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 

 

We have been reading through Christ's appointment of the twelve disciples to become the twelve apostles, and His instructions to them preparing them for their first apostolic mission (see readings from Monday and Tuesday).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued:  "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 Christ's most violent death on the Cross, He promised peace to His disciples.  But the existence of evil necessitates spiritual warfare.  The earth to which Christ came was under the authority of Satan (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4).  Therefore, it's essential that Christ wage war against the leader of vice with weapons of virtue (Ephesians 6:11-18).  Moreover, peace, as we commonly think of it, may be simply a false peace which ignores issues of truth.  Genuine peace, according to my study Bible, is reconciliation ot God through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  This genuine peace has division as a byproduct because not everyone wants truth.  In the fallen world, it says, 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."  In Christ's mission is a fulfillment of the prophesy of Micah 7:6.  In addition to the literal meaning, which has been experienced in the Church since Christ's time, the older generation divided from the younger is symbolic of the rejection of the new covenant by followers of the old, and also of the spiritual struggle between our old, sinful state and our renewal in Christ (see Ephesians 4:20-24).  To carry his cross, my study Bible explains, 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."  My study Bible notes here that apostles 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).  

 

 Once again, in today's reading, Christ's words convey the meaning and effect of His power.  That is the power with which He is sending out His apostles into the world to heal and to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.   Here He first speaks of that power as 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."  St. Paul also speaks of 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" (Hebrews 4:12).  Here in Jesus' words, that sword pierces even families, for the love of Christ -- even as He says so Himself -- is the ultimate arbiter and discerner of reality, even beyond the things and people we love most in this world.  This also includes taking up our own crosses to follow Him; for our very lives are truly in His hands.  These words might seem harsh and extreme, but we need to consider that it is the author of our very lives who is speaking, the Creator of all reality that we know.  And at the same time that He's teaching us about sacrifices that may have to be made as we follow Him in carrying our own crosses, Jesus adds to another dimension of His power, that it is a blessing to all who honor it and those who receive another who carries this gospel and this kingdom within themselves into the world in His name:  "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."  The blessings of the Kingdom extend to all who may welcome it, or even show hospitality to one who does.  When that goodness is recognized and honored in another -- as a prophet, as a righteous man, even as one of the little ones in the name of a disciple -- this is honored by God.  Let us consider the graciousness of God, God's awesome power and the truly magnificent working of God's grace.   For His truth, His word is a two-edged sword that cuts both ways, depending upon the side of it on which we fall.  For this mysterious power works as Christ has indicated, in the myriad ways that pervade all that we know and do, and connect between people.  Let us seek His grace always and honor it.

 

 

 

 

 

Then they all forsook Him and fled

 

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given the a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled. 

 

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. 

 

- Mark 14:43–52 

 

In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus said to disciples following their Passover meal (the Last Supper), "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise. Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to  be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand." 

 

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given the a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Again, the text emphasizes the depth of betrayal by Judas, repeating that he is one of the twelve (see also verse 20).   The fact that a kiss is needed to signal the mob, my study Bible notes, is a commentary on those who comprised this mob.  The Jewish leaders and even the most common people would have recognized Jesus.  This shows that the soldiers were mercenaries, sent by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, a group which included Romans according to St. John's Gospel (John 18:3).  

 

Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.   In John 18:10 St. Peter is identified as the one with the sword.   My study Bible comments that he still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, so that salvation for mankind would be fulfilled.  That His death was foretold in the Scriptures served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest need.  

 

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.  My study Bible reports that to flee naked is a great shame and humiliation (Ezekiel 16:39; Amos 2:16).   Some teach that this young man was James, the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19), while others claim he is the apostle John, who was the youngest of the twelve.  Most others, my study Bible says, believe this was Mark, the author of this Gospel, as it was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name (see Luke 24:13; John 21:24).  The other Evangelists do not report this incident.  They would not have been inclined to humiliate Mark, whereas Mark would have been more likely to relate such an event concerning himself.  

