Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother

 

 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, 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.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  

 

While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."   But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 

- Matthew 12:43-50 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus continued in His confrontation with the Pharisees who had accused Him of casting out demons by the power of the ruler of the demons.  He told them, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."  But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks  after a sign and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here."

 

  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, 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.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."   My study Bible comments that when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt, they did not repent of their impure ways, and an unclean spirit took up residence in their hearts (Deuteronomy 31:20; Psalm 106:34-39.  So, therefore we guard our hearts.  My study Bible adds that unless there is full repentance and the Holy Spirit dwells in a person, an expelled demon will return with others and occupy its abode.  

 

 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."   But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."  Christ's relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission, my study Bible explains.  Christ points to a spiritual family which is based on obedience to the will of My Father.  In tradition usage among the Jews (and still today across the Middle East), brother could indicate any number of relations.  Abram referred to his nephew Lot as "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz called his cousin Elimelech his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).   In this context we understand that Christ had no blood brothers, as Mary had only one Son:  Jesus.  These brothers He refers to are either stepbrothers (that is, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or they are cousins.  As additional evidence of this, we know that Jesus committed His mother to the care of St. John ("the disciple whom He loved") at the Cross (John 19:25-27).  Such a thing would have been unthinkable if Mary had other children of her own to care for her.  

 

 Jesus points to a community, and more than a community, when He speaks of His brother and sister and mother in today's reading.  He extends community into even closer relationship by such references as those terms in speaking of "whoever does the will of My Father in heaven."  Often in modern understanding, we fail to grasp correctly what sacrifice was in the context of ancient religions.  A sacrifice was a communal meal, in which the community shared their goods not just with one another, but with their God (or gods).  In the Jewish context, this was the point of the sacrifices in the temple, as it was in pagan cultures as well.  The whole point was community and the relations within the community; in the Jewish context this meant the covenant with Yahweh, but also the ameliorating of the effects of sin on and within the community.  But from ancient times, human beings did not rely upon blood nor physical kinship to determine community; more common was a common code or creed, linked to worship, which determined customs and norms.  Families were a building block of such societies with these community bonds.  In this context Jesus speaks of His mother and sister and brother as those who do "the will of My Father in heaven."  This serves to underscore the deep need we have in today's societies through our own worship and communion in Christ.  His own sacrifice on the Cross -- His body and blood -- serves literally and figuratively as Communion, our communal meal (see Matthew 26:26-29; John 6:50-59).  Today people often find common interest, political affiliation, physical family gathering according to blood, even DNA, national identity, and other types of shared participation to define themselves in the world.  But Christ here offers us something which He tells us is deeper than DNA, deeper than family kinship -- or perhaps more significant in spiritual terms that define who we are and give us a heritage He offers, and that is to be committed to doing the will of our Father in heaven.  This becomes our communion, in which we find brothers, sisters, mothers, as we follow Christ.  It is meant to be a bond of love, for God is love, and this is the bedrock of our existence as God's creatures.  We may look in a million different places to find kinship, a community, a sense of belonging.  But ultimately Christ offers us a love that surpasses and transcends all else, even when all else may let us down, or worse, lead us astray.  For we are not merely flesh and blood; we are also souls.  Without the soul, there is no life in the body.  See also Matthew 16:26.  In Christ, then, we find our community, in this common bond seeking to do the Father's will.  We know of His love for us, His sacrifice for us, and for the life of the world.  Let us root ourselves in His communion, for the reality of God who is love, and God's grace, is the solid bedrock upon which we wish to build our lives.

 

 

 

Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you

 

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  

 

When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  

 

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  

 

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  

 

And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 

- Mark 5:1–20 

 

Yesterday we read that, when evening had come, Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 

  Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  The country of the Gadarenes, according to my study Bible, was in Galilee, in an area with many Gentiles living among the Jews.  This man's behavior is the result of demonic influence and demon-possession; we observe that his life and his behavior exemplify chaos, delusion, and self-destruction.

 

 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.   The unclean spirit recognizes Christ, by now a familiar occurrence in St. Mark's Gospel.  Let us note that this comes in response to a command by Christ to come out of the man.  The pitiful state of the man is attributable to a Legion of demons.

 

 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  The large herd of swine is more evidence of Gentile populations living among the Jews, as swine were considered unclean for Jews.  Once again we note the effect of the demons, to create violent and self-destructive behavior even collectively in the herd of about two thousand swine.  

