When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, "I will return to my house from which I came"

 

 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke, and the multitudes marveled. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  

 

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  

 

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

 

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

 

- Luke 11:14–26 

 

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

 

  And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke, and the multitudes marveled. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Beelzebub is the name given to a Canaanite pagan god by the Jews.  This name of this god worshiped at a particular shrine was a derivation of the word Baal; but Baal was worshiped at many shrines and so each had a particular name.  In this case it was Baal-Zebul, meaning "Lord of the Exalted Dwelling" (see 2 Kings 1).  But the name used by the Jews is satire; it sounds alike but means "Lord of the Flies" or "Lord of the Dungheap."  Here it is used as a direct reference to Satan.  

 

 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  According to the Orthodox Study Bible (OSB), a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12).  

 

 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  The finger of God is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).  

 

 "When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  The OSB comments that the strong man is Satan, who holds sway over the fallen human race, while the stronger is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).  

 

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

 

 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."  Here the OSB cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who comments that the unclean spirit refers to the rebelliousness cast out of the Jews by the Old Testament prophets to prepare them to receive Christ.  Those who refuse to receive Him are left open to the wickedness of seven other spirits or demons.  Seven is a number of fullness, and it indicates completeness; thus giving over oneself to darkness.  In another interpretation, this statement can also be understood to emphasize that even after successful deliverance or exorcism, vigilance and continued dedication to Christ is necessary, otherwise "the last state of that man is worse than the first."

 

 Jesus' final statement in today's reading is a reminder that nothing stands still.  We, as human beings, are creatures of time, and so life as we live it is a journey.  We are in constant movement, and the same is true of the soul and the choices we are always faced with.  Christ's call to us is one that asks for active faith.  When we receive God's grace, it is not like a material possession, but is rather a gift of God's divine energy which changes us and needs our constant cooperation in response.  We are meant for change, and this is the nature of repentance, or "change of mind" as the Greek word μετάνοια/metanoia literally means.  We are on a road, Christ's way (the Greek word ὁδός/odos, meaning path or road in John 14:6).  Consequently, a refusal of that grace working in us, or lack of cooperation with it, does not simply result in a static state of being, but one that, in fact, moves in the opposite direction.  Christ's teaching suggests that inner emptiness works as an open door to more trouble and demonic activity without healing grace. Christ's grace, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, is meant to be active in us, and is ultimately creative and dynamic.  Our faith is meant to grow and to bear fruit.  A well-known psychologist once said to me, "You're either going in the right direction or the wrong direction," indicating the same point, that we are always on a journey somewhere.  For the Christian, that journey is toward union with Christ (called theosis), or we are moving in another direction away.  Jesus' image of the cleaned and swept house  indicates a state of vacancy.  Hence we need to be vigilant about whom we let in, and protect against what we do not want.  We need to take care that our souls are fed with the things of God, and the energies of God.  The kind of emptiness that exists in a vacuum where the substance of virtue (or even the desire for it) is absent constitutes a depth of nihilism that invites evil.  The persona of Satan in the title of the demonic god Beelzebub is evoked in that emptiness as one who will take advantage, and come to stay and claim the house for himself.  That Jesus tells us the unclean spirit finds no rest, and seeks to return back to the place from which he was evicted gives us an idea of the movement of evil.  It's always aggressive, and parasitical, and will seek to return.  Let us be ready with the full armor of God.

 

 

And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, "The old is better"

 

 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.  Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

 

Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"  And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."  Then He spoke a parable to them:  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.  And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"

 

- Luke 5:27-39 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed."  Immediately the leprosy left him.  And He charged him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded."  However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.  So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.  And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.  Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.  And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.  When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.  And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"  

 

 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. According to the Orthodox Study Bible, here Levi (whom we also know as St. Matthew the Evangelist) answers Christ's call, "Follow Me."  He leaves his occupation to become a disciple.  From the beginning of His ministry, my study Bible says, Christ has been a friend of tax collectors and sinners, which is one of the Pharisees' complaints against Him in today's reading.  Levi was perhaps one of the tax collectors who had been prepared for Christ by St. John the Baptist (Luke 3:12).  Just like the fishermen, Simon (Peter), James and John in Monday's reading, in today's text Levi left all to become a dedicated disciple.  

 

 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, "Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  According to my study Bible, this feast is an expression of St. Matthew (Levi)'s joy and gratitude.  It says the guest register is a stirring demonstration of the fruit of Christ's love and forgiveness. 

