Do you also want to go away?

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60-71 

 

Yesterday we read that, because of Christ's teachings, the religious leaders quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drinks His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.  

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.   To this day, it remarks, there are still those who reject Christ's own words concerning the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and therefore do not "walk" in this teaching.  Because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, my study Bible continues, many attempt either to define its nature rationally or to explain away Christ's words altogether.  This takes the form of giving them a purely metaphorical meaning.  In either case, these answers are dubious.  To reject the sacramental teaching of Christ is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history.  

 

 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Simon Peter's response to Jesus contains two powerful statements.  The first is that He has the words of eternal life.  Peter implies that there is nowhere else to go; only Jesus has the words He preaches and gives to the people.  The second statement is, "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  While others turn away because of Christ's "hard teachings," Simon Peter's faith is cemented and grows deeper; he is left with the conviction that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.  

 

Let us first stop to notice the effects of Christ's truth, stark as it is, and as seemingly inexplicable to His audience as His words are.  There are those who walk away.  St. John, the author of our Gospel, will also write in one of his Epistles of those who were once followers, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us" (1 John 2:19).  In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul asks, "Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?"  In a modern context, in which so many people seem to "shop for faith," to consider faith a kind of smorgasbord of ideas from which to pick and to choose in the ways that are personally pleasing, this scenario -- and any sort of shaming of those who can no longer follow Christ for these words -- may seem entirely unreasonable.  But, in effect, the Gospel and the events recorded here tell us yet again about our faith and how faith works.  Several Church Fathers comment on Christ's use of language in this passage, both to persuade and to caution.  St. Athanasius writes that "it is the part of true godliness not to compel but to persuade. Our Lord himself does not employ force but offers the choice, saying to everyone, 'If anyone will follow after me,' and to his disciples in particular, 'Will you also go away?'" (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, 2009; p 247).  St. Chrysostom praises Christ's way of speaking regarding the one who will betray Him.  He comments, "See the wisdom of Christ. He neither exposes the traitor nor allows him to remain hidden. In this way, [Judas] is not so publicly humiliated that he becomes more contentious, but Christ also does not embolden him by allowing him to think that his wicked deeds are proceeding undetected" (Homilies on the Gospel of John 47.4).  So we can marvel at all of these ways in which Christ not only tells what sounds perhaps like a blunt and brutal truth regarding his Body and Blood, but that in so doing He is acutely aware of the hearts of the people whom He addresses, and His effects on them.  He does not shrink from the truth, even when it offends.  And yet, at the same time, He elicits faith, as well as the reality of the heart which will betray Him.  We, with the saints and Fathers of the Church, are left to marvel, and to piece together our own faith based on what we read and encounter in this Gospel.  Perhaps the most astounding truth of all is that it is love that Christ is working upon, and that faith is closely entwined with love.  For what else do we make of Simon Peter's response to the words that have now sent others away:  "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  It's at that heart-rending point of love that we come realize the importance of such questions as, "Do you want to go away?"  Just as Christ endured everything at the Cross for the love of His Father, and for His love of us, so we are also challenged with what is in our hearts when following is difficult.  Whether it is a bond with a spouse, a child, another loved one, or indeed, our faith -- it all comes down to love.  Do we want to go away?  Perhaps with St. Peter, we must say that there is no one else for us.  But His words will always challenge, and our faith will always pull us further along into the life He asks of us.  In the end, we know that God is love, as the Evangelist attests in his Epistle.  And it is love that has to lead us forward into the truth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

 

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  

 

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

"Blessed are you poor,

 For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled. 

 Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

 And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man's sake.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

 

"But woe to you who are rich,

 For you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. 

 

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  My study Bible comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  But instead, according to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus, as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).  He spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.  According to St. Theophylact, this teaches us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  

And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  My study Bible comments that the titles disciples and apostles are often used interchangeably for the twelve.  In the Greek of the New Testament, the word translated as disciple literally means "learner," and the word from which we derive apostle means "one sent out" (as on a mission).  The names of the Twelve aren't identical in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here, as in St. Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4), the names are given in pairs, perhaps suggesting who might have traveled together on their first missionary journey -- as Mark reports they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Let us note the great amount of followers Jesus' ministry has now amassed to itself.  They come not just from Galilee, where His ministry began, but also from all Judea and Jerusalem, and even from the Gentile region of Tyre of Sidon.  Jesus stands on a level place, ready to deliver what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said . . .   Here Jesus begins what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  It is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), although it is not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years. Note that He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, directing this Sermon toward them.  This is His gospel which those who are chosen as apostles will be sent out to deliver to the world.