 

 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.   My study Bible comments that Gentile influence on the Jews caused many of them to take on Gentile practices, such as raising swine, which was forbidden by Law.  While there are those who say these people, who plead with Christ to depart from their region, are Gentiles, it's more likely they are apostate Jews engaged in a practice forbidden by the Law (see Deuteronomy 14:8).   Note that these people's response to the healing of this formerly demon-possessed man is similar to the cold hard-heartedness of the Pharisees at the healing of the man with the withered hand.  Their concern is with the swine, and the commercial value of what they have lost -- and they respond to the man's healing with fear.  

 

 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  This shows Jesus' marvelous effect on our lives.  Not only does He heal the man, but because this man can no longer return to where he was, Jesus gives him a new mission in life, and equips him to go home to those who are his friends.  

 

Christ's effect of resurrection in our lives may not always be obvious to us, but it's important to  note and to understand the reality of it at work in today's reading.  If we note this terrible state of the man who is demon-possessed, we can hardly help but understand just how dismal a prospect he was.  Possessed by a self-professed Legion of demons, we might ask ourselves how on earth he would have survived such a predicament.  Indeed, one comment in my study Bible notes that his very survival shows God's care for human beings, as we can see by the death of the swine once the demons enter into them; the man was still in some way protected from such a fate.  According to commentary by Father Stephen De Young, to be demon-possessed in the sense of this man is only possible first through some sort of participation, a form of invitation to this activity, on the part of the man in the first place.  Given the pagan environment of the time and place in our reading, such participation (perhaps in pagan temple worship rituals) would not have been hard to come by.  But this backdrop to the story adds to our understanding of Christ and His mission, and the story of this demon-possessed man.  We might still presume him to be Jewish, and to have participated in things influenced by such practices, just as the raising of swine teaches us about these (presumed) Jews engaging in a practice forbidden by Law but for profit among the Gentiles.  Of course, if they had welcomed the liberation of this demon-possessed man from his Legion of demons, they, too, would be welcome among Christ's followers.  Today's reading foreshadows the coming into the Church of the Gentiles, but it tells us more about Christ's saving work.  We are saved by the power of Christ from what's not good for us, what is destructive and malicious.  But we, also, make choices as to whether or not we participate in the energies of those forces which would perpetuate evil, and be destructive to human beings and even to the life of creation, such as the swine.  We make choices as to what we allow, regarding the things in which we choose to participate, even what we welcome or reject (such as the healing of this man).  Our lives here in the world are in a sense "in the middle" of things we can't see, but among which we nevertheless choose.  Let us carefully align with the beautiful and healthful, and forego a short-term gain for the great things which God offers in their place.  For Christ's power of resurrection is at work in the life of this formerly demon-possessed man, and so it can be also in ours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed

 

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them. 

 

 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

 

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.   When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. 

 

 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. 

 

- Mark 1:29–45 

 

On Saturday, we read that after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

  Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  My study Bible comments that this passage and 1 Corinthians 9:5 (in which Peter is called Cephas) tell us that Peter was married.  Additionally, it notes that Christ's healing miracles are diverse.  Here, He heals by touch; at other times He heals with a word (Matthew 8:13).  This healing is immediate and complete; others are gradual (Mark 8:22-25) or need the cooperation of the person being healed or that person's loved ones (Luke 8:54-55).  

 

  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Once again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we note St. Mark's repeated emphasis on what is called the Messianic Secret, as He did not allow the demons to speak.  That is, the heretofore kept secret of Jesus' identity as Christ, the Messiah.  

 

 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.   When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next town, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in the synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study Bible comments that Jesus sets forth for us an example of spiritual life.  Although He is God incarnate, Jesus prayed continually, and frequently found a solitary place in order to be free from distraction.  This is despite the multitude's need of Him.  Christ's ministry comes forth from His communion with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, and from there flows to the people in their needs.  Christ's praying in the morning shows us that we must put as first priority our commitment to God, and after that we will be equipped to serve others.  

 

  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.   My study Bible tells us that the biblical law concerning leprosy is found in Leviticus 13 and 14.  Deuteronomy 24:8 gives us a description of the purification of lepers and leprous houses, which was a duty entrusted to the priests.  It says also that leprosy was considered to be a direct punishment for sins, and as lepers were unclean, they were not permitted to live in the community or to worship in synagogues or the temple.  To touch the unclear was forbidden (Leviticus 7:21), however Jesus touched the leper, expressing His compassion, and showing that He is not subject to the Law but over it.  My study Bible comments that to the clean, nothing is unclean (Romans 14:14; Titus 1:15).

