The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here

 

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  

 

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.   For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

- Matthew 12:33-42 

 

Yesterday we read that one was brought to Jesus who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against  himself.  How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age of in the age to come."

 

  "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  Here Jesus rephrases His teaching from the Sermon on the Mount:  "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:18-20).  In the continuity of the Scriptures and of the mission of God for salvation, we find this same phrase used by St. John the Baptist for the Pharisees and Sadducees, religious leaders of the temple, "Brood of vipers!"  Here Jesus replies to the Pharisees who have accused Him of casting out demons by the power of the ruler of the demons, the devil (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible explains that the Pharisees formed a lay religious movement which was centered on the study of the Law and on strict observance of its regulations.  They believed in the resurrection of the dead, and cherished a messianic hope, but they taught that righteousness is attained on the strength of one's works according to the Law, and that the Messiah would be merely a glorious man.  This isn't the last time Jesus will use this title for them ("Brood of vipers"; see also Matthew 23:33).  My study Bible explains that it indicates their deception and malice, and their being under the influence of Satan.  Brood means offspring.

 

 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.   For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  My study Bible teaches us that the heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, and the place from which spiritual life proceeds.  It says that when God's grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts.  And, on the other hand, when malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion (see also Matthew 6:22-23).  

 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  My study Bible comments that, after so many signs, the Pharisees show their wickedness by demanding yet another.  Jesus does not cater to those who demand a sign out of wicked intent.  The only sign to them, my study Bible notes, will be Christ's Passion and Resurrection -- "the sign of the prophet Jonah" to which Jesus refers in His response.   

 

 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  Adulterous generation is another echo of the prophets.  This was the illustration they used when Israel was unfaithful to God (Jeremiah 3; Hosea 2:2-13).  

 

In a perhaps inadvertent way, Jesus teaches us through His response to the Pharisees that human beings participate in setting certain standards for the world when it comes to the judgment of which He speaks.  Those who fail to heed to work of God in the world -- that is, the work of the Holy Spirit that spoke through the prophets or that casts out demons (see yesterday's reading, above) -- will be judged by the standards of those who did.  Jesus compares the Pharisees to even those who came from outside of the Jewish tradition, and heeded the wisdom of the God of Israel spoken to them.  He uses the example of the Gentile people of Nineveh who repented at the preaching of Jonah (Jonah 3), and the queen of the South (1 Kings 10:1-13), also a Gentile, who came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.  These outsiders heeded the God of Israel, and yet the Pharisees fail to recognize who is standing among them, despite the great works He's done in their midst -- "and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  It gives us a kind of clue about the spiritual possibilities of human beings, and indeed our capacity for understanding and receiving the wisdom of God.  Since this includes even these examples of Gentiles like the Queen of Sheba (the queen of the South) who came from outside of Israel, or the Ninevites to whom Jonah was sent, it teaches us a universal lesson that is inclusive of all.  These men to whom Jesus speaks, the Pharisees who spend their days immersed in Scripture and its interpretations, scrupulously following all the commands they can find, nonetheless remain blind to the things those outsiders perceived.  But their condition is even worse than blindness; it's a deliberate blindness.  Jesus calls them "Brood of vipers," indicating that they not only are not heeding the God of Israel, but following a different "father," and that they are the offspring of that father, the devil (see John 8:39-47).  In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus told these men, "He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."  This teaches us about the absence of neutral; that when it comes to matters that are spiritual, we make choices, and either we seek to be children of God, or we turn the other direction.  Moreover, we're on an equal playing field in the sense that even these learned men, rulers in the Council, with their knowledge of the Scriptures, are rendered in Christ's sight, a "brood of vipers," while the Gentiles He names are examples that will serve as comparison to them in the judgment to come, over which Christ will preside.  Again, we're given a sort of illustration of God who lifts up the lowly and pulls down the mighty (Luke 1:46-55), and this applies even in spiritual or religious terms.  The Pharisees who represent the learned and most observant are blind in their hypocrisy, and their hearts are far from God.  They demand a sign, proofs for what they do not desire to see.  It teaches us about the importance of a heart open in humility, one pure enough to see that which is not defined by the purely worldly.  

