And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home

 

 He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 

- Luke 16:1-9 

 

On Tuesday, we read that all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."  In response to this, Jesus gave three parables.  On Tuesday, we read the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the parable of the Prodigal.  He said:  "A certain man had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.'  So he divided to them his livelihood.  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants."'  And he arose and came to his father.  But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'  But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'  And they began to be merry.  Now his older son was in the field.  And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.  And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'  But he was angry and would not go in.  Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.  So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.  But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'  And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.  It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'" 

 He also said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."  My study Bible comments on today's passage that a steward (in Greek, οἰκονόμος/economos) is responsible for managing his master's property and looking after the welfare of his servants.  It notes that the point of this parable is that the unrighteous are better at using money to make friends in the world than believers are at using money to make friends for the Kingdom of God -- which is accomplished by spending it on the needy.  At death (when you fail) the needy will welcome their benefactors into the everlasting home.

How do we make friends by unrighteous mammon?  This is really quite an important question, because what it tells us is the truth about how the world works within the spiritual framework of the salvation plan of God.  If we pause to think about "saving the world," and do so in some sort of very rationalistic worldly sense, we might wonder why God just did not come into this world and "fix" everything.  Why not just get rid of the bad people, or put them over in their own community somewhere, and set the good people down somewhere else to flourish?  Why wait for a final judgment?  There are all sorts of things that are perplexing if we think about judgment and salvation in this sort of worldly way of balancing the books and striking off what's not good.  But Jesus' clues here about the beneficial use of unrighteous mammon tell us that God's creation does not work in this applied rationalistic sense of strict lines drawn between what is good and what is evil.  For God usurps and trumps everything; and in God's economy of salvation, even what is unrighteous can be used for God's plans, for what is good.  That is, to serve the goals of God's love.  Therefore, there is nothing evil in and of itself in this sense.  As God created the world and pronounced it "good," so we can use the things of this world for good -- if they are used to serve God's purposes.  And within this paradox is a further image of paradox, that of the "dollars and cents" (so to speak) image of balancing the account books.  Instead of sticking to the details and pursuing every line to come out to a perfect balance, this steward is praised in the parable for writing off debts in order to "make friends."  Well, this is a picture of charitable giving, where we don't add up every debt and everything owed and press it out of the person who owes us.  We give because people are in need.  We give -- serving the ends of God -- in the sense of shoring up community, even creating community.  In the light of the parable of the Good Samaritan, which we read in the reading from a week ago, Jesus is teaching us about being a neighbor, and stressing this importance in the grand economy of salvation -- that place of our everlasting home -- and the perspective there.  Similarly, we're taught to pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12), reminding us that the forgiveness of sin is really not about equaling everything up and deciding what is owed to us by those who've sinned against us.  Forgiveness is about this place of the everlasting home, and the view from there, God's plan for us for salvation.  It's not necessary to make sense in terms of "unrighteous mammon," but instead to be understood from a higher perspective, a more universal doctrine of community and expanded love.  It doesn't have to make sense according to a worldly understanding, but we are called by Christ to this place of God's love, where compassion becomes a rule, and "making friends" -- like being a neighbor -- is how we're commanded to live.  We're asked to discern a way through the world in which we are set free by Christ to practice His compassion with wisdom, to let go of things that we're better off without, and to find good purposes even for "unrighteous mammon."  For God's way transforms all things, and while we are on the way to pleasing God in this sense of following the commands that transcend the worldly, we will find ourselves and our lives transformed as well. 

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."

 

- Luke 11:14-23 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sad at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."   And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

 

  And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Beelzebub was the name given to a pagan god (Ba'al, meaning Lord, usually attached to a name of a place where worship occurred).  This name may reflect derision by the Jews, characterizing him as "Lord of the Flies."  Here it is used as a direct reference to Satan, the ruler of the demons (see also verse 18).

 

 Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  My study Bible comments that a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see Luke 4:9-12).  

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  My study Bible comments that the finger of God is the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 12:28).  Last Wednesday, the lectionary gave us the verses in chapter 11 just prior to today's section, in which Jesus teaches what we know as the Lord's Prayer to the disciples.  In Luke 11:13, just prior to today's passage, Jesus taught the disciples, "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!"

 

 "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 says that the strong man is Satan, who holds sway over the fallen human race, while the stronger is Christ (see 1 John 4:4).  

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  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 God.  Those who work in opposition to Christ are different from those who work in good faith toward God's purpose but are not yet united to the Church (see Luke 9:46-50, found in this reading and commentary).  My study Bible quotes St. Seraphim of Sarov, noting 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."