 

In today's reading, we receive the clear message that there is a type of warfare going on behind the scenes, so to speak, in our world.  That is, there are unclean spirits, demons, created beings of a spiritual nature who are in opposition to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  These are beings created as angels, but as Scripture illustrates in various places, they have chosen to oppose the plans of God.  Most particularly this oppositional force is focused on human beings.  As we can see, Christ Himself is the divine Son, He is God, and therefore they are powerless to oppose Him.  All forms of healing seem to be seamlessly mixed with Christ's power to cast out the demons.  Often it is the demons who cause disease or illness in the Gospels, but their effects may be many and quite varied.  What we find in today's reading is interesting for its revealing of the recognition by the demons of who Jesus is.  Just as in yesterday's reading, they are subject to Christ's commands ("Be quiet . . . !"); in today's reading, we're told, He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Besides the fact that this Messianic Secret must be kept, besides the fact that all things in Christ's ministry must unfold in accordance with the Father, and therefore the revelation of His identity as Christ must come later, there might be another reason why we should take it seriously that Jesus forbids the demons or unclean spirits from speaking.  In Christ's time practices calling on such spirits or demonic powers were widespread.  Indeed we read in the Bible of prophesy or divination or magic or other practices by all kinds of means, and always with demonic influence of one kind or another involved.  We, in our modern sense of history without context, may completely underestimate how common such involvement was, for even the pagan gods that were worshiped were considered to be a part of these spiritual forces in opposition to the Holy Trinity and the other spiritual powers (or angels of various types) loyal to God.  Therefore, when we read that Christ forbade the demons or unclean spirits from speaking, we should consider that this is a powerful message in the context of these warring spiritual powers who also contest for human involvement in such practices.  That is, in terms of the practice of ritual magic, or even the common pagan worship of Christ's time, and many other such practices, there is a subtle message here that even if the demons seem to know something that is true, we as followers of Christ are never to go there.  Even with true information, such as that Jesus is the Christ, it's God's will that is supreme and that we must seek -- for all of salvation must work not in accordance with any random acts or bits of information, but for a specific pattern that unfolds in the right way and the right time (as we discussed in yesterday's commentary).  These sorts of practices that involve arcane knowledge or magic of one type or another are misleading at best, often causing trouble to those who practice or seek it, and leading to bad ends, especially involving people in evil they don't understand.  It's important that in our time we take this seriously, for there are all kinds of ways in which popular culture seems to take on a veneer of interest and curiosity in such practices under their many guises, and for varied reasons given.  Jesus' commands to the demons tell us not only who is the more powerful, but also give us the message of separation.  There is no compromise with evil.  Our God is not who we manipulate or coerce to do us favors.  The God we worship is the One who needs nothing from us, who loves us, and who offers us salvation instead, and shows us the way to walk in the light.  Let us not be tempted by the dark, but seek God's will only in all that we do, first.  Jesus shows us the way by starting everything with prayer.  Such manipulative practices as discussed above seek specific outcomes, view life in material terms alone.  A modern materialist mindset would tend to view outcomes as the one important value:  Christ's healings, for example.  But Christ begins with solitary time in prayer with God first, for this is our Source for all things, including which outcome is important and when.  For we can't know what God knows, but we can always seek God's will as Christ does.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand

 

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

 

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

 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  

 

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

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

 

  Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant, preparing people for Christ, had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ had come into the world, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  To repent, my study Bible explains, is to do a total "about-face."  This word in Greek (μετανοια/metanoia) literally means to "change one's mind."  To repent means a radical change of spirit, mind, through, and heart.  That is, a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  This is an ongoing, continuing lifetime effort, not a one-time decision.  

 

  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.   The first disciples of Jesus had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so they were prepared to accept Christ immediately (see John 1:29-51).  My study Bible comments that although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land" called by Jesus will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught  them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   My study Bible asks us to note that the word immediately occurs almost forty times in St. Mark's Gospel, and nearly all of these occur before the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  This sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem in order to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world, it says, helps to make St. Mark's account not only the shortest, but also the most direct of the four Gospels.  Let us note that Christ's preaching (and healing as per the verses that follow) begins on the Sabbath, which will be His practice through His ministry.  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that thus "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  Jesus speaks with authority, and thereby astonishes the people, as He contrasts with the scribes.  That is, unlike the prophets of old and the teachers of His day who taught in the third person ("The Lord says"), my study Bible explains, Christ taught in the first person ("I say to you").  See also Matthew 5.

