And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

- Matthew 11:7-15 

 

 Yesterday we read that it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples as He sent them out on their first apostolic mission, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'"  As Jesus has just sent out the apostles on their first evangelizing mission, telling them to announce everywhere they go that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," things begin to fall into place in the clues to the salvation plan unfolding.  John the Baptist is in prison, and has sent his disciples to ask if Jesus is the Messiah.  Christ has answered in the affirmative, indicating that all the signs prophesied about the Messiah are present in His ministry (see yesterday's reading, above).  What this does is make clear, also, just who John the Baptist is, as Jesus explains by quoting from Malachi 3:1.  As we read this text, we must understand the powerful role John the Baptist played in his own time as a revered figure of holiness, and among the disciples of Jesus, many of whom were first disciples of John.

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  My study Bible explains that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  The New Covenant, it says, is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.

 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  My study Bible explains that several interpretations have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  Some say that it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others have commented that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," meaning with great power and force.  Yet others have remarked that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom as teaching that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  It is not John who assigns himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  My study Bible explains that John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76), and his destiny was similar.  But John is honored over Elijah, as it was John who prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.

As John is now in prison, Jesus brilliantly gives an exhortation which both lauds John and his role as that of "Elijah who is to come" and at the same time affirms His own identity as Messiah.  Jesus seems to be shaking up the people when He asks them what they went out to see in the wilderness.  "A reed shaken by the wind?" ...  "A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet."  One wonders if they now deride or diminish John as he is in prison (and he will be beheaded by Herod Antipas).  Jesus clearly refers to the rough nature of John, so radically committed to dependence upon God that he lived in a poverty of the wilderness, reflected in his clothing and food (Matthew 3:4).  But it was John himself who prophesied what was to come in this shift of perceptions, as Jesus sends out apostles for the first time, and John is now in prison:  "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  Nevertheless, Jesus vigorously defends John and his important role, even as the picture of a salvation plan shifts and comes more into focus, and Jesus' identity as Christ manifests more clearly.  What is important about the elements of today's reading, and especially in Jesus' speech about John, is that we note the profound and powerful role each saint plays in the making of this Kingdom.  Each is a living stone, in the words of St. Peter (see 1 Peter 2:4-6).  John the Baptist cut a great, dynamic figure, a powerful voice of the time, with the backdrop of the great historic shifts to come.  There was nothing fragile or weak or soft about him, as Jesus' words tell us.  And yet, John -- even by his own telling -- fit humbly into the salvation story as one who served and recognized Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36), the One "whose sandals I am not worthy to carry" (Matthew 3:11).  This teaches us quite vividly the role each "living stone" may play in the life and reality of the Church, the Body of Christ.  Each one fully-fleshed, vivid and dynamic, a full character and life in and of oneself, and yet serving to build up this Body in humility under Christ.  There is no half-way or part-way in humility; there is only the fullness of real discipleship and the fullness of the soul.  A strange paradox for most, but entirely true in the unity of God and God's peace.  In the true image of salvation, there is no competition but rather complementarity, each one fulfilling a dynamic unique persona, but only through humility to the One deserving of our worship.   So it is in the profound creativity of God.  Hence the paradox and mystery of faith, where one such as John is herald to Christ; John is the greatest prophet, and yet now "the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  It is those like John, forceful and powerful, with a strength of passion and desire for God, who are entering in.  There is no more period of the great prophets before the Kingdom, but a different reality has come among us, and in this sort of roughness and violence those who deeply desire it, fishermen and tax collectors alike, are storming in.  There are only two places where this word for force or violence is used in the New Testament, and we read them in the words of Jesus today.  He uses these as positive images, reminding us that it is the lukewarm who are distasteful to the Lord (Revelation 3:16).  Christ affirms for us that in our faith, we are not meant to be abstract beings, but fully human, made more dynamic through love of God and humility to Christ:  not passive but rather passionate to serve, to find His narrow way.  It is Christ who makes us more, God's work in us which fulfills the image and likeness of which we're capable.  Let us aspire to be like John, to know who we truly are in Christ's light.

I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven

 

 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. 

 

- Mark 14:53–65 

 

On Saturday we read that, immediately, while Jesus was still speaking to the disciples in Gethsemane, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.  Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

  And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.   It is a rigged game, a kangaroo court of sorts, in which Jesus finds Himself at this night trial.  They violate all the laws they are sworn to uphold, the very fabric of their positions as religious leaders they violate themselves.  Instead there are many who bear false witness against Jesus, made all the more obvious as their testimonies did not agree.  Just as He will do later on with Pilate, Jesus kept silent (Mark 15:1-5).  

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.  Jesus answers to the high priest in the affirmative, saying, "I am."  In Greek, this statement is ego eimi/ἐγώ εἰμι.  This is the divine name of God, the first words of the divine Name for God given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, as written in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, produced in the 3rd century BC.   (In fact, when Jesus quotes from the Scriptures, the quotes are from the Septuagint.)   Christ's use of the Name indicates a theophany, which means a revelation of God by God.  The use of this Name by a mere man was considered blasphemy, my study Bible explains, and was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16; see John 8:58).  But, because Jesus is fully God, His use of the name cannot be blasphemy.  Instead, it reveals His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible also adds that it is only in Mark's account that Jesus' answer is so direct.  To sit at the right hand of the Power means to share authority with the Father.   As we can see by his outraged response, and the subsequent abusive actions of the council and the officers, this statement is clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God.  

