Therefore hear the parable of the sower

 

 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 

- Matthew 13:18–23 

 

In our recent readings, the lectionary has taken us through the Gospel of St. Matthew, and into the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  This week, Ascension Day occurs on Thursday (in the Western and Armenian Apostolic Churches; for the Eastern Orthodox, it is Thursday next week).  So, the lectionary begins preparing us for the celebration of Christ's Ascension, after which we'll continue reading the final verses of the Sermon on the Mount.  Yesterday we began reading in chapter 13, when Jesus starts to preach in parables.  We read that Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

 

  "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."  We should keep in mind that Jesus is explaining the parable of the Sower (see yesterday's reading, above) in private to His disciples.  At this stage in His ministry, He has begun to preach in parables as "great multitudes" begin to gather to Him.  There are so many coming to hear Him and see Him that He must sit in a boat off the shore while the people gather on shore to hear Him.  So, we can assume that by now He is speaking to large gatherings of people that include much more than disciples.  There are no doubt those who are curious, or who come to see Him for His reputation of healing and miraculous cures and the casting out of demons.  By now it is likely also that He has gained a reputation as one who has been in conflict with the religious authorities, and that no doubt also draws people to hear Him.  However we might frame this beginning of Christ's preaching in parables, it comes to people in such a way that the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" are hidden within the story, the parables made by taking elements of daily life in order to illustrate the workings of the kingdom of heaven.  As Jesus has explained to His disciples in yesterday's reading (see above), He wants to draw those with spiritual eyes and ears, the ones who truly desire what He offers, and thus speaks in parables.  

 

This parable, like the rest of them which Christ teaches in this chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, is an illustration of the workings of the kingdom of heaven.   As He indicates, He's the Sower who sows the seeds.  We may think of this poetically, as the Word Himself (John 1:1), He sows the gospel message.  That is, He casts the seeds out, the words He teaches and preaches, and all the things He does in His ministry in the fullness of His message.  What kind of ground will these seeds -- His words and teachings -- fall upon?  We are the ground.  Or rather, the interior lives we lead determine the ground.  Is our heart receptive?  Are we capable of hearing and seeing the things of spirit and soul He offers?  Do we really want it?  In my personal experience, we each may go through the stages Jesus describes at any time in our lives, but He's illustrating what receptiveness and a true heart that grasps what He offers can do.  Not everyone is going to receive at all times, and the evil one is busy trying to distract us constantly and snatch away what's been sown in the heart.  A stony heart, one that understands with difficulty because of a lack of attunement to this kind of message, may feel joy in hearing His word for awhile, but when difficulty comes it's so much easier to walk in a different way and forget.  And then there's another kind of obstacle and distraction.  Jesus frames this as "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches."  These things choke the word inside, as we become consumed and even frazzled through the pursuit of things outside of ourselves that will not reap the same blessings of the Kingdom (about which Jesus has been preaching in the Sermon on the Mount; see, for example, the Beatitudes).  Such a person neglects the fruit of the Spirit because their lives are "choked" -- crowded with other things.  His explanation concludes, "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."   And this is what Christ is looking for, the disciples He is calling even through His parables.  Can we receive it?  Can we understand who He is and what kind of redemption He's offering?  It's so easy to be distracted, to be "choked" by other things.  Perhaps today -- especially in the prosperous and technologically developed parts of the world -- we are more distracted than ever.  But everywhere there may also be tribulation or persecution!  Let us pray for all, and live our faith.

 

 

 

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

 

- Matthew 5:1–10 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

 

  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  My study Bible tells us that in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain is a place where divine action enters human history, the place where God reveals Himself to humankind (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  

 

 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  According to my study Bible, Matthew mentioning that Jesus opened his mouth emphasizes this teaching is "one-way," that Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are there not to discuss or debate, but to listen.

 

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  To be blessed in this context is meant to indicate heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  My study Bible notes that in Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people.  The poor in spirit therefore are those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible tells us that those who mourn sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).   All of these, it says, are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  What is understood as holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and it is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

 

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible explains that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is in imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  It says that the meek are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  Additionally, we are to understand that meekness is not passive weakness, but strength directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).

