Take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him

 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

- Luke 8:16-25

Yesterday we read that after a confrontation while dining in the home of a Pharisee, Jesus went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things he cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'  Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  Jesus continues His talk regarding the interpretation of the parable of the Sower.  His encouragement is for living the life we're called to live, living our faith.  To take heed how you hear is to seek spiritual discernment, to be alert to the illumination and mysteries of the Kingdom, and to grow in the light.  This would include an ongoing sense of repentance, a willing to change in accordance with the discernment.  The warning is that for one who ceases to pay heed to the proper care and nurturing of their spiritual life, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  My study bible says that it is not Christ's will here to deny His mother and brothers.  What we are to understand from this passage, according to St. John Chrysostom, is that He is correcting both them and His hearers "to the right idea concerning Himself," that the family of His own Kingdom "is not by nature but by virtue."  (See also 11:27-8.)

 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"  My study bible explains that Christ deliberately permitted this windstorm to arise while He's sleeping, in order to perfect the faith of the disciples, and to rebuke their weaknesses.  In this way He prepares them to be unshaken by life's temptations.  In these senses of development of faith, this example parallels the teachings that have been given through the parable of the Sower, above.  My study bible adds that here their faith remains mixed with unbelief at this stage in their discipleship.  They showed faith when they came to Him, but unbelief when they said, "We are perishing."

In an interesting reading, we're given an example of the development of faith in action and in our lives that Christ's parable was about, given just before (see yesterday's reading, above).  In other words, the parable of the Sower gives us the understanding that our faith is about a fully lived life, discipleship is an ongoing, experientially challenging life mission.   We have our ups and we have our down, we have circumstances that draw out the best of what we have within us and also the worst.  And everything -- absolutely everything we live and experience -- becomes part and parcel of the life of discipleship, the struggle for our faith.  The disciples find themselves challenged by their natural fears of perishing in the storm.  But Christ is with them, although He is asleep.  In our own lives, as well, He may seem to be sleeping, to pay no heed to the severe dangers and fears we find ourselves going through.  But everything is about mission in the light of our faith.  Is He really sleeping, or are we going through a time of struggle in order to further develop our faith?  Do we forget about Him?  Do we panic?  Do we think of the goal or destiny, or even the command that is taking us along this route in our lives, the faith by which we'd been seeking to live up until the time of great panic and fear?  All of these become questions of the struggle for our spiritual lives, for the melding of that life of this world into the one of the Kingdom, so that we live both simultaneously, in and through one and the other.  And that is the depth of the struggle, to realize always that although He may seem to be sleeping, we are His and He is with us.  We are on mission and directed and guided by Him.  We call on the Lord for help, we await in faith, and we can be confident that no matter what it is with which life confronts us, whether that be loss or setback, terrible senses of failure, or great exaltation, even fear of death -- all of it is part of the mission should we choose to remember our Lord, and that we are indeed His.  Where is your mission today?  Where does it take you?  Are you being stretched past your flaws and fears?  Can you put your faith in Him when it seems lost?  What's the mystery into which you enter when you don't have all the answers?  Like the great windstorm, our faith lives in paradox, not seeming perfection -- and through absolutely all of it, He is there, even if He seems to be asleep to our pleas.  Let us remember that He has had the disciples set out for different territory with which they're unfamiliar, across the Lake (the Sea of Galilee).  Even when we don't know where we're going, our mission is always ongoing.

