The beauty of the world

Acropolis & the evening sky

The pride of the higher realms is the clear vault of the sky,

as glorious to behold as the sight of the heavens.

The sun, when it appears, proclaims as it rises

what a marvellous instrument it is, the work of the Most High.

At noon it parches the land,

and who can withstand its burning heat?

A man tending a furnace works in burning heat,

but three times as hot is the sun scorching the mountains;

it breathes out fiery vapours,

and its bright rays blind the eyes.

Great is the Lord who made it;

at his orders it hurries on its course.

It is the moon that marks the changing seasons,

governing the times, their everlasting sign.

From the moon comes the sign for festal days,

a light that wanes when it completes its course.

The new moon, as its name suggests, renews itself;

how marvellous it is in this change,

a beacon to the hosts on high,

shining in the vault of the heavens!

The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,

a glittering array in the heights of the Lord.

On the orders of the Holy One they stand in their appointed places;

they never relax in their watches.

Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it;

it is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.

It encircles the sky with its glorious arc;

the hands of the Most High have stretched it out.

We could say more but could never say enough;

let the final word be: ‘He is the all.’

Where can we find the strength to praise him?

For he is greater than all his works.

Awesome is the Lord and very great,

and marvellous is his power.

Glorify the Lord and exalt him as much as you can,

for he surpasses even that.

When you exalt him, summon all your strength,

and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough.

Who has seen him and can describe him?

Or who can extol him as he is?

Many things greater than these lie hidden,

for I have seen but few of his works.

For the Lord has made all things,

and to the godly he has given wisdom.

- Ecclesiasticus 43:1-12, 27-33

Today's readings include this passage from Ecclesiasticus and the text of John 1:1-18. I think it is a good pairing to understand the beauty of the world (and imminant in that beauty and wonder, the Lord as author of creation) and the statements in the passages from John's gospel, because here we are dealing with Christ as Logos - the governing principle behind creation, through which was made manifest all things, including the beauty and the wonder of our world.

This lovely poetry in Ecclesiastes reminds me of the beauty and wonder at our world we are still to have today. I don't see incompatibility with all the advances of science and experimentation available to us today with this simple and beautiful poetry of praise from the Old Testament. How often have I myself sat and wondered at the beauty of the sky, the stars in their places, the transformations of the moon? All of this beauty of creation fits us today as human beings - whether we put the reason down as evolution or as a gift to us, the world is beauty, creation is beauty, and we human beings for whom the world has been created or has evolved live with a human response to its beauty. And I think this is fundamental to the full understanding of what it is to be a human being. We are capable of appreciating, savoring, loving and cherishing beauty.

This poetry of the world and its wonders (its author stating that there is so much more that he hasn't seen) has not lost its touch over time. I was fortunate to meet a theoretical physicist recently at a dinner connected with my husband's profession. His deep wonder, curiosity and passion about what he did was as striking as that of the poet: this man truly dealt in minute particles the poet couldn't have dreamt of, and yet this poetry acknowledges the wonders of the creation the poet knows he doesn't know about. Life is beauty. It is also sadness and pain; there is also evil in the world. But the gift to us is of beauty and our capacity to love it, cherish it, appreciate it. I for one believe this is an essential component to worship and that it has always been so for us human beings. Anthropologists digging up graves of our earliest ancestors find evidence of flowers strewn in those graves: the poetry of rebirth in the imagery of the beauty of the earth, the flowers that will grow again.

Oftentimes, worship and religion can take on aspects of all forms of dogma; it can degenerate into the purely abstract. The great Orthodox theologian Paul Evdokimov, in a now-classic text titled Ages of the Spiritual Life, warns of those of us religious who become "abstract beings." (I am recalling from memory and hope I have recalled correctly!) If we are lost in our rules or theories or dogma, we run the danger of forgetting that worship is about relationship, about all that is essentially human in us - everything must contain love and mercy and not just rules, theory, dogma. It is the saving grace that should separate true spiritual participation from another political slogan that could be used to do more harm than good.