 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  My study Bible describes this as a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33, also Psalm 42:1).

 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  What is mercy?  My study Bible describes mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  It explains that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we are in turn meant to be merciful to all.  

 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  In this context, my study Bible tells us, "pure" means to be unmixed with anything else, unadulterated.  The pure in heart are completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve purity are described as practicing all virtue, having no conscious evil in themselves, and living in temperance.  This is a level of spirituality which is attained by few, but all people may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is for God, my study Bible says, and a person's will holds this desire, then that person will truly see God everywhere.  

 

 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As He is the source of peace, my study Bible explains that Christ found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  In so doing, Christ reveals Himself to us as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  So, peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in Christ's work.  By God's grace, my study Bible tells us, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and they give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, my study Bible says, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown awaiting the righteous.  

 

 In today's reading we begin what is known as the Sermon on the Mount, which is perhaps the most significant single Scripture passage in which we receive the gospel message of Jesus in "one place," so to speak.  That is, in a single sermon.  The Sermon on the Plain, found in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 6:17-49), is perhaps the other passage of Scripture in which we find a similar grouping of lessons and teachings on Christ's gospel.  But the Sermon on the Mount is perhaps what we'd call a landmark in New Testament Scripture.  It is the place where Jesus addresses the multitudes and presents His gospel in a fullness not found in a record of a single sermon elsewhere.  Of course, we do not take a single passage of Scripture and expect it to give us the fullness of Christ, His message, and ministry, nor the complete understanding of the Church as to what that means for us and for our spiritual lives and practice of our faith.  However, it's notable that the Sermon on the Mount is given to us so relatively soon in St. Matthew's Gospel, as Jesus has just begun His public ministry, and He's become famous in a rather short period of time.  It's also "early" in St. Matthew's Gospel as a whole.  Here in today's passage we begin with the Beatitudes.  It's possible that these are among the most famous and most quoted teachings of Jesus that we know.  As my study Bible points out, it's important to understand that He's setting out for us what are the blessings of the Kingdom, and what is that "blessed" life He's speaking about.  So often we think about blessings in material terms, but that is not at all the message of these Beatitudes, these blessings that Jesus is teaching us about.  Like so much of the whole of the Bible, and possibly in particular the Old Testament that has come before the New, Jesus' blessings stand the worldly sense of life on its head.  What's exalted on worldly terms is humbled in Christ's terms of blessings, and what is humble in the world's terms is exalted in Christ's teaching.  Jesus teaches that those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness' sake are all blessed in His sight, and He gives us the reasons why all of this is true.  We notice how these beatitudes begin and end with the reward of the kingdom of heaven.  As my study Bible puts it, citizenship and belonging in this Kingdom is the crown for those who enter and dwell there.  Lest we misperceive this message, the kingdom of heaven isn't simply an afterlife or a world we might experience after we live our worldly lives.  The kingdom of heaven is one which dwells within us (Luke 17:21).  It's one that grows and expands, and with surprising results and capabilities (Matthew 13:31-32).  It is one that pervades all things and changes their quality (Matthew 13:33).  Additionally, it's a tremendous treasure that's worth the price of everything, and surpasses everything else in quality and preciousness (Matthew 13:44-46).  Moreover, it's one of ultimate discernment, and judgment -- casting all things into their proper places, separating the bad from the good (Matthew 13:47-50).  And, ultimately, the kingdom of heaven is the greatest collection of treasure of all time (Matthew 13:52).  How do we reach and and dwell within this kingdom?  By practicing all the things He says, cultivating all of these qualities He names in today's reading.  We live in a world with tremendous emphasis on the material.  Perhaps in our age we face a great deal more of this emphasis than ever in the past.  Social media tends to amplify the emphasis placed on image, and especially our image within the socially desirable qualities or achievements that are most valued or correspond to social rank.  But Jesus stands all of this on its head, elevating what it is to be poor in spirit, to be meek, to be a peacemaker, to be humble, pure in heart, to deeply desire righteousness before all else, even to be persecuted for one's righteousness.  Those things are a high price to pay within a culture that values material image, status, and social power to the extent that ours does.  But in Christ's words and teachings, the pearl of greatest price -- of highest value -- is life in this kingdom.  And so we find what is worthy of our sacrifice of what's needed in the social order in order to gain what the heart's desire would claim as exaltation and joy that cannot be found otherwise.  This is our choice, and it's the wisdom of life, even our greatest prize.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you

 

 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer to I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another.

