So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  

 

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.   Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. 

 

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,  and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

- Mark 1:29-45 

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. 

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  Passages such as this in the Gospels (see also Matthew 8:14-15, Luke 4:38-39) and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) show us that St. Peter was married.  My study Bible comments that the Lord's healing miracles are diverse.  Here, He heals by touch.  Elsewhere, such as in rebuking the unclean spirit in yesterday's reading (see above), He heals with a word.  This healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law  is immediate and complete; others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or they require the cooperation of the person healed or of his loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  All of Christ's miracles or signs (the word used in St. John's Gospel) manifest His redemption of ailing humanity.  In the case of St. Peter's mother-in-law we must recognize that her serving this early ministry of Christ is a restoration of her place in the household, as one who serves Christ.  In modern language and culture, we might fail to recognize that this is an honored place.  The word translated as "served" is διακονέω/diakoneo, from which we derive the English word "deacon."  In effect she takes her place one who ministers to Christ.

 

 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.   Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Once again, the Gospel emphasizes that Jesus' messianic identity is to be kept a secret; therefore He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  See also yesterday's reading and commentary.  

 

 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments that here Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He was God incarnate, he prayed continually, and often found a solitary place to be freed from distraction -- despite everyone's need of Him.  My study Bible notes that the Lord's ministry comes forth from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit and flows to people in their needs.  His praying in the morning teaches that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then we will be equipped to properly serve others.

 

 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,  and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  The biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13; 14.  In Deuteronomy 24:8 we may find the requirement for purification of lepers and leprous houses, a duty which was entrusted to the priests.  My study Bible explains that leprosy was considered a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they weren't permitted to live in community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but Jesus touched the leper, expressing His compassion, and showing that Christ is not subject to the Law but is over it.  To the clean, my study Bible notes, nothing is unclean (see Romans 14:14; Titus 1:15).  

 

 What do we make of St. Peter's mother-in-law, who, upon her immediate healing by Jesus, being lifted up by Him, served Jesus and His disciples in their family home?  This word used for her act of serving, as noted above, is the basis for our word in the Church for those who serve, deacon.  Essentially we can read that she is ministering to Christ's ministry, to Him and to His first called disciples in her home which would become the ministry headquarters for Jesus.  It tells us a kind of story of the traditional roles of women in the Church, as it was women who ministered to the ministry, so to speak, by supporting it out of their own resources.  In Luke 8, we read these women:  "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" (Luke 8:1-3).  At the Cross, St. Matthew tells us quite literally:  "And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering [my italics] to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons" (Matthew 27:55-56).  So, just as these women (especially Mary Magdalene) would also become known as apostles to the apostles after they are the first to see the risen Christ and so spread the news to the apostles of Christ's Resurrection, during His earthly ministry, they are "ministers to the ministers," if you will.  In a modern context, we are tempted to equate serving with a diminished status, but for these women this is not so.  Their roles are indispensable.  Without them, Christ's ministry could not have been supported and carried on as it was; they are an integral part not only of His ministry, but of the entire story of salvation.  Without them, events would not have unfolded as they did, for these women went even to His tomb to anoint and care for His body, even when the apostles were in hiding.  Thus, just as they literally supported His ministry, they were the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection -- see Luke 24:1-10.  Theirs are not simply secondary roles available to women in a society in which women had diminished status.  These are roles given through the spiritual reality of Christ's ministry, which these women filled with strength, resourcefulness, resilience, and a kind of courage that at time surpassed that of the apostles.  Let us not make the common present assumption that because they served, their roles are not as honorific as were the men's.  One would consider that a misreading and misunderstanding of what is being communicated to us in the Gospels, and what a tremendous honor they had to serve God in this integral and essential way.  Moreover, this would be a neglectful understanding of the impact which Christ's ministry and specifically His treatment of women would have on the whole of society and in every place in which Christianity became practiced; those effects are undeniable.  A woman's soul is essential to the salvation plan of Christ as any man's, and this is made clear through His ministry.  The many early martyrs in the Church who were young women who chose not to marry as their families demanded, but to claim their soul's redemption even if it meant death is, in fact, testimony to this.  Today, of course, because of the effects of Christianity on culture and history, our societies differ from Christ's immediate contemporaries, and so new questions arise for the role of women in the Kingdom and in ministry.  But let us not project upon the past and diminish these women's roles and their powerful sanctification as embraced by Christ and enshrined in the Church as God's work in the world.  Let us not apply a worldly standard to the truth of the truly counter-cultural reality of Christ, for whom His followers participated in a Kingdom which rendered them in the world but not of it.  