 

The humility of Mark possibly describing himself as the one who fled naked teaches us something about the disposition of the apostles, particularly as they went out into a hostile world to preach and teach.  This attitude of humility, even to the point of describing events that happened to himself in a way that is not just humble, but in fact humiliating and shameful, once again teaches us something powerful about our faith and especially these earliest founders of our Church.  Even such horrific events, this story seems to say, as the betrayal of Jesus by one of the twelve, does not stop our need for obedience to Christ's commandments even down to the smallest consideration for the attitude He asks of us, especially in those who are charged with spreading the gospel message.  The Gospels do not shrink from presenting the disciples even in incidents that reflect mistakes of perhaps the most serious -- and even embarrassing and humiliating --kind.  In today's reading, not only is the story of the young man fleeing naked present, but also the story of the one who wielded the sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.  In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus replies to His disciple with a rebuke:  "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" (see Matthew 26:50-55).  Notice also that today's reading tells us that once His disciples realize that Jesus goes voluntarily, then they all forsook Him and fled.  There are other incidents as well which show the apostles in even embarrassing or humiliating light, such as St. Peter being rebuked by Christ telling him, "Get behind Me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:23) and, of course, his denial of Christ as prophesied by Jesus, after his protests to the contrary (as we will read in the continuation of this chapter; verses 66-72).  There are a number of times when the disciples are presented as completely missing the point of what Christ is trying to tell them, and also somewhat failing in their faith.  We must be not only entirely grateful that our faith admits to our weaknesses as human beings, with a ready understanding that it is up to us to remain humble and return to Christ when we fail, with full offering of love and forgiveness accompanying repentance, and also remedies for sin which involve penitence which is therapeutic in nature.  In short, our faith offers to us a realistic picture of who we are and how we are nonetheless to practice our faith, and to rely on Christ, even in the most difficult of circumstances.  In the Revelation, the Lord says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.  Therefore be zealous and repent"  (Revelation 3:19), but all of this is within the realm of love, and the invitation that follows:  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:20-21).  We are imperfect creatures, meant to be "learners" (the literal meaning of the word translated as disciples), and we're burdened by a world filled with all the effects of sin and evil.  But we have a greater good and salvation in Christ who loves us, and the great and overcoming grace of God.  Let us also learn to be humble, and to serve God's loving commandments for us all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done

 

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

 

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

 

- Luke 22:39–51 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 Jesus goes as He has prophesied, despite His very human resistance to the prospect of death and what lies before Him.  To die on the Cross isn't just an agonizing procedure reserved for the worst criminals and punishment met out by the Roman Empire.  It is a whole host of disparaging, and humiliating, and grinding aspects of cruelty and spectacle.  To be crucified was to be cast before the society as worthless and degraded.  To die slowly, and naked on the Cross before all, is a humiliating and utterly depraved destiny for a religious Jew.  Jesus has been careful, at the Last Supper, to fulfill all righteousness, and He has continued to do so by overriding His human impulses in order to follow the Father's will for Him in faith.  These moments He faces give us a picture of what evil is and does, and they make it clear that we can never discount the words of St. Paul, "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).  Who but one who hated God and opposed Christ and God's plan for the future of humanity could possibly desire such a horribly cruel outcome for Him?  Yet, Christ expresses clearly for us that His opponents are not merely flesh and blood, as St. Paul says, but He seeks the defeat of the devil on our behalf.  This is made clear when He heals the ear of the servant of the high priest.  Jesus is not going after the religious leadership, nor the people who take part in this railroading of Him as an innocent man (Matthew 27:24).  St. Matthew also reports Jesus saying to the one who drew his sword on Christ's behalf, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" (Matthew 26:52-54).  Jesus will face the worst the world can give Him, but it is an act of spiritual warfare in condemnation of the devil and his power, as will be confirmed in the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ.  In so doing, He claims all the world, and all of creation for Himself, and all authority given to Him by the Father including that of judgment (Matthew 28:18), which He in turn will share with His followers (see Thursday's reading).  He goes to the Cross for us, and to give us the most powerful sign of all, that which takes on the evil and defeats it; for this is the victory of the Cross and its power on our behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near

 

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 

 

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear  and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

 

- Luke 21:20–28 

 

Yesterday we read that, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, Jesus said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  and what sign will there be when these things are to about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

  

 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."  Here, Jesus refers quite vividly to the destruction of Jerusalem that is to come within one generation of His contemporaries (in the Siege of Jerusalem, 70 AD).  These warnings are expressed with detail that gives His hearers the dire conditions that this battle will entail for the people of Jerusalem and Judea.  My study Bible comments that the phrase when you see indicates that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  

 

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with  power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  Here Jesus refers again to the entire age, and the time of His Second Coming.   In Christ's first coming, He came in humility and mortality, symbolized by His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey's colt (see this reading).  At the time of His return He will instead be revealed in power and great glory.  