Today's reading gives us Christ's words that speak of His power and authority, and its absolute sense especially in comparison to the demonic, or even to those things nominally good but done for reasons other than serving God.  In the reading from Wednesday, speaking after the return of the Seventy from their first apostolic mission, Jesus rejoiced that God the Father had seen fit to reveal things to "babes" which had been hidden from the "wise and prudent," and He said to the disciples that they had seen and heard what even "prophets and kings" had desired to see and hear, and had not.  But in the middle of these statements, He said of Himself, "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  (See Luke 10:21-24.)  In that same reading, the Seventy rejoiced that even the demons were subject to them in Christ's name, and Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (see Luke 10:17-20).  So, in today's reading, when Jesus is accused of casting out demons by the power of demons, He responds in this context with an image of an earthly war of kingdom against kingdom, to convey a spiritual reality. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? is a reasonable question, for it implies for us a sense of authority that Satan cannot surpass.  Note that Jesus says, "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."  Again, it not only gives us an image of warfare, in which kingdoms and nations fight against one another, but it also asks us to consider what armor in which we trust can stand against Christ, against the finger of God?  That is, against the Holy Spirit at work in the world.  It seems to beg us to ask ourselves, what is the armor in which we trust in our lives?  Can money withstand the power of the Holy Spirit?  What is it that cannot pass away with certainty?  We can lay out all our plans, and we can trust in material goods to see us through life, but what can we do without the values and meanings that transcend all of that?  What do we do when shocking and surprising things happen to shake us up, and take away the things in which we placed all of our trust?  These things we see every day, and are too numerous to mention.  But Christ warns us many times about trusting to material goods alone to shore up our lives and our well-being (for example, Luke 12:13-21).  Many times we trust in the armor of the world to save us from uncertainty, but uncertainty is an inherent condition of life, and accepting this serves as food to consider what it is in which we may trust that transcends and supersedes the things which can't and don't last forever.  What do we take with us when we leave the world?  What remains with us if we lose what we think we have?  Even to be good stewards of our material goods requires of us a set of values capable of building our lives on good ground, and understanding what God asks of us, even finding the discernment to deal with the questions that blessings bring to us for how we are to use them.  St. Paul writes, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:10).  Note that he doesn't say this of money itself, but of the love of money.  That is, elevating the material to a place of armor in which one trusts even before Christ, the things one pursues at the expense of the love of God.  But if we put Christ first, this is the way to sort out and put in order how the rest of our lives must fall into place.  If we trust in the whole armor of God instead, then we are prepared for the varied currents of life, the changes our lives go through, the experiences through which we find what is real and timeless, and what is not.  It is also there we can find the wisdom to know what to do with our resources, what is good and truly valuable, and what is not.  Many people trust in wealth, possessions, friends, even family members, but they underestimate the misery and despair that is possible without a sense of relatedness to God.  Let us think about our armor, and what truly protects us through all things -- and in which we can truly trust.  Let us build our lives with Him.

 

 

 

 

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God

 

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he become very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

 

- Luke 18:15-30 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  My study Bible comments that infants are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  It quotes Theophylact, who writes, "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."  

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"   My study Bible reminds us that this man does not come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one he thinks of as a good Teacher.  In Jesus' response, my study Bible says, we see not a denial that He is God, but rather a design to lead the rich man to this knowledge. 

 

 And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he become very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  My study Bible notes that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God.  It says that this man had an earnest desire for eternal life, but sensed that he still lacked something, despite his adherence to the commandments.  But to be perfect, my study Bible comments, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  Nothing is gained, it says, unless this sacrifice is given freely.  But the specifics of how a person follows Christ will be different for each one, just as one's particular cross to bear will be unique.  But as wealth had such a grip on this rich man and his identity, his only hope was to sell and give away his possessions.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who comments that giving away possessions is actually the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Christ in all things is a much greater and more difficult calling.  

And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."  My study Bible tells us that there have been various interpretations suggested for this impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  For example, some suggest that the word is not really "camel," but one that sounds alike in Aramaic, which means "rope."  Others suggest that the "eye of a needle" was the name of a city gate, through which a camel might barely squeeze if it were first unloaded of all its baggage (a symbol of wealth).  There is even an expression in the Talmud which is similar, "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever this phrase is reference to, it shows us the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches, to possessions.   This is evidenced clearly, my study Bible comments, by the response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"  But with God's grace, even what is impossible with human beings can come to be.