 

 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  As Jesus performs this exorcism, He commands the unclean spirit to "Be quiet . . . !"  This begins to teach us about what is called the "Messianic Secret."  My study Bible comments that Our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It notes the following reasons for secrecy:  First, the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders.  Second, the people's misunderstanding of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, the Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith which is not based only on marvelous signs.  

 

 In St. Mark's Gospel, as my study Bible comments, the word immediately occurs nearly forty times, almost each one before Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It notes that this seemingly conveys the great urgency and purpose of Jesus' mission.  Given that we understand that Christ's public ministry began when He was thirty years old, we might question why He seemingly waited so long.  If this mission was that urgent, if the power of God at work was going to be so explosively fast in some sense, why did He not start earlier as a younger Man?  Why did no one else know this -- except possibly His mother?  See John 2:1-12; also Luke 1, 2; Matthew 2).  It's important also, in this context, to note how St. Mark is careful (as my study Bible points out) to say that St. John the Baptist was arrested first, prior to Jesus' public ministry of preaching and teaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath.  So these things both point toward a similar conclusion, that with God, we could say, timing is everything.  Jesus begins today's reading by declaring, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand."  Christ's mission and urgency is deliberate, just as His choosing to publicly preach and teach begins carefully after St. John the Baptist's ministry, after Christ's Baptism by John, and the revelation of the Holy Trinity which took place at that event (see yesterday's reading, above).  While we could make the mistake of saying that these things happen this way "because it was prophesied" (which it was), we'd be better off understanding that the prophecy is a gift from God revealing what things would be:  that there first would be one who was the messenger of the Messiah, His herald, who would be a "voice crying in the wilderness" (see Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3).  But the timing and planning of such things does not occur because they were prophesied, but because those who fulfill the prophecies are acting in accordance with the Holy Spirit, obeying the will of God as they are given that -- and, in particular, we note for this topic, in the time it is given to them to do so.  Jesus, we observe, spends much time in prayer, and in particular just prior to new directions that occur in His ministry.  He does not immediately go to Jerusalem and announce Himself to the world as the Messiah, even though this is the truth about Him.  Neither does He spend time making this declaration in public during His ministry.  Everything must unfold in a particular way -- and in this context, we come to the Messianic Secret.  My study Bible has given reasons (see above) for this secret, and why Christ's ministry must evolve in the way that it does.  This understanding of the Messianic Secret is an important component in the story we read in St. Mark's Gospel, and we must also keep it in mind.  Rather than declaring Himself to be the Messiah, the unclean demon in today's story declares who Christ is:  "I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!"  It's almost as if the unclean spirit didn't quite perceive this until Jesus was right there in the synagogue with the person out of whom would come that spirit.  This strange limitation of the unclean spirits is something to consider in the story of Jesus, and especially in the power of the Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection to defeat Satan.  But this, also, is part of the importance of God's time, and how things evolve in the Gospel stories, and in the stories of the Church that would follow, such as in the Book of Acts of the Apostles.  In Ecclesiastes 3, we read a consideration of the mystery of God's unfolding work, and of the importance of time, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."  In 2nd Corinthians, St. Paul quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you" (2 Corinthians 6:2; Isaiah 49:8).  In urging the Corinthian believers to be true to Christ and to make important choices now necessary, St. Paul tells them, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus begins preaching in His hometown of Nazareth by reading from the prophecy of Isaiah:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1-2).  Let us note that in all of these circumstances we can discuss, of Christ's ministry and its various turning points, in beginning His public ministry, and even the beginning and end of the ministry of St. John the Baptist, the timing for each is essential to God's purpose and the proper carrying out and evolution of such missions.  For the purpose of the time of our lives is, in effect, to dedicate our use of time -- in addition to all else -- to God, to seek God's purposes and God's "acceptable" time.  The mission and ministry of Jesus bears that out, the Church bears that out.  The seeking of God's will and guidance cannot be separate from our understanding of the proper use of our time.  For that, we always turn to prayer, for our lives can't properly be lived, in this sense, without it.  What is appropriate at one time and for one person may not be God's calling for another.  Let us be immediate in seeking to fulfill God's purpose, in God's acceptable time, as best we can discern.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

 

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. 