 

"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  My study Bible explains that blessed in this context indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, it says, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people.  So, the poor in spirit are those with the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and retain a sense of dependence upon God. 

 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blesses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  These, my study Bible says, are the people who see the presence of God and God's kingdom as the most important thing in life.  This means they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food. 

 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep are those who sorrow over the sufferings of the world, and also their own sins which contribute.  All of these shall laugh in the joy of God (John 15:11), both in this age and in the one to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  It's to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10). 

 

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."   Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible says.  It notes that Christians accept persecution joyfully, knowing that the rewards of the Kingdom far outweigh any sufferings on earth.  See Acts 5:40-41.

 

 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  Here Luke, in contrast to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, reports four "woes" not found in that account.  Woe, my study Bible comments, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Those who prize the vices listed here, according to St. Cyril of Alexandria, are liable to the "utmost misery"; however, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy toward others.  

This portion of Christ's Sermon on the Plain, taken in its entirety, gives us a certain perspective on what can be called repentance within the Christian tradition.  Jesus gives us a perspective on our lives which challenges a conventional worldly perspective, asking us to have deeper insights, and particular ways of looking at life beyond the surfaces of what we know and see.  In this sense, in repentance as "change of mind" (as the Greek word for repentance used in the Gospels literally means), we are asked to take on the mind of Christianity.  The promises Christ makes are the promises of the Kingdom, the way of being in the world but not of it that Christ preaches to us.  The poor may be those who are materially poor, but it is far better understood in the mind of the Church that those who are "poor" in this sense are those with the perspective of the poor, primarily understanding their dependence upon God, and also practicing gratitude for the good things of life we have.  Regardless of what we have and don't have in life, the things that we have come to realize or the things we think we lack, or are disappointed at in life, ours is indeed the kingdom of God.  For the kingdom of God is for those who truly want it.  We may be hungry for all kinds of things, but God is present to fill us with the things of God and the Kingdom, and to help to guide us in our lives for what we need and the life Christ has for us.  We weep over the sadness and injustice in the world, but there is joy in Christ, and joy in the things we are capable of doing and the love God can teach us, with which we can be filled.  If we suffer for the sake of our faith in Christ, consider how many may live without a fulfilling sense of mission or purpose, or who suffer needlessly and senselessly for what gives no lasting reward.  Christ's "woes" are a way of teaching us what it is we can work for, even slave for, but which can disappear into meaninglessness, or be unfulfilling in a deeper sense.  Life in the Kingdom even as we live in this world, is about pursuing the beauty of God's life for us, the identity Christ gives us, the image of life and values we are capable of grasping that teach wisdom and a fitting purpose, no matter where we find ourselves in life on worldly terms.  If we can but grasp it, this is the gospel message given for our lives and for love of humankind.

 

 

 

 

 

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And he said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it had been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  

 

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

This week we have been reading chapter 6 of John's Gospel, in which the eucharistic concepts of Christ as the bread of heaven, and also the sacrifice He will make on the Cross have been introduced.  Yesterday's text told us that the Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

  Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And he said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it had been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  My study Bible comments here that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many walked with Him no more.  To this day, there are still those who reject Christ's own words concerning this sacramental eating of His Body and drinking His Blood, and so do not walk in His teaching.  My study Bible further notes that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many attempt to define its nature in a rational way, or to explain away His words completely, giving them simply a metaphorical meaning.  But either extreme is dubious.  To reject this sacramental teaching is to reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church through its history.  

Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here is St. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ as it appears in John's Gospel, within the context of other disciples turning away because of His hard saying on His Body and Blood (see above).  Let us note also the injection here of the note of betrayal, even among Christ's most intimate set of disciples, the twelve.  