 What does it mean that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God"?  There are many people who will say to themselves that simply by virtue of great wealth, we know a person has committed some kind of sin or another, possibly stealing from others or cheating.   But I don't think this is what Christ means at all by His statement, for this passage is not on the topic of morality.  Possibly this is why it is already included in the details of the story that this rich young ruler (possibly of a synagogue or even a member of a party in the temple) is quite sincere, and has followed the commandments all of his life.  So Jesus' statement really has nothing to do with how we might judge this person simply by virtue of his wealth.  Moreover, we can see how the disciples -- none of whom are rich men -- respond to this statement by asking, "Who then can be saved?"  Why would they ask such a question if they believed that having possessions or wealth was a far away concept?  So, it's not a good idea to substitute modern economics and wealth concepts of the 21st century for what we're reading here.  The issue is possessions and our attachment to them, wealth and our attachment to wealth.  So much depends upon what comes first in our lives and in our hearts.  Do we do with our wealth what Christ would ask of us?  Moreover, is our identity really tied up with the things we have, or do we rely on Christ to teach us who we are and in this sense "separate" us from wealth?  Does our wealth become a  stumbling block to faith, keeping us from the deeper relationship to Christ we might be called toward?  The truly important thing here is Christ's command to "follow Me."  Let us note also how wealth is often tied to family in the Gospels.  Here, Peter seems to have a startling realization:  "See, we have left all and followed You." And Jesus ties family relations and wealth or possessions together in His response as well:  "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."   The disciples have left behind all these things in order to obey His command to "follow Me."  These disciples are examples of the greatest devotion, but we should note how our possessions and our identity are so often tied together:  family, home, place of birth, heritage, the work we do in life -- all of these things can be what we receive as identity, and yet we may be called to separate ourselves from some aspect in following and devoting our hearts to Christ.  Indeed, Peter's family home would become Christ's first headquarters in Galilee.  We have Christ's teaching to the fishermen (their work)  that they would become fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Here, as my study Bible explains, for this rich young ruler, possessions had gained the upper hand.  They were the thing he could not sacrifice to follow Christ.  For each of us, there are crossroads in life where we must make a choice for identity.  We find ourselves either in the identity that Christ offers to us, and so can separate ourselves from some aspect of life we once relied upon to tell us who we are -- or we decide we must cling to what we know.  I would say this is a pattern of what is meant when it is said that we each carry our own cross.  Either way, we make choices to follow Him, or the sacrifice seems too great.  Jesus nears Jerusalem, where He will make the ultimate sacrifice for all, but in so doing His true identity will be revealed as Son and Savior.  Let us consider how we follow Him, and His teaching that "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

 

 

 

Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord

St. Philothei of Athens icon,  Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Greece

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents;  look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "

- Matthew 25:14-30

In yesterday's reading, and in the context of His Second Coming and the end times, Jesus told the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins:  "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents;  look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "   My study bible tells us that this parable is meant to illustrate the use of the gifts given to us by God.  A talent was a very large sum of money.  (According to Wikipedia, approximately 130 pounds or 59 kilograms of precious metal such as silver or gold.)   Here, the talent represents the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  It is because of this parable that "talent" has come to have its current meaning in English.  The amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  My study bible says that God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, as all are invited to share in the same joy in the parable.  It says that the wicked and lazy servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent, as idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.   To bury his talent in the ground, my study bible says, is an illustration of using God-given talents for earthly pursuits.  Bankers represent other faithful people to whom the man could have turned to help him use his talents wisely.  Since help was available to him in the Church, it says, the man has no excuse.