 

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out  of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.'  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.' 

 

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning." 

 

- John 15:12–27 

 

 This week we are reading through what is known as Christ's Farewell Discourse given at the Last Supper.  Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.  As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

 

  "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."  This is the second time that Jesus has iterated this "new commandment" for His disciples (see John 13:34).  My study Bible comments that many religions and philosophies teach people to love one another.  What makes this commandment new is the measure required of our love:  we are told to love as Christ has loved us.  In the following verses He explains what this depth of love means, that He will lay down His life for His friends.  Moreover, at the Cross He will lay down His life even for His enemies.  

 

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer to I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another."  My study Bible comments that friendship is higher than servanthood.  It says that servants obey their masters out of fear or a sense of duty; friends obey out of love and an internal desire to do what is good and right.  Abraham was called a "friend of God" (James 2:23) because he obeyed God out of the belief of his heart.  The disciples, and truly all the saints, are honored as friends of Christ because they freely obey His commandments out of love.  Those who have this spirit of loving obedience, my study Bible adds, are open to receive and understand the revelations of the Father (Matthew 16:17).

 

 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out  of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.'  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'"  My study Bible explains here that the term world is used in several distinct ways in Scripture.  In some cases, it refers to everything that is glorious, beautiful, and redeemable in God's creation (John 3:16).  Other times, it's a reference to that which is finite in contrast to that which is eternal (John 11:9; 18:36).  Yet other times, as here, this term indicates everything that is in rebellion against God (see also John 8:23).  Additionally, my study Bible comments that the rebellion of the world against God reveals several things.  First, while union with Christ brings love, truth, and peace, it also brings persecution -- because the world hates love and truth (see also John 16:33).  Secondly, the world hated Christ.  So therefore, it will hate all those who try to be Christ-like (verse 20).  Moreover, the world hates Christ because it neither knows nor desires to know the Father, as Jesus indicates here (verses 21-24).  Hatred for Jesus Christ is irrational and unreasonable, for Christ brings love and mercy.  Therefore, Christ is hated without a cause (verse 25).

 

 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning."   My study Bible comments that with respect to God's working salvation in the world, the Son sends the Holy Spirit from the Father alone.  In other words, the Holy Spirit receives His eternal existence only from the Father.  In conformity with Christ's words, the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed confesses belief "in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father."  While the Son is begotten of the Father alone, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone; in other words, the source or Fountainhead of both Persons is the Father. 

 

 St. John's Gospel is often called the Gospel of Love.  This passage is one of those that make it clear why it is called this way.  Many commentaries reflect that while the Synoptic Gospels teach us about the manner in which the Eucharist was instituted, St. John's Gospel gives us the reasons and meaning behind it.  Moreover, according to Biblical Studies professor Dr. Eugenia Constantinou, there is further good reason to understand St. John's Gospel in this way, as it also testifies to the particularly close relationship he had with Jesus.  He is referred to as the "Beloved Disciple" or "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20); Christ even commits the care of His Mother, the Theotokos, to the care of St. John when He was dying on the Cross.  St. John then took her into his own home (John 19:27).  This dimension of their deep friendship -- while Christ loved all of His disciples -- perhaps put St. John in the most advantageous position to teach us about Christ's love, and the deep nature of the love of God.  So important is our understanding of this reality of the nature of God and of our faith that St. Paul himself has written one of the greatest testimonies to it that we have.  This is found in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.  So essential is love to our faith that, according to St. Paul, it surpasses all other gifts.  Indeed, he claims that having any other spiritual gift, but without love, renders that gift nothing.  Even among the greatest virtues of our faith, the greatest is love:  "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).  All of these things confirm Christ's words as found here in St. John's Gospel.  He will indeed go on to lay down His life for His friends, even for His enemies, as my study Bible tells us, and for all who have been and were to come, for the whole of the Creation.  Christ's words in today's reading confirm for us this basis of love for all of us who would be faithful to Him, for all of the communion -- from Father to Son and Holy Spirit, and in turn to us and to all of Creation -- is based in love.  Like St. Paul, we can say, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).  Let us also consider that when we go to our churches, when we profess to be Christian, without love we have no real basis in our faith.  Additionally, Jesus also promises us tribulation in the world, but it is His love that guides us through the evils we may encounter and endure, just as He did.  He invites us into that spiritual battle, and our part in it is His love, and His life teaches us that truth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness

 

 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your father's guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

 

 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 

- Matthew 23:27–39 

 

On Wednesday we began reading Christ's final public sermon, an indictment of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.  In yesterday's reading, He continued that sermon, saying,  "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."

  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."  Here is Christ's vivid description of a hypocrisy that masks behavior that leads to death, not life.  

 

 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your father's guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." My study Bible suggests that the reference to Zechariah (as in Luke 11:51) may refer to the prophet at the time of Joash the king (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), while there is another opinion it may refer to the father of St. John the Baptist, who, according to tradition, was also murdered in the temple.  

 

 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"   My study Bible comments that God's deepest desire is the reconciliation of His people, yet most do not want Him.  The desolate house refers both to the temple and to the nation itself, for "house" can be used to mean "family" or "tribe" (see Psalms 115:12, 135:19). Both the temple and the nation will be without God's presence once Christ departs.  Noteworthy here is the feminine, loving, protective motherly image Christ gives for Himself as a hen who seeks to gather her chicks under her wings.  

 

 Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."  In this image of the whitewashed tombs Jesus describes, we discover what we may look at as an illustration of what is called "the two ways."  These are the way of life and the way of death.  The two ways are specifically laid out for the people by God in the Book of Jeremiah, in which the prophet Jeremiah is instructed as follows, "Now you shall say to this people, 'Thus says the Lord: "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death'" (Jeremiah 21:8).  In Jesus' preaching, we are taught about the two ways in the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus teaches, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13).  My study Bible tells us that the description of the two ways was widespread in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:18-19, 12:28, 15:21; Sirach 15:17), and also in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).  In the struggle for the better way of the narrow gate, we as human beings wrestle against sin and human weakness in addition to spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12).  These varied forces and influences define the external focus of the religious leaders whom Jesus criticizes, who are like whitewashed tombs.  They are careful to appear to the world as pious and upholding religious law and doctrine, but their inner lives follow another way.  Hence Jesus' description, that all this beauty of the whitewash hides not only the sins done against others for gain (even "dead men's bones" that may allude to the prophets murdered by those in whose footsteps these men follow), but also their own neglect of their souls.  In Jesus words, they will "fill up the measure" of their "fathers' guilt."  Their hypocrisy, then, is a "way of death," another bad road leading to a bad end.  Jesus prophesies of those whom He will send out in the world:  "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city."  But this bad road of hypocrisy in which, despite their words to the contrary, they follow the priests who stoned and killed the prophets before them, will lead to a particular end.  Jesus tells them, " . . . that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."  Those dead men's bones, and all uncleanness therefore includes not only the state of their souls in their turning from the love of God but also the sins of their ancestors whose ways they follow.  This is what it means that He calls them "sons of those who murdered the prophets."  We have to recall the repeated warnings to Israel by the prophets, constantly calling the people back to God, and persecuted and rebuked, even murdered, by those holding these responsible positions.  Jesus says to them that all this will come down upon this particular generation.  We must note that this passage ends with Christ's great, sad, and loving lament over Jerusalem, and her repeated refusal of the Lord's prophets who have been sent to her.  The Lord's "motherly" lament over His lost children echoes and expands upon David's mournful weeping over the loss of his rebellious son Absalom, and the transcendent love of the father for his lost son in Christ's parable of the Prodigal (2 Samuel 18:33; Luke 15:32).  Once again, we need to remind ourselves that these words of Jesus are not meant to simply teach us about the past, but to warn us about our own paths in life.  We are given grace to help us follow His light, to find His way of life for us (John 8:12).  I once spoke to a modern psychotherapist who put it this way; he said, "You're either going the right way or the wrong way."  In Christian terms, we follow the light or we don't.  To follow the light, as grace makes possible for us, is to find our lives in Him and where He leads.  To refuse is to find ourselves in darkness.  And this is what repentance is for, to come back to the way of life.  For He always awaits and calls us back.

