Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!

 

 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.   Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "  And they remembered His words.  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 

 

- Luke 23:56b—24:11 

 

Yesterday we read that it was about the sixth hour (noon), and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hand I commit My spirit.'" Having said this, He breathed His last.  So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!"  And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done,  beat their breasts and returned.  But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.   Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man.  He had not consented to their decision and deed.  He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.  That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.  And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid.  Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  

 

  Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.   Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.  The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath; that is, Sunday.  In the Christian tradition, this is called the Lord's Day, and it is the day of worship (Acts 20:7).  

 

 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  My study Bible comments that the stone is rolled away not to let the all-powerful Lord out, but in order to let us witness Christ's Resurrection.  

 

 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  These two men . . . in shining garments are angels.

 

 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen!  Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.' "   My study Bible comments that, in order to dispel any doubt, the angel confirms his message by recalling Christ's own words.  In calculating the third day, the first day is Friday, the day on which Christ died before sundown.  The second is Saturday, the Sabbath on which Christ rested in the tomb.  The third day, which begins after sundown on Saturday, is the day of Resurrection, Sunday.  

 

And they remembered His words.  Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.  My study Bible comments that certain patristic teachers say that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus, and this James was one of the twelve (Luke 6:15).  But most of the Fathers hold that this is the Virgin Mary, who was in fact the stepmother of a different James, "the Lord's brother" (see Matthew 13:55; compare Mark 15:40, 47).  In some icons of the Myrrhbearing Women, and in a hymn written by St. John of Damascus, it is sung, "The angel cried to the lady full of grace, 'Rejoice, O pure Virgin:  your Son is risen from His three days in the tomb."  

 

Why are women the first to hear the word of the Resurrection?  Indeed, in this account, they are the first to preach that Christ is Risen!  In the Church, these Myrrhbearing Women are also known as Apostles to the Apostles, for they are the ones who preach the word of Resurrection -- and tell of this good news -- to the apostles who are in hiding.  And why them, then?  Why these women?  These are the ones -- including Christ's mother, the Theotokos and Virgin Mary -- who have followed Him from Galilee, and been loyal to Him and supported Him all this time.  But I have read an interesting commentary in defense of the veracity of these Gospel accounts.  That starts, ironically, from the fact that it was men (in Christ's time) who were considered worthy witnesses.  Women were not generally considered to be reliable, or believable (as we can see confirmed in the reaction of the apostles to the news).  But this tends to lend credibility to the Gospel accounts, as it follows logically that if only men were seen as trustworthy witnesses, then an invented story would have used men as their witnesses.  St. Luke's Gospel, as we have repeatedly observed, pays close attention to the women involved in Christ's ministry, for we get a humane glimpse into their essential relationships with Christ, His sympathetic nature, and the values these women contribute.   Another traditional observation is that even as  the "first sin" began with the temptation of our maternal ancestor Eve, our fallen state is overcome in Christ when women are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection.  So let us be grateful for these women, the myrrh they bear to anoint Christ's body, God's angels who announce the good news to them, and the Gospels that give us this so very worthy story to cherish and to build our lives upon.  For God uses everything available to us to glorify even the least of these, the smallest things in our lives, and out of them to create monumental values that hold through the test of time and our faith.  We also may observe the care and especially mercy that is symbolized in the anointing of oil and myrrh, for in their love and charity, these women tell us what God's grace will repay with glorious anointing in return.  They are saints we may call upon even when dire circumstances and loss come upon us, to teach us about gracious behavior and the mercy that supersedes all authority as we practice our faith as well.  God works through human beings, God's angels, and all of creation to bring us the good news of His glory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am one who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

- John 8:12-20 

 

 Yesterday we read that on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.   Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  My study Bible explains that Jesus declares, "I am the light of the world" in the context of the great lamps being lit at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles.  Therefore, it says, He declares Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  In the Scriptures, God the Father Himself is light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), an attribute which is bestowed on God's followers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  Christ confirms this claim that He is the light of the world in the performing of the great sign of opening the eyes of a man born blind in our following chapter (John 9:1-7; note especially verse 5).  

The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am one who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Earlier in the Gospel, at the Feast of Weeks (also known as the Old Testament Pentecost, which celebrates the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, Jesus gave four witnesses to His identity (see this reading).  Here, He is again challenged by the Pharisees, and this time He gives two witnesses:  Himself and the Father.  Importantly, Jesus explains that His judgment is righteous because He does not judge according to the flesh; He does not judge according to appearance alone.  In Thursday's reading, Jesus said to them, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Why would His judgment be true, because if He were to judge, He is not alone, but with the Father who sent Him.  His bold statement here is that He bears witness of Himself, and the Father who sent Him bears witness of Him.

Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  My study Bible comments that because the Son and the Father share the same divine nature, one cannot be known apart from the other (John 14:7-11).  Christ's hour is the time of His Passion.  

