Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken

 

 "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. 

 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

 

- Matthew 24:15-31 

 

Yesterday we read that, following His final public sermon (a condemnation of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees), Jesus went out and departed from the 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."

 

  "Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes."  According to my study Bible, Daniel's prophecy of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) was fulfilled in AD 70, during the Siege of Jerusalem.  The Roman general Titus entered the Most Holy Place and had a statue of himself erected in the temple before the temple was destroyed. The Lord's phrase when you see, it says, is an indication that many of the disciples would still be alive at that time.  The words whoever reads, let him understand are commonly thought to be inserted by Matthew into Christ's address as an encouragement to the early Christian flock, who may have witnessed this event.  

 

"But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!"  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus blesses the barren women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:29).  My study Bible comments that this is an acknowledgment of the overwhelming pain a mother endures seeing her children suffer (illustrated by the woe in this passage).  St. John Chrysostom comments, "Mothers are held by the tie of feeling for their children, but cannot save them.  How can one escape the bonds of nature?  How can she who nurses ever overlook the one she has borne?"  

 

"And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.  for then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."  My study Bible notes that the severity of winter weather or respect for the Sabbath would prevent many faithful from fleeing quickly in a time of desperation.  A spiritual interpretation given in patristic commentary sees the Sabbath as symbolizing idleness in terms of virtue, and winter indicating a fruitlessness in terms of charity.  So, therefore, the person who leaves this life in such a spiritual state will suffer judgment. 

 

 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."    How will Christ's return happen?  My study Bible says that, according to Christ's description, this event will be unmistakable to the whole world.  Therefore, if there is any question or doubt, that alone is evidence that He has not returned.  As Christ's return will shine from the east, so Orthodox Christians whenever possible worship facing eastward in symbolic hope and anticipation of His second and glorious coming.  Again

 

 "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  According to my study Bible, the body refers to Christ, while the eagles refer to the angels and the saints.  

 

 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken."  Again, my study Bible cites patristic commentary, according to which the sun will not be destroyed, but rather darkened in relation to the glory of Christ. In other words, the sun will appear to be dark by comparison when Christ returns in the fullness of His splendor. 

 

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."  The sign of the Son of Man is the Cross, my study Bible tells us, which will be revealed as the standard for Christ's impending judgment.  At His first coming, He came in humility and mortality, but at His second coming, Christ will be revealed in power and great glory.  

 

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  See St. Paul's description of Christ's return at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  My study Bible remarks that the first-century document, The Didache, lists three signs that will mark the return of our Lord:  1) "the sign spread out in the heavens" -- Christ and His hosts; 2) "the sign of the trumpet"; and 3) "the resurrection of the dead."  St. Paul writes in this passage to the Thessalonians that the return of Christ is a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:18) for the righteous.  

 

It's quite stunning to read my study Bible's commentary on Jesus' words that "immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the  powers of the heavens will be shaken."  All of this, my study Bible says, will seem to be so to us in comparison to the revelation of the glory of Christ at His second coming.  When we think of such glory, we turn to the image of Christ given to us in the Transfiguration, in which this glory was revealed to the disciples in the form of brilliant light.  St. Matthew describes it this way:  "His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light" (Matthew 17:2).  St. Mark writes, "His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3).  In icons of the Transfiguration, this brilliant light surrounding Christ is often painted with a blue tinge, in order to portray this light that is not fully perceivable to us, an ineffable divine light that is whiter than white.  In this way, Jesus has revealed to all of us a taste of the glory we might expect will be revealed at the Second Coming, that "beyond white" light that makes the sun appear darkened, and the moon without light, the stars seeming to disappear.  Indeed, there is more to this as well, when we consider that throughout our Christian history, and earlier in the times of the Old Testament, sun, moon, and stars were also associated with angelic beings, messengers of God.  Psalm 19 states, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world" (Psalm 19:1-4).  When Job finally has his say with the Lord, the Lord responds to him, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?  To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7).  The morning stars and the sons of God in the response of the Lord refer to angelic beings, part of God's creation, and especially their power of communication on God's behalf, so strongly expressed in Psalm 19.  Perhaps our most vivid associations of stars with God's messages from angelic beings comes to us at this perfect time of the year when we celebrate this time coming up to the commemoration of Christ's Nativity.  It's at this time we contemplate the wise men from the East who had seen "His star" which led them to Christ (Matthew 2:1-12).  Perhaps the most powerful testimony of this association comes from St. Luke's Gospel, in which we read of the angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord shining around the shepherds in the field, and the "multitude of heavenly host" praising God and this gospel message of great joy for the world (see Luke 2:8-20).  All of this glory of God is overshadowed by the unforeseen brilliance of the Lord's return at His second coming, and so, as St. Paul says, we should not view these images with fear, but with joy and comfort.  What will it be like to experience such light and such glory?  St. Paul cites the prophecy of Isaiah as he writes of the "wisdom of God ordained for our glory," and Christ as "our Lord of glory," telling us in his Letter to the Corinthians, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:6-12; Isaiah 64:4).  Let us not fear, but think about the joy of His return, so powerfully eclipsing in glory even the joy of His birth.  For this is what awaits beyond tribulation. Let us be prepared to meet that day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also

 

 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.  

