Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?' And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him

 

 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?'  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  

 

Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  

 

Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  

 

- Luke 8:26–39 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus, following His teaching of the Parable of the Sower, told His disciples, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."   But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the  lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

 

  Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demons into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.   These demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God.  The Orthodox Study Bible comments that they are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment, and they are afraid of torment, and that He would command them to go out into the abyss.  The Study Bible comments that although the malice of the demons is great (witness the state of this man bound with chains and shackles, and reduced to living in the tombs) they can do nothing against the will of God.  

 

 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart, for they were seized with great fear.  And He got into the boat and returned.  The Orthodox Study Bible remarks that some teach the the presence of the swine indicates a Gentile population.  But although this was a Hellenistic region, being in the Decapolis, because our Lord forbade His disciples to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) and was Himself reluctant to seek out the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), it is more likely that these were Jews engaged in a sinful occupation in order to profit from a Gentile population.  Moreover the Study Bible notes that the destruction of the entire herd of swine reveals several things.  First, while animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of greater value.  Additionally, Christ removes a source of sin, for swine herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Moreover, demons have no power over creation, but are subject to the will of God.  They can only enter the swine at Christ's command.  It asks us to note that people are protected under God's providence; otherwise, the demon-possessed man would have come to the same end as the swine.  Finally, the magnitude of this economic loss of the swine would remain as a sign for the hard-hearted people who fled from this region.  

 

 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  Here is redemption; Christ sends the man out, back to his own house, with the good news of the gospel and his salvation from the demons -- to "tell what great things God has done for you."

 

How do we understand the demonic?  From the portrayals in the Gospels, especially this story of the man afflicted by a Legion of demons,  we understand primarily their parasitic and afflicting nature toward human beings.  While the demons beg not to be tormented by Christ, they clearly torment this man.  For he cannot live among human beings so long as the demons are active; he is bound with shackles and chains, forced to live among the tombs, without clothes, kept under guard like a prisoner.  He is also driven by the demon into the wilderness.  He's a forlorn and forgotten person in a type of isolated prison among the dead, living in an image of hell.  Let's note how the demons, in accordance with this story, cannot do anything to Christ, for He has the power to command them.  Instead they afflict human beings, causing pain and misery.  It appears also that the longer they have influence over someone, the worse and more desperate the person's condition becomes.  Here they have driven this man further and further into the wilderness, away from human community.  As the Study Bible comments, we see the malice of the demons in this story.  There's another element told in this story that is important to understand, and that is the hold they exert over the man and this place as the people in his surroundings prefer things this way.  They'd rather have their swine and the profit they make, than to see the healing that comes from Christ.  The healing of this demon-possessed man comes with change, and they don't want that change.  In fact, his healing leaves them terrified.  This, too, is an important and essential component to the story, for it speaks of how we become used to conditions in which human beings do not thrive; on the contrary, we may be living in a sea of less-than-ideal realities, even maladies we don't identify but rather adapt to.  In Christ's parable of the wineskins, He comments regarding the change that comes with the new covenant, and how human beings resist even positive change.  In a verse found only in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 5:39), Jesus adds, "New wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.  And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"  The "new wine" in today's story is the conditions that come about through Christ's healing of this formerly demon-afflicted man, and the death of the swine.  The people in this region preferred the old, for the healing of this man shakes up the way that things were.  This is not such a shocking or strange observation, for many a reformed addict or person with a newly adopted healthy lifestyle coming out of self-destructive behavior can comment on the disruption this may cause in their personal lives, even among their families.  Twelve Step programs such as Al-Anon are specifically meant to address such problems and difficulties where harmful or destructive behaviors have been adapted to within a system or community.  But Christ as Lord, as Son of the Most High God, is the only One who can declare what is good, what is truly righteous for us.  He is the One who will judge what healing truly looks like.  But most of all, He is the Physician who heals, who brings deliverance and salvation.  But clearly, this does not please everyone.  Change is not easy nor is it simple, and change is an essential part of repentance, Christ's healing.  In fact, the Greek word translated as repentance means literally "change of mind."  Let us embrace His path, His Way, despite such difficulties.  