 

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to the disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  

 

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

- Luke 9:37-50 

 

Yesterday we read that, about eight days after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ of God, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 

  Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  As Jesus is just returning from the mountain of the Transfiguration together with James, John, and Peter, the disciples who were attempting to cast out the spirit were the other nine left behind.  

 

Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  My study Bible comments that while the disciples' faith was incomplete (Matthew 17:19-20), Christ's rebuke is also to the crowds, whose faith was weaker still (see Mark 9:22-24). 

 

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to the disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  My study Bible remarks here upon Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion.  It says that this was meant to encourage and strengthen His disciples for the terrifying events that they would faith -- and also to assure them that Christ was not powerless but went to the Cross willingly. 

 

 Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Perhaps because of Christ's warnings which the disciples do not understand, they believe that a worldly kind of kingdom will manifest for Christ; so they dispute among one another which one would be greatest in that kingdom.  Jesus points to a little child to correct their thinking.  Jesus emphasizes humility and gracious service as the key to greatness among His disciples in His Kingdom.

 

Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."   My study Bible comments that Theophylact sees John's comment as regret, as his conscience was pricked by what Christ said about the least and the great.  But, on the other hand, St. Ambrose of Milan see John as expecting full obedience to accompany such blessings.  Christ's response, my study Bible says, shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact is quoted:  "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

 

 Today's reading begins with a father desperate to save his son from the spirit that harms the child.  He has gone to the disciples to cast it out, and they cannot.  Jesus' response to this scene He comes upon from the Mount of Transfiguration is to say, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?"  Jesus then rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.   It's important that we know that Jesus has just returned from the Transfiguration, in which it was revealed to the disciples on no uncertain terms that Jesus is God; as such, this scene coming upon the heels of that event is significant in its juxtaposition.  We don't all know God's will clearly and concisely; a great revelation -- a Theophany, or revelation ("manifestation") of God -- has just been given to Peter, John, and James.  This is, of course, a rare and exceptional event that teaches about the true reality of Christ as Son of God.  But coming down from the mountain, the encounter with the people returns us back to our state of daily worldly life.  We simply don't know God fully; we are full of doubt and fear when we have troubles, and we don't have certainty.  Some would interpret this scene to say that all we need to do is have enough faith in what we are praying for, and it will happen for us.  But we are forgetting, then, that our faith is not about magic.  It's not about special incantations that "work" one way or another.  It's not even really about us; it's about Christ.  What faith must do for us is not to convince ourselves of the inevitability of the outcome for which we pray.  Faith is not about putting faith into what we want per se as if all of our desires define all possibilities of life.  Faith is about trust in Christ.  Let us note that this healing is framed as a spiritual battle, wherein the people and the disciples could not fully trust God in the struggle.  In the scene that follows, Jesus once again asserts to the disciples that He will suffer.  He says, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  We know Christ goes voluntarily to His death; and yet, in the garden of Gethsemane, He will pray, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  We see His natural human abhorrence of death expressed in a prayer we can all understand, and yet He prays, "Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  This is trust, and this is faith, that we give our problems to God to find God's way through them.  We pray for what we deeply desire, but keep our hearts in faith that there is so much more that we don't know.  We don't understand why God allows things we call evil to happen.  We don't understand why God allows suffering, and we see so much suffering in our world.  We don't understand why God allows evil in our world, for the evil one, the devil, to continue in influence.  We know the defeat of the devil is in Christ, and the power of Christ, but we still live in the place where we human beings are the battlefield, and we are invited into the midst of this struggle.  We know that death is not the end, but that life in Christ is eternal.  And so, the devil's defeat is done -- and yet conditions in our world still render us in a struggle with temptation and sin and all that goes with it.  A friend is deeply struggling with an ill child.  It seems like things get better, only to take a step backward later, and it truly seems like this affliction works like a demon.  But the power of God is something we should remember as always present.  Regardless of this child's suffering, God has allowed a circumstance in which great glory is on display in my friend as a father, for his love shines through, and the strength of his child shines through.  There are so many people he has gathered together in prayer and care, his love has magnified across a great swathe of people who pray and who follow the illness of this child.  Of course, we don't know the outcome.  But one thing is quite certain, if even Jesus prays, "Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done," then so this should also accompany our prayers and our love.  For God's vision is always beyond ours, and our blessings are things we don't necessarily know nor grasp.  When Jesus teaches us about faith, this is what we need to remember:  that the God who loves us is the God who brought defeat of death about through death, that even the suffering of Crucifixion made possible through faith the glory of Resurrection shared and offered to us all.  Let us remember what faith is, even in the worst of times, and add faith in God to all that we do and desire.  Finally in our reading today, the disciples dispute and wish to be the greatest.  But Jesus must set them straight on exactly what greatness is, and it's not on the world's terms.  Neither is it on their terms, there are others who act in His name who do not follow with them.  The final lesson in our reading remains that of humility before God.  Let us know that even when God's outcome is not the one that we desire or expect as "good," we will find we are blessed nonetheless through the struggle in our faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men

