But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

 

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries  of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,

 And hearing they may not understand.'

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.   Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in a time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

 

- Luke 8:1–15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

  Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  My study Bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and they were the first to receive and to proclaim the news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In Scriptures, it notes, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing. 

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  As the crowds around Jesus have grown extremely large (a great multitude), and many people now come to hear Him speak, He initiates His speaking style in parables with this first one, the parable of the Sower. 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries  of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  My study Bible comments here that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.   My study Bible quotes St. John Chrysostom here:  "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."  Jesus refers to the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10).

 

 "Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.   Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in a time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."  Here Jesus explains the parable to His disciples.  My study Bible comments that, as the sower in the parable, Christ fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.  It asks us to note that while some might teach that a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Christ is clear in the explanation of the parable that it's possible for one to believe for a while and then fall away.  

My study Bible describes parables as stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  In Hebrew and Aramaic, it says, the words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  They express a constant which persists even today in the Near and Middle East, the seeming paradox of mysteries or riddles that tell us truths which are elusive and not always obvious to our minds.  Parables are also poetical, in the sense that they give us metaphors to think about, ways to conceive of ourselves in our world and before God.  Although their images are drawn from every day life to reach all, they communicate the deep things of God.  But, as my study Bible indicates, and Jesus says Himself in today's reading, the truth communicated in Christ's parables is not evident to all who hear.  Thus, midst these crowds, He's seeking those who can respond.  The parable of the Sower illustrates various levels of acceptance of such truths and the working of faith.  They indicate whether or not we have persistence, or whether difficulties can put us off this pursuit of faith.  The parable expresses the joy with which someone may receive the gospel, only to turn away at a later date.  It also teaches us that not everyone immediately accepts or grasps Christ's truths, and the word (or seed) of God.  The parable of the Sower teaches us what it is to persist in the struggle for our faith, just as St. Paul tells us that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:11-13).  Clearly the "action" of the parable is dynamic, meaning that this central drama of faith is one that persists throughout our lives, and is not meant merely for a moment's decision.  We're all capable of doubt, of struggle with temptation and with hardship, and like St. Peter (for one example in the Gospels), we're capable of failure and return.  There will be times when we struggle to accept what God is trying to teach us, and times when we grasp it with joy.  Today's reading begins with the illustration of the women, who in their own example give us an image of what the parable teaches.  Even Mary Magdalene, who will be the first to see the resurrected Christ, and carry the word to the apostles (as her title, Apostle to the Apostles, indicates), is one who had been fully immersed in darkness, as the text tells us, given over to "the other side," as we might say.  We can imagine their persistence in faith, as they remained true to Christ throughout His ministry, His Crucifixion and death, and in the early Church.  Let us endeavor to be like the women, pursuing our salvation, keeping His word, struggling through temptation and hardship, even tribulation.  For keeping His word produces a value beyond the cares, riches, and pleasures of life with which we may imagine Mary Magdalene herself struggled, and overcame to produce fruit far beyond a hundredfold -- even to inspire us today.  In these women we see those who heard the word with a noble and good heart, kept it, and bore fruit with patience through all things.

 

 

 

He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first

 

 And everyone went to his own house.  But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned.  But what do You say?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  

 

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." 

 

- John 7:53—8:11 

 

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

 

And everyone went to his own house.  But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act."  My study Bible explains that today's story of the woman caught in adultery is not found in several ancient manuscripts.  In addition, it isn't fond in the commentaries of St. John Chrysostom and certain other patristic figures.  But it is still sealed by the Church and understood as inspired, authentic, canonical Scripture.  It bears the same authority as all other Scripture.  In the Orthodox Church, this passage is read on one of the two days when St. Mary of Egypt, a reformed prostitute, is commemorated.  

"Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned.  But what do You say?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  My study Bible says that the law dictated the death penalty for adulterers (Leviticus 20:10).  But this ordinance, however, was not observed to the letter in the time period of Christ's life.  The Pharisees have brought this particular woman because there is an opportunity to test Christ.  If He object to the punishment, He cold be accused of opposing the Law; if He upheld the punishment, Jesus could be accused of showing no mercy to sinners.   Additionally, this is the only place in the New Testament where we're told that Jesus wrote something.  There are several theories regarding what Jesus wrote, which my study Bible sames as follows:  Some say that He wrote out the Ten Commandments, which all of these accusers had violated at least once.  Others suggest Jesus wrote the names of the accusers who had themselves committed adultery. 

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."    My study Bible comments here that Christ's answer confounds the Pharisees, because He upholds a great principle of the Law -- that the wages of sin is death (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23) -- but does not neglect its greater aspect of mercy (Deuteronomy 13:17; Psalms 117:2 - 118:4; Hosea 6:6).  Christ's mercy is offered freely to all repentant sinners, my study Bible says; but in order for us to receive this gift, we must in turn flee from sin, as Christ says to this woman.  