 

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."

 

- Matthew 23:13–26 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying:  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all of their works they do to be seen by men.  They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'  But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  And do not be called teacher; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

  "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it."  My study Bible comments on this passage that because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  So, therefore, leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1).

 

 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."  My study Bible comments that the warnings in this passage (and several verses that will follow in tomorrow's reading) are especially important to Orthodox Christians. Certainly they apply to many other Christian denominations as well.  It notes that the Church has maintained the ancient practice of tithing ("these you ought to have done"); sacred vessels ("you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish"); holy rites; and following the tradition handed down from fathers of the Church.  These practices, it says, can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ, or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  Regarding "strain out of gnat and swallow a camel," my study Bible explains that the Pharisees would attach strainers to the mouths of decanters in order to avoid accidentally consuming a ritually unclean substance.  

 

The scrupulosity of the Pharisees is well-illustrated in Christ's scathing criticism that they "strain out a gnat and swallow a camel."   It shows for us a clear emphasis on the details of observed piety, while the inner life and the fruits of the love of God are neglected.  In another memorable phrasing, Jesus says, "For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith."  As my study Bible comments, we always run the risk of placing all our emphasis on externals and forget the power of faith, that inner life of the love of God.  Once again, we return to our reading from Tuesday, in which Jesus, in response to the Pharisees' questioning, set out the first two great commandments, upon which "hang all the Law and the Prophets."  The first commanded a total love of God, with all the heart, and soul, and mind.  The second was like it, to love neighbor as oneself.  The second flows from the first.  With their emphasis on external piety and position, on their appearance and place and rank with others, they have forgotten to first "cleanse the inside of the cup" so that the outside may be clean also.  This is once again a reference to the inner life, and the pure hearts Jesus asks us to work for, as our first work of faith (Matthew 5:8).  That is, heart and soul and mind dedicated to love of God.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the inner life, and our care for it, so that the love of God can produce its fruits and grow in us throughout our lives.  But a hypocritical focus on externals is what He condemns here in the practice of the Pharisees.  As my study Bible points out, all of these things and the traditions of the Church are meant as expressions of our faith, working to help us to shore up that faith within us, and to practice our faith and make it strong, to help us to express that love of God.  But it is a hypocritical focus only on the externals that is the source of the problem here, that is emphasized in Jesus' pronouncement of "woe" to these leaders.  Jesus calls them "blind guides" for they can't see what's in front of their eyes, nor can they sense what they lack in terms of their own faith and the fruits of the love of God.  Again, as my study Bible says, these warnings are not just for Christ's particular place and time, but they are always words in effect for all of us, so that we focus on our lives and the practice of our faith.  In modern times, our lives are seemingly governed by image and images, which are fantastically expanded and distorted through social media.  We need more than ever an understanding of what it is to cultivate a purity in heart and an internal, wholistic love of God which bears fruit in the growth of the soul and in love -- and not simply a reliance on slogans, movements, fashion, or to be seen by others.  As the celebration of Christ's Nativity approaches, let's remember where all the meaning comes from, and focus on cleansing the inside of the cup as He asks.    

 

 

 

 

The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. 

 

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.   But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   

 

Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

 

- Luke 10:1–17 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village. Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, 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 He said to another, "Follow Me."  but he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  These seventy are a second group of Christ's disciples appointed to be apostles.  Many of them are known from the records of the early Church, and went on to become bishops.  Here, they are sent two by two as heralds of the kingdom of God, going before Christ in every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Jesus is now on His way toward Jerusalem, and to the Cross.

 

 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  My study Bible notes that we are to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

 

 "Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."  Jesus describes these apostles as lambs; this speaks of the sacrificial life of all followers of Christ, my study Bible says.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devout those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  

 

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  Jesus gives instructions similar to the ones He gave to the original twelve apostles (Luke 9:1-6).   They emphasize humility in the execution of their mission.  My study Bible points out that twice here He commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  This has a twofold significant, it says.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.   It notes that St. Cassian the Desert Father has said that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  When he asked why, the elder responded, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, my study Bible says, the ascetics would obey Christ's command here and His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2).  