 

 Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"  And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."  Then He spoke a parable to them:  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved."  My study Bible notes here that Christ's earthly life is a tie of joyous blessings.  But there will come a time when His followers will practice the fast.  

 

 "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'" This saying occurs only in St. Luke's account, my study Bible says.  It illustrates several things.  First there is the difficulty with which the Jews would accept the new covenant (played out among early Christian believers; see also Acts 21:15–26, from today's lectionary).  It illustrates also the inner resistance a person faces in turning from a sinful way of life.  Finally, it is an image of the general stubbornness of the human heart.  

 

 Today's reading highlights elements of transition from the Old Covenant to the New, which also played out in yesterday's reading about the paralytic and Christ's healing (see above).  In our commentary yesterday we discussed at length the transition from a legalistic framework for understanding sin to the mercy-based covenant offered by Christ.  Human beings seem to have a natural tendency to gravitate toward legalism; perhaps it's easier for our ways of thinking to have fixed rules with fixed punishments and requirements.  But Christ is offering a deeper reality, and doing so while still respecting that sin is something out of the bounds of what God wants and accepts from us and for us.  The tax collectors feasting with Christ are not there because He is tolerant of sin.  They are there because, having found mercy and release from sin, this feast is symbolic of the eventual wedding feast of Christ and His Bride, the Church; that is, the body of believers.  Just as He indicates here, the Bridegroom is with them, and so it is a time of joy for those finding their way to Him.  He offers freedom from sin, His way of salvation.  It is not an embrace of sinning.  Clearly it is something shocking to the Pharisees, and difficult for them to comprehend, for their way of thinking is legalistic.  For them there are particular rituals necessary to expiate or atone for sin, but only God can forgive, and they do not as yet accept Christ as Messiah or divine.  But God's love is not meant to keep us in the stuck place of sin nor to indulge us in it.  God's love is just that, love.  It is the perfect love of the Father that offers us guidance, a way forward, which is a way for us out of sin.  Of course, love requires a voluntary participation, a cooperation and response, and that is up to us.  God does not compel love, just as we cannot compel love.  But the invitation is there; and so we must learn to grow in it, like the expanding "new" wineskins, and grow used to the new wine.  This is what is asked of these tax collectors who've become disciples, and so it is also asked of us who call ourselves believers and followers of Christ.

 

 

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God

 

 "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.  

 

But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

"Lord, who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"

Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,

Lest they should see with their eyes,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, 

So that I should heal them."

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. 

 

 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

 

- John 12:36-43 

 

In our current reading, Jesus is now in Jerusalem at the final Passover He will attend.  It is now Holy Week, the last week of Christ's earthly life.  He has made His Triumphal Entry, and has been teaching in the temple, knowing that the religious leadership plots to put Him to death.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus said, "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?  'Father, save Me from this hour'?  But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name."  Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."  Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered.  Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."  Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."  This He said, signifying by what death He would die.  The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'?  Who is this Son of Man?"  Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. 

 

  "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.   This verse is repeated from yesterday's reading (see above).  Jesus Himself is the light, but His teaching here (as we reported yesterday) has various facets of meaning.  He will soon be completing His public ministry, and going to His death on the Cross.  Our own lives are indeed far more limited than we understand, and we have a short time to repent and believe in Christ before our deaths.  Compared to eternity, the second coming of Christ is simply a little while.  For an extensive commentary on the implications of Christ's words here, see yesterday's reading and commentary.  

 

But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:  "Lord, who has believed our report?  And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"  Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."  My study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who teaches that Isaiah's prophecy does not mean God causes spiritual blindness to people who would otherwise have been faithful.  It says that this is a figure of speech common to Scripture which reveals God as giving people up to their own devices (such as in Romans 1:24-26).  In using the phrase He has blinded it is meant that God has allowed their self-chosen blindness (compare Exodus 8:15, 32 with Exodus 10:20, 27).  They did not become blind because God spoke through Isaiah.  Rather, Isaiah spoke because he foresaw their blindness.  

 

These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.  My study Bible says that Isaiah . . . saw His [Christ's] glory in about 700 BC (Isaiah 6:1), and spoke of Him in many places throughout his lengthy prophecy.  

 

  Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  Again my study Bible cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who declares that these rulers are in reality the worst of slaves, in that they are enslaved by the opinions of men.  This keeps them from leading as God would have them lead.  