 

Christ's compassion for women transcends the mores of His place and time.  There are numerous references to His relationships to women throughout the Gospels that express this.  One example is His friendship with Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.  There is this particular episode told in St. Luke's Gospel, of the time Jesus visited.  His sympathy with Mary, who wanted to learn from Him (as His male disciples were no doubt listening as well) is profound when we consider that it is she who is not doing what is expected of her as female in the household -- at least according to her sister (See Luke 10:38-42).  In St. John's 11th chapter, we will read about the raising of Lazarus.  In verse 5, we read that He loved Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus.  It also contains the shortest verse in the English version of the Bible, "Jesus wept," and we're asked to observe just how deep His sympathy and compassion is with these women who mourn their brother.   In Matthew 27:55-56, we read about the many women who followed Him from Galilee and served in His ministry.  Luke 8:2-3 mentions several women whom Jesus had healed, and who supported His ministry out of their own substance.  Lest we forget, it was to a woman (and a Samaritan at that) that Jesus first openly revealed Himself as the Christ (see John 4:1-43; esp. verse 26).  At His Resurrection, it is to a woman that He will first be revealed as well John 20:11-18.   So what we find altogether in the Gospels is a well-rounded picture of Christ's sympathy with women, His willingness to trust and to reveal Himself to them, to teach them, to accept them in key roles in His ministry, and to include them as His beloved friends.   In today's reading He reveals Himself to be entirely just, standing up to the men that accuse the woman taken in adultery, but also warning her about the state of her own relationship to God and sin:  "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."   Ultimately, we we can observe about Christ is just that, that He is perfectly true to His Father in the sense that His judgment is just and true.  In this story of the woman taken in adultery, He exemplifies what He has just taught in the temple to the religious leaders, that "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him."  Moreover He sets the example of His own teaching to them, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (see both statements in Saturday's reading).  Jesus' sympathy and relations with women are not merely a kind of inverse prejudice, nor a special indulgence; they are instead manifestations of His righteousness and just judgment.  He counsels compassion and recognition of one's own capacity for sin, and at the same time enforces the need for communion with God.  Let us endeavor, all of us, to follow His example.

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus

 

 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  

Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 

- Mark 15:40–47 

 

On Saturday we read that when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, "Look, He is calling for Elijah!"  Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down."  And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.  Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

 

  There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  My study Bible comments here that the faithfulness of the women shows that in Christ, divine order is being restored to the fallen world.  As Eve was created to complete Adam (Genesis 2:18) but instead led him to sin (Genesis 3:6), now these women disciples are the ones who remain faithful while the men have fled and are in hiding.  It is the women who bring the message of the Resurrection to the men (Mark 16:9-11; Luke 24:9-11), thereby restoring that which had been broken through sin.

Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.  My study Bible teaches that if the apostles had buried Christ, then doubters could have claimed His body was simply hidden away.  As Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent council member, and also a good and just man (Luke 23:50) who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, refutes any possibility that the Lord's body was deceptively hidden by the apostles.  The spiritual significance of this tomb, which Luke tells us was one in which no one had ever lain before, is that Christ died a death unlike any person who had ever died, a death without corruption and which led to victory over the grave itself. 

 

 What is the important factor in common with each of these people who act significantly just after Christ has died?  It is, plainly and simply, courage.  The women take courage in remaining faithful to Christ, and Joseph of Arimathea takes great courage to go to Pilate and to ask for the body of Jesus, and laying Him in this expensive tomb hewn out of the rock.  Besides courage, we note faithfulness.  The women remain looking from afar, as they have followed Him since His time in Galilee, even ministering to Christ the One who ministers to all, and they have followed Him faithfully to Jerusalem and remain with Him even through His Crucifixion, and to His tomb which they observe.  Joseph of Arimathea, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, also acts faithfully by taking courage and going to Pilate and claiming Christ's body, preparing it for burial, and placing it in this new tomb.  All of these women and this man take courage and act faithfully.  They don't do so with great fanfare nor to call attention to themselves, but they are courageous, faithful, and also dutiful.  They see to it that what is known and understood as duties which are honorable and faithful are carried out, fulfilled, even when others do not.  As my study Bible points out, the other men -- the disciples -- even the great Peter, John, and James, are scattered and in hiding as their Teacher is crucified and killed.  But if we should remember these three elements about these people who retain their sense of themselves and their faith, we also shall stand in good stead in times of great terror and stress.  They take courage, they are faithful, and they are dutiful.  They remember and know who they are and what they must be about.  Joseph is a faithful member of the Council who also awaits the kingdom of God, and these women were ministers to Christ all the time He was in Galilee, have followed Him to Jerusalem, and remain now ministering to Him even in His death, as they will help to complete the burial rites for Christ.  These individuals give us the examples we need in a time of crisis, when it looks like our world is falling apart, and we must remember what they show us:  courage, faithfulness, duty.  They are the ones who follow what Christ taught the disciples when He warned of the tribulations of the end time, and what is truly necessary for us to remain His disciples, even in these times as we await His return.  We are to be watchful always, and prayerful -- and in this way we observe as did the women and Joseph of Arimathea, we are alert to opportunities to live our faith, and to act as good and proper duties call us to act, as at the best of circumstances and the best we can under the worst.  Let us remember what it is we are to be about, even if at times others seem to scatter and succumb to fear.

