To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed

 

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  for there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  

 

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  

 

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable he did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. 

 

- Mark 4:21–34 

 

Yesterday we read that again Jesus began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up and it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.   And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that  'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'" And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;  and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 

  Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Jesus says something similar in the Sermon on the Mount, in the context of reflecting Christ's light in the world as disciples, bearing His word and living it openly.  See Matthew 5:14-16.  Here the context is also "the word," but the word as seed from the Sower to be borne into the world through our discipleship.  See also Luke 8:16; 11:33.

 

  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."   Again the emphasis is on productivity, fruitfulness (see the end of the parable in yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible says it is a call to attentive listening and discriminating response.  We must not only hear, but hear properly.  More will be given to those who respond to Christ with open hearts; they will grow in understanding.  My study Bible quotes St. Mark the Ascetic:  "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you."  By coincidence, today, March 5th, is the feast day of St. Mark the Ascetic; read more about him here.  Again, Christ's words here are also found elsewhere in the Gospels; see Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:38.  Each time they are used in a different context; my study Bible comments that Jesus no doubt repeated this message many times. 

 

 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."    This parable is only found here, in St. Mark's Gospel.  My study Bible explains that the kingdom is a reference to the whole span of God's dispensation or plan of salvation.  The man is Christ, and the seed is the gospel (see Mark 4:13-20, found in yesterday's reading, above).  The man's sleep indicates Christ's death, from which He will rise.  That the man does not know how the seed grows shows that Christ does not manipulate our response to the gospel, but rather each person has the freedom to receive it and to let it grow in one's own heart.  The harvest indicates the Second Coming, when all will be judged on their reception of the gospel.  

 

 Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  My study Bible cites Theophylact, who likens this parable to the disciples, who began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  It can also stand for faith which enters a person's soul and causes an inward growth of virtue.  Such a soul will become godlike, and can receive even angels (the birds of the air may nest under its shade).  

 

 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable he did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.  My study Bible comments that to unbelievers, the parables remain bewildering.  To those who have simple faith, these stories use common images to reveal truth in ways they can grasp, as they were able.

 

I must admit that the parable of the mustard seed is quite one of my favorites.  For in life, we will find the truth of this parable, that when we simply start something (such as a project for Church, or in some other way follow God's calling), we have no idea where it will lead.  We simply cannot calculate or anticipate God's work with us as Christ's mustard seed blooms and grows as it will.  Of course, that particular parable gives us a mustard seed as being like the kingdom of God.   This we simply cannot anticipate, for the kingdom of God is wherever the Holy Spirit goes, and this is a great mystery to us.  As Jesus taught to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  The birth through the Holy Spirit is not something we can know in its beginning nor its end.  We simply feel its effects.  A mustard seed is something that reminds us of genetics, in the sense that each seed contains within it its own "programming" for how it will grow, what it will be, how it will bloom, what fruit it will produce. These are things none of us can tell simply by looking at the seed (unless of course, know already know to what plant or fruit it belongs).  But, of course, we're not the programmers or the ones who design genetics.  Even something that is genetically engineered must begin with the material of this world as created by God.  The only thing we can say for certain is that seeds are preprogrammed for growth, and this parable is about the powerful growth of the kingdom of God.  Note also there are what we might call "secondary growths" which come to be because of the primary growth of the mustard seed.  The birds of the air nest under its shade, within its surprisingly large branches.  As my study Bible notes, a person in whom faith is at work, like the way a planted mustard seed may grow, may have all kinds of surprising things which can be produced through that faith.  With God's help, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, there is no telling what might be produced through faith.  We're reminded that Jesus used the mustard seed as an analogy for the power of faith when He told the disciples, "For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20).  If we take Christ's uses of this example of a mustard seed, we can put them together and perhaps surmise that where faith is, there also is the kingdom of God.  At the Last Supper, Jesus gives a name to the Holy Spirit.  In Greek it is Παράκλητος/Parakletos, sometimes used in English as Paraclete.  This word is often translated as Comforter, or Helper.  But in the Greek it literally means "one who comes [by one's side] when called."  It is equivalent to a Counselor or Advocate.  But in the literal meaning of the name Jesus uses, we find one who comes to help when summoned, and an assurance that our prayers are heard by God.  In this sense, the presence of the Spirit is granted by our faith in prayer, and thus the presence of the Kingdom thereby.  If all of this seems rather complicated, simplify it all in the image of the mustard seed; for we need this tiny seed for the explosive and unforeseen growth of the Kingdom and all that may mean in us and in our lives.  A prayer, and a tiny bit of faith like a mustard seed, is enough for the call to our Helper, Comforter, Counselor, and where One of the Trinity is, so is the whole.  Let us start any project, any effort, any day, with even that tiny bit of faith, and we will see what the growth of the kingdom of God can do.

