Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

 

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. 

 

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"   So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

- Matthew 19:13-22 

 

Yesterday we read that after Jesus taught the disciples about the essential importance of humility, mutual correction in the Church, and forgiveness, He left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.  The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"  And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"  He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."  His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry."  But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given:  For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.  He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

 

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.   My study Bible reports that, according to Theophylact, the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."   But Jesus rejects this thinking, setting little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, in the Orthodox Church, children are invited -- even as an example to adults -- to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  In another commentary (on Luke 18:15-17) Theophylact describes little children as the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God.  He writes, "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."

 

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"   So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."   My study Bible comments that this man does not come to test Jesus (unlike the Pharisees in yesterday's reading -- see above -- who came to test Him with a question on divorce).  This man, on the other hand, has come to seek advice from one he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Jesus' response here doesn't deny that He is God, but rather is designed in order to lead the man to this knowledge.  

 

He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"  My study Bible comments here that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God.  Here, this man had an earnest desire for eternal life, but he sensed that he still lacked something.  So he continues to press Christ for an answer. 

 

  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  To be perfect, according to my study Bible, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  There is nothing gained except that this sacrifice is made freely.  The specifics of how one will do this will be different for every person in following Christ.  In this man's case, wealth had a great grip on his life.  Therefore Jesus teaches him that his hope is to sell and give away all his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom says that giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

 

 Earlier in St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus has made several references to amputation, or self-mutilation.  These are analogous to the concept of separating from ourselves habits, proclivities, personal choices, forms of passion that get in the way of our salvation, of our union with Christ.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the statute against adultery, but took it further in His teachings to speak about the lust that leads to adultery.  In this vein, He taught, "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart," indicating to us that there is a chain of events in terms of the breaking of a statute or law.  Then He told the crowd of His disciples, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell" (Matthew 5:27-30).  As we commented on that, and subsequent passages in which Jesus used the same analogy for decisive personal action to prevent sin, Jesus speaks of an eye that looks with lust or covetousness, or a hand that reaches where it shouldn't go. He used the same type of illustration to speak warnings against abuses of "little ones" in the Church as He taught the disciples about leadership and greatness in chapter 18.  He warned, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."  And again, to illustrate the serious point about cutting off personal impulses that lead to violations or offenses, He said, "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire" (Matthew 18:6; 8-9).  His focus is on our internal state as prevention of sin, so that we deal with our passions which lead to sin before the violation of a commandment of religious law.  In this light, we must examine His teaching for this rich young man who comes to Him in earnest, whom St. Mark tells us Jesus loved in giving him the advice we read today to give up his wealth (see Mark 10:21).  To emphasize the point regarding the internal life in the previous passages we've cited, we note that this rich young ruler has followed the commandments of the Law all of his life.  But Jesus finds something hindering his entrance into the kingdom of heaven, an attachment to his wealth that will prove a stumbling block to following Christ in all things.  We don't know why this wealth is a problem; this is not a moral lesson.  This man is doing nothing immoral with his wealth, and Jesus does not condemn owning wealth as sin.  But his attachment, his passion for what he owns, is a stumbling block to eternal life.  Perhaps, as he's called a ruler, he's one of the powerful families in Jerusalem, and his wealth is connected to family and social status and personal identity so that it's like removing an eye or hand or foot to part with his wealth.  But nonetheless, this is what Jesus calls on him to do.  Regardless of how little or how many possessions we have, we can understand the difficulty in being told to give away all that we have.  However, as St. John Chrysostom says, that is the easier part; the harder part is afterward following Christ in all things, as many monastics have sought to do.  The real aim here is the kingdom of God, and the eternal life Christ preaches, His gospel, and how we find it.  Out of love for him Jesus has taught this young man to give away his wealth to the poor, and follow Him.  It is another kind of illustration of the decisive and difficult action we may be called upon to take to follow Christ's path for us, to separate from ourselves the things we might even cherish but which nonetheless hold us back, keep us from the life He offers to us.  Let us take this sobering example to heart, for the Cross is for all of us; it just comes in different forms for each.  But it is the way of Christ, the way we need out of this worldly life to the one He offers us, the treasure in heaven He promises.

 

 

 

 

But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

 

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries  of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,

 And hearing they may not understand.'

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.   Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in a time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

 

- Luke 8:1–15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

  Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  My study Bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and they were the first to receive and to proclaim the news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In Scriptures, it notes, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing. 