 

 

The ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,

And hearing they may not understand.'

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

 

- Luke 8:1-15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  My study Bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and they were also the first to receive and proclaim the news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In the Scriptures, my study Bible explains, the number seven is often a symbol of totality and completeness; therefore this indicates that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing.  It is essential to consider that what sort of demonic influence this was is unknown; for the Eastern Church, she was never associated with prostitution.  The woman who anointed Christ with the oil from her alabaster flask in yesterday's reading (above) seems likely to have been one among them.

 

 And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  At this stage, Jesus gives His foundational parable, as reported in all the Synoptic Gospels (see also Matthew 13:1–23; Mark 4:1–20).  This is the parable of the Sower.  Christ is the sower Himself (as He explains in the following verses), and as such He fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.   

 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10, beginning above, in His final word in teaching the parable (Isaiah 6:9), and then here in response to His disciples (Isaiah 6:10).  My study Bible explains that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but rather the presence of the Kingdom of God, which cannot be defined.   It says that a person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of Christ's Kingdom.  It cites St. John Chrysostom, who writes, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."

 

"Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."  My study Bible asks us to note in Christ's explanation here, that while some might teach that a person is permanently saved at the moment he professes faith -- a perspective never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Jesus is clear that it is possible to believe for a while and then fall away.  

My study Bible calls parables stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  In Hebrew and Aramaic, the words for parable can also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  The Scriptures -- especially the Gospels -- are filled with parables, images drawn from daily life in the world in order to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  It notes that parables "give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9).  But, as Jesus indicates, not everyone who hears understands.  One must have spiritual "ears to hear," and even then, the understanding is not all to the same degree.  Just as the mission of Isaiah was to open the eyes of Israel to see the acts of God, so Christ's parables seek to engage all to develop the "ears" to hear truth, which hopefully leads to the fruit of righteousness.  So parables are a challenge, and call for faith to perceive the mysteries of the kingdom of God Jesus speaks of in today's reading.  It often seems noteworthy that when Jesus begins to preach in parables, it seems to be an important turning point in His ministry.  He is well-known, and large crowds gather to Him.  He has also recently appointed twelve disciples to become also apostles, who now travel with Him preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  Today's reading also tells us of the women who traveled with Him, supported His ministry, and were indeed, faithful to the end.  So much so, that they would be the first to be told the news of the Resurrection (an example of what it means to "have ears to hear").  Luke's Gospel contains a number of Jesus' parables, including those we've already encountered such as the parable of the New and Old Wineskins, and the Wise and Foolish Builders.  Luke also contains a parable found exclusively in this Gospel, that of the Good Samaritan.  Regarding today's parable of the Sower, my study Bible has asked us to take note that, in Christ's explanation, it's clearly possible to receive the word with joy, and to believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  These are the products of the seed in the parable which fell on the rock, which immediately sprang up, but withered away because it lacked moisture.  If we read the parable as allegory here, we might consider the image connections Jesus makes between water and the Holy Spirit (for example, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water," John 7:38).  In the Book of Jeremiah, God describes Himself as the "fountain of living waters" (see Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13).  And so, we can understand Jesus' teaching in this parable as denoting our need for nurturing of the seeds He planted, and especially with regard to our communion and the "waters" of the Holy Spirit, necessary for our growth and sustenance in a dynamic of faith.  The parable teaches us about what we need, conditions for nurturing, and hints at us how that nurturing happens, through the waters of the Holy Spirit, found in the Church and all of her resources.  Let us also look at Jesus speaking about the thorns:  "Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity."  The parable doesn't just give us a strong flavor of what we need to seek out, but also what we need to contain, to set a limit to.  Cares, riches, and the pleasures of life can overwhelm and choke out all our time and attention, making us unfit to produce the good fruits He seeks.  We need to draw a boundary around our preoccupations and distractions, and make space instead for what nurtures.  In each of these ways, we are to consider how parables work, and how they encourage us to go further, to continue to nurture ourselves spiritually, while hand-in-hand we need the discipline to put a limit to what can overwhelm and harass our better goals, the "good part" of life that we must "seek first."  The women who follow Christ have chosen to do just that, to persist, to seek the Kingdom even after their healing, and to find that good part, following and supporting Him to the end, and beyond.  They remain for us examples of those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