 

 

 

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves

 

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

- Matthew 10:16-23 

 

Yesterday we read about Jesus sending out the twelve apostles on their first missionary journey:  These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

 

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  My study Bible comments on this passage that here Jesus instructs the disciples to be wise as serpents so that they might not be unnecessarily wounded and that they might take all advantage of the spread of the gospel.  He also tells them to be harmless as doves so that they should not retaliate against those who do them wrong.  Moreover, in this way they should be blameless in their witness of the gospel. 

 

"But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."  My study Bible indicates that persecution must not cause the disciple to quit, but simply to move forward in one's mission.  According to St. John Chrysostom, it notes, before the Son of Man comes is not a reference to the Second Coming.  It means that before the disciples could visit all the cities in Palestine, Christ would rejoin them -- thereby more quickly ending the hostility they would encounter.  

 

 As Jesus sends out the apostles on their first missionary journey, He has first told them to carry themselves in a very humble manner.  The only rebuke to those who will not receive them is that they are to shake off the dust from their feet as they leave.  (See yesterday's reading, above.)  Judgment is left to Christ in the "day of judgment," which will be at the end of the age.  Here in today's reading, as Jesus continues with His instructions, we read His words about persecution that will come to them.  Jesus presents this persecution as inevitable, and perhaps this is something that we, even those of us who live in nominally Christian countries where there is freedom of religion, must also take seriously.  There is first of all, Christ's teaching about proper responses to persecution and hatred.  We might not be persecuted for being of Christian faith, but there are teachings to which we adhere within our faith, regardless of denomination.  The world remains the world, a place dominated still by violence, by greed and ambition, by manipulation, by lies, even hatreds.  These things remain a part of the enemies of the kingdom of God.  Secondly, we can't forget Christ's words about the importance of testimony.  We mustn't simply think of testimony in terms of persuasive words or arguments, rational exposition of our faith in some kind of public debate.  Jesus adds regarding testimony:  "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."  If in our testimony we speak words by the Holy Spirit, then there is a power in testimony that is at work in the world on hidden spiritual levels, "behind the scenes," so to speak, and one simply can't estimate the impact of that power that can be contained in words through the Spirit, just as the power of Christ's words continues to influence the world throughout the centuries since His human life on earth as Jesus.  The powerful impact, for example, of the words in the Gospels goes beyond simply the printed words on the page; there are times when our soul is simply ready to hear or read those words, and that impact can't be explained away in terms of efficiency or utility.  Jesus warns of betrayals, and we know that betrayals and hostility, even hatred, for following our faith can happen in a number of ways having nothing to do with official persecution of a state.  Jesus tells us, "But he who endures to the end will be saved."  If we read the Revelation and Christ's prophesies of end times, we find also that this applies beyond the early Christian era, and to the whole of this time in which we await Christ's return and judgment.  When evil is present in the world, a Christian will struggle to follow faith and to resist following evil.  This remains a reality with us, regardless of historical change, and so we continue to take Christ's words seriously -- in the ways we present ourselves, how we carry ourselves in the world, how we respond.  Let us learn to be the disciples who follow in the footsteps of the apostles, regardless of who we are or where we live.  Let us continue to endeavor to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.  Let us make wise and prayerful testimonies.  Let us not copy the ways of the world but remain true to His teaching. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand

 

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that

'Seeing they may see and not perceive,

And hearing they may hear and not understand;

Lest they should turn,

And their sins be forgiven them.' "

 

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear,  Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other tings entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 

- Mark 4:1–20 

 

Yesterday we read that, having appointed the Twelve to become His apostles, Jesus and the disciples went into a house.   Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house. Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" --  because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."  

 

  And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  As in the other Synoptic Gospels, Jesus begin preaching in parables with the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-3; Luke 8:4-5).  Let us note that He began to teach by the sea because by now there is a great multitude gathered to Him.  It's important to understand this beginning of teaching in parables comes when His ministry draws great crowds to Him.  Jesus' saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" is an echo of the Old Testament prophets; see Isaiah 6:9-10; Ezekiel 3:27; Jeremiah 5:21; Deuteronomy 29:4.