 

There is so much power and poignancy in our final verse today, as reported by St. John.   Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.  This apparently small, simple phrase, "they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" says so much about our lives and how we live them.  We frequently do not realize how much we sacrifice of our own integrity and personal salvation through the same way of being in the world.  Salvation is what is understood in Isaiah's prophecy as being healed by the Lord.  As mentioned in yesterday's reading, if we turn to the concept of theosis (that is, growing in likeness to God), we can understand more clearly how this division between seeking the praise of God on the one hand, or the praise of men on the other, inhibits our growth of the soul and our salvation.  In the Gospels, the crowds are presented as fickle.  One day they are praising Jesus and welcoming Him into Jerusalem as Messiah.  A few days later, "the crowd" will be stirred up by the religious leaders to demand His Crucifixion, and that Pilate free Barabbas instead (see Matthew 27:15-26).   "The crowd follows the crowd," my study Bible has commented.  In the understanding of the concept of theosis, we accept that, following the "ancestral sin" in the Garden of Eden, the world is beset by competing thoughts and impulses that would lead us off the path that God desires for us.  These intrusive thoughts are called logismoi in the Patristic tradition.  We are heir to an uncountable number of temptations to "miss the mark" (the literal meaning of the Greek word for "sin" in the Gospels).  As human beings we are all subject to these temptations, to the myriad ways in which we might be influenced by the crowds, by "men," in the language of the Gospels.   The collective passions of crowds may easily inflame and sweep us into the mob.  When we seek only to please those who may give us some form of honor, then we are at the mercy of their whims and desires.  To be fashionable or popular is not the end toward which Christ's light is meant to guide us.  No matter how we may conflate worldly success with salvation and God's favor, that is not the story of Jesus the Messiah.  Christ the Lord comes into the world to "save" precisely by giving us the light to guide us, rather than our seeking only the praise of men.  Indeed, in His grand critique of the Pharisees and scribes, it is chiefly their desire for the praise of men He will condemn as their hypocrisy.  He tells His disciples, "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men," and to the scribes and Pharisees He says, "For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation" (see the full chapter of Matthew 23).  More to the point, Jesus will contrast the world's ways of thinking and living with what He teaches.  At the Last Supper, as reported in St. John's Gospel, Jesus will tell the disciples, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19).  In His final prayer, He will say to the Father, "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John 17:14-16).  These examples in His teaching and in His final prayer illustrate the difference between seeking the praise of God and the praise of men as our focus in life, the thing we nurture and choose in the heart.  It is the crucible at the heart of the Gospel and the story of Jesus.  We are always asked to choose where our loyalty lies, for this is the spiritual battle at the heart of the world and the identity of our soul.

 

 

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!

 

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was till speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

 

- Matthew 17:1-13 

 

 Yesterday we read that from the time of St. Peter's confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan!  You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

 

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  After six days is an expression which counts the days between the separate events; therefore, this is the eighth day following St. Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, and Christ's first warning to the disciples of His Passion, suffering, death on the Cross, and Resurrection to come (see yesterday's reading, above).  The eighth day is one that indicates eternity, and the events and revelation manifest in today's reading reveals an eternal reality of Christ.  My study Bible comments that a high mountain is often a place of divine revelation in Scripture (Matthew 5:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 19:3, 23; Isaiah 2:3; 2 Peter 1:18).  

 

His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. My study Bible comments that, because God is light (1 John 1:5), the bright cloud (verse 5), the shining of Jesus' face like the sun, and the whiteness of his clothes, all demonstrate that Jesus is God.  In many icons this light is shown as a color which is beyond white, with a blue-white, ineffable color, meant to indicate its spiritual origin.  

 

 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  Here is another indication of the eternal nature of what is being revealed here, on this "eighth day."  Moses and Elijah lived at differing periods in history, and yet both appear here together, and speaking with Jesus.  Moreover, they are immediately recognizable to the disciples, as the St. Peter's response indicates.  All is known as they are known (1 Corinthians 13:12).  My study Bible comments that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- as Elijah did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  Their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  Moreover, the presence of Moses and Elijah represent the communion of saints (Hebrews 12:1), another aspect of an eternal reality, ever-present.  The experience of this reality will help the disciples to understand Jesus' words that "Elijah has come already" as referring to St. John the Baptist (verses 12-13).  My study Bible comments that their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5) refers to one who will come "in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17), rater than to Elijah himself.  St. Peter sees all this as a sign that the Kingdom has come.  Since he knows that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of the coming Kingdom, he asks to build booths (tabernacles), as was done at that feast, which serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.

