But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

 And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

 'Their worm does not die,

 And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 

 'Their worm does not die, 

 And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

- Mark 9:42-50 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples departed from the region of Caesarea Philippi and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me." Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  My study Bible comments that Christ's references to mutilation in today's passage (cut it off, pluck it out) are illustrations of decisive action to avoid sin.  They are not advocacy for literal amputation.  These images also apply to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 66:24.  Here we may consider the transgressions and selfish actions which a hand may commit against little ones; it reaches out to strike, or to grab something that does not belong to oneself.  A hand may point an accusing finger against the innocent.

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  A foot may trespass over boundaries not meant to be crossed, into territory where we don't belong.  It may be used to kick another, especially harmful to a "little one."  Let us note that such abusive actions may also be figurative, illustrative of actions that take place on a social or personal level of harm, insult, or injury in a psychological sense.

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  An eye covets what does not belong to oneself, or it looks with envy and malevolence.  Our eye may also be "bad" or "evil" in the sense that we don't properly see the person we behold, but cast them in a false negative light. 

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  To be seasoned with fire is to be tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine, my study Bible teaches.  See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.   As Jesus says every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He quotes Leviticus 2:13.  There, my study Bible explains, salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Because salt had preservative powers, was necessary for life, and has the ability to give flavor, it takes on religious and sacrificial significance.  To eat salt with someone, my study Bible adds, meant to be bound together in loyalty.  See also Matthew 5:13 in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus calls believers "the salt of the earth."

Jesus seems to take great care here to caution the disciples against abuses of power -- especially abuses of the "little ones" in the Church.  These little ones can be thought of as all those who are humble, as my study Bible says, and those without clout or power, who come to faith within that framework of the poor in spirit who need and depend upon God and their faith.  As we know all too well thanks to popular notions of psychology, abuse (especially to the powerless, "little," or humble) often leads to great harm to a person -- making it that much more likely they will sin and pass on that harm and abuse to others.  We would do well to remind ourselves over and over again that the whole point of Christ's teaching is here, when He says, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  To cause one of these little ones to stumble could mean to place a stumbling block or snare before them, such as false or misleading teachings that include abuses of power by those who would be hierarchs or authorities in the Church.  Such stumbling blocks and temptations may also include various forms of abuse itself, of which we have become all too aware in the Church, or practices that scandalize the little ones and help to drive them away or to reject the faith.  Recovery from such stumbling blocks and scandals can be long and hard, and one must overcome one's own bad experiences in order to return to the road of faith, especially within the Church.  When we look at scandals, abuses, and bad practices, particularly within the purview of the Church -- or even by believers who are, after all, representatives to the world of our faith -- then we should think of these verses.  They are strong (indeed, the strongest possible) advocacy by Jesus to look to our own behaviors and take all measures to correct them.  This is the case even if changing one's own habits feels as difficult as cutting off a cherished body part (a hand, a foot, an eye).  Christ's thrice-repeated reminder of an eternal torment (Isaiah 66:24) is the strongest possible warning against offenses that cause the little ones who believe in Him to stumble.  Equally stunning is His remark that it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  Since we know that Jesus does not choose words flippantly or lightly, we'd better pay close attention to that word, "better," for this is again a dire and stark warning.  In Luke 12:48, Jesus says in reply to a question by Peter, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."  Therefore we must consider that the greater the responsibility, and the more understanding we have of our faith, the more incumbent Christ's warnings become for us.  For it is yet another temptation to let greater authority persuade us that we may relax our own diligence and self-awareness.  In truth, the need we have for vigilance in this respect only grows in such circumstances.  Perhaps that's why it is wisdom to consider that whoever desires to be first shall be last of all and servant of all.  As we are each ambassadors for our faith in some sense, as we may each represent our faith to others, Christ's words remain essential to our awareness.  Let us consider as well another teaching from yesterday's reading, that when we behold one of the little ones who belong to Him (in His name), we not only behold Christ, but also the Father who sent Him.  Once again, as we remind ourselves that we are in Lent, let us receive Christ's words with all the seriousness with which He gives them to us.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.'

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.'