 

 Christ's warnings in today's reading come on two different levels, or perhaps we should speak of them as two different layers.  The first is for events in the immediate future, within one generation of His contemporaries, many of whom will witness these horrifying and unthinkable events.  Certainly we could say that the destruction of the temple, mingled as it is with Christ's prophecies of the end times, is tied to the end of an era, and the beginning of another.  These two events are juxtaposed in each of Christ's reporting of end times to the apostles in the Gospels, and so it seemingly tells us that one event is inextricably tied with the other.   The devastation of the Siege of Jerusalem is unparalleled in descriptions of the wrath of war.  It had not been part of the Roman plan to besiege the temple as it came to be destroyed, neither was the fire that engulfed Jerusalem nor the sheer levels of destruction that eventually took place.  But this fearsome outcome should teach us more about the dangers of war than we usually want to recognize:  once violence is begun as a sort of solution to something, there is no telling where it will go.  Control easily vanishes, replaced by rage, fear, and the sheer ferociousness of battle which becomes easily uncontrolled, and chaos plays its role.  But Christ here is clear in His previews of what is to come.  Woe, indeed, to those who were nursing babies and could not flee in this time of vengeance and great desperation.  But then the topic switches to the end times prior to Christ's return: "There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  These portend what we might call the great shake up and fall of a kingdom and rule that has dominated our world in terms of the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), the "ruler of this world" (John 14:30).  These are the signs of the "powers of the heavens" shaken and falling.  Christ's return in power and great glory is the fullness of the manifestation and claim of His Kingdom, and full authority in our world, one in which He will render judgment, but also full redemption of the faithful.  While these things are frightening, as Jesus describes them, we should understand them in terms of the fullness of the age, which was begun at His Incarnation for us and for all who desire the love of God and God's justice prevail in this world.   It is all for our redemption, and against those powers that enslave and harm humankind, those which fan the flames of chaos and mischief and tempt us to war, wrath, and lusts of every kind.  Christ comes to save, and save He will.  But first we are offered a choice midst the times of wars, natural disasters, and the fearsome sights He describes.  For we are meant above all to endure in faith, to be watchful, to find our redemption in the midst of this all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation

 

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

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

 

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

 

- Luke 22:39–53 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

For the things concerning Me have an end

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

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 king 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 twelve tribes of Israel."

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  In the first verse in today's reading, when Jesus says, "Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," this you is plural, an indication that Satan has asked for all the disciples.  But in the next verse ("But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren"), the you is singular here, which indicates that Jesus prayed particularly for Simon Peter.  My study Bible comments that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.   Regarding Jesus' word to Peter, "When you have returned to Me,"  See John 21:15-17.  My study Bible says that Jesus' command "strengthen your brethren" refers not simply to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until He returns.  

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that the word sword (in "he who has no sword") is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51, which will be in this Monday's reading).  Here "sword" refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  Also, my study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose, who adds an additional meaning.  He says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword is a reference to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking of swords literally, Jesus abruptly ends the discussion with the words, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that this phrase is better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41). 