 

 While he was till speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Here is another manifestation of an eternal reality:  the Holy Trinity is present in the voice of the Father, and the Holy Spirit in the bright cloud (as the one which shepherded the Israelites through the wilderness; see Exodus 13:21), and also in the dazzling light which surrounds Christ's person and overshadows the whole mountain.  My study Bible asks us to note that the Father does not say, "This has become my beloved Son," but rather, "This is My beloved Son" indicating that the divine glory they witness is Christ's by nature and from eternity past, long before Christ's Baptism and Transfiguration.  He is God's Son, fully sharing in the essence of the Father, "true God of true God" (Creed).  My study Bible further notes that the Transfiguration not only proclaims Christ's divine sonship, but also foreshadows His future glory when He as the Messiah will bring in the long-awaited Kingdom.  

 

 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.  For now, this messianic secret must remain just that, a secret, hidden from the world.  Once again, Jesus reminds them of His Passion to come, and notes that it follows also the coming of St. John the Baptist, the herald to the Messiah, the one who came in the "spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17).  

 

 The Transfiguration serves and has longed served the image of what it means to be saved.  Keep in mind that the original Greek for "transfiguration" is metamorphosis (μεταμόρφωσις).  Even in its use in English, this word implies transformation:  a deep transition.  In this case, Christ's Transfiguration is a manifestation of His true divine nature; the eternal reality of the Son of God is made manifest to the disciples.  Jesus is the God-man; He is fully human and fully divine.  But in a similar sense, human beings have been created by God, in God's image, in order to manifest their own likeness to God (Genesis 1:26).  The Transfiguration serves for us as Christians as the image of this process on human terms, which is called in the Greek theosis.  This means that through grace, by participation in the life and death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we also become "God-like."  We grow through this transfigurative process, through time, into our true likeness as we're created by God, to be "like God."  So the image of the Transfiguration serves for all of us as a kind of pattern of what happens to us as human beings through the influence of grace, and the energies of the Holy Spirit.  What Jesus is by nature becomes a part of our own identity through grace; this is called holiness.  Importantly, it is a lifelong process.  And for historical Christianity, this is also the process of salvation.  It is how we do as He has taught in yesterday's reading (see above).  We are to take up our own crosses, and follow Him, and this is the way our lives are transfigured.  For Eastern Christianity, the purpose of Christ's Incarnation was always to make this possible for human beings, and this is the meaning of salvation.  For as the human Jesus, even His flesh is glorified in the Ascension, and we are to follow Him.  Let us remember that the Transfiguration teaches us about eternal realities that are always true, have always been true, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  In Him, that eternal communion of saints awaits us all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath

 

 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck 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.

 

- Mark 2:23-3:6 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.  As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.  And He said to him, "Follow Me."  So he arose and followed Him.  Now it happened, as he was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.  And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."  The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting.  Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined.  But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

 

  Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck 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."   It's notable that this event occurred on the Sabbath, because, in some sense, even the Sabbath is transfigured through Christ.  In yesterday's reading, the conflict with the religious authorities (represented by the scribes) in some sense encompassed food, eating -- the discussion was about fasting, or rather, Christ's disciples lack of doing so.  Here the discussion evolves out of Christ's disciples eating on the Sabbath by plucking the heads of grain as they wen through the grainfields, and the criticism is that this is work and therefore violates the Sabbath rule.  But Jesus gives Old Testament examples of blameless violations of that Sabbath rule, emphasizing that, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  My study Bible comments that, under the new covenant, the food which was at one time not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat is now freely given to all by the Lord of the Sabbath.  This was prefigured by David giving the showbread ... to those who were with him.  

 

 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.  My study Bible says that, according to certain traditions the scribes and Pharisees had built up around the Law, healing was considered to be work, and so was not permissible on the Sabbath.  It says that they believed they served God by zealously keeping these peripheral traditions, but their legalism made them insensitive to God's mercy.  The text tells them that Christ looked around at them with anger.  My study Bible comments on this that righteous anger is a natural human emotion which is experienced in the face of sin.  While there is definitely sinful anger (Matthew 5:22), there is also anger that is God-given and proper to humanity (Psalm 4:4).  Christ's anger here is in response to people who profess God, yet have such hardness in their hearts that they cannot rejoice in the healing of one of their brothers.  

