And as you go, preach, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand"

 

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

 

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

 

- Matthew 10:5-15 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Let us look at some elements of Christ's commissioning and instructions to the disciples on this first apostolic journey which may seem somehow contradictory to us.  Perhaps to modern ears, we're used to thinking of "good" and "bad" in terms of what loving behavior is, and what it is not.  But the truth of Christ is a kind of two-edged sword, if we can put it in such metaphorical terms, as did St. Paul (Hebrews 4:12).  We either embrace that truth or we don't.  We either embrace His gospel message, or we don't.  And as the Person who is truth (John 14:6), we receive Him or we don't.  That is, the fullness of His message, His person, His grace is the complete expression of truth into which we seek to grow as we enter into communion with Him.  So there is a type of double-edged quality to the mission and instructions with which He sends out these disciples now chosen to become apostles.  The apostles' character and demeanor must be one of peace and humility, just as Christ Triumphal Entry into the Holy City of Jerusalem was that begins what we know as Holy Week (Matthew 21:1-11), as conveyed in His being seated on the colt of a donkey.  They will carry no money, nor will they dress ostentatiously.  They will be dependent upon how they are received wherever they go.  They are not to "trade up" for better accommodations, but stay in the first place where they are welcomed ("stay there till you go out").  As my study Bible pointed out, these apostles are to greet every household where they go to preach, presumably with the common greeting of offering peace.  But Jesus tells them something that stands out in a modern world that doesn't often understand discernment.  He instructs the apostles, "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."  As the disciples do not go out into the world in their own names, they go out in the name of Christ, and He has given them His power to take into the world to do its healing work on so many levels, including the offering of His peace.  If they are rejected, so it is Christ's power and mission and grace that is rejected; Christ's peace is rejected, so it will return to the apostles.  To shake the dust from their feet is a rebuke, but it's also symbolic.  We are reminded that Christ is also the judge, and He will judge at the end of the age.  Is our final end only to be that dust?  (See Genesis 3:19.)  His words affirm this power of judgment:  "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!"   In the world, the work of the Holy Spirit, the power of God, works as a kind of measure.  We accept the promptings and work of the Spirit, or we do not.  But this "measure" is something that bears fruit in the final judgment of Christ.  We all have a lifetime to work out what we love and what we don't, what we accept and that which we reject.  Only Christ can judge, and only God knows the true heart of people.  Let us take seriously these instructions given to the disciples, for the power they carry with them is not only the grace and power of Christ at work in ministry, to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons."  As they have freely received of Christ, so they are to freely give.  This includes as well the peace of Christ, and the power of His word.  Moreover, with them, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."  God's grace and love is freely given, but we are also free to reject it.  However, the reality of the power of God is the very reality of life and existence itself, even of all creation.  We should understand the power of Christ's healing word and grace, and what we reject for ourselves when we can't or don't receive it.  It carries the power of forgiveness for sins, a great healing grace indeed, and the love to heal us spiritually, to heal the soul.  Consider what is turned down, in turning away that grace, and what remains without it.    The lost sheep are those He seeks; without the Shepherd, we remain only lost.  But yet still, He offers us the kingdom of heaven.

 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them. 

 

 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.   When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. 

 

 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. 

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

On Saturday, we read that after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  My study Bible comments that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) tell us that Peter was married.  Additionally, it notes that Christ's healing miracles are diverse.  Here, He heals by touch; at other times He heals with a word (Matthew 8:13).  This healing is immediate and complete; others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or need the cooperation of the person being healed or that person's loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  

 

  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we note St. Mark's repeated emphasis on what is called the Messianic Secret, as He did not allow the demons to speak.  That is, the heretofore kept secret of Jesus' identity as Christ, the Messiah.  

 

 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.   When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments that Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He is God incarnate, Jesus prayed continually, and frequently found a solitary place in order to be free from distraction.  This is despite the multitude's need of Him.  Christ's ministry comes forth from His communion with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to the people in their needs.  Christ's praying in the morning shows us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and after that we will be equipped to serve others.  

 

  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.   My study Bible tells us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 gives us a description of the purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was a duty entrusted to the priests.  It says also that leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclear was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), however Jesus touched the leper, expressing His compassion, and showing that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean (Romans 14:14; Titus 1:15).