For the first time in John's Gospel, the note of betrayal to come is mentioned.  Here, after a long discourse on Himself as the bread of life, and the bread which came down from heaven, Jesus finally interjects the truth about how His Crucifixion will come about -- the means by which He will give His flesh for the life of the world (see yesterday's reading, above).  Perhaps it is most noteworthy that just as other disciples desert Him for his hard saying about His Body and Blood, so it is at this time that Peter's faith is not simply crystalized, but the confession of faith (on behalf of the twelve as well) is made -- that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.  John's emphasis is important and interesting.  Not only is Jesus the Son of the living God, with its emphasis on the power of life itself, but Peter's confession is also one about the very words Jesus offers to them and to the world.  His are the words of eternal life.  In the following chapter of John's Gospel, the temple officers are sent to arrest Jesus, but are unable to do so.  When asked by the religious authorities why they have failed, the officers reply, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  As this Gospel begins with the teaching that Jesus is Logos, the Word, so we understand that in His very words is the power of eternal life also.  As Jesus says, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak" (John 12:49-50).  The power in His very words is the power of eternal life, rooted in the Source of all, God the Father.  Let us note once again that all things are determined through our response to these words of eternal life:  just as other disciples turn away, so Peter makes his confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ.  And just as this confession is heard on behalf of the twelve, so Jesus introduces the fact of betrayal among them, calling the one who will betray him a devil, indicating that in that betrayal is the power of the spiritual forces that oppose Him.  As we go through Lent, we head toward Holy Week and the story of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection of our Lord.  As Jesus informs the disciples about the betrayal to come (which they no doubt scarcely can comprehend), let us take into account what we know about that betrayal, that it is through Christ's death that the devil and death itself will be defeated, for all of us.  So let us also ponder that no circumstance can keep us from the love of God, nor from God's work in us and in the world.  Our present lectionary readings also give us selections from St. Paul's letter to the Romans.  Let us read his words:  "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . .  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).  Neither will betrayal by a devil; for with God not only are all things possible, but for God's purposes all things may be used (see Romans 8:28).  When we see tribulation in our own times and in our lives, let us remember that God has a place and a way for us with which to meet all things.  We can say with St. Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"

 

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house.

 

- Mark 3:7–19a 

 

On Saturday, we read that it happened that Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain.  And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"  But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"  And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.  And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward."  Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"  But they kept silent.  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  

 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.  My study Bible comments that Jesus withdrew both because the Pharisees were planning to destroy Him (see yesterday's reading, above) -- although it was not time for Him to die -- and also in order to preach in other places.  

And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.  So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.  For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.  Note Christ's popularity at this point in His ministry, already so great that He's in danger of being crushed by the multitude.  Surely His growing popularity was not lost on the Pharisees who already plot against Him.  

And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God."  But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.  Once again, St. Mark emphasizes that the demons know who Christ is, the Son of God (see also Mark 1:25).  Once again, my study Bible notes that Christ's desire to keep His identity hidden as Messiah is foreseen by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Among the reasons for secrecy are the growing hostility of the religious leaders (the Pharisees already have begun to plot against Him with the Herodians), the people's misunderstanding and expectations of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader, and finally in the midst of their clamor for healing, He wishes to evoke faith among the people not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.  And they came to Him.  Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:  Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  And they went into a house.  My study Bible comments that terms "disciples" and "apostles" are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve who are called by Christ, and appointed by Him.  Disciple means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out" as these will be.  Jesus also appoints them to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.  While Christ casts out demons, heals, and performs miracles by His own power, He gives to the disciples this power.  My study Bible comments that the names of these Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  At Mark 6:7 we read that they were sent out two by two, while in Matthew's Gospel the names are given in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled with whom (Matthew 10:1-4).

 