What is a talent?  In ancient times, a talent (from τάλαντον/talanton in the Greek, pl. talanta) was a measure of weight.  It later came to be monetized, assigned as a measure of money or wealth.  What seems to be indicated in the parable is just how much freedom is given to each servant in the use of the talent or talents entrusted to them.   Each one must find their own opportunities for using it wisely and growing it; each must think on his or her own in terms of how this will be done.  The opportunity for creativity, use of skills and intelligence, and diligent hard work is wide open.  So it is also with using our own talents.  There is nothing written in stone about how we are best to serve God.  We are each given capabilities, each has a unique life with unique opportunities, and most especially the ability to think and to create:  therefore each one is entrusted with initiative.  Plus, let us take note that there is help available in the figure of the bankers in the parable, which my study bible says indicates the Church.  We always have those around us who can help to pray for wisdom, discernment, and inspiration, who can give advice from experience.  And these "bankers" also extend to the saints who pray with us, to the whole history of the Church and those who have served.  There is plenty of wisdom and help to go around, to which we also may contribute with our own lives and our own efforts.  As human beings, we are endowed with these marvelous gifts of creative capacity, talent, ability, hard work, intelligence -- and we are also gifted within the Church and its wealth of such who are fellow faithful as well as those who have come before.  When we pray, we pray with the entire communion of saints, including the angels who also represent help in their ministry to us.  In this context, it becomes frustrating and confusing to be confronted with those who would insist that there is only one way to properly use a talent or a gift or to serve God.  Like the servant who buries his talent in the ground, we may come to encounter a type of moralism that does not recognize the true abundance of gifts were given nor the creativity and initiative within which God gives us the ability to live our faith and so contribute to the entirety of the Church.  Jesus addresses this very subject when He defends John the Baptist, and tells the people that "wisdom is justified by her children."  Note that in Luke's Gospel, that reads, "all her children."  (See Matthew 11:18-19, Luke 7:34-35.)   No one could be more different in outward appearance than Jesus and John the Baptist, in terms of each one's ministries.  The Jewish leaders condemn both, but for different, opposite reasons.  And yet Jesus puts the two into perspective as both justifying Wisdom in their works, each part of the outpouring work of the Holy Spirit in the world, each one in the lineage of God's work.  No two saints look exactly alike, each having the dynamism of unique personalities and ways of serving God.  It is the lazy servant who buries his or her talent in the ground and is afraid to do anything who fails in this parable.  Let us note that the returning master does not require our labors nor profits to be stupendous to give us a reward.  Our faith, even in a few things, is worthy.  He says to his profitable servants, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things."   The least each of us can do is to seek wisdom and understanding by studying the lives of the saints and the Scriptures, the history of the Church, and in particular through prayer and the experience of others who will also help to pray for us.  This is an active ministry that Christ offers to each of us in which to participate to the fullest of our abilities.  Let us remember that prayer is also a way of actively using talent and abilities and intelligence, of seeking wisdom through which we live and express our faith.  God calls us, by the examples in this parable, to the responsibility and capacity to contribute that involves initiative and a voluntary response to that which God has entrusted to us.  This is a high calling indeed.  For consideration of the wealth in the Church for how to use and invest our talents, I invite readers to contemplate the icon above of St. Philothei of Athens, who lived in the 16th century, when Athens was under Ottoman rule.   She was born into a wealthy family, and upon inheritance of this wealth she chose a monastic life for herself, taking the name Philothei which means "Friend of God."  She established monasteries and schools to train both boys and girls.  She also founded hospices, homes for the elderly, establishments for training in handiwork, weaving, housekeeping and cooking, and stalls for selling goods so that both those she helped and also her monasteries and charities could be self-sufficient.  Among the many charitable acts she initiated, she took in those who had been made slaves by the Ottomans, including in particular young women placed into harems who sought refuge.  She purchased freedom for many by paying ransoms and bribes, and helped them to escape to territories outside the city when they were hunted.  Her monasteries were continually raided and plundered.  She was beaten by authorities, which happened on more than one occasion, and also imprisoned for her active work in securing freedom for Greeks who had been made slaves by the Ottomans.   For this work she was increasingly hated.  She died a martyr due to injuries from one such beating by mercenaries (depicted in the icon) on February 19, 1589, and is commemorated on February 19.  A district of Athens is named after her, and in particular much of central Athens owes its names and history to the land she had converted for the use of her monasteries and charities for the people of the city.

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?"

Traditio Legis, Christ giving the New Law to St. Peter.  4th century mosaic, Santa Costanza, Rome

 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

- Matthew 19:23-30

Yesterday we read that little children were brought to Jesus that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.  Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, " 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery.' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love neighbor as yourself.' "  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."   When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  My study bible tells us that various interpretations have been given for this impossible image given by Jesus of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  For instance, one such offering is that the word was not meant as camel at all, but an Aramaic word that sounds similar, the word for "rope" -- which makes some relative sense, when you think about it a bit.  There's another possible explanation offered, that the eye of a needle was actually a city gate through which a camel could squeeze only if it were first unloaded of all baggage, which symbolized wealth or possessions.  In the Talmud there exists the expression "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  Regardless of the reference for the phrase, it makes it clear that the problem of attachment to riches makes salvation impossible.  When the disciples respond, "Who then can be saved?" it makes clear the impact of Christ's statement.  But by the grace of God, what is impossible to human beings alone is made possible for us.

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."  Regarding judging, my study bible cites a commentary by St. Ambrose of Milan:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds."  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."   The discernment of the heart rather than deeds is the difference, noted through the passage of yesterday's reading about the rich man, between formal observance of commandments and real righteousness before God.  My study bible suggests that the apostles will not judge with earthly judgment, but rather by the witness of their own lives.  Since the Kingdom begins with the Resurrection of Christ, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (16:19; John 20:23).

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  My study bible says here that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. Chrysostom writes that this refers to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means to lose one's family (not an uncommon circumstance in the lives of the early saints of the Church).  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members might cut off ties because of a believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16) -- again, not an unusual feature of the lives of early martyrs and saints, and one which may take on new forms as circumstances change.  My study bible adds that believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense:  the father's and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.