Jesus asks the disciples, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the thing concerning Me have an end."  In His question, we can see that Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time to come, as He is about to be betrayed and given over to the Romans.  He has said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5).  But this Light is not going to be with the disciples as the human Jesus for very much longer.  Now they will need to care for themselves in a different way, He's saying to them. They will need to prepare for a different time in the world when He is no longer with them and guiding them as His disciples in the same way.  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12, and so indicating what end will be fulfilled in Him.  He has also taught them, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).  What is coming for Jesus will be the beginning of persecutions for those who follow Him.  Therefore Jesus is now preparing the ones who follow Him, His disciples, for the time that is at hand, and how they will have to live in the world without Him in the flesh.  There is a great component revealed earlier, when Jesus addressed St. Peter, saying, "Simon, Simon!  Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat."  As indicated above, this "you" is plural, meaning that although Jesus addresses Simon (and with a double exclamation of his name, so truly grabbing his attention), He does so as Simon Peter so often represents and speaks for all of the disciples.  With the coming of the Cross, the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah, Satan seeks to sift them all as wheat.  But it is Simon whom Jesus also calls upon -- despite his coming denial of Christ -- to return and to strengthen the brethren in this new period of difficulties and persecution that is coming. Many have noted that the Old Testament verse which is most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Psalm 110:1, "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."  Jesus quotes this verse when He poses a kind of riddle to the religious leaders in the temple (see last Friday's reading).  This verse is important because it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Messiah is both human (a son of David) and God (the only One whom King David would call "My Lord").  Yet we must go to the verse that follows to understand something important about the time for which Jesus is preparing the disciples as He is about to go to betrayal and the Cross.  "The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!" (Psalm 110:2).  To rule in the midst of one's enemies is a strange condition indeed.  How does a King do this?  Well, if the "LORD" (God the Father) is addressing King David's "Lord," the Son and Messiah, then what is being said is that Christ will rule by His rod of strength out of Zion, even in the midst of His enemies in this world.  We know who Christ is, and that He came into the world to depose the devil, Satan, the "prince of this world."  But clearly, Christ rules in the midst of His enemies, for the time in which we live now is the same era for which Christ is preparing the disciples.  It remains a period in which we know the Kingdom, and the King, and we also know that the Spirit of God is at work in the world.  But at the same time, we are aware that this is a time of spiritual battle, even of persecutions and hatred.  St. John writes in his first Epistle, "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world" (1 John 4:2-3).  The spirit of the Antichrist remains in the world, and so Christ "rules in the midst of His enemies."  And this is the state in which we find ourselves in the Church.  Just as Christ warns the disciples, this is the period in which we live, and so we should not be surprised to find adversities of any and various kinds, even frightful news about horrific militias, betrayals, and those who would seek even to call themselves Christian even as they support such fearsome forces at work against Christian communities.  Let us consider, at this time, that Christ nonetheless continues to rule in the midst of His enemies, and that He has commanded us simply to endure as the faithful.  Like St. Peter, we must be prepared to be called on to strengthen our brothers and sisters who are persecuted, even as there are Christ's disciples whom Satan still desires to sift as wheat.  It is our faith that is our greatest weapon of strength, and for this Christ has prayed.  Let us remember to follow Him as He said, and endure in that faith as our true weapon given by God, the living word by which we live (Hebrews 4:12). 

Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled

 

 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

- Matthew 26:47-56 

 

Yesterday we read that, after the Passover Supper, Jesus came with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

  And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  My study Bible comments here that Jesus rebukes Peter (who is identified in John 18:10) for using the sword.  Peter still does not understand that Christ goes to His death willingly, so that salvation for humankind might be fulfilled.  A legion is 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions is equal to 72,000 angels.  That Christ's death was foretold in the Scriptures would strengthen the disciples at their time of greatest test.  