The commentary on the different names for the Twelve is quite interesting.  It becomes even more intriguing to think about what we might call nicknames or second, special names given by Christ to those who are closest to Him.  The one who will become known for his faith (and also for his failures) is Simon, whom we know as St. Peter.  The text tells us that Simon is the one to whom He gave the name Peter.  Our English name Peter comes from the Greek word Πετρος/Petros, which means a "stone."  This name has both a serious and perhaps is also a fond play on words, because from our Gospel stories we also know Peter as the one who, at the Last Supper, swore he would go to prison and even die with Christ before betraying Him (Luke 22:31-34), but following Christ's arrest, was so terrified of being identified as a follower that he denied Christ three times (Luke 22:54-62).  Yet, Peter nonetheless had the faith to return to Christ, and was clearly forgiven.  Such was his faith that we know he fulfilled Christ's prophecy for him, dying for Christ as a martyr to the faith following the period of his leadership among the apostles (see John 21:15-19).  James and John Zebedee here are said to have been given the name "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus.  Once again, we might note a possible double meaning in this name, perhaps affectionately given by Christ to His good friends.  In St. Luke's Gospel, we're told that at one point Jesus and the disciples pass through a village of Samaritans who refuse to receive them, because Jesus at that time is set to go toward Jerusalem.  These brothers, the "Sons of Thunder," upon seeing this, ask Jesus, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  Jesus must turn and rebuke them in turn, saying, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them" (see Luke 9:51-55).  But as the early Church unfolded under the leadership of these apostles, James became the first bishop of Jerusalem, and was then the first to be martyred among the Twelve, executed by sword by King Herod (Acts 12:1-2).  John would go on to live a long life of struggle and exile, but producing five books of the New Testament:  the Gospel of John, three Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation.  This is indeed another fulfillment of their name, "Sons of Thunder," both in preaching and boldness, in their courage and the profound contribution of the written word by John.  Moreover, John would become the one to whom Christ entrusted the care of His mother, calling him her son in His stead (John 19:26).  These three given the special names reported here in Mark's Gospel are also significant in the sense that they would form Christ's inner circle during His ministry, called to accompany Him at particular moments, perhaps due to the fact that their faith was the strongest (see Mark 5:36-37, 9:2, 14:32-34).  Together, the three of them form what is called His "inner circle."  What we see in these special names tells us things which are significant for our faith.  First of all, they give us a sense that in Christ's sight, each one of us has an identity that is particular, and to which we are called, within which we are seen fully with both our contradictions and potentials for growth in His light.  Each of these three would fulfill the prophecy inherent in the name given to them, and yet each also would notably fail at times to do so, as recorded for us in the Gospels.  These names teach us that Christ knows us personally and intimately, and that while we may be called to become an integral part of a community of His followers, learners, and even perhaps apostles, we are each also known within that community as individuals.  Christ sees with the eyes of love, and so these names also reflect that love and care, and perhaps even His deep and affectionate humor and correction for our flaws.  One thing is certain, that they give us a sense of how well we are known, and that we are loved despite our failures and need to learn and to grow.  Let us remember this gift of the personal that teaches us so much about who we are in Christ's sight and how we are loved.  Let us know how and by Whom we are called.  For our saints exemplify in each one how we are called to identity, uniquely and specifically, and yet serving the One.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life

 

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

- John 6:60–71 

 

Yesterday we read that the religious leaders in the synagogue at Capernaum quarreled among themselves because of Christ's teaching regarding His flesh as the bread of life, saying, "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?"  Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.   

 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  My study Bible comments that even His disciples took Christ's teaching on His Body and Blood as a hard saying, and many consequently walked with Him no more.  There are still those who reject Christ's words regarding the sacramental eating of His Body and drinking of His Blood, and so do not "walk" in this teaching.  My study Bible continues, saying that because of the difficulty of grasping the depth of this Mystery, many try to define its nature rationally, or else to explain away the words of Jesus completely, giving them a solely metaphorical meaning.  But, it says, either extreme is in fact dubious.  If we reject this sacramental teaching then we reject the witness of the Scriptures and the unanimous teaching of the Church throughout history. 

But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.  Here we witness Simon Peter's confession of faith in the Gospel of John, that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God."  My study Bible comments that Peter's understanding of the identity of Jesus defines Christianity.  This comprehension prevents Christianity from being seen as simply another philosophical system or path of spirituality, because it names Christ as the one and only Son of the living God.  Hence it excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  He Himself is the Savior.  Once again, John's Gospel emphasizes Jesus' capacity to know people, as part of the divine wisdom present in Him, when He speaks of the future betrayal by Judas Iscariot.