Why does Jesus answer nothing when He's being accused by false witnesses?   We can imagine that it is simply not worthy of Him to reply to the lies of those who would do such a thing in the first place.  And it becomes clear that all their testimonies simply contradict one another, and so reflect and reveal the lies.  He does not even respond to the high priest when he asks Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"   But when the high priest asks Him directly, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus chooses to respond fully and clearly, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."   Let's make note that this is also a prophecy, because it is a foretelling to the high priest about the end times, and the time of Christ's Second Coming, when all will see at the Judgment what Christ reveals here.  In that context, first of all, we can presume that Christ speaks yet again as a sort of a final warning for the high priest to consider what he does.  He is putting the Lord of lords on trial, the One who will be the ultimate Judge he is judging falsely, and the high priest will no doubt understand what that indicates for him.  The various false witnesses, no doubt procured and paid for, are not in the position of the high priest; they are not religious experts, they are not in high positions, they are no doubt marginal people who will say and do anything for money.  But the high priest occupies an office of power and the highest honor in the religious establishment, and presides over the most educated religious body of the society; he speaks for the Council.  There can be no misunderstanding here, either of what Jesus is saying or of what a false judgment portends if Jesus is truly who He says He is.  In this context, the response of the high priest becomes more shocking, and with that we include the actions of members of the Council (as Mark reports these events) as well as the officers.  As with Jesus' arrest by paid mercenaries, which also included Romans, everything goes from bad to worse.  It is a noteworthy description of times of evil, in which actions that take place become shocking in their unexpected extremism; that is, things take place which one could not anticipate for their unthinkable nature.  It is a true testimony to the fact that our Lord has experienced all the things that we do in this world.  Even our most humiliating and shameful experiences, the unexpected baseness of evil acts, is now an experience of our Creator.  One may well wonder why this is so, but I would propose that there are a number of reasons we can consider, and likely many more that I am not aware of.  First of all, there is the experience of the Creator out of great love for us, to share our lives, and in particular the very worst of our lives.  From now and throughout history, we can be assured that we have a Savior, both human and divine, who knows our every pain and torture and torment in life.  He knows what it is to be humiliated and debased as a human being, treated with contempt.  Secondly, not only has God chosen to experience even the worst of what we experience, but in and of itself, this life of Christ tells us how much we are loved.  For the one and only reason God would share our pain is out of sheer love for us.  We can look at His suffering, and it must tell us how truly we are loved, even when we feel unloved or there is no love to be found among friends and others whom we know.  In addition, there is a reason why the most innocent among us suffers, why even divinity suffers, and it makes a difference to the reality of the entire cosmos.  Just as Jesus proclaims to the high priest that he will see Christ sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven, so it is understood that this Man so ill-treated and convicted unjustly is the ultimate Judge, and there is no doubt that this is what Christ is proclaiming.  What it means is that the evil in the world will be absolutely judged, because the Judge is the ultimate Witness.  He is the Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 3:14).   It is Christ's testimony itself that will condemn the evil in the world, and the prince or ruler of this world responsible for such hatred of the good, the true, and the beautiful which is embodied in Christ.   This one Witness provides all that is needed to liberate us, even from the last enemy, death (1 Corinthians 15:20, 26).  Finally, through His suffering, Christ gives a meaning to our suffering, for He invites us in to join Him in His mission and work through the Church.  This mission involves struggle of which St. Paul has said, "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).  We may share in the work of holiness, which turns us also into witnesses, those who may give testimony in the deepest and truest struggle for the world and for the life of the world.  Let us turn to Him for He suffers for us and does not turn away.

 

 

Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

- Matthew 14:1-12

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had finished preaching in parables, that He departed from Capernaum.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.  Here Matthew gives us the history behind Herod's fear that Jesus is John the Baptist, risen from the dead.  Herod had married Herodias, his brothers' former wife, while his brother was still living.  John had denounced this as a violation of Jewish Law, and for this reason he was imprisoned.  My study bible comments from the perspective of a traditional view in the Church:  it saw the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist in the context of God's plan of salvation.  This allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, with John as forerunner and prophet of Christ there as well as on earth.