 

In today's reading, we receive the clear message that there is a type of warfare going on behind the scenes, so to speak, in our world.  That is, there are unclean spirits, demons, created beings of a spiritual nature who are in opposition to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  These are beings created as angels, but as Scripture illustrates in various places, they have chosen to oppose the plans of God.  Most particularly this oppositional force is focused on human beings.  As we can see, Christ Himself is the divine Son, He is God, and therefore they are powerless to oppose Him.  All forms of healing seem to be seamlessly mixed with Christ's power to cast out the demons.  Often it is the demons who cause disease or illness in the Gospels, but their effects may be many and quite varied.  What we find in today's reading is interesting for its revealing of the recognition by the demons of who Jesus is.  Just as in yesterday's reading, they are subject to Christ's commands ("Be quiet . . . !"); in today's reading, we're told, He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Besides the fact that this Messianic Secret must be kept, besides the fact that all things in Christ's ministry must unfold in accordance with the Father, and therefore the revelation of His identity as Christ must come later, there might be another reason why we should take it seriously that Jesus forbids the demons or unclean spirits from speaking.  In Christ's time practices calling on such spirits or demonic powers were widespread.  Indeed we read in the Bible of prophesy or divination or magic or other practices by all kinds of means, and always with demonic influence of one kind or another involved.  We, in our modern sense of history without context, may completely underestimate how common such involvement was, for even the pagan gods that were worshiped were considered to be a part of these spiritual forces in opposition to the Holy Trinity and the other spiritual powers (or angels of various types) loyal to God.  Therefore, when we read that Christ forbade the demons or unclean spirits from speaking, we should consider that this is a powerful message in the context of these warring spiritual powers who also contest for human involvement in such practices.  That is, in terms of the practice of ritual magic, or even the common pagan worship of Christ's time, and many other such practices, there is a subtle message here that even if the demons seem to know something that is true, we as followers of Christ are never to go there.  Even with true information, such as that Jesus is the Christ, it's God's will that is supreme and that we must seek -- for all of salvation must work not in accordance with any random acts or bits of information, but for a specific pattern that unfolds in the right way and the right time (as we discussed in yesterday's commentary).  These sorts of practices that involve arcane knowledge or magic of one type or another are misleading at best, often causing trouble to those who practice or seek it, and leading to bad ends, especially involving people in evil they don't understand.  It's important that in our time we take this seriously, for there are all kinds of ways in which popular culture seems to take on a veneer of interest and curiosity in such practices under their many guises, and for varied reasons given.  Jesus' commands to the demons tell us not only who is the more powerful, but also give us the message of separation.  There is no compromise with evil.  Our God is not who we manipulate or coerce to do us favors.  The God we worship is the One who needs nothing from us, who loves us, and who offers us salvation instead, and shows us the way to walk in the light.  Let us not be tempted by the dark, but seek God's will only in all that we do, first.  Jesus shows us the way by starting everything with prayer.  Such manipulative practices as discussed above seek specific outcomes, view life in material terms alone.  A modern materialist mindset would tend to view outcomes as the one important value:  Christ's healings, for example.  But Christ begins with solitary time in prayer with God first, for this is our Source for all things, including which outcome is important and when.  For we can't know what God knows, but we can always seek God's will as Christ does.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed"

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them. 

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

Now in the morning, having arisen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

Yesterday we read that, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.   Here, Jesus heals by touch, taking Peter's mother-in-law by the hand and lifting her up.  Notice once again the use of the word immediately in Mark's Gospel, how her fever immediately left her.  Jesus restores her to her place of honor in the household, as who serves Christ and His ministry.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  My study Bible notes that Mark tells us that Jesus did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  This is yet a second emphasis in Mark's Gospel of this need for His messianic identity to be kept a secret (the first was in yesterday's reading, when Christ cast out an unclean spirit who identified Him as "the Holy One of Israel").  

Now in the morning, having arisen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments on this passage that here Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  It says that although He is God Incarnate, Jesus prayed continually, frequently finding a solitary place so that He is free from distraction, despite the multitude's need of Him.  Christ's ministry comes forth from that communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and it flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning, it says, teaches us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then will we be equipped to serve others.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  My study Bible tells us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  In Deuteronomy 24:8 we find the description of the purification of lepers and of leprous houses, a duty which was entrusted to the priests.  For this reason, Jesus tells the healed man, "Show yourself to the priest," as this was necessary according to the Mosaic Law for re-entering into the community.    Leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were therefore unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple, my study Bible says.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but here Jesus touched the leper nonetheless, and showed His compassion.  Moreover it shows also that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean.  