 

 

 

To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?

 

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be reveled, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." 

 

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he  himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

 

 Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade." 

 

And with may such parable He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.   

 

- Mark 4:21-34 

 

Yesterday we read that again Jesus began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'  And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear,  Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other tings entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 

  Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be reveled, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  Again, as in yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus emphasizes our own capacity to hear spiritually.  My study Bible says that Christ's words here are a call to attentive listening and discriminating response.  We must not only hear, it says, but hear properly.  More will be given to those who respond to Christ with open hearts, and they will grow in understanding.  My study Bible moreover has a very helpful quote from St. Mark the Ascetic, who says, "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you."  

 

 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he  himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."   This particular parable is found only here, in the Gospel of St. Mark.  The kingdom here is a reference to the whole span of God's dispensation or plan of salvation.  The man is Christ, my study Bible explains, and the seed is the gospel (as in the parable of the Sower in yesterday's reading, above).  The man's sleep is an indication of Christ's death, from which He will rise.  That the man does not know how the seed grows teaches us that Christ does not coerce nor manipulate people's response to the gospel.  Each person is to receive it and to let it grow in one's own heart.  The harvest is the Second Coming, when all will be judged on their reception of the gospel.  

 

 Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."   According to my study Bible, the mustard seed represents the disciples, who, according to Theophylact, began as just a few, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  These also stand for faith entering a person's soul, my study Bible says, which causes an inward growth of virtue.  This soul will become godlike, and can even receive angels (the birds of the air).

 

 And with may such parable He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.   My study Bible comments that, to unbelievers, the parables remain bewildering.  To those with simple faith, it notes, these stories using common images reveal truth in ways they can grasp, as they were able.  

 

The parable of the mustard seed is always one that is inspiring.  Why is that?  Because the picture of the mustard seed growing into a sturdy bush, large enough and strong enough to put branches that even the birds can find rest in shade within, is something that is beautiful.  In fact this topic of what we think of as beauty can be understood as part and parcel of where we find our faith.  The quiet, sweet picture Jesus presents of a bush where even the birds can find rest in its shade is one that reflects peace and goodness.  If the birds of the air can easily be thought of as angels -- the messengers of God whom we depict with wings accordingly -- then what messages and wisdom we receive indeed may be thought of as a part of that which is built and housed in this tree, or sturdy bush.  The mustard, we already know, additionally produces a spice used to flavor food, it enhances life in this sense, makes the common things of life more rich and pleasurable -- another very simple kind of beauty for all to enjoy.  The yellow flowers of mustard are bright like gold or the sun; they bring us a kind of light and they beautify fields as they spread.  The golden color reminds us of associations with heaven; the shade of the sturdy branches offering a home for what is good and true and beautiful:  the words and presence of angels.   There is poetic beauty even in this tiny two-verse parable, in itself expressing the concept of the explosive and surprising growth of the kingdom from such a tiny source as a mustard seed.  For in this one-sentence parable given us by Christ is so much that we can reflect on in terms of illuminating aspects of the kingdom of God.  Most of all, we should consider what the parable tells us about growth within ourselves, what God's kingdom does within us, for us, and to us.  My study Bible gives the interpretation of the soul that can experience expansive growth, virtue, and the reception even of angels -- an expression of beauty surpassing and transcendent beyond ordinary earthly things, transfigured and transfiguring what is around oneself.  In this parable of dynamic growth is contained the reality of creation and God's creativity, so that we can understand how the expression of God's kingdom is an extension of all that has come before, the creativity and work of God expanding in the world.  In this we see both the activity of the disciples (and that ongoing!), as well as the soul's inward growth of virtue and wisdom and grace.  Moreover, when coupled with the parable  that comes before it, we're taught that we might not be aware of all of this happening and how exactly it happens, but nevertheless we awaken to find that it is suddenly so.  We look back to find change in ourselves and we can marvel at the spiritual life that gives us grace that we didn't think we had.  This, too, is an expression and experience of beauty.  Let us turn toward the simple truth of all that Christ gives us, for this is the reality of life, of God's creation and beauty calling us to experience and to participate in it -- and extending within our lives, our souls, our world.  Even in the simple dignity and beauty of creation, Jesus gives us the ways God speaks to us through all things. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given

 

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade." 