 

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

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

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  

 

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

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

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare the people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ came, the time of preparation was fulfilled.  To repent, my study Bible says, is to do a total "about-face."  In Greek, the word translated as repentance (μετανοια/metanoia) means literally to "change one's mind."  My study Bible adds that repentance is a radical change of one's spirit, mind, thought, and heart.  That is, a complete reorientation to a life centered in Christ.  This is a lifetime endeavor, not a one-time choice.  

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  My study Bible comments that these first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist and were prepared to accept Christ immediately.  Although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion (as opposed to the leadership in the temple), these "people of the land" whom Jesus calls will be revealed at Pentecost to the be the wisest of all. 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.   My study Bible tells us that the word immediately occurs nearly forty times in Mark's Gospel, nearly all of these occurrences before our Lord's entrance into Jerusalem.  It says that the sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journeys toward Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make Mark's account not only the shortest but also the most direct of all four Gospels.

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  My study Bible observes Christ's command to the unclean spirit to be quiet.  It explains that our Lord's refusal to fully disclose His identity as Messiah is foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  It gives the following reasons for secrecy:  First, there is the growing hostility of the Jewish leaders; second, the people misunderstand the Messiah as an earthly, political leader.  Finally, our Lord's desire is to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs. 

Christ's casting out of the unclean demon is a sign of the spiritual warfare that is always going on unseen by us on worldly terms.  But this is yet another expression of an idea we explored in yesterday's reading, in which Christ's temptation in the wilderness served as a picture of the world.  Yesterday, we quoted from my study Bible, which noted that the wilderness (into which Christ was "thrown" by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan) is a battleground, an image of the world, both the dwelling place of demons and a source of divine tranquility and victory.  Here, Christ's first bold public act is the casting out of a demon, an exorcism.  We should note that the demon knows full well who Christ truly is, "the Holy One of God!"  It gives us a clue about the demonic, that demons do not act out of ignorance, as human beings so often do, and it gives us a clue about judgment, and the time that we human beings are given in this world for repentance.  In essence, right from the beginning, Christ's Incarnation, and of course His public ministry, is all about revelation, exposing or uncovering the spiritual reality of the kingdom of heaven in our midst, but also of the demonic at work.  So, we should not be surprised that as persons and communities we so often find ourselves torn between these choices that can't really reconcile with one another.  So often we seek a compromise in our lives, but when challenges to our faith arise there are times when we simply cannot cross that line.  Thus the history of Christianity is filled with martyrs and confessors, those who have suffered for their faith.  When Jesus teaches (as we shall read) with such drastic sayings such as, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it" (Mark 8:35), or "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:37), He's talking about the times when we must make such choices.  Perhaps He puts it into clear context when He says, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).  The demons have chosen one way, a rebellion against God, and they have done so within an entirely different context than straying human beings, for they are not human.  We, on the other hand, as human beings are born into a world where we must make choices often as steps to learn, one way or the other, from our mistakes and failures, but also from the joy that comes from serving the Lord, and the peace we may find therein.  We must pause to reflect that in the Greek, the word for "disciple" literally means "learner," and this greatly differentiates us from the demons.  Time is an important concept of our identities as human beings, for it is this living in time, moment to moment, which gives us the sense in which life is a journey, but in spiritual terms for us, it is a journey of the capacity for repentance, to change, to change our minds, to grow.  In this understanding is the mission of Christ:  He brings His light into the world in order for us, and for our world on so many levels, to be transfigured, to become more like Him, to find His "way" for us.  In today's reading, Jesus tells the fishermen, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  Here in Christ's words we find a great illustration of what it means to be transfigured into the people Christ calls us to be:  they are fishermen, but He will make them become fishers of men, of people.  His light will transfigure their lives, change them, and they will become something richer and deeper, who they are called to be in His name.  We live in a world of perplexing choices, complicated chances, strange coincidences, and one that demands of us faith.  But we must know ourselves enough to understand that as human beings, we are made for worship, and so we must choose carefully Who and what that is, what we will serve and what we put first.  It is Christ who calls us by our true name, who gives us true meaning.  Who will you follow? 