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

- Matthew 25:31–46 

 

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

 

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."  Today's reading gives us what my study Bible calls the majestic climax of Christ's discourse on end times.  What He teaches in today's reading isn't simply a parable, it notes, but a prophecy of the universal judgment that will indeed come.  As the Cross is now near Christ, Jesus raises His hearers to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat and the whole world gathered around Him.  And not only the world as we think of it in our daily physical sense, but the whole of the cosmos, the created order, for the holy angels are with Him as well.  We should bear in mind that the angels are also witnesses as well, for they have been with us from the foundation of the world (verse 34; see also Matthew 13:35).

 

"And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  My study Bible explains that Christ uses sheep to illustrate the righteous, because they follow His voice and they are gentle and productive.  It says that goats indicate the unrighteous, as they don't follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which represent sin.  

 

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

 

". . . for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' "  My study Bible comments that the standard of judgment set down here is uncalculated mercy toward others.  The works that are produced by faith are emphasized, for saving faith always produces righteous works.  What we do reflects our true inner state.  The least, it says, refers to all the poor and needy.  But we are to understand that the needs described here include both physical and spiritual needs.  Therefore, the hungry or thirsty are not only those who need food and drink, but also those who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel.  

 

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

 

When the Lord, the Son of Man, addresses the sheep in this parable of judgment upon His return, that is,  the righteous, telling them of their acts of mercy, they ask, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"   Jesus says that the King will answer them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."  The wording of this response invites us to ask, who are the Lord's "brethren?"  This is an important question, for although Christ who is the Judge knows the righteous from the unrighteous, we cannot distinguish this clearly.  We cannot make the judgment that He does, for only He knows the thoughts of all people, their hearts (Matthew 9:4; Acts 1:24).  This is an important distinction, because we only see partially, but in this parable it is made clear that what is at hand is all that is and was and even, indeed, what will be.  Only One with this perspective is able to judge.  So when Jesus speaks of His brethren, we must consider the righteous, and Jesus' perspective.  According to patristic commentary, "the righteous will be clothed with the leaves of eternal life and adorned with the fruit of glory. In this way they will be separated by the heavenly shepherd and Lord. The earthly shepherd separates animals by their type of body, whereas Christ separates people by their type of soul."  And so, the state of the soul is seen by the Lord, and this He illustrates as the gentle sheep rather than the capricious goats. St. Chrysostom notes that it is the very mercy shown by those whom Jesus calls sheep that sets the standard by which judgment happens, indicating how we also play a role in this grand plan of salvation "from the foundation of the world."  Lest we take the parable too literally, we should understand the depths of its meanings in that, first and foremost, in the mission of Christ's disciples the stranger is clothed and welcomed with Christ and in Christ, and thus becomes "brethren."  St. Paul also speaks of this unification of strangers in Christ as those who put on "tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering" and "love," indicating what it means to do all "in the name of Christ" (see Colossians 3:12-17). Elsewhere, He writes, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).  Indeed, we may go directly to Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan, which is the answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?"  For He teaches there that the neighbor is one who acts as a neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).  Among patristic commentary, there is a great deal of emphasis placed upon the spiritual aspect of Christ's words, in that we also feed, clothe, liberate, and assist those in spiritual prisons with the wisdom and love of God, the truth of Christ that frees, and the comfort of His love which we first receive and then share with others.  See 1 John 4:7-19.  Let us put on the clothing of Christ, even the full armor of God, as St. Paul teaches, for this is how we will know and be known.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment"

 

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

 

- Matthew 5:21–26

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the disciples, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire."  My study Bible tells us that this repeated formula in Christ's Sermon on the Mount but I say to you is a statement of total, divine authority (Matthew 7:29).  Christ is the Creator of humankind and also Author of the Law; as the Lord He can speak with this authority.  While there is anger which is not sinful (Psalm 4:4; Mark 3:5), here Jesus is forbidding sinful anger, and He identifies it with murder.  The council is the supreme legal body among the Jews.  Hell is in Greek γέενναν/Gehenna.  In Jewish history, my study Bible explains, Gehenna was the Valley of Hinnom.  It became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 32:35).  King Josiah put an end to these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By Christ's time, the valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered endlessly.  Because of these associations, Gehenna acquired the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.  Hell is the final condition of sinners who resist God's grace.  

