Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men

 

 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town." 

 

Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered  and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him. 

 

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  

 

- Mark 8:22-33 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven."  So he said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"   

 

  Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."  My study Bible comments that the people of Bethsaida were unbelieving (Matthew 11:21); so, therefore, this is why Jesus leads the blind man out of the town to heal him.  Additionally, in this way the people would not scoff at the miracle and then bring upon themselves greater condemnation in so doing.  That this blind man was healed in stages, my study Bible further explains, shows that he had only a small amount of faith (hence another reason to take him out of the town) -- for healing occurs according to one's faith (Mark 6:5-6).  But this little faith was enough, and it increased with the touch of Christ.  Jesus' command not to return to the town, my study Bible notes, symbolizes that we must not return to our sins once we have been forgiven.  

 

 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered  and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  Here Jesus brings the question to the disciples of His true identity.  My study Bible comments that, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person could ever face, for it is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter's correct answer to this question (on behalf of all the disciples) prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  He is the Christ, and the one and only Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).  This is a position, my study Bible says, which excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding is related to the heart (as discussed in yesterday's reading and commntary), and it cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and it's equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also asks us to note that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  This is done so that these incorrect ideas may be identified, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they are clearly identified.

 

 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  My study Bible comments here that, after Peter's confession, Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship:  the mystery of His Passion.  It was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter, and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).  St. Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, my study Bible explains, for the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save humankind through suffering and death. 

 

Faith is once again the great subject behind all things we read in today's Gospel passage.  The passage shows us the various ways in which faith works, how it works in us, and how we cooperate with and find that faith -- even the struggle to continue in our faith and keep it.   There is first of all the story of the blind man healed by Jesus.  As my study Bible explains, his faith starts as "little" but it grows gradually through contact with Christ.  Jesus does everything He can to shore up and strengthen that faith -- taking the blind man out of the town and away from the scoffers in order to heal him, and even teaching him not to return so as to maintain his faith.  These teachings remain important for each of us.  As with many in Twelve Step programs, often it is only by removing oneself from a particular familiar environment that the destructive habit can be left behind.  Patterns of thinking (called λογισμοί/logismoi in the Greek language of theology and historical monasticism) affect us at many levels; so often we inherit them from an environment or adopt them through social contact.  They can be destructive and tempting, or they can help us -- and oftentimes in order to build up our lives in ways that are truly needful and helpful we need to be mindful of how we can shore up what is good for us, and remove away from ourselves the things that tear us down and tempt us in ways that seem to promise good but are really destructive.  Again, addictions of all kinds form an example:  the promise to reduce pain or anxiety is a trap which leads only to worse enslavement to such pain, anxiety, and other problems.  So, Christ's action to shore up faith for healing remains one of the most significant teachings we can receive in our lives, for modern problems of today as well as for Christ's time.  Perhaps today, with our exposure to so much and an unlimited sense of freedom through the internet, we have need of this teaching more than ever before.  Then there is the confession of St. Peter (made on behalf of all of the disciples, as St. Peter so often speaks for all of them) that Jesus is the Christ.  Again, my study Bible emphasizes faith and the state of the heart as the root of such perception.  For this reason, we guard our hearts from the destructive thought patterns that do not help us find the faith we need, to see the spiritual truth of the reality of God which gives us strength to live a productive and good life -- and to see the reality of what is harmful even when it looks "good."  We observe that in the case of the healed formerly-blind man, and also in the case of the disciples after Christ's identity is revealed to them, in both circumstances Jesus warns them to tell no one.  This, again, is not to tempt scoffers -- neither to entertain their destructive mindset which may be destructive, but also to protect such people from further condemnation, as my study Bible said.  Finally, there is the moment when Christ reveals what His ministry will entail, contrary to all of the expectations about the Messiah and the kingdom the Messiah would initiate.  This is something terribly hard for the disciples to take in, let alone to accept.  St. Peter's response is something which you and I can completely understand:  he rebukes even the thought that Jesus should suffer and perish.  But Jesus responds in a stark and even harsh way, even calling Peter "Satan" in his rejection of the news that Christ will suffer and die.  St. Peter's reaction, while naturally understandable to all of us, is in fact a worldly way of thinking which the Crucifixion will stand on its head.  For God will use even this worst of all scenarios for the redemption of the whole world, leading to salvation for us all, and in so many ways teaching us what God's love is and does, and continually giving to us in the ongoing ministry of the Church the power of Resurrection at work.  In this St. Paul's word is true, that " all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  For now, let us consider the power of faith, how important and essential it is to us, what a difference in makes in our lives.  For all of these stories illustrate its importance, and our need to guard it to keep it strong, and keep ourselves on that good path, the good part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You do not know what you ask

 

 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

 

- Mark 10:32–45 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus 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."