 

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. 

 

- Mark 4:21–34 

 

Yesterday we read that again Jesus began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught the many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'  And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 

  Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Continuing from yesterday's reading (above), we see that Jesus has given a parable which is about endurance in our faith, and the fruitfulness thereof (our capacity to "bear fruit" in faithfulness).  So this lamp that must be set on a lampstand, and remain unhidden, is the light of the truth of Christ, how we are illumined, and what we do to produce that fruitfulness He spoke of.  This is connected to our capacity to hear the word -- the seed of the Sower.

 

Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  My study Bible comments that this is a call to attentive listening and discriminating response.  It says that we must not only hear, but hear properly.  More will be given to those who respond to Christ with open hearts -- these will grow in understanding.  My study Bible quotes from St. Mark the Ascetic:  "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you."  Note also that Jesus repeated this message many times.  It is found also Matthew 7:2 and Luke 6:38, each time in a different context. 

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."   My study Bible comments that this parable is found only in the Gospel of St. Mark.  The kingdom is a reference to the entire span of God's dispensation or plan of salvation.  The man is Christ, and the seed is the gospel (see verses 13-20, Christ's explanation of the parable of the Sower).  His sleep, my study Bible says, indicates Christ's death, from which He will rise.  That the man does not know how the seed grows shows that Christ does not manipulate man's response to the gospel, but each person is free to receive it and to let it grow in his own heart.  The harvest is an indication of Christ's Second Coming, when all will be judged on their reception of the gospel.  

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."   My study Bible comments that the mustard seed and the leaven represent the disciples who, according to Theophylact, began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  It says that these also stand for faith entering a person's soul, which causes an inward growth of virtue.  This soul will become godlike and can receive even angels. 

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.  My study Bible comments that to unbelievers, the parables remain bewildering.   To those with simple faith, it says, these stories using common images reveal truth in was they can grasp, as they were able. 

If we can expand from the final note here in my study Bible, we learn from St. Mark's words that Christ spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  This gives us a very strong idea that our faith is meant to be an expanding, growing, and learning journey.  It is not something which simply grasps us at one point, but rather something that keeps offering us more, and keeps opening us up to more, as we are capable to hear it.  And there we come to Christ's repeated emphasis, in using the words of the Prophet Isaiah, on how we hear ("Take heed what you hear"; see also Isaiah 6:9-10).  These lead to the teaching He uses in a number of different contexts:  "With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  In Matthew 7:2, Jesus applies these words to how we practice judgment, whether we leave judgment to God.  In Luke 6:38, Jesus is applying these words to the practice of forgiveness, that we are forgiven as we forgive.  Here in today's reading, Jesus applies this same principle to how we hear, how we receive the word of God; that is, the word of the Sower, Jesus.  What this seems to imply is that Christ's teaching can be universally applied on many levels, that this is the way that our Divine/human cooperation works.  It seems to be similar to the understanding of repentance, that although God extends forgiveness to all (for this is how we receive Christ's words from the Cross, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do"; see Luke 23:32-34), we must also repent in order to realize that forgiveness.  It tells us about this Divine/human synergy, what is understand as our need to cooperate with and to live the word of God in the practice of our faithfulness.  God does not want us as pawns, but rather as those to whom God has given free will, in a freely loving and obedient relationship, within which we are disciples (or "learners") who grow in likeness to the image our Creator has given us (Genesis 1:26).  When we are offered a choice in life -- of whether we forgive, or practice mercy or a kindness, or obey in prayerful participation with God -- we should always keep this cooperative, seemingly reciprocal principle in mind, which Christ asserts to us so often.  It is an important reminder that God asks us for our participation, for this is what love is made of.

 

 

 

Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation

 

 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him. 

 

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." 

