What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."

- Luke 13:18-30

Yesterday, we read of Jesus' healing of a woman bent over with an affliction - an infirmity she struggled with for eighteen years. The healing was in the synagogue, on the Sabbath, in the presence of all. Jesus was criticized for violating the law of the Sabbath - but He pointed out that even animals are unloosed from bonds if necessary on the Sabbath. Therefore, why not this daughter of Abraham? She needed to be loosed from the bonds of evil that afflicted her and caused her to stoop so badly. See Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.

Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." A note in my study bible reads, "The mustard seed is tiny, but the plant grows to a height of about 10 feet in Palestine." I always love this image of the mustard seed, and the tree or sturdy and large shrub that holds even the birds of the air so they may nest in the branches. It's a picture of a home, a retreat, for all of us, even the least among us. And it begins with a seed which we are given to water, nurture, plant and grow.

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." A note says, "A small amount of leaven inevitably penetrates the entire dough. Such is the power of the Kingdom." Jesus illustrates the growth of the Kingdom in two ways: there is the height and breadth of the great tree that grows from the mustard seed, and there is the penetrating depth of the leaven, which seasons and changes everything. Both images parallel the effect of the kingdom in us as individuals, and among us in community.

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able." A note here says that "the narrow gate is a path to salvation marked by Jesus' teaching on discipleship and its cost." It gives us a picture of the opening to the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, that teaches us there is One Way for this; it is through our hearts and the teachings that we read in the gospels. We can't circumvent this work, this acceptance, the change it asks of us in order to enter through that gate. It asks for specifics, and for the humility to understand what is needed.

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' " A note in my study bible reads, "Jesus says I do not know you because they are workers of iniquity. If a person is not abiding in Christ, neither verbal confessions ("Lord, Lord," v. 25) nor previous experiences with Christ (v. 26) will be of any avail at the Judgment." This is a warning about preparedness, and the need for vigilance, to be always alert to where we are and what we are choosing in life. The entrance is through the narrow gate, in our hearts, through the choice to work on our spiritual eyes and ears. We can be in close proximity to the teachings, we can act as if we are a part of this kingdom - but until we enter into that gate, and take them to heart, we are still strangers to this relationship.

"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last." My study bible says, "People of humble faith from all parts of the earth will join together in God's consummated Kingdom. Those who vainly think themselves secure because of honored status will be last." We recall that in yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke of the woman he healed as a "daughter of Abraham" and therefore deserving of the loosing of the bonds of evil that afflicted her. Here, He refers again to spiritual inheritance or heritage, but with an important twist. Those who presume themselves to be inheritors of this Kingdom may not rest secure in worldly notions of inheritance and relationship. He is asking for something more, something deeper that penetrates into us, for which we must enter through the specific narrow gate He has in mind, that He teaches us.

There is a lot of reference here to the "evening up" that takes place in this Kingdom. The worldly notions of reality and relationship are upside down. It's not a kingdom of inheritance via our ancestors or kin. It's not a kingdom made up of subjects via proximity or even familiarity. It is, rather, illustrated by the parables that Jesus gives us in the beginning of this reading today. A seed is planted in us - with tending it is nurtured and grows. Even the birds of the air (suggesting the angelic powers, the messengers of God) may nest in it and find refuge in the world. We take this leaven into ourselves, take it truly to heart, and with time it will season the whole of us, change us, transform us. This is the message that He gives - that it is this narrow gate of the seed and the leaven that will make us "saved;" that is, eligible for entry into this kingdom, and recognition on the final day when the Master returns. My study bible refers to parables as "word-pictures, revealing spiritual truth." Parable (in Hebrew and Aramaic) may also mean "allegory," "riddle" or "proverb." It notes that these images from daily life in the world give us the deep things of God, giving us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8,9). In this sense, we are given today an understanding that this kingdom does not work the way we think in worldly terms. The first, with seemingly the best seats and the closest proximity, are guaranteed nothing by any form of inheritance or belonging in the worldly sense. The last, and even the least among us, on the other hand, may be those who are humble enough to accept the reality of this power, this seed, this leaven, in their hearts - who can enter through that narrow gate, who can build the depth and height of the kingdom by their commitment and nurturing. We have a certain time in the world, what are we going to choose? Where is our emphasis in life? This is up to us, clearly, as Jesus puts it here.

Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

...

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brook of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourself, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

- Luke 1:1-4,3:1-14

In the lectionary cycle, today's reading begins the Gospel of Luke. The lectionary will continue with Luke's Gospel until the days before Christmas, so we will have the opportunity to explore it fairly fully. I believe the Gospels work well taken as a whole, in sequence. It is especially helpful to the understanding of each passage to understand it in context, and study it that way. I am repeatedly tempted to deviate from the lectionary, and turn to a straightforward study of each book and every reading in sequence until we finish the whole of a Gospel. This would give great opportunity for study (and perhaps I might take a break once in awhile and still not be out of step with the study sequence). I'd be interested in hearing what my readers think about this possibility (via email), but for now we will continue with the lectionary.

