Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. 

 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

 

- Matthew 4:18-25 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, / And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death / Light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  It's important to note that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist (John 1:29-42), and so were prepared to accept Christ immediately.  Although illiterate and unlearned in religion, my study Bible comments, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all. 

 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.  My study Bible asks us to note that the crowds do not swarm Jesus when He commands repentance (see verse 17, the final verse in yesterday's reading, above), but only when He begins to heal and work miracles.  This fact, it says, shows that the people misunderstand the true nature of Christ's Kingdom.  It also shows His concession made, in the words of Theophylact, "to give credibility to what He teaches" among the fickle multitudes.

 

 It's interesting that my study Bible points out the draw of the crowds with Jesus.  First of all, we recall that John the Baptist was a very powerful preacher in his own time, and drew crowds to himself.  He was widely considered a holy man.  He performed no miracle, but taught the people to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, for "the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (see Matthew 3:1-6).  In that passage, we read, "Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."  What would make people do that?  It seems that clearly it is the anticipation of the Messiah, and the promise of receiving the Messiah through repentance, which is something that draws the people in their anticipation of the good things a messianic age would bring to Israel.  Around the time of Jesus, we know that there were several people who claimed to be the Messiah. Three of them, Theudas, Judas of Galilee, and another known as Simon Magus are mentioned in the Book of Acts (Acts 5:34-42; 8:9-10).  Because of the particular place in history in which Israel found itself at this time, the desired expectations of the Messiah ran very high; this included the overthrow of the Romans and the establishment of a political Israel, restored to its fortunes under a king like David.  But there were other prophesies about the Messiah and his time that included the establishment of justice, a prophetic identity, and miraculous occurrences and spiritual signs, such as the restoration of sight to the blind (see Isaiah 35:4-6).  So, while miraculous occurrences will still draw people's interest in our time, we can easily imagine how the cherished desire for the appearance of the Messiah would create such a draw in Jesus' healings.  Indeed, in all of their contests and challenges to Jesus, one consistent thing demanded by the religious authorities will be for proofs of His identity through spectacular signs that would convince them.  If we just put ourselves in the place of the people of that time and place, we might also begin to understand Jesus and His ministry a little bit better.  He comes as He would come into the world, even as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, but as an answer to people's prayers, expectations and anticipations, as a Redeemer come for all, and One who would need to establish the understanding of a Kingdom that is not of this world, and all that means in the Christian context.  That's not an easy task, and yet Jesus is on a path to "fulfill all righteousness," and to fulfill the Scriptures.  But because of the kind of expectations He's up against, His ministry will have to engage the people in a particular way, including keeping the messianic secret until it's time to be revealed.  Let us learn to follow Him, as will His first disciples.

 

 

 

 

I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

 

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  

 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. 

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

 Yesterday we began reading the Gospel of St. Mark, which starts with the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ came into the world, the time of preparation was now fulfilled.  My study Bible explains that to repent is to do a total "about-face."  In Greek, this word literally means "change one's mind."  It's a radical change of one's spirit, mind, though, and heart -- a total reorientation to life centered in Christ.  

 

 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  These first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so were prepared to immediately accept Christ and follow Him.  It is impossible to overestimate the high regard the people had for John the Baptist, and his leading of his disciples to Christ (see John 1:35-42).  Although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land," as my study Bible describes them, will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.  

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  My study Bible comments that the word immediately appears almost forty times in St. Mark's Gospel.  Nearly all of these uses of the word "immediately" occur prior to Christ's entrance into Jerusalem.  It says that the sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journey to Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make St. Mark's account not only the shortest, but also the most direct of all the four Gospels.  Notice how Jesus gets right down to the work of His ministry; once He endures the temptation in the wilderness, and is baptized wherein there was the theophany of the manifestation of Father, Son, and Spirit, He begins to choose His disciples, and then immediately on the Sabbath entered the synagogue and taught.  According to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus begins preaching and healing on the Sabbath to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  This new doctrine that makes the people marvel and wonder is the authority with which Christ preaches, heals, and casts out demons.  My study Bible contrasts this with the prophets of old and the teachers of His time, who taught in the third person ("the Lord says").  Christ teaches and acts of Himself, in the first person, commanding the spirits to be quiet and come out.  Here is observed Christ desire to remain hidden, not to disclose His identity as Messiah.  My study Bible says this was foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Several reasons are given here for this secrecy.  They include the growing hostility of the religious leaders to Jesus; the people's misunderstanding and expectation of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and Christ's desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