 

 

 

 

 

And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar

 

 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'   Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

 

- Matthew 27:55-66 

 

Yesterday we read that, when Jesus was crucified, from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"  Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.  The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"   

 

  And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.  The Gospel gives us a partial picture of what takes place at Christ's crucifixion, and the witnesses there who've ministered to Him since His ministry in Galilee.  My study Bible comments that Mary the mother of James and Joses is seen by most patristic writers as the Virgin Mary, as she was in fact the stepmother of James and Joses (see Matthew 13:55, compare Mark 15:40, 47).  Theophylact summarizes the teaching of the Church Fathers thus:  "James and Joses were sons of Joseph by his first wife.  And since the Theotokos was called the 'wife' of Joseph, she is rightly called the 'mother' of his children, meaning 'stepmother'."  It is notable, also, that it is the women who remain faithful witnesses here, while the male disciples fled and remain hidden.  It is considered a sign of the divine order restored to a fallen world, in which a woman companion led a man to sin (Genesis 2:18, 3:6). 

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.  My study Bible comments that to ask for the body of Jesus is a bold public act for this wealthy man, showing that his faith has overcome any fear.  Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent member of the Council (see Mark 15:43, Luke 23:50-54), and together with Nicodemus, his action in the Gospels tells us that there were members of the ruling religious parties who did not side with the decisions of the authorities and were followers of Jesus.  My study Bible also comments that Christ is buried in a new tomb so that no suspicion might later arise that another had risen instead of Christ.  

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'   Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.  The stage is set for what is to come.  There will be no doubt about what the women will witness.

The women wait and watch, looking on from afar, witnesses to all that has taken place.   They have been with Jesus since His ministry in Galilee, and have followed Him all the way to the Cross.  We get the image of a silent group, watching perhaps on a hill, waiting and staying with Him in their own way, faithful to the end.  It is these women who will be the ones to witness the almost unbelievable news that will follow at the tomb.  But for now, let us watch them, silent as they witness and observe.  What they have is their faith, and one imagines that this is what they hold fast to, what they cling to within themselves.  When there is nothing else to do or to say, this is what we can do:  we can witness and we can cling to our faith -- and that is still doing what we can do.  These women serve as an example today, because they teach us about what to do when it seems like there is nothing we can do.  It is Jesus who has repeatedly warned the disciples that the time is approaching when the best they can do is "watch and pray."  When we enter into times -- as most certainly is this time recorded for us in the Gospel -- in which all seems upside down, unstable, the unthinkable happens, times of great confusion, then it is time for us to consider what these women do.  They do not desert Christ, they do not desert their faith, but they do as they can do.  They watch and they pray and they witness.  They do not flee and do not panic.  They wait on the Lord and they wait in this time, as silent witnesses.  In contrast to the men, they keep their heads and their hearts in place, and do the one thing they can do.  They watch and wait, and witness.  There is a poem by Rudyard Kipling called "If--" (found at this link).  It used to be an oft-quoted poem, and is ostensibly about what it is to become a man.  It begins, "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs . . ."  It seems to me that it is these women who exemplify in the Gospels what it means to "be a man" as described in the poem by Kipling.  They set us an example.  By their forbearance and tenacity they will become the ones who first witness what the men cannot, the ones to whom Christ first appears.  And notably, as my study Bible reminded us, in the story of Jesus Christ they are the ones who turn the story of the Fall upon its head.  They are the steadfast ones who resist temptation and struggle through this terrible time of testing, and they are the ones upon whose shoulders the rest of us will stand when the story of Christ is repeated and Resurrection proclaimed.  There are times in our lives when there is nothing that we can do but wait and watch.   In a modern world, this type of thinking seems sadly out of step with the endless encouragements to "be the change you want to see" or to be on board with a new slogan making the rounds.  But the Gospels, in their wisdom, remind us that there are times when we can but watch and pray, and the best we can do is witness and continue practicing the things we know are good while we await a new juncture, a new sense of where we are and what we need to do.  Forbearance and patience become assets and virtues, filled with meaning, at the Cross.  For there we find ourselves, even when the world would proclaim that the only thing that matters is decisive action and effort.  The power to bear pain properly, to endure, is something understood perhaps only with experience.  Wisdom teaches us at times that patience takes effort, and so does quiet strength, even silent witness of the time.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

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

 

- Luke 23:56—24:11 

 

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

 

Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.  And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.  Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.   These are "the women who had come with Him from Galilee," as indicated in yesterday's text, above.  The spices and fragrant oils are preparations for the corruption of Christ's body, intended to delay and disguise decay.  The first day of the week was the day after the Sabbath -- in other words, Sunday -- which in the Christian tradition is called the Lord's Day, the day of worship (Acts 20:7).  