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to  enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where

'Their worm does not die
And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

- Mark 9:42-50

Yesterday, we read that Jesus and the disciples departed from the region of Caesarea Philippi (where the Transfiguration and a healing had taken place) and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him into His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to  enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'"  We really couldn't get a stronger warning than this.  Jesus quotes three times from Isaiah 66:24, a statement about the final disposition of those who rebel against God.  It's an astoundingly stark and frightening statement of power and authority, but it's made in defense and protection of "these little ones who believe in Me."   My study bible says that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  Such little ones are those who are easily exploited, or misled by others in authority.  This teaching, once again, is to those who will be the leaders of His Church, and it is all about how they are to cultivate humility and sinlessness.  Jesus speaks about mutilation as a metaphor for decisive action to put away one's own sinful tendencies.  A hand is that which grasps; here Jesus refers to behavior that seeks to take what is not one's own, or perhaps to do some violence to another.  A foot may walk on paths it should not walk, go where it should not go.  It may also be used for violence.  An eye covets what it should not, whether that be lust for possessions not one's own or for people one may exploit or mislead.  My study bible says these statements also apply to relationships that must e severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  These are teachings about the use of power:  and a dreadful warning to those who would abuse positions of authority.  It is better to be "missing" that which one may have nurtured and clung to, personal behaviors that indulge in sinful tendencies and forms of selfishness that poison relations in the Church, rather than abuse the trust of the "little ones."

 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  To be seasoned with fire is to be tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  When Jesus says that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He's quoting Leviticus 2:13, in which salt is a reminder of God's covenant with His people. 

Throughout the centuries, Jesus' strong words about self-discipline and the importance of casting off sinful tendencies have shaped our understanding about our own attitude to ourselves.  These words teach us something important about the leadership of the Church, and what constitutes righteousness in terms of His understanding of their role as those who are to care for the "little ones."  The Church is not without its scandals, but nevertheless we remember Jesus' dire warning here:  "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  In fact, the Greek root for the verb for "stumble" is skandalizo, from which we derive the word "scandalize."  The origin of the word means "snare" or "stumbling block."  St. Paul also wrote about the importance of not scandalizing those whose faith was weak in the Church (Romans 14:1).  He writes, "Let us not judge one another anymore, but rather to resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."  He encourages the faithful not to quarrel with one another over issues such as unclean foods (see Romans 14:12-16).  Therefore the encouragement in faith that Jesus is asking those in authority to build up in the littler ones also extends to each one of us.  We are to avoid scandalizing those who come to the Church.  Petty disputes are another way of throwing one's weight around, so to speak, or lording it over others who are weaker (Matthew 20:25-26, 1 Peter 5:2-4).  These are meant to be the ways of faith and authority in the Church.  We strive to be examples for one another, not through authority as we understand worldly authority, but rather through love and grace and mercy.  And this is the way Jesus exhorts His disciples to lead His Church, to build up and nurture the flock of "little ones."  Each of us must take these issues to heart.  Christ requires of us the self-discipline (or, as it is often called in Tradition, self-mastery) to rise above our habits, even the things we may nurture so much within ourselves they are like another hand, or arm, or eye.  Jesus' analogy is quite a good one, as is always the case, in terms of illustrating our psychological state so well through metaphor.  As we progress in our faith, we are called to stronger and deeper discipline, to a character more well-shaped through God's love and grace, unlike those for whom power may mean simply the authority to enforce self-centered choices upon others or to use power in ways that don't consider the good of all -- and particularly the little ones who are humble.  Let us remember that we're all called as living stones, part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-10).  As such, we are all called to nurture one another, to be examples of living faith, as those shown mercy who live through mercy.  So often we tend to forget that this also involves our own discipline and willingness to let go of those things that may harm community through "scandal."  This is how we remember our covenant with Him, and have "salt" in ourselves.

You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve

 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  But He answered, "It is written,

'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written:

'He shall give His angels charge over you,'

and

'In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  Than Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

- Matthew 4:1-11

Yesterday, we read about Jesus coming from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  Then he allowed Him.  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.  And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.   What does it mean to be tempted?  My study bible suggests to us that it means to be tested in fundamental areas of faith.  Both here in Matthew and also in Mark, the language literally reads that the Spirit "throws" Jesus into the wilderness after His baptism to be tested by a struggle with the devil.  When we're tempted in our faith (which can come in all kinds of ways both subtle and personal to each of us), we must remember that we have the Holy Spirit as our Helper as He did.  The wilderness becomes a spiritual image of the world:  a battle ground -- both the dwelling place of the demons and also a source of divine tranquility and victory.

And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Forty days and forty nights reflect the period in which Israel wandered, heading toward the Promised Land, a time of faith and great testing.  Jesus' period in the wilderness is like a reversal of Israel's falling into temptation, disobedience, and disloyalty in the wilderness.  Humility came as they went hungry, and then were fed with manna, learning a dependence upon God (Deuteronomy 8:2-5).  Jesus' fasting means He's tested with hunger, but He doesn't sin.  Significantly, all His answers to the devil are from Deuteronomy, and they all are about loyalty to God.  They are therefore as much messages to Satan as they are replies from Christ!  Fasting as Jesus practices here is an example of our power and limitations in the face of temptation; hunger needn't control us;  Jesus controls His flesh.  This wilderness fast for forty days is the foundation of the tradition of fasting during Lent.