 

  Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed.  And as they followed they were afraid.  Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him:  "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  My study Bible says that Christ's repeated predictions of His Passion were intended to encourage and to strengthen the disciples, as they will come to face terrifying events.  Let us make careful note of the fact that they are now on the road and going up to Jerusalem.  Additionally, my study Bible also comments that these warnings by Jesus confirm that He is going to His death in Jerusalem of His own will and choosing. 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."  And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."  But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"  They said to Him, "We are able."  So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."  And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.  But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."  In our readings from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Jesus has already been addressing the question of "greatness" among His disciples.  In yesterday's reading (above), Jesus addressed the question of great possessions and the obstacle that can be to entering the kingdom of God.  Here, my study Bible comments that this quest for temporal power and glory is unfitting for a disciple and shows an earthly misunderstanding of the kingdom of God.   In Matthew's Gospel it's reported that the mother of Zebedee's sons makes the request for this honor, but as is clear in the Greek text, Christ responds by addressing them in the plural ("What do you want Me to do for you?"; verse 36).  My study Bible notes also that Christ calls His Crucifixion a cup and His death a baptism.  It says that the Cross is a cup because He drinks it willingly (Hebrews 12:2); His death is baptism because He was completely immersed in it, yet it cleansed the world (Romans 6:3-6).  Here it is also noted that Christ's words to the Zebedee brothers are a prophecy.  That they will indeed participate in the same cup and baptism shows the life of persecution and martyrdom which both would lead after Pentecost.  Furthermore, that Christ says the places of honor in the Kingdom are not His to give doesn't mean that He lacks authority.  What it means is that these are not Christ's to give arbitrarily.  He will give them to those for whom God has prepared them.  With regard to sitting as equals on Christ's right and left hand in His Kingdom, St. John Chrysostom says that no one could possibly occupy a position like that.  In terms of the highest places of honor given to human beings, my study Bible notes that the icons of the Church universally show the Virgin Mary (the most blessed among women - Luke 1:28) and John the Baptist (the greatest born of women - Matthew 11:11) holding these places.  

 

 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  For many as used here is an Aramaic expression, which means "for all."

As pointed out above, in several readings this week Jesus has addressed the issue of greatness and what that is in His Church and His Kingdom.  Therefore, it is somewhat surprising at this stage that these apostles, John and James Zebedee, who together with St. Peter make up three "pillars of faith," should now come to Christ with this request.  They are the ones, together with Peter, whom Jesus has taken with Him in times that called for the greatest strength of faith:  in the healing of Jairus' daughter, and at the Transfiguration (and the healing that followed).  It seems quite possible that, at this stage when Jesus' intention is very clear that He is setting off on the road to Jerusalem, the brothers (and their mother, as indicated in St. Matthew's Gospel), believe that the purpose of going to Jerusalem is to inaugurate this Kingdom, which they assume will be an earthly one.  Perhaps it is, after all, because James and John have been so close to Jesus as part of His "inner circle" together with Peter that they seek these places of honor. But, as in the cases where Peter's behavior is disappointing (such as in his denials of Christ to come at Mark 14:29-31), or the times the disciples haven't measured up to the kind of faith Christ would ask of them (as in this reading), or have so lacked understanding it seemed to exasperate Jesus (in this reading), perhaps we are given these examples by the disciples to teach us something important.  For we learn primarily that discipleship is not a one-time quiz or test that we either pass or fail, but a lifelong journey.  Indeed the word for disciple in the Greek of the Gospels means "learner" (μαθητής/mathetes).  In modern Greek this word is used to mean "student."  Discipleship, in the context of the Gospels, is a lifelong road.  And we can see for ourselves, through the remarkably short three-year period of Christ's ministry, how the disciples grow and become the apostles they would eventually be.  As my study Bible pointed out, both John and James Zebedee (also named "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus as we read in Mark 3:17) would truly both drink Christ's cup and be baptized with His baptism.  James would be the first of the apostles to be martyred (in AD 44, beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem; see Acts 12:2).  John would go on to a long life of persecution and exile, producing one Gospel, three Epistles, and the Revelation, as well as caring for Mary the Mother of God (John 19:26).  So what is it that will take these two men (and presumably their mother) from the ones who demand the two most important places in Christ's Kingdom, on His right and on His left, to the ones who would serve with the kind of greatness that Jesus has described over the course of the past several readings?  Christ's Passion itself, just ahead of them in Jerusalem, will without a doubt take them through its shattering realities and the tremendous story of Christ's sacrifice "for many," as Jesus prophesies in today's reading.  But the powerful spiritual realities to come, of Resurrection, and of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as well as the growth of the Church and its many servants to come, will no doubt have their effects upon all of them.  Let us take these examples to heart, and understand that for each of us, our journey forward into discipleship and deepening faith might very well take us through the deep changes of heart and mind as exemplified by these Sons of Thunder.  Let us be grateful for the grace we're given and the examples in the Gospels.  When these men make their request of Jesus, He tells them truthfully, "You do not know what you ask."  But they would learn in time, and through faith.  Let us remember that we, also, may have a lot to learn along the way.  Clearly, when we pray, we also may not know what we ask.  Let us keep our patience and keep learning as disciples throughout our lives, and pray for the grace to change and accept what we're meant to learn. 

Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men

 

 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."

Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

 

- Mark 8:22-33 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Jesus, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said to Him, "Twelve."  Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it that you do not understand?"

 

  Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."  My study Bible says of this passage that the people of Bethsaida were unbelieving (Matthew 11:21); therefore Jesus leads this blind man out of the town to heal him, so that the people would not scoff at the miracle and bring upon themselves greater condemnation.  (It's not unusual for Christ to separate those being healed from scoffers; see, for example, Mark 5:40.)  That the blind man was healed in stages, my study Bible notes, shows that he had only a small amount of faith, for healing occurs according to one's faith.  Yet this little faith was enough, and it increased with the touch of Christ.  My study Bible adds that Christ's command not to return to the town symbolizes that we must not return to our sins once we have been forgiven.  Possibly not to go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town is a way to continue to shore up his faith and stay away from those who would ridicule.

Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  My study Bible tells us that  "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question a person can ever face, as it is the question that defines Christianity.  Peter's correct answer to the question prevents the Christian faith from being seen as simply another philosophical system or path of spirituality.  In Matthew's Gospel, he names Jesus as the one and only Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).  This position excludes all compromise with other religious systems, my study Bible says.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only by divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One," and is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  My study Bible comments that after Peter's confession, Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship:  the mystery of His Passion.  It was expected that the Messiah would reign forever -- so the concept that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter.  It would remain scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).  Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, as the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save mankind through suffering and death.

Jesus tells Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Jesus statement affirms for us what is also written by Isaiah in the Old Testament:  "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).  Our rational reduction of expectations down to theories and abstracts and rules will never fit the God of unexpected dimensions, the God who heals in ways that are hard for us to accept (as in the healing of the blind man in the first part of today's reading), and who comes to us in ways that are unimaginable -- such as in the human Jesus of Nazareth.  How can God be human? we might as well ask ourselves.  Why would God become human to die a horrible death of crucifixion?  The ways in which God works to solve problems are illumined to us through Scripture as ways which defy human expectation and reasoning.  And yet, we accept these things as true, and our theologians come to answer these questions as well.  There are so many profound realities that come from these unexpected manifestations of God's work and God's will that their myriad blessings to us answer the questions themselves.  How could God become human?  Let us ask what it does for us that God becomes human, instead.  It shows God's love, God's willingness to sacrifice and suffer for us, God's desire to be close to us, to reclaim us, to find us as "lost sheep" who need a Shepherd.  As my study Bible says, this identity of Christ separates Christianity from being just another philosophical tradition, because it opens up a truly personal understanding of and communion with Creator, in a way that is impossible to achieve otherwise.  Christ's suffering and death on the Cross truly teaches us that He was willing to share completely in our own pains in this imperfect world, even experiencing human death -- and He even stated that we are in this together with Him, expecting us to take up our own crosses and go through life in this world just as it is, but with Him (Luke 9:23).  His life, death, and Resurrection confirms to us that we are in this together, in a communion, and He invites us in to His saving mission; our participation is a necessary part of His mission for this world.  Given all of these meanings that we derive from His life, and even from His death, what questions are then left to be answered, opened up, and asked in light of what we can understand?  And that is the mystery that opens up for us as well, a kind of journey into the future -- both for "the world" and for our own immediate personal lives -- that teaches us that Christ's mission into this world offers us not just a belief system, but a way of life, and one that continues to open up during our lifetimes.  His ministry did not last one day, did not consist of one mission statement, but for three years continued with the disciples, as they went through town after town, in all the regions of Israel and among Gentile areas (such as Caesarea Philippi in today's reading), as they met with receptivity and condemnation, belief and unbelief.  And that is a mirror of our lives and our faith journey as well.  His life opens up so many more questions for us, but the answers are to be found in faith, and through experience of that faith working itself out as we meet the challenges in our own lives, in prayer and in communion with Him and His saints seeing and helping us through it.  Like the blind man, there may be times when we need to withdraw to shore up our faith; like Jesus and the disciples we may need to find an isolated place where we can receive the surprising ways our faith might ask us to proceed, even the hardships we may be asked to endure which are seemingly impossible to understand without hindsight.  Yet, this is our surprising way, for we are to be always mindful of the things of God, and not simply the things of men.