We've written about sacrament, or what it is to be "sacramental" in our past two readings.  In principle, to be "sacramental" is a practice of turning to God all the things of this world and of our lives, and God returning them to us with grace.  In today's reading, Jesus continues from the passages in yesterday's, speaking about the difficulties that attachment to riches -- wealth or possessions -- present to salvation.  It is the difficulty of holding on to the things we possess, rather than giving them up to God for God's direction and guidance, which makes obstacles to salvation.  In some sense, the attachment to wealth as total dependency means that we are unable to make room for God, for the direction God would give us rather than the "direction" the wealth itself seems to give us.  Possessions create obligations and duties.  But in the Christian sense we are to make room for God before all things, so that we ask God for direction -- including the use of possessions.  Everything we have is as gift from God, including our lives.  In the "sacramental" sense, then, we turn over our very lives and all that we have to God, in exchange for God's place for us, God's guidance and direction for good lives.  When we let in God the Spirit, called the "treasury of good things and giver of life" in an Orthodox prayer, we are asking for the kind of creativity that is only possible through God's grace to permeate our lives and to give us ways to live and use our resources that a merely worldly perspective might not show us.  How will we use our wealth?  What will we do with it?  What do we do with our talents and capacities for work, for thinking, for imagining, for creativity?  When we make room for God first, we ask for an exchange of the deepest originality and creativity -- we ask for more than we already have.  Jesus Himself promises a hundredfold return of whatever it is we give up to God, for the kingdom of God's sake.  When Jesus says, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first,"  it is once again a reminder of the humility involved in this process, and necessary in order to open up room for the kingdom of God to be at work first in our lives, before all other things, including the obligations that possessions put upon us.  Let us consider this Thanksgiving (which is tomorrow in the United States) what all of the blessings in our lives do to us and for us, and which ways we might be better off giving them up to God for God's purposes.  Do you have health?  Do you have a family and relationships that are important to you?  What if you placed them all, prayerfully, in the hands of God?  Are there bitter experiences to "give up," as in giving up a debt to God, instead of seeking to collect payment somehow?  Think about the potentials for creative and renewed life that we might hold stagnant and release for greater growth through this process.  Jesus speaks of the "regeneration" -- and this is precisely what we seek in our faith.  We seek to place all things in the hands of the One who is always making all things new (Revelation 21:5).  The One who multiplied the loaves and fishes promises a hundredfold, plus eternal life.  Isn't this, indeed, worthy of an exchange?   Let us note that Jesus never minimizes our difficulties, nor make this seem like an easy and simple process.  He just gives us His solemn word that we have great help, and that it is immensely, enormously worth the effort.

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these

Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."

- Luke 12:22-31

Yesterday 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 be 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!"

 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing."   My study bible notes here that Jesus is warning against anxiety, and not against thoughtful planning.  It notes that our physical well-being is directly dependent upon God, and indirectly on food and clothing.  It says that great anxiety over earthly things demonstrates a lack of faith in God's care.  This statement, life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing, is a statement about the true reality of our natures as creatures of God.  We are something more, and His emphasis is on the more that we truly need.

"Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?"  God's love and care extends to all of nature.  Ravens are an interesting bird for Jesus to mention.  As animals they are known in cultures worldwide for their intelligence.  In Scripture, it is said that a raven fed Elijah in the wilderness (see 1 Kings 17:2-16, a story in itself about dependence upon God).  If we think about it, that God endows a bird with such intelligence teaches us Jesus' point about the value of human beings.  The lilies are themselves gorgeous, arrayed in great beauty by God -- even the purple reserved only for kings in Christ's time.  All of nature, therefore receives the abundance of God's gifts; therefore how much more will we receive?

"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things."  Today, as ever, we know the truth of these statements.  The nations of the world fight wars over resources they wish to claim.  But Christ is saying that there is something else that comes first.  My study bible says that in Christ's time, the Gentiles (the nations of the world) served pagan idols, and therefore remained consumed by dependence upon earthly things.  To follow God is to be dependent first upon God, for "your Father knows that you need these things."

"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."  Here is the central theme of Christ's teachings, and also of our faith.  We put first God's kingdom and God's righteousness.  My study bible says that in calling us to be free from anxiety about earthly things, Jesus directs us to look to heaven -- secure in the faith that God will provide what God knows are needed earthly blessings.