 

 

 

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness

 

 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  

 

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

 

- Luke 11:27–36 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.  When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." 

 

  And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  My study Bible tells us that these verses are read on most feasts of the Virgin Mary in the Orthodox Church.  Jesus corrects this woman from the crowd, not by denouncing his mother, but by emphasizing her faith.  People are blessed in God's eyes if, like Mary, they hear the word of God and keep it.  The Greek word μενοῦνγε/menounge is translated here are more than that.  In Romans 10:18, it is translated as "Yes indeed."  This word corrects by amplifying, not by negating.  

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."  The sign of Jonah is explained by the study Bible as, first of all, the fact that the rebellious Ninevites were willing to repent at Jonah's preaching, and second, that Jonah coming out of the great fish prefigures Christ rising from the tomb (Matthew 12:40).  In contrast to the repentance of the Ninevites in the Book of Jonah (Jonah 3), the failure of Jesus' fellow Jews to repent at something far greater -- the preaching of Christ and His Resurrection -- will result in their judgment.  For reference to the queen of the South, see the story of the queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10:1-10.

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light."  Here and in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches about disciples bearing the light He brings into the world, thus being light in the world (see Matthew 5:13-16).  God is the true and uncreated Light.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible notes, light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  My study Bible also notes here that light is necessary both for clear vision and for life itself.  Faith relies on this divine light, it says, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  For much of the Christian Orthodox, the Paschal (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle lit at the altar and passed to illuminate all in the Church with the invitation, "Come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

"The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."  My study Bible explains that the mind (νοῦς/nous in Greek) is the spiritual eye of the soul.   It says that it illuminates the inner man and governs the will.  To keep the mind wholesome and pure is fundamental to the Christian life. 

In yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus spoke about casting out demons and spiritual warfare, after He was accused of performing exorcisms by the power of Beelzebub, or Satan.  In the final verses we read, Jesus taught, "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."   This is a picture of a person who goes from bad to worse, without repentance or "change of mind."  It is an illustration of how we choose one way, and continue down that same road.  In today's reading, Jesus ends with words teaching us about illumination, choosing the light, and shows that this also magnifies and expands.  Each "way" will continue to grow within a person.  He says, "The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness."   The earliest teaching document known to us in the Church was written before the end of the first century, and it's known as the teaching of the apostles.  This is called the Didache ("Teaching").  It speaks very much of the "two ways," the way of life and the way of death, also found in Jewish tradition.  This is also what is illustrated by Jesus' teaching on darkness and light.  Jesus' explanation about one's eye being darkened, and that darkening the whole of the body, indicates a pervasive growth of the choice for one way; by the same token, the eye being full of light also affects the whole body.  This can be understood as metaphor for the whole of oneself, which is affected by how we see and how we hear (see Luke 8:16-18).  It's important to understand that human nature is not to stand still; we are not fixed eternal points in the sense that God is in the fullness of God's being, which we cannot comprehend nor estimate.  We are fixed in time, and hence we are creatures with movement.  By Jesus' way of speaking, we understand that we are either going in one direction or another; and this explains the importance of the capacity for repentance, for changing our minds and thus changing much more than a simple intellectual process.  For "mind" in this sense involves the whole of the capacity for how we see, how we understand, how we take in even the things of God which are revealed to us in ways that are not obvious, affecting spirit, soul, body, thinking, strength.   Therefore Christ's words come to us today in the context of yesterday's casting out of the demon by the finger of God, the Holy Spirit, who gives us light and helps us to be the shining lamps Christ calls us to be.  As He indicates, the refusal of what He offers, the refusal to open the mind enough to take in His words and follow them, will have eventual consequences, for it is road we join, a way, not a fixed point that stands still.  

 

 

 

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things

 

 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.  

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil an adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

- Matthew 12:33-42 

 

Yesterday we read that one was brought to Christ who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.  And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"  Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself.  How then will his kingdom stand?  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?  And then he will plunder his house.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.   Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age or in the age to come."