We observe that the unclean spirit knows exactly who Christ is.  He recognizes Him as the Holy One of God, saying,  "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  Not only do the unclean spirits know Jesus of Nazareth, they know His identity as the Holy One of God.  It's strange to think that the demons themselves don't really deny Christ at all, even though they are part of the force that opposes Him.  They know full well who He is, and they fear His power to destroy them.  Moreover, there is only one Holy One of God, and that is the Son who is incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth.  Unlike human beings who scoff at faith, who claim to be unbelievers, or who simply doubt anything about the story of Jesus, the demons know very well who He is and certainly believe the truth about Him as presented in the Gospels.  From our perspective as human beings, we might wonder at this.  It's not the common understanding of what it means to be irreligious.  But the human rebellion against God comes in other forms than that of these unclean spirits who belong to another realm in which they clearly recognize Christ.  Our version of rebellion against God, and expressions of hatred and fear of Christ, come in other forms.  They come in the forms in which we participate in the activities and "energies," if you will, of those who hate Christ, and who hate the truth of Christ.  These may take the form of petty cruelties, deliberate malice and evil, harsh treatment of others who are undeserving of it.  It takes the form of disruption in a Church when power plays become all that matter to those who think they own this jewel that Christ has left us, because they don't understand spiritual truth and its nature at all.  It comes in the form of manipulation, lies, and trickery for personal gain in many forms and venues.  Together with St. John, as written in the Revelation, we may add that it includes "whoever loves and makes a lie" (Revelation 22:15).  For our early Christian forbears, such was the work of the Antichrist, and those who participate in such forms of denial of Christ participate in the spirit of the Antichrist (1 John 2:18).  So while we may not see such sights every day as the one described here, while we might not be able to identify an "unclean spirit," we can still understand what it is to participate in the energies of the spirit that opposes Christ and fears His reign and power.  Let us keep a close watch on our own hearts during this Lent, and seek to stop if we, too, find the temptations to participate in such works.  For our best hope is instead to work the works of God (John 6:28-29).

 

 

 

 

If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!

 

 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  

 

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.   But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

 

- Luke 19:41–48 

 

Yesterday we read that, after giving a parable to the disciples to prepare them for what will happen in Jerusalem, and their lives as apostles after His Passion, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'"  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as he had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.  Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones  would immediately cry out."  

 

  Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes."  My study Bible says that Jerusalem means "foundation of peace."  Only faith in Christ, it says, brings true peace, which is a truth hidden from a city that will soon rebel against its Savior.  Peace here should not be confused with "false peace," which my study Bible calls a shallow harmony resulting from ignoring issues of truth.  Genuine peace, it says, is reconciliation to God through faith in Christ and surrender to truth.  Genuine peace has division as a byproduct, because not everyone wants truth.  Moreover, in the fallen world, divisions become necessary for truth to be manifest (see Luke 12:51; 1 Corinthians 11:18-19).

 

"For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem which would occur in AD 70.  My study Bible adds that this also describes the spiritual end of every person who lacks faith.

 

 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.   But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.   My study Bible says that the cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), it's also a sign for us to cleanse our hearts and minds of earthly matters.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11.  Note how despite Christ's open conflict with the religious leaders, the people were very attentive to hear Him.

 