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  As the crowds around Jesus have grown extremely large (a great multitude), and many people now come to hear Him speak, He initiates His speaking style in parables with this first one, the parable of the Sower. 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries  of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  My study Bible comments here that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.   My study Bible quotes St. John Chrysostom here:  "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."  Jesus refers to the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10).

 

 "Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.   Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in a time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."  Here Jesus explains the parable to His disciples.  My study Bible comments that, as the sower in the parable, Christ fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.  It asks us to note that while some might teach that a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Christ is clear in the explanation of the parable that it's possible for one to believe for a while and then fall away.  

My study Bible describes parables as stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  In Hebrew and Aramaic, it says, the words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  They express a constant which persists even today in the Near and Middle East, the seeming paradox of mysteries or riddles that tell us truths which are elusive and not always obvious to our minds.  Parables are also poetical, in the sense that they give us metaphors to think about, ways to conceive of ourselves in our world and before God.  Although their images are drawn from every day life to reach all, they communicate the deep things of God.  But, as my study Bible indicates, and Jesus says Himself in today's reading, the truth communicated in Christ's parables is not evident to all who hear.  Thus, midst these crowds, He's seeking those who can respond.  The parable of the Sower illustrates various levels of acceptance of such truths and the working of faith.  They indicate whether or not we have persistence, or whether difficulties can put us off this pursuit of faith.  The parable expresses the joy with which someone may receive the gospel, only to turn away at a later date.  It also teaches us that not everyone immediately accepts or grasps Christ's truths, and the word (or seed) of God.  The parable of the Sower teaches us what it is to persist in the struggle for our faith, just as St. Paul tells us that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:11-13).  Clearly the "action" of the parable is dynamic, meaning that this central drama of faith is one that persists throughout our lives, and is not meant merely for a moment's decision.  We're all capable of doubt, of struggle with temptation and with hardship, and like St. Peter (for one example in the Gospels), we're capable of failure and return.  There will be times when we struggle to accept what God is trying to teach us, and times when we grasp it with joy.  Today's reading begins with the illustration of the women, who in their own example give us an image of what the parable teaches.  Even Mary Magdalene, who will be the first to see the resurrected Christ, and carry the word to the apostles (as her title, Apostle to the Apostles, indicates), is one who had been fully immersed in darkness, as the text tells us, given over to "the other side," as we might say.  We can imagine their persistence in faith, as they remained true to Christ throughout His ministry, His Crucifixion and death, and in the early Church.  Let us endeavor to be like the women, pursuing our salvation, keeping His word, struggling through temptation and hardship, even tribulation.  For keeping His word produces a value beyond the cares, riches, and pleasures of life with which we may imagine Mary Magdalene herself struggled, and overcame to produce fruit far beyond a hundredfold -- even to inspire us today.  In these women we see those who heard the word with a noble and good heart, kept it, and bore fruit with patience through all things.

 

 

 

Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

 

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

- Mark 10:17–31 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus arose from Galilee and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His  hands on them, and blessed them.  

 

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"   My study Bible comments that this man does not come to test Jesus, but to seek advice from one whom he considers no more than a good Teacher.  It says that Christ's response does not deny that He is God, but is designed to lead the rich man to this knowledge.  The commandments quoted by Jesus are found at Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20.  Let us note that this man who approaches Jesus is often referred to as the "rich young ruler."  Jesus is now in Judea, and is going out on the road, perhaps toward Jerusalem, so this young ruler is likely connected to one of the important families of the temple leadership. 

 

And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  My study Bible comments that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God.  This young man had an earnest desire for eternal life, and sensed that he still lacked something.  So, he continues to press Jesus for the answer.   

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.   My study Bible says that to be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  Nothing is gained, it says, unless this sacrifice is given freely.  But the specifics for each person of how one follows Christ will be different.  Here, wealth had such a grip on this rich young ruler, his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions.  According to St. John Chrysostom, giving away his possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here -- to follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.  

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  My study Bible comments that there are various interpretations which have been suggested for this impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  Some suggest that this word was not "camel," but rather an Aramaic word that sounds similar but means "rope."  Others have said the "eye of a need" was the name of a city gate through which a camel might barely squeeze if it were first unloaded of all its baggage, symbolizing wealth.  There is an expression in the Talmud "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But, whatever this phrase refers to, my study Bible says, it displays the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.   It notes that this is clearly evidenced by the response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"  But through the grace of God, even what's impossible for human beings can come to pass.