But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  See also Matthew 28:2.  My study Bible comments that the stone is rolled away not to let the all-powerful Lord out, but to allow us to witness His Resurrection.  

Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. The men in shining garments were angels.  

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

 

 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles.  And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.  My study Bible says that certain patristic writers teach that Mary the mother of James was the wife of Alphaeus and this James was one of the Twelve (Luke 6:15).  Most, however, hold that this is the Virgin Mary, being in fact the stepmother of a different James, who is "the Lord's brother" (see Matthew 13:55; compare to Mark 15:40, 47).  

What does the empty tomb signify?  How strange that an empty tomb, with the stone rolled away from it, signifies the greatest "contents" anyone could ever imagine.  The Venerable Bede writes on this passage that, having kept the Sabbath in accordance with the commandment, the women come to the tomb to anoint Christ's body because they think He is dead.  To find the tomb empty gives the appearance of finding nothing, but in effect, they make the greatest find of all:  that Christ is risen and will in fact now be present in the sacraments.  The rolled away stone, as my study Bible comments, leaves the tomb open precisely so that human beings can discover this truth.  (Christ did not need the stone to be rolled away!)  It is akin to the tearing of the veil of the temple (see yesterday's reading, above), which enables human beings to come closer to God, to commune with the presence of God which was once hidden behind the temple veil.  This discovery -- although not at first believed by the Twelve -- enables the comprehension of Christ's repeated prophecies of His death and Resurrection, which was hidden from the disciples when Jesus taught them these things.  The proclamation of the angels begins to make sense out of His death.  Both St. Chrysostom and the Venerable Bede comment that the angels affirm that the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus are part of the divine plan as foretold by the ancient Scriptures and by Jesus himself.  The words of the angels will call to the minds of the apostles the remembrance of these prophecies, and gain their understanding.  Moreover, in the spiritual history of Israel, Genesis tells us that it was a woman who caused corruption to be brought into the world through temptation and lies; but here it is women who are the first to be told the truth of the Resurrection, and who spread that news to the disbelieving men.  St. Cyril of Alexandria teaches us that just as angels appeared at His birth, so they now appear in the empty tomb.  But they are not there to announce death; they are once again present to announce life itself (John 14:6).  St. Cyril writes, "Let no one seek among the dead him who ever lives."  In yesterday's commentary, we noted St. Cyril of Alexandria's commentary:  "Observe that no sooner had Christ endured the Passion on the Cross for our sakes than He began to win many unto knowledge of the truth."  This quick resolution of so many open questions continues especially in today's reading, in the image of the empty tomb, the presence of the angels, and the women who are the first to hear and to relay the good news.  The empty tomb confirms the presence of life itself, the opening of communion with God in the sacraments, the presence of the angels immediately teaches us the reality of the good news, making full sense of Christ's teachings and predictions of His death and Resurrection.  There is, of course, more to come, but the immediate effects are palpable and enlightening, as if something that one day seemed entirely undone is suddenly wrapped up as a beautiful gift.  We should always remember this in our own lives also, on an intimate scale, that where there is a crucifixion, with Christ there will always be a Resurrection, for He is the way, the truth, and the life.  The angels ask, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"  In Luke 9:60, Jesus taught one who would be His disciple, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  To "follow Him" is the way of life and the good news is in the empty tomb.

 

 

Then they will begin "to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'" For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?

 

 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.  And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!"  Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'  For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"

 

- Luke 23:26–31 

 

Yesterday we read that Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them,  "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people.  And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and release Him" (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).  And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" -- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.  Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.  But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"  Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done?  I have found no reason for death in Him.  I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."  But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified.  And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.  So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.  And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.   

 

 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.  My study Bible comments that the name Simon means "obedience."  It says that this faithful man stands for all who desire to follow Christ and carry the cross Christ places on them (Luke 9:23, 14:27).  

And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."  My study Bible states here that weeping is not appropriate for the One who redeems the world through the Cross, but it is rather suited for one's own sins and for the sufferings of others. 

 

 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!"  Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"'  This blessing on the barren women is an acknowledgement of the overwhelming pain a mother endures at seeing her children suffer (which is illustrated by the "woe" in Matthew 24:19).  St. John Chrysostom writes, "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?"  Jesus quotes from Hosea 10:8, tying these events to prophecy.

 

 "For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"  The green wood is understood to be Christ full of virtue and truth.  The dry stands for the religious leaders and those who follow who are barren of all lie and of all righteousness, my study Bible says.  Note that this also ties in with the themes of Hosea's prophecy, from which Jesus quotes in the previous verse, above, whose prophetic ministry focused on the faithlessness and infidelity of God's people.  My study Bible explains this saying with a question:  If the Romans eagerly destroy the righteous (and Pilate has declared three times he found no evil in Jesus), what horrifying things await the unrighteous?