In his Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul writes an extensive discussion concerning practices within the Church.  It's important to remember, in that context, that the early Church was made up of people who were Jews and also of people who were non-Jews, and all were living in a society that was nominally pagan in its codes and practices.  The discussion of eating meat found therein is important because virtually all meat available in the wider marketplace was from animals that had been sacrificed to idols, so therefore for Christians this presented a significant problem, as food sacrificed to idols was to be avoided (Acts 15:28-29).  In Romans chapter 14, St. Paul writes, "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."  In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul has an extensive discussion based on what is good for the whole of the community, the importance of not scandalizing others in the faith, and preventing sin. All of this is based on and around what is called the Law of Love.  While his topic is ostensibly about food, this teaching clearly applies to other things as well, and here is where the comment in my study Bible, "to the clean, nothing is unclean," is used to frame Christ's touching of the leper to heal him.  Let us note that this saying is not used to justify or to permit just anything, but rather to teach us what it is to first begin -- as Jesus does in today's reading -- within our relationship to God, which is the basis for all else that we do in the world.  To be "clean" in this context is all about this inner reconciliation to God, as illustrated in today's reading by Jesus starting His day a long while before daylight, and finding a solitary place, in order to pray.  If we look carefully at the Torah and its system of sacrifices as established for the temple, we will understand that the entire root and aim of the practices was setting the community in right relationship with God, as community and as individuals.  (A very good book on that subject is Welcoming Gifts: Sacrifice in the Bible and Christian Life, by Fr. Jeremy Davis.)   As Jesus practices a day begun very early in prayer, He shows us how His ministry must flow from there.   It is our orientation to God that focuses us on what we do with our lives; and, as God is love (1 John 4:8), it is to God we turn to learn what it is to live love, to "do" love, so to speak, how to live in community in a proper and righteous and truly loving way.  It is in this right relationship to God that we find what is "clean," and that our sight is cleansed so that we view the world and our place in it properly.  This, of course, is an ongoing process, and full of change, as life is full of changes, and we are asked basically to grow as learners and disciples of Christ.  We are meant to learn to see by His light.  Psalm 36:9 reads, "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."  Jesus Himself, through His life, death, and Resurrection, and of course His own voluntary sacrifice on the Cross, and therefore in the Eucharist, becomes that reconciliation for us, and so He teaches, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).  What we find with Christ is an ongoing relationship of love, and teaching, and learning, and growth toward God, deepening who we are and cleansing what we need to cleanse, making right our relationship with God so that we find how we need to walk in accordance with His light.  Christ's compassion teaches and instructs us, but without His guidance, we lose our way in abstractions and demands and self-flattering hypocrisies.  For we are those who, without that light, find all kinds of idols to worship, even things which seemingly are good but nonetheless lead to harm.  Let us have the humility to be cleansed by Christ, in order to find our way to see as He asks us to see.

 

 

 

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons

 

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house. 

 

- Mark 3:7-19 

 

On Saturday, we read that that Jesus and His disciples went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  Already in Mark's Gospel we're given to understand the great popularity of Jesus' ministry, and how the people respond to Him and follow Him.  They are from every region of the Jews and even from Gentile territory.  His effect is like that of a pop star; He's in danger of being crushed by the crowd.  So much so, that a small boat has to be kept ready for Him, so that He might escape the multitude if necessary.  His great effect is to heal, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.    My study Bible comments that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (see Saturday's reading, above), although it was not time for Him to die; and in order to preach in other places.  At the same time, the unclean spirits know Him, and He does not want them to make Him known at this point in His ministry.  According to my study Bible, Christ's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  His reasons for secrecy include the growing hostility of the religious leaders; the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly political leader; and finally, Christ's desire to evoke genuine faith, which is not based solely on the marvelous signs that accompany His ministry.  

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house. Jesus appoints twelve, that they may be disciples (they might be with Him) and apostles (He might send them out to preach).  In Greek the word for disciple means "learner," and the word apostle means "one sent out."   He also appointed them that they might have power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons, as He does.  But this power He gives to them (Matthew 10:1), while Jesus performed such miracles by His own power.  The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  In Matthew's Gospel, they are given in pairs, which suggests who may have traveled together on their first missionary journey (as further on Mark reports they went out two by two; see Mark 6:7).  

