Tell the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey"

 

 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

"Tell the daughter of Zion, 

'Behold, your King is coming to you,

 Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

"Hosanna to the Son of David!

'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

Hosanna in the highest!"

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  so the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

 

- Matthew 21:1-11 

 

Yesterday we read that as Jesus and the disciples went out of Jericho, on their way toward Jerusalem, a great multitude followed Him.  And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, son of David!"  Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, son of David!"  So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."  So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.  

 

 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"  The event described in today's reading is known as Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It is celebrated in the Church on Palm Sunday, so-called because of the description of the people taking palm branches to welcome Him to the Holy City, as people would welcome a king returning to his kingdom (John 12:13).  In this case, it is a welcoming of the Messiah, as a son of David the king.  My study Bible explains that by this time, Jewish nationalism had led to the expectation of a political Messiah to deliver them from Roman control and to reestablish David's kingdom.  But in humility, Jesus shows in His appearance at this occasion that He has not come to establish an earthly kingdom.  He does not ride on a horse nor in a chariot as a conquering king of the world.  Rather, He enters on a donkey, which is a sign of humility and peace, as indicated in the quotation from Zechariah 9:9.  My study Bible says that this entrance into the Holy City is a declaration of the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  It says it's also a promise of Christ's final entrance into the heavenly Jerusalem with all believers and of His accepting the New Jerusalem as His pure Bride (Revelation 21:2).  Additionally of note is that St. Matthew reports a colt in addition to a donkey.  In patristic commentary, my study Bible says, these two animals are seen as representing the faithful Jews and Gentiles who are brought together in the Kingdom.  At Vespers of Palm Sunday, the Orthodox sing, "Your riding on a foal prefigured how the untamed and uninstructed Gentiles would pass from belief to faith."

 

 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The people who spread their clothes before Jesus did so as paying reverence to a King.  My study Bible explains that this is spiritually interpreted as our need to lay down our flesh -- even our very lives -- for Christ.  

 

Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna to the Son of David!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Hosanna in the highest!"  And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  so the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."  The cry of the multitudes comes from Psalm 118:25-26, verses associated with messianic expectation.  This was recited daily for six days during the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom), and seven times on the seventh day as branches were waved.  Hosanna means, "Save, we pray!"

 

 Jesus is greeted as a returning king, come home to His city, His kingdom after a long absence.  In this manner, the multitudes greet Him and welcome Him as Messiah, Son of David (see yesterday's reading, above), who comes to them in the name of the Lord.  But, as my study Bible explains, this celebration will be short-lived, on its very worldly terms.  This is because the expectation is wrong, even if His messianic status as King and Son of David is correct.  Jesus is returning to establish a Kingdom that is not one in the sense of a worldly conqueror, but in the sense of the spiritual reality He is bringing to re-establish and take control of a world given over to the evil one, the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), the "prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:1-3).  This is the way Christ's Incarnation is framed for us, and symbolized in the return and welcome of the King into the Holy City.  This is the prophesied King who is "lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."  He is the One who comes as a weak human being, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, the "man of sorrows" who will be "numbered with the transgressors."  All of this reality is about to be brought to bear upon Christ, and in the Holy City of Jerusalem in the week that follows.  It will be an agglomeration of many factors, including the religious leaders' fear that Christ will eclipse them and be embraced as a king by all and set to rule over the temple, by the fears of Herod of Galilee and his soon-to-be friendship with Pontius Pilate, the Roman need for peace and control at all cost, and the threat of the religious leaders and the ruling Council who will stir the people against Christ.  But, as always with Scripture, there is so much more to this story than meets the eye, and we cannot understand what is happening here without accepting the spiritual truth and reality that is behind it.  Christ has come to draw us all toward God, to defeat the devil and death, to enable all of us to follow Him, and to establish His heavenly Kingdom even here in this world.  But all of this eclipses time, as it invites in all of us to participate in this journey and the establishment of this Kingdom.  We are all welcomed into the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12), to participate in Christ's life, death, and Resurrection so that we may in turn ascend with Him, even as He bears glorified human flesh in His Ascension.  All of this meets in this central place of this event in Jerusalem.  While it is true that Jesus is a King, and this is His Holy City, there is so much at the same time that is not true but will seemingly prevail.  And this is a key, in the sight of some of the great theologians of the Church, that the enemy of Christ who seeks to defeat Him will also be fooled by the malice he stirs, the desire to kill Christ, and in this sense tricked by his own devices into his defeat through the Cross.  This is the great mystery of our faith, and of what is called spiritual warfare:  that when we meet the evil among us, around us, even within us -- with faith -- so we wage the good fight and enter into the labors of others before us (John 4:38), following our Lord.  Let us bear His Cross and our own, as He has taught (Matthew 10:38).  For with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