 The cleansing of the temple is an important lesson to us all, my study Bible says, because we are each a temple ourselves.  This places an emphasis on our knowing choices; that is, on our own initiative to guard ourselves and our hearts for what is good, and to cast away what is not good.  See, for example, Matthew 5:29, Jesus' teaching from the Sermon on the Mount:  "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."  Of course the "right eye" in this statement is a metaphor for something precious yet causing ailment -- perhaps a way we look or see, a covetousness that causes sin.  But Christ's cleansing of the temple, in today's reading, is also coupled with His warnings about what is to come in Jerusalem, and imply the consequences of "not knowing what makes for your peace."  That is, the rejection of Christ Himself by the people and the city.  There's an implied connection that the destruction of the city that was to come at the hands of the Romans is linked both to the cleansing of the temple and to the rejection of Jesus as Messiah by the nation.  The devastation to Jerusalem, and indeed, to all the Jewish people, which was to come in the Siege of Jerusalem, encompassed the most extreme levels of catastrophe and destruction.  The temple itself was destroyed to a remarkable extent, so that Christ's description here was absolutely true:  "For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  So much so, that literally not one stone was left upon another, the Roman soldiers having believed rumors that there was gold between the stones, with a fire so intense it no doubt destroyed whatever gold there was.  Only one retaining wall remains of that splendid second temple as it was left by the building and refurbishing of Herod the Great, considered in its time one of the architectural marvels of the world.  (That wall for many centuries was known as the Wailing Wall, today called the Western Wall, remaining a site of prayer.)  This complete destruction and devastation in mayhem and fire is surely an image of hell -- in that sense reflecting Christ's words teaching us to cast off harmful habits (even those precious to us) so that our "whole body" is not cast into hell (again, see Matthew 5:29, quoted above).  For a devastation like this it must surely have been required that much was rejected, just as much corruption was practiced for a very long time.  In effect, it teaches us about rejecting what grace is on offer, especially when we know better.  It is evidence of the harmful effects of treating a priceless treasure, such as our faith, as if it were worthless.  One wonders if so much of what passes for popular culture might fall into this category today, where human beings considered to be precious and loved creations of God and meant for adoption as God's heirs -- are instead paraded as so much flesh for consumption, exploitation, and self-harm.  One doesn't have to look far from headlines, media, popular apps and websites, or the devastation of homelessness and destruction rooted in drug culture and the slavery of addiction.  Do we know better?  Like the people of Jerusalem, we may be very attentive to hear Christ.  But how do we follow Him in faith?  Let's note again the context of our reading today, coming after yesterday's statement by Christ that if His disciples were not witnessing their faith He is their Messiah, then the very stones would cry out (see yesterday's reading and commentary).  Today He speaks to Jerusalem, lamenting the ferocious fighting that will "level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  We should all take it as a warning for our own lives, and the world we create with our choices, lest we lose even that which we have.  For the things that make for our peace are found in Him.

 

 

 

Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

 

- Matthew 4:18-25 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.  And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,  Galilee of the Gentiles:  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."  From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 

 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.   My study Bible tells us that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and they were prepared to accept Christ immediately.  It notes that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all. 

 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. My study Bible asks us to note that the crowds do not swarm Jesus when He commands repentance (see the final verse in yesterday's reading, above), but only when He starts to heal and to work miracles.  What this shows is that the people misunderstand the true nature of Christ's Kingdom.  Moreover, according to Theophylact (as quoted in my study Bible), it shows Christ's concession "to give credibility to what He teaches" among the fickle multitudes.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing to note in today's reading is the "immediate" quality of this new ministry, this beginning of Christ's public ministry.  The text seems to emphasize its explosive and remarkable growth.  The disciples follow Him immediately in response to His call to "Follow Me."  The rapidity with which His fame spreads not only through Galilee, but through every region of Israel people is remarkable, among all the Jewish communities even in the nearby Gentile areas.  This is significant, because it, in fact, mirrors the rapid spread of Christianity that would occur after Pentecost.  My study Bible correctly points out, however, that the people aren't responding so quickly to Christ's call to repentance, but rather to His healing miracles, including exorcism.  On display is His healing power, giving people something they desperately want.  But Jesus is all of a package, and we can't separate His message from His Kingdom and from the rest of His ministry.  In time, this will prove the case, and the "fickle multitudes" as my study Bible calls them, will show their character.  However, there is another thing we must note that is important in this context both of character, and also Christ's calling to the disciples.  He speaks to these fishermen by calling them not to an amorphous set of principles or values, a mere "belief" system, but to a vocation.  And perhaps most importantly, the vocation to which they're called, their new life in Christ, is one that accentuates and develops something they are already trained to do.  Jesus speaks to them in a language they understand from their own lives as fishermen, telling them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  (By the way, the Greek word translated as "men" means people or humanity, human beings.)   This gives us an insight to key issues of both identity and our places in God's Kingdom, how we are called to the kingdom of heaven which is at hand.  Christ's power transforms.  Our proximity and our faith (or perhaps one should say our "faithfulness") works to give us new identity, but within the parameters of a kind of transfiguration.  We remain the same person, and yet we are changed -- and from the inside out.  They will not simply become fishers of men because they go around collecting followers for Jesus, bodies to populate this new movement.  They will become fishers of men by becoming disciples of Christ, living with Him, learning from Him, growing in understanding, and being transformed themselves through this process of faithful living and trust in Him.  What we should always remember is that we, like the fishermen, are called toward something.  We are called on a journey of repentance, meaning "change of mind."  It is a journey of transformation, in which all that we are, all that might be constituted as part of "mind" -- and beyond only the intellect -- is changed, transfigured, turned around.  We don't become someone else, but we are drawn out of our circumstances and given a deeper and truer sense of who we are, and the image in which we have been created, in this communion that constitutes the kingdom of heaven.  This is the immediate response, a deep recognition of where the heart truly is, and where we find the one thing -- the One Person -- in whom we can deeply trust to show us the way.