Jesus' admonition here is falsely read to mean that we have no need of things mentioned here (as if we live upon air, and matter or material needs are somehow sinful), or it is misunderstood to suggest that in fact God promises us tremendous material bounty and riches in reward for our faith.  Neither of those two interpretations is worthy of Christ nor worthy of the God whom we worship, and neither is worthy of the beauty of our faith, for both reduce our faith to a kind of extreme materialism, one without balance.  But it is precisely of the balance of the world in which we are created to live that Jesus speaks here:  we are creatures who live in both realms; human beings with body and soul, corporeal beings who need spirit to live.  In John 6:63, Jesus says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  Here, Christ teaches us one single formula for how we are to live even as beings who have needs in this world:  "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you."   The formula is simple:  we put one thing first.  This one thing, the kingdom of God, is worthy of all other sacrifice.  Moreover, there is nothing else worthy of such sacrifice but this kingdom.  To lose our lives in excess anxiety is throwing away the life we're given by God, a waste of our time.  Jesus asks, "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?"   All the anxiety, time, effort, thinking, and ruminating in the world will not gain us what we truly seek.  Our mission is plain:  we put the kingdom first, we put all things in the hands of God, and our dependency there first.  This is not to say that we won't have jobs, lives, resources to plan wisely for, families to take care of, and all kinds of worldly things to consider in our lives.   Scriptures, again, are full of the stories of those who have lived fully human and worldly lives while seeking first the kingdom of God.  But our command, and our wisdom, is for one thing first of all in our hearts, and that is the one thing that leads to all the rest.  Let us note that what precisely all the rest contains isn't up to us, and it's not a promise engraved in stone like some cash jackpot guaranteed by the lottery this week!  But it is a promise that God knows what we need, and that our work is to understand our dependence upon God and to seek God's kingdom for ourselves as the place where we truly dwell.  Psalm 91 echoes the promises of Christ:  "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation" (Psalm 91:14-16).  Let us remember that living the life of the Kingdom is a day-by-day and hour-by-hour practice.  We don't swear allegiance one moment and presume we are then set up for life; neither do we take it upon ourselves to understand what this means in terms of what our lives should look like.  The saints of every age are unique, and their unique missions testify to the idea that each one takes up his or her own cross daily to dwell in this place and to practice one's faith.   In prayer, we seek to cement the relationship in which we put God's kingdom first, and then we seek to meet each challenge of life in that faith, asking for guidance, good choices, as well as insight and especially growth.  Life offers us an infinite variety of moments in which we can choose to seek that Kingdom first, and allow ourselves to dwell in God's righteousness -- and remember that it is all a great, long learning curve.  This is where we are as disciples; we are "learners" as the Greek word for disciple truly means.  Let us set our hearts where they need to be, and follow where that learning leads us in each of our lives.  The great beauty of the kingdom of God rivals that of any worldly glory, but we need to be able to see.

You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God

 "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.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant 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."

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

"The law and prophets were until John.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

- Luke 16:10-17(18)

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 "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.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant 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."  Jesus has just told the parable of the Unjust Steward (see yesterday's reading, above). In that parable, the unjust steward, who had earlier squandered his master's wealth, used "mammon" (wealth or money) with mercy, "making friends" with those who owed money to his master.  Here Jesus speaks of being faithful in terms of being faithful to God, even in the ways in which we use our wealth.  He compares the riches of the world (unrighteous mammon) to the true riches of the Kingdom and of faith, the things of God.  My study bible explains that what is another man's is also wealth -- that is, the wealth we should distribute through almsgiving and mercy.  Whatever we have really belongs to God.   What Christ is getting at is the root of selfishness; our love and faithfulness to God will determine the ways in which we use whatever is at our disposal.

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."  My study bible says that the things which are highly esteemed among men include money, power, position, and praise.  We revisit Jesus' words elsewhere.  In chapter 11, Jesus expresses the "woes" coming to those in leadership for their conduct.  Among other things, He lists their love of worldly honor and position:  "Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces" (11:43).

 "The law and prophets were until John.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail."  In chapter 11, Jesus also criticizes the Pharisees for the fact that they follow the letter of the law as regards tithing, but fail to practice the true mercy of God:  "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone" (11:42).  Here, He compares the Old Covenant and the New; He is the fulfillment of the law and prophets, and His ministry brings the fullness of the ultimate aim of the law, which is true righteousness.

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."  This verse is seemingly out of place here, disconnected from the surrounding passages.  But it is linked in terms of the themes which concern the Pharisees (divorce and remarriage under the Mosaic law were highly contested and debated issues among the religious leadership, with the Pharisees coming down close to Jesus' position on the matter).  Remarriage also involved questions of dowry and wealth, and was also therefore subject to specific regulation.  What ties this passage together with the themes already expressed here and in the earlier parable of the Unjust Steward is righteousness, mercy, and the use of possessions.  Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce in terms of its easy and simple access for men under the Mosaic Law and the abuse of the practice.  Women could not sue for divorce; only men could do so, and for what amounted to nearly arbitrary reasons.  Here Jesus holds fidelity to a very strict standard; to treat a wife as traded commodity is sinful.