Clearly there is a hint in the language here, and especially in the quotation from Hosea, that the terrible destruction and hardship to come to Jerusalem in the near future (that is, within a generation from this time in which Christ goes to the Cross) needs to be seen from the perspective of a people who have failed to receive the literal Word of God.  That is, similarly to the ways that the true prophets of Israel were rejected in their time, so it is now with Christ, the Son, who is sent from God (John 4:34).  This is the context in which we read the violence to come.  Jesus says, "For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"  He has clearly framed this statement to include Himself as a recipient of the violence which He sets out as on a continuum, within an extended period of time.  To compare the green wood to the dry is to compare healthy wood in a growing tree to one that has exhausted its life and lost its sap.  The violence that begins with His death on the Cross will extend to the "dry wood," that is, to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, in a fire which will engulf the city.  In this light, the "dry wood" analogy becomes even more profound and apt.  We might also consider this unruly mob who has called for Jesus' crucifixion, having been deliberately instigated by those who want Jesus dead, who shout with loud voices that it is Barabbas who should be freed.  We can compare it to the Roman soldiers who will lay siege to Jerusalem in 70 AD, who, although their commander wanted to preserve the splendid temple for his own purposes, in a paroxysm of passion destroyed not only the beautiful temple but the entire city down to its foundations.  In this viewpoint, Jesus indeed prophecies correctly regarding the violence to the green wood and its apogee in the dry.  If the Romans, represented chiefly by Pilate, but also by Herod, allow Christ to be crucified at the behest of this crowd although they know He is innocent, think what is to come in the extreme and chaotic heat of furious battle.  While we cannot say that bad things happen to people as a direct result of sin (certainly we know that Jesus will suffer and that He did not sin; see also John 9:1-4), we might also say that when spiritually we are being called in a particular direction, and we ignore that call, there may be events that happen in our lives which seek to pull us in the direction we need.  On the other hand, there are times when we absolutely know where a spiritual pull from God who loves us would like us to go, and we ignore that call for all kinds of other, bad reasons, such as selfishness, or the pursuit of false idols and passions.   In the case in today's reading, those who seek to persecute Christ know He is innocent of the charges they bring against Him, but in their quest for power, justice comes second, and truth comes last.  These religious leaders are also those who should know better than all others what the signs of the Messiah, the Christ, look like.  In Christ, the injustice is compounded, as He is not merely an Innocent, but One sent by God to heal and redeem, to love and to save.  Let us consider, therefore, Jesus' words regarding the green wood and the dry, and take them to heart.  It is remarkable how often simply going along with a crowd puts us in spiritual danger.  How far do we go down a road of injustice, when we know what we do is wrong, even if convenient?  Are there truths we will ignore or bend to "get along"?  Are there ways in which we ignore the pull of our prayer lives?  We move in a world in which spiritual forces play a role, although we do not see them.  Let us take it to heart that our choices do indeed make a difference, and an impact on the future.

 

 

 

Rejoice!

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guard shook for for fear of him, and became like dead men.  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.   He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

- Matthew 28:1-10

Yesterday we read that at Christ's Crucifixion, many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.  Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.  On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guard shook for for fear of him, and became like dead men.  My study bible tells us that the earthquake is a sign of Christ's great victory over death, and that it foreshadows the general resurrection of all humanity.   It asks us to note that the angel doesn't roll back the stone to let the Lord out.  Christ, in His glory, can pass through solid rock (see John 20:19).   That the stone is rolled back instead allows the witnesses in -- so that they may see that Christ has already risen.

But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.   He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  My study bible comments that these women are the first witnesses of the supreme event in all of history; that is, witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ and to the destruction of death.  The angel speaks of Christ as the One who was crucified.   This teaches us that we shouldn't shy away from His death, but rather to glory in the Cross (1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14), as the Cross is the weapon which Christ used to destroy death, and it is the trophy of His victory.  In the Paschal liturgical services of the Eastern Orthodox, one hymn is repeatedly sung:  "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life."  St. Paul teaches, "If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile" (1 Corinthians 15:17). 

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."  The first word of the risen Christ is "Rejoice!"  Let us note that this is a command.  And the second word is also a command:  "Do not be afraid." 