This story of violence and gruesome actions taking place at a birthday party tells us a great deal of the state of the ancient world into which Christ was born.  There is no flinching here at the reality of violence and cruelty.   The one thing that had kept John from death for speaking out against Herod was his stance as a revered figure among the people, who considered him to be a prophet and a holy man.  This is a world of power, where power is abused as often as it is exercised in one form or another -- and in particular by modern standards of what people call "civil rights."   It describes a world in which state authority is understood to be so absolute as there will be no questioning of these actions, and a king's rash promise to a young girl holds power simply because he does not want to go back on his oath in front of those important people in attendance.  This is the world of injustice in which Christ preaches His Sermon on the Mount, and teaches the oppressed about His way of responding to it and living in it.  If we stop to think of the injustices of today's world and compare them to our ancient history -- and the time of the life of Christ and His environment -- then we sometimes may want to consider how much responsibility we bear for choosing how we will choose to live.  John fearlessly preached righteousness in this world.  He lived in abject poverty, not among the privileged or even average people.  Jesus had no place to lay His head (8:20).  We may also understand corruption, violence, injustice, and abuse of power in the hands of those in high places in our modern world, in all kinds of ways and in all kinds of places.  But our Lord did not come to live in castles or mansions or an easy life.   Jesus spoke of John the Baptist to the people also comparing him to those who led easier lives:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses."  He was defending John as "a prophet, and greater than a prophet" in the face of criticism by the Pharisees that he was too rough (see 11:7-15).  But both the prophet and the Lord we follow were born into a world of great power and great injustice, and one of the power of great empire.  They lived their lives through its worst aspects -- even to crucifixion -- so that they could give us the way that we in turn honor to walk through it.  When we realize what they lived, how they lived, and what they experienced, it should make us even more committed to this way of life in the midst of our own realities.  Let us understand they have lived the way they lived already for love of us, and we must in turn honor what they offer as the greatest wisdom, and the gift of greatest love.   Let us endure and resist the temptations of a world that would seduce with violence and power and deceitful riches, and share in their strength to do so.

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved

Second Coming, c. 1700, Greek.  Icon on wood, gesso, tempera (Private Collection)

Then Jesus went out and departed from temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"  And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

- Matthew 24:1-14

Recently we have been reading through Jesus' final sermon, delivered in the temple at Jerusalem, and directed in scathing criticisms of the religious leadership.  Yesterday we read that Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes:  some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 Then Jesus went out and departed from temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things?  Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple was fulfilled in AD 70, when the temple was destroyed by the Romans.  Although orders had been given not to destroy or harm the temple, in the frenzy of the battle Roman soldiers attacked the temple by setting fire to it.  There had been rumors that gold was hidden between its stones, and in search of this gold, the soldiers quite literally fulfilled Jesus' prophecy of tearing apart and throwing down the stones of the temple.  Only one retaining wall was left standing, which is today called the Western Wall (for many years referred to as the Wailing Wall as it remains to this day the site of prayers and lamentation over the temple's destruction).

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"   My study bible notes that the Scriptures describe the end times in a variety of ways, so that no exact chronology could be determined (see Daniel 7-12; Mark 13; Luke 21; 1 Corinthians 15-51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10; and the Book of Revelation).  Rather than giving chronologies, Jesus' emphasis is on watchfulness and the practice of virtue.  Indeed, throughout each reporting of this prophecy in the Gospels, the destruction of the temple (and Jerusalem) is bound up with end times, the period in which we now live.  Matthew describes the end as encompassing three parts:  the initial sorrows (given in today's reading), the great tribulation (verses 15-28), and the coming of the Son of Man (verses 29-31).  My study bible notes for us that we should understand the period of the great tribulation as including the entire Christian era, and not limited to the final years before Christ's return.

And Jesus answered and said to them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."  Here, Christ's warnings against deception are given the greatest emphasis.  He most stresses the warning against following a false Christ, which He will repeat again in verses 11 (below) and 23-27.  Before the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, there were several "Messiahs" or "Christs" who led various violent revolts which the Romans responded to by increasingly repressive force.  Eventually this would lead to ongoing and extremely violent civil war between the Zealots and the royal family which ruled for Rome, increasing in scope and violence as it went on.

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows."  The revolts and civil war in Jerusalem went on for years, eventually drawing in Roman forces from Syria. In the ongoing fighting between these Syrian forces and the Zealots, the Zealots' food stocks were destroyed, and the Zealots in turn began to raid the homes of local Jews.  Thus those living in Jerusalem died from famine in great number.   My study bible says that the wars described here by Jesus refer first and foremost to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, but also include subsequent wars.  It notes that wars are not a sign of imminent end, but of the opposite -- that the end is not yet (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). 