 

 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.' "  The disciples' question is answered first by Jesus not as to explain its meaning, but to give the reason for His preaching in parables.  He responds by a reference to the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10).  My study Bible comments that, according to St. John Chrysostom, Isaiah's prophecy does not mean that God causes spiritual blindness in people who would otherwise have been faithful.  This is a figure of speech which is common in Scripture and reveals God as giving people up to their own devices (as in Romans 1:24-26).  God has permitted their self-chosen blindness and deafness.  People did not become blind and deaf to the message of Christ because it God spoke through Isaiah, but the prophet spoke because he foresaw their blindness.

 

 And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear,  Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  In this parable, my study Bible comments, our Lord reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower, who had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.  My study Bible asks us to note that while some might teach a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith (a view which was never held by the historic Church), the teaching of Jesus here is quite clear that it is possible for some to receive the word with gladness, but endure only for a time.

 

 In today's reading we first of all observe that Jesus begins speaking in parables only when His ministry has grown so that by now there is a great multitude which follows Him -- so many people that He must sit in a boat facing the shore to preach.  In the beginning of His ministry, the disciples whom He told to "Follow Me" were those who had already been disciples of St. John the Baptist, and were led by the Baptist to Christ (Mark 1:17; John 1:29).  Here He is before the crowds who have heard of Christ's fame -- and especially of His healing and casting out of demons.  They are drawn to Him not necessarily because they seek discipleship.  What we may conclude from Christ's choice to preach in parables before this multitude then, is that He desires a faith that is not based on coercion or manipulation or the appeal of miraculous occurrences.  Indeed, the faith that He is seeking is one that can perceive with a different set of eyes and ears, one not drawn simply by appearance or public acclaim.  And this dynamic surely plays out in our own lives, and even in every generation.  Moreover, the kind of faith He's looking for is one that will grow in us, and become through this process strong enough to endure through tribulation or persecution.  The sense of rootedness that He speaks of ("they have no root in themselves") is something that is deep within us, not merely on the surface through some sort of material attraction or promise.  Parables work, in some sense, as icons.  They are images drawn from daily life in the world to represent and communicate the deep things of God, as my study Bible puts it.  But, as the quotation from Isaiah indicates, these deep things are not evident to everybody.  What Christ is looking for are those with spiritual ears to hear -- and even then, not all people have the same degree of understanding.  These various possible outcomes conveyed by the parable, which Jesus explains in private to His disciples, are all things, in fact, that we may occasionally experience even as faithful.  We all may be tempted to stumble (for example as did St. Peter; see this reading).  But the rootedness of the faith Christ seeks is that which has endurance, forbearance, patience, and a deep love for the things of God:  those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.  Note that the qualities Christ seeks in the parable all indicate a faithfulness through time.  For how else can we bear fruit, except through the times of our lives and the living out of our faith through all things?  This is an ever-deepening process, one with difficulties, and hard choices, and one subject to temptation.  The material-oriented life we lead in modern times, all the desires which are fed through coercion or persuasion, our impulses to rage, to take what we think we deserve from others, to shortcut or ignore the realities and values of the spiritual life:  these are all with us, and in some ways are perhaps stronger than ever.  But, yet, faith endures, and is the antidote to the easy things we think we can grab -- popular images we consume on social media, the temptation to addictions of all kinds, the lack of vision to persist through hardship and discomfort.  But our lives are made of more than this, and Christ asks for those who can seek it and live that fullness, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth

 

 "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.  And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.  But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  

 

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."

 

- John 16:1-15 

 

 In our current readings, Jesus is giving what is called the Farewell Discourse to the apostles.  The setting is the Last Supper, before Jesus goes to His arrest leading to the Cross, His death, and then to Resurrection.  This readings and commentary on this Discourse began on Monday.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught the apostles, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another.  If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.'  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'  But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds  from the Father, He will testify of Me.  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning."