 

- Luke 22:39–53 

 

On Saturday we read that the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

  Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  My study Bible comments that Christ's agony was the product of His human nature.  In asking that the cup be taken away, Christ reveals His human will.  By submitting His human will to that of God the Father, my study Bible explains, He reveals His divine will is one with the Father's.  Moreover, it teaches us that this is the goal of each person in our own crossroads and choices (Luke 11:2).  Christ willingly takes in Himself the voice of weak humanity, and thereby conquers weakness.  My study Bible quotes from Pope St. Gregory the Great:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  My study Bible tells us that this healing is recorded only by St. Luke the physician.  It's an indication of the way in which we're to treat our enemies.  In patristic commentary, it's understood to have a spiritual meaning, in that it is Christ who gives all of us the capacity to hear the truth, and thereby come to salvation (see Luke 8:8, 14:35). 

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  Regarding darkness, see John 3:19-21, 13:30.

Hidden in today's text, there are hints of meaning in the loss of human capacity for perceiving the things of God.  First, there is the healing of the ear of the servant of the high priest.  As my study Bible notes, in patristic sources this is given a spiritual significance, in that it is Christ who enables our true spiritual hearing, our capacity to hear the truth as given by God.  It is not coincidence that, opening today's reading, we receive the passage that teaches us about Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, in which He prayed His very human desire that this cup be passed from Him.  That is, the cup of the Crucifixion to come, as He knows He will be betrayed and arrested this night by those who will hand Him to the Gentiles to be killed.  Let's observe this great conflict between Christ's naturally human will to avoid death, and His desire to follow the divine will of God the Father.  He has prophesied several times what will happen to Him, and so He knows that "the Son of Man goes as it has been determined" (Luke 22:22), but we can see clearly His human response to what is before Him.  With this, Jesus puts everything before God the Father, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."  Perhaps this is a good model for all of us, for the times when we are tried with a sorely difficult choice, and we, too, have struggles that are difficult in seeing our way through them.  Christ's impulse is to "hear" God the Father, but He also knows that He is heard, and puts everything before God in so doing.  This is a powerful scene about truth as it is heard and known, for He speaks the truth of His human desire, and hears the truth of the Father's will and lives it.  Then something significant for all of us happens:  an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  Again, it is an assurance of a process that happens also for us, for the angels are present to us to help to strengthen our own capacities for hearing, knowing, doing, for faith.  Jesus' response is to do what is most helpful at such a time:  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  His physical human response described here teaches us about the depth of His agony and the fervor of His prayer.  Next we're given the response of the disciples to their great sorrow:  they sleep.  Sleep is a time when we neither hear nor see what is happening around us, symbolic of cutting ourselves off from spiritual sight and hearing of the truth.  Jesus tells them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation," giving us to understand prayer as the way to rekindle our capacity for hearing and seeing, being awake and alert to the things God has in mind for us, wants us to apprehend.  Finally, Jesus puts His finger on the inability to see and hear spiritually, perhaps our unwillingness to do so, either in the face of challenges such as facing terrible difficulties, or deep sorrow, or other temptations.  He also describes the betrayal of Judas and the hypocrisy of these religious leaders who now arrest Him and plot to have Him killed.  All of this He sums up in His description of their hour:  the power of darkness.  Darkness, of course, obscures the light, and in particular, our sight.  So spiritual seeing and hearing -- and the lack of them both -- becomes a powerful component hidden in the scenes of today's reading, and something we have to consider at all times.  For Christ's time of agony is not an isolated event, but one that might come to each one of us, especially as we struggle with our faith.  The world can present us with alternatives we'd rather not face, hostility from those whom we love, even betrayal.  It can impose a kind of response of sorrow from friends who seem to abandon us and sleep when we need them.  Fortunately, Jesus gives us the true sword with which to meet such times of evil and the power of darkness, and that is the power of prayer and its fullness.  We see His fervent and deep prayers, letting God know all, and accepting God's word to Him in His great struggle.  He tells the disciples, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  Sleeping is something we try to do in darkness, and it is the power of darkness at work in the arrest of Jesus by those who have shut out spiritual light and sound so as to follow their own desires only, under cover of night, even violating their own laws in the night trial of Jesus that will follow.  When life seems dark, take up the sword of Christ's truth, and the power of the prayers He so deeply prays.  Don't sleep, but follow His teaching to rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. 

 

 

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus

 

 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."