 

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  Peace with other believers, my study Bible says, is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  The liturgical "kiss of peace" at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, a preparation of the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14).  See also Jesus' formula for mutual correction in the Church, in Matthew 18:15-20.

 

"Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."  My study Bible points out that St. Luke places this teaching in the context of the end of the age (Luke 12:57-59).  Here Jesus teaches it in the context of reconciliation surrounding the Liturgy.  Delay in reconciliation allows for the spread of animosity and other evils (Ephesians 4:26). 

 

Forgiveness and reconciliation are important concepts in the Church, and it's important to note that these are two different words for two different things.  While we are all commanded to forgive, it's not always possible to reconcile.  For example, this is true of an abusive or harmful situation, in which two parties may conflict to the extent that harm is created, or abuse is tolerated.  But forgiveness is the "giving up" of sin in the same sense that a debt can be forgiven, as we'll read in the following chapter of this sermon (Matthew 6:12).  We do this in the context of prayer before our Father in heaven.  As shown in Jesus' teaching on mutual correction (Matthew 18:15-20), reconciliation calls for steps beyond forgiveness.  In today's reading, Jesus seems to teach us the importance of guarding against offenses, and also the reparation for offenses.  We read in the Gospels examples of such reparation and reconciliation, for example, in the story of Zacchaeus the chief tax collector (Luke 19:1-10).  In the story of Zacchaeus, it must be understood that tax collectors were despised within the Jewish society, for they were fellow Jews who worked for the Romans, routinely taking more than was necessary for paying tax and using the power of the Roman state to practice extortion for their own benefit.  In Zacchaeus' case, when Jesus comes to Jericho where he lives, and calls upon him, Zacchaeus states, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  Of this reconciliation, a reconstitution of community, Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  But nonetheless, we can always practice forgiveness, the "giving up" or "letting go" (as the word literally means in the Greek), as Jesus teaches us as part of the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father.   Here in today's passage, Jesus places the emphasis on the aggressive act of anger which is unjustified, and provokes unnecessarily through insult or injury of some kind.  Raca is an insult implying a person is empty-headed; "you fool" is the translation of an insult implying mental deficiency, undevelopment, lack of intelligence.  In Greek, it is μωρος/moros, from which we derive the English word moron.  In modern Greek, this word is used to literally refer to an infant.   One imagines that such demeaning insults mean something additionally significant within a social or public context.  Christ's comments just prior to the ones in today's reading spoke of the Law and the Prophets, and Himself as fulfillment.  If we think about the Law given by the Lord to Moses, we understand the important community emphasis on those laws; they weren't simply made in order to teach individuals what to do and how to act within an individual context.  The Law was made to create a community of God's people, and the prayers and practices of the Temple were designed to ameliorate the effects of sin in community.  The blood of sacrifice that was to be sprinkled upon the altar was for purification (not payment) -- and this is another prefiguring of Christ and His Blood shed for us.  Therefore we see this particular sin of anger without cause, and the casting of insults upon others within community, as akin to murder.  It destroys relationships and relatedness, and we are to understand righteousness as right-relatedness. In today's reading, Jesus begins to explain to us why and how we are to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.  Christ's gospel is part of the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, but it extends beyond a legalistic scrupulosity of simply following the rules.  Instead, we're to begin to come to terms with the inward passions that drive harmful actions, and of course this will correspond to the action of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, which would come to us as a gift of Christ's fulfillment of His mission (John 16:7-11), and as part of Christian Holy Baptism.  Within the context of community also comes the need for reconciliation and forgiveness.  But this is done within a community meant to be "the people of God."  The remedy for sin is holiness, not payment.  This is where Christ is leading us, and what the Incarnation as salvific remedy for the world is all about.  The fire of hell is the same purifying fire that is the Holy Spirit, and our experience of that depends upon our orientation to where He leads, our acceptance of the repentance to which we're called.  

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

- Matthew 25:31–46 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him

 

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 

- Matthew 14:1-12 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished preaching in parables, He departed for His hometown of Nazareth.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

 

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.   This account of the death of John the Baptist is given parenthetically, so to speak.  That is, this "backstory" is meant to tell us why Herod believes that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead.  My study Bible comments that as part of God's plan for salvation, John's martyrdom allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, for John was the forerunner of Christ there as well as on earth.  Note also that John was held in such high esteem that Herod feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  My study Bible cites John the Baptist's strictly ascetic lifestyle; he lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair.  It notes that Herod's fear of the people's love of John is a testament both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, for the people held John in the highest esteem.