We note that the Gospel tells us that when Jesus was arrested, then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  He will not fight in a traditional sense with material power and weapons, but He accepts what happens as a fulfillment of the Scriptures, and knows that the occasion of His Passion will also be the occasion for bringing Resurrection to the world.  This great paradox of acceptance of what is unjust -- because there is a greater justice being served by God's activity -- becomes something we must wrestle with.  How do we know God wants us to walk through something difficult and unfair?  How do we know, when we are going through a type of injustice, whether or not fighting in a conventional sense -- or even a judicial one -- is appropriate to us?  We know, moreover, that these events do not happen "because the Scriptures say so," but in fact the truth is the reverse:  the Scriptures say so because God foresees such events.  There is a well-known expression that says that one must pick one's battles.  But how do we know what battles God wants us to fight and in what way?  Certainly Christ's way of "fighting" in this particular battle will be with His words and His testimony, and all that He has preached and taught has already come before and will serve as refutation to the false charges made against Him.  But He will also go through His Crucifixion and suffering, even though Jesus could "pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels."   His reliance is not on the sword, but on God.  There have been times in my life where in prayer and according to my faith I have felt that God did not want me to try to correct every injustice, even every lie someone might want to tell about me.  This is so even for things I cared deeply about, even when I was going to lose people I cared deeply about.  But there are spiritual reasons behind such movements of faith, just as God has a salvation plan for the world in which Jesus' Crucifixion, even as an enemy of the Roman state and the Jewish nation, will play a key and inescapable role.  It will become the occasion for the greatest revelation of one of the miracles of God, the great sign that Jesus is the Christ.  This is the sign Jesus has repeatedly prophesied Himself when signs were demanded of Him, which He called "the sign of the prophet Jonah" (Matthew 12:39 16:4).  We live in a climate that is intensely focused on righting all wrongs, and it's quite possible that the story of Jesus and His Crucifixion has been entirely instrumental in our hyper-awareness of injustice, and even the demands of conscience that ask to correct such wrongs.  But in our personal lives, we live in a world where injustices happen, where evil is not conquered once and for all, where -- thanks to media of all types -- lies, half-truths, and deliberately misleading stories continue unabated and in ever-expanding ways.   Had Christ lived today, we can only imagine what means would be available for slandering His life and cause, deliberately misleading people as to His motivations.  But in our own personal experience of the world, especially in carrying our own crosses and following Him, we need to see our lives in the same way that Christ now faces His life.  That is to declare for ourselves that we must rely upon God and our faith to lead us through such times of trial and difficulties, even when we're lied about, even when an injustice is happening, for it is God who may bring us through them and use them as instruments of God's spiritual power and truth in the world.  We don't know all the ways and means and outcomes that may be effected even through our suffering when we do so with Christ at our side, and through strengthening our faith in all the ways that we can.  Sometimes we will be called upon to fight with words, as Christ so eloquently does, by clinging firmly to the truth and refusing to go along with lies.  Sometimes we will go into an arena with powerful testimony, and prepared as we might be.  But sometimes, when it is futile to speak even for the sake of the accusers, we might be prayerfully silent, as we will see Jesus do as well when He knows they are beyond repentance.  But nothing is lost or wasted in the economy of God and of our faith.  Jesus has told the parable of judgment, of the Sheep and the Goats in this reading, and, like the prophets and martyrs Christ has repeatedly mentioned, we don't know when our own suffering in our faith will be used as an occasion for God's purposes, for judgment, for the work of the Holy Spirit in the world (John 16:8-11).  We don't know how even our own suffering might be used by God when our faith tells us to accept.  We know that we will face difficulties in life; although we all could envision a life where every injustice is corrected, where we may right every wrong and challenge every slight, perfect justice does not exist in this world.   It is still beset with the effects of sin and evil, where every temptation to manipulate and abuse power remains with us, and may even be magnified through new methods of manipulation and coercion.  But our lives are meant for more than the simply worldly, and when we lose the rock of faith we lose this perspective.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus called upon the disciples to "watch and pray."  In the world of temptations which proliferate on social media, to participate in bullying or "canceling" others, to believe false stories or half-truths promulgated to encourage us to join a kind of mob, let us always watch and pray.  Let us be awake to the realities that are around us, trusting in prayerful faith to walk us through, to practice our own just behavior and righteousness toward others.  Let us remember that humility is a key to our faith.  Jesus teaches us to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16), so that we may pick our battles wisely, to stand in the deep truths of faith that matter, and remain a part of the foundation Christ has brought to us.  For this is the higher ground, the place we need to be, the place in which Christ stands and to which He calls us at all times -- even when our friends may flee.

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.

Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?

 

 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled. 

Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

- Mark 14:43–52 

 

Yesterday we read that, after instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper, Jesus said to the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And they all said likewise. Then they came to a place which was named Gathsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch."  He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."  Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.  And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.  Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  It is enough!  The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

  And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  My study Bible notes the phrase for Judas, described as "one of the twelve."  Once again, as in Mark 14:20, the text emphasizes the level of betrayal here.  That Judas was one of the twelve makes him one of Christ's closest friends.  Let us note that this betrayal is to all of the others of the twelve as well.  My study Bible comments that the fact that a kiss is needed to signal the mob is a statement about those who were in that mob.  The Jewish leaders and even the most common people would have recognized Jesus.  This shows that the soldiers were mercenaries, dispatched by the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  According to John's Gospel, this group included Romans (John 18:3).  In the Orthodox Church, there is a prayer at each liturgy for the strength not to kiss Jesus in betrayal as did Judas.