The lectionary has skipped over a passage that begins chapter 8 of John's Gospel.  This is the story of the woman caught in adultery, and presented to Jesus in the temple as a kind of test to trap Him (see John 8:1-11).  This passage does not appear in several ancient manuscripts, and neither is it covered in the commentaries of St. John Chrysostom and some other patristic figures.   Perhaps it is for this reason that it is skipped over in the lectionary readings.  However, my study Bible comments, it is still sealed by the Church as inspired, authentic, canonical Scripture, and bears the same authority as all other Scripture.  But perhaps it is a good idea to take it in context, and specifically in the context of Christ's teachings in today's reading that He is the light of the world, and that His judgment is true because He does nothing without the Father's presence.   Perhaps the story of the woman caught in adultery is illustrative of that true judgment on the part of Christ, giving us a sense of the insight of God, and what it is to know true judgment.  But let us consider that in saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life," Jesus is offering us a path for our own righteousness.  He offers Himself as guide, the lamp that lights the way in the dark, the road to tread in life so that we also walk in the light of life.  This is related to the true judgment Jesus displays, for this is what His light for -- to help illumine our own potential for discernment and true or righteous judgment.  In John 14:6, Jesus proclaims that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and we should keep in mind that the word for way means also "road."  He is our path, the one that leads to the Father, to the illumination of our lives.  John's Gospel speaks to us of darkness and light, right from the beginning (John 1:1-9).  Darkness is a kind of ignorance that symbolizes evil, the things that are bad and harmful to life.  Jesus as the light of life directs us to life, and life more abundantly:  that would includes righteousness, true judgment, and a path to the Father, a way to walk through this world.  Is righteousness important to us?  Does illumination have meaning for us, and importance?  Is it significant as a worthwhile goal?  We can look around ourselves and see plenty of darkness.  Let us all the more deeply cling to His light, to show us the way to life, and life more abundantly, and to be a part of the light shining in the darkness of the world.

 

 

 

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left.  Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

 

- Matthew 24:32-44 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been telling His disciples about the end times.  In yesterday's reading, He taught them, "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you all beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will by no means pass away."  My study Bible says that this generation refers to all believers at all times; that is, to the generation of the Church, and not merely to those alive at the time of Christ.  

 

 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."  According to St. John Chrysostom, cited by my study Bible here, Christ tells of the angels being unaware of the exact day of His return "so that men should not seek to learn what angels do not know," and to forbid them not only from learning the day, but from even inquiring about it.  According to Mark 13:32, it adds, as well as in the Matthew text of St. Chrysostom, Jesus declares that the Son also does not know the day of His own return.  St. Chrysostom teaches that this is not to be understood literally, but rather is a figure of speech which means that Christ, although He revealed all the signs that will accompany His return, will not reveal the exact day to anyone -- and that believers should not be so brazen as to inquire of Him.

"But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  Then two men will be in the field:  one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill:  one will be taken and the other left."  Accompanying Christ's return will be a sudden revelation of judgment; these two events are inseparable one from the other.  One will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation, my study Bible says.  This separation of the saints from the wicked will occur at the coming of the Son of Man, and not at a time before His second coming.  

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  My study Bible says that the Lord's purpose in this discourse is not to make people experts on end-time prophecy.  Instead, it is so that they may watch and be ready, which is to continue in virtue and obeying Christ's commandments.  This warning is also illustrated in the parable of the returning master (which will be in the reading to follow; verses 44-51).

 In Jesus' talk of end times, He emphasizes surprise.  First He remarks that absolutely no one but the Father knows the day or the hour, the time of Christ's return.  But then He tells us that life will go on with people unsuspecting about what is to happen.  Certainly it seems that only those who understand His teachings will have any sense of this impending time; we're to watch for the greening of the shoots of the tree, so to speak.  That is, the signs of which He's spoken, which portend His return.  Most of the things He discusses are with us always, such as famines and pestilences, or warfare and earthquakes.  It may be that the time just feels more pressing.  Moreover, Jesus' teachings on end times are combined with the destruction that was to come in Jerusalem, as He clearly predicts the destruction of the temple that came with the Siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.  So our sense of Christ's return is combined with the extremely violent upheaval of the past, a destruction that marked the end of a great era and the beginning of a new which we might call modern history.  But when He returns, certainly -- as we remarked in yesterday's reading and commentary -- that will mark a new era indeed, which time itself seems to change and the world will shift in its realities, and this will be accompanied by Judgment.  That marks a complete shift in the realities of the world, where two women are illustration here as those who work side by side when one is taken and the other remains.  The same is true of the illustration of two men working in a field, where one is taken and the other is left.  What we consider normal relations will be entirely disrupted, a judgment will come that changes all things we understand.  In this we can seemingly take assurance, and so we are told to "watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."  And this remains His byword to us, to "watch."  We must keep alert and watchful, to obey His commandments, to follow as His disciples, to continue in the ways He has taught us even as we wait for Him to come.  It is in this way that we remain ready and vigilant, and those who watch will be the only ones who have possibly a sense that His return is coming, that judgment comes soon.  So in all things, we are prepared through one thing:  a focus on discipleship, on the cultivation of virtue, the following of His commands and teachings, and to understand that it is how we walk through this world that is most important.  Faith is important, but it is faith that is truly lived that He is looking for, faith in which we are told to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12); that is, with all care and sincerity, taking choices seriously for the value they are worth in the eyes of Christ.  Keep in mind that this is in the midst of a world of which we're told that "the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now" (Romans 8:22), and so what we are expecting is to be born into the fullness of the return of Christ, and this is the great and important emphasis here.   And it is important that we understand the return of Christ in this context; that the meanings within our lives are made all the more powerful and poignant through His teaching about His return, for we expect an even greater fullness of life.  This is why we are to watch and anticipate, because it is all linked to the life in abundance that Christ promises, and to miss what He offers in His teachings is to miss this promise of the fullness in His return.  But Christ warns us to be ready, to live our lives as He is taught, for the fullness of that life that awaits transfiguration is prepared and rooted there, in living faith.  In living His faith and commandments, in participating in His life, He teaches us how to live His love, and this is the ground of being.

Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."  And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

- Luke 17:20-37

In yesterday's reading, we were told that as He went to Jerusalem Jesus passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation, nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  My study bible tells us a couple of things about this passage.  First, that "with observation implies by external or tangible means measurable by man."  And second, that "the kingdom of God is an invisible, spiritual reality present within the Christian believer.  The Greek for 'within you' can also be translated 'among you' or 'in your midst.'  To eyes that see, the mystery of the Kingdom is a radiant spiritual glory throughout creation."  Either way we look at it (within you or among you), the implication in the Greek is for an internal kind of presence or reality.  In some ways, saying that this kingdom does not come with observation is also like the saying, "A watched pot never boils."  Looking for signs is not the way Jesus wishes us to pass our time!

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'  Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day."  My study bible tells us that "prior to Christ's Second Coming, Christians should not be misled by deceptive calls or signs.  The glorious return of Christ will be as evident as lightning."  I think it's important that we understand what He's saying here, as He's being very clear.  We're not supposed to chase after such prophesies -- because when He returns this change will be apparent to all immediately, all at once.  It will not be hidden, and it will not be secret.  That's not to be our focus!  Let's note the warning:  He knows His disciples (to whom He's speaking) will be longing to see Him again; He's warning them against a kind of temptation.

"But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man.  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."  A note here reads:  "These verses are a warning to be prepared.  The coming of Christ will be like a fire of judgment on many who are preoccupied with daily pursuits, but are oblivious of the things of God."  Here there's another twist on Jesus' warning that this kingdom won't come with observation, and that it is internal.  It's also a surprise -- or rather something that is taking place whether we are aware of it or not.  Our awareness here is the key.  But awareness doesn't mean an external "observation," as taught in the verses above.

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."  Of this passage, my study bible tells us:  "The absolute value of God's Kingdom requires urgent preparedness and decisive action to preserve one's life eternally."  There is a sort of echo here also of another phrase we find in the Gospels, in Luke's chapter 9:  "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  On His way to Jerusalem, He's now preparing them more urgently for the time when He will no longer be with them, and for the challenges of discipleship in the future.  The urgencies of this Kingdom and our part in it are being stressed by Jesus.

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  My study bible notes:  "This proverb used by Jesus signifies that His glorious return will come as inevitably and clearly as birds of prey can be seen from afar gathering around a carcass (see Matt. 24:28).  The disciples' question, Where, Lord?  seems to refer to Jesus' earlier words (vv. 34-36)."

Today's words seem to me to be rather mysterious, in the same way the Kingdom is "hidden in plain sight," to use a popular phrase.  Jesus teaches us about what is to come, and also about what is not to be.  We won't watch this Kingdom arrive "with observation."  It is "within us" -- this could be read also, "among us."  One way or another, it is an internal reality.   So how do we observe any of this?  Jesus seems to say that we don't.  We are supposed to be aware of it, and of the fact that it will come all of a sudden.  We also can't be prepared for Judgment, because we who may or may not be a part of this Kingdom live side by side, as close as we can be.  Despite our great longing for His return, all that we can do is be strong and be aware -- be mindful of His promise and know that when it comes we're not to look back.  There is a call here, also, for detachment -- a greater and more urgent appeal for the things of the Kingdom.  I suppose we could say that at that time it is important to understand how the Israelites were looking for liberation, looking to a liberator, the Messiah -- and in that desire we can see the desire for the revelation of this Kingdom in full.  But the disciples' longing for Him is tangible, and it is clear here to the heart of Jesus just how much they will long to see Him after His Resurrection and Ascension.  He knows what they will go through.  And He knows what we go through, what the Church in its entirety has gone through.  Our faith has to rest in His call for us to be mindful of the things of the Kingdom, of His return and its suddenness, of the fact that this Kingdom isn't coming with observation but is within us, among us.  We're to be prepared to make decisions for this Kingdom.  We don't know its full effects, and we don't know its Judgments.  We are only to be aware, and remember Him, and await in this way He teaches us to be alert to the Kingdom's meanings and values and choices.  In the phrase, "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it," we're given an even more powerful message, and to the point.  Not for the first time has Jesus spoken like this, but this is in a new context.  Let us remember the choices that come first, more urgently.  Let us know what we are about.  We bear the Kingdom within us; He's counting on us to be His presence in the world until His return.