 

 

And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them

 

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. 

 

- Mark 6:1–13 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, returning to Capernaum, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "You daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them al outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 

  Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?  So they were offended at Him.  Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth (His own country).  My study Bible comments on this double response of being both astonished and offended is a frequent occurrence with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).  Christ's rejection in His own country foreshadows His rejection by the whole nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  Jesus brothers are either children by an earlier marriage of His earthly guardian, St. Joseph, or extended family such as cousins (even today in the Middle East, "brother" is used for extended family; and there are many examples in Scripture of this use).  

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  My study Bible comments that Christ could do no mighty work there in His hometown, not because He lacked power, but because of the unbelief of all but a few in Nazareth.  My study Bible notes that while grace is always offered to all, only those who receive it in faith obtain its benefits.  Note Christ's response to His rejection:  He travels through the villages in a circuit, teaching -- and giving the word of the gospel to those who might listen and truly hear.  That "a prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house" is so significant, it is found in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57; Luke 4:24; John 4:44).  

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent. Here is another important and notable response to rejection:  Christ called the twelve He had chosen from among His disciples, and began to send them out as apostles on their first missionary journey.  We observe how they are told to go out in humility:  no ostentatious clothing or possessions with them, not even extra food nor money.  They are to stay in whatever place they are first received, and not "trade up" for better accommodations.  My study Bible comments that this is so they cannot be accused of greed, and would also learn dependence upon God.  Here we also find yet another response to rejection, as taught by Christ:  they are simply to shake off the dust under their feet as a testimony against those who will not receive nor hear them.   And, like Christ, they are to move on to the next place as they fulfill their mission and their instructions.  

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. My study Bible says that anointing the sick with oil has not only medicinal value but also sacramental value as well.  As God's healing power is bestowed through creation (Mark 5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14).

We note Jesus' response to rejection.  How powerful this is, for we understand who Christ is.  But let us note that His faith is in the power of God, and the way of the Father.  There is a plan for this world, and just how this gospel message is supposed to work. This plan is infused with mercy and with grace, for we are given time to repent, the purpose and kernel of the message that the apostles are sent out to preach, as they follow in His footsteps.  If Christ had such confidence in this power of God, in this mission of preaching to repentance, and to hearing the gospel message, then how can we not also follow in His footsteps with this kind of faith in how this is supposed to be working?  Note especially that in today's reading, we are given Jesus' response to rejection.  His preaching is powerful:  He does not mince words.  But as Son, He does not try to accumulate material power in the world to preach that message nor to impose faith by coercion.  He teaches the disciples to shake the dust from under their feet as a rebuke to those who will not receive or hear them; that is, to those who will not receive or hear the gospel they preach.  So, we are not to suppose that there is no power in this word or in this ministry, but that we rely on the power of God, on the power of the Holy Spirit at work -- and that the mission is to seek out those with the capacity for faith to draw them in.  Overall, this is what we must see in the world, no matter what we do see in the world.  Today, for many people, the world presents us with some fearful sights, including a great deal of rejection of Christ and the gospel message.  Some will dress up what they think is in the gospel, or teachings in the gospel, only without Christ, and without belief in a God.  But how is it possible, really, to dismiss the Kingdom Jesus preaches and only see it as a set of abstract principles?  To do so is to reduce it to legalism.  Mercy as a principle is a good thing in and of itself, but how does one teach the proper use of mercy without Christ's example, and without the notion of communion that comes with this Kingdom?  If the very energies of God are grace and mercy, how do we leave them out from our own growth in this understanding?  Abstraction cannot teach us the kind of love that a real experience of love, even such an experience in prayer and spiritual communion, will show and teach us.  Peace itself is about right-relatedness, about the righteousness of God dwelling among us.  In Matthew's version of the sending out of the apostles on their first mission, Jesus instructs them:  "And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you" (Matthew 10:12-13).  As we discussed at length the understanding of this "peace" in yesterday's commentary, let me quote from a note in my study Bible about Christ's peace here in His instructions to the Twelve.  It notes that Christ commissions His servants to give a greeting of peace, which is the same peace that was proclaimed by the prophets (Isaiah 52:7), which Christ would also offer to the disciples (John 14:27, 20:19), and which would be revealed as a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  To this day, it says, Christ's peace is offered to the faithful in the Liturgy, with the words, "Peace be to all."  So, continuing from these thoughts, let us consider now Christ's response to rejection.  The gospel message comes with an offer of peace, of a specific and certain king of peace, not like the peace of the world.  Contained in this gospel message is the peace of Christ, a reconciliation to God that is akin to righteousness, and can be shared with others.  In fact, this peace, if we notice, can be given even without reciprocation, and does not rely upon others for the reality of its existence -- for it exists in Christ, and in faith it may exist in us.  It forms a substance of our communion in Christ, for as He indicates, it is contained in the proclamation of the gospel of the Kingdom. 