Jesus' first word to the women, as they run to tell His disciples what the angel in the tomb had said to them, is "Rejoice!"  This word is identical to the greeting of Gabriel, the angel of the Annunciation, to Mary (Luke 1:28).  In the King James Version of the Bible it is translated as "Hail" (as in the words beginning the prayer, Hail Mary).   This word remains today a common formal greeting in Greek.   But literally it is the command, "Rejoice."  The command given by Christ to the women in today's reading is the same, excepting that it is in the plural.  And again, we see a repetition, in that Christ's words that follow to the women is another command, "Do not be afraid."  Shortly after he greets Mary, Gabriel also gives the same command to her (Luke 1:30),  and again the words are identical in the Greek texts, except that, when addressed to the women here it is in the plural.  (For Luke's account of the Annunciation, see Luke 1:26-38).  Why are these ties important?   For one thing, they give us another hint of the important role of women in the full story of the Incarnation and our salvation, and especially here in the Resurrection.  St. Jerome comments here that the greeting to these women affirms that, just as the Bible begins with the sin of a woman (Eve), the Gospel story teaches that that "first sin" is undone by women.   Peter Chrysologus (4th century Archbishop of Ravenna) comments that in this first greeting to His followers, in the persons of these women, Christ does not frighten them with the power of His authority, but rather comes before them with the ardor of His love.  He greets them with the covenant of the Bridegroom (not the right of ruler), and with the love of a brother, which surpasses everything else in Him.  Chrysologus adds, "This greeting itself evidently shows that the full figure of the church abides in these women. They are contrasted with those disciples whom Christ scolds who were wavering over the resurrection."  Thus, we might conclude that the fullness of the Church abiding in these women extols their faith, just as we understand Mary's extraordinary faith through the Annunciation.  And this is one more evidence of the power of the Gospels, that we should understand how these women, the Apostles to the Apostles (who bring the news of Resurrection to the apostles), become the first great examples of faith, just as did Mary.  If we want to look to human beings whose virtue is most highly praised in Scripture, then, we must look to the women.  We must look to Mary, the "blessed among women" and to these women who are the first to hear and spread the news of Resurrection, and the first to be greeted by the risen Christ.  Such a greeting and honor could not be possible except through their tremendous faith -- and thus we look to these women as those most highly praised and honored among all human beings in the Scriptures and in the Church.  We might ask ourselves why this understanding is so often overlooked.  I don't believe it was overlooked by our most ancient ancestors in the Church.  On the contrary, the place of the Mother of God was established from the beginning as chief among the saints.  I would suggest, rather than the conventional answer of misogyny which might easily be given, that the reason they are overlooked is because their power is so fully in serving, waiting, and attending.  They are ministers to the ministers, and they are apostles to the apostles.  Their role is no less for being so, but in a time in which astonishing and vivid action rates all praise and attention, we hardly have time for those whose service is less conspicuous, or less powerful and authoritative in purely worldly or materialist terms.   In overlooking these women, we overlook the truth of our Christian faith, and especially the witness of the Gospels and of Christ the risen Lord.  Let us nurture the things in ourselves these women most fully represent, for to ignore them is to lose the true fullness of the Church and the human beings who must be its living stones.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature

"The Ascension of our Lord," by John La Farge (1835-1910), completed 1888. The Church of the Ascension in the City of New York

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.

- Mark 16:1-8 (9-20)

Yesterday we read that at the crucifixion and death of Jesus were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.  Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.  So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.  Then he brought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.  And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.  And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  My study bible comments that because Christ died so close in time to the Sabbath, the burial customs of the Jews couldn't be completed.  So these faithful women went as early as they could to complete the burial rites for Jesus.

And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"  But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away -- for it was very large.  And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is risen!  He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him."  The stone had been rolled away not for the Lord to exit the tomb, as in His resurrected body He does not need such accommodation (John 20:19).  Instead, my study bible says, the open tomb was to allow these witnesses -- and us -- to look in and see that the tomb was empty.

"But go, tell His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  My study bible calls the specific mention of Peter is a revelation of a special care for the one who had denied Christ.   Theophylact comments that Peter would have said of himself, "I denied the Lord, and therefore am no longer His disciple."  But the angel's command is a promise that Peter is forgiven.

So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed.  And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  My study bible comments that this doesn't mean the women never said anything; rather, it means they kept silent until Jesus appeared to them (as revealed in following verses).

Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.  The remainder of Mark's Gospel, beginning with these verses, is not included in two early manuscripts.  But nearly all other manuscripts ever discovered contain them.  They are canonized Scripture, my study bible tells us, having been considered by the Church to be inspired, authoritative, and genuine.   That Jesus appeared in another form shows that our Lord's resurrected body transcends not simply physical space and time, but also appearance.  My study bible comments that He was sometimes recognizable to His disciples, and at other times He was not (see, for instance, Luke 24:13-35).  

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."  This is called the Great Commission.  It is Christ's final command given on earth.  My study bible says it is to be lived out in the Church until He returns again.  To make disciples is not done in the strength of human beings, but only in the power of God.  It says that the power of Resurrection isn't only for Jesus Himself, but it is rather given to all the faithful for Christian life and mission.  This is simply and profoundly what it means to be "saved."