To be human, I believe, is essentially to engage the capacity for the love and appreciation of beauty. We must cherish that with which we are gifted as beautiful. The world is not our possession to simply exploit but a gift to cherish, a source of wonder and love and inspiration. Once we lose the capacity to love beauty we have lost our own beauty as human beings, our ability to lift ourselves up out of despair and loss and pain.. It's not that those things are to be ignored or unaddressed - far from it. It's just that there is this added component of poetry to life, that adds to our "life in abundance" and which we must always take the time to appreciate.

What is impossible with men is possible with God

People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’
A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He replied, ‘I have kept all these since my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

Those who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ He replied, ‘What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.’

Then Peter said, ‘Look, we have left our homes and followed you.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.’

- Luke 18:15-30

At first glance, this seems like a very hard teaching indeed. One wonders what would happen if we all were supposed to take the teaching literally: distribute all that we have to the poor. But I think it's important to try to think hard about this teaching and the understanding it conveys about kingdom and membership in that kingdom.

Yesterday's reading (from the passages in Luke's gospel just prior to today's) was essentially about the important practice of humility. We are not self-justified. Humility is linked to the understanding that it's not by our own measure alone that we are judged: there's a yardstick beyond ourselves through which we are measured - and it is there that we must always turn in prayer for guidance about how we are doing and how we go forward in our lives. Today's important messages follow upon this message about the essential need for a certain kind of humility in order to enter this kingdom. First of all there is the teaching about the children. I read in commentary that it was customary for rabbis to give blessings to children - this is not an unusual request. However, the point is made here that it is such like those children who enter the kingdom. Again, the point is about humility: we who stand before God should not presume to be all-authoritative regarding what God asks of us and what kinds of trials may in fact be necessary for our growth as persons. The same way in which children begin life needing to learn and to grow, needing to learn both knowledge and discipline in life, and nurturing of all kinds and in every sense, so we stand before God.

I think it's important to note that the rich man is not just any ordinary rich man, but is a "ruler" here. So this is a man not just of wealth but of power. We have, conveyed in Jesus' words, a notion that great power and wealth - for a person who wishes to be a part of this kingdom - also conveys responsibility. There is also a commentary by St. John Chrysostom on this passage in which he writes that Jesus' teaching here is specifically a gift to this man in particular: it fits his particular need in life, and addresses his particular weakness in faith. Just as children essentially must surrender their young lives to guidance beyond themselves, so we are to be, and so this man is to be. He's asked if he can give up something that he finds essential to his identity, in exchange for this all-important relationship he desires with God. The man is indeed sincere in his inquiry - and he is saddened by what he is told. I think there's an important component of understanding about responsibility and responsible behavior of those in leadership positions, and we can definitely read into this notions about the importance of shunning corruption for those Christians who are in prominent positions of power. But I also agree with St. John Chrysostom, this is a specific teaching for this man, and that our deepest attachments that get in the way of this "child-like" relationship to God may be precisely what we are asked to give up. They are our obstacles and our stumbling blocks, and so this teaching goes far more profoundly into the stark depths of redemption conveyed by the cross and by Jesus' admonition that we each must take up our cross daily. As adults, it is in this exchange that we resume the trusting nature of a child, for whom all the answers are not apparent and much needs to be learned.

As we move closer to the crucifixion, the disciples here remark that they indeed have given up all to follow Jesus. But before they say so, they also wonder how on earth anyone can be saved, given the story of the wealthy ruler. Jesus makes the famous statement about the difficulty of a rich man being saved - and I think this makes it clear that we are talking about attachment. Do we let our possessions define us and give us our sense of worth? Or is there a yardstick beyond the tangible that we seek every day in prayer to teach us what we need and who we need to be? It doesn't matter, to my mind, what our worldly positions are - we need that relationship to guide what else we do with our resources and our lives in this world, and the man who is to be crucified teaches us nothing if not that the judgments of this world are not true judgment; and that exchanging the image the world gives us of ourselves for the image that God would give us of ourselves is the only way to transformation and life in abundance.