 

 

 

 

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

- Mark 1:14–28 

 

Yesterday, we started reading Mark's Gospel:  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we read of the great preparation for Christ, and John the Baptist's role in the salvation plan of God.  My study Bible comments here that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare the people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  After Christ came, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  To repent, my study Bible explains, is to do a total "about face."  As we discussed in yesterday's commentary, in Greek the word for repent (μετανοέω) means literally to "change one's mind."  My study Bible says describes repentance as a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart -- a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  My study Bible reminds us that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist and were prepared to accept Christ immediately (see John 1:35-51).  Although illiterate and unlearned in religion, my study Bible says, these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.  Let us note that when Jesus says, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men," it is implied that for each of us, whatever place we begin with our faith, Christ will teach us a way to fulfill it with His purposes for us.  His words to the fishermen are divine poetry that teach us meaning and relevance for our own lives.

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  My study Bible remarks that the word immediately occurs almost forty times in Mark's Gospel -- and nearly all of them before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  It notes that the urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make Mark's account not only the shortest but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  Also noteworthy is Christ's beginning to preach and heal on the Sabbath.  In a commentary on the parallel passage in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 4:31), St. Ambrose of Milan comments that this is to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased." 

And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   Here is another significant detail about Christ's teaching:  He does so as one having authority.   My study Bible comments that unlike the prophets of old and the teachers of His day who taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), Christ teaches in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5.

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  Mark's Gospel begins right from the start to give us elements of a spiritual battle that goes on unseen around us.  First we were told that the Holy Spirit "threw" Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, and to be with the wild beasts, and ministered to by angels (see yesterday's reading, above).   This introduced us immediately to these elements of an "unseen realm" within which Jesus plays a significant role, and which crucially affects us and our world.  Here the unclean spirit cries out, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  Jesus is recognized, even if the people are not yet widely aware of Him at this beginning of His public ministry (and certainly they do not know His identity as the Christ).   Jesus' response to this recognition and identification by the unclean spirit is to give a rebuke:  "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  In yet another understanding of the fulfillment of prophecy (and the Prophet's role in preparation for the coming of Christ), my study Bible comments that our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It also lists various reasons for secrecy, which include:  first, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders; second, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and finally, our Lord's desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