 

The gruesome scene in this story always comes around to remind us of the dangers of martyrdom, which are present to every saint.  John's life is also reflective of the Cross, even before the Cross came, for we can find images and meanings in Christ from both the old and the new.  The eternal realities given to us through Christ are not simply part of His story, for His life alone on this earth.  For Christ's story is the story of the earth; Christ's story is the central event of spiritual history.  For us who believe in Christ and call ourselves His followers, He is this pivotal center, and all else revolves around Him.  Therefore the truth of His life as Incarnate Son is present to us in all the stories of holiness, in all the Scriptures, in one form and another.  In John the Baptist we see sacrifice and gruesome suffering.  We see the highest esteem and love from the people, for his holiness was apparent, and made him a revered figure in his own time.  We see someone willing to live and die for his mission from God, giving up all things in order to serve God.  As my study Bible says, his own integrity created this esteemed image in the eyes of the people.  John the Baptist is considered the last and greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.  His life speaks to us of a fearless mission to truly embody what it is to "speak truth to power," as the popular saying goes.  But his depth of reliance on and commitment to God means that this truth comes from God, and it is this appeal of God to the people, and to the powers that be, that John represents, and for which he was martyred.  In his martyrdom is a picture of the Cross before the Cross would come to all of us, so to speak.  He embodies what it is to live a life transfigured in the light of Christ, but in the light of Christ to come, about Whom he spoke to the world, and sought to prepare the people to accept through a repentance in preparation for His coming.  John the Baptist's life teaches us about martyrdom and about greatness, for no other figure so strongly taught us about the life of Christ to come, and no other embodied, at the same time, the humility before Christ that uncovers the truth for all of us. For it is John who said of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  This is our own statement for the work of the Cross and the Holy Spirit in our own lives.  St. Paul put it this way:  "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  Before the Cross came, John showed us his love of God, and pointed the way to Christ, just as he would do (according to the Orthodox tradition) for the souls awaiting Christ the Savior in Hades.  He is, therefore, in all ways true to his title, the Forerunner.  Let us honor holiness, wherever it is found, wherever Christ is revered, and the Cross is known and lived.  

 

 

 

 

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

 

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

 

- Matthew 5:21-26 

 

In Saturday reading, Jesus taught,  "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

  "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire." According to my study Bible, this repeated formula but I say to you is a statement of total, divine authority (Matthew 7:29).  As He is the Creator of human beings, and the Author of the Law, Christ speaks with this authority.  While there is anger which is not sinful, my study Bible comments (Psalm 4:4; Mark 3:5) here Christ forbid sinful anger, and identifies it with murder.  The council was the supreme legal body among the Jews.  Hell (in Greek γέεννα/gehenna) is the final condition of sinners who resist God's grace.  Raca is identified as an Aramaic word essentially meaning "empty" but giving the connotation of lacking intelligence, and being therefore worthless.  It was an insult in Christ's time.  The term for fool in Greek is μωρός/moros.  This word has evolved to be used in modern Greek as a term meaning "baby," but likely comes from a usage here indicating dullness or stupidity, underdevelopment.  It's the root of the English word "moron." 

 

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."  My study Bible notes here that peace with other believers is a requirement for worship (Mark 11:25).  The liturgical "kiss of peace" at the beginning of the eucharistic prayer is a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, preparing the faithful to offer the holy gifts at the altar (1 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Peter 5:14).  

 

"Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."  My study Bible says that St. Luke places this teaching in the context of the end of the age (Luke 12:57-59); here it is in the context of the Liturgy.  It says that delay in reconciliation allows for the spread of animosity and other evils (Ephesians 4:26-27).  