So we move into topics of the deepest depth of what it is to give up our lives in exchange for life in the kingdom; one identity for another. From Judgment we extend to the place where we find ourselves having to have the faith of children in something beyond ourselves, something that will teach us about what we have to let go of and what we have to have faith in. Faith here is a risk, it's a letting go of certainty, and putting stock in something we have to define as beyond ourselves, our knowledge. We have the Advocate who is with us and within us to help us with that journey: as Jesus says (in another translation), ‘The things that are impossible with men are possible with God." Every challenge to our notions of what we need or who we need to be should be met with this perspective, this help - it will lead us into notions of self that may be unexpected and ask us to grow in ways that are not comfortable. But I believe that this is what is meant by conversion -- as do children, we grow. It wouldn't make sense if that growth were always what we think we already know, nor would such certainty demand of us the faith of a child.

Those who humble themselves

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’

- Luke 18:9-14

As in the previous two readings (of the last two days), the theme of justice continues. What is Judgment? How do we know it? How do we pray for justice? What is good judgment? I believe that all of these themes are intermingled, and above all we cannot escape the topic of the final Judgment, or judgment before God, and its relevance to all of these concerns.

The passage before last, here in Luke, introduced the topic of the final Judgment, but Jesus has extended this over the following two readings, including today's - and we, I believe, must take all of these passages within that context. We have been taught that we must always pray for justice. We must have faith in the knowledge of Judgment. We must remember his word and his teachings, and continue to pray to keep our faith strong in this inner kingdom, after the crucixion and the coming of the Advocate. And here, in this passage that continues these themes in Luke, we have the story of the Publican and the Pharisee, which is another elaboration on the theme of justice and Judgment. How do we know good judgment? How do we set judgment in God's hands, rather than our own? This is the topic of this reading.

The Pharisee in the story is, of course, the paragon of spiritual virtue according to the teaching of the Law. He is perfect in terms of his obedience to the things taught in the Law, taught in the Temple in terms of what he must do to be a devoted worshipper of God. By human standards of worship and understanding, it is the Pharisee who is for certain the one on whom God will shine his approval. In his prayer, the Pharisee names all his virtues, and his strict obedience to all that is considered good and proper and exemplary. The Publican on the other hand is rather a notorious type of sinner, one of whose type is even generally despised by the people for the work he does on behalf of the Romans.

But the twist in this story comes in terms of just what each of these men is praying for and to whom each man seems to be praying. The Pharisee has decided that he's done everything right. He's followed all the rules to the letter and he's quite proud of himself - to the point of boasting to God about his great achievements. In a sense, the Pharisee is telling God about himself, thanking God for making him a great man in his own judgment and by his own reckoning of his achievement. There's no door open for the Judgment of God here. The Publican on the other hand, acknowledges a judgment that is beyond his own. He is able to stand outside of his own perspective, and to ask forgiveness. He acknowledges God's reality, the Judgment that exists beyond the world and the appearance that he makes to the world. And of course Jesus tells us that it is the Publican who walks away justified, reconciled to God. What it took was the acknowledgement that there is a place beyond our awareness and our knowledge from which we seek judgment and all that goes with it: guidance, discernment, understanding. Repentance, in my estimation, is our ability to reconsider; to hold the door open to the question that maybe we might change our minds and need to do something differently than the way we've been doing it. But without that, true judgment is just not possible. The door is closed, once we decide that we already have all the answers in spiritual terms.

Often I find myself thanking God that I've been spared some hardship that others go through; this is in a sense that I wonder if I'd be competent to face it well. It is with a sense of relief that at least I have not been tested in ways in which I think I'd fail to cope. I admire endlessly those who do and extend my sympathy for something that I would find so devastating. I don't think that's the same as this arrogant prayer of the Pharisee. The Pharisee thanks God that he's a great man. When we place our faith in our own judgment, and then leave that as the judgment of God, I think we're in great trouble. This story teaches me today, as importantly as it did 2,000 years ago, that we're not to rest on our own judgment about what makes us good people. We have always to turn everything over to God. In prayer, we should always be reaching out to that great Other that is God for right discernment, right judgment, and especially for an understanding of where and how we need to go forward, and what we might need to change and open up to within ourselves that we just don't know. I think this is the great thing, to recognize that there are things we don't know, ways we're not capable of judging ourselves and how we're doing - especially spiritually - and we need always to be open to that judgment that comes from beyond our own particular box. I think this is true for each of us regardless of who we are and where we find ourselves. It just might be our saving grace.

