But I say to you...

‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

- Matthew 5:21-26

As Jesus begins his elaboration on the Law, he begins with the ancient law against murder. In this particular place in the Sermon on the Mount, he begins his discourse on what it is to "exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees" (see yesterday's reading). He takes the specific law against murder, and proceeds to extend it into what it is to be in conflict. It's not enough, he seems to say, to simply obey this law. One must also understand what it is to create problems, a conflict which is unjust, the things that lead to such acts.

But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. Other translations state "...if you are angry with a brother or sister without a cause..." As I understand this, Jesus is pointing to the actions that are behind murder, the things that lead to it or in some way resemble it in terms of our own actions and choices. This is not righteous anger he's speaking of here. I don't believe he's speaking of a proper expression of a plea for justice. Rather he is emphasizing our need for measuring our anger, understanding it and coming to terms with it in an appropriate way. My study bible says that Jesus forbids sinful anger as opposed to righteous indignation. Psalm 4:4 says, "Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still." Ephesians 4:26-27 reads "'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give a place to the devil." Above all, we are to avoid the exercise of anger that is ill-tempered, without discernment, provoking - and we are to value peace among our brothers and sisters. Jesus addresses the law in terms of the healing of our natures. Spiritually we accept that as Son acting with the Father, he created human nature and gave the Law of the Old Testament. Here the Old Law is being fulfilled in the New Law, and this fulfillment and our healing becomes a central focus of teaching.

My study bible notes that in early Christian worship the liturgical "kiss of peace" took place at the beginning of the Communion prayers. This was a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness, preparing the Church to offer and receive the Eucharist. So we find in this teaching a linking of self-awareness and discernment: how are we expressing a call for justice, do we try to discern between righteous anger and sinful anger? Is reconciliation and peace a true goal and concern? I find often that fights in churches come from a self-centered sense of ownership or entitlement, and an unwillingness to engage in real dialogue. I am certain that any reader of this blog can think of examples they have experienced in their lives and their churches. But most of all there must be a concern for others and for the church as a whole; peace as a cherished goal which is much more than just order or repression but right-relatedness.

Luke 12 puts the teaching on coming to terms with an adversary before one reaches the judge in the context of a discussion on the end of the age. Here in Matthew, Jesus emphasizes the nature of conflict and the importance of reconciliation in this elaboration on the New Law, with a clear reference to Judgment. We are to hold this goal in our hearts - to hold out a hand for reconciliation in a proper and good way. We can add this to the teachings elsewhere on both forgiveness and correction in the church. Above all, I think. the emphasis on reconciliation and self-awareness, discernment when it comes to anger is a teaching about the importance of our capacity as believers to work together. Those who wish to build this kingdom, to participate in it and be a part of it must remember to hold one another within the ideals of respect that demand we see one another as human -- and certainly within the "two great commandments" to love God with all our heart and soul, mind and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves. To provoke conflict, not to hold as a goal the peace that makes our cooperative working together possible, is to violate a law equal to the statute against murder. We murder relationships, we murder the working of the kingdom, our capacity for loving one another. Certainly Jesus knew we would always have disagreements; but we are taught here what it is to understand our goals and what is necessary, and how to hold in mind what it is we need - and to be aware of that which must be discarded in our own behavior and nature.

So we begin with this teaching about murder and our inner natures, with the awareness that life is not only about following the proscriptions of the law but also about what is written in our hearts, about being aware of our own behaviors, and the action we take in attempt to reconcile. We are to practice respect for just treatment of one another, right-relatedness, and the things that make for peace.

I have come not to abolish but to fulfill

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 5:17-20

My study bible elaborates on the meanings of this text. What is the fulfillment of the Law? The fulfillment of the Prophets? According to what I read, Jesus fulfills the Law in his Person, words and actions by performing God's will in all its fullness, transgressing none of the precepts of the Law, declaring the perfect fulfillment of the Law (which he is about to deliver in the Sermon on the Mount as it continues after this reading), and granting righteousness - the goal of the Law - to us. He fulfills the Prophets by carrying out fully what they had foretold about Him.