My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it

 "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"    Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

- Luke 8:16-25

Yesterday we read that Jesus went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled on, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  It's interesting that this passage appears here in Luke.  In Matthew's Gospel, the teaching about light and the lampstand is found in the Sermon on the Mount, right after the Beatitudes, when Jesus preaches to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (see Matthew 5:14-16).  We've recently read the Sermon on the Plain in Luke (6:17-49), in which Jesus preaches many things also found in the Sermon on the Mount.  But today's passage appears just after Jesus tells the parable of the Sower.  Its emphasis is on our capacity to hear:  that is, our capacity for spiritual sight and hearing.  We who listen to His words are in some sense responsible for what and how we hear, what we receive.  We must "take heed how [we] hear."  If we are capable of receiving, more will be given.  But if we don't make an effort to hear, even what we have will be lost.  Jesus says, "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."   The word "mystery" means in the Greek means "secret" or "hidden."  It is that which can only be known through revelation.  What Christ suggests here is about caring for, valuing, and nurturing our capacity to receive.

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  My study bible comments that it was not Christ's will to deny His mother and brothers.  Instead, St. John Chrysostom tells us, Jesus is correcting both them and His hearers "to the right idea concerning Himself," that the family of His Kingdom "is not by nature but by virtue" (see also 11:27-28). 

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"    Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"  Jesus has just told His disciples, in a very vivid display before His natural mother and brothers from Nazareth, that "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Here, the disciples follow His command to cross over to the other side of the lake.   My study bible comments that Christ deliberately permits the windstorm to arise while He is sleeping in order to perfect the disciples' faith, and to rebuke their weaknesses.  What is the point?  So that they would eventually be unshaken by life's temptations.  In this incident, their faith is still mixed with unbelief.  They showed faith when they came to Him, but unbelief when they said, "We are perishing."

There is so much emphasis in today's reading on hearing and doing the word of God, on the unity of this family of the Kingdom that is fully dependent upon this process of hearing and doing, receiving the word that we are capable of hearing.  But how does God instruct us?  Tradition regards the story of the disciples on a stormy sea as an allegory to the Church.  Our faith does not keep us from challenges.  In fact, it may be that God leads us to particular challenges in order to strengthen God's relationship with us -- in order to strengthen our faith and to understand and grow within our dependency upon and trust in God.  In the Greek language of the original Gospels, the word for faith is rooted in the word for trust.  This is the deepest meaning of faith.  It's what connects us to love and how we understand love.  There is trust when you know someone has love for you.  To fully depend upon God may sound like a kind of fatalism, or an idea that takes away our independence.  But this is a failure to know God.  Our dependency upon God does not make us infantile.  Rather it is a true perspective on the reality of life.  The very fact that the Gospels teach that it is God who leads us into challenges so that we may grow in our determination, faith, and understanding of relationship to God shows us that in our dependency we are led to greater fulfillment as human beings.  God's challenges increase the strengths, the courage, and the wisdom of the disciples.  Our dependence upon God decreases our need for control, our insecurity, and our dependence upon others for fulfillment of our need for love.  The dependence upon God in its fullness gives us love as fulfillment which we may then share with other people.  It grants us a kind of security that is not so much about what we have, as it is about who we know we are and how we know we are loved and cherished and valued by Creator.  This is the reality of the family of God.  God as our Parent, is the One who leads us to true adulthood and maturity.  Jesus encourages our growth in this relationship, so that we may become more rooted in the capacities which God wishes to share with us.  Such rootedness takes us away from the pettiness that results from seeing life as mere competition with one another, but rather understanding a better and deeper purpose, more mature spiritual and personal values, and a way to recognize that our own worth comes within God's love for us.  These are sobering thoughts, but they are the place God will lead us to if we experience our own struggles with faith.   To grow in that trust is to learn to detach ourselves from worry in the confidence of God's faithfulness, to grow in patience, to meet challenges.  Let us consider where God's family will take us, where we may find our roots, and expand our own horizons when we come to understand even who we are through faith.

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 again He 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 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.'"

fAnd 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."