And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  The challenge issued here is to Christ's relationship to the Father.  "If You are the Son of God" is a challenge to the Father's declaration at Jesus' baptism (yesterday's reading, above).  As Second Person of the Trinity, the Son "can do nothing of Himself" (John 5:30).   But as human being, Christ has free will and at all times must choose to be obedient to the will of the Father.

But He answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"  Jesus rejects this first temptation, and thereby rejecting worldly power -- using His power for purely worldly motives and "the food which perishes (John 6:27), over obedience to God.  My study bible comments that Adam disobeyed God's word in order to pursue the passions of the body (Genesis 3), Christ as New Adam conquers temptation by the divine word.  Human nature is given the power to conquer Satan.

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written:  'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus said to him, "It is written again, ' You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"   The holy city is Jerusalem.  It's interesting that the devil imitates the places where there are encounters with God in the Gospels:  here it's the pinnacle of the temple, next it will be an exceedingly high mountain.  It teaches us not to be fooled by appearances!   Christ defeated his previous temptation through use of the Scriptures, so here's another elusive attempt at deception by Satan quoting the Scriptures in order to put God's power of protection to the test.  (My study bible also refers us to 2 Peter 1:19-21 for further consideration.)   Jesus' reply is steadfast:  temptations and trials enough will come on their own in this world in our lives, we don't intentionally expose ourselves to danger in order to test or prove God's protection.  This is what it means to tempt the LORD.

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  Than Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God , and Him only you shall serve.'"  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.  Here's another direct test regarding the establishment of a worldly Kingdom.  Jesus comes into the world as Liberator and Deliverer, as Savior for all of us, but His is a spiritual Kingdom.  This will be the great crux of His mission, and become stumbling block and foolishness for many.  The devil, reminds my study bible, is the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31), "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), because the whole world is in his power (1 John 5:19).  Jesus refuses this road of worldly glory, which would lead Him away from His Passion and death for the redemption of all the world.  We note that temptation doesn't last forever, nor does testing:  the angels come and minister to Jesus.

How do we go through temptations in our lives, and even times of testing?  The  Lenten period has traditionally been seen as a time of spiritual reflection and discipline, a time for prayer and also for fasting -- even if, in our modern world, fasting is not always taken seriously nor even understood well.  What that means, in imitation of Christ in this period of forty days and forty nights He spent in the wilderness, is that we take time out to examine and fully focus on our relationship to God.  That's the time when temptations and testing can really come to the fore, a testing time of our faith.  What are our weaknesses and vulnerabilities?  How does the world seem to tell us we're foolish, or deluded, or making a mistake by being faithful?  These things can come in as many forms as human beings who face struggles and problems.  The important thing is that we face them in faith, with prayer, and in an understanding of what spiritual struggle is.  Our faith isn't really about a kind of battle with the glory of Hollywood behind it or any other great lauding of our attributes or our prowess.  Honestly, the battle is really in humility.  If we look at Christ in the reading today, His answers fully rely on God and on trusting in God.  So we, too, must remember that our job in life isn't to convince every nay-sayer that our faith is just and true.  It's not to tell the world what it needs to do.  We can get lost in our need for control of everything, and our fears of what the world will throw at us.  But the answer to everything is trust in God, a kind of faith that understands that it's not up to us to fix what's wrong with everything around us.  Rather, it's up to us to find where God leads us, to trust in that leading, and in times of testing and temptation to just stay there with our prayer and our discipline and meet it with the humility that God asks of us -- not in the mistaken belief that it is somehow our own power alone that is inadequate or failing if it's not enough.  Far from it, it's in our weakness that we may be saved, by recognizing and accepting that as human beings we need help, we need the Helper, the Spirit who is with us.  When things don't go our way, when we seem to fail through our own efforts to fix the world, our problems, even ourselves, then we really need to remember and hold on to the paradoxical understanding that "in our weakness Gods' strength is made perfect" (see 2 Corinthians 12:8-10).  Jesus sticks to the basics:  His mission is not one of defeating the devil on the devil's own terms.  It is a great temptation to think we must appear "perfect" before the world, as if the world is our Judge.  That is especially true in our media-driven modern lives.  There are times we must retreat from it all to focus on how God calls us.  Christ became stumbling block and scandal, and at times we may be called there by our faith as well.  Let us especially consider this if we are vulnerable to any form of bullying, scapegoating, or social shaming.   These can be great temptations.  So we have our mission, too, and we rely on God to teach us what that is.  Let's not be tempted to think that "fixing" everything is necessarily what God wants of us, but rather trust in our faith and His love, particularly for our own weakness.