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

- Matthew 25:31–46 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them. 

 

 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.   When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. 

 

 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. 

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

On Saturday, we read that after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  My study Bible comments that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) tell us that Peter was married.  Additionally, it notes that Christ's healing miracles are diverse.  Here, He heals by touch; at other times He heals with a word (Matthew 8:13).  This healing is immediate and complete; others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or need the cooperation of the person being healed or that person's loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  

 

  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we note St. Mark's repeated emphasis on what is called the Messianic Secret, as He did not allow the demons to speak.  That is, the heretofore kept secret of Jesus' identity as Christ, the Messiah.  

 

 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.   When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments that Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He is God incarnate, Jesus prayed continually, and frequently found a solitary place in order to be free from distraction.  This is despite the multitude's need of Him.  Christ's ministry comes forth from His communion with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to the people in their needs.  Christ's praying in the morning shows us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and after that we will be equipped to serve others.  

 

  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.   My study Bible tells us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 gives us a description of the purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was a duty entrusted to the priests.  It says also that leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclear was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), however Jesus touched the leper, expressing His compassion, and showing that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean (Romans 14:14; Titus 1:15).

 

In today's reading, we receive the clear message that there is a type of warfare going on behind the scenes, so to speak, in our world.  That is, there are unclean spirits, demons, created beings of a spiritual nature who are in opposition to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  These are beings created as angels, but as Scripture illustrates in various places, they have chosen to oppose the plans of God.  Most particularly this oppositional force is focused on human beings.  As we can see, Christ Himself is the divine Son, He is God, and therefore they are powerless to oppose Him.  All forms of healing seem to be seamlessly mixed with Christ's power to cast out the demons.  Often it is the demons who cause disease or illness in the Gospels, but their effects may be many and quite varied.  What we find in today's reading is interesting for its revealing of the recognition by the demons of who Jesus is.  Just as in yesterday's reading, they are subject to Christ's commands ("Be quiet . . . !"); in today's reading, we're told, He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Besides the fact that this Messianic Secret must be kept, besides the fact that all things in Christ's ministry must unfold in accordance with the Father, and therefore the revelation of His identity as Christ must come later, there might be another reason why we should take it seriously that Jesus forbids the demons or unclean spirits from speaking.  In Christ's time practices calling on such spirits or demonic powers were widespread.  Indeed we read in the Bible of prophesy or divination or magic or other practices by all kinds of means, and always with demonic influence of one kind or another involved.  We, in our modern sense of history without context, may completely underestimate how common such involvement was, for even the pagan gods that were worshiped were considered to be a part of these spiritual forces in opposition to the Holy Trinity and the other spiritual powers (or angels of various types) loyal to God.  Therefore, when we read that Christ forbade the demons or unclean spirits from speaking, we should consider that this is a powerful message in the context of these warring spiritual powers who also contest for human involvement in such practices.  That is, in terms of the practice of ritual magic, or even the common pagan worship of Christ's time, and many other such practices, there is a subtle message here that even if the demons seem to know something that is true, we as followers of Christ are never to go there.  Even with true information, such as that Jesus is the Christ, it's God's will that is supreme and that we must seek -- for all of salvation must work not in accordance with any random acts or bits of information, but for a specific pattern that unfolds in the right way and the right time (as we discussed in yesterday's commentary).  These sorts of practices that involve arcane knowledge or magic of one type or another are misleading at best, often causing trouble to those who practice or seek it, and leading to bad ends, especially involving people in evil they don't understand.  It's important that in our time we take this seriously, for there are all kinds of ways in which popular culture seems to take on a veneer of interest and curiosity in such practices under their many guises, and for varied reasons given.  Jesus' commands to the demons tell us not only who is the more powerful, but also give us the message of separation.  There is no compromise with evil.  Our God is not who we manipulate or coerce to do us favors.  The God we worship is the One who needs nothing from us, who loves us, and who offers us salvation instead, and shows us the way to walk in the light.  Let us not be tempted by the dark, but seek God's will only in all that we do, first.  Jesus shows us the way by starting everything with prayer.  Such manipulative practices as discussed above seek specific outcomes, view life in material terms alone.  A modern materialist mindset would tend to view outcomes as the one important value:  Christ's healings, for example.  But Christ begins with solitary time in prayer with God first, for this is our Source for all things, including which outcome is important and when.  For we can't know what God knows, but we can always seek God's will as Christ does.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me