- Mark 4:1-20

On Saturday, we read that after Jesus had chosen the twelve disciples (who would become His first apostles) they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so much that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."   So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house.   Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

 And again He 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 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!"  If we review the recent events in the growth of Jesus' ministry, our main understanding is of its enormous and seemingly explosive growth.  Great crowds come to hear Him speak (so much so that He's afraid of being crushed by those who crowd in to simply touch Him), and the people come from Jewish communities from every region -- from Jerusalem and Judea, to Galilee, to Tyre and Sidon, and also from east of the Jordan.   He has also chosen the twelve disciples with whom He begins to share and invest His power.  It is at this point that He begins preaching in parables.  Parables were widely used and well-known before Jesus' use of them, but as the Word Himself, He is paramount in His use of the universal language of these simple stories that convey so much on so many levels, and continue to do so as one recalls them throughout a journey of faith.  They are images that are drawn from daily life in the world to "represent and communicate the deep things of God," my study bible says.  "Parables give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9)."  But parables are not obvious to everybody who hears them; they require discernment, a kind of listening with spiritual "ears to hear" (as Jesus will repeatedly emphasize with this phrase).  And, as my study bible notes, even then, not all will have the same degree of understanding.

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.'"  Jesus quotes from Isaiah (see Isaiah 6:9-10).  He makes it clear that parables are meant to draw those who want the things of the Kingdom, who wish to enter into its mysteries, and to leave the disinterested to their own devices, so to speak (see also Romans 1:24, 26).  It doesn't mean that God causes spiritual blindness in those who would otherwise be faithful.   God permits a self-chosen blindness.  My study bible says, "They did not become blind because God spoke through Isaiah, but rather Isaiah spoke because he foresaw their blindness."

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."  It's interesting that Jesus first asks the disciples, "Do you not understand this parable?"  It is a question that teaches us that even among those destined to receive the greatest faith, it comes gradually or in fits and starts -- and also relies on the Holy Spirit, from whom more understanding will come after Pentecost.  In the powerful and mysterious ways in which parables are designed to work, we can also reflect that these men who as yet do not understand completely will be the ones who will bear the fruit Jesus speaks of here.   In the parable, Jesus reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower, foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.  We note the gradual picture of faith given by Christ, and the possibilities of falling away; faith is a lifetime journey, that always holds new challenges, new beginnings, and new opportunities, and struggles.

In another irony, and reflection of the text itself, we can see that although Jesus is speaking of Himself and revealing Himself as the Sower, or the Messiah, He is also speaking of these men to whom He reveals the contents of the parable.  They are those who will struggle through all things for their faith.  One will betray Him.  Many will bear tremendous fruits, and to varying degrees, as indicated in His explanation of the parable.  As is always the case with Christ, whatever He teaches, even if it is nominally about Himself -- as God, as Messiah, as Son of Man -- it also teaches His followers about themselves.  We could say that He, and the whole of Scripture, teaches us about ourselves.  He depicts our struggles, the life of faith, and the constant road that discipleship calls upon us to negotiate and to take.  All of these things in the parable:  the word snatched away by Satan, the stony ground that will hold no root, the thorns -- that represent the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in:  all of these things may be pitfalls on our own journey of faith, and a part of our own experience.  And there's another deep and reflective irony here as well:  it is faith that helps spur our understanding, something deep within us that makes a kind of connection to the life of Christ and the life of the Holy Spirit.  Just as Jesus attributes so many healings to the faith of the healed, so here healing and understanding, entering deeper into the mysteries of faith, are also clearly connected.  In fact, the translations of the quotation Jesus uses from Isaiah read alternatively, "Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them," and "Lest they should turn, And I should heal them."   The tie between understanding and the reception of the Kingdom is not one that is purely intellectual or obscure, but it's a reflection of the presence of the Kingdom.  There is a kind of synergy, a human-divine connection, that is responsible for this understanding, this faith, and the reality of the life of the Kingdom.  God may do the work, but it cannot happen without something deeply inside of ourselves which accepts and desires this presence and participation in the Kingdom.  This is a great mystery, but one the parables are designed to open up within us.  Let us take it to heart that Christ speaks of the spiritual life as a struggle, and remember that the journey of faith isn't a one-time simple answer, but one that sees us and makes a kind of dividing line through all things, whose center is in the heart.  Our free will means God will accept our choice for blindness and deafness, but faith and hope mean God's offer is always there.  He who has ears to hear, let Him hear the word.