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.  And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."  My study bible notes here that all of these calamities and all of this opposition cannot stop the spread of the gospel.  Indeed, it says, persecutions against the Church often increase the number of souls being converted.  In a commentary of St. John Chrysostom, it notes, he marvels that while the Romans subdued countless Jews in a political uprising, they could not prevail over twelve Jews unarmed with anything except the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is a sad fact of life in this world that it is, to a great extent, marred and even dominated or underscored by violence.  We have the violence of wars, which we can see described very well from the "beginning" in Genesis 4, in which the murder of one brother by another leads to ever-increasing cycles of retribution and violence, and in which Lamech eventually declares, "If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."  This ongoing evil and violence through the generations sets the stage for the story of Noah, who found grace in the sight of God.  In our reading yesterday, Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, tying in the violence done to all the prophets with the rejection which will now come to Him, and its eventual results in the destruction of Jerusalem.  An increasing cycle of violence ends with total destruction.  But in the midst of such alarming evil comes the Messiah, Jesus, who preaches a turning back to God, the practice of righteousness, and saves His greatest criticism for the hypocrisy of the leadership which covers their greed and selfishness, and the violence which we shall see is done in order to retain their places.  Instead, Jesus offers a cure of humility, an understanding of service as the highest calling of leadership, and a depth of self-knowledge which leads us to turn from the impulses within us which would cause abuse of power:  selfishness, lust or covetousness, violation of good conduct among ourselves, and all the possible forms that takes.  In such a world, we are given the Gospel, sent out "as sheep in the midst of wolves," taught that ultimately we are responsible to God and to neighbor, to practice a righteousness that does not exclude the heart and is not covered merely by acts designed to show our piety or righteousness as a signal to others.  Jesus teaches that it is God whose good opinion we must seek and to whom we need to answer, and this includes the possibilities and practice of an ongoing repentance, a depth of communion and prayer that keeps us walking the right road, and especially participation in His Cross.  These are the things that make for our peace.  We will always be beset by the problems that evil and its destruction pose in our world.  If we listen to Jesus, there is simply no substitute for personal righteousness and the rigorous and ongoing work of faith and of the heart.  Perhaps we, as our earliest faithful ancestors, may also see forms of violence and destruction.   Perhaps we will be spared these worst of all horrors endured in Jerusalem.  But whatever our circumstances, Jesus has a message for us in the midst of them:  "Take heed that no one deceives you"  and "he who endures to the end shall be saved."  We know what He teaches us, the word to which we cling in faith.  Each of us possesses within ourselves this capacity for faith; He calls us to awareness and endurance.  With God's help and grace, may we all encourage one another in the strength to persist in our faith and to help one another in doing so.   In the icon above, a depiction of the Second Coming, we see Christ surrounded by angels and saints from throughout the centuries, including the ongoing supplication on our behalf of the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist on His right and left.  At the top is the prepared throne of the Crucifixion.  The great circle shows us that in the Body of Christ, all is one, an eternal and great communion.  Below is an illustration of Paradise; the image on the left shows the bosom of Abraham, and on the right is the repentant good thief who enters with his cross.  Let us remember Christ's words of endurance and awareness, watchwords for all the saints of both the Old Testament and the New, in this "time of the end" in which we still live.

If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine

Ottheinreich Bible, c. 1425-30. Folio 18v (Matthew 8)

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

- Matthew 8:28-34

On Saturday, we read that when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then his disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study bible comments that the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and they are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although their malice is so great, they can't do anything against the explicit will of God, and so therefore can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of the herd shows that the men were protected by God; if it were not so, they would have perished under the demonic influence.  My study bible adds that moreover, this reinforces that swineherding wasn't a lawful occupation for the Jews, showing instead that the value of human beings is incomparable, their salvation worth all sacrifices. 

Some commentaries remark that these people must be Gentiles, non-Jews, as their raising of swine seem to indicate.  But the text, according to my study bible and many Fathers, seems to indicate that, on the contrary, these are Jews raising swine for marketing to Gentile populations, and doing so contrary to the Mosaic Law.  One indication of this is their preference for Jesus to leave them -- they begged Him to depart from their region.   This is done after they've seen the miraculous cure of the demon-possessed men.  The people here prefer their income from the swine, and are dismayed at what has happened, rather than joyful for the healing of the men.  What this indicates is not simply their material mindset, and not merely that their priorities are in the wrong place.  The fact that they care nothing for the Law given through Moses is coupled with their lack of care for the lives of these men, indicating that in fact these are people who care nothing for real justice.  They are fundamentally unjust in their outlook -- meaning they are unrighteous in a number of ways.  If it's going to cost them money, a loss of stock or inventory, they don't care at all and do not rejoice at the healing of the men.  Their fundamentally wrong-headed outlook renders them less than righteous or just, because their priorities are in the wrong place.  They are those who worship mammon rather than God (6:24).  Jesus' preaching in the Sermon on the Mount has addressed this concern and inward disposition in our lives; here the Gospel tells us a story that expresses such a problem and its outcome.  Jesus is rejected because He heals.  The swine, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean animals, but these townspeople don't care.  They care about the income.  Moreover, if we look closely at the text, we may observe also that they are simply used to living with these demon-possessed men the way they are; this is something "normal" for their world.  It shows a disordered social construct, a world where priorities are out of whack, and true natural relations between people need restoration.  These violent, demon-possessed men do not dwell among the living but among the dead, midst the tombs.  They are exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  This is a disordered and unnatural (in the sense that what is truly natural is God's will for us) violence that lives among them, and counts for "normal."  It is what the townspeople and swineherds are used to, what they live with, their static state.  So let us take a look at what passes for "norms" here:  the unlawful breeding of unclean animals for the money, a repulsion to what happens when Jesus heals the men and the animals are destroyed (thus a loss of income source, however outside of the law), and their set of values -- such as it is -- means they beg Jesus to leave, apparently without caring at all for the healing of these extremely violent men.  It is, in some sense, a picture of our world, no matter how disordered it may seem in the text.  Violence is normal, no sacrifice is too great when it comes to wealth (even the sacrifice of any form of true health or real justice or righteousness), and that which would shake up the world and put it in right order -- a healed state --  is simply desired to be cast aside, gotten rid of, so that they beg Jesus to leave.  In fact, they can think of nothing else.  Imagine, in our world, forces that would prefer war and violence over peace as it may bring them income, a violence that results in great injustice and disorder and all sorts of human ailments, and can only see healing and the peace it would bring as a woeful loss of income.  This priority of mammon over God gives us a fundamental picture of disorder and injustice, as it is a willingness to forego the righteousness of God if it is going to change things and ask us to look for a better way to make our lives, our living, our way of life.  Is it so strange to us, or can we think of examples that might seem even just a little similar?  Perhaps we could think of relations in a family, in a neighborhood or town, or even on a greater scale.  Where does our picture of righteousness come into play?  Is a little violence acceptable?  What would we be willing to give up for peace and healing?  What takes top priority when it comes to human well-being?  Is righteousness worth our sacrifice or adjustment, even repentance?