 

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

 

- Matthew 25:31-46 

 

In our present readings, Jesus has been giving His discourse on end times to the disciples.  He concludes with several parables illustrating the need to remain prepared for His return.  In yesterday's reading, He taught the parables of the Talents:   "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest."  

 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."  My study Bible calls the passage in today's reading the majestic climax of Christ's discourse on end times.  This is not simply a parable, it notes, but a prophesy of the universal judgment which will indeed come.  Now the Cross is near Christ, events are unfolding quickly, and He raises His hearers to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man on His judgment seat and the whole world before Him. Here He uses sheep to illustrate the righteous, my study Bible explains, for they follow His voice and are gentle and productive.  Goats symbolize the unrighteous, as they do not follow the shepherd and they walk along cliffs, which are symbolic of sin.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"  To inherit is a term which is used regarding sons and daughters, rather than strangers or servants; my study Bible comments that the righteous become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  The standard of judgment which Jesus expresses here is uncalculated mercy toward others.  The works which are produced by faith are emphasized.  My study Bible says that saving faith always produces righteous works, and what we do reflects our true inner state.  It notes that the least refers to the poor and needy.  The needs described here are both physical and spiritual; so, the hungry or thirsty are not only those who need physical sustenance of food or drink, but also who hunger and thirst for the hope of the gospel (see Matthew 5:6).  To see Christ in everyone, my study Bible comments, is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).

 

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

Perhaps its important to first note that what we leave undone has consequences as well as what we have done.  This is what Christ's parable teaches to us, when He notes the incidents where people had the opportunity to show mercy or compassion, and did not.  It tells us that God seemingly presents opportunities in our lives for such works of faith, times when we may be so "moved with compassion," as we have seen Christ on various occasions, to offer something to others, a kindness, an extension of our faith, if you will.  This is what it is to be a "practicing Christian," someone who lives one's faith.  It may be a perspective others don't share, but it seems to be poignant that Jesus calls those who are the objects of compassion "the least of these my brethren."  It reminds us of the repeated warnings Jesus has given to the disciples regarding treatment of the "little ones" in His Church.  We might wonder what defines a person as "brethren" to Christ, but it does seem to suggest that Christ is not asking us to take in those whose aims are to do us harm or cause evil; we're asked to share love with the "least of these" -- to love neighbor as oneself.  If we visit the parable of the Good Samaritan, we find that to act as a neighbor is to be a neighbor, and this principle is upheld and defined further in today's parable of judgment.  Perhaps our greatest warning we should take from it is that it is not only our positive actions which have determined outcomes, but our negative actions as well.  Therefore, each moment is precious and defined in God's sight, all of it counts and none of it is lost or wasted.  Let us, then, be alert to opportunities; that is, to what God is presenting us with today. For every day counts, all things are before us each day.  We might seek to pray for the discernment to see, and to find God's way for us through it all.

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

 

- Matthew 4:18-25 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,  Galilee of the Gentiles:  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.   My study Bible tells us that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and they were prepared to accept Christ immediately.  It notes that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all. 