I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!

 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three.  Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather;' and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

"Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."

- Luke 12:49-59

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourself be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!"   Two important things are happening in these sentences.  Of the first, my study bible tells us that fire "references the proclamation of the gospel and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This fire both enlivens the faithful and judges the faithless; it purifies virtue and destroys sin (see 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15)."  By contrast here, it says that Jesus' baptism is His own Passion that is in His future.

"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division."  A note says, "There are two kinds of peace.  False peace, to which Christ refers here, is a shallow harmony that results from ignoring issues of truth.  Genuine peace is reconciliation to God through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  Genuine peace has division as a byproduct because not everyone wants truth.  In the fallen world, divisions are necessary for truth to manifest (see 1 Corinthians 11:18-19)."

"For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three.  Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."  My study bible tells us that this fulfills the prophecy of Micah 7:6.  "In addition to its literal meaning, which has been experienced in the Church since the time of Christ, the older generation being divided from the younger generation also symbolizes (1) the rejection of the new covenant by the followers of the old covenant, and (2) the spiritual struggle between our old, sinful state and our renewal in Christ (see Ephesians 4:20-24)."

Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather;' and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?"   This time is the revelation of the Kingdom of God in the first coming of Jesus Christ, says my study bible.    We are once again reminded of the necessity of discernment, of eyes to see.  That is, eyes like lamps that illumine where we are going.  (See Tuesday's reading, in which Jesus taught, "The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.")

"Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."   A note says here, "Just as a guilty person would attempt to reconcile with his opponent before facing an earthly judge, even more so should one be reconciled to God in Christ before facing His dread judgment."  

There is a repeated focus on the necessity of discernment in recent readings; Jesus is preparing His followers for His "baptism" of the Passion, and also the fire on the earth that will come in the form of the Holy Spirit.   Judgment is about how we respond to this fire, the One who tests everything.  The fire is also likened to the "energies" of grace, this great gift pouring out upon the earth after Jesus' "baptism" in the Passion.  This is His mission, and He's giving it to us, laying it all out for us, in today's reading.  This "fire" in the person and energies of the Holy Spirit may divide us.  Truth comes in what appear to be divisions to us, so that we may use our discernment to reconcile with the Spirit, with Christ.  This is the great place where we are now in the state of things, in the world, in the Church as a universal call of the fire of the Holy Spirit, and we are all asked to discern and reconcile, an ongoing work.  If we can see ourselves in this place, as those who need both vigilance and discernment, to make efforts to reconcile ourselves to Christ, in this great fire of the Spirit that is at work all the time, we may get a clearer picture of life as it truly is, inseparable from the life of the Spirit in us and in the world.  It's when we separate this vision out into two, and compartmentalize Spirit as if it is not fire but merely a kind of wispy, ethereal presence we can forget about, that we miss the real vision of how vital our lives and choices really are.  From the beginning, the Church has held to the understanding that we human beings are holistic:  Body, mind, soul and spirit are all inseparable from one another.  Without discernment run the risk of missing the true dynamics of life, separating out the power of God, and thereby the work of the Spirit, from what we focus on as our reality.  The truth is that if we were really aware of what is going on around us, we would understand better this fire and its work and presence, just the way the burning bush appeared to Moses.  But we need eyes to really see and perceive this fire, this energy, this light.  More importantly, Jesus tells us that in this time when we await His return, we need this discernment in order to understand what is going on, and to see more clearly in our own lives where we need to be reconciled, what we need to work on, and all the power and meaning His baptism and this holy fire give our lives.  It's a much more potent, creative life than our dreams and imaginations can stir minus these energies, this grace.  It's also a necessity for spiritual awareness that colors our lives in new ways.  It is inseparable from a search for truth.  The struggle for spiritual truth isn't just about a kind of political struggle based on theoretical abstract and intellectual understanding.  It's not just about laws.  The struggle for spiritual truth involves all of who we are, minus nothing.  That would include the fruits of the Spirit present to us at all times:  love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).   All of these things are also a part of the struggle, energies by grace given to us in order to participate in this search for truth, the wholeness of life, the inseparability of body, soul, mind, spirit.  Let us remember His baptism and the fire He sends, and all that they bring to our lives.  Let us know of the struggle, the vigilance, and the discernment, the fire that must be a part of the life He baptizes us into.