If we look at Christ's ministry as portrayed in all the Gospels, and specifically here in Mark, we see quite a progression.  Of course, Mark's Gospel moves along at a very rapid pace by comparison to Matthew, Luke, and John, and so we have had a chance to observe this rapid progression.  We're just on chapter 3, and Jesus' fame has spread from Galilee to all areas around historical Israel, to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon, and beyond the Jordan to the east.  But it is this very sense of unfolding that we might pause to consider at this point.  If Christ is the Son of God, why couldn't He have simply come into the world and announced His arrival with a kind of splendid and extraordinary event which was known to all people all at once?  Why could He have not come into the world and corrected the sin that exists here, freeing people from the cumulative effects of a "fallen" world?  Why does His ministry progress instead of simply being declared by fiat?  These questions are important, because, first of all, we understand Christ as a divine being outside of time.  That is, the human Jesus, of course, exists in time as the rest of us human beings do.  But the divine nature of the Son is timeless, outside of time, eternal and also able to declare the time (and specifically the appropriate hour for His own glorification on the Cross).  In His various miracles, He shows Himself somehow to be beyond the physical laws of the world (such as walking on the water).   We understand that God being born as human being (the Incarnation) is crucial to the salvation of the world, and therefore for the Son of God to live as a human being, and be subject to the things fellow human beings are subject to, is central the the theme of salvation -- indispensable to the redemption of the world.  And so, the idea that the ministry somehow unfolds within time is important in this sense, even if we don't understand the specifics.  When Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, in Matthew's recording of the event, John the Baptist first protests, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus replies to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him" (see Matthew 3:13-16).   Perhaps there is a clue in Christ's response as to the reason things unfold in time, and are not accomplished in an instant and for all the world; in this way, all righteousness is fulfilled.  The manifestation of God's Kingdom depends on more factors than our limited understanding can grasp.  But one thing we know for certain:  human beings must also be involved in this work of redemption and salvation of the world.  The unfolding of Christ's ministry takes a new turn today when He appoints the Twelve for ministry.  It should be a key point of exclamation for us to observe that Christ, our Lord, now shares His divine power with these appointed twelve disciples and apostles.  In this way, we observe the true inclusion of human beings in this righteousness that will work to save the world.  It isn't only God's love that is at work here, but also God's love chooses to work through human beings, with our inclusion and acceptance of this unfolding plan.   Perhaps we might consider this reasonable in the light of the nature of how we consider the world to be "fallen."   In Romans 5:12-17, St. Paul reminds us that sin entered the world through one man, and death as an effect of sin.  We can pause to consider all the cumulative effects of sin in the world, even the effects under which human beings commonly suffer through no fault of their own (their own personal sin).  In the ancient perspective of Christianity, evil or the "fallen" quality of the world is analogous to children who suffer for the sins of the parents, not because they are guilty, but because they must cope with the consequences of sins like abuse, crime, addiction, and so many other things.  If we understand Christ's ministry as unfolding, possibly to "fulfill all righteousness," then perhaps we can understand that as human beings were instrumental in bringing corruption into the world, then it is through us human beings that Christ will work to redeem the world.  Jesus shares His power with those whom He has chosen, and if His saving power is that which transfigures all things, then perhaps we need to understand that God will not simply come and declare the world fixed and redeemed without our involvement as well.  To fulfill all righteousness, to redeem a world beset by sin and its cumulative and inherited effects, can only work through the "work of God."  That is, not through our own plans or ideas, but in a way that God teaches us to work.   There are all kinds of ways in which we human beings come up with our own ideas about how to address the problem of evil in the world, but it is a problem much further up than our paygrade, so to speak, and we are given a Savior and a saving plan through the gospel of the Kingdom, in which we are asked to participate.  Let us watch the unfolding of this ministry, and come to understand also how we may unfold that same faith in our own lives, His way, even as He shares His power and commandments with those whom He has appointed, who came before us to found the Church in the world.  For we inherit our faith and the work of God through them also.

 

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons

 

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. 

 

- Mark 3:7–19a 

 

Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."   And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

 

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  My study Bible comments that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (although it was not time for Him to die) and also in order to preach in other places.  As we can see, Christ's fame has grown, and now a multitude of people -- not only from Galilee -- but also from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea beyond the Jordan (closer to the center of the religious establishment in Jerusalem), but also from the Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon.   This multitude is so great now that a small boat must be kept ready for Him at the shore, in case they might crush Him.  We can imagine how this draws the attention of the religious authorities.  Christ healed many, and those with afflictions pressed about Him and try to touch Him; at the same time the unclean spirits fall down in obeisance to Him, and call out His identity as the Son of God.   Let us note yet again that Jesus sternly warned the unclean spirits that they should not make Him known.   We have gone over the meany reasons for this in recent readings:  that He wants those who come to Him to do so in faith; that the people expect a political earthly Messiah; and, especially relevant to the things we're told in these verses, the growing hostility of the religious leadership to Him.