 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. My study Bible asks us to note that the crowds do not swarm Jesus when He commands repentance (see the final verse in yesterday's reading, above), but only when He starts to heal and to work miracles.  What this shows is that the people misunderstand the true nature of Christ's Kingdom.  Moreover, according to Theophylact (as quoted in my study Bible), it shows Christ's concession "to give credibility to what He teaches" among the fickle multitudes.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing to note in today's reading is the "immediate" quality of this new ministry, this beginning of Christ's public ministry.  The text seems to emphasize its explosive and remarkable growth.  The disciples follow Him immediately in response to His call to "Follow Me."  The rapidity with which His fame spreads not only through Galilee, but through every region of Israel people is remarkable, among all the Jewish communities even in the nearby Gentile areas.  This is significant, because it, in fact, mirrors the rapid spread of Christianity that would occur after Pentecost.  My study Bible correctly points out, however, that the people aren't responding so quickly to Christ's call to repentance, but rather to His healing miracles, including exorcism.  On display is His healing power, giving people something they desperately want.  But Jesus is all of a package, and we can't separate His message from His Kingdom and from the rest of His ministry.  In time, this will prove the case, and the "fickle multitudes" as my study Bible calls them, will show their character.  However, there is another thing we must note that is important in this context both of character, and also Christ's calling to the disciples.  He speaks to these fishermen by calling them not to an amorphous set of principles or values, a mere "belief" system, but to a vocation.  And perhaps most importantly, the vocation to which they're called, their new life in Christ, is one that accentuates and develops something they are already trained to do.  Jesus speaks to them in a language they understand from their own lives as fishermen, telling them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  (By the way, the Greek word translated as "men" means people or humanity, human beings.)   This gives us an insight to key issues of both identity and our places in God's Kingdom, how we are called to the kingdom of heaven which is at hand.  Christ's power transforms.  Our proximity and our faith (or perhaps one should say our "faithfulness") works to give us new identity, but within the parameters of a kind of transfiguration.  We remain the same person, and yet we are changed -- and from the inside out.  They will not simply become fishers of men because they go around collecting followers for Jesus, bodies to populate this new movement.  They will become fishers of men by becoming disciples of Christ, living with Him, learning from Him, growing in understanding, and being transformed themselves through this process of faithful living and trust in Him.  What we should always remember is that we, like the fishermen, are called toward something.  We are called on a journey of repentance, meaning "change of mind."  It is a journey of transformation, in which all that we are, all that might be constituted as part of "mind" -- and beyond only the intellect -- is changed, transfigured, turned around.  We don't become someone else, but we are drawn out of our circumstances and given a deeper and truer sense of who we are, and the image in which we have been created, in this communion that constitutes the kingdom of heaven.  This is the immediate response, a deep recognition of where the heart truly is, and where we find the one thing -- the One Person -- in whom we can deeply trust to show us the way.

 

 

If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him

 

 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  

 

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."  Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."  

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  

 

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

 

- John 11:1-27 

 

Yesterday we read that, at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a dispute among the religious leaders because of Jesus' sayings.  And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of the one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"   Now it was the Feast of Dedication in the Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."  Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.  

 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."   In today's reading, we begin chapter 11, which reveals the seventh and final sign given in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus of Bethany.  Here, my study Bible comments that the message Christ sends back to the sisters Mary and Martha is meant to strengthen them, so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in His words.  The Son of God being glorified must not be understood to be the cause of the death of Lazarus.  Rather, the teaching indicates that Jesus will be glorified as a result of his dying (which occurred from a natural illness) and of Lazarus being raised from the dead.  

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Jesus delays going to Bethany (in Judea, near Jerusalem) in order for Lazarus to be dead long enough that the corruption of his body could set in.  In this way, my study Bible comments, no one could doubt the miracle, and the might of the Lord would be clearly seen by all. 

 

Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?"  See the events of John 10:29-39.

 

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  Jesus has repeatedly referred to Himself as the light of the world (see John 8:12; 9:5).  In the following chapter, Jesus will tell the disciples, "Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (see John 12:35).

 

These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."  Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."   Regarding one who sleeps, compare to Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:6.

 

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."  My study Bible says that Thomas's statement is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It adds that this also illustrates the path that all believers must take -- that we die daily to the world for the sake of following Christ (Luke 9:23-24).  

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  My study Bible tells us that there existed a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but after four days resuscitation would be impossible.  

 

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Mourning began on the day of a person's death, my study Bible explains here.  Weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation lasted one week; and general mourning lasted 30 days.  Evidently Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were of a family significant enough that prominent people from Jerusalem and among the leadership there ("the Jews" is used to designate such positions in John's Gospel) come to mourn with them.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Similarly to the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42, these two sisters respond differently to the arrival of Jesus.  Martha is inclined to active service, such as the duties of hospitality, and rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary remains in mourning until she is called by Christ (see verses 28-29).  Mary is sitting in the traditional posture when mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8, 13; Ezekiel 8:14).