If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."

- Luke 22:54-69

Yesterday we read that, coming out from the Passover supper, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then he said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  My study bible explains the paradox and poetry of the Scriptures, at work even at this low point in the story of Christ and the Church.  A girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  My study bible says that this, as symbol of our fallen state, is overcome when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (24:1-10).

And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  Peter's fear is so overwhelming that neither Christ's prediction (verse 34) nor the crowing of the rooster signals a call to repentance, but only Christ's gaze causes him to weep bitterly, according to my study bible.  St. Ambrose of Milan is quoted, who writes that nevertheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  We see the contempt with which our Lord was treated.  We should understand His condescension to be one of us, to be with us, so that He may bring us all into His Kingdom.  Even as divine Lord, Christ experiences the demeaning and degrading experiences that we may suffer.  Added to these facts, this is also a picture of blasphemy.  But we should consider that these same men -- and the centurion in charge of them -- may also come to repentance and be included in His flock (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39, Luke 23:47).

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Particularly during the time that Jesus was teaching daily in the temple (earlier during the Passover festival), Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer, because doing so would have meant confessing Him as the Christ (20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).  At this time, it is as if Jesus is declaring judgement; the time for His effort at dialogue with them is over, as they will refuse to respond either way.  Their minds are made up and hearts are hardened against Him.  His final statement is a declaration that He is equal with God.

In today's reading, we're witness to the power of darkness which Jesus spoke about in yesterday's reading (above).   Jesus is mocked and violently abused by the soldiers.  Moreover, when it comes time for Him to be questioned, He straightforwardly acknowledges His inability to get a fair hearing:  "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go."  In the midst of what He knows to be certain conviction, and to those who will sit in judgment against Him who have already decided their verdict in advance, Jesus tells the truth.  It's like a conviction He teaches to each of us that no matter how hard things look, we need to face facts.  Jesus will not waste His time attempting to coerce these men to change their minds.  But He does present one more extraordinary fact to them:  He declares His divinity and equality to God.  He tells them, "Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."   Ironically enough, and of course just as Christ knows full well, this is the "evidence" they need to convict Him of blasphemy.  But in this case, Jesus is telling the truth; He is declaring the extraordinary fact they don't want to hear and don't want to know -- but it is nevertheless a statement which they can and will use to convict Him of the crime of blasphemy, for which they will attempt to have Him put to death by the Roman state.  What is important to know here is that Jesus stands in His truth.  While it appears from all human perspective that this is Christ in some sense "giving in" to these people, giving them what they want in order to convict Him, the tables are turned.  It is He who judges, and His word that judges.  When Christ stands in this truth, it is those who censor Him for it who convict themselves.  Let us keep in mind Christ's abandonment even by one of His closest apostles, the one who speaks for the rest of them, Peter.  The human Jesus is entirely alone.  And yet, He testifies to His truth.  He at once accepts the facts of the matter that are stacked all the way against Him, and He still tells His truth.  We know who Christ is, and the power that He wields as judge and arbiter and the one who gives us the word of truth.  But He also stands in for us, when we may find ourselves in such an unjust position.  We may be abandoned and alone, and surrounded only by those vicious enough to convict us for their own personal reasons.  We find ourselves with those who are not willing to give us a fair hearing.  But, with God, and in a prayerful acceptance of the realities with which we are surrounded, even in the worst of circumstances, we stand in our own truth with only One who judges; that is, Christ.   In an existential sense, this is where we are all the time -- and all the rest of the things we may or may not take for granted make no real substantial difference to us when it comes down to who we are face-to-face with Christ.  That is to say, in this place of terrible abandonment, Christ is neither alone nor without His truth.  He has come to this place simply for us, and so that we know when we may stand in this same place He is with us, and that it is His judgment alone that really counts.  When we are tried in the most difficult and desperate of circumstances, we find Him and the Holy Spirit, and with them God the Father; we take up His courage and His truth, we follow His ways, knowing He was there before us and is yet there with us.  Jesus alone tells us His truth.  The real question is how we can stand in that same place and find our truths with Him.  As we go toward the days we celebrate His birth, let us come to terms about just what it is that determines our truths and our worth, and remember that when all might be against us, it is only His judgment that counts.

Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples concerning their first apostolic mission (Matthew 10), that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:   The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'"  There is irony here in Jesus' statement, as those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses, and John is locked up in prison in the house of King Herod Antipas.  But John wore nothing like soft clothing, and preached in the wilderness, baptizing and wearing the clothing of a prophet in the style of Elijah who also lived in the wilderness in radical poverty for the sole love of God, as Matthew tells us in chapter 3:  "Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (3:4).  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3:1.  It is Malachi who prophesied Elijah's return at the time of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5).

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  My study bible says that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  The New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in the New Covenant are greater than John was without it.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  There are several interpretations that have been given to the idea that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, my study bible tells us.  Some say that it refers to the idea that the Kingdom breaks into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Indeed, Jesus seems to contrast prophesy and the law with what occurs with John, who is the last and greatest in that lineage, which is the arrival of the Kingdom with presence.  Others have said that the Kingdom of heaven is a reference to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  According to St. John Chrysostom, the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  Another thing we must consider is that the prophets all prophesied in the Holy Spirit; but it is John who announced that He who will baptize with the Spirit is present, and witnessed the Spirit's presence with Jesus at His baptism (see Matthew 3:11-17); it is the Spirit in which the Kingdom is truly present to us.

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  My study bible notes that John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does.  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and his destiny was similar.  But John is honored over Elijah as John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.

Some important thoughts about the Spirit and the Kingdom, and its presence and manifestation in the world.  It is the Spirit who made possible the birth of Christ as human being; as Matthew puts it, Mary was found with child of the Holy Spirit (1:18).  In Mary we see the image of the burning bush which Moses observed (Exodus 3:1-2), in the midst of which was a flame of fire, and though it burned the plant was not consumed.  It is the Spirit in which we as Christians are invited to participate in the Kingdom and its presence of beauty and light and meaning.  In light of Pentecost, today's passage gives us much to think about concerning the true nature of the Kingdom and what Christ has to say about its presence with us.  Saints Peter and Paul enumerate for us gifts of the Spirit via their Epistles, and St. Paul teaches us about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  In one of the most beautiful compositions of the fruit of the Spirit, St. Paul teaches us about the greatest of all gifts, love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).  In all of these ways, the Kingdom fashions those who participate in it as greater than John the Baptist.  The real question is how we participate in what our forbears understood as the true beauty of the Church, which is the beauty of the Spirit.  All of these fruits are not borne of simple work or our own fashioning.  They are rather given through the gift of contemplation, through that which works through true prayer, participation in the Kingdom.  And that must be what we seek, as Jesus invites us to do here.  This must be that which we focus upon as He points the way and teaches us about the great and unsurpassed gift of the ability to participate in this Kingdom.  All the prophets and the law prophesied until John, but now something with power and force is happening, something altogether new, but we need to embrace it with all our hearts, and truly live it.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before you.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples (before their first apostolic mission), He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of is disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  

As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  John's disciples have just come to Christ, asking Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  This question has come from John, who is imprisoned in Herod's castle.  A natural reaction to those familiar with the Gospel so far would be to question whether or not John had perhaps changed his mind.  After all, it was John who recognized Jesus as the Christ when Jesus was baptized, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"  (See this reading.)  But Jesus' ministry is not what was expected of the Messiah.  He hasn't publicly declared Himself.  He will cultivate a kind of faith that responds with the heart, and so His response to John was to quote from the prophet Isaiah, and the signs of the time of the coming of the Messiah, which are manifest in Jesus' ministry (see yesterday's reading, above).   Here, Jesus seems to address the crowds and this natural questioning of John's possible change of heart because of the question of John's disciples.  John has not changed his mind at all, but wishes his disciples to be given direction to Christ.  Jesus demands of this crowd to consider what they went out into the wilderness to see when they went to John.  A reed shaken by the wind is a description found in 3 Maccabees of Ptolemy Philopator, a king of Egypt, as he was smitten by the judgment of God for his persecution of the Jews.  Jesus asks them if they thought John was one who would bend with the wind, a person clothed in soft garments and therefore not used to struggle and difficulty.  Jesus says ironically, of John who is imprisoned in a king's house (the palace of Herod Antipas), "Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."  He is challenging the crowd to know John and to understand him, and He goes on to praise John and establish his place in the story of salvation.

"But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before you.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Jesus affirms that John is a prophet in the lineage of the Old Testament, but he is also even more than a prophet.  He is the forerunner, the messenger who goes before the Christ, fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi.  In the tradition of the Church, these words extend even after death, as John goes before Christ into Hades, to prepare all who have come before.  Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.  He is, as the greatest prophet, the fulfillment of all righteousness of the Law.  But there is something much greater that is now at hand, and within the ministry of Christ -- and that is the presence of the kingdom of heaven.  My study bible says that the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in it are greater than John was without it. 