 

 Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  My study Bible says that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses or to abandon children.  Again, my study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who says that this refers to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means to lose one's family.  It means also to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of a believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, my study Bible says, but in a spiritual sense -- the father's and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  

This story of the rich young ruler appears in all three Synoptic Gospels.  Therefore it forms a kind of highlighted, central story in the ministry of Jesus Christ.  We should be careful not to confuse a principle of sacrifice with an elevation to a purpose of modern concepts of sacrifice per se.  In other words, Jesus calls upon this young man to give up his wealth, sell it, and give to the poor, and to follow Him -- all in that order, and for an important intention.  As my study Bible points out, the whole purpose of this is because of his deep clinging to wealth as if it were an ineluctable part of his life and identity, so much so, that it gets in the way of his desire for eternal life and to follow Christ.  And this is the purpose of Christ's command to him, so that he may be able to find the eternal life he seeks.  There is nothing in particular that is inherently evil in wealth.  St. Paul writes that it is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil, not money in itself (1 Timothy 6:10).  Neither is Jesus suggesting that wealth is meant to be distributed for particular purposes of a social or political or even moral nature (for that one presumes that following Christ teaches and leads us in what to do with our wealth).  This young man is in earnest and truly seeks out Jesus as a good Teacher.  But there is one aspect we might consider about his identity.  As he's called a rich ruler, it's likely he's connected to the temple, and his possessions may in fact by the result of inherited position.  The Sadducees, for example, formed a kind of aristocracy around Jerusalem, and they were connected to the priestly families of the temple.  So, one aspect of wealth is its pervasive grip upon personal identity.  Who are we without our possessions?  Possessions also give us social status of a particular kind, and this in turn forms identity.  How others think of us forms a highly pervasive sense of who we are, but Christ calls us out of that place.  Let us keep in mind, for example, the experience of Jesus in His hometown, and how pervasive social status is within community.  So much so, that when He preached in Nazareth, the neighbors clung to their old ideas of Jesus and His family, and could not receive His gracious words, nor could Jesus perform any great work there (see Mark 6:1-6).  His wisdom both astonished and offended His old neighbors.  So important is this event that Christ's saying, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house" is found in some form in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57; Luke 4:24; John 4:44).  This young man's wealth likely ties him to his family and community in some particular way.  But Christ calls us out of our worldly identity and into one that He gives us in this sense of the eternal life.  Jesus points to that life when He teaches the young man that by giving up his wealth, selling it, and giving to the poor, he will have "treasure in heaven."  For we are called, as this young man is, to take up our crosses in order to exchange one type of life for another, just as we may have treasure in heaven by giving to those in need, a blessing for a blessing.  In the case of this man, that giving will set him free to follow Christ, for this is his particular need at this stage.  Let us note also that the text tells us Jesus gave this command out of love for this young man (Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him . . .).  The difficulties of giving up his wealth seem to keep him from becoming another beloved disciple of Christ, but of course we don't know what he did later on in his life.  For record, we should also note that there are wealthy people in the Gospels who become exemplary followers of Christ.  These are Joseph of Arimathea who donates an expensive tomb (likely made for himself) in order to honor Christ in burial, and Nicodemus the Pharisee.  Both give up a considerable amount to honor Jesus publicly, both endanger, and likely lose, wealth and position in so doing; both were among the rulers in the temple.  In fact, my study Bible notes that according to some early sources, Nicodemus was baptized by St. Peter and consequently was removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to flee Jerusalem.  As we read in the text, the disciples, while not men of great wealth, are also those who have left all to follow Jesus, exchanging their places, work, hometowns, and life for the life they are called to by Christ, to become disciples and apostles.  To follow Jesus is to be called out of past identity in one form or another, and to find oneself in His life, His Kingdom.  As my study Bible says, that calling will be different for each, the specifics of each one of us taking up our cross will depend upon the things God calls us out of, and how we're called forward.  For today, let us consider the pitfalls of wealth and even of what we moderns call progress, for so much of this is linked to possessions, to "keeping up."  For the world will always seek to dictate to us whom we are supposed to be, what we need to have and to do, how we look before others, what our social status is and where we fit.  This rich young ruler is directed by Jesus to follow the commandments of the Law as a good thing.  But he's also asked to go further and take up his cross. How does Christ call you forward, to follow Him?

 

 

 

But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on the rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'" 

 

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

 

- Luke 8:1-15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.   My study Bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and were the first to receive and proclaim the news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In the Scriptures, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing.  