What does it mean to possess wealth?  Perhaps Jesus, in speaking of divorce, wants us to consider how or whether or not we treat fellow human beings as things we own, aspects of our wealth.  Surely our relationships are wealth, but they can't be thought of as "mammon," commodities of ownership.  Jesus seems to be asking us repeatedly to consider that whatever we have truly belongs to God in the first place, and therefore the rules or laws which govern how we use what we have -- no matter what that may be -- aren't the laws of balancing the books or even following a code of tithing.  Rather, the law that governs the way we choose to live our lives is that of faith -- love and trust in God and extending God's righteousness through whatever we might control.   This is contrasted with a selfish attitude of needing to gain the whole world.  Indeed, Jesus contrasts the eternal nature of the possession of soul with the desire to grasp all the world:  "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?" (9:25).  The Pharisees, while they are righteous according to the law, are men who seem intent on gaining the whole world, which includes "the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces," and honorific titles.  But the Cross to which Christ calls each one of us is one that asks us to exchange one life for another -- a worldly perspective for one that sees all the wealth of the world as a gift for which we are stewards who seek to please our Master.  In this way, Jesus' teachings really echo what He calls the two greatest commandments:   "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).   Let us remember that whatever we possess, whether that be talent or material commodity, we each share the capacity to practice the perspective Jesus teaches us.  We each may practice mercy, or give of our time, our kindness, the grace God gives our hearts.  In a society that has so much wealth, it has also been found that the intangible gift of attention, respect, and recognition of a fellow human being makes the greatest difference to those who may be "the least of these."  Over the course of the past week's readings, Jesus has given us repeated teachings on humility, and in particular to the great men among the rulers of the Pharisees.  Let us consider their righteousness, and what they yet still lacked.  Humility is the key to understanding how and with what each of us may be blessed, and how we may use whatever we have to serve God with love.  We live in a world that magnifies position given by the praise in popular media, and therefore particularly that of image or appearance.  In modern talk, this phenomenon is frequently referred to as "virtue signalling," used as a form of public relations.   Let us consider Jesus' warnings about basing our lives and values exclusively on that which is highly esteemed among men.

Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

- Luke 12:13-31

Yesterday, we read that as Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees, they began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  My study bible says that it was customary for respected rabbis to arbitrate personal disputes.  But a dispute over an inheritance can be detrimental to salvation if it simply exacerbates covetousness and greed, which are actually forms of idolatry.  The real question is a matter of emphasis and the centrality of God to one's life (see Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13).  

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."   What the emphasis in life?  What do we focus on?  Jesus seems to teach here that in fact our time is not truly our own, so we must spend it wisely.  If we're not thinking about salvation, then we're wasting our time.  What is it to be rich toward God?  In the Gospels, almsgiving is consistently presented as a way to store treasure in heaven.  How we practice mercy is a way of building up the treasure we take with us into eternity, something that truly belongs to a soul.  The meaning of this parable presented by Jesus is that this rich man has actually cheated himself.  My study bible says that "Whose will those things be which you have provided?" is actually the key to understanding the saving up of material goods.  St. Ambrose writes, "The things which we cannot take with us are not ours.  Only virtue will be our companion when we die."  Even when Joseph stored up grain in Egypt, it was for the benefit of the whole nation.  My study bible adds that these teachings apply to parishes as well as each person.

Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."  There is a depth of emphasis on what God knows about us here in these words.  Jesus' beautiful preaching asks us to look around at the beauty of the world and to understand that God knows all about us and all about the needs that we have.  Our first trust should be there.  An anxious mind is one that is spending one's time thinking all about the material goods one can get.  The emphasis here is about what we put first.  Seeking the kingdom does not mean we leave behind all our needs.  But it does mean there is something that is our recognized treasure that is central to all the rest of life and into which we place our trust, to which all these things are added unto you.

Jesus places a great emphasis here on how we spend our time.  What do we think about?  What is it we dwell upon?  What gives us anxiety?  What is it to be rich in the things of God?  There is always a system of exchange at work.  Christ seems to teach that we can't really have it both ways; we must put an emphasis on pleasing God or mammon.  Our time is limited.  He doesn't leave out the good in life that we need.  Neither does he leave beauty and enjoyment out of life.  He points out the care God provides for the ravens, even for the beauty of the lilies of the field.  These things are not wrong nor bad.  But the more essential thing is what we put first, and then "all these things shall be added unto you."   We store up treasure in heaven by building up the things of the Kingdom in this world.  By practicing charity and mercy, by helping others, by keeping our focus on the love of God, we build treasure every day that is also a true part of ourselves, a part of the soul, the reality that will stand before God.  There's a key to true richness here, that joy and wealth don't really come from an abundance of riches.  In fact, we should all understand that when one can feel an internal wealth it changes our perception of our own lives, our feeling of wealth in life.  The loneliest and saddest place in the world can be a life full of "stuff" without meaning and without connection to love and true beauty.  We can delude ourselves, as the rich man in Christ's parable, by thinking it must be so.  But we are more than just a body; our very lives exist in the fullness of what it is to be a human being made in the image of God.  There is nothing that can make a person more wealthy than understanding what they have to give to others, or the abundance of love they can find within themselves, the great treasure of resources God provides which is surprising and inestimable.  Charity is so much more than wealth.  It's a frame of mind.  What a person needs may not be money. It might be a thoughtful caring word, a reassuring smile, maybe a telephone call.  St. Basil says that a coat hanging unused belongs to the person who needs it.  A conversation -- one's time -- with a person in need may do more to give hope and support than an impersonal donation.  There are all kinds of ways to spend our lives focused on the Kingdom and the wealth and abundance we create there.  Let us not forget to trust God to find the place we need to be, and to understand the good gifts of life and all that we need.  Lest we forget, let us not neglect prayer when there is nothing else we can give; it's the source of so much that can change a life.