 

  "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Jesus here uses a title for the Pharisees whom He addresses, "Brood of vipers."  This is a title for them that was earlier used by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7).  Brood means "offspring," and vipers are an allusion to demonic forces, in addition to the description of one who may be venomous in attacking others.  To be "viperous" is defined as one who is spitefully vituperative or venomous.  In Scripture, my study Bible explains, the heart refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, and also the place from which spiritual life proceeds.  It notes that when God's grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thought.  But on the contrary, when malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion.  Here Jesus' pronouncements upon these Pharisees and their every idle word refers to their claim (in yesterday's reading, above) that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, understood as the ruler of the demons.

 

 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil an adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."  My study Bible comments that after so many signs, the Pharisees show their wickedness by demanding yet another.  Jesus does not cater to those who demand a sign out of malicious or wicked intent.  The only sign to them, as He indicates here, will be His Passion and Resurrection.  My study Bible also refers to a commentary by St. Ambrose, who writes that unrighteous people, if they do not recognize Jesus as the Christ, will never understand His words nor recognize His miracles.  Adulterous generation was the term the prophets used for Israel, when Israel was unfaithful to God (Jeremiah 3; Hosea 2:2-13).  

Jesus makes it more clear in today's reading that the failure to discern what is holy rests with the beholder, the one who fails to receive and understand.  Jesus' frequent iterations of "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" testify to the same idea (Matthew 11:15,13:9, 13:43).  But in this case in today's reading, Jesus is not speaking to the average person.  These are scribes and Pharisees, experts in the Law, in the Scriptures, and in their interpretation, who spend all their time debating such questions.  How can they miss the indications that Jesus is the Christ?  They are too busy protecting their positions of authority and power.  So, they demand a sign, although there have already been so many signs performed by Jesus.  But in the minds of these men, they are the ones who are authoritative, and it is in their power to rule on what is what.  Jesus has defied them, and so they come up with ways to challenge what He does, including declaring that He works with demonic forces to perform His works, such as the exorcism of the blind and mute man in yesterday's reading (see above).  Jesus goes right to the "heart" of the matter, so to speak, and pronounces that the evil things people do come from an evil heart, an internal kind of disorder which reflects an unwillingness to repent; that is, to seek to know the good and to do the work of rejecting impulses or habits that keep us from a deeper participation in God's life for us.  Jesus notes a tie between what is in the heart, and the words that come out of our mouths, for better or worse, good or evil:  "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouths speaks."   The scribes and Pharisees dig in even more deeply by responding to Christ's chastisement with a demand for a proof from Him.  This results in a judgment of condemnation by Christ.  Jesus cites those figures of the Old Testament who recognized the God of Israel although they were not Hebrews:  the men of Nineveh who repented at Jonah's preaching (Jonah 3:4-6) and the Queen of the South who recognized the wisdom of Solomon and honored it (1 Kings 10:1-13).  These will in fact rise at the judgment to condemn these religious leaders of the Jews, who have abandoned their duties to the people and failed to recognize God's work among them, the "greater than Solomon" who is here in front of them.  All of these things teach us that each of us have a spiritual responsibility to God whether we want to acknowledge that or not.  But of those who already have a particular spiritual knowledge or understanding, a greater responsibility is demanded.  This is the reason for Christ's particular harsh words for these religious leaders.  So we must consider our own spiritual movement forward in faith, and take quite seriously what we learn on the way.  For we will be responsible for what we know, and we will receive challenges to move more deeply into our faith. At a time when many do not take matters of faith seriously, we should consider the warnings of Christ here, for that is what they are.  They are made so that all people know the truth, and so that all consider repentance, and left to us -- to posterity.  Let us be those who can take them seriously, and guide our lives to a good outcome in faith.  Christ reminds us that the treasure of our heart -- good or evil -- is up to us. 