 

 

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 

 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.  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."     Beelzebub (or Baʿal Zebub) was a name given to a pagan god (Baal or Ba'al, meaning Lord) which derided the god of the pagan worshipers.  Ba'al shrines or places of worship were frequently given names to denote a specific "Ba'al" for a place or a specific characteristic.  For example, Baʿal Ugarit was the name of the patron god of the city of Ugarit, or  Baʿal Shamem was "god of the heavens."  In this case Beelzebub is a rendering of a name coined by the Jews belittling this god of the pagans, and it means "Lord of the flies" or the dungheap.  Here in this criticism of Jesus this name is used as a direct reference to Satan.  A sign, my study Bible comments, is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12). 

 

"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."  My study Bible explains here that the strong man is Satan, who holds sway over the fallen human race.  The stronger than he 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."  My study Bible comments that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  Those who work in opposition to Christ are different from those who work in good faith toward His purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see Luke 9:46-50).  Quoting from St. Seraphim of Sarov, my study Bible says that 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."  The unclean spirit, according to my study Bible (citing the commentary of St. John Chrysostom) refers to the rebelliousness cast out of the Jews by the Old Testament prophets in order to prepare them to receive Christ.  Those who refuse to receive Him are left open to the wickedness of seven other spirits or demons

How do we think of Christ the stronger Man?  We're to understand from today's reading the "unseen battle" that goes on all the time, a spiritual battle for hearts and minds.  In the Orthodox tradition, it is understood that we, as human beings, may participate in what are called the energies of God.  That is, the ways that God dwells in the world and works in the world, the things of God that are shared with us, like the working of the Holy Spirit, also called the Spirit of God in the Gospels (Matthew 12:28).  We understand these energies also as grace, or God's mercy.  They are the ways that God shares His life with us, through which we may participate in that life.  This happens through prayer, through worship, through al the things we do in the name of our faith.  But in another sense, we can share also in energies that are called demonic.  This is not to give the demonic substance, for it is simply considered to be parasitical.  But, as Jesus puts it here, it is that which is in opposition to God, which works among us human beings in order to oppose God.  As Jesus says, He is the stronger man, and there is none that can oppose God, none that is stronger than God.  But that which is demonic can tempt us, keep us away from God, as the devil tries to do in Luke 4:1-13.  We can look at the activity of the demons in the Gospels and it all seems quite cruel and harmful to human beings, from the young boy with convulsions (Mark 9:22; Luke 9:42) to the demoniac tormented by a Legion of merciless demons, who must live among the tombs (Luke 8:26-38).   To participate in the activity of demons by actions such as cruelty, torment, mercilessness, or lies, deceptions, and manipulation (Revelation 22:14-17) is to participate in demonic energies; this is the the traditional way that spiritual warfare has been understood in the Church.   Whichever "way" we choose, we participate in those unseen forces of the strong man who rules this world, whom Christ came to displace.  It's also important to notice in today's reading that Jesus indicates we don't stand still or stay in one state when we choose one way, but without repentance, or change of mind, we continue down that road ("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").  One thing is clear, Jesus has called upon us to follow Him, to participate in His life and His energies, His mercy, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in us as temples of God.  St. Paul writes, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Let us play our part allied with the stronger Man and His angels and saints, for we enter into a wide communion, a great cloud of witnesses, and we have been invited into this struggle by our Lord who wants us with Him.  Let us gather with Him.

 

 

 

 

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

 

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. 

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. 

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great.   Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

- Luke 9:37–50 

 

 Yesterday we read that it came to pass, about eight days after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus' prophesy about His Crucifixion and the way of the Cross, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.   

 

Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.   My study Bible comments on this passage that while the disciples' faith was incomplete (Matthew 17:19-20), Christ's rebuke ("O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?")  is also to the crowds, whose faith was weaker still.  (See Mark 9:22-24, in which the father of the child pleads, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!")

 

 And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.   My study Bible says that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen the disciples for the terrifying events that they would face -- and also to assure them that Christ was not powerless, but went to the Cross willingly. 