If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"  The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

- Matthew 19:13-22

On Saturday, we read that after teaching the disciples about humility, becoming like a little child of faith, care of the little ones and mutual correction in the Church, and forgiveness,  Jesus departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.  The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?"  And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?  So then, they are no longer two but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"  He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce from your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."  His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry."  But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given:  For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.  He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."

  Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.  This is an emphasis on the teachings of the previous three readings (see links above).  But in those readings, Jesus' reference to the "little ones" meant the humble faithful of the Church who would be in the disciples' care.  He taught that to enter into the kingdom of heaven one must become "like a little child" -- that is, humble and embodying the characteristics that make for faith.  Here the disciples rebuke the mothers because they thought the children unruly, and and that they "diminished His dignity and Teacher and Master" (according to Theophylact).  But Christ sets the little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Children are invited to participate in the Kingdom and the life of the Church.

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  So He said to him, "Why do you call me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."  He said to Him, "Which ones?"  Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"   The emphasis on "good" and what or who is good is really an emphasis by Christ that what is good in life comes from God, and that a good life comes from dependence on God for the "good things" of life -- of soul, body, and spirit.  He begins with the commandments of God given to Moses.

The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?"  My study bible says that formal observance of commandments doesn't make one righteous before God.  This man had an earnest desire for eternal life and sensed that he still lacked something -- so he continues to press Jesus for an answer.

Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."   The real goal of a spiritual life, for an eternal life, is closeness to God, a union with God.  This young man was a very wealthy man; given his depiction here and in other Gospels one can assume his identity was defined by his wealth and position.  That is, a social identity.   Often called a "rich young ruler," it's implied that he is a type of aristocrat whose wealth is in landed properties (as the Greek word translated as "possessions" literally means).  My study bible says that wealth had such a grip on this rich man that his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions.  The goal is following Christ, and whatever impediment is in the way of that goal is eventually voluntarily given up.  The specifics of how each one follows Christ, therefore, will be different for each person.  St. John Chrysostom writes that giving away possessions is the least of Jesus' instructions here.  Following Him in all things is a much greater and more difficult calling.

To detach from the things we "love" in order to follow a greater and more profound love is indeed the stuff of maturing, and of spiritual maturity.  This is about releasing impediments to the love of God, to the love of Christ.  It is just as Jesus taught the disciples earlier:  "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."  Those body parts named by Christ were images of ways of thinking and being in the world, habits even dear or close, that had to go in order to truly fulfill their calling and mission.  So it is for this man often described as a "rich young ruler."   His wealth isn't just something to which he was deeply attached, it was an attachment that became an impediment in the way of following Christ.  It's important that we understand that carrying our crosses means we come up against such impediments in our own lives, but that they may be different for each of us depending on our own orientation and lives.  St. Francis is a saint for whom this was the call.  A rather profligate son of a well-to-do merchant, St. Francis was called to give up things to which he was attached in order to rebuild the church of his time.  Returning his father's possessions, he declared himself to be dependent upon God.  He modeled himself after one such as John the Baptist, a man of extraordinary humility before God and of single-minded determination to live only for God's work as he was called to do it.  But for every great holy ascetic there is also the work of individuals who are called to live holy lives for God in the most commonplace of professions and walks of life.  Each is capable of being called to the qualities described in my study bible as exemplified in the "little ones" -- humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In our relationship to God, these are the qualities that count, fruits of the Spirit.  We will each be led as we are uniquely called to fulfill that mission of love and service; no one is a carbon copy of another.  The real goal of such work is love, true love of God which teaches us love of neighbor.  How that happens for each one,  the things we may be asked to cut off or give up, depends on how we are called.  The end result is riches that are too deep to fathom, an internal joy and love, an intrinsic value worth the greatest pearls and treasures.  That is, a life transfigured.  And "all things added unto" these.