 

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.   With the growing attention that is coming to Jesus, and the multitudes from every region of Israel now coming to Him as well, Jesus now does something that marks another milestone in His ministry.  He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted:  it is now time to appoint the Twelve who will be with Him and sent out to preach, and have power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons.  Let us note that to "be with Him" is to learn from Him; in other words to be a disciple (a "learner" in the original Greek).  To be "sent out" is to be an apostle, from the word ἀπόστολος/apostolos in the Greek, literally meaning to be sent out (on a mission).   These words, "disciples" and "apostles," are frequently used interchangeably for these appointed twelve.  My study Bible comments that Jesus gave them power to perform miracles, while He performed them by His own power.  The names of the Twelve are not all the same on all lists; many people had more than one name (such as Matthew/Levi, for example).  Mark's Gospel will tell us that they were sent out two by two on their first missionary journey (Mark 6:7), while in Matthew's Gospel their names are given in pairs, possibly suggesting who traveled with whom (Matthew 10:1-4).  

In today's reading we see the expansion of Jesus' ministry.  His fame has gone far beyond Galilee, and now reaches into the corners of Jewish life in all the regions of Israel and the immediately surrounding areas.  Importantly, now there are those from Jerusalem and Judea who come to Him, leaving no doubt the scrutiny of the authorities will become more focused upon His ministry, while He has already had confrontations with scribes and Pharisees.  It is frequently commented on in Scripture that events which take place on a mountain signify spiritual importance.  Mountains, or other "high places" were widely considered throughout the ancient world to be the habitations of God (or gods), a place where divine encounters take place.  Let us note that in this case it is not the people who go up to the divine being to ask for favors or to sacrifice.  Rather, in this case, it is God who calls those to Him whom He Himself wanted.  This is an expansion of God's power, an elevation of human beings to the work of the divine, that comes expressly through the desire of God Himself, and not through human request.  Moreover, in pagan religions it was traditional for sacrifice or other appeasements to be given in order to plead for some kind of power or gift, or to ask for a high position or honor.  Here it is God who takes the initiative because He wants them to be with Him and that He might send them out to preach; and moreover, it is God who gives them power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  So, just as Christ has already shown Himself (and thereby the Father and the Holy Spirit) to be a God of compassion and mercy and love through healing, so now He does so through this act of appointing the Twelve and investing them with the power to preach, to heal, and to cast out demons.  Let's note that it is also a kind of foreshadowing of the coming of the Holy Spirit to all who will be baptized in faith; that is, a type of holy priesthood extended to the faithful.  But it all points to a generous, bountiful, and loving nature of the God we worship, in total contrast to pagan religion.  Human beings are elevated by Christ, prepared and meant for something higher, to share in and to spread what is divine through the gifts of God.  This is a communion of love established in God's power shared with human beings, who will live with Him and go out and preach and heal -- all in the distinctive call to become more "like Him."  And this is, in a very important sense, the crux of Christianity.  It is what St. Peter calls a "royal priesthood" to which we are called (1 Peter 2:9).  In the words of a prayer to the Holy Spirit which begins every Orthodox service, the Holy Spirit is named "Treasury of Blessings" -- and these shared gifts naming the Twelve disciples and apostles are surely blessings, and they are blessing which reflect on the whole of humanity in the eyes of God.  Let us consider this expansion to us as human beings as the enormous blessing it truly is in this perspective.  These realities are the gift of a loving God, who has made us to be and to grow in God's image and likeness, and fulfills this promise through this act of naming the Twelve.  Let us be grateful and give glory to God for the abundance of good things with which humankind is blessed through our Lord.

 

 

 

Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude

 

 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And he said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  Whatever house you enter, say there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.  Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?"  So he sought to see Him.  

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.  When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provision; for we are in a deserted place here."  But He said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."  For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

 

- Luke 9:1–17 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus returned from across the Sea of Galilee, the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.   Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."   While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

 

  Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And he said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  Whatever house you enter, say there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.   We note Luke's emphasis for this first missionary or apostolic journey by the disciples.  They are to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.   And in their personal conduct they are to be modest and humble, reflecting a deep dependence upon God.  They're not to "trade up" for better lodgings, but honor those who welcome them -- and shake off the very dust from their feet as testimony against those who do not.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.  Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?"  So he sought to see Him.   This is Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, who is the same Herod to whom Pilate will send Jesus during His trial (23:7).  He is the son of Herod the Great, who slew the innocent infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  Of the beheading of John the Baptist, one may read the account in Mark 6:14-28.