 

 

And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God

 

 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 

- Luke 18:31–43 

 

Yesterday we read that people also brought infants to Jesus that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "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."  Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he hard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he become very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For 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 those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."   

 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.   This is the third prediction Jesus has made to the disciples about His Passion, and all the rest of what is going to happen in Jerusalem, as they approach the city.  Let us notice how Jesus frames His warning:  that all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  That is, what He frames here for the disciples is going to happen in the context of the fulfillment of the Scriptures, what has been prophesied about the Messiah.  That is, not because of the prophesies, but rather in fulfillment of what has been foreseen through the Holy Spirit "who spoke through the prophets" (Nicene Creed; Hebrews 1:1).  My study bible comments that the saying was hidden to the disciples because they could not comprehend its meaning until after the events of the Passion had taken place.  

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.  The blind man greets Jesus with a Messianic title, Son of David.  Let us note his persistence, despite all of the attempts of the crowd  to tell him that he should be quiet.  This has the opposite effect on him, he simply cried out all the more.  If we think about our recent readings, this blind man is realistically adopting the position which Jesus taught the disciples about prayer, that it should be persistent.  In the words of the Gospel (in this reading and the teaching of Christ's parable about prayer), that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.  It seems this blind man knows something about the Son of David that the rest of the crowd going before him do not.  In an illustration of the truth of Jesus' parable in that reading from Friday we've just noted, Jesus hears him, stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  Let us note that Jesus tells him, "Your faith has made you well."  Our persistence in prayer, even in not following the crowds and what others would say, is clearly marked out by Jesus as a sign of faith.  My study bible says that although Jesus knows what we want before we ask, He calls us to ask freely in order to learn of His mercy.  There is also a traditional spiritual interpretation of this miracle; in it, the blind man symbolizes the future generations who will come to faith only by hearing, without having the benefit of seeing Christ in person (see John 20:29).  In each generation there will be persecutors and tyrants who try to silence the Church, and shut down the faith of believers.  But nevertheless, under persecution, we all the more confess Jesus Christ.  Let us note the blind man's correct response:  He followed Christ on His journey toward Jerusalem, glorifying God.  All the people note his thanksgiving, and gave praise to God in response.

It's interesting to see in the Gospels the fickleness of the crowds, and in this story in particular, that sends us a deep message.  We noted at first how it was the crowds who tried to silence the plea (or prayer) of the blind man.  It is because he does not follow what the crowds tell him that the man continues to plead for Christ's help, and shows persistence in his prayer and in his faith in appealing to Jesus.  In the end, it is the whole crowd, "all the people," the text tells us, who gave praise to God in response to the blind man's glorious healing by Christ.  If he had not been persistent, this man who refused to listen to all the voices in his hearing, would not have had his sight restored, nor would all the people be praising God.  It tells us something that the crowds in the Gospels are so often simply fickle at best, and at other times are downright wrong.  In the words of my study bible, "the crowds follow the crowds."  It is not to popular belief or superstition, or rumor, or gossip, or whatever other means by which we hear from all those voices in our ears, that we turn to find truth.  We turn to the Person who is the Truth (John 14:6).  We turn to the wisdom built up and understood through that Person who is Truth and those who serve that truth, and we turn to our faith.  We turn, as Christ has taught us, to persistence in our faith -- even when it looks like we are the fools in the eyes of the crowd.  But if there is anything we're taught in today's story, it is that the fool in the crowd by the side of the road is the only one who knows he's blind, and the only one who knows where to turn and how to turn to the One who can restore his sight.  And so, we have the perfect metaphor for what so many faithful feel in a world that thinks so often it is doing just fine without divine help.  If we understand that there are things we are blind to, that there are ways in which we need help and healing, that our lives need something therapeutic that might be missing from "worldly" life -- then we are the ones on our way to sight, even when we might look like we're fools to others.  The first step in any journey of healing is waking up to your own blindness, to the things that aren't perfect about which you might just be in denial, and realizing what it is you need help with.  Your symptoms might go unnoticed without a diagnosis, but who goes to the doctor when they think they are not sick?  Our attention to our prayer, our faith, and that Person who is Truth is the way we find what we need to change, the dangers we could be headed toward, the way forward that is the way of healing and wholeness.  And that is found in persistence in prayer, in worship, in the things we need that are the structures of our faith.  Jericho is often symbolic of sin in Scripture, in both Old and New Testaments.  It is, in that sense, symbolic of the world which may be permeated with dangers and evil even when all the crowd has no idea what this means, and may even confuse evil with good at times.  What we do is build our lives around the Savior and Deliverer, the Son of David, who will always tell us the truth, no matter what we might rather hear -- and it is that good news of His gospel that heals and saves.