"Truly I tell you" is "amen" in Greek (originally from Hebrew, this word made its way intact into the original Greek of the scripture, and of course, following, into many other languages). Jesus uses it as a solemn affirmation, a form of an oath, even prefacing certain proclamations. This has the effect of underlining the authority of his words. A traditional translation reads "not a jot or a tittle" will pass from the Law (a jot being the smallest Greek letter "iota" and the tittle being a small stroke in certain Hebrew letters). Therefore, Jesus is saying that the whole of the law is the foundation of the new teaching: it is fulfilled by Christ and will not pass away. The gospels of Mark and Luke also use the phrase "until heaven and earth pass away."

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets: what he commands then will stand the test of time. In this context, he continues: righteousness which is according to the Law is a unified whole. The observance of the least of these, according to my study bible, secures the observance of the greatest, while the violation of the very least is equivalent to the violation of the greatest. Moreover, righteousness is more than proper behavior or observance (such as the scribes and Pharisees were advocating), and more than holy thoughts. Righteousness, right-relatedness, centers on our relationship with God. Once again, we return to Jesus' description of the two greatest commandments: the first to love the Lord God with all heart and soul and mind and strength, the second to love one's neighbor as oneself.

This is a very hard passage for me to write about. I consult notes from tradition and patristics so that I may understand how others - much wiser than I - have read and understood this passage, and I "report" them to you via this blog. So, I have come to understand Jesus as the fulfillment of what has been written and promised, of the law that taught discipline and worship and the prophets who have written about his coming. Jesus himself, then, becomes the great revelation to which all that has come before has pointed. He has prepared us in the past two readings (The Beatitudes and his teachings on Salt and Light) for what it is to practice discipleship in this kingdom. In this reading, he is teaching us what it is to fulfill what has come and to follow in His footsteps. What has come before, what is now unfolding before them in Jesus' life, and what is to come for discipleship in the kingdom is therefore united in this great Sermon. Jesus' simple teaching in these verses is a unification of past, present and future. It is also a summoning up of what remains always with us.

Not only is Jesus himself the fulfillment of all these in his Person, but I find that scripture in the same sense, having come to us via witnesses, seems always to be packed with such an energy that its nature is constantly unfolding. It fits the various times of our own lives in a such a way as to be timeless, both personally and for the Church as a whole. Ultimately, it is our relationship to God wherein all of this rests, including righteousness, or "right-relatedness." We remember in order to recall to ourselves what this is and what it looks like; but all of it works within the realm of relationship and grace, to that depth within us that works with us. It has been written often that the basic character or theme of Matthew's gospel can be summed up in the word, "Immanuel" or "God with us." In this simple paragraph of today's reading, nothing is more "filled" than this word.

You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

- Matthew 5:11-16

Jesus continues with the Beatitudes. In yesterday's reading, we read about the blessings of membership in this kingdom, of those who sincerely seek it. Jesus elaborates on verse 10 of yesterday's reading: 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He continues:

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. We are to continue in the footsteps of those who have come before, who sought right-relatedness with God and God's kingdom. My study bible notes that "in willingness to suffer persecution, the Christian shows his loyalty and unity with Jesus Christ. He walks the road of the prophets, saints and martyrs. ... Suffering for Christ is attended with inexpressible joy." I think it's important to understand that a life of faith is not necessarily attended by an approving cast of thousands, nor will the world around you necessarily just fall into perfect place. It's not about building an image of ourselves or "seeking praise from men" that forms some concrete synthesis without paradox or conflict or rejection. Faith necessitates a relationship; building the kingdom is a part of that relationship. In this way, Christ is letting us know that we are related to those who've come before us, whose lives weren't made simple or easy by virtue of their faith, their willingness to bear that kingdom within themselves. So we will also become united with Jesus as the great example of what it is to serve. I know many people that I imagine would simply call this nonsense, and have all kinds of explanations and words for why anyone would believe it or be asked to believe it. But I doubt that these same people would feel it silly to sit up all night with a sick child, or to go to great lengths to care for someone they loved, or to stand by a spouse going through a hard time. It is in that loving relationship, the practice of love, that this joy is understood. So it is with the relationship to the kingdom, and the depth of love in that relationship that "passes understanding." A bond or commitment of love is not silly and neither is it exploitation or foolishness.