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."  My study bible notes that there have been several interpretations given of this passage.  What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and that the violent take it by force?  Some have said that this refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others say that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," that is, with great power and force.  Still others have said that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer violence on the Cross.  But St. John Chrysostom writes that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.  Jesus seems to imply this when He says that "for all the prophets and the law prophesied until John."   The time of prophecy of the Kingdom has ended with John, the prophet to end all prophets.  At this time the Kingdom is present, manifest, and those who wish to enter in seize it with all their might.   This word for violence in the Greek is used only twice in the New Testament, and both times in a positive sense.

"And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), but Jesus does, my study bible tells us.  John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76), and his destiny was similar.  (Malachi prophesied that Elijah would return before the Messiah and the coming of the Kingdom; see Malachi 4:5-6.)  Jesus uses the words of the prophets to indicate to the crowd that they need spiritual ears to understand the fulfillment of this prophecy in John. 

It's interesting to see this aspect of Jesus' persona:  strong and vigorous, and vigorously defending John to the crowds.  He appeals to their understanding of John's character, asking them what they went out to see when they all flocked to John in the wilderness (see Matthew 3:4-12).   We hear Jesus in a strong and bold key, claiming something powerful for John, and yet also proclaiming the boldness of those who now enter the Kingdom, with violence and force.  Jesus uses a voice of irony, nearly sarcasm, when He asks them if they went out to see a reed shaken by the wind, or one clothed in soft garments -- and declares that indeed, those who are clothed in soft garments are in king's houses.  It's also a testimony about the rulers of Israel, who seem to blow with every wind, and appease only worldly power.  We hear a Jesus who is neither soft nor a reed blown any way the wind blows.  This is the voice of vigorous defense and clear debate, a voice of bold proclamation and courage in the face of the oppression that has begun by the state and the powers that be, in the face of the imprisonment and soon-to-be death of John the Baptist.  This is Jesus who fully manifests all aspects of what it means to be human, and to use all His human capacity for exhortation and encouragement and a positive force.  He does not come into His Kingdom with an army for physical battle.  He does not call upon God the Father to send Him thousands of angels to force His Kingdom on the world.  But in His mission He also does not shrink from telling the truth, from the boldness of declaring what is what, of colorfully challenging complacency and lack of faith.  This is also the Jesus we're asked to imitate and to remember:  one who praises a positive kind of assertiveness, and the zeal for the Kingdom, the earnest and deep desire that sees and seizes the time when the "kingdom of heaven is at hand."   Spiritual understanding is a real and powerful force; it is not "ethereal."  It is not the stuff of fantasy or dreams.  Its truth is something that shatters every other power, that overturns all human or worldly plans, that permeates all things.  It is the strength and vigor of this reality that Jesus brings and challenges the world to hear, if we have ears to hear, if we can find a way to know and understand this reality He brings, His Kingdom.

They will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation

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

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

- Luke 19:41-48

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

 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes."  My study bible says that Jerusalem means "foundation of peace."  This is a peace that comes from faith in the truth He offers.  Christ has come to gather all to Him, in a kind of unity that brings peace and strength, like stones that might cry out in faith (see yesterday's reading, above).  This is the kind of peace that his hidden from a city that will soon reject Him, rebelling against its Savior, the Messiah who was sent to it.

"For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."  The destruction that came to Jerusalem about which Jesus speaks here occurred in AD 70.  My study bible says that this also describes the spiritual end of every person who lacks faith.  Quite literally, nearly all the stones of the buildings -- especially the great an holy temple -- were toppled one from another, as the Roman army sought the gold that was rumored to have been laid between the great stones.  Only a retaining wall was left, now called the Western Wall, long referred to as the Wailing Wall.  We notice again the theme of stones, voiced by Jesus in yesterday's reading.  Here the stones being displaced from one another offer an entirely contrasting image to the stones that would cry out if the "children" welcoming Him were silenced.  Here the image of the stones is one of chaos and disarray, the opposite of peace.  That is the failure to be gathered to Him, and literally scattered instead.

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  Jesus' first act is to go into the temple itself, which is the house of God, where God's presence is supposed to be.  Jesus quotes from two prophecies:  Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  Jesus quite literally scatters those who bought and sold in the temple.  They are not "like Him."  They are trading in live animals to be used in sacrifices, profiting from the people who come for the festival and wish to make a good prayer or sacrificial offering, whatever they can afford.  It is a "worldly" pursuit in the midst of the house of prayer for all the nations.

And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.  There are those in the leadership who seek to destroy Christ, but the people know they are hearing what is truthful; they all want to have access to what He is offering them.