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

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

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

'He shall give His angels charge over you,'

and,

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

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

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

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

- Matthew 4:1-11

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

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  Once again, this reading is given many notes in my study bible.  Here, we read that "to be tempted is to be tested in fundamental areas of faith.  As in Mark, the Spirit leads, or 'throws,' Jesus into the wilderness after His baptism to be tested by a struggle with the devil.  We who are baptized into Him need not be defeated when temptations come along because, like Jesus, we are aided by the Spirit.  The wilderness is a battleground, a picture of the world, at once the abode of demons and a source of divine tranquility and contemplation."

And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Of today's entire passage that follows, my study bible says, "Jesus reverses Israel's dallying with temptation in the wilderness.  The Israelites were tested 40 years in the wilderness, during which they were disloyal and disobedient.  So God humbled them by letting them go hungry, then feeding them with manna, all to help them realize their dependence upon Him (Deut. 8:2,3).  Jesus is tested with hunger 40 days, but He does not sin.  Jesus' answers to Satan are from Deuteronomy, and all of them call for loyalty to God:  we are to live by that which God commands.  Contrary to the opinions of His detractors, in His messiahship Jesus actually fulfills the Law.  He is the loyal and obedient Son who triumphs over temptations. . . .  Jesus fasted to overcome temptation, giving us an example of our own power and our limitations.  The hunger of His flesh does not control Him, rather, He controls His flesh.  Jesus' fasting forty days is the foundation of the Church's forty-day Lenten observance before Holy Week . . . It is a spiritual preparation for the Passion and Resurrection of Christ."

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  My study bible suggests that here the devil is challenging Jesus' relationship to the Father.  In this sense, it's a direct attack on His place, and His authority, by attempting to shake His confidence in the Father's love.  "If You are the Son of God calls into question the Father's declaration of Jesus' sonship at His baptism.  The devil wants Jesus to abuse His divine powers, to act independently, detaching His will from the will of the Father.  In His divine nature, the Son shares one will with the Father and the Spirit.  He can do nothing of Himself (John 5:30); He has no operation that is distinct from His Father's.  But in His humanity He possesses 'free will' and at all times must choose to remain in communion with His Father, to be obedient to the divine will."

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"   My study bible says that "by rejecting the first temptation, Jesus rejects a kingdom based on materialism, earthly well-being, the 'bread which perishes' (see John 6:1-40).  He teaches us not to love ease and comfort, to accept willingly the struggle necessary to purify us from evil.  While Adam and Eve disregarded the divine word given them, subordinating their souls to the passions of the body (Gen. 3), the New Adam conquers all temptations, that He might give our nature power to conquer the Adversary."

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you,' and,  'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God."  The holy city is Jerusalem.  My study bible says, "Satan puts God's power of protection to the test.  Will Jesus depend on spectacular signs and self-aggrandizement, or will He humbly submit to persecution, humiliation and death according to the Father's will?"  Of Jesus' quotation, it notes, "God's Kingdom is not one of earthly spectacle and fame.  Therefore we should never expose ourselves to danger just to test whether God is going to 'protect' us.  To do so is to tempt the LORD."