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. My study bible says that salt had religious and sacrificial significance because of its preservative powers, necessity for life and its ability to give flavor. It symbolized the making of a covenant. To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty. Thus as the salt of the earth, Christians are meant to be preservers of God's covenant and give proper flavor to society. By acting as salt, we preserve what is necessary, and we keep something important from perishing. We add an ingredient to the society that enlivens everything, bringing out what is alive and meaningful, brightening the flavor of life. Without our own savour or flavor, we cannot do this. We become useless.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Light is a symbol of God who is the "uncreated Light." In the Old Testament, light is symbolic of God, the divine Law, or Israel in contrast to the Gentiles (as we have seen already in Matthew's gospel, Jesus is referred to as the light shining to the Gentiles, or those who sit in darkness). In the gospels, Jesus as Son is referred to as "light," the "light of the world," the "light shining in the darkness." By participating in the kingdom, we are to carry that light within us, and to point to the great light for others to see. We are to be "light bearers." We are encouraged to let that light shine before others, not to be afraid, that the purpose of the light is to shine. In other places in the gospels, Jesus is quoted using these same metaphors when he speaks about the kingdom and its nature.

Clearly, we carry this kingdom within ourselves, we are to live out its energy, its teachings, its reality, and so let that light shine before others. This is despite persecution, slander, and a host of other unpleasant experiences we may encounter for doing so. These, in fact, unite us with those who have come before, and with Christ himself. There is nothing that is worth deterring ourselves from the kingdom, we are taught here. We are to be disciples in faith, in a reality akin to salt and light. Discipleship requires discipline and strength and self-awareness; its rewards are those things we carry with us. We're not looking for a defined synthesis of the world and our faith - quite the opposite, we may encounter hardship, difficulty, persecution. We live that paradox. We carry our cross. And with it is joy, light and salt, unity. But most of all, a tremendous, inexpressible, compelling, transformational love that "the world" does not seem to know. This gives the salt its savour. This light, lit within us, is the light we are to shine before others, so that it points to its Source.

The Beatitudes

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

- Matthew 5:1-10

The Sermon on the Mount begins here, with the Beatitudes. Beatitude means "blessing." In this first section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus enumerates the blessings attributed to those who seek this kingdom of which he has been preaching. These are not blessings of a worldly nature, but of a spiritual nature. We're speaking of spiritual disciples, those who make their lives in the world via the welcoming of this kingdom and the practice of spiritual faith. Jesus is seated (verse 1) in the traditional teaching position of a rabbi.

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus begins with a teaching on what it is to be humble. In Hebrew, "poor" means both the material poor and the faithful among God's people. The "poor in spirit," therefore, are those who have the heart of the poor and their total dependence upon God. Their blessing is this kingdom of heaven

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. My study bible equates mourning with the fruits of repentance; the idea that we turn from one way of life to another. In some way, this makes much sense to me. Repentance can connote a kind of grief. When we turn from one thing to another there is a sense of loss. If we give up certain "worldly" things or pursuits or ways of thinking, are we not left with a sense of loss - a way in which we don't necessarily fit easily into the world? "Holy sorrow" is not only a state of personal repentance, but also sorrow over the suffering of mankind. This is a product of repentance or conversion. Importantly it is distinguished from an ungodly sorrow or morbid guilt which leads to despair.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. My study bible says that "mourning" (above) can extinguish the flame of anger and make a person meek. This is not a sense in which one is passive, but rather in which we are each in control of our own passions. It is the cultivation of a perspective that allows us to reflect, a contained strength. We recall the strength that we rely on through prayer, that helps us with perspective and detachment, to find a way through our passions and impulses (especially anger) for a good response, a God-bearing way of life in the world. The world, in other words, does not belong to the powerful and violent - but those who shall inherit in the new age of the kingdom are those who seek God's will in their responses to life and its challenges.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Righteousness is right-relatedness. We recall Jesus' two great commandments: To love the Lord God with all one's heart and soul and mind, and to love one's neighbor as oneself. To desire to live in this "justification" (as the Greek can also be translated) is to be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. My study bible says that mercy is "love set in motion." I quite like this description. We are to approach others tempered by mercy, open to its reality. Living by this law of God's love we in turn receive and come to know God's mercy in ourselves through the reality of this kingdom and our relatedness to it.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. What does it mean to be "pure in heart?" To be pure in this sense means, in the first place, to place no other gods before us. That is, devoted to the manifestation of God's will, to knowing and pleasing God, the spiritually good and true and beautiful.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Peace is so often invoked in the spiritual sense, and yet this peace has also been called the "peace that passes understanding." It is a state of the acceptance of the spirit of God which we then share with others. Jesus' acceptance of this peace led him to no less than his death on the cross. But it is a profound way to understand reconciliation and the desire to share this love with others.