 

 "And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  Once again, the rebuke against those who will not receive them is to wipe the dust from themselves.  But this does not mean that judgment is not at work.  Note that the gospel message here is not just that there is a Kingdom in the future, my study Bible says, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

 

 "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.   But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."   Judgment, as expressed by Christ here, is severe for those who reject Him after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, my study Bible says, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), and are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  

 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  This is a sign that there are warring spiritual kingdoms, and that Christ is the "stronger man" who has come to plunder the one who sways the world (John 12:31; 14:30).  

 

 In today's reading, Jesus sends out the Seventy, a second "wave," so to speak, of missionaries sent out into the world to proclaim the gospel message, the news of the kingdom of God.  We notice how He sends them out as emissaries going before a distinguished head of a state, to proclaim this news of His coming, and of what His kingdom is all about.  In Christ's time, the word for which we use "gospel" (εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, from which is derived the word evangelist) was in very common usage.  It indicated a message sent out from a government official, or the emperor, for example, to give some news or declaration to people about what was being done or proposed, in the same sense that we today might receive announcements from our government.  So, in a very clear sense, Jesus is announcing the arrival of a Kingdom in the midst of His people.  The Seventy are to go out and announce His arrival and "tour," so to speak, before Him as He starts His journey toward Jerusalem.  They proclaim the good news of the Kingdom, the gospel message that this particular King is sending out about what He is doing and bringing into the world.  But this is not a worldly, material Kingdom in the same sense as all the other kingdoms of the world.  In this paradigm the world is a kind of battleground for spiritual forces that influence and sway the world, and battle within the hearts and souls of people.  St. Paul puts it memorably:  "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."  This is a battle not just of our own hearts and souls and the way we choose to live our lives and the commitments we make, but also one that is unseen to the worldly eye.  Nonetheless, Christ's mission is one that is undertaken also on worldly terms, to teach us, to announce the Kingdom, and so that we also join into this unseen battle.  For the battle is all about us.  These Seventy appointed in today's reading would go on to spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.  They included Barnabas, who is said to have studied also under the famous teacher Gamaliel with St. Paul (when he was known as Saul of Tarsus).  Barnabas played a very significant role in the early Church, as he sought out Paul when everyone else was afraid of him, bringing him to the apostles, my study Bible reminds us.  Barnabas was the first sent with Paul to Antioch.  He was martyred in Cyprus where he was born; buried by his cousin Mark the Apostle and Evangelist, the site of his burial venerated still today.  Another of these Seventy was Titus, whom Paul called his brother (2 Corinthians 12:18) and his son (Titus 1:4).  Titus was well-educated in Greek philosophy and born in Crete but after reading the prophet Isaiah, my study Bible tells us, he began to doubt the value of the things he'd been taught.  After traveling with others from Crete who went to Jerusalem to see for themselves, and hearing Jesus speak, Titus joined those who followed Him.  He was baptized by St. Paul and served him, until Paul sent him to Crete and made him a bishop there.  These are just two examples of those who spread the kingdom of God and its gospel message to the world, appointed by Christ to go before Him.  Others among the Seventy are known to have preached as far as Britain (Aristobulus, the brother of Barnabas; Romans 16:10).   In today's reading, Jesus says, to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. "  In St. John's Gospel, we read the story of a Samaritan woman to whom Jesus reveals Himself, and the whole town who comes to Him as a result.  Jesus tells His disciples regarding this "harvest" of new believers, "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" (John 4:38).  Let us think of the Seventy, and remember that when we read or tell others about the Gospel, where we go to worship and in practicing our faith, we also enter into others' labors, such as these.  They went out into the Roman highways, the great innovative technology of their time, to spread Christ's gospel.  Today we have the "information superhighways" of the internet on which Christ's message of the Kingdom travels.  Let us remember all of Christ's instructions to the Seventy, and imitate them.  Would that our labors be as fruitful as theirs!

 

 

 

 

 

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

 

 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.  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.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  

 

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.  Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

 

- Luke 11:37–52 

 

Yesterday we read that, as Jesus spoke, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!"  But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!  And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation.  It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.  For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.  The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.  The lamp of the body is the eye.  Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light.  But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.  Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light." 

 

 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him.  So He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you."  Here Jesus begins to give criticisms of the Pharisees similar to those found in Matthew 23.  His repeated message of woe to them is a message about judgment that is to come.  My study Bible explains woe as a term which indicates complete and devastating destruction (Luke 6:24-26; see Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Here, addressing the issue of the formal observance of the Law in ceremonial washing, Jesus emphasizes the inward part, making an allusion to the inward part of a human being.  This "inward part" is neglected by the legalism of the Pharisees.

 

 "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."  To observe formal practices of tithing, while remaining untouched by the love of God or the need for justice is to bypass the spirit of the Law while following its letter.