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.  When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provision; for we are in a deserted place here."  But He said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."  For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.  My study bible cites Theophylact's commentary, in which he sees a liturgical parallel to the feeding of the five thousand.  Christ received them and spoke of the gospel and healed, and then He fed the multitude with the miraculous bread by the hands of His disciples.  People are healed by baptism, and received into the Church; then in the Liturgy the gospel is preached and the bread of life and the cup are received from the hands  the ordained clergy. My study bible remarks also on the command from Christ, "You give them something to eat."  This commission, it says, is a type and preparation for the eventual apostolic ministry which the disciples will perform after Christ's Resurrection.  They will feed the world with the word of God an with the Eucharist.  Concerning the five loaves and two fish, my study bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who tells us that Christ is the same Creator "of both the earth and the sea, who in the beginning brought fruit from the earth and life out of the water."  St. John Chrysostom also says that Christ looked up to heaven "not as receiving power from elsewhere, but as honoring the Father who begot Him."  That Christ blessed and broke the bread teaches us "not to touch any meal until we have given thanks to Him who gives us food."  My study bible calls this blessing a clear eucharistic image, directing us to pursue spiritual food greater than that which is earthly (see John 6:26-27). 

Possibly the most important thing we can take from today's reading is to ask ourselves where our spiritual nourishment comes from.  The whole focus on feeding is not simply a sign of God's abundance and grace for God's creatures, but of the real gift of spiritual nourishment -- and that nourishment is Christ Himself, as evidenced in the Eucharist.  What we need to think about, then, really, is what kind of nourishment we need from our spiritual life -- from Christ.  Do we need truth?  Do we need love?  Do we need a transcendent, enlarged view of life and of the world?  Do we need to understand the spiritual depth of God's life present and with us in the world -- or behind all things which we can't see? Do we need to know about God's love and concern, which is shown so clearly in Christ as Son Incarnate in our world to come to us and to feed us in so many ways?  What about the holy power of the blessing He gives to the bread?  Do we need our lives to be blessed in such a way that they proceed to grant us spiritual fruit using the earthly materials we have at hand?  If we ask for God's blessing on our own lives and endeavors, does that mean that we also seek God's ends and goals, and seek to grow in understanding that service to God which our lives can be a part of?   What does nourishment really mean?  Our world is filled with goods and services we can all strain after and work hard to attain.  But at the end of the day, with what is it that we need to be fed to make it meaningful, productive, filled with a higher and better purpose that invigorates our souls?  Does wealth really and truly make people happy in and of itself?  Or do we all have a basic and powerful need for something else?  God's nourishment feeds every part, and enlivens the food we eat with what reaches down deep into the soul, which vitamins and minerals can't do.  Let's consider the grace we need -- and the particular places that grace will ask us to "look up" to as learn to recognize real blessings.

I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent

 

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

 

- Luke 4:38–44 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.   From this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5, in which Peter is called Cephas, tell us that Peter was married and had a family.  His family home became a "headquarters" for Jesus' Galilean ministry.  My study bible cites St. Cyril of Alexandria regarding Christ's rebuke of Peter's mother-in-law's fever:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."  So once again, in light of St. Cyril's commentary, as in yesterday's reading, this healing serves as another example of Christ's power and authority.  

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Again, these healings and exorcisms confirm Christ's power and authority.  We note how the demons know Him, but are muzzled by Christ and are subject to His permission and commands.  Again, the word rebuke is used for what are living and oppositional forces.  My study bible also points out the diversity of Christ's healing miracles.  With Peter's mother-in-law, He simply stood over her and rebuked her fever with a word.  In the case of those who are sick with various diseases who are brought to Him, He heals by touch, laying His hands on every one of them.  These healings are immediate and complete, but others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25), or they require the cooperation of the person healed or of their loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  But all of Christ's miracles manifest His redemption of ailing humanity.  And in the case of healing by "rebuke," it is clear His power and authority work to oppose forces that oppress human beings.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.  My study bible notes for us that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  It says that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see 5:24).  This same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30). 