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’

- Luke 18:1-8

This is yet another story that is found only in Luke. I think it's important to take it in context, as it follows immediately after yesterday's reading, which was about Judgment and the final coming of the Lord. So, taken in that context, we understand it as an extension of teachings about justice and Judgment.

Jesus' great overriding concern is always about the coming kingdom - What is its nature? How is it revealed? Will it find a place in the world? Will people understand it and grasp and follow his teachings? These are his great concerns that pervade these gospels in the readings we encounter. It is always a great temptation to take each reading out of context and explore it without thinking of its relation to the rest of what is in the gospels, or even to the passages that come before or after it within that particular gospel. But, I think it's important to remember context - and to come to an understanding of each passage through a familiarity in general with Jesus' preaching and his concerns.

So, while this story, this teaching, could be taught to us as one that suggests to us to pray always for anything we need (and frankly I see nothing wrong with that unless we think of it as a magical formula for granting wishes), I think we have to recall the paragraphs before about Judgment. I believe that the justice Jesus is teaching here has to do with a sense of spiritual justice, based on the theme already introduced in yesterday's reading. When "his elect" pray for justice, this is a prayer for spiritual victory. This is a prayer for the kingdom to defeat the evil in the world. It is a prayer that the Good may not be persecuted. I see this in a spiritual context, because it is always and repeatedly the spiritual life with which Jesus is concerned. In Luke chapter 12, Jesus asked, "Who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" when a follower asked about the fairness of his inheritance with a brother. I think we have to remember the context of spiritual judgment that has just previously been introduced, and understand this prayer for justice in the context of the persecution of his followers, and even of the notion of spiritual battle. This is a sort of justice that has to do with the hearts and minds of people and what is there - and the injustice done to those who seek to do good, and to follow spiritual truth.

It's important to remember that Jesus tells us always to pray. I believe that the sharing of prayer with this indwelling Lord is essential to finding who we are. There are myriad prayers and ways to pray. I personally favor the contemplative. But I also find that allowing the things that trouble me, the difficult things I face or decisions that are hard and seemingly impossible for me, to rest within this prayer, is therapeutic and necessary for me. So I see this "pestering the judge" in the context of allowing even my petty concerns to come before God in prayer. If we set our lives out, our conflicts out, in that space of prayer it is not just therapeutic and helpful but it is also a way to seek a better perspective and different options for response and choice than one may have understood in a daily context. Putting our concerns into prayer is a way of setting them "outside the box." It is a way of getting distance, asking for different options and direction, and setting aside things with which we may be too pre-occupied to get a clear picture. It is also a way to acceptance of the things in life we cannot necessarily avoid that are difficult or create great hardship. It is a way of facing injustice within the context of striving to be a good person, to follow a spiritual life. Injustice will still come, and we need a way to understand it, to face it, and to continue on in faith and acceptance. In this context we must also remember the "justice" of the cross and Jesus' own life. The spiritual perspective is a necessity for this understanding.

Jesus asks, poignantly, 'And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’ If setbacks come, do we put it into prayer? Do we understand we need a spiritual perspective on justice and Judgment in our lives? Can we keep the faith, and wait for an answer? Let us remember this mission is about the kingdom, its reality and its presence. And seek to understand justice within that context.

The kingdom of God is among you

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There it is!” For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.’

Then he said to the disciples, ‘The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or “Look here!” Do not go, do not set off in pursuit. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed all of them —it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.’ Then they asked him, ‘Where, Lord?’ He said to them, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.’

- Luke 17:20-37

This interesting passage is at the same time rather puzzling to me. There are things about it that I don't understand. I haven't extensively studied the language in Greek, but I will make a comment about my impressions at this stage.