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great.   Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."   Here Jesus begins to instruct the disciples on how He desires "greatness" among them in His Church to come.  The key to this teaching is grace and humility, even in receiving a little child in Christ's name.  In so doing, we receive Christ, and we receive the Father who sent Him.  Regarding John's comment, my study Bible cites Theophylact, who sees John's comment as regret, his conscience being pricked by what Christ has said about the least and the great.  On the other hand, it notes, St. Ambrose sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany these blessings.  In either interpretation, Christ's response indicates that all acting in good faith are not excluded, even if not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples" (see also Numbers 11:24-30).  On those who use Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.  

Faith plays a great role in today's reading, as we begin with a story of healing in which the crowd's faith is challenged directly by Jesus.  He says, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?"  Jesus has come down from the Mount of Transfiguration (together with the disciples Peter, James, and John) to find this crowd and a dispute:  the other disciples were asked to heal a child, and they could not.  So, the father of the child brings his case before Jesus, and Christ's words addressed to the crowd and their lack of faith are the result.  It's almost like a signal about the change happening in Christ's ministry at this point, and it coincides with His now second warning to the disciples that follows, that they need to "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  Notice that Jesus insists that they hear this, even as the crowd marvels at the healing that is finally done for the man and his son, and they were all amazed at the majesty of God.   The disciples fail to take in Christ's words:  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.   But even though they can't consciously perceive nor process, perhaps, what is happening, there is a subtle shift nonetheless.  Amidst the great revelation of the Transfiguration in yesterday's reading, and the stunning healing of the boy by Jesus (and casting out of the demon) before the crowd, there is something distinctly turning toward a different end than perhaps they -- or anyone else except Jesus -- would expect.  And then in that change that has begun happening, faith perhaps paradoxically begins to take on even more importance than has been given even in Christ's teaching until now.  Here is the place where the disciples will need to grow their faith more than ever, for Jesus will not be with them for all time -- not in the worldly sense, anyway, and not in the sense in which He can come and effect a  healing which they failed to perform.  For now with His second warning of what is to come in His earthly life at the Crucifixion, the disciples will need to be prepared to carry on this work they've begun in their first apostolic mission (Luke 9:1-6), in their roles as disciples, and in taking up the mantle of authority in His Church which is to come.  Faith will need to play an even greater role, as it must for us today, when Christ is no longer with them as the human Jesus, their Lord and Teacher.   As the disciples begin to understand that something great will happen at Jerusalem, they begin to dispute who will be the greatest.  Perhaps the immediacy of the presence of the Kingdom is something that's been communicated to them about the experience of Peter, James, and John on the mountain at the Transfiguration.  Perhaps Christ's words that He will be betrayed sparks expectations of a sort of confrontation in which they cannot imagine Christ would not be victorious in an earthly sense of power or authority.   But couple these expectations and lack of understanding with Jesus' startling teaching on humility as the sign of greatness, that it is the least among them all who would be great, presents yet a greater demand for faith.  It is a teaching impossible to carry out and to serve without it.   Finally, there is Christ's teaching on the others who cast out demons in Christ's name, but who are not among those who follow together with the disciples.  Even they, it seems, are not subject to the disciples' correction and authority to forbid, " for he who is not against us is on our side."   This again is yet a new, perhaps subtle demand on the faith of the disciples that somehow this mission and aim of Christ's ministry will be fulfilled, even if there are others who do not follow together with them, even if they were mistaken in forbidding the others.  As Jesus is preparing the disciples for what is to come, they are being asked not to give up their mission, but to take even greater responsibilities for faith, for functioning in ways they perhaps have not expected, for meeting even greater demands upon that faith, for humility toward others, for tolerance, for the receiving of even a little child in His name and its ultimate meaning of receiving Christ and even the Father.  These things are asked of us today, and what they ask us for is faith.  For even though Christ's healing of the young boy takes the crowd into amazement at the majesty of God, we who are faithful have a mission for faith that persists and grows in our own lives today.  This is a faith that must be shaped and defined by the Cross and the Resurrection, the hope of things to come but also the love of God we know.  We rely upon the Spirit which is present and filling all things, Who teaches us to pray and brings to mind and gives meaning to the words of Christ which are spirit and life.  All of this asks us for faith, and one that grows and endures.  In this we are prepared by Christ as are the disciples, and we can look at our lives, and the things we cherish that are good in the world,  and know what it is to build upon this rock that is faith.