 

 Anger can do many damaging things to our lives.  In this context of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the examples of dismissing a person with insults; perhaps we should see the difference between the two that He lists here as one that is an actionable public insult which can be brought to the Council, but the other is a total dismissal of a person as a human being, even as a soul.  If we keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to disciples, then in the context of the body of the faithful, this name-calling terms another person's faith as worthless.  In that light we consider His teachings on receiving children in the Church, or His constant reiteration of the need for care of "the least of these" in His Church as care for those who are liable to receiving such treatment, including the simple and humble.  See Matthew 18:1-9 for His warning to the disciples about abuses in the Church.  I recently had an encounter with anger that led to murder in which a wife is now accused of murdering her ex-husband, after fighting a custody battle in which she wished to deny him access to his children, which she'd previously agreed to.  This angry and vindictive battle escalated over many things and culminated in his murder by conspiracy.  It was these teachings of Christ which first came to my mind as I heard the facts of that development among a couple I had once known fairly well; there are now two ten year old children without a father, and a mother who is in prison.  Where those children will go is still in question.  Nothing has suggested to me more Jesus' warning here about reconciliation, especially this teaching:  "Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."  Of course, Jesus is speaking metaphorically of prison, and is referring to the judgment of God.  My study Bible points out that there is such a thing as righteous anger, which Jesus sometimes embodies in His compassion for those who suffer.  Perhaps what this indicates to us is our deep need for discernment at all times, a discipline that comes from love of God, and practicing what Christ teaches.  In another commentary on this passage, St. Augustine cites a passage from the Epistle of St. James.  St. James writes, "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.  But no man can tame the tongue" (James 3:7-8).  He comments if no human being can tame the tongue, we must take refuge in God, who will tame it, for just as no animal can tame itself, so human beings also need God to tame the tongue.  So, therefore, we take refuge in God.  In this way, he points once again to the deep theme contained in the Sermon on the Mount, and that is the foundation of the love of God, which is the beginning of righteousness.  God extends love to us, and we return that love.  In a deep communion with Christ who is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, we find our righteousness.   In Christ, then, and the work of the Holy Spirit, we find the capacity to "tame the tongue," to develop discernment, and to temper our anger.  While the Law could condemn, it is Christ who saves.  Let us pay attention to what He tells us.

 

 

 

Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written much still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that there was also a dispute among the disciples, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."   My study Bible tells us that when Jesus says, "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," the form of you in Greek is plural, indicating that Satan has asks for all the disciples.  But when He says, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren," the form of you used in this verse is singular, meaning that Jesus prays especially for Simon Peter.  My study Bible explains that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  Regarding Christ's words to St. Peter, "When you have returned to Me," see John 21:15-17.  "Strengthen your brethren" refers not only to the other disciples, but even to all the faithful until Christ returns.  

 

 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written much still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments here that the sword is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51), but refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  There is an additional meaning added by St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword represents surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking literally of swords, Jesus ends the discussion abruptly, with the words, "It is enough," or better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41).  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 53:12.

 

In today's reading, Jesus gives the disciples a sort of preview of the life to come as we await His return, even the life that we live today until the end of the age when He will judge in the fullness of the Resurrection.   For we do have still Satan at work in the world, seeking to sift as wheat those who love God.  This is why Jesus begins to prepare the disciples for the persecutions and difficulties and tribulations to come.  It is why we still need to be aware of spiritual battle, and to put on, in the words of St. Paul, "the whole armor of God" (see Ephesians 6:10-18 for St. Paul's full description of what that is).  We may wonder why, if Satan is indeed defeated, as Jesus has indicated (Luke 10:18), believers continue to do battle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  It is St. Peter himself who writes of this time that we await Christ's return and Judgment, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:8-9; see also Psalm 90:4).  But certainly throughout this age in which we await Christ's return, our own participation in this spiritual battle as faithful is important in the sight of God, for otherwise it would not have been so to start with.  What we can conclude is that God's love for us is so strong that, although of course God needs nothing from us, we are invited in to this "good fight" as St. Paul calls it in 2 Timothy 4:7.  Just as God works through God's holy angels, so God also invites us, those faithful who struggle in this way, to be a part of God's "forces" and works in the world.  For we human beings, God's creatures as are the angels, are those whom God would also like to work through and share His power and authority with, as indicated in so many places in the Gospels, and throughout the Scriptures.  Repeatedly we are told that we, also, may become "sons of God" by adoption, a phrase which indeed is also used for the spiritual beings, the angels of all ranks, who serve God.  In John 10:34, Jesus replies to the religious leaders, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '?"  He quotes from Psalm 82:6.  These "gods" also refer to angelic beings, God speaking to human beings and our own capacity to become like angels as Christ tells the Sadducees in describing the Resurrection (see Luke 20:35-36).  It is this process, playing out in this world and in this age as we await His return, into which we are all born with Christ's words in today's reading to His disciples.  Ultimately, as Jesus indicates to Peter, this is a battle for faith.  So let us be prepared, and take up His charge and commission to follow Him in the way we are taught, and knowing the spiritual landscape into which we go forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee

 

   Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  

 

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to th king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples hears of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 

- Mark 6:14–29 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus came to His own country of Nazareth in Galilee, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house." Now He could do not mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.   And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. 