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on the rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  This is the seminal parable of the Sower; it is the foundation for the rest of the parables, and begins Jesus' teaching in parables also in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 13).   One significance to this beginning of speaking in parables is that the multitudes are great enough now so that all kinds of people come to hear Him from curiosity, even those who will not become His disciples.  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  is a call to those whose hearts are ready to receive His word hidden in the parable for themselves. 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that  'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  My study Bible explains that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes, but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."   My study Bible comments that, as the sower in the parable, Christ fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.  It notes that while come might teach that a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Christ is clear, that it is possible to believe for a while and then fall away.  

When we look at the prophecy found in Isaiah 55:10-13, we read that "My word . . . that goes forth from My mouth . . . shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  Jesus as the Sower is sowing seeds with His word, hoping to plant them within us, within the crowds -- not necessarily so that He sees and immediately reaps all the fruit from those seeds, but rather confident that as the seed goes out, so it shall find good ground, and begin to grow its own harvest.  When we read this parable, it should be informing us that this process will continue as long as there are human beings to hear the word, and others to carry it out to the world, for it is still at work among us, and still going out to prosper and to flourish.  We note that Jesus isn't saying that everybody will be a fruitful recipient of His word.  He wants "those who have ears to hear."   That is, those who are pulled in to the compelling gravity of the mysteries of the kingdom of God -- that intangible secret hidden in plain sight, found in the Church and in the testimonies of the faithful, of those who discern that love and know they need it, and return it to Christ.  Note also how fruitfulness, once it's begun, doesn't really have a limit, but the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.  Note that the words used here are that we bear fruit "with patience."  This is not simply an overnight process, but one of a lifetime's work and discipleship.  We need to be patient with God and patient with ourselves; these seeds -- Christ's word -- are the gift that keeps on giving, keeps asking us for new growth, for more weeding out of what gets in the way, removal of the stones that prevent roots from growing deep, pulling out the thorns that choke the harvest with their cares, riches and pleasures of life which crowd out the focus of the heart where the word takes root and bears fruit.  I find that each one of places upon which the seed could fall which Christ describes can stand in for something we go through in life, but the good ground also depends on our work for it, our cultivation of receptivity and willingness in discipleship.  Time goes on, and the word continually goes out, and this will not stop until the job is complete, which Jesus has indicated will be the end of the age.  We don't know when that will be, for it is not up to us -- but what we should take to heart every day is the work of His word going out, its great harvest in us and among us, and our part in that.  When we seem to lose our way, or are choked with cares and worries, when the world baffles us, we take up this job and know what we are to be about.

You cannot serve God and mammon

 

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

 

- Matthew 6:19–24 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5 - 7 of Matthew's Gospel.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught about prayer:  "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.   And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.  For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 

 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  My study Bible comments that by attaching themselves to treasures on earth, people cut themselves off from earthly. treasures.  They become slaves to earthly things rather than free in Christ.  It says that the heart of discipleship lies in first disentangling ourselves from the chains of earthly things, and then attaching ourselves to God, the true treasure.

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"  The mind, my study Bible says, (Greek nous), is the spiritual eye of the soul; it illuminates the inner human being and governs the will.  To keep the mind wholesome and pure is fundamental to the Christian life.

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  My study Bible writes that as slaves serving two masters, people attempt to maintain an attachment to both earthly and heavenly things.  But this is impossible, since both demand full allegiance.  Jesus calls mammon ("riches") a master not because wealth is evil by nature, but because of the control it has over people.