 

"Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  The emphasis on outward observance causes judgment by appearance, the pleasing of other people rather than God (John 12:43).  Jesus likens this inward state of neglect to death, emptiness, nothingness -- painting a forlorn picture of the unknown graves of the dead.  

Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers."  Here the lawyers or scribes, who are closely allied with the Pharisees, complain to Jesus.  Again, Jesus speaks of their hard-heartedness, similar to that of the Pharisees.  These men scrupulously and zealously study and give opinions in the Law; in this context they load men with burdens hard to bear, but never show mercy in so doing, nor the compassion to truly help others. 

"Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.  Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.  Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation."  Jesus now links the Pharisees and scribes to the same leaders who built the tombs of the prophets and killed them in the past.  He speaks of God's justice, in which all these things are known, and which will require a response.  Regarding Zechariah, my study Bible comments that some patristic teachers say this was the prophet at the time of Joash the king (2 Chronicles 24:20-22) while others say it's a reference to the father of St. John the Baptist.  According to tradition, Zechariah (or Zacharias), the father of the Baptist, was also murdered in the temple.  

"Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."  My study Bible comments here that, because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  Therefore leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1). 

Today's list of "woes" given by Jesus encapsulate in some sense what it means to be a hypocrite.  Indeed, in Matthew 23, Christ's grand critique of the Pharisees and the scribes, His condemnation is punctuated multiple times with the accusation, "Hypocrites!" Today's reading gives us an idea of exactly what the problem with hypocrisy is:  it hides from ourselves our own interior disposition, and the problems with it that we need to correct.  Jesus says, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness."  Outward observance is possible without ever coming to terms with our own needs and problems and shortcoming we need to correct.  This kind of blindness to oneself also leads to projection, and false judgment of others.  In response to their criticism of His lack of ceremonial washing, Jesus advises them to be charitable with what they have, teaching them the consequences of such:  clean hands:  "But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you."   But then He continues to explain the problem with tithing for outward appearance's sake, and the disconnect with the heart that results:  "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."  The point of charitable giving is serving God's justice, ameliorating the harsh conditions we know in the world, and so properly done out of the love of God and of justice.  Jesus continues, "Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  Their emphasis on worldly glory (the best seats in the synagogues . . . greetings in the marketplaces) hides their true reality:  emptiness without substance, empty of virtue, to be forgotten and passed over.  In Christ's criticism of the lawyers (scribes) He goes even further; these experts who know the law and render opinions have used it to obstruct the purposes of God.  They cover the fact that they inherit the ways of those who killed and persecuted the prophets before them, in their hypocrisy building their tombs and mourning over them.  They have inherited the ways of their spiritual fathers, doing the same to those prophets and apostles who will come (and to Christ the Son as well).  They not only obstruct the knowledge of God for themselves, but they hindered those who were entering in to such -- thus fully defeating and obstructing the whole purpose of the Law.  Hypocrisy, in short, allows us to hide from ourselves the true state of our souls, our inner part, and what we do -- so that it may cover up even a multitude of the worst kind of sins.  My study Bible has a note on the warnings given to these religious leaders in Matthew 23.  It says that these warnings about hypocritical practice of our faith are especially important to Orthodox Christians.  The Church, it says, has maintained the ancient practices of tithing, sacred vessels, holy rites, and following the tradition handed down from our own fathers (and mothers).  These practices, it continues, can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ -- or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  Let us understand that these words of Jesus Christ are not just for people who would be religious leaders and teachers 2,000 years ago.  They are for us today, especially for all of us who would be disciples of Christ, and seek to follow as He teaches us.  Let us learn from His words and take them all to heart.  For the wisdom of God will send yet more to us, and this wisdom is Christ Himself.  

The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!

 

 Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"  And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.  

 

When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.  Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"  He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"  He said to him, "You have said it."

 

- Matthew 26:17–25 

 

Yesterday we read that it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all His teachings on "end times," that He said to His disciples, "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."  Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."  And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.  But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?  For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor."  But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman?  For she has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.  For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."  Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?"  And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.  So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

 

  Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"  And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.   My study Bible comments that the Passover commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the Land of Promise.  It is a prefiguring of the Passion of Christ, which is the new Passover (in Greek, Πάσχα/Pascha); that is, as my study Bible puts it, God's redemption of all humanity from sin and death -- and entrance into the promised Kingdom.  Whether the first day of the Feast was Passover or it was the day before is a subject of dispute in patristic commentary.  But what is clear is that Jesus regards with the disciples as the Passover meal.  