 

  "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think he offers God service.  And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.  And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.  But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart."  My study Bible defines the use of sorrow here to mean "extreme grief leading to despondency or despair," which it names a sinful passion.  St. John Chrysostom is quoted:  "Great is the tyranny of despondency."  This sin, moreover, is constantly referred to in the writings of the Desert Fathers.  When the world persecutes the believer or when God seems to be absent, my study Bible notes, Christians are called to fight against this despondency, taking comfort from the presence of the Holy Spirit.  

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now."  Of course, the Helper is the Holy Spirit.  The word translated as "Helper" from the Greek was used in ancient times for a legal aid, a lawyer; it was extended to mean also "Comforter," "Counselor," and "Advocate."  It literally indicates one who comes (by one's side) when called.  My study Bible comments on this passage that through the illumination brought by the Holy Spirit, the world will be convicted; that is, proven wrong.  It will be convicted concerning first, its sin, the ultimate of which is the denial of Christ.  Second, righteousness, which it failed to accept from Christ with faith and thanksgiving; and finally judgment, for those who reject Christ will receive the same penalty that Satan, the ruler of this world, has already received (see Matthew 25:41).  

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  All things that the Father has are Mine.  Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."  My study Bible tells us that because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and because this Spirit abides in the Church, the Church is the guardian of all truth.  

It seems important to remember, when considering Christ's words about judgment, that the Holy Spirit (the Helper, the Spirit of truth) is at work in our world all the time.  When Christ speaks about the Spirit doing the work of judgment and conviction, we should remember that, first of all, Christ is the Knower of all hearts (that is, He knows the depths of our hearts we might not even know), and second, the Holy Spirit will give help and opportunity to all regarding response to the spiritual truth it offers, in ways that none of us can know about anyone else.  This extends to ourselves as well, in terms of our own awareness of just what we are being presented with in our choices all the time.  So when we read Christ's words (and my study Bible's understanding) we can be certain that God presents us with opportunities all the time in terms of our response to this truth, to the work of the Holy Spirit in us and around us, which is always ongoing.  God's judgment is not like our judgment, and only God knows the true depths of who we are to make that judgment, so this is effectually, a great mystery to us all on our human, worldly level, and is something belonging only to God in terms of prerogative.  We cannot be the Judge, but what we can do is accept Christ's words and His commands, especially the commands to love one another which have gained so much importance in this final Farewell Discourse to Christ's apostles.  We can rely on and trust in the Spirit of truth to be present to us and with us at all times, an Advocate, a Helper, a Counselor, One who offers us the closeness of one closer to our hearts than we know, and who always has our best interest in mind.  Jesus also speaks at the same time of persecutions that are coming; emphatically, He tells them even in this vivid language that "the time is coming that whoever kills you will think he offers God service."  This is a picture of the spirit of the Antichrist at work in the world, so that we understand this complex life in which we live, and the great and courageous mission into which the apostles were about to engage.  These conditions remain with us, and come in new and myriad forms, but our basic struggle is the same.  We trust in Christ (this is what it means to have faith), we follow His commands, and above all, we are to do so as our love for Him.  As Christ has said, He receives love from the Father, and shares that love with the disciples, and with us.  This love, as He has said repeatedly in this Discourse, is that with which He abides in us, and we abide in Him, so that our joy and peace may be a part of us all the time, no matter what is presented to us in the world, if we remain His disciples.  Let us rely upon this Spirit of truth, our Comforter and our Helper, to find our way through, even in a world that is hostile.  The Holy Spirit, Spirit of truth will bring to remembrance all the things Christ has taught, taking of what is Christ's to declare to us from the Father, giving us the capacity to witness to Him in the world.   

 

 

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

 For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

- Matthew 5:1-12 

 

 In our recent readings in St. Mark's Gospel, the setting has been Jesus' final week of His earthly life, iin Jerusalem.  He had made His Triumphal Entry into the city, cleansed the temple, and spent His days disputing and sparring with the religious leaders as He taught in the temple.  Most recently, after one question, Jesus told the scribe who had asked Him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  On Saturday, we read Jesus then responded again and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly. Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who  desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.   Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  Today the lectionary takes us to the Sermon on the Mount (found in St. Matthew's Gospel), from which the readings will come for this week, no doubt in preparation for Lent which begins next week.  My study Bible comments on these verses that in the Old Testament, there were only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, is speaking to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain, as my study Bible explains it, is a place where divine action enters human history; it is the place where God reveals Himself to humankind (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Samuel 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  There were early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, who sat while the people stood.  St. Matthew mentions that Jesus opened his mouth in order to emphasize that his teaching is "one way," my study Bible says. That is, Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are not there to discuss or debate, but to listen. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with what are called the Beatitudes, after these beginning statements regarding those who are blessed.  (Beatitude comes from the Latin word meaning "blessed.")  In this context, my study Bible explains, blessed indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.  To be poor in spirit is to have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and to be totally dependent upon God. 