In today's reading, Jesus is really trying to get us to take a look at our relationships to the things that are around us.  He asks us to examine our own attachments, and set them in proper order.  The material life has such a strong hold over us if we allow it to be first in our priorities that it becomes a truly demanding master, making slaves of us.  It is hard to realize when one is in this sort of slavery, because we are clearly dependent upon material things and live a material life.  However, the Incarnation itself is a model for us regarding our lives.  Just as we are not to be slaves to our passions, we cannot put the material first.  As my study Bible comments, it is a demanding master.  If we do not put God first, to remember our capacity for worship and put it in the proper place, we will find ourselves worshiping mammon, the material life.  Everything will be measured in terms of material value, when our true dependence is first on God, and then with this priority firmly in place will we be able to come to terms with a proper use of and relationship to material goods.  It is easy to be deluded about the material life, especially within a prosperous world that puts so much emphasis only on this aspect of life.  It's easy to be "out of order" in terms of what our real needs and relationships are.  But worship only belongs in one place, and that is to God.  The mind, or nous in Greek, to which my study Bible refers, is the part of ourselves capable of real perception, and it is this that Jesus refers to as the "eye."  As the lamp of the body, it gives us light, meaning light by which we can truly see what is what in life.  So we must take good care that this eye is pure and without impediment or obstacle in it.  But if we're not capable of this clear perception, if we can't perceive the things of God, our whole world is going to be darkness.  We're never going to see the right path through life.  Jesus is not saying we don't have material goods; He's telling us how easy it is for material goods to have us!  That is, for us to be slaves to material life, rather than putting ourselves in proper order  by our love and loyalty to God first, Who then places things in proper order and priority for us.  This is where we understand that we have treasure in heaven, and the true light by which we need to be guided in life.  It will give us the values we need and the priorities to live by.  We also need to read today's passage in light of yesterday's, in which we were taught the Lord's prayer, and Jesus' words reminded us twice about the power to forgive.  If we take this in context, we understand Jesus' use of the word "debts" to indicate ways in which we've been hurt or sinned against, and it is clear that an attachment to a materialist perspective will lead us to store up those kind of "debts" as well in a disordered way.  This materialist viewpoint will lend itself to a perspective on the hurts and scores we need to settle that renders us unable to see the priorities God would teach us for our true inner health and well-being, the right way of relatedness and righteousness in the world.  Therefore, Jesus is teaching us about the slavery of mammon, how if we don't "see" properly, this materialist viewpoint will pervade all of our lives and leave us in darkness on a number of levels, creating improper order in our lives.  Our focus instead needs to be rooted in God and the things of God, and only then will we have a truly righteous understanding of how we are to live the rest of our lives, what values we assign to things.  His verdict is categorical, and serves as a great warning:  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  There is nothing in this world that it is proper to put first, to worship, to make an idol out of, whether that be a political party or leader, a slogan, a drive for material things, an image we seek before others, another human being, friends or family, even an image we have of ourselves and what "success" means on material terms, and this would certain include the drive for material power and position.  There is only one person deserving of worship who has walked in the world, and that is Jesus Christ, both God and man.  What is your true currency in life?  What is your bottom line?  By what light do you see?  What do you put first before everything?  These are the questions we ask ourselves, if we want to avoid real slavery.  We've got to make a choice.

 

 

 

 

Who then can be saved?

 

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

- Mark 10:17–31 

 

 Yesterday we read that Jesus Galilee and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

 

  Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  My study Bible writes that this man doesn't come to test Jesus, but to seek advice from one he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Christ's response does not deny that He is God, but is designed to lead the rich man to this knowledge.  To observe the commandments formally does not make a person righteous before God, it adds.  This man had an earnest desire for eternal life, and he sensed that he still lacked something.  Therefore, he continues to press Christ for the answer.  

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  This man lacks one thing.  To be perfect, my study Bible says, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  Nothing is gained unless the sacrifice is given freely.  The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  Because wealth had such a grip on this rich man, his only hope is to sell and give away his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom comments that giving away possessions is the least of the instructions Jesus gives here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."   My study Bible explains that there have been various interpretations suggested for the impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  For example, that the word was not camel, but "rope" (which sounds similar in Aramaic); or that the eye of a needle was actually the name of a city gate through which a camel might squeeze if it were first unloaded of all of its baggage, symbolizing wealth.  There is even an expression in the Talmud:  "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever the phrase indicates, it is an expression of the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached the riches.  Clearly the disciples understand it, as we can see from their response:  "Who then can be saved?"  But, my study Bible says, with God's grace, even what is impossible to human beings can come to pass.

Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  My study Bible remarks that Christ does not command believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom suggests that this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means that one must accept that unbelieving family members may cut off tie because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly senses, my study Bible explains, but in a spiritual sense:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  