 Now King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  This King Herod was the son of the one who slew the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  His father was known as Herod the Great, and the king in today's reading is Herod Antipas who rules for Rome over Galilee.  Although he was technically called a governor, my study Bible explains, he was popularly called king.  He knows that John the Baptist worked no miracles while he lived, but now -- because of the events of the first apostolic mission of Christ's disciples -- he believes that John was raised from the dead, thinking that powers are at work in him.  So, therefore, he fears John more dead than alive.

Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  Elijah was expected to return and work signs before the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).  The Prophet, according to my study Bible, is interpreted by some to be a reference to the Messiah, the One foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), while others interpret it to simple mean that a new prophet had arisen.  

 

 But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.   The account that begins here, and that makes up of our reading for today, is given parenthetically, explaining John's death and how it came about, so that we can understand why Herod fears that John has risen from the dead.  My study Bible comments on the fact that Herod, with his wealth and soldiers, feared John, a man who lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair (Mark 1:6).  It notes that this is a testament both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, for he was held in the highest esteem (Mark 11:32). 

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to th king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples hears of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.  My study Bible tells us that, as part of God's plan of salvation, John's martyrdom allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, for John was the forerunner of Christ there as well as in our world.  It notes that the beheading of John the Baptist is remembered on August 29th in the Orthodox, and also in other Churches, both Catholic and Protestant.  An Orthodox hymn sung at Matins for this day declares, "Your tongue, which constantly speaks of God, has preceded Christ into death and is sent to preach Him to those in Hades."

Note the scandalous bloodthirstiness and indulgent lascivious nature of Herod's court on display.  These are things that surely scandalized the Jews under Roman occupation.  First of all there is John the Baptist who is clearly a representative of the Law.  (In fact John is considered to be the last and greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.)  He is imprisoned in the first place because he chastises the king and queen in that their marriage is unlawful; for Herod's brother had been married to her and he is still living.  But even Herod knew that John was a just and holy man.  Therefore, he heard him gladly.   The language of the text is indicative of something evil coming into play, when we read, then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  For this is the same language we read in Luke's Gospel, after Christ's temptations by the devil.  Luke 4:13 reads, "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time."   What provides the opportunity for the martyrdom of John the Baptist is the setting of Herod's birthday party, and more specifically Herod's undisciplined susceptibility to flattery and vanity.  His nobles and "chief men" are present, he allows himself to swear an oath to the girl whose dancing impressed him (again, scandalous behavior to the Jews, to parade a daughter in this way among all of these men), and his inability to say no although he knows John to be a "just and holy man."  It's the opportunity for Herodias' power-hungry and murderous behavior, directing her daughter to ask for such a horrific "present."  We can only imagine what a hideous and bloody scene that was, like a special dish presented on a platter and given to the daughter, and a daughter trained to be dutiful to her mother's evil behavior in turn putting it before her mother like a special dish prepared for this birthday feast.  Herod and Herodias, due to their maneuvering for power, would die in exile themselves.  But all of the story speaks to passions run amuck and used for perverse purposes, the "opportune time" for evil influence.  And the result is that when Herod hears later of Jesus, he fears that it is John who has arisen from the dead, imagining that John has returned with a kind of arcane power to use.  What we might observe here is the progression from bad to worse, and how giving in to our passions allows unforeseen consequences and bad actors to manipulate us in our weaknesses and temptations.  It enforces for us the importance of repentance and of self-knowledge, of learning to say "no" to self-indulgence, and especially of the need for the practice of discernment and prayer to keep us on a good road in our lives.  For the word of God is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" as St. Paul tells us (Hebrews 4:12).  This Word, we know, is Christ, and He is the way, the truth, and the life that we need to guide us through our vulnerabilities (John 14:6).  Let us always remember God.