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me

 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

- Matthew 16:21-28

Yesterday, we read that when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"  So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered and said to Him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."    My study bible tells us that "after Peter's confession, Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship, the mystery of the Passion.  But Peter took Him aside, expecting Him to enter Jerusalem and establish the Kingdom immediately (as Peter understood it, an earthly, political kingdom), not to go to the Cross and death.  Peter thought the Messiah would reign forever, not die.  But Jesus was to be a suffering Messiah, a scandalous idea to the Jews."  It adds that Christ didn't call Peter Satan in order to insult him, but to rebuke him for "unwittingly serving as a mouthpiece of the devil."  The word offense here (in Jesus' words, You are an offense to Me) means "stumbling block" -- the Greek word is skandalon, from which we receive the verb to "scandalize."

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  My study bible says, "The cross, a dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.  Self-denial is for the sake of Christ and the gospel, for a better life; it is not a punitive end in itself."

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  A note says, "Here Jesus states the central paradox of the Christian faith.  In grasping the temporal, we lose the eternal; in sacrificing everything we can know, we gain unimaginable riches.  In dying, we live."

"For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."  My study bible says that "when the Son of Man comes in glory to reward each according to his works, it will be shown that absolutely nothing exceeds the value of finding true life, the salvation of one's soul. . . . Seeing Jesus coming in His kingdom may refer to the Transfiguration, which occurs immediately after this."

Immediately after Peter's confession of faith, Jesus introduces the theme of what is to come:  that He will be crucified and resurrected (He will suffer many things from the leadership, be killed and raised the third day).  Peter, as he so often does, acts as a mouthpiece not just for the apostles as a whole but also for each of us.  It's a very human reaction, and it also reflects the expectations of the time of what was to come from the Messiah, what the Messiah was to do and to be like.  It is unthinkable to him that this should happen.  But Jesus teaches us about devotion to the ways of God by calling Peter "Satan" and telling him that he's an offense, or a "stumbling block" (Gr. skandalon) to Him.  This is, as my study bible says, a great paradox of Christianity, the great central paradox of our faith.  And, as we note above, it is the first time this staggering conclusion to Jesus' earthly life has been introduced to these disciples.  If they were prepared to serve Christ through their ministry as He has been teaching them, if they are now come to the faith (in yesterday's reading) that Jesus is indeed the awaited Messiah, then what did they think they were being prepared for?  Surely, it was an expected notion of an earthly rule, a kingdom come into this world in which they would serve.  But the notions of that Kingdom, of their mission and service, are going to have to take on an entirely different understanding as they go forward.  How will they serve this King?  What is to happen in the future?  All of this lies before them.  But in the radical nature of the "otherness" which characterizes God's ways (that are not our ways), human beings must take on new understandings of what God is and how holiness works.  The Resurrection will give a new understanding of what this Kingdom is and how it will come into the world.  It will confer upon the disciples a much greater responsibility than can be understood from serving a living human king, an unsurpassable grace, and an understanding of that which human nature is capable of achieving in the hands of the Spirit, than could have been considered under the old understanding.  The radical break from the past, via this unthinkable Cross, is a declaration of the power and nature of holiness, that God will shake all of our foundations, and in the process, build up something that will expand us beyond our limits.  In this paradox is the true power of God's grace, the holiness that empties us in order to be filled beyond measure.  How can we receive His word when it may break apart all our understanding and conception?  If we "follow Him" we are prepared to enter leaving everything behind, and to receive beyond anything we can calculate.  The confession of faith, so recently given, is what makes all of it possible.

Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me

At about that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

"Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 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.

"Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 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 18:1-9

In yesterday's reading, Jesus warned His disciples, for the second time, about what was coming for Him in Jerusalem -- His betrayal, death and Resurrection. Later, when they came to Capernaum, Peter was asked, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?" and Peter answered, "Yes." Later, Jesus asked Peter -- before Peter brought up the subject -- "From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" "From strangers," answered Peter. Jesus said, "Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

At about that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" In yesterday's reading, we read of an incident where, for the first time, Peter was questioned as a representative of the Master. It seems that Jesus has begun to groom the disciples for leadership. In that context comes this reading, in which the disciples begin to wonder, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" It is a kind of beginning of questions of hierarchy and rank, and the first thing that comes up is our propensity to judge ourselves by what power we have in life. My study bible says that this question "indicates selfish interests having to do with worldly power." Thus begins a key component of Jesus' idea of leadership in His Church.