In today's reading, my study Bible comments on the understanding of the sacrament of Christ's body and blood in the Eucharist.  What we might call "sacramental thinking" permeates the Church, and has done so from the earliest times of Christianity.  In a first century teaching manuscript called Didache (meaning in Greek, the Teaching) we may read the celebration of the Liturgy referred to as "the Eucharist," and so indicating its centrality to faith and worship.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, I quoted from this article by Fr. Stephen Freeman, a priest in the Orthodox Church of America, regarding the nature of sacraments.  Fr. Stephen wrote of the sacraments of the Church, including the Eucharist, "In each of these we observe that God has taken up an ordinary action and made it a means of grace. The sacraments of the Church are each, in their own way, given to us as a means of communion with God."  This notion of communion with God is so important that our Gospels are permeated with it.  Christ chooses disciples who will live with Him, observing all things He does, learning from Him through a shared communion and participation in His ministry.  It is a Person-to-person communion, if you will, comprising both individuals and the community of disciples as a whole.  In St. Paul's writing, this communion extends beyond this world, to the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1), consisting of the faithful who have passed and also the angels of God.  Fr. Freeman elaborates that grace itself, in the Orthodox understanding, is the "energies of God."  That is, God in God's action of mercy, reaching toward us, and active in our world, thus present to us in a way that we might receive even though we cannot grasp God in God's fullness of being.  So, this notion of sacrament that Christ gives us in communion, that is made possible through His sacrifice on the Cross (His suffering, death, and Resurrection) is something we must accept as an action of God given to us for the deeper communion that saves, that gives us the saving faith that makes life with God, in this "everlasting" sense of life, possible for human beings.  Ultimately, as Fr. Freeman, explains, grace is love, God in action seeking to bring us closer and deeper, even in the sense of the life of the Kingdom, and its eternal or everlasting reality.  Therefore the notion of sacramental thinking -- of that through which, though consisting of "earthly" matter, is imbued with something greater than itself, made possible through the divine grace and action of God, so that we may partake of it, participate in this life, experience it.  In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, when Peter makes His confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus tells Him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17), and this revelation of faith, through God the Father, becomes another example of grace made possible for us, which Jesus has referred to in our present chapter of John by quoting from Isaiah:  "And they shall all be taught by God"  (see Saturday's reading).  In today's reading, Jesus reiterates a similar thought, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  If we fail to grasp that God can be active in the world, even working in and dwelling within and among us, then we fail to grasp our faith, so central is this understanding to Christianity and the teachings of Christ.  Even in the Incarnation itself, it is grace, God's love, reaching to us for deeper communion.  In the Eucharist, the material things of earthly life become instruments of that grace, giving us a depth of communion conferred by God, for this is how holiness works.  In this sense, the world can become a sacrament, as Fr. Freeman writes.  Works done in the name of faith or devotion, a garden dedicated to the glory of God, an act of beauty -- to see the work of God in the beauty of the world, in a life lived righteously in relation to any or all of it, is to come to a deeper sense of faith and God's love.  In today's reading, Jesus teaches about the power of Spirit to confer life, that even His spoken word has this same quality of the living reality of Spirit, of sacrament and grace:  "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  St. Peter, through his faith, understands this, saying, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."  A world with the kingdom of God stripped away from its meanings and lived experience bears no relation to the sacramental picture of life Christ offers us, in which God participates with us and within us, drawing us into deeper communion.  Let us recover who we are in this sense, and where it places us in the grand scheme of creation, for in the story of Jesus, God has come to search for us, to save us and take us back to our true "home" and the fullness of true life, as only God could offer us -- even today, in the here and the now of our world.  Let us be thankful!

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

 

 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 not might 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 (after the encounter with the Gadarene demoniac), 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, "Your 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 all 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.  This double response of being both astonished and offended is something my study Bible says occurs frequently with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).  Christ's rejection in his own country is a foreshadowing of His rejection by the whole Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  We recall that the term brother is used to refer to all manner of relations, such as cousin or nephew.  The brothers and sisters referred to by the townspeople are Jesus' kin, either children of Joseph via an earlier marriage, or other extended family.  Mary had one Child; had she had others to care for her, Jesus giving her into the care of the disciple John at the Cross would have been unthinkable (John 19:26).

 

 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 not might 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 Jesus could do no mighty work there, not because He lacked power, but because of the unbelief of all but a few in Nazareth.  While grace is always offered to all, only those who receive it in faith obtain its benefits.  

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.  These twelve are those whom He called to Himself to both live with Him and learn from Him and to become apostles (Mark 3:13).  In Greek, disciple means "learner," while apostle means "one sent out."  Here they are sent out on their first apostolic mission.  We note that here St. Mark tells us they were sent out two by two, and that St. Matthew's Gospel lists the names of the disciples in pairs (Matthew 10:2-4).  My study Bible suggests that this possibly indicates who traveled with whom.  It also notes that Jesus gave them power over unclean spirits, while Jesus Himself did so by His own power.  Note that healings are closely connected with this power, and with anointing by the apostles.  All of their actions and Christ's commands remind us of the power of the Holy Spirit at work after Pentecost.  My study Bible says that to anoint the sick with oil has not only medicinal value but sacramental value as well.  It notes that 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). 