And these signs will follow those who believe:  In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."   New tongues is a reference to the capacity to speak in languages one has not learned in order to edify others in worship (1 Corinthians 14) and also to preach the gospel (Acts 2:1-11).  To take up serpents is a figurative image of spiritual battle against demons (Luke 10:19).  My study bible sums it up in saying that Christ is promising, therefore, to deliver believers from the powers of sin.  Moreover, this would include certain physical protection, it notes.  St. Paul was bitten by a serpent and suffered no harm (Acts 28:3-6), and according to tradition, Barsabas Justus (Acts 1:23) was forced by nonbelievers to drink poison and survived.  But nevertheless, a note reads, while God's grace can protect believers from both physical and spiritual harm, to test God by deliberately committing harmful acts against oneself is a grave sin (Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7).

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.  Amen.  Christ's Ascension is celebrated forty days after the Resurrection (Acts 1:3).  My study bible says that this event fulfills the type given when Elijah ascended in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11).  This marks the completion of Christ's glorification and lordship over creation.  At the Incarnation,  Christ's divine nature was brought to human nature.  Here in the Ascension, Christ now brings human nature to the divine Kingdom.  My study bible tells us that He reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit in His glorified body, revealing His glorified human nature -- even human flesh -- to be worshiped by the entire angelic realm.  In some icons and other depictions of the Ascension such as the one above, Christ's white robes of burial are tinted red to indicate the shedding of His blood for the redemption of the world and the ascent of His life-giving blood into heaven (Isaiah 63:1-3; see also Psalm 23:7-10). 

In all things, as we are repeatedly reminded, Christianity upholds the essential foundation of the Incarnation in all of its ramifications and possible aspects.  Christ was both fully human and fully divine, this is the full impact of Incarnation.  But that translates into many sorts of powerful meanings for each of us with faith in Christ.  The Ascension is a shattering moment of cosmic history, because what it means is not only that our Lord descended into the world to live life fully as a human being, but that His glorified human nature has ascended into heaven, even to be worshiped by angels.  And in being "lifted up" He therefore lifts us up with Him where He is (John 12:32).  Many people wish to separate the human from the divine, but the Incarnation teaches us differently.  The very Eucharist given to us by Christ also teaches us differently.  We're given to understand that, in fact, our true natural state is union with God.  That is, we were made to be in this communion, this synergy of divine energies (what we know as God's mercy at work in the world) and human life.  Our lives are meant to be touched by the divine.  We are to live our lives in a prayerful manner, seeking to turn all things to God and find God's way for ourselves in each step.  It is, in fact, what it means to be truly humble, seeking to give our will to Christ's, just as Christ prayed in the garden for His Father's will over His own human impulse, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will" (see Mark 14:32-42).  When Jesus teaches that "with God all things are possible" (Mark 9:23, 10:27), this is not simply a testimony to God's power alone, but also to God's power and grace which may also work in us and with us.  The Ascension confirms, indeed, that this synergy is what we are made for.  In one of the most famous statements foundational to Christian theology, attributed to St. Athanasius (and repeated by many), we are taught that "He was made human so that he might make us gods" (De incarnatione 54,3, cf. Contra Arianos 1.39).  In other words, when Christ tells us, for example, that it is possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven because with God all things are possible, it is a testimony to God's power and grace at work in us to transform us more closely into the image in which we are created, the likeness with God (Genesis 1:26-27).  In the Ascension, and with this image of Christ's red-tinted white robes, we are to understand the fullness of communion, and even the fullness of possibility contained in our faith and in the mission of Christ.  He ascends as fully Lord, and yet in this picture of the ultimate triumph over death, He may carry with Him each one of us.  Indeed, His very mission was to save, and not to condemn (John 3:17).  And this is the real meaning of salvation; that our lives -- even as we live in the world -- may be lived also as part of the Kingdom, an eternal prospect.  We are meant to live as followers of Christ not simply in word or concept, but through a spiritual divine-human synergy, even as He will send His Holy Spirit for all.  If that seems too strange to ponder, consider the entire meaning of Christ's mission into the world.  It was not to separate us further from heaven, but to unite us in communion -- even our very hearts.  Where does His life-giving blood take you, in the here and now?  Where does His Resurrection and Ascension take you past the sin and sadness of the world and into a changed life, His road of faith?  Let us remember He lived, ministered, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven simply for the life of the world.  In all ways, He gives us life, even as He meant to abide in us and we in Him.  We are free to accept or deny His gift of abundant life to us; but how sad and profound the loss should we refuse.  Let us keep in mind, also, that Jesus tells us literally in the Greek to "preach to all the creation."  Indeed, this completion of His mission is for the life of the whole world.