 

 

 

O you of little faith

 

 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 

- Matthew 16:1-12 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus departed from the region of Tyre and Sidon where He healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.  Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.  So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.  Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."  Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"  Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.  Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.  And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

 

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.'  Hypocrites!  You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times."  My study Bible explains that a sign from heaven means a spectacular display of power.  It says that the time of the Messiah among the Jews was expected to be accompanied by signs, but these hypocrites have not recognized the signs already being performed because their hearts were hardened, and they ignored the works which were happening all around them.

"A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."  And He left them and departed.  An adulterous generation is an echo of the illustration used by the prophets when Israel was unfaithful to God (see Jeremiah 3; Hosea 2:2-13).  Jesus refuses to prove Himself in some spectacular way -- a sign is not given to those whose motive is to test God.  (See also Matthew 4:5-7).  The sign of the prophet Jonah is Christ's veiled prediction of His death and Resurrection (Matthew 12:40), the ultimate sign that He is the Christ.  

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.  Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?  Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?  Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?  How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  The leaven of the Pharisees is their doctrine and their hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).  My study Bible teaches that the reason the disciples are painfully slow to understand is that they have such little faith; in fact, they would not fully grasp Christ's teachings until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given.

Why do we think the disciples are so slow to learn?  Christ addresses them, "O you of little faith."  He has to remind them about the feeding of the five thousand from five loaves, and the seven loaves that fed the four thousand on another, more recent, occasion (see yesterday's reading, above).  How does faith correspond with what we understand?  Clearly today's reading expresses that link for us.  Faith is also linked to the activity of the Holy Spirit, as my study Bible points out that the disciples would not really understand Christ's teachings until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given.  We understand that the word faith is rooted in "trust" -- but in today's reading there is a link expressed between the growth of this trust in Christ and an understanding of His life, His works, His teachings.  It is as if the more full participation in the life of Christ is the one correlation with our understanding of it.  This, then, makes perfect sense out of why Christ will not give a miracle "on demand," won't acquiesce to the demand for a sign by the religious leaders.  There are all kinds of signs happening in His ministry, and they manage to ignore them anyway.  Any such proof would still be denied or explained away, just as they have already sought to explain miraculous healings by Jesus as the work of the demonic (Matthew 12:24).  We seem to be given a great clue to human nature in today's reading, since we're given to understand that so much depends upon what we put our faith into.  Human beings are capable of rationalizing away all kinds of things, of deluding themselves about relationships and other realities in order to empower beliefs that make life easier than the stark reality we'd rather not face.  In this case, the power of Christ's presence and work in the world is not easily acceptable.  We might understand the gospel of the kingdom of heaven as good news, but imagine being confronted with such shocking and powerful reality in the flesh, right in front of you.  For the Sadducees and Pharisees from Jerusalem, the reality of Christ is like an earthquake in their establishment, one that rocks their positions as the regulators and keepers of the faith.  How can they possibly assert a greater authority than One such as Christ if He's really divine, if He "casts out demons by the finger of God" (Luke 11:20)?  Their own faithlessness is self-protective in this sense:  what Christ brings into the world shatters their illusion of their own ultimate authority, for a greater authority is present here.  And what do we make of the disciples, who are so slow of comprehension that even Christ seems to be somewhat amazed?  They are witnesses to two miraculous feedings, and still they misunderstand His words about "leaven."  This teaches us, first of all, not to be afraid of our own "little faith" or comprehension, because faith is not a one-time-only declaration or experience.  It is a journey, and today's text clearly indicates that faith is something that grows and is dynamic within us, and parallel to it is our own understanding of the things of God, of Christ's action in our own lives.  To understand salvation as a one-time declaration of faith is belied by the text:  even though these men have left everything behind to follow Christ as disciples, they still have an enormous amount of growth to do as far as their spiritual lives and their faith is concerned.  And so it is with us.  There is no comparison between individuals, but all of our lives must be on a track going one way or the other.  We are on a road somewhere, and there are times when we will grow in faith and dependency upon God, and other times when our more comfortable understanding of life will do battle within us against the things to which God seeks to open up our eyes, about which we need a deeper faith, and a greater enlightenment.  Perhaps we feel highly secure with certain beliefs that need to be shaken up, perhaps faith calls us to relinquish a sense of control we don't really have -- such experience can be extremely disconcerting although our faith gives us a more true sense of reality.  There are times when we'll have to open up our eyes to the unreliability of particular relationships or certain things we take for granted in our lives; and again, that will spark a time when our faith will be at war with our fears, and that struggle for faith taking place within our souls.  These times can shake up our sense of ourselves and our place in the world, but we can usually count on them to be times when our faith is being challenged, our depth of faith being called upon to grow through the experience.  We will certainly be called upon to an even greater dependency upon God.  One way or another, there is a choice we're being asked to make.  It may seem like a strange quandary:  our understanding increases with faith, and not the other way around.  But this is the way that spiritual growth happens, the ways that challenges to faith will work in our lives.  So much depends upon that struggle within, and how we come to respond.  For this is the ongoing work of salvation.