When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.  Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"  He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"  He said to him, "You have said it."    My study Bible comments that simply because it is written of Him does not cancel Judas' responsibility for his betrayal.  It notes that God foresees but does not cause the evil actions of human beings; we always have free will.  Here, Jesus allows Judas to accuse himself, but even upon hearing that Jesus knew of His deception, there is no repentance on Judas' part.  

My study Bible has an interesting note on St. Luke's version of today's story.  The Gospel reads, "Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve" (Luke 22:3).  My study Bible comments on this verse that Satan does not enter a person except by that person's consent.  It says that the reason Satan chose Judas and none of the others is that Judas had a place for Satan in his heart, while the others did not.  What can we say about this, except that somewhere in ourselves, we may become vulnerable to such promptings?  And likewise conversely, what makes us available to the promptings of what President Abraham Lincoln referred to as "the angels of our better nature?"  The same can be said of our faith in and love of Christ.  What is it that opens our heart to God's love?  It's important to think about such things in the context of what it means to be a person, because our communion is not simply with abstract ideas and theories.  It is with persons -- other people, and the Persons of the Trinity, known through Jesus Christ, who became human so that we could know God through Him.  Father Stephen Freeman, who writes the Glory to God for All Things blog, has commented, "We know the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. But we don’t know the Father apart from the Son, and the Holy Spirit does not speak of the things concerning Himself."  Therefore we understand that part of Christ's mission into our world is so that we can know the Father through Him, and the Holy Spirit has also come through His mission in order for us to recall the words of Christ and to understand them (John 14:26).  So in knowing Christ, we know the Trinity, whom we understand as three Persons.  They are divine and beyond our scope of understanding, but they are Persons nonetheless.  Therefore, we must ask ourselves -- since being a "person" is so central to how we come to know in the Bible -- what makes us open or vulnerable to one person or another?  What opens our hearts or closes them?  We can see in today's reading how Judas has his heart closed to Christ, despite all that has happened, for he does not repent, despite Jesus' words, "The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  Have you ever had the experience of speaking to someone, and even though they seem to be paying attention, they just can't hear what you're saying?  Can't grasp its meaning?  This is an important aspect of human relations to understand, and the Gospel seems to illustrate that repeatedly.  If a person does not want to hear, we have a remarkable way to block whatever it is we don't want to let in.  Perhaps we're clinging to something we just can't let go of that gets in the way.  Perhaps this is the case with Judas.  Some have suggested that he believed in a political messiah, and could not accept Christ's position as One who would not make a decisive kind of battle against His enemies in the religious leadership.  St. John's Gospel seems to suggest to us that he was greedy and dishonest (John 12:6) as a possible motive.  But whatever the cause we can see that there are impediments to the heart and its opening to the love of God, and this is an important reason for self-awareness and repentance.  Jesus has frequently taught the disciples about being aware of their own impulses which will do harm, and to cast them off.  So it seems that keeping our hearts open to God requires a kind of work, and perhaps we could call it the work of faith.  We need to be open to our own flaws, and to work at casting off impulses that lead us down a bad path (Matthew 5:21-37; 18:6-9).  Faith isn't something we can take for granted, but something we work at (John 6:28-29).   Keeping our hearts open to God requires vigilance, but also the ability to let go even of things we've always clung to (Matthew 19:16-22).  This may be true even of the things we cherish most (Matthew 10:37).  When Jesus teaches us that it is the truth that makes us free (John 8:32), he's not talking about a set of abstract principles or aphorisms, but a living faith with a powerful mystical component, about abiding in His word, and becoming a "son."  Therefore our faith is dynamic, and requires of us growth.  This is a growth that is willing to continue down a path of greater intensity, and perhaps greater sacrifice -- for we all are meant to carry our crosses, to join Him at the Cross and participate in His life.  Let us consider that keeping ourselves closed off, or hanging on to the things that keep us from truly hearing and abiding in His word, keep us from a closer communion with Christ and the greater life of the Kingdom He offers.  None of those things are worth the freedom He promises, the living truth He offers, the love that shows us the way and illumines a path.  Perhaps Judas is clinging to a past he cannot let go of to follow Christ, a delusional outcome that is a false hope -- or maybe just his greedy habit, or perhaps the rebuke from Christ (see yesterday's reading, above).  None of these are worthy of forfeiting the life Christ offers, the redemption to be found in changing our mind and growing in the ways He asks, and following Him. 

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!'"

 

 "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 father's 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!'"

 

- Matthew 23:27-39 

 

We are currently reading Jesus' final public sermon, which makes up St. Matthew's chapter 23.  It is Christ's grand critique of the scribes and Pharisees, and their hypocritical practices.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus said, "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells on it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."