And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.   The one who stood by and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest is identified as Peter in John 18:10.  Jesus rebukes him for using the sword, as Peter still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, a fulfillment of the Scriptures which prophesy Christ's salvation for humankind.  That Christ's death was foretold in the Scriptures, my study Bible tells us, served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest test. 

 

 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.  My study Bible says that to flee naked is a great shame and humiliation (Ezekiel 16:39; Amos 2:16).  It notes also that some teach this young man was James, the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19), while others claim it was the apostle John, who was the youngest of the twelve.  Most others believe that this was Mark, the author of the Gospel, as it was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name (as is the case in Luke 24:13; John 21:24).   My study Bible points out that the other evangelists do not report this incident.  It says that they would not have been inclined to humiliate Mark, whereas Mark would have been more likely to relate such an event which concerned himself.  

In yesterday's reading, Jesus quoted from the prophesy of Zechariah:  "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" (from Zechariah 13:7).  In today's reading, the Shepherd, Jesus, is struck through betrayal and arrest on behalf of the authorities, committed by outsiders -- those who cannot even recognize Him.  Today's reading asks us to put ourselves in the places of the disciples, the other members of the twelve now betrayed by Judas who gives Christ a kiss to do so.   Imagine their disarray, and panic, and unpreparedness for this moment.  But even until He is taken away from them, Christ guides them to the last moment, teaching Peter, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).  They've been with Him all this time, and so He has taught them His way.  But no one is really prepared for this particular time, and this very particular depth of betrayal.  Like the naked young man who does his best to follow the Master as he can, but who must run naked after they try to seize him too.  Christ follows the teachings of the Old Testament, for He is the same Lord who taught Israel not to put their faith in weapons and the power of sheer material might.  In both the Letters to the Romans and the Hebrews, St. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy, in which the Lord proclaims, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay" (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30; Deuteronomy 32:35).  We might think of their disciples and their fledgling movement.  How could they know what would happen?  How would they know what to do?  There is a report in the Acts of the Apostles of the time in which the Church continued to grow, and the high priest and the Council grew more indignant, having Peter and others thrown into prison.  But the prison doors were opened, and again the apostles were preaching, so that members of the Council plotted to kill them.  But the teacher Gamaliel (spoken of by St. Paul in Acts 22:3) advised the Council:  "Now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God" (see Acts 5:12-42).  Today we must consider, as the disciples had to at that time, in what do we place our faith today.  The world is filled with weapons capable of enormous destruction many times over, with technologies that may exert enormous control, and wield all kinds of influence and power in ways we might not even understand or be conscious of over our own lives.  We grow increasingly dependent on material power, technology, and our social interdependence based upon these structures, including that of telecommunications and even the waging of wars.  But we need to consider, despite this enormous-seeming material power and capacity to manipulate, where we place our faith first.  That power of the sword to which St. Peter turned in order to defend Jesus from betrayal and arrest is with us today, in so many ways no one at that time could have considered.  And yet, we are still to turn to these words as our words of faith:  "Vengeance is Mine," says the Lord.  "I will repay."  If we put our faith in the sword then we will die by that sword.  Our faith must continue to be in something else, something beyond, as the wise words of Gamaliel once taught.  In this particular struggle we each have our own battle to wage, but with what weapons?  St. Paul urges us to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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."  For all the weapons of this struggle, see Ephesians 6:10-18.  For if we do not remember these things first, before all else, how will we know where we are going?  How will we be assured of what it is we are to be about?  How can we be aware of what Christ asks us to do at this time?  We cannot worship God and mammon, we will put our faith in and serve one, or the other (Luke 16:13).  We must know which we serve first, and that must lead the way for all else.  As He teaches us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  For the disciples from this moment, they will be scattered as the prophecy teaches, and eventually in hiding.  But shortly after Christ's death will come a revelation to the women at the tomb, the hope of the hopeless, the good news of the Resurrection.  Let us remember the power of the Lord and seek first God's kingdom, for our struggle is not confined simply to the things we see in the world, but involves so much more.