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Jesus gives His teaching on the greatness that is the standard in the kingdom of heaven. In this Kingdom, "greatness" is characterized by humility, "as this little child." My study bible says, "Jesus points to a little child as the model of the true disciple. For little children have the spiritual attitudes required to enter the kingdom: humility, dependence, lowliness and simplicity. Humility, without which there is no virtue at all, is the acknowledgment of divine grace and mercy, and the constant denial of man's achievement." If we look to the Old Testament scriptures, we see illustrated in the stories the failure of man when he takes it upon himself to find greatness -- and the great success that accompanies humility before God. God's ways may be mysterious, unknown and not completely understood by us, but it is in this humility, the willingness to be guided and directed, that we find understanding and power in the Kingdom; hence, greatness, virtue.

"Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 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." Here is another powerful teaching for those who would be great in His kingdom, and leaders in His Church. They must treat the little ones with humility and respect. Moreover, the choices of the little ones are every bit as important to Christ as the choices of the leadership: leading them into error and sin will result in grave responsibility on the part of the leadership, those who will teach in His name. Along with the need for humility and service comes great responsibility, especially toward the little ones. My study bible characterizes the "little ones" as "the humble and simple, who may be ignored or offended by more influential members of the Church, against whom Jesus issues severe warnings. Scandals may be inevitable, but those who cause them will be punished by God." If you think about it another way, it is the little children who will become the Church of the future. In the icon I've posted above today's commentary is an illustration of this episode from the Gospels. In Orthodox iconography, this child is depicted traditionally as St. Ignatius of Antioch. Leadership, as with Christ and His disciples, is learned by example. What do children (and other "little ones") learn in the Church from the example of those in authority? This now becomes an all-encompassing question.

"Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 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." Here is a deepening warning about our own weaknesses and vulnerabilities -- our propensity for sin. If we need to "lord it over others" -- behavior that Jesus has just warned about -- then we need to cast off that part of ourselves before we get into deeper error, and before we lead "little ones" the wrong way. This is a deepening warning about leadership and what it takes for the disciples to be leaders of the Church. They must look to themselves for things they may think are precious, but which are in fact deeply flawed, and lead them in the wrong direction. With the Kingdom's power, it seems to imply, come a magnification of our own weaknesses and tendencies to sin. Therefore, casting off those parts of ourselves that lead us to error becomes more important. In all, it is the vast importance of our choices here that is emphasized: both what we choose to do (as in, for example, how we treat others, especially the "little ones", or the cultivation of humility before God), and the things we need to choose not to do, to cast away from ourselves. Many of those habits and desires can feel exceptionally precious -- such as a hand or foot, or an eye. Still, it is better to enter life without those things that cause us (or others) to stumble, and keep us away from life everlasting. In effect, Jesus' emphasis on humility becomes an even more profound message -- humility extends not only to the way in which we approach God (as a little child), but to the way in which we treat the "little ones," and -- even more deeply -- the way in which we approach our own flaws and appetites, and cast out from ourselves the things which can cause a problem. My study bible puts it this way: "The reference to mutilating parts of the body suggests decisive action to avoid sin, not literal amputation. For instance, we cut off relations with friends and others, if they are seriously harmful to the soul." We must remember that we can also be influenced by those who induce us to a harmful mentality, one in which authority and leadership is confused with desire for power, especially over those without rank in the Church. The temptation to exploit others should be countered by the understanding that, in the child or "little one," one is also welcoming Christ Himself. As leadership responsibility increases, so do the temptations against humility.

So, let's consider then how we treat the "lesser ones" in the Church. Is position important? Why is hierarchy and leadership in the "worldly sense" quite different from what it must be in the Kingdom, in His Church? We remember that Jesus is addressing those who will become the great leaders and founders of the Church. The very first thing they must learn -- after His great love -- is humility, in so many forms. After all, His Church is love in action, and this is the Way. Not only do we turn to God for all things, but in all things we are to serve others -- not to lord it over them, as He will put it elsewhere. It is time to take stock, to note our weaknesses in this direction, our needs for authority and worldly power, the ways in which we treat others. We are also responsible for those things within ourselves we need to cast off. Let us not forget that in Jesus' teaching about authority and greatness, we are also learning His practice of love! Woe to that man by whom the offense comes!