When Peter says, "See, we have left all and followed You," he is indicating the start of a new life in the faith of Christ.  While the apostles themselves clearly have taken on this new life in an extraordinary way, following a life of faith can offer to all of us a number of ways in which we take up a "new life" in Christ.  We often overlook that Jesus does not merely tell this man to sell all that He has and to follow Him.  He says to him, "Come, take up the cross, and follow Me" (italics added by me for emphasis).  The story of the Cross is the story of transformation and new life.  It is the story of death and Resurrection:  dying to an old way of life in some way, and a resurrection in the new life offered by Christ.  What Jesus recommends for this rich young man, whom He loved we are told, is necessary for him to break away from his old life.  Possessions take a powerful hold on people to the point at which they themselves become identified with the possessions.  Possibly this rich young man who kneels before him is a person with titles and property, and great inherited wealth.  This would suggest that family, titles, position and all the rest that goes with his great possessions defines who he is within the society.  What Christ asks us is to find our identity in our devotion to Him.  This does not mean that we will all be asked to make the kind of radical external transformations that the disciples have done, or that this particular man is asked to make.  But in one way and another, we might find that our faith asks of us to make some hard choices, especially around the things we are more attached to than we are attached to Christ.  As my study Bible indicates, there will be relationships tested:  there are those that are healthy and support our faith and what is best for us in life; but there might also be those that do the opposite, that seek to take us in a direction that is harmful or self-destructive or abusive, and therefore not supported by our faith and what is best for us.  There are relationships -- and attachment to possessions -- that will take us in a destructive path, one that limits who we are and excludes where our faith would lead us.  Whatever it is, a life of faith and prayer will often lead us to make changes in life, choices that others around us won't necessarily be happy with or expect of us.  These are the sacrifices of the cross.  But Jesus also asks us to see the new life in Him and the blessings of that life, the new way forward and beyond what we know.  There are times when the cross we bear seems like a terrible burden; the things we are asked to choose seem unbearable in terms of the disruptions they may cause in life, or family members that make the strange changes in us seem like onerous trauma.  We may no longer go along with what they want of us, or easily accept ways of life that are in some way abusive or harmful.  But we mustn't let this bearing of our cross obscure the great blessings we are given -- even when it's hard to see the forest for the trees.  Peter begins to ask from this perspective on behalf of all of the disciples, "See, we have left all and followed You," just as the bewildered disciples earlier ask one another, "Who then can be saved?"  These responses reassure us that even those who will be the pillars of His Church have had the same responses we do, and borne the same difficulties in carrying their own crosses.  Yet each serves as an example of devotion, having found throughout their own lives the great rewards and richness of life that made them continue in service to Christ, to the Church, and in faith.  So each of us will find the rewards of a life in Christ, a life of prayer and the blessings that come with our own cross.  For He calls us forward, not back, to a life of rewards beyond what we leave behind, and it is there we also will find our own resurrection in Him.  St. Paul indicates this is a daily process when he writes, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  Each day we give our lives to Him in prayer and worship, and we find our way forward; this is the life of the Cross.  Let us walk in His light and find His blessed way of life for ourselves.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.   Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,

And hearing they may not understand.'

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

- Luke 8:1–15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed then with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."   And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.   These verses appear almost as they are a direct a continuation from yesterday's reading, in which we read of the great love of this woman, a notorious sinner, came to anoint Christ's feet with expensive oil in a deep display of love and faith, and whose sins were forgiven by Christ.  The Gospel presents us with these other women who were so essential to Christ's ministry.  My study bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and they were the first to receive and proclaim the news of Christ's Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In the Scriptures, my study bible teaches, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing.  

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.   Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Here Jesus tells His first parable.  The parable of the Sower is given as Christ's first parable in all three Synoptic Gospels (see also Mark 4, Matthew 13).  At this stage in His ministry there is a great multitude gathered to hear Him, and they have come from every city to do so.  We have also just read of the women who support His ministry.  It is at this stage of great public attention that Christ shifts to teaching in parables, and gives this parable of the Sower first.  It is a parable about Himself and His ministry, a "word picture" with images from every day life in this agrarian society, given as a kind of riddle for people to seek to understand for themselves.  Thus Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" alluding to Isaiah's prophecy, from which He quotes to the disciples in the verses that follow.  As the sower in the parable, He fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13. 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that  'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"   Mysteries, my study bible explains, are not obscure intellectual concepts, but they are the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  It says that a person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9. 

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."  Here, Jesus explains the parable to the disciples, to those who are already committed to Him in faith.  My study bible asks us to note that while some might teach a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Jesus is clear that it's possible to believe for a while and then fall away.  

 