 

 

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

- Matthew 12:33-42

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees. After many healings, and the casting out of a demon that resulted in the healing of a blind and mute man, Jesus is accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the ruler of the demons, Beelzebub. Jesus countered that this was not possible -- Satan cannot cast out Satan without destroying his own kingdom. He said, "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" Instead, a stronger man must first bind the ruler of a house, and then take his possessions. And if Jesus' work is done by the power of the Spirit, then what of the judgment of the Pharisees? All things said against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but not against the work of the Spirit. "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit." This is one of many references to trees as a metaphor for people and their works. We have heard these words earlier from Jesus. John the Baptist preached similarly when he spoke of the need for repentance because of the coming of the Kingdom and the Messiah. Jesus has repeatedly preached about casting out the things from within ourselves that may poison the whole, about where our hearts rest, the importance of our choices.

"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." We must take care of the things of the heart. Life is not about an exterior appearance of piety. Whatever is within, so it will be without -- so will be the fruits we produce, and "what the mouth speaks." My study bible has a note on the heart: "The heart in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, the source from which the whole spiritual life proceeds. When grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts. When malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion."

"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Here, Jesus gives us an even greater emphasis on the words we say. He has already emphasized this in the Beatitudes, in His teaching and expansion on the statute of murder. His emphasis on the things we say is unmistakable, and on their profound impact on our own futures, our very state of being.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." This seems to be a reaction to Jesus' authoritative words. Their recourse is to demand a sign, when there have already been many important signs. This is another way of criticizing, of finding fault -- and worse, it comes from malice. Their hearts cannot perceive what Jesus is about, and they turn their backs on the things they already know from Scripture.

But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Here Jesus begins what will be His emphasis in response to demands for a sign: the real sign will come in His Passion, death, and Resurrection. They can't understand precisely what He is speaking about. But they do understand the references to Jonah. He will not perform signs on demand, because the impulse in their asking is not sincere in the first place. To be "evil and adulterous" is to be untrue to their own spiritual heritage, to the work of the Spirit throughout the whole history of Israel, the people of God, and to the Scriptures in which they are to have expertise, to God who has set Israel apart through Covenant.

"The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here." Jesus cites examples from the Old Testament with which they are familiar. This is the very life of the spiritual reality of Israel, that which makes Israel God's people. Ninevah repented when Jonah preached -- and a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South came to Solomon to hear his wisdom -- and a greater than Solomon is here. Therefore in the Judgment, when all things come together in God, they will be compared to those of old of whom they know, and found wanting.