 

"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."  Once again, as in the "woes" listed in yesterday's reading, Jesus continues to elaborate regarding the false practices of the Pharisees and scribes.  He condemns not the what was given from Moses, nor the authority from God ("The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat" - see Monday's reading).  Rather, Jesus is criticizing their personal, hypocritical behavior, which undermines what has been given by God, scandalizes the public, and as He said in yesterday's reading (above), renders their proselytes "twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."  Jesus has taught His disciples to do what they say (for their teachings come from God), but not what they do.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus focused -- as He has so often in His own teachings to His disciples -- on the inner life of these people.  He taught, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."  In today's reading, He continues this train of thought, saying that they are like "whitewashed tombs," meaning that this whitewash covers up their inner and private lives, where they are full of death and "all uncleanness."  They outwardly appear righteous to men (as "all their works they do to be seen by men"), but inside they are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Moreover, here Christ declares that these religious leaders are truly the spiritual children of those who killed the prophets sent in Israel's past.  They are hypocrites in that they build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, but in their practice they follow in the footsteps of their spiritual fathers who murdered the prophets.  Jesus goes so far as to tell them they are witnesses against themselves that they are the same. 

 

"Fill up, then, the measure of your father's 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."   Jesus is here not simply equating the scribes and Pharisees' behavior with those who killed the prophets of the past, but saying that these leaders will inherit the measure of their fathers' guilt.  He prophesies that they will continue to do so with the prophets, wise men, and scribes which He will send, and He prophesies also that they will scourge and prosecute His followers of the future -- "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."  My study Bible comments that in some patristic teachings this Zechariah is identified as the prophet at the time of Joash the king (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), while others say it's a reference to the father of St. John the Baptist.  According to tradition, Zechariah the father of St. John the Baptist was also murdered in the temple.  

"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!'"  My study Bible comments here that God's deepest desire is the reconciliation of God's people, but most do not want God.  The desolate house, it says, refers both to the temple and to the nation itself, as "house" can be used to mean "family" or "tribe" (see Psalms 115:12, 135:19).  Both the temple and the nation, it notes, will be without God's presence once Christ departs. 

Here Jesus makes it clear that He believes there is no turning back for this generation of religious leaders, and in our following reading from chapter 24, He will make it clear that the destruction that results from the measure of guilt He names above will also have extraordinary consequences reaching into the future.  In fact, Christ's exposition on "end times" will be tied to the destruction that will come in Jerusalem to which He alludes at the end of today's reading.  But here, even in light of Jesus' prophesy of destruction to come ("See! Your house is left to you desolate"), it is worth revisiting the commentary of my study Bible on the verses we read yesterday.  In the Church we have inherited many ancient practices from the earliest Christians such as tithing (which Christ mentioned in yesterday's reading in connection with the scribes and Pharisees), sacred vessels, and holy rites.  As my study Bible put it, "These practices can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ, or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation."  So, taking this commentary once again together with Christ's even stronger words in today's reading, in which He not only condemns but also expresses the consequences to come into the future, we need to understand that we could be, in effect, those whose fate in some sense follows the fate of the scribes and Pharisees.  If we also devolve into the kinds of hypocrisy that are possible for us -- through corruption, abuse of power, a lack of real faith, and a foundational shift toward the practice of doing nominally "good things" only for the sake of appearances -- then we also may find ourselves in the same place as the scribes and Pharisees of Christ's time.  Sincere faith is as important today (and perhaps even more important today) as it ever was at any time.  We live in a world of tremendously powerful weapons and economies, of great wealth and power side by side with those of small countries whose fates may be sealed tomorrow by the corrupt and powerful.  Our technology is capable of all kinds of things unimaginable a few decades ago.  The powerful nations of the world operate on a global scale unavailable to even the Roman Empire of Christ's time or any other later empire.  Therefore, when we read these passages in our Bible, we do ourselves a great disservice if we do not take them all to heart and apply them to ourselves today.  For we can't forget, also, that regardless of what we see, or the common belief that material appearance is all there is to life, that we as faithful must take the teaching seriously that we live as part of a creation of things both seen and unseen.  The spiritual reality we neglect today has consequences for us tomorrow; and, just like the people whom Jesus names who could not consider anything beyond their own material power for their own gain, we can't necessarily predict what those consequences are.  Regardless of material capability, or technology, or vast wealth, it remains an illusion to believe that everything can be controlled absolutely by the human will.  And we lose tremendously, as indeed did the rulers in Jerusalem, when we forget St. Paul's teaching, "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).  The only way to continue that true spiritual struggle is by putting on "the whole armor of God."  St. Paul writes, "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:14-18).  For when we stop the true practice of our faith, the world is left open to such influences whose reflection we see in great injustices, mass violence and murder, corruption and inhumane exploitation such as we might not even be able to consider.  In St. Luke's Gospel, Jesus teaches a parable that "men [people] always ought to pray and not lose heart."  But He asks, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (see Luke 18:1-8).  Whatever else we may do to try to address the problems we see and experience in our world, it is ultimately the power of prayer that Jesus emphasizes as necessary and powerful.  The only way we make such prayer effective is by remembering His words condemning hypocrisy and corruption, living and doing only to be "seen" by others while our private and internal lives reveal death.  Christ speaks so that we may be aware of such mistakes, but how blind may we become when we dismiss them and the possibility that our own "house" may be left desolate thereby?  So much may depend upon how seriously we take His words to these men, and apply them to ourselves.  