In our recent readings, we have repeatedly been given opportunities to contrast fear with faith.  This was so for the apostles crossing the Sea of Galilee through a terrific storm when they were frightened for their lives.  Jesus said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  Surely the sight of the Gadarene demoniac in the reading that followed was fearful to all, but Christ cast out the demons and returned the man to health.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we discussed extensively the fear that must have been present for the woman who approached Jesus in secret, and also the fear of Jairus, whom Jesus told, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  In today's reading, we're given other reasons for people to fear.  Jesus is rejected in His home town of Nazareth.  The statement by Jesus, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house," is found in various forms in all four Gospels, so crucial it is to the gospel message. (See also Matthew 13:57; Luke 4:24, John 4:44.)   As my study Bible notes, this rejection is also a prefiguration of rejection by the nation, which will culminate in crucifixion.  But what is really important to note is that in Jesus' sharing of His power with the disciples, now sent out as apostles, He is teaching them to rely totally upon God.  He tells them to take nothing for the journey except a staff, they are not to take extra supplies, "no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics."   Moreover, Jesus teaches them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place."  So, in other words, they are to stay in the more humble places that will receive them first, and not "trade up" for better lodgings, as protected guests of possibly more important people.  While these men are sent out without appearing to have material power, or even great significance within the society, nonetheless Jesus is teaching them of the power that will be at work in their mission is such that "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!"  Moreover, this power is manifest through healing and the anointing with oil.  But, as is evident in the rejection of Jesus in His hometown, this power remains unknown to those who cannot receive nor perceive it.   Those who do not receive nor hear the apostles are unaware of and completely insensitive to the presence of this power.  Moreover, this power is not on display to "convince" anyone, to threaten anyone, even to save Christ from the Cross.  So it is in the context of all of these factors in which we understand that the disciples are being prepared for their missions both through the frightening challenges that take them more deeply into their faith, and also through Christ's instructions which render them more dependent upon God at the same time.  This tension between fear and faith is one that grows throughout the Gospels, and perhaps we are meant to accept and understand this more deeply in our own lives as we also meet the challenges to grow in our faith.  We might find it hard to understand that anybody could find fault with Christ, and yet He meets adversity at many turns in His ministry, offending the religious establishment, the people of His hometown, and finding rejection in many places.  Perhaps it's a lesson to us that, as we live in a world of debates, endless online discussion and squabbling, forums for opinion of all sorts, faith must find its way into our own understanding of what is true and real, and what is not.   Rational argument and debate can continue forever, but faith relies on something different and deeper and more subtle.  It also relies upon courage and our capacity for the strength that comes from trust in Christ.  

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows

 

 "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."

 

- Matthew 10:24-33 

 

In yesterday's reading, as Jesus was sending out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission, He taught them, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

  "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."   Jesus refers to those who would persecute the disciples.  Earlier, after His public preaching, healing, and casting out demons, the Pharisees claimed that "He casts out demons by the ruler of demons."   Thus Jesus says here that they have called the master of the house Beezebub, and suggesting if they have gone this far to claim such against Him, "how much more will they call those of his household!"  But Jesus' message is "do not fear them."  Over the next few verses He will repeat this message three times.  My study Bible says that this is to embolden the witness of the gospel in the face of adversity.  It adds that Christian believers, then and today, must neither be intimidated by persecution nor fail in their mission to preach.

"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."   Jesus continues to encourage faithful witness, again repeating, "do not fear" the persecutors.  My study Bible notes that there is no need to fear the killing of the soul indicates the immortality of the human soul, which is ours by grace.  Fear Him, on the other hand, is a command to fear God (Proverbs 9:10; Luke 1:50, 23:40; Acts 10:2; Colossians 3:22, 1 Peter 2:17).  This is because only God has the power to judge the soul.  Christians are instructed to resist the devil (James 4:7), but not to fear him.  Hell is literally "Gehenna" (rendered γεέννῃ in Greek).  In Jewish history, as my study Bible explains, Gehenna (the Valley of Hinnom) became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 32:35).  King Josiah put an end to these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By Christ's time, this valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered ceaselessly.  Because of these associations, Gehenna acquired the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.

"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."  Jesus assures the disciples, in the face of persecution to come, of their great, precious value in the eyes of God.

 

 "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."  Here is the choice.  It is a kind of question posed to us:  to whom does our loyalty belong?