The images of scattering and gathering are very prominent in today's reading.  They coincide with the image given of the stones that would cry out in yesterday's reading, and also the stones that form the structures of the city of Jerusalem, especially those of the temple, that will not be left with one laid atop another.  Destruction is a prominent theme.  The leaders of the people lead the people astray by seeking to destroy Christ.  They bring upon the city that which they seek to bring upon Him.  The image underlying all these things is a theme that is clear:  He who gathers is being destroyed, and therefore destruction and scattering the result.  The Siege of Jerusalem will be pure chaos, and violation of the sanctity of the temple (what is called "the abomination of desolation," from the prophecy of Daniel).  But the temple is already being violated in certain ways under the auspices of the leadership, in the buying and selling and money exchanging going on around the sale of animals for sacrifice.  We are reminded of Jesus' recent teaching:  "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much" (Luke 16:10), and from the same reading: "You cannot serve God and mammon."  Faith asks us to be on a journey somewhere.  It doesn't mean we don't falter.  It doesn't mean we don't encounter obstacles and difficulties all along the way.  But it does mean that we have an object of that faith, a door or gate we reach toward, the Person who is Truth whom we seek in relationship and from whom we gather our own true nature.  If we seek Him in the small we will also be seeking in what is "much."  This is our peace and our unity, even the true inner unity of faith and wholeness of body, soul, and spirit that constitutes true healing.  He offers a choice, and we always have to answer the question for ourselves of what that will be.

What did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments?

 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?   A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written: 

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday, we read that when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."



 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?   A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,  who will prepare Your way before You.'"  The quotation is from the prophesy of Malachi (3:1).  Jesus is explaining John the Baptist's role in Jewish spiritual history, his important role in salvation history as herald to the Messiah.  John's life one was spent in extreme asceticism and complete devotion to his mission given by God, a true prophet and, in Jesus' telling, the greatest among the prophets.  It's important that we understand how greatly revered John was as a holy man in his own time, and that reverence is upheld by Jesus.  But it is a time of transition.

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Under the Old Covenant, John is the greatest in the lineage of Old Testament prophets under the Law.  But Jesus brings something new into the world.  This is not a comparison of John the Baptist to others, nor is it a statement saying John will not enter into the kingdom.  It is rather a message of the gift of the New Covenant, that which is initiated by the Messiah to whom John was the prophet and forerunner.  My study bible explains that the New Covenant is of such incomparable value that those who share in it are greater than John was without it.

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  There are varied interpretations of this statement by Jesus that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  Some say it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others claim it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world "violently," in other words with great force and power.  Another interpretation says that the kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer violence Himself at the Cross.  St. John Chrysostom comments that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those who have such an earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him. 

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  John has not claimed for himself the role of Elijah (see John 1:21), but Jesus proclaims him to be Elijah who is to come.  He fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76) and has a similar destiny.  John, however, is honored even over Elijah, because it is John who prepares the way for the advent of Christ.   In the Baptist is fulfilled the prophecy that Elijah was to come before the Messiah.

John the Baptist is now in prison, and Jesus has sent word via John's disciples that He is the "Coming One" (see yesterday's reading).  It is a time of transition, a trading off of the old for the new -- the New Covenant, the gospel of the Kingdom, coming into the world.  But this does not diminish John, and John's role in the coming of the Kingdom and the proclamation of preparation for the Christ.  Jesus is making it clear in today's reading what is happening, explaining His place in what is happening, and John's place.  It is again a paradoxical image to try to understand:  this Man, Christ, teaching the people what monumental change is happening.  We remember Jesus' words teaching that "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" (Luke 17:20-21).  And yet something extraordinary and monumental is happening, a shift in history -- indeed, in the spiritual history of the Jews and of the world.  The transition between John and Jesus is the telling of that story and of that unfolding.  How can people understand it and grasp it?  John, by Jesus' telling, isn't a person in soft clothing who walks in the grandeur and pomp of a king's house.  He was a man like Elijah, living in the wilderness in ascetic poverty, totally and wholly dedicated to his mission from God:  a rough man; if you will, akin to a homeless person, living outside the society in order to be radically free to live his mission as prophet, clothed in animal skin and leather.  But Jesus tells the crowds that since the time of the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence -- in the ways that kingdoms do when they are seized and entered into -- and that the violent, the rough, those who do not live in king's houses, are taking it by force.   Who are those who are "marching" into the Kingdom?  Jesus has chosen working men for His apostles, and has just sent them out on their first mission.  This is not a kingdom of the effete and superior in worldly rank, but rather one of those whose zeal for the things of God becomes an entry pass, a capacity for admission.  For all John's "roughness" it is he who stayed the course and is greatest among the prophets in his role as the one who declares the coming of the Messiah and the Kingdom.  Those entering into the Kingdom must be those like John, who let nothing keep them from it and from the recognition of this tremendous and valuable gift.  It is the love of God that truly allows us in to receive and to know its surpassing value above all things, even above dwelling in kings' houses.  It is that strength of devotion that becomes the passport to living in this Kingdom, carrying it within us, being a part of it as we are a part of the world, and this -- it seems to me -- is the message of Christ in today's reading.  He's asking us all if we're prepared to meet this calling, this active life of the Kingdom, this place where faith plays the greatest role and gives us our strength.  Jesus and John are quite different figures, but in tomorrow's reading Jesus will go on to explain how they both play their roles for the Kingdom, and how we are to see them both.