The question of Christ's authority will become central to the story of Jesus as we proceed forward and through His Passion and Resurrection.  We are told that He astonishes the people by teaching with authority, and not as the scribes.  If we really want to break this down, in purely worldly terms, Jesus does not even have the status of a scribe.  Indeed, He holds no position in the ranks of the religious authorities.  He is neither priest, nor scribe.  He does not belong to any of the ruling parties of the temple; He is neither Pharisee nor Sadducee, nor a member of the Levitical priesthood.  Although we are given genealogies establishing Christ's connections within Jewish spiritual history, none of this is apparently recognized during His lifetime.  Hence the great astonishment at His teaching with authority.  This will eventually gain Him more and more trouble with those who have authority within the religious establishment.  But for now, let us contemplate Christ, who seemingly bursts into public life with a kind of immediacy for the things which He will have to establish within a three-year span of His public ministry.  For centuries the prophets had prepared the world for the Christ, and His life has become for us the "center" of history.  Even Jesus will speak to the disciples of the things which must be accomplished in His ministry, when He says, "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" (Luke 22:37).  Before that "end" there is the gospel to preach, there are disciples who will live with Him and train to be "like Him," there are things He must teach and preach and give to the world, and there are the encounters with the unseen world which will also tell us about Him and even about ourselves and our place in God's vision of salvation for which the Father has sent the Son.  This beginning of public ministry takes place in the appropriate time, the "time appointed by the father" (see Galatians 4:1-5).  That is, the appointed time in the purpose of God.  Jesus makes the announcement in today's reading:  "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  This particular Greek word for time (for there is another that is also translated as "time") is καιρὸς/kairos.   In Christian theological understanding, it has come to signify the opportune time for God to act, in the sense of a particular moment, or season, or period.  In our own lives, let us learn to recognize our own particular times when we must pay attention to God, to our faith, to our souls, so that we know what we are about, and to what we are immediately called. Jesus will tell His disciples, "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is" (Mark 13:33).  Let us always do likewise, for we know that the kingdom of God is always at hand.

 

 

And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things"

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

- Luke 20:1-8

On Saturday, we read that as Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children, within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  My study bible tells us that these things refers to Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as Messiah (see Friday's reading), the cleansing of the temple (Saturday's reading, above), and His preaching, as we were told that He was teaching daily in the temple (above).   All of these thing would be prerogatives of the Messiah.  The elders confront Jesus as it was the duty of the priestly descendants of Levi to manage the temple.  My study bible adds that while Christ as descended from Judah (see 3:33), He is the High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4), a priestly line which is far greater than that of Levi, as Christ's authority is from the Father.

But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."   In Jesus' exchanges with the leaders of the temple, we see a kind of alacrity and dexterity in debate that characterizes Jesus' retorts.  He at once is willing to fence with them in argument, to the delight of the crowds.  Here, He refuses to answer directly, but keenly turns the tables on the ones who question Him as to His authority.  What do they know about authority, Jesus seems to ask.  And of course, they are unable to answer, so He refuses also.

Jesus is Logos, the Word, John's Gospel tells us (John 1:1; Logos means Word in Greek).   As Son and Word, we know Him as Creator or the Lord of the Old Testament, through whom all things were spoken into being (for example, see Genesis 1:3).  As Son Incarnate, the human Jesus, Jesus' interactions with those around Him surely live up to that divine name.  His use of language is brilliant.  It is concise, to the point, ever-ready to defend the truth He brings with His gospel, and always sharp, dexterous, and witty.  His debate with the authorities delights the crowds in the temple who listen to Him gladly.  With words, Jesus is light on His feet, so to speak.  With words, He embodies a motto the boxer Muhammad Ali used to describe himself in the ring:  with words, Jesus "floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee."  Nobody gets the better of Him.  Jesus is not a physical warrior and not an earthly king.  He doesn't make His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem riding on a horse or in a chariot, and neither does He have an army with Him.  But His real weapon is truth.  It is His gospel message, which is given to us in His words.  It is conveyed through His brilliant use of parables, His witty replies, His phrases which still remain in all languages examples of use of language that, 2,000 years ongoing, capture our ears and imaginations in vivid poetry and images.  It is the word of the Word that captures us, grabs our hearts, and gives us a proliferation of meanings that apply in varied moments of our lives to our own circumstances.  Jesus is master of language, and this is His weapon, the sword with which He fences so brilliantly with His opponents.  Lest we forget what we are about, it is the Word of God we study here on this blog each day, and that lives with us and speaks to us, interacting within our earthly lives.  St. Paul writes that "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."  This is the power of the truth.  It is that which is necessary for the ultimate judgment at Christ's return.  It is that which brings us division, and that for which we seek discernment.  The word of God is that within which we steep ourselves in our own lives to "keep us in the right place," so to speak.  So let us consider, when we read Jesus' replies in defense of His truth, His disciples, and all those who come to Him, what it means to be the Word, to live the word of God, and that this word remains active with us and within us.  The life of the kingdom is here, ever-present -- and we need to know just what this good fight into which we, too, are invited, is all about.

Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

- Mark 6:30-46

Yesterday we read that the apostles, sent out on their first missionary journey (see Tuesday's reading), cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  Now King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  The apostles have just returned from their first missionary journey, having been sent out by Christ.  My study bible notes that Christ gives rest to His disciples to show those who are engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not continuously labor, but also must take rest.  It reminds us once again that Jesus has taught, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."

But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  Jesus' first impulse is always about healing by giving what is necessary.  Jesus is moved with compassion because they are like sheep not having a shepherd.  He gives them what a good shepherd gives, true leadership and direction:  teaching them many things.  Jesus is frequently referred to as being moved with compassion (1:41, Matthew 14:14, 20:34; Luke 7:13).  My study bible says this shows that His power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  

When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.   This miracle is reported by all four evangelists.  Jesus feeds a great multitude of His people as He (as Lord) fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).   Church Fathers have seen in this feeding an image of the Eucharist, an idea my study bible says is made clear in John 6.   One patristic interpretation emphasizes a spiritual perspective:  the five loaves indicate the give books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ and thus feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  That the twelve baskets of fragments are taken up by the apostles shows that nothing is lost.  As my study bible puts it, the teachings that the faithful are unable to grasp are nevertheless held in the consciousness of the Church.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  Once again we observe the practices of Jesus.  Everything He does is punctuated by periods of prayer.

Although it is Luke who is generally understood to give us a picture of Jesus as Physician (and Luke was a physician himself), Mark's Gospel clearly gives us a picture of Jesus as healer.  As noted above, Mark's is the Gospel that gives us Jesus teaching, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."  In today's reading, we are invited to consider the fullness of our needs in the ways that Christ addresses those in His care, and in the way He lives as well.   We may more appropriately consider healing in Jesus' practice to consist of feeding or nurturing the whole of a person, and teaching us to honor all that we are.  His first act in today's reading is to tell the apostles to come aside by themselves, to someplace far away from the cities and towns where He is by now always pursued, so that they can rest.  As Healer, He teaches us to fulfill our true needs.  While they have returned from a first mission, it is time for them to rest.  But the people follow, and Jesus is moved with compassion.   Here, the observation is that they are like sheep not having a shepherd, so He gives these people what they need.  He teaches them many things.  It is a way of feeding and nurturing the soul.  Jesus addresses every aspect of what it means to be a person, a human being.  When it becomes late, and this multitude of people (five thousand men, but also more women and children) needs something to eat, the disciples suggest to send them away to buy bread, but Jesus insists that they can feed the people.  This miracle of feeding doesn't only recollect the miracle of feeding the Israelites manna in the wilderness.   Nor does it only teach us our dependency upon God -- although, of course, both of these elements are present.  But Jesus' feeding and nurturing goes much, much further.  This is the preview of the Eucharist, a bread that is more than bread.  It is a "supersubstantial bread" (if we look at the literal meaning in the Greek of "daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer).   This is a bread that also feeds soul and spirit.  It does not merely feed for a short time, but for an uncalculated time and regardless of which state of life we may be in.   According to the rites of the Orthodox liturgy, the Eucharist is "the lamb of God," "broken and distributed"; "broken, but not divided; ever eaten, yet never consumed; sanctifying all who partake thereof."  It contains elements beyond our present understanding.  Finally, in today's reading, Jesus goes to the mountain alone to pray.  This is a type of nurturing we all need, but how often do we give it to ourselves?  Do we punctuate our day with it, and frame it around times we need to make choices and decisions?   While there are endless articles and advice in every forum to teach us about diet and what it can do for us, Jesus gives us food for nurturing every element of life.  He sets the example of what it truly means to be whole and healed, to live a healthy life:  He nurtures every part of who we are.   In the Eucharist, He Himself becomes our food.  We recall that the summation of the apostolic mission to the world will be to follow the command, "Feed My sheep."   He teaches His disciples to live their lives with His discipline, to do as He does.  It is the whole point of discipleship.   Let us consider during this Lent how we may also go and do likewise!  We must care for ourselves if we are to care for others; the two go hand in hand.  What wise and good practices will nurture all of you?

When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd

 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. 

- Matthew 9:35-10:4

Yesterday we read that two blind men followed Jesus, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"  And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."  And their eyes were opened.  And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it."  But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.  And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke.  And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!"  But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of demons."