In today's reading, we must come to understand what it is to be "evil and adulterous" in the context of what Jesus is saying. The whole history of Israel reminds us again and again what it is to be "chosen" -- to be the people in covenant to God. Repeatedly throughout its history is the familiar reminder of the prophets who are sent to call people back to this covenant, to the ways of God. Here, Jesus presents images of the faithful in their history to the Pharisees. Jonah (from a city near Nazareth) was told to go to Ninevah to preach against it, and at first himself ran from the word of the Lord. The Queen of the South came from far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But the Pharisees, experts in their own tradition, upholders of its values, have failed where these examples of the past succeeded. We, too, hold a treasure in our hands. We are given a tremendous gift, as were the Pharisees. And we, too, must take our heritage seriously. The work of the Spirit is ever at work with us and among us, and we, too, are called to be present to it. We can't be like the Pharisees in this reading, who call upon their heritage and yet have no love and "hearing" in their hearts for the work of the Spirit. It is the Spirit, the work of the divine, that has been the thread of the whole history of Israel -- and so it is for us. This work, these Gospels, have come to us today bearing 2,000 years of history from the time Jesus' words were spoken. How then, shall we be unlike the Pharisees, willing to see and hear where the Spirit calls us, not proud merely in our inheritance, our name, our places? Let us consider the active and alive nature of Spirit, how it calls us, how the Israelites were forever called back to Covenant. Where does our Covenant lead us today? How is it calling you to cast out the things that get in the way of a pure heart, capable of producing the fruits of the spiritual life? We note the cynicism and malice of the Pharisees, the unjust criticism, the easy nay-saying and excuses. Let us remember what it is to bear good fruits, to seek with an honest heart, to come to God as a child. Let us remember His rejoicing at the wisdom revealed to babes. Let us also remember His earlier warning about false prophets, echoed in His words we read today.

Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness

And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

- Luke 11:27-36

In yesterday's reading, Jesus answered His critics who claimed He was casting out demons by Beelzebub. He said, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters." We are to understand the crucial choices we make to be a part of this kingdom of heaven, or not.

And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" My study bible says of these verses, "God's blessing falls not upon those who have prominent family connections, but upon those who hear the word of God and keep it. Jesus is stating a principle, not denigrating His mother: she both heard God's word and kept it, and thus became the most blessed of women (1:28-39, 42)." Jesus always emphasizes that those who seek to build this kingdom ("who hear the word of God and keep it") are family. See also Luke 8:19-21.

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here." A note reads, "The sign of Jonah is the preaching of Jonah (v. 32) under which the Ninevites repented. By contrast, this evil generation (v. 29) did not repent under Jesus' preaching, which is far greater than Jonah (v.32). In Matthew, the sign of Jonah is also Jonah's three day sojourn in the belly of the great fish, a picture of Christ's death and Resurrection (Matt. 12:40)." In yesterday's reading, Jesus refused to give "proof" to those who asked for a sign so that they would believe. Repeatedly, we have been invited to understand the importance of being witnesses - those who have been a part of this event, of the "kingdom of heaven coming near" have a responsibility as witnesses. Do they accept or reject? The kingdom "breaking through" in our world, in whatever form, such as the preaching of Jonah, or the wisdom of Solomon, confers on us responsibility. Do we accept or reject? Do we demand signs or perceive with the heart what is there and good and true and of great value?

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light." A note in my study bible says, "Spiritual sight is compared to physical sight: if the eyes of both body and soul are healthy, a person is full of light." Once again, we are told of the importance of choice. There is the kingdom of heaven, and then there is that which works against it. It's the same warning as in yesterday's reading about the vigilance necessary even when our "internal houses" are swept clean. Do we choose to fill ourselves with this light? Can we perceive it and embrace it? Do we hold anything back from its searching beam?

How are we filled with light? We make choices - to be filled with light or darkness. The extreme dichotomy here can be misleading, to my mind, because of the way we perceive. But if you think about it, this great light that Christ brings - and the presence of the Spirit - is something that we take in or not. Using the metaphor of John's Gospel (the light that shines in the darkness), we are to understand what is in us, what our spiritual states are. Do we allow that light to shine within ourselves? Do we allow it into all of our secret, internal places so that it transforms and heals? Or is a part of us dark, reserved from this light and hidden away from its capacity for transformation and enlightenment? These are our important choices, to be a part of this kingdom or not, and to become one such as Solomon or Jonah from within whom the light shines in the world. Jesus says that the lamp of the body is the eye; therefore we must take great care how we discern, how we perceive. It's not the first nor the last time we will receive this message. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive?

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." But he answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came here from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

- Matthew 12:33-42

In yesterday's reading, the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus responded with a statement that condemned blasphemy against the Spirit - saying that all manner of words against the Son of Man would be forgiven, but not against the Holy Spirit. Today, Jesus' dialogue continues with scribes and Pharisees.