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible says that those who mourn sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is importantly distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible explains that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek, it says, are God-controlled and they have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  Meekness is not passive weakness, but strength directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  My study Bible says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God  and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  It says they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  My study Bible defines mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  It says that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all. 

 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  "Pure," according to my study Bible, means unmixed with anything else.  The pure in heart are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who are pure in this sense practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  My study Bible says that this level of spirituality is attained by few, but all people may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, it tells us, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will see God everywhere.  

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  By so doing, He revealed Himself to us as our Reconciler, the Prince of peace who brings us into communion with God (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ, my study Bible says.  So peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, then, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible declares that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, it notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown awaiting the righteous.

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study Bible claims that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek word meaning to be exceedingly glad literally means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  Sometimes this word is translated as to "exult."  See Acts 5:40-41.

Among all the other seemingly paradoxical statements we read in the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps the most strange, to our modern ears, is to hear that not only are we blessed when we're reviled and persecuted, or have evil slander directed against us -- all for Christ's sake.  We're to rejoice and be exceedingly glad because our reward in heaven is great; moreover, so the prophets before were persecuted.  Clearly this would have been meaningful to His direct audience, as for the Jews, the prophets were the greatest representatives of God sent into the world, so often to speak God's truth to power and face the consequences for doing so.   From the Gospels it is clear that Christ's first disciples were those guided to Him by John the Baptist, while John himself is considered to be the greatest of all the Old Testament type prophets.  We can see this heroic continuity in those who've been sent exemplified in Christ's parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Mark 12:1-12), which was given in Wednesday's reading last week.  There, servant after servant is sent by God to the vinedressers, only to be killed, and finally the owner sends his beloved Son.  It is into this known continuity that Jesus' listeners are given these words, Christ speaking of the prophets as images to imitate.  But most stunning of all is His assertion that now, we are to rejoice if this persecution comes for His sake.  For there He is placing Himself as central to the narrative of salvation, if you will.  He is placing Himself firmly in the place of the beloved Son sent to us all by God the Father.  He declares Himself worthy of such suffering and sacrifice, because He can offer us that eternal life, that place where our reward is great in heaven.  Noteworthy also, is remarking upon Christ's statement, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  We frequently read in Christ's teaching a sort of reciprocal principle at work within our communion with God and with our fellow believers and neighbors.  Further along in the Sermon on the Mount, after He gives us the Our Father, or the Lord's Prayer, He teaches, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15).  Both Christ's teaching on the practice of mercy and on forgiveness sound similar notes of reciprocal action within our communion with God and neighbor, and they are indeed related to one another.  We need to practice mercy and forgiveness in order to realize and receive these ourselves.  Perhaps, however, we need to understand suffering for Christ's sake within this same type of context.  For to suffer for His sake is to live His teachings and to be persecuted in some way for doing so.  To be merciful, and yet be made to suffer for it, even slandered for it, is a sense in which we're to understand that Christ's repayment for such a heroic dedication to His word will be ever greater, reciprocal in the greatest degree.  Moreover, to suffer for the sake of Christ's word and teachings is to do so in imitation of Him, for it is He who will pay the highest price for doing so, and out of love for us.   The modern cynical expression, "No good deed goes unpunished" may have a lot of truth in it for those who have experienced persecution for living the Lord's words and teachings.  But to suffer for Christ's sake is also to express our love for Him in return for the love we know first (1 John 4:19).   Let us consider how the practice of Christ's love and compassion might also mean that we suffer for His sake -- and then ponder His words that we need to rejoice and be exceedingly glad in the times when this is so!