 

 

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 

 And He 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."

 

- Luke 11:14-26 

 

On Saturday we read that, it came to pass, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  So He said to them, "When you pray, say:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.  So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

 

 And He 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."     Beelzebub (or Baʿal Zebub) was a name given to a pagan god (Baal or Ba'al, meaning Lord) which derided the god of the pagan worshipers.  Ba'al shrines or places of worship were frequently given names to denote a specific "Ba'al" for a place or a specific characteristic.  For example, Baʿal Ugarit was the name of the patron god of the city of Ugarit, or  Baʿal Shamem was "god of the heavens."  In this case Beelzebub is a rendering of a name coined by the Jews belittling this god of the pagans, and it means "Lord of the flies" or the dungheap.  Here in this criticism of Jesus this name is used as a direct reference to Satan.  A sign, my study Bible comments, is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12). 

 

"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."  The finger of God is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).  

"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."  My study Bible explains here that the strong man is Satan, who holds sway over the fallen human race.  The stronger than he is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).

 

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  My study Bible comments that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  Those who work in opposition to Christ are different from those who work in good faith toward His purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see Luke 9:46-50).  Quoting from St. Seraphim of Sarov, my study Bible says that only "good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit," and therefore deeds done for any other purpose, "even if they are good, are deeds that scatter abroad."

"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."  The unclean spirit, according to my study Bible (citing the commentary of St. John Chrysostom) refers to the rebelliousness cast out of the Jews by the Old Testament prophets in order to prepare them to receive Christ.  Those who refuse to receive Him are left open to the wickedness of seven other spirits or demons

How do we think of Christ the stronger Man?  We're to understand from today's reading the "unseen battle" that goes on all the time, a spiritual battle for hearts and minds.  In the Orthodox tradition, it is understood that we, as human beings, may participate in what are called the energies of God.  That is, the ways that God dwells in the world and works in the world, the things of God that are shared with us, like the working of the Holy Spirit, also called the Spirit of God in the Gospels (Matthew 12:28).  We understand these energies also as grace, or God's mercy.  They are the ways that God shares His life with us, through which we may participate in that life.  This happens through prayer, through worship, through al the things we do in the name of our faith.  But in another sense, we can share also in energies that are called demonic.  This is not to give the demonic substance, for it is simply considered to be parasitical.  But, as Jesus puts it here, it is that which is in opposition to God, which works among us human beings in order to oppose God.  As Jesus says, He is the stronger man, and there is none that can oppose God, none that is stronger than God.  But that which is demonic can tempt us, keep us away from God, as the devil tries to do in Luke 4:1-13.  We can look at the activity of the demons in the Gospels and it all seems quite cruel and harmful to human beings, from the young boy with convulsions (Mark 9:22; Luke 9:42) to the demoniac tormented by a Legion of merciless demons, who must live among the tombs (Luke 8:26-38).   To participate in the activity of demons by actions such as cruelty, torment, mercilessness, or lies, deceptions, and manipulation (Revelation 22:14-17) is to participate in demonic energies; this is the the traditional way that spiritual warfare has been understood in the Church.   Whichever "way" we choose, we participate in those unseen forces of the strong man who rules this world, whom Christ came to displace.  It's also important to notice in today's reading that Jesus indicates we don't stand still or stay in one state when we choose one way, but without repentance, or change of mind, we continue down that road ("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").  One thing is clear, Jesus has called upon us to follow Him, to participate in His life and His energies, His mercy, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in us as temples of God.  St. Paul writes, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Let us play our part allied with the stronger Man and His angels and saints, for we enter into a wide communion, a great cloud of witnesses, and we have been invited into this struggle by our Lord who wants us with Him.  Let us gather with Him.