 My study bible tells us that the Hebrew and Aramaic words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  These stories, which consist of images drawn from daily life in the world, are meant to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  It says that parables give us "glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9).   Just as important to our understanding that this is the way Christ has chosen to communicate is the fact that not everybody is going understand the parables.  This is built in to this style of teaching.  Why would Christ teach in ways that not everybody is going to understand?  In a world that is filled with all kinds of information -- so often irrelevant to our lives or professions -- why would someone, intent on public preaching, choose to do so in a way that is going to be obscure to at least some of His listeners?  That is a very important question.  As the parable itself indicates, so much about our faith also depends on us.  That is, we, the faithful.  Jesus' parable of the Sower speaks of struggles, of difficulties that come from the world and get in the way of faith -- things against which a believer struggles.  First there is the devil, who comes to those who've heard and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  Then there are those people who receive Christ's word with joy, but in whom it doesn't take deep root -- therefore, they believe for a short time, but when they're tempted, they fall away.  And then there are the thorns of this world.  Jesus gives an image of people who've heard the word, but are then choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  The "cares, riches, and pleasures of life" are always with us, perhaps now more than ever, reaching into all economic strata on some level or another.  These things are presented by Jesus as that which takes away our attention and time from living and doing and fulfilling His word, because we are choked with these goals and distractions, pursuing what does not bear spiritual fruit.  I see this as a great struggle of modern life, technological advancement, and prosperity levels not seen in the world in times past.  Finally Jesus says, "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."   Let us note that even with a noble and good heart, there is a struggle here, because we bear fruit only with patience.  In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus teaches, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  If we read the Sermon on the Plain carefully (as well as the Sermon on the Mount), we see that Christ means a "good and noble heart" not as something we're either born with or not, but something we work at, build, protect, and nurture through time.  We are to take note, cultivate an awareness of our own flaws, and take decisive action to cast them aside.  Jesus does not present us with a world in which we are asked to simply "believe" and then everything will fall into place.   Neither is belief something that is handed to us like a child being spoon-fed.  Rather, these truths -- which are, importantly, mysteries -- are given to us through parables.  We are called upon to respond in order to derive benefit from them.  We are called to discipleship to cultivate a life in which these seeds can grow and bear fruit through nurturing, pruning, discernment, and support.  But front and center is Christ's commentary:  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  We are called upon to care about what He's teaching, to have a particular type of ears, attuned to hear the things of spiritual importance, to care enough to want what He's offering.  These things He's teaching in the parables are called mysteries because they point to something beyond themselves, to a deeper reality that is beyond the surface and behind the words.  He is Jesus, and He is teaching important things.  But He is also the Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, and He's seeking to initiate us (that is, those who really want what He offers) into a communion of saints, a hierarchy of the divine, the things that will make us grow in stature and likeness to Him, and to be able to share in this communion that extends throughout a universe of creation we can't see.  It is an invitation into love and depth and a communion of wisdom and beauty, and this is what is on offer in the parables.  But we have to really, really want this.  We have to care about it, be drawn to it, into faith and trust and love.  And we have to want what's good.  We might be called but there are also those who are chosen.  We bear fruit through real desire, and through patience, and through following this word, keeping it precious, and working at it every day through the difficulties that come in spite of our faith, and maybe even because of it.  That is where He calls us, but can you hear and see it?  Let us take note of some of His most devoted followers, named in the first verses in today's reading.  They are women, and include Mary Magdalene, one who was given over completely to darkness.  At a certain point in the West, she somehow got assigned the label of prostitute, but this was never true in the East.  We don't really know how "darkness" was expressed in her life, only that Christ cast out seven demons -- and she became one of His greatest followers, and was given the title Apostle to the Apostles.  Those who truly desire what He offers cannot be defined by labels and appearance but are discerned through the heart, and through love of Christ.  Let us remember!

With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible

 

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to Him, "Why do You call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."  Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."   And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  

Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

- Mark 10:17-31

Yesterday we read that Jesus went from Capernaum and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."    In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

 

 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to Him, "Why do You call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God."  My study bible comments here that this man doesn't come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one whom he considers to be simply a good Teacher.  Jesus' response does not deny that He is God, but rather is designed to lead the rich man to such knowledge.

 

"You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."   My study bible says that formal commandments does not make a person righteous before God.  This man had an earnest desire for eternal life.  But he sensed that he still lacked something.  Therefore, he continues to press Jesus for the answer.  Jesus responds in a very instructive way, by naming the commandments with which this man is already familiar:  "You know the commandments."  In this way, Jesus both affirms he is already seeking holiness, but leads him toward the desire for a fuller answer.

 

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack:  Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."  But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.   In order to be perfect, one must be willing to sacrifice all and follow Christ, my study bible tells us.  It says that nothing is gained except if that sacrifice is given freely.  But the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  As wealth had a great grip on this person, his only hope was to sell all and give away his possessions.  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study bible says, giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.  

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"  And the disciples were astonished at His words.  But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."   And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."   There are various interpretations of the image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.   Some suggest the possibility that the word was not camel, but the Aramaic word for "rope" sounds alike, and one can see a parallel to "thread" in that image.  Some suggest the "eye of a needle" was a name for a city gate that a camel might get through if first it were stripped of its baggage, which would symbolize wealth and possessions.  In the Talmud there is the expression "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."   My study bible adds that whatever the phrase refers to, it displays the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  It says that this is clearly evidenced by the response of the disciples:  "Who then can be saved?"  Yet through the grace of God, even those things that are impossible for human beings can come to pass.

Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  My study bible explains that Jesus is not commanding believers to divorce spouses or abandon children.  Once again, it cites St. Chrysostom, who says it refers to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).   Believers are promised a hundredfold of hoses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense.  These are the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship of fellowship.  Neither do we leave out of our consciousness the entire communion of saints, angels, and an entire creation that groans and labors with birth pangs for the renewal in Christ (see Romans 8:19-23).

It's important to understand the sense in which we place all things in the hands of God.  According to my study bible, this man -- whom we are told is young elsewhere (see Matthew 19:16-22) -- was too attached to his wealth and possessions.  It seems likely that the hold they have on him is part of his identity in the society.  Those possessions, for a young person, likely tie him to family and position.  So, when we understand Christ's command, I think it's important that we put these things, as well as the difficulty of doing them, in the context of identity.  So often, our call to a closer communion with Christ is all about a willingness to give up something that is cherished not simply because of the comfort it brings us, or the ease in our lives, or any other benefit, but those things also constitute part of what we consider to be our identity.  They are things we rest upon to know and define who we are.   We say to ourselves, for example, "These are my friends," or "this is my home," or "my group."  But in truth, we are often called out of those aspects of identity to a greater or deeper walk in faith, so that we are drawn closer to God.  At times, we might experience a great loss does not come about voluntarily, and that also constitutes a particular loss of identity.  If we lose a job this can easily happen; we may find ourselves stripped of something by which we identified ourselves, both to ourselves and to the world.  When any sort of political event or current state of affairs gets very intense, we find people identifying with political party or country, or one side in a battle, or any other element at play in a significant happening.  To lose faith in someone or something is a painful experience, because it involves a rethinking of the personal identity we have tied up in whatever that is.  Whether it is voluntary or involuntary, when we lose something to which we are attached, we also must adjust to the stripping of notions of identity that go with it.  And therein comes our faith, therein comes Christ.  This young man is attached to his riches.  It's not just that he is rich, but he is defined by it.  He goes away sorrowful, not simply because Christ has asked him to sell all he has and give to the poor, but because the choice is too great for him to make -- and the choice is between his life as that particular rich young man, and a life in Christ.  No matter how much he thinks he wants the eternal life Christ offers, in the end he goes away sorrowful.  Everything comes down to this sort of a choice.  Sooner or later, we come up against a choice about identity that involves what we love and cherish, and that which tells us who we think we are.  This is the profound nature of the call of Christ, which goes deeper than everything else we're attached to.  St. Paul writes, "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" (Hebrews 4:12).  It doesn't matter what we've set our heart on as identity:  that great job or promotion, the big house everybody will admire, the perfect family.  Neither does it matter how nominally "good" that choice is.  The call of Christ will come to ask us, at times, which is more important to us, which place has our loyalty:   our closeness and faith in Christ as identity, or our cherished identity that comes from something else in our lives, and frequently from what we might regard as possessions.  The disciples, over the past several readings, have just been instructed to give up their aims of being "great" in terms of worldly honor and kingdoms and positions of power,  and now here we are presented with this rich young man, who is told to sell what he has and follow Christ.  Let us note that Jesus is not minimizing that sacrifice, nor is He telling this young man lightly what He needs to do.  This is a sincere young man.  The text tells us that Jesus loved him.  There is no telling where a life in Christ, after such a great sacrifice, could have led him.  We certainly know where it led for the apostles, and the honor in which they are held in the Church for all of her history.  It becomes of the greatest importance to consider this rich young man when we find ourselves facing loss in our own life, because in itself this story teaches us to turn to Christ in our emptiness and vulnerability.  We are not stripped bare of possessions for the sake of loss, nor left empty for the sake of emptiness.  Sometimes we may find ourselves facing a loss even through a great tragedy.  But such times become an opportunity for forming and shaping a deeper identity and dependence on Christ, for filling that loss with pure gain.  As Christ said, that gain is "a hundredfold" now and in the age to come.  But we have to be willing first to tolerate that "the first shall be last, and the last first."  That is, there will be times that demand our humility as a way of advancing forward and seeing our way through to the life Christ offers us in place of the past.  We do this with God's help and grace, but He also asks for our cooperation in this work.