In modern life, there has always seemed to be popular teachings against going along with the crowd.  When this writer was young, as children we were admonished with the question, "If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?"  Nowadays because of the popularity of the internet and the experience of online bullying, children are taught that they should either stand up to bullying, or at the very least not go along with it.  They are encouraged to befriend the person who is alone, or unpopular, or picked on in school settings.  Here in today's reading, Jesus is not speaking to children, but to grown men, who've come from other professions that demanded toughness and strength (such as the fishermen) and even shrewd use of material power (Matthew the former tax collector and author of this Gospel).  But now they are sent out to bear the gospel message into the world, to preach that the kingdom of heaven at hand.  This is a mission unlike anything else they have ever done.  For this mission, they are sent out "as sheep in the midst of wolves" (see yesterday's reading, above).  They will face a persecution unlike anything they have experienced in their lives, because they enter into a spiritual battle as disciples of Christ.  This is a different kind of engagement with the world.  In this mission, Jesus has already told them, "You will be hated by all for My name's sake" (again, see yesterday's reading above).  So the admonition to remain loyal to the mission, and not to go along with or fear the persecuting crowds, becomes one of absolute importance and even absolute power:  one may kill the body but cannot kill the soul, the other is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Jesus poses this as a question of whom to fear, a notion that is perhaps unpleasant and unfamiliar to us as those who live without such persecutions to face or to experience.  But the absolute importance and grave nature of this choice remains, nevertheless, although we do not much encounter it on these terms.  Our lives are sustained by God; maybe even more significantly, our souls are sustained by God.  Whether we live in a time of great and open persecution, or a more simple personal life in which we find ourselves forced to make hard decisions based on our faith, the Cross asks us to consider such choices with the gravity Christ gives to them.  This reality still exists:  that we will have pressure from the world to go along with the crowds, and our loyalty to Christ will remain a question of what is most precious to us.  Let us understand that whether or not we wish to perceive it, the gravity of choice remains with us, as is the power of God's love and awareness of each sparrow and every hair on our head.

 

 

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves

 

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 

- Matthew 10:16-23 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus  sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission, He and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  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.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" 

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  My study Bible says that Jesus instructs the disciples to be wise as serpents so that they might not be unnecessarily wounded and that they might take all advantage in the spread of the gospel.  He also tells them to be as harmless as doves so that they should not retaliate against those who do them wrong, and should be blameless in their witness of the gospel.  

"But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."  Let us note how Jesus does not at all promise an easy time for the spread of the gospel!  Let us note that for Jesus the emphasis is on testimony.  He tells them, "Do not worry" about what they will testify, and emphasizes the need for reliance upon God -- and here we have mention of the Spirit.  Finally, He emphasizes endurance through all, even if they are hated by all "for My name's sake."  My study Bible comments that persecution must not cause the disciple to quit, but simply to move forward in mission.  According to St. John Chrysostom, before the Son of Man comes is not a reference to His Second Coming, but it means that before the disciples could visit all the cities in Palestine, He would rejoin them -- thus more quickly ending the hostilities they would encounter.

Let us note the things that Christ emphasizes.  There will be opposition to the spread of the gospel, and not only that, but the opposition will be highly personal.  In the Letter to the Hebrews, St. Paul writes:  "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).  What this suggests to me is the depth to which our commitment to Christ will ask of us to make choices, and open the door to those who oppose.  We can't underestimate possible opposition -- Jesus goes so far as to use the word "hate" when He says that "you will be hated by all for My name's sake."  He does not mince words when speaking of the opposition to come, nor of the endurance which will be necessary, and our complete reliance upon God.  I find that these remain words to live by, as there are circumstances in life which remain unpredictable and chaotic.  To be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" is prudent, strong advice for those who are like "sheep in the midst of wolves."  Because we are His sheep, we must not conflate God's power with the kind of worldly power we associate with worldly kingdoms.  God does not go out to conquer the world in order to obtain "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (Matthew 4:8).  Indeed, this is one of the temptations of the devil to Jesus as He began His ministry, right after His Baptism by John the Baptist.  No, the word of God wields a different power, one that is not obvious, just as the coming of the Kingdom is not obvious (Luke 17:20-21).  This is why, although we understand there is evil working in the world, we follow Christ's instructions here, and we must still keep them in mind.  For there is a power at work in all things, even in the midst of persecutions, that works as an opportunity to testify.  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus puts these sayings in the context of His teaching on the end times, and again speaks of persecution as an occasion for testimony (see Luke 21:7-19).  Sometimes, as Christ advises, we may also need to flee from persecution to continue the work of discipleship and apostleship.  Let us simply note that, regardless of our circumstances in life, Jesus speaks for us all here concerning the work of discipleship. Even if we are not sent out as apostles, to follow these admonitions in His commandments is to live the life we are meant to live:  we follow His commands, we don't forget and don't remain asleep to the presence of evil in the world.  But neither do we seek out conflict or enemies, because the Cross remains our ultimate weapon and the power of God at work in His word and His truth.  Let us continue our own journey in contemplation of His words and how true they are, even in our own time and circumstance, no matter how far or how long a distance separates us from His time and place when these words were spoken. They remain true for us now (Matthew 24:35).  