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, ... My study bible notes here: "As eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ, the disciples listened to His Good News and saw His miracles firsthand. As Luke himself was not one of the original disciples of Jesus, his Gospel is anchored on the testimony of these witnesses."

... it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. A note reads: "Luke addresses himself to Theophilus (see Acts 1:1), a prominent Gentile who has received Christian instruction, but is otherwise unknown to us. The Gospel is written as an orderly account to provide greater certainty about the details of Jesus' ministry."

Luke was a Gentile from Antioch by birth, and a physician by profession. Luke is also known as the "historian" because he dates events by reference to historical figures and events. Clearly in his introduction we read that his intention is to provide "an orderly account" to his fellow Christian minister, Theophilus. We know, also, that Luke has written the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and there is a reference there (Acts 20:6 - the plural "we") to his traveling with Paul in Paul's ministry. Luke's Gospel is written for the purpose of ministry to Christians of a Gentile background - and therefore (according to my study bible) emphasizes the challenges of mission and evangelization. The emphasis overall is on the universality of the Gospel Message.

The lectionary takes us from the first verses of the Gospel to the third chapter. Here, our "historian" Luke sets down the particular background to the narrative of events that will follow.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ... My study bible says, "Tiberius ruled as sole Roman emperor in A.D. 14-37, but had authority over the provinces from A.D. 11 on. Thus the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus began sometime between A.D. 26 and 28. Pilate was governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36."

... while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. A note reads: "Caiaphas was the sole official high priest (A.D. 18-36), but people recognized behind him the power of his father-in-law, Annas, a previous high priest deposed by the Romans."

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, ... My study bible notes, "The call to repentance was typical of the Old Testament prophets, but John's baptism for the remission of sins sounds a deeper note: a symbolic washing away of sins, prefiguring that which will come. As Paul writes in Rom. 6:1-6, those who come to Christ will be buried with Him in baptism, rising to new life."

... as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying ... Isaiah the prophet is quoted freely in the Gospels and by Christ Himself. My study bible says that Isaiah "foresaw the momentous significance of the period of the Messiah and the preparation necessary for it."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" These quotations are from different parts of Isaiah's prophecy (see Is. 40:3-5 and 52:10). The powerful emphasis is on preparation - and a great leveling and equality significant in true judgment. There is also emphasis in these words on the universality of the Deliverer and His message of salvation.

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brook of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourself, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." My study bible notes: "Ethnic or 'spiritual' ancestry does not guarantee security in the face of God's judgment. Only faithful repentance and good works worthy of it bring salvation. Stones symbolize Gentile Christians who became children of God." There are powerful messages here that emphasize not only what will come in Jesus' ministry and teaching, but also echoing the words quoted by Isaiah . This is a "leveling" ministry. All are equal in judgment; none is judged by ancestry and inheritance. Each is on his own, standing before the Lord - with his own works, thoughts, words, and choices in the depths of the heart.

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." The emphasis here again - in the face of the need for repentance and preparation, is on a kind of leveling and on justice, or good judgment. This is not a proclamation of rebellion or revolution, but of a way of understanding and practicing righteousness in personal choice. There is equality of care between those who have and have not. The tax collectors, rather than collecting "more" for themselves (a common practice) must do their job with fairness and honesty. The soldiers must treat others likewise, with righteousness.

So, our foundation is laid for the coming of the Lord, as we begin our readings from Luke's Gospel. John the Baptist preaches repentance - not simply to prepare for judgment, but rather to prepare for the glorious ministry of the One who is to come, the One whom Isaiah proclaimed in his prophecy. That preparation starts us off with an understanding, a groundwork of that which is to be laid within us and our hearts, so to speak, so that we may accept the power of His word that is to come. We make His paths straight by filling in the valleys and lowering the mountains and hills. We must make the crooked places straight and the rough ways smooth. This is the preparation for the One who is to come, so that we may receive the Word. We practice this understanding within ourselves, about the basic equality between all people as the necessary requirement to understand what is to come and to accept His judgment. We do our jobs with honesty and righteousness as befits such an understanding, and we help those who need it. This great leveling is the foundation of spiritual freedom that is preached in this Gospel. Without the understanding that salvation is for all people, we cannot be properly prepared, we will not "get it." It is a time of preparation, and we must make His paths straight in order to receive. Are you ready?