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

 

 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells on it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.  

 

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."

 

- Matthew 23:13-26 

 

In our current reading, Jesus is in Jerusalem, and it is Holy Week.  Yesterday we began reading Matthew's chapter 23, which constitutes Jesus' final public sermon, an indictment of the hypocritical practices of the scribes and Pharisees.  Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying:  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all their works they do to be seen by men.  They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'  But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.  Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.  And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?  And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'  Fools and blind!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?  Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.  He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells on it.  And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it."  My study Bible comments on this passage that because the example of a leader can be so influential, leaders who do not love God can hinder others from finding God as well.  So, therefore, leaders are held to a higher standard (James 3:1).  Here, Jesus calls these leaders "blind guides."

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."  My study Bible comments that the warnings here (a passage which will be continued in tomorrow's reading) are especially important for Orthodox Christians.  The Church has maintained ancient practices of tithing (these you ought to have done); sacred vessels; holy rites; and following the tradition handed down from the Patristic era.  These practices, it notes, can be expressions of deep faith, lead a person to deeper commitment to God, and safeguard our life in Christ -- or they can be observed without ever taking them to heart and lead to condemnation.  "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"  My study Bible explains this comment as referring to a practice in which the Pharisees would attach strainers to the mouths of decanters in order to avoid accidentally consuming a ritually unclean substance.

 

 The practices of the Church can clearly be used for good or for ill, depending upon how they are used.  If we are truly seeking God, and a deeper communion with God, they are used to build, strengthen, deepen, and shore up our faith, giving us a "recharge" when we need it, and helping to remind us of Christ's presence always at hand.  Additionally, within the ancient practices of the Church such as the veneration of saints, we are assured that we are a part of a communion that is both visible and invisible to us, "a great cloud of witnesses" that is not barred by time, nor place, nor death, but lives -- For God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  So, therefore, this final public sermon by Christ serves us all in the Church by reminding us of what is important, and how badly even the things blessed and given by God can be misused and corrupted because of hearts that are far from God.  It is a hard thing to write, but it is unfortunately true, and Christ's words are given to us in order for us to be clearly and concisely aware of just what bad things can happen even within a God-given institution.  For, if we are blind to the potential for corruption in our world, then we are no longer the intelligent sheep which Christ asks us to be.  In the history of the Church, we are given repeated Councils naming specific heresies for the same purpose -- so that we are aware of false and misleading teachings, the things which can lead us astray.  We do not want to become blind followers of the blind (Matthew 15:14).  No doubt that Christ has given us in today's reading these scathing criticisms and specific instructions as to conduct in order to protect us against this.  He tells the apostles as they are sent out on their first mission, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  We are taught to be discerning and wise, as each one of us -- as St. Paul reminds us -- is a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).  We seek not the "wisdom of this age," which is easily persuaded by crafted appearances, manipulation, word-play, and coercive power, but rather that in which we can trust; that is, allegiance not to personalities, but to the One who laid down His life for us (1 Corinthians 3:18-23).  As St. Paul's language suggests in this latter citation, let us be "fools for Christ" that we may be wise to the world, to the hypocrisy Jesus names here, false leaders who would mislead and make us stumble.  For Christ's insight remains true:  to follow down a false path makes one "twice the son of hell" as the bad teacher.  Jesus has a remedy for this, offered when He teaches, "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."  We start with the "inside," which Christ teaches us to cleanse.  As always, repentance and humility remain the weapons of endurance and vigilance.  Let us remember continually where and to whom our hearts belong, and the wisdom Christ wants for us always!

 

Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

 

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  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." 

 

- Matthew 18:1-9 

 

Yesterday we read that while Jesus and the disciples were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.  When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes."  And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"   Peter said to Him, "From strangers."  Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

 

  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."  My study Bible comments that this question, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" is an indication of a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, and in so doing emphasizes the virtues which are required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  These virtues are named by my study Bible as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In Orthodox iconography, it says, St. Ignatius of Antioch is shown as this child.  In certain legends of saints, he is the boy who gave the loaves and fishes (John 6:9).  

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."  Little ones, my study Bible says, include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.   