First of all, in the first paragraph for today's reading, there's a very important statement to the Pharisees who ask about the kingdom. In light of all that we have read this past month in Luke, especially in Jesus' preparation and directions to the Seventy, I think the response is in the same vein as his instructions about preaching. "The kingdom of heaven has come near you," Jesus instructed the Seventy to preach to all those they went to - whether or not they became followers. And so Jesus says the same to the Pharisees. The kingdom of God is here. It is present. It is not something tangible or observable with the common use of our physical senses. Often, the translation of this phrase: "the kingdom of God is among you," is also made "the kingdom of God is within you." Both translations are reputable: in fact, we have seen Jesus teaching that the kingdom of God is near - it is in the relationship to the kingdom that is within and with Him, and within and with his disciples. It is present where there is life and action and choice "in His name" - in relationship and in the sharing of that Personhood, including the spiritual gifts that have come with it.

I haven't read - in preparation for this particular post - commentary on the statements that follow (in the second paragraph above). But reading it now, it seems that a few things must be a part of this message. First of all, carrying on with the theme that Jesus has already extensively preached that the kingdom is within them and/or among them, he continues to his disciples that they must not be misled by those who would tell them that the kingdom has appeared somewhere special. They must trust his word that he has already preached to them. Furthermore, there's a warning here that there will be days in the future when they will long to see him physically - but they must not be tempted by tales that they must travel somewhere, to some place, to observe him. When he does come, when the appearance of this kingdom is to be made, it will be unmistakable. And clearly, and most importantly to my mind, it will come to them.

In apocalyptic literature of the Old Testament (esp. the Book of Daniel), the phrase Son of Man is used in conjunction with Judgment. Here there seems to be a pronunciation of what it is that happens in this experience of Judgment: the relationships that we call earthly will not apply. Nothing that we see of the rules of life through our daily lives is going to prepare us in advance for what Judgment means, because what that Judgment reveals is what is in the internal person, what is in the heart of a person - and belonging to this kingdom is not defined by traditional relationship of neighbor or kin. It is, in a sense, a warning that this reality, when revealed, will come in a way that it is only possible to prepare for by practicing faith, by doing what is already preached and expected, and not through signs or portents or those things available to a select few who can observe or who have heard secret news. Jesus elsewhere has said (in Matthew chapter 10) that he has "come not to bring peace but a sword", and this text, to my mind, is illustrative of this point. It's the sword of truth that separates us along lines of this reality that is within us and among us, although not observable in a conventional sense. It is about what is in our hearts and minds, to what we devote ourselves, what we accept about what guides our choices, what we choose to love and in which to have faith.

The disciples ask him, ‘Where, Lord?’ and Jesus responds, ‘Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.’ In other texts, this is commonly translated using the word "eagles" instead of "vultures." But regardless of the images we may associate with these terms, I think the allusion is clear to death, to the end. If our spiritual death is indicated here, it is a clear idea of what it is to have made a choice - again an internal reality. This is a living kingdom, where God is "not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Mark 12). We must remember that we are to live it. We do not own it as a possession. This is how it dies. A corpse is a body without life - in this context, without spiritual life, that active spiritual participation in the kingdom, as in Jesus' statement to a would-be follower earlier in Luke to "let the dead bury the dead." We must be spiritually alive. We must take care to live this internal reality of the kingdom, of relationship and the indwelling Spirit. We don't put our hand to the plough and look back, again, as Jesus has already instructed. He is teaching his disciples to remember his words, and not to be tempted with false teachings. This reality must be lived, and we must remember to live it, to be living members of it, to give our lives to that, for life in abundance.

Your faith has made you well

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

- Luke 17:11-19

This passage is somewhat similar to other stories, but it's used to illustrate the idea of gratitude - that we should not take spiritual gifts for granted, that participation in this kingdom is not something that we own like a possession which is ours to trade on. It's also important to understand that when Jesus tells the lepers to show themselves to the priests, it is because this is a special duty for the lepers: lepers were set apart from the society and had to show themselves as cleansed in order to be full participants again. It is on the way to do this deed that they are healed.