 

- John 11:1–16 

 

Our recent readings have focused on Jesus' attendance at two festivals in Jerusalem; one was the fall Feast of Tabernacles, and the other in winter, the Feast of Dedication (or Hanukkah).  He has been disputing with the religious leaders, and performed the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel, the healing of a man blind from birth.  He has evaded arrest and stoning, and has been accused of blasphemy, for making Himself equal with God.  Yesterday we read that the religious leaders 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 our 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."  In this chapter, we will read of the seventh and final "sign" given in John's Gospel, the resurrection of Lazarus.  We have been reading of Christ's disputing in the temple with the religious authorities, but this seventh and final sign will seal their decision to put Jesus to death.  Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem.  My study Bible tells us that Lazarus is the same name as "Eleazar" which literally means "God helps."  

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."  My study Bible comments that this message is sent back to Mary and Martha in order to strengthen them so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in the words of Christ.  The Son of God being glorified, it says, mustn't be understood to be the cause of Lazarus dying.  This indicates rather that Christ will be glorified as a result of Lazarus' death (which occurred from a natural illness), and 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.  Christ delays His departure for Bethany so that Lazarus will be dead long enough that the corruption of his body sets in.  In this way, my study Bible explains, 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?"  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."   The disciples, warning Jesus, are referring to the events in Jerusalem covered in John 10:29-39.   During the Feast of Tabernacles, against the backdrop of celebrations of light (such as the giant lamps which illumined the whole city of Jerusalem on the last night of the festival) Jesus repeatedly spoke of Himself as the light of the world (see John 8:12; 9:5).  

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."  Regarding Christ's comment that Lazarus sleeps, my study Bible asks us to compare it with Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6.  It adds that Thomas's statement in the final verse here is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  Moreover, it 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). 

Jesus begins the journey to the accomplishing of the final "sign" of His ministry, the raising of Lazarus.  We can take into consideration the powerful courage and character it shows about Christ at this time.  First of all, it's interesting that John more or less opens this chapter by introducing Mary as the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair.  This is an event which will be described in the chapter that follows this one, and so what we understand of this verse is that it makes clear that Mary was an important figure in the early Church, and known enough regarding this event of anointing Christ that the Gospel's first hearers would already be able to identify her (see John 12:1-8).  Then John identifies Lazarus as her brother, and emphasizes the closeness of this family to Christ by making explicit the message of the sisters to Jesus:  "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  There is a great bond of love between these sisters and brother and Jesus, and this chapter's events will make that very clear.  So while John goes out of his way to establish the love of Christ for this family, we can take a deeper understanding of Christ's boldness and courage in delaying His trip to Bethany, so that Lazarus will be dead for long enough that his body is corrupted when Jesus arrives.  We only have to consider what confidence in the word of God the Father Jesus has in order to do so, since He clearly knows what He is going to do, affirmed by His words telling the disciples that "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  All of this is deliberate, and yet done, at the same time, with those whom He deeply loves.  This shows a type of detachment and strength of character most thoroughly perfected in Christ, but also belonging to the saints and the faithful throughout the history of the Church.  There is an interesting understanding of the words "meek" or "gentle" as used by Jesus.  For example, when He says, "Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5), or "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29).  If we wish to understand meek or gentle as Christ uses these concepts, we're to perceive that it means strength under control.  This is a deep facet of strength, a strength perfected in its necessary dispassion for difficult times or actions.  In this case, the final sign of the Gospel, which will be so stupendous it will decisively lead the religious leaders to plot to kill Jesus.  Jesus shows that great strength of character that allows Him to fully feel His love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and yet remain dispassionate enough to delay His journey, and confident enough to follow the Father to this greatest and most unexpected of miraculous works.  At the same time, He knows it will be the thing that convinces the religious leaders that they must kill Jesus, so that they plot for His crucifixion.  All of these attributes of Jesus, taken together -- love, courage, dispassion, strength, absolute confidence and faith in God the Father -- combine to teach us something about the fullest acquisition of character we might aspire to.  That is, we seek to be "like Christ," and here He exemplifies all the ideals we might aspire to for ourselves, and might acquire through faith and grace working in us to fulfill this image and potential.  There is a deeper echo of the courage involved here in the unwitting prophecy spoken by Thomas, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."  For this also portends not only for Christ but for His followers, for the nascent Church that will be left in the world after Christ's Ascension.  So let us consider these aspects of what today's passage reveals to us, because they all tell us poignant things about faith:  about where it leads, the choices one may have to make, the strength of character that goes into the image of Christ to which we not simply aspire, but which faith and grace will hopefully make in us.  Let us not forget that these are forged in relationships of love.

