.  My study Bible concludes that thus, in healing the child from a distance, Jesus heals not just the body of the child, but also the soul of the nobleman.  

This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.   As the text tells us, the story of the nobleman's son in today's reading is the second sign of seven reported in John's Gospel.  My study Bible remarks that having revealed that He can see into the hearts of people from a distance (see the story of the calling of Nathanael, John 1:45-48), Christ now demonstrates that He can heal from a distance, showing us that His divine power knows no earthly limits.  There are certain similarities between this sign and the miracle recorded in Matthew 8:5-13, but there are also many crucial differences, which make clear they are two different encounters.  

Why is ti important for us to know that Christ can heal from a distance?  This revelation must be given to us for a reason.  It not only reveals Christ to be divine, but it also adds certain perspectives on our faith to us, that are relevant to our own lives and how we experience faith itself.  We need to understand Whom it is with which we engage in communion and relationship.  My study Bible comments that Christ's action in today's reading shows that His divine power knows no earthly limits. This is a theme which appears in many of the miraculous signs in the Gospels.  But if His power is not bound by the worldly limits to which we're subject -- that of distance, in this case -- then it means that His power can also effectively reach us.  It means that when we enter into worship and prayer, we're not just practicing something alone that we do from a distance.  Rather, this "unlmiting" of earthly limits mean that Christ can be present with us, too ("I am with you always, even to the end of the age" - Matthew 28:20).  And not only Christ enters into communion with us, but when we worship there also present that great cloud of witnesses to whom St. Paul refers in Hebrews 12:1.   In the readings involving the Samaritan woman of the past two days, Jesus revealed that "the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."  To worship in spirit and truth indicates a lack of earthly barriers; not only does it mean that as temples of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), God's spirit may dwell in us, but it also means that there are no barriers within our participation in the life of Christ, and Christ in us.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus says to the disciples, "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:28-31).  Therefore we are to understand that our unlimited God sees everything, and is with us in all the details, even to the number of hairs on our head.  So everything that Christ does tells us of Gods' concern and care and presence with us.  From a distance He heals this nobleman's child, and in so doing, He heals the nobleman as well.  This is another aspect of what it means that Christ's power is unlimited, for it reaches into all aspects of our lives and can heal in ways we don't even understand that we are broken.  Our lives intersect with God's power and love which reaches everywhere, but so often we don't understand how God cooperates with us in our lives and requires our cooperation as well.  Building on even a weak faith, Christ can come to us and dwell with us (John 14:23).  Our expectations of life are one thing, and also what we call perfection, but there are times when even an infirmity or sadness may be used by God to help expand our faith (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Let us consider, at each moment of our day, in every tiny place in our lives, how Christ can be present with us, for our God is the God who sees, who is with us even when we are abandoned (Genesis 16:7-13).  Today's passage tells us that when Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives," this man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  We don't all know what it would be like to speak to Jesus face-to-face, as human being, but let us seek to take confidence in His word, in our time with Him in worship, and in private prayer.

 

 

And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. 

 

- John 4:43-54 

 

 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.  In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."  But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know."  Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?"  Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true:  'One sows and another reaps.'  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of His own word.  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.  Jesus' own country is Galilee (see John 1:46; 2:1; 7:42, 52; 19:19).  There were Galileans present at Jerusalem during the Passover feast (John 2:13-25), when Jesus performed many signs.  My study Bible comments that while the Galileans received Christ having seen His signs, St. John Chrysostom gives greater credit to the Samaritans for accepting Christ based on words alone without the accompanying signs (see also John 20:29).  For the story of the Samaritans, see the readings of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (above).   This saying to which Jesus Himself testified, that a prophet has no honor in His own country, appears in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4, John 4:44).

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."  This setting for today's reading is Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.   My study Bible comments on these verses that Christ is admonishing the people in general (you in this last verse is plural both times) and not only the nobleman.  It remarks that faith based on miraculous works alone is insufficient for salvation; this kind of incomplete faith quickly turns to scorn should the miracles cease (see John 19:15).

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!"  Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.  My study Bible notes that the nobleman's concern is clearly for his child, even though his faith in Christ is weak.  He doesn't understand that Christ is Lord over illness even from a distance, and neither does he grasp that Jesus would have the power to heal even if the child were to die.  In the end, he asks about the timing of the healing, still not completely trusting Christ's authority.  Only after everything is confirmed do he and his whole household believe.  Therefore, in healing the child from a distance, Jesus heals not just the body of the child, but also the soul of the nobleman.  The text notes for us that this is the second sign of seven included in John's Gospel.  