The Wise and Foolish

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

- Matthew 25:1-13

Over the course of the past several readings, Jesus has been teaching his disciples about the destruction that is to come in Jerusalem, and answering their questions about the end of the age and his return. These concepts are bound with one another in Old Testament scripture, and they remain bound as spiritual realities in this gospel as well. (See the previous readings of Do you not see all these things?, The End of the Age, and Heaven and earth will pass away for the earlier part of this discourse.) In today's reading, Jesus gives us the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept." My study bible has an extensive note on the whole of this text, which I will begin here: "This parable illustrates preparedness, or lack of it, while the bridegroom was delayed (v. 5). The Old Testament prophets portray the covenant between God and Israel as a marriage covenant. The marriage will finally be consummated when the Bridegroom returns at the end of the age and the righteous form a wedding party to go forth to meet him. The Bridegroom represents Christ in his Passion, who dies out of love for his Church (Eph. 5:25-27)." Clearly, the idea that the bridegroom was delayed in this story indicates to us that this period of awaiting his return may indeed be a long one. Certainly it was longer than expected for many of the first disciples of the Church, who felt Jesus' return may happen in their lifetimes, and for many who have followed since, wondering when he will return. I find this concept extremely important, because it is a clear indication that we are to be in a period of waiting - and that truly is the characteristic of the whole history of the church. The important question here is: what are we to do in this period of waiting and expectation?

"And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'" My study bible continues in its note: "That the wise virgins also slumbered and slept (v. 5) suggests that once prepared, a person rests as needed. Their refusal to give oil to the foolish ones is not lack of love. It portrays the fact that spiritual preparedness cannot be conveniently given or borrowed. This parable encourages the proper use of God's gifts: to bear fruit. Some interpreters say lamps indicate the gift of purity and holiness, and oil, works of mercy - the grace of the Holy Spirit. Traditionally, virginity has been considered a special 'lamp,' and almsgiving or help to the poor a special 'oil.' " To understand this concept of oil as symbolic of mercy, one has to recall the Greek for mercy. It is eleos, which is the same word for olive oil. As I have written repeatedly in these commentaries, the notion of mercy as oil is extremely pertinent to our understanding of what it is that we pray for when we pray for mercy. Olive oil was the base for all healing balm in the ancient world; and, also, the fuel that burned in lamps to create light. (It is still used among the Greek Orthodox for the lamps that burn in the church and before icons in homes.) So this beautiful symmetry of meanings clearly fits Jesus' teachings about mercy, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan, for example, or the many ways that healing takes place -- spiritual, emotionally, psychologically and physically -- when people in the gospels ask for mercy. Mercy, or the practice of righteousness, is also the way to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven," as we have been taught earlier in Matthew's gospel, during the readings of the Sermon on the Mount. We can't get this fuel, this healing balm, from others in terms of possessing it for ourselves. It is not something to buy and sell, really - it is something we gain through our own relationship in the heart, and that grows as we express it ourselves and open to receive more.

I also quite like the note from my study bible that teaches us that there is a proper time to rest. Being a part of this kingdom is not just about collecting good works. That's not really the way mercy works. Jesus did not hand out free food to the world nor heal everyone en masse. This is not something that works simply in a materialistic way: the gifts of the Spirit are those that make connections between people who are willing to engage and participate in these relationships. The heart must be open - and healing in these gospels transforms people. It is not something merely added to them, but something that changes them and makes them a part of Christ's family through adoption. "Change of mind" is metanoia in the Greek - and that is the word which we translate as "repentance." We should not lose its original meaning and emphasize a negative understanding of this change: it is the change itself - in whatever way that needs to happen - that is important. This change is highly positive, it is a way to lose our delusions and change, to open to spiritual truth and freedom, and our own true natures.

"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." This parable emphasizes clearly our need for preparedness for the event of the return of the Son of Man, or the Second Coming of Christ. How do we do this? By "letting our light so shine" and by practicing mercy - and keeping our fuel with us through relationship. We remember that we also take rest in this relationship, as we "abide in Him." The Spirit connects us with those who need this help and healing and who are open to it. We are here to help one another, and as Jesus has indicated in the previous reading, we are to be like the good stewards who take care of the master's household in as loving a way as the master would himself. This is the way we await the Bridegroom - we keep our lamps full of fuel and burning brightly. There are so many ways to do this, and we remember that we also rest and recharge (refill our oil) in prayer and meditation. In the story of Martha and Mary, Jesus called this the "one thing necessary."

So, the emphasis in Jesus' long discourse on his Second Coming is that we must be prepared. How do we do this? We are to practice mercy and righteousness. We fill up our lamps with oil through prayer and meditation, study and understanding. We cannot neglect our rest in this sense. It is not a question of adding up good works, but a question of living in that relationship of fidelity, of being true to the One whom we await - of being about the master's business, as our previous reading has taught us (and also the next will do, as well). How do you practice and grow mercy and righteousness? How do you refill the fuel of this light? Remember to take rest in Him and do the "one thing necessary" as well. We can't be prepared without it, and without that fuel which will continually change and transform us in our fidelity and relationship to the One we love.