 

 

 

 

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword

 

 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

 

- Matthew 10:34-42 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is speaking to the Twelve preparing them for their first apostolic mission (beginning with Monday's reading).  Yesterday, we read that Jesus told them:  "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." 

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword."  My study Bible comments that, just before His most violent death on the Cross, Christ promised peace to His disciples (see John 14:27).  But the existence of evil, my study Bible explains, necessitates spiritual warfare.  The earth to which Christ came was under the authority of Satan (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4).  It is therefore essential that Christ wage war against the leader of vice with weapons of virtue (Ephesians 6:11-18).  Jesus has also made a similar statement in Luke 12:51, albeit in a different context.  There my study Bible explains that there are two kinds of peace.   There is a false peace which is a shallow harmony resulting from ignoring issues of truth.  But genuine peace is reconciliation to God through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  Genuine peace, it explains, has division as as byproduct because not everyone wants truth (the "sword" of Christ; see Hebrews 4:12).  In the fallen world, my study Bible continues, divisions are necessary for truth to be manifest (see 1 Corinthians 11:18-19).  

"For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."  My study Bible says that this is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 7:6.  In addition to the literal meaning here, which has been experienced in the Church since the time of Christ, the older generation being divided from the younger also symbolizes the rejection of the new covenant by followers of the old, and also the spiritual struggle between our old sinful state and our renewal in Christ (see Ephesians 4:20-24).  Moreover, my study Bible comments, to carry one's cross, a true disciple must be ready, if necessary, to sacrifice even family relationships.  

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."  Apostles, my study Bible states, are ambassadors who represent the Lord.  So, therefore, all who extend help to them are showing mercy directly to Christ and will receive God's reward (see Matthew 25:40).  

Jesus says, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword."   What is this sword?  Above, the notes reported from my study Bible tell us that it is Christ's truth, the word of God.  In Hebrews 4:12, St. Paul elaborates on the word of God as a sword:  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  In that case, the division might be within us, and within others, in this conflict between the old life and the new life, or the ways of the world we've learned and the ways that Christ's word (His truth) give us.  When such a word is spoken, it may create sharp divisions within and among people, families, communities, friendships.  This is because, as St. Paul describes it, Christ's word cuts to the heart of all things, and within people as well.  In Revelation 19, we're told of the Faithful and True, who in righteousness judges and makes war, and His name is called the Word of God.  "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:15-16).  Clearly we can see the consistency of this "sharp sword" which is the truth of the word of God, which proceeds from His mouth.  And we see, as well, the consistent use of the image of the sword of truth used to wage a kind of spiritual warfare, to reclaim the world from the evil one, as my study Bible explains.  So what is this spiritual warfare, and why is it necessary that we join in this struggle? Spiritual warfare is as simple as my study Bible put it:  we meet "the leader of vice" with weapons of virtue, cited from Ephesians 6:11-18, the "whole armor of God," as St. Paul puts it.  When we, therefore, choose to live as faithful Christians, we are in effect waging this spiritual warfare, and taking up our own crosses, as Christ calls the disciples, and we who follow, to do.  St. Paul writes (in the cited passage from Ephesians 6), "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."  When we see tremendous clashes in the world, and the frightening sights that accompany them, then it is time to consider Christ's words and take them very seriously.  He has told the disciples (in yesterday's reading, above) not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather our deeper reverence is to God.  How can we participate in the spiritual battle to which Christ calls us?  One would suggest clinging to His truth, to the whole armor of God as described by St. Paul, to Christ's word, all the more strongly.  Let us make certain that we take time for prayer, laying all things before God and asking for direction.  Let us not take refuge in following the crowds, indulging in emotional responses which are not the way of Christ.  Let us cling to the righteousness He teaches us.  For this is the division and the sword, and we must make our choice to follow Him.