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. As I am typing and composing this blog, I'm listening to a channel on cable television that plays classical music. What began to play just now is Beethoven's "12 Variations/See the Conquering Hero"- which in its first few bars incorporates the melody of the hymn of the Armenian Church, Der Voghormia or "Lord have Mercy." It is sung during the ministration of Communion to the clergy, which takes place behind the closed altar drape and before the faithful receive Holy Communion. I don't believe in literal signs, but I'm going to take this one as a gentle hint, something for me to consider. God's mercy is always present for those who suffer for the kingdom's sake. If we serve something that is not "worldly," we are bound to come up against its rules. In John chapter 15, Jesus has said, " If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. " We hold fast to the teachings of righteousness; but the servant is not greater than the master. Our blessing is the kingdom. Can you think of ways in which the practice of mercy and righteousness may lead us to conflict with "worldly" life? If you look to the left at the photos on my blog, you will see one of an orphan of genocide. It is representative of my grandparents' generation of survivors. When I was a child, I saw many of those survivors, men and women, as elderly folk, cry each Sunday in church when this hymn was sung. For so many, their experiences merely strengthened their faith. This is truly a peace that passes understanding, and we must remember that in the midst the sorrow of the world, we are blessed. Do you know those who have been persecuted in some way for their faith? Jesus prepares us for life in the kingdom, in these Beatitudes. Each of us must reflect and find what these mean for us in our own lives.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge

- Psalm 71

Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

- Matthew 4:18-25

As Jesus comes upon those who will be his apostles, we must recall the great fame and influence of John the Baptist. This was considerable enough so that the historian Josephus felt Herod Antipas' execution of John was due to his fear of an uprising, should John instruct his followers to make one. These earliest chosen apostles, who respond immediately to Jesus' call, have already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, which prepared them to accept the Messiah. John's preaching concerned the imminence of that kingdom, and the One who would be the deliverer. Jesus himself, according to Luke, for example, has already been preaching and so is already known. According to my study bible, verse 19 may indicate the second time three of these men are called by Jesus to follow (see Luke 5:10).

In the second paragraph, we are given a summary of Jesus' early ministry. He goes throughout Galilee, teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom at hand, and healing every ailment - physical and spiritual. His fame spreads, and great crowds begin to follow him from all around: Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. The Decapolis is the region north and east of Galilee. (For a map of these regions of Jesus' early ministry, see here.)

We continue in this passage with themes from yesterday's reading: his followers are of the common people, considered by the various religious groups in Judaism to be "people of the land," peasants. They have not been formally trained in any sacred school, most of them are uneducated and illiterate. His ministry focuses on proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, teaching in the synagogues, and is characterized by healing of every kind. This has been so in each of the gospels, as we have already been through John, Luke, Mark and now begin Matthew. Matthew's special perspective is on prophecy and the appearance of the kingdom as a startling reality - so we must understand this reading from that perspective. The "light that shines in the darkness" begins in the areas considered to be without great teachings or spiritual manifestation; among men, Jesus' early followers are people who are not particularly trained or given spiritual education of a recognized nature. His early ministry in Galilee, in a region of the Gentiles, marks these beginnings as commonplace, not particularly remarkable. But out of this comes the ministry nevertheless, and in this very knowledge of the commonplace and unremarkable, we are given to understand the immanence of the kingdom: the kingdom lives where the Spirit is at work. The "wind that blows where it chooses" (as it says in John 3) is at work in the transformation of these men into apostles, in the teachings of Jesus, in the healings that follow where Jesus goes and preaches and ministers. These are all manifestations of the kingdom -- or rather they all bear witness to its presence. The transforming, powerful working of the leaven of this kingdom is being revealed in the land, from the commonplace, everyday and ordinary. That which bears witness gathers many followers. My study bible says that this witness to the kingdom, these miracles in this early activity of Jesus, serve as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, which we will read tomorrow. We continue to be taught what the kingdom is, its surprising Mystery which will always teach us its nature: prophesied yet unexpected. From this we learn the nature of belief that must always hold its eyes open and be prepared to accept, to repent (turn toward God) in the spirit of the confrontation of the new, the spiritual reality of the "wind" that shows us where it's been.