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 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 Thaddeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

 

- Matthew 9:35-10:4 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus left the home of the synagogue ruler (having healed a woman with a hemorrhage and the ruler's daughter), two blind men followed Him, 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 the 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.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.   My study Bible comments here that Jesus does not condemn sinners, but rather sees them as lost sheep to be found and brought home.  It says that compassion means "suffering with."  This illustration of sheep having no shepherd is drawn from the Old Testament (Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Ezekiel 34:5).  It is, effectively, an accusation against the Jewish leaders, for they are charged with the duty of shepherds, but they have acted as wolves.

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."  The harvest, according to my study Bible, suggests the abundance of those who are ready to accept the Kingdom.  Jesus is both the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23) and the Lord of the harvest.  His disciples are not sent to sow, but to reap what He had sown by the prophets (see John 4:36-38).  How many are sent to harvest, my study Bible says, is less important than with what power they go into the harvest (see the next verse, which begins chapter 10).

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 Thaddeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.  Here Matthew uses both disciples and apostles in reference to the twelve.  These terms are used interchangeably in reference to these men.  Disciple (μαθητής/mathetes) means "learner," and apostle (ἀπόστολος/apostolos) means "one sent out."  Note that Jesus gave them power to performed miracles, while He used His own power to do so.  This is the power for the harvest referenced in the verses preceding these.  The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists; my study Bible explains this as due to the fact that many people had more than one name.  The names here in Matthew's Gospel are given in pairs, which suggests who may have traveled together on this "first missionary journey," as Mark tells us that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

What is the power of the harvest?  And what exactly is Christ's message that we're told He preaches, the gospel of the kingdom?  Clearly the signs that Christ performs, and the power that is His, which He shares with His disciples who are sent out as apostles, are the manifestation of the presence of this Kingdom.  They are the outward signs of God's Kingdom living even amongst us and within us.  In that sense, they reveal what is unseen -- and this is the gospel of the Kingdom, the good news.  Mark's Gospel tells us in chapter 1:  Now after John [the Baptist] 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" (Mark 1:14-15).  These were the words also used by John the Baptist ("Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" - Matthew 3:2), and they are the words which Jesus will teach the apostles to use as He sends them out (in the next reading).  So, this gospel of the Kingdom is the heart and center of "the Gospels" -- that is, of the ministry and teaching and mission of Christ in the world.  The signs and miracles are for this -- every wonder performed by Christ is simply a sign pointing to the larger picture, the bigger story, the true good news:  that the Kingdom is here.  It is present among us and within us (Luke 17:20-21).  As the presence of God went with the Israelites as they wandered to find the Promised Land, so God also dwells among us, and this is the presence of the Kingdom.  Through God's grace, through Christ's ministry, the gospel of the Kingdom is preached and manifests, and this is the power of the harvest, of the seeds sown long ago by each prophet sent by the Lord, and through Christ's own ministry and Incarnation, and through the Church since (which includes the Book of the Church, the Scriptures).  But with each new generation, we may still find many ways in which human beings are like sheep having no shepherd.  We see weary and scattered peoples all over the world, in many varied and exigent circumstances.  We see all kinds of problems in nominally Christian countries, of different kinds, such as breakdown of family and community, homeless populations, addiction, and assorted other problems, including corruption, which all seem to call for the leadership of a Good Shepherd who tells us the truth about what we need to do to heal and bind up our brokenness.  The need for our Shepherd seems to extend far and wide, to follow His teachings, even to recognize this Kingdom that yet dwells among us and is present to us if we would but truly seek it for ourselves in the ways that He teaches us.  We need that Good Shepherd in so many ways, because everywhere we look we can see weary and scattered people who don't find the leadership and guidance and shepherding they need from a broken world that offers "all the kingdoms of the world" but not much real substance of comfort and compassion.  We don't need abstract theories, but participation in this Kingdom that is within us and among us, and there is one way to get there.  It is faith that makes the difference where we are like sheep without a shepherd, and only one human being has been born deserving of worship.  He is still our Shepherd, the One moved with compassion for weary and scattered people.