The many ways in which Christ heals must make us pause to answer questions why this is so.  After all, He is the Christ.  Presumably He could heal all with a word.  Perhaps the means by which He heals also have to do with the particular ailments that afflict the different people who receive healing in the Gospels.  After all, each one also depends somewhat on the individuals concerned.  There is first of all no healing without faith, or at least the capability of faith.  Some healings take longer or are done in steps, in which case we also witness the growth of faith in the person being healed, such as with the man born blind in John's Gospel (John 9).  Jesus first makes a paste of mud and His own saliva and applies it to the man's eyes, but then He tells the man he must walk to the pool of Siloam and wash -- quite some distance away in Jerusalem.  There is a parallel to this time it takes for the healing, and the steps of walking to the pool (the name of which means Sent), and that is in the development of the faith and the capacity to testify of the formerly blind man as He is questioned by the religious leaders.  Some healings are performed via the faith of the friends of the afflicted, such as for the paralytic who was lowered down to Jesus through the roof of the place in which He was preaching (Mark 2:1-12).  At first Jesus tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven; we can conclude that it is through the faith of his friends that this healing of sin has happened.  But then the scribes present reason in their hearts that no one but God has the authority to forgive sins.  And in response to what He knows of their hearts, Jesus tells the paralytic, "Take up your bed and walk."  Thus, through this strange and seemingly roundabout process, healing includes the friends of the paralytic, the scribes, and the paralytic as well.  In yet a third example, Jesus heals the centurion's son in John 4:46-54 in such a way as to convey that neither time nor space are obstacles to healing, but in the meantime it is the desperate centurion's faith that has been tested and rewarded by finding the precise time of his son's healing.  Each unique expression of Christ's power has meant that not only healing but also faith was involved.  Each healing impacted the faith of those present in particular ways and worked upon their particular needs -- even the doubts of the scribes were responded to through Christ's healing miracles.  So every healing has a story to tell, and each one also involves the impact on and evolution of the faith of those involved, even friends, loved ones, and bystanders present.  It's important that we understand how deeply faith is involved in each healing, as in today's reading Jesus says, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  Jesus' primary mission of healing is not simply about putting right our physical ailments, but about faith in the presence of the kingdom of God.  For this is where true healing begins and this is what true healing and salvation rely upon.  No healing takes place without faith first; but all healings involve faith, and its shoring up, deepening, and restoration.  They all teach the presence and work of the kingdom of God.  Indeed, again in John's Gospel, the people ask, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  And Jesus answers them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:28-29).  Ultimately, when we really study the Gospels quite closely, each sign is not so much about healing as it is ultimately about faith.  Christ comes to kindle faith in the world, to preach the kingdom of God, to remind us of God's presence with us.  This is the mission for which He is sent, for which we remain the recipients, and we must remind ourselves that it is for our faith that He has come, and through our faith that He saves and heals.  We may be said to be healed when our physical body is working well, but the ongoing nurturing of faith is the substance of health in body, soul, and spirit.

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed"

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

- Mark 1:29-45

Yesterday we read that after John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.    This story of the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law is so well-known that it appears in all three Synoptic Gospels.  It tells us that Peter was married and had a family.  His home was to become a kind of headquarters for Jesus' ministry.  But the attention paid to the fever does not seem to be simply about Jesus' miraculous powers of healing.  Rather, what we see is a restoration of this woman to her own place in Jesus' ministry, in an important and essential role of service, just as Jesus' ministry would be characterized importantly by the women who ministered to Him and to the disciples.  In fact, the word in Greek translated as served also means "to minister," and is actually the root of the word for "deacon."

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.   Mark's Gospel gives us the events of a day in the life of this early ministry.  We note how the sick and the demon-possessed are gathered together, in an understanding of both needing healing.  In fact, it fits with the traditional understanding of the Church as hospital.  My study bible remarks on the fact that Jesus did not allow the demons to speak because they knew Him.  The revelation of Christ's identity must come through His ministry, which unfolds in a particular way.  Moreover, the people have great expectations of the Messiah, as one who will lead Israel back to worldly greatness.  Moreover, Jesus will need to contend with a growing hostility from the religious leadership, and He also desires a genuine faith not based only on miraculous signs.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.   Again, we are given the events of a day; in this case, the early morning of the day following the Sabbath.  Jesus rises a long while before daylight, and goes to a place where He can be solitary in order to pray.  My study bible calls this an example of spiritual life, set forth for all of us.  Although Christ is God incarnate, He prayed continually.  Frequently, as in this example, He found solitary places in order to be free from distraction, despite the fact that "everyone is looking for You."  Christ's ministry springs directly from  His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning, my study bible says, teaches us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then will we be equipped to appropriately serve others.  Let us note also Jesus' next priority.  Although the multitude demands His attention, His emphasis to Peter is the priority of preaching, "because for this purpose I have come forth."  Healing takes place after this, just as it did after His preaching in the synagogue at Capernaum (in yesterday's reading, above).

 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  Here we have an expression by Christ that will define what it is to be "God-like."  In this particular healing, Jesus displays His characteristic personality in that He is moved with compassion, an expression that will repeat itself in the Gospels (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 18:27, Mark 6:34).  It is a turn of phrase that in the original Greek interestingly involves body, soul, and spirit, for it indicates an actual movement in the body, as the word for compassion is rooted in a word for the "inward parts" of the body, in particular heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.   This is the word from which we derive the English word for the "spleen."   To touch a leper was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), and so Jesus' compassion drives Him in a similar way that will get Him in trouble with the authorities, such as healing on a Sabbath.  We note, at the same time, Jesus' respect for the law and the community, as He commands the healed leper to go to the priest and also offer to God what Moses commanded.  (See Leviticus 13, 14 for the biblical law; Deuteronomy 24:8 describes the purification of lepers and leprous houses, a duty entrusted to the priests.)