As in the parable of The Good Samaritan, which appears only in Luke, it is only the Samaritan leper who turns back in gratitude to Jesus for the gift of healing. It is once again the outsider - here a "double outsider" who is both a leper and a Samaritan, considered therefore doubly unclean or untouchable in a sense (and doubly ostracized) - who is grateful for the gift, and who understands the spirit in which it must be received.

It's also important that this parable comes immediately following yesterday's reading, in which we were instructed to understand that there are duties expected of us that come with membership in this kingdom. When we practice mercy, kindness, we are doing what is expected of us. We are behaving as we ought to if we call ourselves Christians and followers of the teachings of Jesus. In this parable that follows, we have a similar kind of teaching about what is expected of us. We not only have a duty to the grace given us, but we also must remember it as a gift. Christianity is not to be a "buying and selling" experience. We are not owed or entitled here; nor do we have claims to exploit and sell to others. In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus is quoted as telling his apostles: "Freely you have been given, therefore freely give." But with a gift must come appreciation and understanding that it is indeed a gift. We share in that mercy: therefore it is up to us to give it and to receive it with respect for its value and its nature. It's not a possession to grasp and hang onto, through which we lord it over others, but rather something that must be lived, all the time. Otherwise, you're not really a part of that kingdom. And it is a gift that requires discernment.

Membership in this kingdom is open to all. But we mustn't view it as a commodity we carry with us like an entitlement or something we've paid for. The gift is with us and within us, to share and to value in either case, whether we give or receive. It is to those who value this gift truly that the kingdom belongs - they are the ones who "get it" - who truly understand it.

Be on your guard!

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, “I repent”, you must forgive.’

The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.

‘Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!” ’

- Luke 17:1-10

At first reading, this passage looks rather hard indeed. It's preceded by a teaching on mercy, and the importance of realizing in our lifetimes the need we have to listen to those who have come before us preaching mercy and the essential equality of all people before God (the story of Lazarus and the rich man). Those who fail to practice mercy or compassion have truly failed in their duty to listen to the prophets, and to undertake to follow spiritual teachings.

Jesus emphasizes here the duty of the disciples and followers themselves. There are certain things - teachings - they must obey. Compassion and mercy are the rule of his kingdom and if we fail to do our duty to show this ourselves, then we fail as disciples. He sets down instructions for how to deal with transgressions. While the consequences of hurting one who has less power ("little ones") than oneself are serious in this discipline, forgiveness after repentance is the rule. It doesn't matter how many times offense and repentance happens - forgiveness is the rule. And rebuke for transgressions - speaking honestly - is also the rule.

I feel that once again Jesus illustrates using a strong and potent example to make his point about faith (the mustard seed and the mulberry tree) - and this is not meant to be taken literally! The word "slave" used here is translated as "servant" in other versions. (I must admit I found it rather strange to think that the fishermen and others who are his followers would have the means to be slave owners.) But, as usual, Jesus is illustrating a point. The "slaves" are meant to be understood as those who serve Christ. Disciples are to be servants. To do our "job" as disciples is to be of service, to follow the rule of mercy or compassion is merely to be doing the dutiful job of a follower. Jesus realizes - in these "hard" teachings - that he asks a lot of those who follow. But he reminds them, and us, that this is what is expected of those who are members of this kingdom and who are themselves teachers - and examples - of the faith.

Elsewhere, Jesus says that "my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:20). For myself I think it is important to remember that we are bound by certain teachings, the "logic of the kingdom" and its rule of mercy and compassion - or even simple kindness, and the modest humility that is its natural component. I don't think it's inappropriate to think of this as a duty, something to which we are bound through identity - a chosen identity. To identify ourselves as Christian means we bear a duty to act as a Christian, if only to serve as an example of our faith. So often, I have found, it is in this oh-so-stressed quality in Jesus' teachings that we fail to live out our faith. Thankfully, I don't have to be perfect in my expression - but I have the duty to try.

G.K. Chesterton is famously quoted as saying, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." Lord, increase our faith.