 

 In Christian theology, it has been said of Christ's Incarnation, "That which is not assumed is not healed. That which is united to God, that will be saved.  If half of Adam fell, also half will be taken up and saved. But if all [of Adam], all of his nature will be united [to God], and all of it will be saved" (St. Gregory Nazianzius, the Theologian).  What this means is that salvation works through union with Christ, thus giving the Incarnation its true meaning and power in terms of the salvation of the world, and, of course, of human beings.  Taken in another light, what we are to understand is that anything touched by Christ may be transfigured, used for God's purposes.  A strong example, as we mentioned in yesterday's reading and commentary, is the Cross.  The dreaded instrument of the cruelest Roman punishment, designated for the worst criminals, in the hands of God and through the touch of Christ, becomes the symbol for Resurrection, and in God's hands become the instrument that defeated death for all of us.  So, therefore, we can look at today's reading in terms of the effects of Christ's contact with human practices and meaning.  Christ is the One who points out to these religious leaders the blameless violations of the Sabbath incurred by David and his men; and He is also the One who declares the Law as the author of the Law, the Lord, who says here with authority, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."   In the second part of our reading, the observance of the Law advocated here by the Pharisees against Jesus is claiming healing is a violation of the Sabbath.  But if the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath, then Christ's question posed to them becomes more significant:  "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" We might as well be asking the purpose of the Law, for we know the purpose of salvation for which our Lord has come Incarnate into the world, and we know that He has called Himself the Physician (see yesterday's reading, above).  Salvation and healing are one and the same, whether we are speaking of the healing of the man with the withered hand, or the salvation of tax collectors and others who needed redemption.  All of this understanding of salvation is included in St. Gregory the Theologian's famous statement noted above.  In Christ's Incarnation as Jesus, we are given the gift of the divine touching the worldly and healing in every dimension, for this is salvation indeed.  Let us keep this in mind as we read through the Gospel of St. Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

He must increase, but I must decrease

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  

 

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies, and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22-36 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus continued to teach Nicodemus:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe in condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

  After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  In the following chapter, it's clarified that Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples were baptizing (see John 4:1-2).  

 

 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  John the Baptist is called the friend (meaning the "best man"), while Christ is the bridegroom.  My study Bible explains that the bride is the Church, the people of God.  Here John is confessing his role in the coming of the Messiah.  He is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and so he rejoices in that celebration.  

 

 "He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies, and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."  My study Bible comments that John expresses a humility that serves as an example for all believers.  His words express that he renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  In allowing Christ to increase in him, John thereby find true glory for himself.  My study Bible also claims that this statement further indicates the end of the old covenant -- for as the law vanishes, the grace of Christ abounds.  John's declaration is found in the liturgical calendar, as his birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), while Christ's birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25).

 

"The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  Here John echoes the teaching of Jesus (see John 3:18).  My study Bible asks us to note the absence of the word "alone" in this statement of faith.  According to St. John Chrysostom, "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

 

John's statement, "He must increase, but I must decrease" is a model statement for all monastics, and an encouragement to all believing Christians.  St. Paul expressed the same idea when he wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).   St. Paul has also written, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  In "decreasing" so that Christ "increases" within us, we encounter the notion of theosis, or deification.  This is a theological word which describes a human being, through Christian faith, becoming more like God.  This is not to say that we human beings can become like God in nature or substance, but rather that God shares God's grace with us.  In Orthodox theological language, God shares God's energies with us.  In St. John's Gospel, Jesus quotes from the Psalms, asking, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'?" (John 10:34; Psalm 82:6).  My study Bible comments that we are gods in that we bear Christ's image, not His nature.  But through grace (or divine energies), we are to become more like God.  We were made in accordance with human nature, but in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  Christ assumed our humanity, and, my study Bible says, even in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, this process of our own healing, of being renewed in God's image and likeness, was begun.  So therefore, those who are joined to Christ, through faith, in Holy Baptism, begin this process of "re-creation."  That is, being renewed in God's image and likeness.  In this sense, St. Peter writes that we become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).  This is our salvation, this healing in which all things come under the authority of Christ, and we become "children of God" in this sense of image and likeness.  John the Baptist hands off the old to the new covenant, as my study Bible says, and encapsulates this salvation memorably for all when he says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."  Christ is our Bridegroom, and we the Church, the faithful, are His Bride, to be joined to Him.  And therein is John's, and our, joy.