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  My study Bible comments that, while Martha possesses great faith, her statements here show a lack of understanding about Christ.  When she says, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha reveals that she doesn't fully see that Christ is God, as she believes He needed to be present to heal (contrast this with John 4:46-54).  When she tells Jesus, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she is showing her lack of comprehension that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills. 

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life."  My study Bible says that in order to correct Martha's misunderstanding (see immediate prior verses, above), Christ declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  It says that such is the power of these words that Martha is immediately led to her great confession of faith, here in the final verse of today's reading. "Do you believe this?" is a question which my study Bible says is directed not only to Martha, but to all of us.   

Once again, we read about the great emphasis on faith in John's Gospel.  Martha, Christ's good friend (verse 5 tells us that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus), still does not completely understand His divine identity, and the extent of what that indicates.  But Jesus reveals Himself fully to her when He tells her, "I am the resurrection and the life."  And although these people are good friends and very close to one another, nonetheless it is His words of "spirit and life" we once again observe, and and their effect on Martha.  Jesus finally asks her, "Do you believe this?"   In the Greek text the word for "believe" indicates trust and confidence.  She is not just making an intellectual choice to believe some set of values or principles, but rather putting her trust in Christ, making a deep-seated choice to fully invest herself in His words.  So, we can observe that even between close friends, who have a loving and familial sort of friendship, faith takes us even further and deeper, as it takes Martha in her awareness of who Christ is.  And Jesus asks us to do the same, that our trust and confidence move more deeply within us, within heart and soul, as we grow in faith.  We have observed ostensibly those who were opposed to Christ respond this way to His words (the temple officers who were sent to arrest Him, in John 7:46); those among the leadership (in John 10:21); and even those who followed John when he was first baptizing (in John 10:41-42).  So this response to His words comes from all levels, from those with an intimate closeness and friendship to even those who were openly opposed to Him.  Let us also observe something else repeated in the Gospel, and made even more profound in the case of Lazarus.  In Christ's sixth sign, the healing of the blind man, the disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.  I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (see this reading).  In today's passage, Lazarus' sisters send to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  But Christ responds the following way, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  In each case, a tragedy and affliction becomes the opening for God's work to be revealed among the people; in the first place for a man blind from birth, and now even in response to the death of Lazarus.  Once again, it becomes important for us to observe that in John's Gospel, sad occasions of loss and affliction become openings for God's grace, for God to work among us in some way.  Most particularly, we must see the light of Christ as that which is somehow transformative, transfiguring.  In our own lives, we might not experience a complete reversal of a bad act, or a terrible misfortune, or loss.  But when we "walk in the day" with "the light of the world" we find ways in which our circumstances are illuminated for us, something transfiguring, an opening that enlightens and gives hidden meaning and depth.  Perhaps our faith is deepened, perhaps new truths are revealed and given, perhaps we find something crucial about ourselves, even a fortitude or courage we didn't know we had, revealed to us in the light of Christ.  The light of Christ also works to illumine new pathways for forward movement, that we had not seen nor known before.  I believe that there are times when God allows us losses and hardships which may also serve as opportunities for the light of our faith.  When we, too, go through difficulties, we must remember that we need to walk with the light of Christ.  For in our times of struggle or stress it is most easy to stumble in the darkness, and it is then that we really and truly need the light. What does His light show you today?  How do you walk in the spirit and truth of the day, and not in the night?

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed"

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them. 

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues and throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself t the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. 

