The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed,

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'" Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

- Luke 4:14-30

On Saturday, we read of Jesus' temptations in the wilderness. After His baptism, at which the Holy Spirit anointed Him, and the Father's voice proclaimed Him Son, the Spirit led Him to the wilderness where, after His fast, He was tempted to use His power in the "worldly" ways of the "prince of this world," the devil. Each time He refused, quoting Scripture, in obedience to the Father. His power will be used in His ministry not for expediency, but to serve that will, and bring a different kingdom into this world. See It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. Luke's testimony in this Gospel refers us again to the power of the Spirit which leads Jesus; in Saturday's reading, we were told He was "filled with the Spirit." At this point, His Galilean ministry has been successful, and He is "glorified by all."

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." It's interesting that we are told that it is His custom to stand up and read. Isaiah's prophecies are repeatedly referred to in the Gospels - most recently we have heard Isaiah's words proclaimed by John the Baptist (see Make His paths straight). Here, Isaiah refers to the anointing of Christ by the Holy Spirit. My study bible says, "The Spirit of the LORD descended upon Jesus at His baptism. Jesus will bring blessings long awaited by the Jewish people, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah." In this prophecy, as we were previously told by John the Baptist of the 'evening up' before the Lord, so Isaiah again teaches us what this is: the good news is preached to the poor, the brokenhearted are healed, the proclamation of liberty made to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, those who are oppressed are set at liberty, the acceptable year of the LORD is proclaimed. And in this is the action of the Holy Spirit.

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is this not Joseph's son?" He said to them, "You will surely say this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'" We again bear witness here to the work of the "fullness of the Spirit" in Jesus and His ministry: they marveled at the gracious words which proceeded from the mouth of the one whom they've known all their lives, the son of Joseph. Jesus refers to the reputation they must know by now of His successful ministry in Galilee -- and He knows they want proof of His Messiahship, to which Isaiah's prophecy refers. But He is their fellow villager! They want proof through spectacular acts of power -- and again, Jesus is faced with the same temptation He met in the wilderness: this time, among those whom He has known all His life.

Then He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." My study bible says, "Jesus exposes their unbelief. Through examples of God's mercy to Gentiles, He warns them that their heritage alone will not save them." But clearly, He accepts the ways of "the world." The familiar becomes a limitation to sight, to seeing Him for who He is -- and more particularly to the Spirit who is at work in Him: "No prophet is accepted in his own country." And, indeed, He teaches them of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world, which, like the wind, "blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes." We understand the work of God, of the Holy Spirit, through the Scriptures and the examples He gives, and so do they. The "evening up" also includes the Good News and its work going to the Gentiles, to the ones not expected to receive, the outsiders. But, the irony is, in this warning itself is mercy: He is telling them they must open their eyes in faith.

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. This is not the first nor the last time we will be told in the Gospels that Jesus "passes through the midst of them" -- of a crowd that is bent on destroying Him. We have just finished readings in John's Gospel, where it happens several times at the temple. His pronouncements can bring the wrath of those whom He criticizes, who have failed to grasp what is at work in Him. His warnings are met with wrath. But His ministry is far from finished, and so He journeys on.

How is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in your life? Do you find surprises on your own journey of faith? Does the familiar limit your perception, until perhaps something startles you into new understanding? We read in the prophecy of Isaiah the words about the recovery of sight to the blind, the healing of the brokenhearted, good news for the poor, liberty for the captive and oppressed -- and even these very words will not bear the kind of fruit expected in Israel. Who, indeed, for example, are the poor? The prophecy will be fulfilled in ways only the Spirit can reveal to our understanding, and the love of God can fill. Christ's ministry will open up all kinds of ways in which the expected and familiar become new. And so it is in our own lives; I find that I can never be prepared for the work in my life and where God's love and leading will take me. All things are made new by this anointing, and it "blows where it wishes." Can we follow in His way with Him as He takes us forward?

It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'

Then Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:

'He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you,'

and,

'In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

- Luke 4:1-13

In yesterday's reading, we read about John the Baptist. He taught, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." We were also told of John's imprisonment by Herod Antipas. And finally, "when all the people were baptized," Jesus was baptized -- "and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'"

Then Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. My study bible says that this exodus of Jesus into the wilderness has a dual symbolism: the Old Testament "type" of Israel in the wilderness Exodus following a 'baptism' in the Red Sea, and our own new "exodus of salvation from darkness to light, while yet in this world." What I see is that immediately upon His revelation in baptism, Jesus is sent by the Spirit ("driven" in Mark's Gospel) into the wilderness to face the temptations of the ruler of this world. Eating nothing in a period of fasting, and, we assume, prayer, He is tempted. This is a true picture of being "set apart," consecrated for something. To fast is to go through a period of resistance, to set oneself aside for the holy. But more than a personal challenge, the immediate impact in the Gospel of the beginning of Jesus' ministry is to set up the great cosmic challenge that is going on in reality behind the scenes of His life of teaching and healing and preaching in ministry to people around Him: this is a battleground. The "prince" or "ruler" of this planet is challenging the One who has come to take the strong man by force. And it is in this setting of a battle of cosmic dimensions into which we understand Jesus' earthly ministry and acts while He is "with us." How will the Incarnate Lord manifest that challenge?