In the parable of the Judgment, which Jesus gives in Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus speaks figuratively of dividing sheep from goats, as does a shepherd.  On the one hand are those who have shown compassion through what they have done in their lives.  On the other hand are those who have been, for want of a better word, neglectful.  If we chose to, we could look at these actions in psychological terms, as dynamics within a family or a community.  Acts of compassion are those which nurture and heal, and address what is harmful, hurtful.  Neglect is akin to abandonment, leaving a person or persons on their own to deal with distressing, disabling, harmful circumstances.  In short, compassion is the act of doing what one can to help.  But in the language of the Scriptures, this is anything but a detached kind of charity or duty.  In the language used for Jesus being moved with compassion, we are taught directly about an inward reality, even about empathy.  It is in the inward, physical parts of Jesus, where He is moved to care for the sight of one afflicted before Him.  This beautiful understanding is one that makes us think of what it means that Jesus is God incarnate, the Son who has become a human being through the Holy Spirit and Virgin Mary.  On the one hand, His compassion is a characteristic of God who is love and who loves (1 John 4:8, John 17:26).   But on the other hand, the expression itself tells us of what it means to be a full example of a human being, and no doubt also reflects something of the human nature derived from the woman who was His mother, the Virgin Mary.  In the history of the Church, it is she who is the saint above all saints, known above all for her unfailing compassion.  In historic hymns, both Jesus and His mother Mary are called those who never turn anyone away.  As "moved with compassion" also indicates a bodily feeling, it gives us a sense in which Jesus' humanity is fully at work with His divinity, manifesting His identity in the world as Son of Man.  The expression also indicates to us in a powerful way that our charity is not meant to be merely for show, nor is it merely something we do as a good work.  To be "like Christ" involves not just our pocketbook or a willingness to do good things in the world.  It involves a capacity for a hands on (in our present reading, literally so!) capability to sense, see, and know what is happening with those who are around ourselves or in our community in some way.  It is a tangible way of understanding and knowing what is happening to others, and not at all a theoretical design for making life better in the abstract or simply doing something as a duty.  Everything we do also involves our own inward parts, our own capacity for growth in a particular direction, our capacity for compassion, to respond to need.   This does not mean that we fix problems, so to speak.   If we look closely at Christ's parable of Judgment in Matthew 25, we read that among those things done by the sheep, Jesus includes, ". . . I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."  Let us note carefully that visiting and coming to others is not about alleviating their circumstances physically, but rather a clear expression of compassion -- of simply being with another in their circumstance of difficulty.  Jesus also says, "I was a stranger and you took me in."  In English this would indicate shelter, but in the Greek it does not.  It is about welcoming, literally gathering together.  It is a verb that is the root for "synagogue."  Therefore the operative sense here is about how we treat strangers, whether that be a person who wanders into a church for the first time, a new student, or perhaps someone simply left out because they are an outsider, a guest, a "foreigner" in any sense of that word.   Even the actions of giving food or drink, as Jesus states them, are responses to need.  The Greek reads, "I thirsted"  and "I hungered."  Well, we all know that to thirst and to hunger can take on many meanings, many needs, just as Jesus through His ministry offers food and drink that feed us spiritually; see, for example, John 4:13-14, 32).   My study bible also notes of today's passage that, as Jesus touches the leper, He shows that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  It comments that "to the clean, nothing is unclean."  What He shows us through this healing, and the others that will get Him into trouble with the authorities, is that He lives the purpose of the Law, its entire structure meant to create community and preparation for His gospel.  For us at this time of Lent, it is time to spend our own time in prayer, and seek out as much as possible the solitary time we need without distractions, as He does early in the morning before it is light.   This valuable time with God is meant to strengthen us in our own capacity for this movement of our inward parts, a union of body, soul, and spirit that unifies our capacity for faith and not merely for abstract ideals.  It is all about the fullness of what it means to be a human being.  What we seek to develop is a deeper communion with God, and so we grow organically with our faith, in a holistic fashion that does not leave aside anything of who we are.  We are called to identity in this way:  to find ourselves as to whom we truly need to be, and to discard that which is false or based on a false set of values and misleading idols in our lives.  The true circumstances of our faith should render us, also, more whole and healed, for this is what we seek in Him and in the entire community of believers, present, past, and future.   To know that we are loved is to be capable of loving; it is here we find faith, hope, charity even in all kinds of circumstances -- and above all else, love.