It's quite interesting that my study Bible remarks that in the healing of the body of his child, the nobleman's soul is also healed by Christ.  This is the remarkable thing about the mysterious workings of God's power.  We don't know by what means or roundabout ways God's effective grace works in the lives of people, but ultimately there is a very significant factor that is always pertinent, and which we so often discount -- and that is the effect of God's work on faith itself, on those who come to faith.  My study Bible has also noted in today's reading that faith based solely on miraculous or marvelous works is a false faith, because if the miracles cease, so an incomplete faith turns to scorn.  We should keep in mind that ultimately it is not marvelous or miraculous signs that form the substance of faith or its purpose.  Jesus has stated that His purpose in being sent is for salvation:  "that the world through Him might be saved" (see John 3:16-17).  Although nominally speaking, today's passage tells us about this important second sign in John's Gospel, perhaps a greater purpose is served in the saving faith rendered in the nobleman and for his whole household, as the text tells us.  This is an important filter through which we might look at many things in the world, including our own lives and the others that we touch through our faith and through the grace that can be at work through us, whether or not we realize it.   There are times when even adverse circumstances can work to help bring about a saving faith; oftentimes it is only when things are not going well that people may turn to prayer, and it is in such a time when their hearts will turn to God and respond to the comfort and care mysteriously found there.  This article at the blog of Oxford University Press cites studies that show growth in people's reliance on religion and the importance of God in their lives in times not only of natural disasters but also man-made disasters such as war and conflict.  Adversity in childhood can often be a factor in the development of a strong religious faith in adulthood.  Psalm 27:10 reads, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up" (KJV).  There are many who have found that less-than-perfect parenting is deeply healed through a sense of the love of God as Father, Son, and Spirit, as good guidance and support replace what was destructive and chaotic during upbringing.  Through the prayers of the saints, such as the Virgin Mary, many have experienced an inexplicable motherly tenderness that helps guide adult life; and the virtues of the saints as described by St. Paul as fruit of the spirit become a firm ground for the responsibilities of maturity, as opposed to what was poorly presented by natural parents in childhood.  I heard a very wise speaker say the real danger in a life of ups and downs is that when things are going well we will forget to pray, forget our need for God.  We should remember that the signs given in John's Gospel are just that:  they are "signs" of the presence of the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ.  They manifest in some way the presence of the Kingdom, the work of God present to us and among us.  But it is a life of faith that saves, that sometimes rugged journey that asks of us to grow and to struggle and to work and to pursue our faith; in the words of St. Paul, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).   Even as we read the magnificent and significant signs in John's Gospel, we must remember that they are called "signs" for a reason, they point to something.  And it is that deeper "something" that is the substance of faith and of salvation, in whose life we participate through prayer and worship, and in Whom we find ourselves.

For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

 

- Luke 19:11-27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, on His way toward Jerusalem with His disciples.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' "  My study bible has a long note on this parable, which is similar to one found in Matthew 25:14-30.  In Matthew's version, Jesus uses "talents" to illustrate the parable, which were a Greek currency.  Here, Jesus uses the "mina" which was a Hebrew unit of currency.  Both the "talent" and the "mina" were equivalent to a certain weight of precious metal, gold or silver.  In the ancient world, by Christ's time, both were used to measure the value of something for exchange.  It is from the "talent" used in the parable as reported by Matthew that we get our modern understanding of the word talent as a gift or innate ability given by Creator.  Here in Luke's version we note that each begins with the same sum; illustrating that God does not show partiality.

"But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"   This wicked servant bears responsibility for ignoring his talent.  My study bible says that idleness is as much a rejection of God as is outright wickedness.  To put away the talent in a handkerchief is to waste it:  a handkerchief is used for "waste products" of the body such as sweat, blood, spittle, or food when eating.   There is another meaning to this also.  In the parable of the Talents, the wicked and lazy servant buried his talent in the ground.  The word used for "handkerchief" here can also the head cloth, in which the dead were wrapped for burial.  So there is an association here with using God-given gifts for "earthly" pursuits.  The bankers, my study bible says, represent other faithful people to whom the servant could have turned to help to use his gifts wisely.  This help is also available in the treasury of the Church, its saints, its teachings, the Scriptures old and new.  That the citizens hated this ruler, and sought to overthrow him, symbolizing Christ who is about to enter Jerusalem at the beginning of what we know as Holy Week, and will be rejected by the nation.

So, the question is here, what do we do with the gifts we're given by God?  Each one of us, the parable seems to say, is gifted -- or rather, invested -- with something by God.  God invests in us God's wealth of gifts to give:  intelligence, or talent, athletic ability, strength, physical health, our looks, a capacity to hear and appreciate beautiful music, or poetry, or even a gift to sit in a church and appreciate the beauty that is there in the sermons, carols, hymns, liturgy, icons, worship services, or even in the silence where we may find our own prayers to God.  All of these things are capacities which we do not create ourselves, but with which God gifts us.  If we look at the parable in the way that it is given, we may come to conclude that, in fact, God invests these things in us.  Each of us has something that we bring to the table, so to speak, precisely because God has invested these things in us.  There are times when our capacity for love of a spiritual life enables us also to make the best of what we might nominally call a "bad" thing, but which in the hands of the capacity for revering and finding God and the Spirit's work in our lives, become a good thing.  It is up to us also to find these hidden gifts in all circumstances, for they are also gifts of God.  A child with Down's syndrome comes to be revealed as an extraordinarily loving member of a family, tying others together in the beauty of that love, for example.  An elderly parent or grandparent becomes a focal point of care, encouraging through the lens of our faith not only a shared responsibility but an expression of love and revelation of the capacity for meeting a challenge with sacrifice and ingenuity, a cause of joy in the fulfillment of giving a gift of life and peace through infirmity.  We do not know where all of these gifts lie hidden in the fields of life, for they are ours to discover through the use of the gifts with which God graces us, and most especially that is true of the gift of faith.  Faith may reveal all kinds of hidden treasures and profits we may make through any and all things, so we perhaps might call faith the greatest gift of all.  When times becomes difficult, it might present us with a scenario in which it is especially hard to be appreciative of blessings.  At this time, as possibly at no other, it is the great gift of faith for which we are truly grateful, and from which we seek -- for His sake -- to multiply profit for the kingdom of God.  Faith is indeed a gift, a talent, we need to use in order to multiply, and not to bury or squander our capacity for things not worthy of such a great price.