 

 

 

Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?

 

 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

 

 Then another if His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

 

- Matthew 8:18-27 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."  And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."  The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.  But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.  For I am also a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!  And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you."  And his servant was healed that same hour.  Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother laying sick with a fever.  So He touched her hand, and the fever left her.  And she arose and served them.  When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed.  And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."  

 

  And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."   My study Bible says here that since the term Son of Man refers to the Messiah (Daniel 7:13), it expresses both His humanity and His divinity.  Here, it is a reference to Christ's human condition; but in Matthew 25:31-33 it describes His divine authority. 

 

Then another if His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."   My study Bible says that Jesus is not negating the command to honor parents, but is teaching us to put the things of the Kingdom as the highest priority.  Those who ignore this priority are in effect spiritually dead.   

 

 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"  My study Bible explains that the Lord's mastery over creation is another sign that He is the Messiah and is divine.  It says that commands to the sea and waves can only be given by God (Job 38:8-11; Psalms 66:5-6, 107:29).  Additionally, we should consider that Jesus was asleep because, as fully human, He needed rest.  In His Incarnation, my study Bible points out, Jesus assumed all the natural actions of the flesh, of which sleep is one.  The image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is a traditional one used to illustrate the Church itself.  My study Bible tells us that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see God's protection more clearly.  Christ's rebuke of the storm is also an illustration of His calming the tempests in the human soul.  

I personally have had occasion to consider recently various incidents in which I have struggled with difficulty, and especially in feeling alone or abandoned.  These experiences echo aspects of my childhood, and revisit old emotions that can be troubling.  But in today's reading, we see an illustration of Christ's experience of human life, and that is together with the disciples, and also those who would seek Him out to find discipleship.  In the first verses of today's reading, Jesus first sets up the later experience of the storm by giving the command to cross the Sea of Galilee.  He is approached by one who declares he will follow Christ anywhere.  But Christ points out that even the animals have homes and dens, but He, as Son of Man, has nowhere to lay His head.  It is a kind of declarative warning, that discipleship will involve hardships and possibly even a sense of abandonment, and the struggle for faith takes place amidst a world beset with such experiences.  He goes through such experiences as Lord, in His Incarnation, to offer us healing.  But we also will struggle, but together with Him through our faith.  In the second incident, another disciple says he needs to go home first and bury his father.  So we begin with an experience of abandonment, a kind of state of exile, and then we are confronted with death - even the death of a loved one.  But in the midst of that incident, Christ sets the priorities straight.  It is the kingdom of heaven He offers that we need, He is the One who sees us through -- and even family, without Him, cannot sustain us for what we need.  This is setting in order, giving priority; for there are others who will bury the dead, even as discipleship calls us forward.  Finally there is the scene in which wind and sea seek to conspire to frighten these seasoned fishermen on the sea which is part of their homeland.  But Jesus sleeps.  Again, we have a sense of abandonment intentionally given by Christ's command to follow the sea into this storm.  They fear death ("Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"), but Jesus asks, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Here we need to remember this word faith, and that in the Greek its root means to trust.  So He's asking them to trust Him.  This is another aspect -- possibly the fullest aspect -- of discipleship.  It is the whole root of faith.  In whom do we trust?  Where do we put our trust in life?  Whose light will guide us?  When we go through difficult, frightening experiences, and we feel alone or abandoned, let us consider His words. For it is then that He -- the One who will go through the same, and endure even the Cross abandoned and seemingly alone -- will ask us for our trust, to help us to heal even as we dwell in a world beset with storms and fears.

 

 

For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light

 

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  

And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

 

- Mark 4:21-34 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus again began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was one the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some  a hundred." 

 

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."   Jesus' analogy about the lamp and its light is also used in the Sermon on the Mount, at Matthew 5:15, but in a different context.  Here these words are part of Christ's call to attentive listening and discriminating response.  My study Bible comments that we must not only hear, but hear properly.  More will be given to those who respond to Christ with open hearts, and they will therefore grow in understanding.  My study Bible quotes St. Mark the Ascetic:  "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you."  Again, we find another saying here as part of the Sermon on the Mount ("With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you"), as well as in Luke's Gospel (see Matthew 7:2; Luke 6:38), each in a different context.  No doubt, my study Bible remarks, Jesus repeated this particular message many times.  