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,

on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—

the people who sat in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

light has dawned.’

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

- Matthew 4:12-17

John has been arrested and imprisoned by Herod Antipas, and Jesus goes ("withdrew") to Galilee. He does not go back to his home in hilly Nazareth, but remains close to the lake. We are told in Matthew's gospel that this reflects the prophecy of Isaiah, quoted above.

Galilee is called "Galilee of the Gentiles" because it had been heavily populated with non-Jews. In 734 B.C. it became an Assyrian province. By Jesus' time it had a mixed population to the extent that it was no longer considered a genuinely Jewish land. Many non-Jewish residents, however, had converted to Judaism in the Maccabean period. According to my study bible, even the Jews who inhabited this area were influenced by Greek culture and were considered second-class by the Jews of Judea.

"Darkness" (in the quotation from Isaiah) means ungodliness. It is about spiritual darkness - to sit in "darkness," in this language, means to be overcome by spiritual ignorance and death. Christian tradition denotes "the great light" shining on these people as an anticipation of the gospel which will be preached to all after the Resurrection.

In the gospel of John, John the Baptist is quoted as saying that Jesus "must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Taking these sources together, we understand that Jesus starts his ministry as John is arrested. He goes to Galilee, to Capernaum on the shore of Sea of Galilee. Outside of Jerusalem, his ministry will focus on this land considered "second class" in Judea, influenced by Greek culture and a crossroads or mixture of many peoples of the region. It is a region influenced by trade and different empires - Greek was the cosmopolitan or international language of its time, the language of trade, diplomacy, literature, poetry and philosophy. This sounds quite wonderful to us; but in fact we could consider it in that time and context to be "worldly" or perhaps even more closely, a place tainted by the "common" -- not pure, not elite. It is a crossroads of many influences, of fishing and agriculture. Capernaum is also home to Jesus' first apostles.

So Isaiah's "light that shines in the darkness" has also prefigured the words in the first chapter of John's gospel. But according to Matthew, Jesus' beginning his ministry here in Capernaum, in Galilee, is all about that light that must come into the darkness. Jesus' home in Nazareth was also considered a place of insignificance, even having a negative reputation. His ministry begins here in this place of the common, a crossroads of the world, of the daily trade, of fishing, of agriculture, and influence from many cultural sources rather than the elitism or "purity" of Judea. The light is spread and shared in this place from which his disciples and apostles will be chosen. Matthew ties it to prophecy, but we can also see its significance in the need of the world for this light, and of its sharing of itself with all the world. In today's reading, we also have a selection from 1 Corinthians 1:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.

We have already had a glimmer of the Mystery, of the expected yet unexpected, and this passage in Matthew opens up yet further this mystery of that which has been prophesied and awaited, yet is so new in its revelation, and unexpected. Never let the surprise go: these words are still surprising, the effects are still surprises. We find God where we are likely to least expect and in ways we do not expect; yet somehow we have been told these words over and over again. Let us remain humble enough, our eyes open enough, to understand this and see it at work in our lives and the world around us.