And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"

 

 Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee. 

 

- Luke 4:38-44 

 

In yesterday's reading, we read that, having begun His public ministry, and after speaking in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon.  And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is!  For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."  And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

 

  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house.  But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  And immediately she arose and served them.  My study Bible comments that this passage, and also 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas), indicate that Peter was married.  (See this article regarding modern archaeological discoveries concerning Peter's home in Capernaum.)   Note that here Christ healed with a word, a rebuke (in Matthew 8:15, we're also told that He touched her hand).  My study Bible quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "That which was rebuked was some living thing unable to withstand the influence of Him who rebuked it, for it is not reasonable to rebuke a thing without life and unconscious of the rebuke.  Nor is it astonishing for there to exist certain powers that inflict harm on the human body."  

When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  Again, we see this healing action by rebuking on Christ's part.  Following the line of the commentary from St. Cyril quoted above regarding Christ rebuking the fever of Peter's mother-in-law, we must observe how there is spiritual battle going on, a conflict, and Christ is a powerful authority for one side of that conflict.  The Gospel presents Christ's ministry of healing as directly connected to this battle as well.  Again, as in yesterday's reading, Jesus does not allow the demons to speak, to announce to the world His identity as Christ (the Messiah) and Son of God.

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place.  And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.  My study Bible notes that Christ's primary mission was to preach the kingdom.  Miracles and healings, it says, testify both to the truth of the message and to the identity of the Teacher (see Luke 5:24).  This same pattern holds true in the Church (Acts 4:29-30). 

We note the ongoing signs of the spiritual warfare that carries on unseen to most of us, but is brought out into the open through the presence of Christ.  Twice in today's reading, signs of a presence that bodes ill for human beings come to the fore.  First there is the fever of Peter's mother-in-law.  We're told that Jesus stood over her and rebuked the fever.  St. Cyril of Alexandria comments that whatever would be rebuked was surely some living thing which would be conscious of the rebuke.  We can see the harm this "living thing" does:  it lays a woman down with fever who otherwise holds an esteemed position within a household.  For to serve Christ is indeed an honored position, and she rises up and is able again to take her rightful place.  We must infer from this passage that whatever this was is harmful to human beings.  Should it have a consciousness, it bears a kind of malice, stirs up trouble, makes life painful and difficult.  Throughout the Gospels, we should note that this is the behavior of the demonic, which is in opposition to Jesus, the Healer.  Then we're told that many with various diseases come to the door of the house to be healed, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  But in addition, this detail:  that "demons also came out of many."  Note that not all disease here is attributed to demons, but this was true for many of those who were healed.  The demons were also crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  So there is another hint about the spiritual reality that goes on unseen, for the most part, around us in our world, but is seemingly laid bare by the presence of Christ.  They know who He is.  Unlike the human beings who populate the Gospels for the most part, the demons have no trouble identifying Him and recognizing His power.  But they reveal what Christ wishes not to be revealed (see yesterday's reading and commentary for various reasons why this is so).  And so, with His power as the Holy One of God, Christ rebukes them and commands them not to speak.  We must note the power difference:  Christ is clearly the stronger man who can bind the "strong man" who was harming these people who come for healing (see Luke 11:16-23).  Jesus' ministry began with what is understood as spiritual warfare, or the "unseen battle" that goes on in this world which we very rarely openly perceived, when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness (in Wednesday's reading).  So we are given to understand the reality of the power of Christ (and of the Helper, the Holy Spirit).  He has come into the world as Savior, as Redeemer, as Healer -- but a great part of that healing is being the stronger power that overcomes the power of malice, of spiritual force that seeks to use and to harm human beings.  While we may understand that we frequently must make choices ourselves between things that cause harm and that which would not, the complex picture of life in this world is often confusing from our perspective.  We hear so many conflicting opinions, we're confronted with so many different stories -- many of which are told simply to persuade -- that it is hard to tell the difference between what is good and what is bad.  But we still know the properties of that which afflicts and harms, that which oppresses and causes pain, toxic circumstances and overly punitive mindsets that take pleasure in hurting others.  We might all begin to consider what it is to meet those without compassion -- or worse, those who feign compassion and have no depth of insight or forgiveness at all.  Let us consider that this battle continues around us, even when and if we don't or can't perceive it.  Let us understand that our prayers count in this battle, that our understanding and our faith make a difference and bring His presence more fully to be manifest into this world.  For we are here not as slaves to our Master, but as those who are children, and friends whom He asks to join Him in this struggle, with Him.