 

"Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  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."  See also Matthew 5:29.   Jesus is referring to a type of emergency operation, in which a diseased body part must be removed in order to save the body from spreading infection or disease.  He is using such as an illustration of decisive action to avoid sin, and how dangerous sin -- that which causes offenses -- is to the soul.  My study Bible adds that this also applies to harmful relationships which must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  

What are offenses, and what does Jesus mean by this?  Let us begin with the question asked by the disciples:  "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  My study Bible calls it a selfish interest in worldly power.  If we compare the kingdoms of the world (or even the states of today), we understand the pursuit of power -- and therefore position -- to be the primary aims of those involved, the "great ones" or "greatest" who rule.  But greatness for Jesus Christ has another definition, which has hopefully touched our world to some extent, and given us concepts of rule that involve more than simply conquering and exploiting.  Perhaps the disciples understand that the Kingdom to come will be like a worldly kingdom; perhaps they misunderstand what it means that Christ will be raised at the third day following His Passion.  This would coincide with the popular expectations of the Messiah.  But Jesus must make them understand what kind of Kingdom they must serve and how they must serve it.  Most importantly, He gives us the concept of greatness.  But in so doing, He begins, importantly, with what they must do and not do as those who wish to be great.  They must first be "converted and become as little children," for without this there is no entry into this kingdom of heaven!  "Therefore," Jesus says, "whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."   This is an upside down image of the kind of worldly power the disciples know from the empires and kingdoms around them.  How can being humble as a little child make one the greatest?  Then Jesus leads them into an understanding of His version of leadership.  Jesus' first and highest priority is the little ones who in faith will come to them in His Church:  "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!"  Exploitation, false teaching, leading the little ones astray, offenses that cause them to be lost, will meet with the severest punishment.  Jesus proclaims woe to those who cause such offense.  This is an image of leadership in stark contrast to figures we can read about in the Gospels, like Herod Antipas or his father Herod the Great.  And then comes what is perhaps the most powerful teaching of all:  "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."  Jesus is using the image of a body part that needs amputation to illustrate the power of our habits which cause offense, harm, abuse to others; and in this case it is in the context of using power over those who are "little ones" in our world.  That is, those who come in humility and faith -- trust -- into the Church and under their care.  A hand or foot can strike one less powerful, either one can stray where it's not wanted, cross boundaries that shouldn't be crossed, reach out to take or steal what doesn't belong to it.  An eye can gaze with envy, with covetousness, with hatred and rage, with the desire to control or to exploit.  What Jesus is speaking about is the internal life of a person, and how essential it is that we know ourselves, our flaws, and be willing to take decisive action to cut from ourselves the habits and impulses that lead to the offenses He condemns.  And this then becomes the definition of leadership -- the capacity to sacrifice the things we might even hold dear, the habits of a lifetime that are  hard to break, and cast them from ourselves in order to make greatness meaningful in terms of serving God.  This in turn is discipleship.  That is, it is the discipline which He asks of His disciples, and in turn of us.  What we should note at this stage is that Jesus is ultimately most concerned with the "little ones" who will be in the care of these future apostles and bishops of the Church.  He is teaching them how greatness is connected to the qualities of God which are most highly associated with grace and mercy, the extension of care and compassion.  In terms of the ways that power -- especially state power -- worked in Jesus' time, this is a powerful antidote to its frequent and even normative abuses.  Caesar's "greatness" was concerned with how many he had conquered, even killed in battle.  Christ offers a different greatness, and one which would come to revolutionize the world, bringing institutions of care and compassion such as hospitals and charitable behavior into social life.  But for now, let us pay close attention to Christ's most powerful admonitions which come in the form of prophesying "woe" for those by whom abuses to the little ones in the Church come.  It is a word we need to pay attention to today, and His teaching about a willingness to sacrifice our own impulses to abusive or manipulative power remains equally necessary as it was then, a reminder about what makes us human beings of truly "great" stature.  In a highly consumerist-oriented society of the modern developed world, we might be easily misled to think that some sort of greatness is measured by how far we can indulge our own desires.  But this is not the greatness described by Jesus.  On the contrary, Christ's greatness depends upon our own discipline and is clearly measured by an internal yardstick of self-mastery in service to something much higher than ourselves.   True greatness in this Kingdom is not measured by our own yardstick but rather taken in the measure that Christ gives us.  Let us endeavor through our lives to take His measure for ourselves, and seek the greatness He gives us.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).   But this word "meek" has taken on characteristics in modern language that mislead our understanding of Christ's greatness, for Jesus' meekness and gentleness is strength under control, in discipleship and obedience to God, and seeking God's way for ourselves.  Let us more fully seek to embody the kind of strength He gives us through faith.