 

- Mark 1:29-45 

 

Yesterday we read that after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."   And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.   After they come out of the synagogue, Christ and His disciples go the family home of the brothers Simon and Andrew.  The presence of Simon Peter's mother-in-law tells us of his extended family, in this home that would become the headquarters of Christ's Galilean ministry.  The very personal and compassionate manner of Christ's healing is given to us here in that He took her by the hand and lifted her up.  By this healing, Christ restores Simon Peter's mother-in-law to her rightful position in the household, and she served them, a kind of minister to the ministry.  The root for this verb "to serve" is the same as that from which we derive the word "deacon" (διάκονος/diakonos), and is an indication of the honor to do so.  It is the same word translated as "ministered" in Mark 1:13, where we read that "the angels ministered to Him" in the wilderness.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues and throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible notes that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom of God, "because for this purpose I have come forth."   It notes that miracles and healings testify both to the truth of the message and the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  To this we may add that they also testify to the presence of the Kingdom.  This same pattern, my study Bible adds, holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30).  Note also that the pattern of variously healing and casting out demons; both are acts of healing for human beings, depending upon the cause of the ailment.  Jesus did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. My study Bible notes that Christ's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4). It says that the reasons for secrecy include His anticipation of the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders; the people's misunderstanding and expectation of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and our Lord's desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  In the midst of this glimpse we're given of Christ's busy and varied ministry, we are told that in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. This gives us an example of the spiritual life.  My study Bible notes that although He is God incarnate, Christ prayed continually, often finding a solitary place in order to be free from distraction, despite the multitude's need of Him.   It notes, most importantly for us, that our Lord's ministry comes forth from His communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and flows to people in their needs.  That He prays in the morning teaches us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and only then are we equipped with what is needful to serve others.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.  My study Bible explains that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 is a description of the purification of lepers and leprous houses, a duty which was entrusted to the priests; hence, Christ's instructions to "show yourself to the priest."   It adds that leprosy was considered a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclean was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), but Jesus here is characteristically moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him.  In addition to expressing Christ's compassion, this shows also that Christ is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible adds that "to the clean, nothing is unclean" (see Romans 14:14; Acts 10:15).

We see how quickly Christ's ministry grows in today's passage (and how swiftly Mark's Gospel moves forward).  By the end of the events of today's reading, we're told, Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. We know from John's Gospel, and its inclusion of three Passover Festivals, that Christ's ministry was approximately three years long.  The action in Mark's Gospel, the shortest Gospel, takes place seemingly quickly.  But this is enforced by the language used in a deliberate way.  As we read in yesterday's reading and commentary, the word "immediately" occurs nearly forty times in this Gospel, nearly all of them before Christ enters Jerusalem for the final week of His human life.  So the emphasis on "immediacy" in this Gospel is not an accident, nor is our impression of the urgency with which Christ's carries out His mission and its depth of involvement in purpose.  This immediacy gives us a sense of the work of God in the world, the presence of the Spirit, and the ways that the mystery of holiness can manifest and express presence, working seemingly through unseen networks of connections that are made without our own intellectual understanding or explanation.  Indeed, we can look at the spread of Christianity in its early centuries and marvel that, without empire or military, it was carried throughout the known world in a relatively short time.   In Christ's prophecy of end times, and specifically in Matthew 24:14, Jesus teaches that all manner of calamities and opposition cannot stop the spread of the gospel message, and my study Bible comments that persecutions against the Church often increase the  number of souls being converted.  It adds that St. John Chrysostom marveled that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising in the Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70,  they could not prevail over twelve Jews unarmed with anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In hindsight so many centuries later, we may consider how many ways we can observe attacks upon this gospel message from all kinds of directions, precepts, philosophies, and vantage points, and yet it continues, endures, and spreads with the same sense of immediacy.  For the words of truth have a depth of response in us that hits its mark where the soul needs and receives it, a healing balm specific to what ails us in times of loss and difficulty.  Certainly there are those for whom it is not missed nor understood or sought for, but this does not seem to be the concern of the gospel nor of Christ's ministry.  The gospel is for those who will respond to it.  As St. Peter will eventually exclaim to Christ as others desert Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).  It is the fire of these words in which we find the greatest immediacy.  As Jesus taught in the same passage, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).  So we may, at this time, turn again and again to the spirit and the life of the gospel, and find the immediate need met for today, for the ways in which this mysterious fire responds to what it is we're seeking.  It continues to illuminate and inspire where other things fail, like a light shed on yet another facet of a gem we haven't fully seen.  Even so, Jesus remains to us compassionate and personal, in ways that may touch us all, like the wind that blows where it wishes.