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.  And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."  Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.  Here, my study bible says, "God's Kingdom is not one of earthly power and possessions.  In the devil's offering of the kingdoms of the world, Jesus was being asked to choose worldly power over the Kingdom of God.  The devil is 'the ruler of this world' (John 12:31, 16:11), 'the god of this age' (2 Cor. 4:4), because the whole world is in his power (1 John 5:19). . . . But Jesus refused to take a road that would lead Him away from the path of suffering and death for the redemption of the world.  Jesus says simply, away with you, Satan -- a command rather than a rebuke."  That the angels came and ministered to Him is a reflection of this place of the wilderness:  where both good and evil battle; we should always remember the ministering angels present as well.  But perhaps He was left alone to battle temptation for an essential reason for His ministry, and for us.

In today's lectionary readings, we are also given the following passage from St. Paul:  "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints"  (Colossians 1:24-26).  It is generally considered that Paul wrote this particular Epistle (and some others) during his time in Roman imprisonment, where he also would die.  If I understand St. Paul's words, what he is saying here is that his particular suffering is good for the entire body of Christ, the Church, just as the afflictions of Christ, His suffering and the endurance of temptation, also built up the body of the Church.  This is very enlightening, because it tells us something about this time in the wilderness:  it wasn't just for Christ's achievements as Son, but it was also for us.  As my study bible put it, the New Adam conquers all temptations, that He might give our nature power to conquer the Adversary."   In other words, our own suffering, through the work of Christ and as we continue our faith in God, becomes, ironically, food for others, help for others, strength for the entire body of the Church, that was and is and is to come.  This is an amazing part of the good news, the Gospel.  And the other thing we note is how Books written many years later, such as the Book of John, and also the Epistles of Paul, support and are consistent with this earlier Book of Matthew.  The Gospel is consistent, the message is consistent, and this is another thing we must remember when we, too, go through our own struggles and meet them with faith.  It is entirely in keeping with this Gospel message; if our struggles contribute to the body of Christ, the Church, then they substantiate both a new contribution and also the consistent message which has been given from the beginning.  It is important to consider that while Christ showed us the way, our "work" of faith, too, can contribute and build, even "filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, the Church."  And that is, simply, awesome news -- extraordinary news about the essence and importance of our own lives, and what it means to Christ that nothing should be lost of those given to Him, in yet another quotation from John.  If we consider that our struggles also help others, and in fact, the entire body of the Church, perhaps we shall see them in quite a different light than we might assume, and our own faith takes on new dimensions and dynamics.  How do you turn to God when you struggle and are afflicted?  Let us consider the power and importance in such a way of life -- especially in the times we feel we are struggling with something alone.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

- Matthew 7:13-21

Over the course of the readings of the past two weeks, we have been reading Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. We began with The Beatitudes, in which Jesus taught the blessings of the life of discipleship. Next He taught the value of such lives, in You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Then He began to teach about the Law, saying "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." He then expanded His teaching on several statutes in Mosaic Law; the first against murder: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder;'" then, against adultery: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery;'" and finally regulating vengeance: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'" His expansion includes the inner life of the heart, not merely outward acts. Next He began to discuss spiritual practice (in almsgiving, prayer and fasting) - forbidding hypocrisy and again emphasizing the inner life, in "Do not be like the hypocrites." During the discussion of prayer, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, teaching Our Father in heaven. He then taught that we cannot serve both God and mammon, that we need to make a clear choice in No man can serve two masters. Then He began to teach about how we look at life and what we value. Over-worry and anxiety over the material things we need in life are not for the life of discipleship. He said to observe the birds, and the wild lilies -- none of these work to sow, harvest and store, or spin, endlessly worrying about the future, yet they are cared for by the Father. The Father knows what we have need of, we are to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." He said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." In yesterday's reading, finally, Jesus taught about the life of discipleship and its righteousness, especially in congregation. He taught us not to judge or condemn, and repeated His teachings on reciprocity: "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." He once again repeated His warnings against hypocrisy in this context. We are to be aware of who we are, our own flaws and faults, before we can helpfully correct anyone else. "First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." He then warned against giving pearls to swine, or giving what is holy to dogs: we are not to seek to create discipleship in those who do not value it, cannot appreciate it, may in fact despise it. And all things are open to those who do want these pearls, disciples in sincerity and faith who are always to be asking, seeking, and knocking: "for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Summing up the Law and Prophets, He taught once again the reciprocal principle, active in our lives as disciples: "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." My study bible points out that this description of two ways is widespread both in Judaism and early Christian writings. It adds, "Because we wrestle against human sins and weaknesses, as well as the spiritual forces of evil, entering the Kingdom involves difficult labor and struggle." I believe also that this description of discipleship is a precise warning about developing "the ideas of man" in substitution for the teachings of God. It also speaks deeply about our personal relationship to God. It is there that we find righteousness with one another. We may have all kinds of good ideas that seem very positive in our own sight, but humility asks that we defer to that which will lead us on this path and through the gate, step by step, and through confrontation with our own weaknesses and struggles -- things that human nature seems generally to prefer to avoid! (I speak, of course, from my own personal experience in this!)