I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!

 

 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three.  Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

"Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, least he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there til you have paid the very last mite."

 

- Luke 12:49–59 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus taught, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.  Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.    But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." 

 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!"  My study Bible comments here that fire is a reference to the proclamation of the gospel and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This fire both enlivens the faithful and judges the faithless; it purifies virtue and destroys sin (see Luke 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15).  Baptism is a reference to Christ's Passion (Matthew 20:22).   

 

"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three."   My study Bible explains that there are two kinds of peace.  There is a false peace -- to which Christ is referring here -- which is a shallow harmony resulting from ignoring issues of truth.  Genuine peace, it says, is reconciliation to God through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  Genuine peace has division as a byproduct because not everyone wants truth.  In the fallen world, divisions are necessary for truth to be manifest (see 1 Corinthians 11:18-19). 

 

"Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."  Here Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 7:6.   In addition to the literal meaning, which my study Bible says has been experienced in the Church since the time of Christ, the older generation being divided from the younger generation also symbolizes, first, the rejection of the new covenant by followers of the old covenant, and second, the spiritual struggle between our old, sinful state and our renewal in Christ (see Ephesians 4:20-24).  

Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?"  This time is Christ's time of the Incarnation -- the revelation of the Kingdom of God in the first coming of Jesus Christ. 

"Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, least he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there til you have paid the very last mite."  My study bible explains that just as a guilty person would attempt to reconcile with an opponent before facing an earthly judge, even more so should one be reconciled to God in Christ before facing God's judgment.  In our reading from Thursday of last week, at the beginning of chapter 12, Jesus taught, "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has  killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!"

 

Jesus speaks of truth as something that will cause division.  Specifically, His truth -- the spiritual truth of the reality of the kingdom of God -- will work to divide people between those who accept it and those who do not.  He says, "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!"  This fire, my study Bible says, is the proclamation of the gospel, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Both are linked to the presence of the kingdom of God, within which we may dwell and participate even in this world, and which also dwells in us (see Luke 17:20-21).  We may also look at images of fire found in Scripture and consider what they indicate to us.  There is the burning bush out of which Moses heard the voice of God -- a bush that was aflame with a fire that didn't consume the bush, didn't burn it (Exodus 3).  This sense of division or split can also be understood in the effects of that fire, and how people respond to it.  Fire is also representative of energy.  But the same fire of the Holy Spirit is the one that "burns" those who will experience hell, and it is the flame that also purifies.  This understanding is part of why it is so important to accept the power of repentance.  To change our minds about clinging to the things that burn in that purifying fire is to repent, to change who we are in an important spiritual sense, just as to evolve and grow turns us into quite different persons than we were once upon a time.  The fire of God is the same one that both vivifies and gives life, and also purifies and burns away what cannot stand in its energies -- and this is the fire of the truth of Christ, who also said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  In this sense, Christ's gospel of the Kingdom becomes the fire that will cause division -- and His baptism the baptism of the Cross, scandalizing some and for others the door to eternal life and salvation.  So frequently we seem to be given the message that it's our job as Christians to embrace everyone.  After all, Christ tells us to love our enemies.  But we need to consider what it means to love; love does not mean denying the truth of Christ and the gospel.  In St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, in his unforgettable passage on love, St. Paul writes, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  For our purposes in today's commentary, we pay specific attention to St. Paul's word that "love . . . does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth."  To love others, then, does not preclude division in terms of our respect for and love of truth, neither does it ask for a false peace such as my study Bible describes.  Christ's fire is also the fire of the love of God, and we should not and must not forget that.  He has come into the world not to do something just to make us all feel good, but to do something monumental to the point that it will transform and transfigure all of creation, taking our suffering, our sin, our struggle with all the elements of evil that can afflict this world -- and make even that transfigured into an outcome of the good.  This is not simple or easy, but rather His own tremendous sacrifice (His "baptism" on the Cross), and the fire of the gospel that will (and did) transform the world.  That transformation and transfiguration is ongoing, even as we also may join in with Him, repenting within the effect of that fire, seeing and embracing the truth He brings of His redemption for us, and letting go of the things that will burn in the great fire of His love.    For nothing is had without sacrifice, but all is gain in the love of the Lord.