One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,

“One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,

“He will command his angels concerning you”,

and “On their hands they will bear you up,

so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’

Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,

“Worship the Lord your God,

and serve only him.” ’

Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

- Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus is led up into the wilderness. After the revelatory experience of his baptism, he is led into the wilderness to be tempted. The Greek word used for "led up" (anago) is interesting, because it can mean at once "led up" and also "brought back" - Jesus is led up and he is also brought back from this exalted revelation of Sonship and Trinity at the baptism, to "the world" in which he is tempted as a man in this place of wilderness. Wilderness is a place of battleground, according to my study bible. It's a place where anything can happen, a picture of "the world" in which we have "good" and "bad" influences to choose from; my study bibles says, "at once the abode of demons and a source of divine tranquility and contemplation." When the earliest monastics began their desert dwelling, it was for precisely this reason; it is a place of spiritual battleground. Like Christ, both we and the desert fathers have aid in this battle. We are not alone. We have our "Emmanuel" or "God with us."

But we mustn't forget this place of wilderness as a place to focus, where we are able to see a sharp contrast between the things that are God's and the things that belong to "the world." So the temptations that Jesus faces are "worldly" in their nature. He is at once divine and human, and so his Sonship confers a will united with the Father, but his human reality is a state of free will, of choice, and of temptation by the "worldly." Let's examine the nature of Jesus' "worldly" temptations.

Firstly, he has been fasting. Fasting is a spiritual discipline precisely because it is a discipline: it is a way of choosing, of abstinence. Our great goal of personal spiritual discipline is abstinence from sin. But fasting becomes a way of expressing and developing our capacity for choice. We are not slaves to any impulse; we are capable of choice and personal discipline. My study bible notes that fasting gives us an example of our own power and its limitations. Jesus' answer, "Man does not live by bread alone" is a great statement of detachment. But there is more to this worldly temptation: Jesus is tempted, after revelation via the baptism in the Jordan, to create a great display of power, to test his spiritual identity. And this is really the "worldly" part of temptation: does he need to prove himself? To flex his spiritual muscles in the mode of power, a display for himself or others? No, this is not part of God's will for him - he will not do it. "If you are the Son of God" is the great temptation to prove identity - by acting in separation and in a "worldly" way to show or to prove something. "Worldly" temptation, we can conclude, will prey on our insecurity, our sense of need to prove ourselves, to prove the value of our faith, to give in to a perspective which does not include the spiritual, the presence of God. It will seek to test the reality of such relationship. Jesus rejects a kingdom based on materialism, earthly well-being, the "bread which perishes." It is an affirmation of reliance upon God, and a reflection of what it is to take up our cross in this struggle that will carry us through all the gospels. The spiritual life is not simply one of ease and comfort; we will not necessarily reconcile paradox and contradiction but make choices through the struggle.

The next temptation is again a temptation to create a great sign and wonder, and put that relationship to the test. Can he hurl himself down from the temple in Jerusalem? Prove God's power to save? Again, this same way of thinking will be present at the crucifixion, when Jesus is told to prove himself by saving himself from the cross. My study bible notes that God's Kingdom is not one of earthly spectacle and fame. The Church has long forbidden, since its earliest centuries, exposing ourselves to danger just to test God's protection. To do so is to "tempt the Lord," to "put God to the test." The worldly temptation is about our image in the eyes of others - what we can prove of that relationship to God in our spiritual reality and worship. Faith asks of us to dwell within a different reality of relationship and relatedness.

Finally, Jesus is tempted with all the material wealth and power in the world. If he would but follow the "Prince of this world," all of this would be his. But again, our faith does not come from the desire to gain fame, wealth and power. The spiritual struggle is not one of seeking to conquer the world in this sense. "Worldly" temptation looks at life without this presence of God, without spiritual reality. The temptation to forget this relationship and its reality, its goals and purposes, and our identity in relationship to God, is one that still tempts. With our great focus on image in so many ways, it is perhaps more strongly felt as a "should" than ever. But Jesus rejects this image for his life of spiritual struggle, with its different goals and values. Jesus' Sonship is what his human mind chooses. "Away with you, Satan" is a command, rather than a rebuke.

I love this ending to this particular passage, that the angels came and ministered to him. We may find in our own lives a "saving grace" at any time. But it does not mean that we avoid our struggles and choices, and remember to rely on our understanding of faith - and that we go into that struggle in our own wilderness, just as he did, so that we make our choices.