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. " What is a false prophet, or a wolf in sheep's clothing? If we think about it, it's someone who professes discipleship but who yet fails to try to do as Jesus teaches. A false prophet or wolf in sheep's clothing is first of all a hypocrite: acting one way and inwardly another. It is someone who fails to find discipleship in the inner life -- a practice which sums up the whole of the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus' emphasis on our inner state of being and relationship to God and neighbor. This is especially a warning about leadership: humility is an exceptionally important quality in a leader, otherwise he may actually be seeking to prey on the flock, after some ambitious prize of his or her own. A ravenous wolf is predatory, seeking his own gain, rather than a good shepherd who helpfully guides the flock. Without facing our own weaknesses in humility before God, the power of leadership easily corrupts. He teaches us all that by their fruits we shall know them. And there is a kind of assurance here: "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." My study bible points out that Jesus does not say here that people cannot change: we infer that it is possible for those living corrupt lives to change, and also those good disciples to fall away. Again, it is a prescription for awareness, especially of the true state of the heart, a right-relatedness to God and neighbor.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Again, this is a supreme teaching against hypocrisy, one that resounds over and over again in Jesus' Sermon. And He has explained to us the reasons that His disciples must emphasize the inner life, and not merely outward acts: "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." This is a warning to all who would be His disciples, and especially leaders among them. We are to seek first the will of "My Father in heaven." It is about attitude, the way we face life and our own decisions about what we do with our lives. In this we will have the attitude of discipleship.

Let us think about good sheep and good shepherds. In the tradition of the Church, we are also called the "rational sheep." But discipleship involves humility, seeing first the kingdom of heaven. We don't know everything, and we need good teaching, leadership, and relatedness to our Father in heaven in order to find the Way. This, to me, is the whole point of a Christian life -- that we first of all accept that we are not born knowing everything, we need help along the way, and that Our Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit give us as gifts the tools, discipleship and love needed to nurture and grow who we are in God's image. Good leadership, therefore, must also have this same attitude about their own spiritual lives; they are also disciples. We are all in this together. Jesus' teachings against hypocrisy are constant reminders of the need for self-awareness; we have to remove the plank in our own eye before we can help anyone else with the speck that is in theirs. If we take His teachings seriously, we come to a conclusion about what it means to be a rational sheep: we are to be aware of ourselves and our inner lives, but also our leadership and the fruits that may be produced. What He gives us then, is His Way, through the narrow gate, and through the struggles worthy of this pearl of great price. Discipleship makes us grow, gives us our awareness, asks of us to grow in the good, steadfast love of God, for His love endures forever. Discipleship takes in the whole of us, all our hearts and minds, and makes of us those capable of discernment and choice, awareness and responsibility. It is truly the gift of life, and life in abundance.