And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."    This parable is found only in Mark's Gospel.  My study Bible explains that the kingdom refers to the whole span of God's dispensation or plan of salvation.  The man is Christ, and the seed is the gospel, as in the parable of the Sower in yesterday's reading, above.  The man's sleep, according to this interpretation, indicates Christ's death, from which He will rise.  That the man does not know how the seed grows shows that Christ does not manipulate human beings' responses to the gospel.  But instead, each person is free to receive it and to let it grow in one's own heart.  The harvest indicates the Second Coming, when all will be judged on their reception of the gospel.  

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  My study Bible says that, according to Theophylact, the mustard seed represents the disciples, who began as just a few men but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  It also stands for faith entering a person's soul, which causes an inward growth of virtue.  This soul, my study Bible says, will become godlike and can receive even angels (the birds of the air may nest under its shade).

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.  Again the Gospel emphasizes that Jesus speaks to the large crowds who now gather to Him in parables.  He wishes to engage those who will truly desire what He offers, past the fascination or draw of the miracles and signs He does.

There is a very interesting writer, lecturer, and artist named Jonathan Pageau, who specializes in symbolism and how it is at work in our lives.  His fascinating website includes many video and other presentations; it's called The Symbolic World.  One can also find many of his video presentations on YouTube, which often feature other well-known figures.  Pageau is one of the many contemporary figures who evoke an understanding of what we might call the things that are hidden in plain sight.  That is, the symbolism inherent in stories, Scripture, and what we observe in the world, and the echoes of meanings behind them.  There are many contemporary artists, thinkers, and those concerned with a renewal of faith who focus on these subjects.  Some call this idea "re-enchantment," indicating that in our contemporary culture, our societies have lost a great deal of our historical understanding of beauty and truth, and the meanings that filled daily life for our ancestors.  The reason I bring up this topic is not simply due to its contemporary appeal for many, but rather to speak further about Jesus' love of teaching in parables, and His obviously powerful use of them.  If we look carefully at Scripture, what we find is not so much teaching material, nor even direct and obvious commandments, but stories.  We are taught through stories.  In fact, some say that we cannot live without stories, and after blogging on Scripture for such a time I would say that I must agree with that.  For the story of Christ's ministry isn't only about "teachable moments," as a particular popular expression puts it.  The story of Christ is meaningful to us simply because it is a story.  When we read the stories of what Jesus did, of how He spoke to people, of how He responded to people, of all the things He did in His ministry, then we grasp on to meanings that affect us and help us.  We learn in a way that one can't get simply from hearing a lecture.  When we have stories to tell one another, stories that are told to ourselves, stories about Christ that we can repeat to ourselves, elements of which we remind ourselves in times when they come back to us to illuminate something going on in our own lives -- in all of these ways, the stories (or perhaps we could say Story of Christ's life) give us echoes and meanings that continue throughout our lives, and new illuminations when we need them when we go through our own story to tell of our lives.  We live by stories, and this has been called "The Greatest Story Ever Told."  So the Son has come into the world in order to give us His story, the story of His life, but more importantly, of His ministry, so that we can tell it to one another and benefit from it immeasurably ourselves.  Reflective of that wisdom that sent Christ into this world is the wisdom of Jesus in giving to us parables, stories that can reach down into us in ways that lectures and teachings and commands cannot.  For these stories, drawn from every day life, illustrate the mysterious ways of the Kingdom in ways that we can grasp, and learn to understand -- and in ways that ask us for growth in continual renewal of how we come to know more deeply the truths of those simple stories.  The poignant aspect of the mustard seed, growing into a sturdy bush with branches that even give shelter to the birds of the air -- angels, perhaps, in disguise -- continues to echo its meaning to us in just these few beautiful but simple words of Christ.  When we run out of witty remarks, or pithy statements, or deep treatises of fact or theories, what we need are stories.  Let us grasp those stories and hold fast to them that they may continue for those who come later.  Let us consider how powerful stories are, and how much we all need them, for they teach us so much -- and no one has told them better than Christ.  We simply need the ears to hear.

Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it

 

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  

 

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it as also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 

 

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  

 

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is,  there the eagles will be gathered together."

 

- Luke 17:20-37 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus went to Jerusalem He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

 

  Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  Here my study Bible comments that the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality present within the Christian believer and within the community of the Church.  Within you can also be translated "among you" or "in your midst."  This double meaning is important.  In John 1:5, we read, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."  In Greek, as in English, the word translated as "comprehend" means both to understand, and to take in.  Both meanings are implied and important to our understanding. So it is also here in this teaching.  Jesus implies both understandings about the kingdom of God.  It is at once "within" believers, and also "among" them and "in [their] midst."

 

 Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."  Here Jesus clearly teaches the disciples that they should not be dissuaded or distracted by those who preach another Messiah.  This is made clear when He says that "as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day."  In other words, the return of Christ will be obvious to all, and immediate as a lightning flash.  But first, they must know that in their lifetimes, He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

 

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it as also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."  My study Bible notes that the warning not to be preoccupied with worldly matters applies both to believers and to parishes.  Additionally, it reinforces the idea that the Second Coming will be sudden and unexpected when it occurs.

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  My study Bible comments that Christ's second coming will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation.  The separation of the saints from the wicked will occur on "the day when the Son of man is revealed" (see the verse previous to this section), and not, as some speculate, at an event that occurs before His return.

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is,  there the eagles will be gathered together."  My study Bible explains that the body refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.  

Jesus gives us a certainty that He will return, and He also gives us other certainties about that return.  One thing of which we are to be certain is that it will happen suddenly, and all at once.  It will be unmistakable to all.  Both St. Peter and St. Paul tell us that that "day of the Lord" will come upon us as "a thief in the night" (2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8).  There is an intriguing statement in today's reading, in which Jesus tells us in the middle of this teaching, "Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."  This seems to be a message to us not to resist this process of judgment that will come, not to look back.  We are meant to keep in mind the kingdom of God that is within us and among us, and that we carry this kingdom within us and in our communities.  We don't want to look back on the things that we are meant to leave behind, but forward to the life worth saving -- the new life in Christ.  It is parallel teaching to that in which Christ tells us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), and the teaching of St. Paul when he writes, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  Perhaps relevant to these warnings is the understanding of precisely where the kingdom of God is to be found.  I recently heard a saying by St. Jerome:  "The graves of the martyrs are altars to Christ."   This speaks at once to looking forward toward the way of the kingdom of God, remembering Lot's wife, and to the way in which we do not seek to save our lives but instead to lose them to Christ.  This is symbolically found in the vision and prophecy of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37), in which Ezekiel is told to prophecy to the "breath of life."  Dry bones appeared to him, as symbols of the deadened state of Israel, and the Lord said to Israel, "I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live."  It may all seem like paradoxical language, but it is directly related to the understanding that the kingdom of God both within us and among us.  For if the kingdom of God is where the Holy Spirit dwells, then we have an understanding of St. Jerome's statement, in addition to the ancient practice of the relics of saints in the earliest Christian churches and specifically in altars.  This is because they are where the Holy Spirit has dwelt, particularly in those who have been martyred for their faith, following the example of the Lord.  It is the Holy Spirit who dwelt in the tabernacle with Israel, the Holy Spirit in the faith of the martyrs and their sacrifice, the Holy Spirit that makes the statement possible that the kingdom of God is both within us and among us.  Without the Holy Spirit, Ezekiel's Israel had no life.  And indeed, it is the Holy Spirit, given to us through the saving mission of Christ, whose ongoing work in this world lead us to that day of His return and revelation.  Just as the Holy Spirit made possible Christ's birth to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38), and the Holy Spirit who led Christ into the wilderness to be tempted on the eve of His public ministry (Luke 4:1-2), so it is the Holy Spirit that brings the kingdom of God within and among us.  We, like the tabernacle of Israel in the wilderness, like the saints before us, carry that Kingdom through our faith, and today's reading teaches us what to go forward to, and also what not to cling to even as we go forward in faith.  For, just as Jesus speaks of that day to come, so we accept this truth.  The world, Jesus implies, continues and will continue just as it always has -- with so many people completely unaware of this reality.  And so it is today.  Let us, however, be those who don't look back but accept this mission of the Kingdom within us and among us, and trust in His promise.