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." My study bible has the following note on these verses: "Jesus pronounces a severe judgment against the blasphemers of the Spirit. As the tree is revealed by its fruit, a human being is known by his works. He will do according to the kind of person he is. The blasphemers are a brood of vipers (v. 34; see 3:7; 23:33) because of their evil works and malice. Their heritage is of no value to them; they bear no fruit appropriate to a chosen people. The heart (v. 35) in Scripture refers to the center of consciousness, the seat of the intellect and the will, the source from which the whole of spiritual life proceeds. When grace permeates the heart, it masters the body and guides all actions and thoughts. When malice and evil capture the heart, a person becomes full of darkness and spiritual confusion." Jesus adds, "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." This reminds me of the passage in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus expands upon the statute against murder. (See You shall not murder.) In that part of the Sermon, Jesus teaches that words can cause harm and hurt - they can be a form of murder, a careless expression that is as much in the spirit of murder as the act itself. Our words against others can incite violence, and diminish others. In our passage today, Jesus emphasizes the importance of words and our speech. Not only do they make an impact, but they also convey responsibility upon us for what exactly we utter. More than that, they convey what is in the heart.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." My study bible notes, "In their request for a sign, some spectacular display, the scribes and Pharisees show their wickedness. After so many miracles, they now ask Jesus for such a sign? But Jesus will not cater to their hard-heartedness. His sign will be his Passion and Resurrection from the dead." As Jesus' act of healing by exorcism - returning sight and speech to one who was blind and mute - is both a messianic sign and was labeled as sorcery by the Pharisees (see yesterday's reading), they now ask him for a sign. This is to prove his status as Messiah - or, as he refers to himself, the Son of Man.

But he answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." A note here reads: "Adulterous generation echoes the analogy of the prophets for the infidelity of Israel (Jer. 2:1-3, 20-25, 32, 33; 3:1-5; Hos. 2:2-13)." Christ is the bridegroom; he seeks his bride. This is what the Church will come to be called, the bride of Christ. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem or Israel is called the bride of the Anointed One (Christ or Messiah). It is in this context that Jesus pronounces his words here.

"The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came here from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here." With the examples of the men of Nineveh and the queen of the South, Jesus returns to his theme about witnessing the holy - and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Both the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South had hearts that were not hardened, but were capable of grasping and understanding spiritual truth and reality before them. Both had their minds open to wisdom. But the Pharisees fail in this context; and Jesus says that they will be judged by the acts of the others, who heard and understood. The Pharisees, he's saying, are incapable of repentance; that is, "change of mind" or metanoia in the Greek. They don't want to change. They are not willing to hear. They do not wish to open their spiritual eyes and ears and be healed. When Jesus taught his disciples why he preached using parables, he said the following about those who could not grasp spiritual truth: "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.' " In the Pharisees and scribes, we have a greater degree of hard-heartedness. Not only are they the ones who understand the scriptures, but they are also witness to the acts of the Holy Spirit in their presence, which they, having been so prepared, should be able to receive and understand.

So, we conclude again, as in yesterday's reading, that the importance of our choices is reflected here. We are responsible for what we say about others, what we are quick to condemn. We are responsible for our own judgment. And in that judgment, we must be wary of our own hard-heartedness. We must look for what we fail to grasp - because in that failure we may be rendering a judgment upon ourselves. This is a text that speaks to us of openness, of our eyes wide open to the power of holiness - which is ever-creative and appears in new forms all the time. In another reading which was part of Jesus' teaching of the parable of the Sower (in the gospel of Mark), I mentioned what I heard in a sermon given by Deacon Candice Corrigan. Candice preached that Lent was a time for "making room" for God. Here, the limitations of hard-heartedness make it clear that there is no room for the holy. There is no room for eyes to be opened or ears to hear what they cannot hear. There is no room for change, for repentance (metanoia) or "change of mind." What do you make room for in your life? How will you be like the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South, and make room for wisdom - perhaps in a new and startling form - when you hear it?