 

 

I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelves tribes of Israel

 

 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelves tribes of Israel."

 

- Luke 22:24-30 

 

Yesterday we read that when the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.

 

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  My study Bible comments here that this small-minded dispute is out of place in the context of the mysteries that Christ has just revealed (see yesterday's reading, above, in which Christ instituted the Eucharist).  Jesus corrects the disciples by first comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they themselves considered an abomination, and He contrasts them to Himself, who serves us even though He is Lord of all.  

 

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelves tribes of Israel."  My study Bible quotes commentary on this passage by St. Ambrose of Milan:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  A note adds that the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but by the witness of their own lives.  Since the kingdom of God begins with the Resurrection of Christ, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19, John 20:23).  

Let us take careful note of the events that continue a pattern of temptation and correction, as this is the time of the great temptation of Satan on so many levels, which the Gospel has taken great pains to emphasize.  Luke writes that "the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve" (see Tuesday's reading).  In the understanding of the Church, the clear culprit who works through the weaknesses of envy and greed, in the cases of the religious leadership and Judas, successively, is Satan.  These are not simple plots of human beings, but rather the momentum of evil in spiritual places encourages these actions, seizing on the passions of human beings.  In today's reading, we read about the weakness of the apostles, manifesting itself in an argument over power and place; that is, who would be the greatest.  This is not the only time the disciples are said to have argued over this same question.  See, for example, Mark 9:34, Luke 9:46, Matthew 20:20-21.  So, we can assume this is yet another passion, another weakness, exploited by the spiritual powers of the prince of this world, at this time of great influence of evil.  But Jesus corrects their thinking, and importantly, gives us an understanding of power and how it works in His Kingdom.  "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves."  He points to Himself as the example for all:  "Yet I am among you as the One who serves."   As Christ rebukes with the example of His own virtue, so the disciples are being shaped to do the same, and through this example in the Gospel, so we are being taught as well.  Importantly, there's a deeper lesson here, about how to counter spiritual evil.  Our job is to be vigilant, to watch and pray, and to exercise the kind of discernment that Christ teaches, which is one that judges by the heart and not the actions.  In our own practice of virtue is the greatest weapon against the spiritual powers of evil; our perseverance in faith and endurance through all things is what we have been taught is our rule through tribulation of all kinds.  In Romans 12:20-21, St. Paul quotes from Proverbs 25:21-22:  "Therefore 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.'  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  While a modern perspective may understand this merely as a moral teaching, it is actually a very profound spiritual practice.  Similarly to prayer, acts that we do with real faith have greater effects than we can frequently discern.  Jesus says, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" (Mark 9:41), and, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:37).  These statements describe spiritual realities we cannot fully grasp, but which are nevertheless true and real.  Let us follow Christ and understand that as He goes to the Cross in this time of evil, He engages in what is, in fact, the most profound act of spiritual warfare, and the supreme example for us all.  In another profound promise, the fullness of which we cannot imagine, He bestows a kingdom upon His apostles, who have continued with Him in His trials.  Let us follow as well.