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  It's interesting to note Jesus' behavior, and the shape of His ministry.  He has just been accused by the Pharisees of exorcism (and subsequent healing) by the power of demons.  In this instance, rather than acknowledging or responding to their accusations, the text tells us that He simply went about to all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease.  This is His response, to assert the reality of the presence of the Kingdom by manifesting its promises in Himself and His ministry.  He lives what He is here to do and to be:   teaching, preaching, and healing.

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  My study bible notes here that Jesus does not condemn sinners.  Rather, He sees them as lost sheep who are to be found and brought home.  Compassion, it says, means "suffering with."  The illustration of sheep having no shepherd is drawn from the Old Testament (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Ezekiel 34:5).  This is an accusation against the religious leadership who are charged with the duty of shepherds, but have behaved like wolves.  When Jesus prays about the harvest, it suggests to us the clear abundance of people ready to accept the Kingdom.  He is both the Sower and the Lord of the harvest, my study bible tells us.  His own disciples are not sent to sow, but rather to reap what He, as Lord, had already sown by the prophets.  My study bible says that how many are sent to the harvest is less important than with what power they go into the harvest (see the verse that follows).

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.   Jesus responds to the needs He finds in ministry, and "sends out laborers into His harvest."  The words disciples and apostles are frequently used interchangeably for the twelve.  The word disciple means "learner."  An apostle is one who is "sent out."  Jesus shares His power with His laborers, investing it in them to carry out this work.  He gives them power, while the works done by Him were performed by His own power.  The names of the twelve vary in different lists, as many people had more than one name.  The names here in Matthew's Gospel are given in pairs, perhaps suggesting which individuals traveled with one another on this first missionary journey.  Mark reports that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).

In yesterday's reading, we read that the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons (exorcism), and hence healing,  by the power of demons.  But here in today's reading, we see in response the continual expansion of Jesus' mission.  He teaches in the synagogues, preaches the gospel of the Kingdom, and heals sickness and disease.  He lives the work He is here to do, the ministry He is meant to live.  He is Messiah not by declaration or proclamation or the formal recognition, but rather simply by fulfilling the role that is His:  preaching, teaching, healing.  He proclaims the Kingdom in all of these ways.  But something even more astonishing is happening in the spread of this ministry.  He who heals and performs miraculous signs by His own power has chosen twelve with whom He will share and thus further distribute that power.  This is the harvest:  those who go out to find the sheep and bring them to their shepherd.  Let us note how this comes about:  Jesus is moved with compassion for the multitudes, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Modern human beings don't like to think of themselves as sheep, moreover as sheep having no shepherd.  We tend to be conditioned to think of ourselves as our own masters, autonomous, independently making our way and deciding what we believe and follow.  Jesus uses sheep as a metaphor to teach us that, in fact, we're not all-knowing.  When we make choices, we don't necessarily have all the information we need in order to know what a good choice is.  Adulthood, and much experience, should teach us that, if we are paying attention.  Responsibilities come with choices which we are often ill-prepared to make with full assurance.  We can't peer into the future.  What sounds like a fantastic idea easily turns out to be a foolish one.  Life is not simply a place where good planning fixes all ills.  Rather, it's a continual learning curve.   We hopefully learn from mistakes, but there is always something new to learn.  To consider oneself a rational sheep is to put into perspective the fact that we will always need a kind of guidance in life.  We are those who learn and absorb from what is around us -- but we need to find the soft place to fall, the true guidance that stands us in good stead, a kind of wisdom that can lead and teach and heal.  When we recognize who we are and what our needs are, then we can come to terms with our need for this Shepherd.  We are not absolute autonomous beings possessing infinite wisdom.  Rather, we are dependent upon so many things.  Our societies are not made of isolated individuals with no connection with one another; rather we depend upon relationships and we need to choose wisely how to navigate them, and how to choose whom we follow and with whom we partner and associate.  To consider oneself a rational sheep is to know that good leadership is essential for all of us, and that discernment rests upon good teaching in the first place.  In this sense, we turn to Christ.  He is wisdom; and as Lord, He has sent the prophets beforehand to teach.  As Lord, He establishes His Kingdom to show us the way, to offer us a place in which to dwell that paradoxically dwells within us and among us. This place, the Kingdom He proclaims, teaches us what love is and gives us love's guidance for a good life and true community when we live it.  If God is love, then this is the Shepherd we seek, who offers us love in action as leadership.  But first we need to understand what and who we are, so that we know what and Who we need.  When we find ourselves to be weary and scattered, let us consider the place to which we need to turn.