And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" After forty days of fasting, Jesus is hungry. The devil tempts Him, not only to eat, but to use His powers for the purpose of His own nourishment, His very human need. Had this perhaps been the will of His Father, we assume He would have done so. But instead, He defers: His mission is clear. He is here to live by every word of God, and this is the example that He sets for us. He will use His power and authority to minister as He is led to do by the Father, and we know He will feed 5,000 people in the wilderness. My study bible points out that the phrase "if you are the Son of God" is a form of temptation that invites self-doubt in Jesus concerning His divinity, and an attempt to control His actions by exploiting His extreme hunger. The quotation Jesus cites is from Deuteronomy 8:3, affirming a parallel with the manna in the wilderness.

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" I am intrigued by the collapse of time, and the temptation of "all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time." For what is Jesus' power and glory in the world? This is what the devil offers Him, a worldly glory. Again, in a parallel to Israel in the wilderness, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:13. Jesus affirms His loyalty; He will serve only God. My study bible points out that the devil attempts to turn Jesus from His true sonship and ministry -- and that Jesus does not dispute the claim of the devil that he possesses all worldly power and wealth.

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'" It's quite significant that the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem, and the pinnacle of the temple, because we know that Jesus will face just such challenges from the temple leadership -- to prove that He is the Son of God, or Messiah by some spectacular act. The devil even uses Scripture: he quotes from Psalm 91, verses 11 and 12. Again, Jesus defers to the wilderness experience of Israel, and the words of Moses: the quotation is from Deuteronomy 6:16. Jesus' loyalty to the Father is complete. My study bible says this "test" concerns a temptation to self-aggrandizement and vanity: Is Jesus to base His ministry on new, spectacular acts designed to get people's attention? He declines to "test God's providential love and care by thoughtless and vain acts."

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Another interesting note -- and we do know that Jesus will be repeatedly tested in His ministry, as when the temple leadership tells Him to prove who He is with a spectacular act, and they will believe. Even His own brothers will challenge Him to show Himself to the world.

So, behind the scenes, behind all of what Jesus does, there is this universal battle going on, something of cosmic proportions. Our Lord is here as Incarnate Christ to take on a mission, to enter the home of the strong man and disarm him on our behalf. There is no other way to do it. The spectacular acts in which Jesus will engage are not those in the vein of the power of the ruler of this world, but of God who is love. Perhaps the most spectacular, indeed -- Jesus will die for us on a Cross, for Resurrection for our own lives and our salvation, to bring us into relationship with God, to bypass the "strong man" that would keep us separate. But first, as fully human, Jesus is tempted, as we all are in our lives. Does anyone demand that you prove your faith is worthwhile? Do you feel a temptation to do so? Does God lead you one way in prayer, and you are tempted to material-minded other choices at other times? Know that you are not alone, but that the tempter has already been conquered so that we may live -- abide -- in Him and His love.

I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."

- Luke 3:15-22

In yesterday's reading, we were introduced to John the Baptist's ministry. He quoted from Isaiah, in expectation of the Messiah, "Make His paths straight." Then he taught the people what they must do, as he baptized for the remission of sins, in expectation of the One to come. Each must bear his or her own good fruit, and cannot rely only on ancestors or tradition before the Messiah. He said, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." To the tax collectors, he said, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." And to the soldiers he taught, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." My study bible has a note, which is worthwhile to quote here: "With a clear understanding of his own mission, John points to Christ as coming Messiah who 'will baptize . . . with the Holy Spirit and fire.' Although baptism is practiced by Jesus' circle of disciples (John 4:1,2), the prophecy here describes the baptismal gift of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Fire in this context seems to imply judgment, the same as the images of the winnowing fan and of burning the chaff. John understands that the coming of the Messiah brings judgment, as the Apostle John writes, 'This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil' (John 3:19)." It's important to understand John's profound impact on the population: he was very widely respected and considered a holy man. But, true to his mission, he points to the One who is to come. To be baptized with fire is not only an image of judgment, but also of holiness. Many saints and mystics have spoken of this holy, purifying fire. It seems to me that the fire of God's love and the fire of hell must be the same thing: but it depends on what we are "made of" in a sense, in what we abide, how we choose to align ourselves and in whose image we grow, and if we are willing to depart with the things that are not good for us (see If your right eye causes you to sin) -- we are either burned by the fire or purified in its energy and grace. In this sense, the baptism of the fire -- of the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of truth -- works at once in the world to reveal sin, righteousness and judgment, as He has said in the recent readings from the Gospel of John.

And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. John had rebuked Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife in order to marry Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, while Philip was still living. Matthew's Gospel gives us the story of John's death. We know that even Herod both feared and was in awe of John, and curious about Jesus. But he feared the authorities more, and the loss of his position. John is a righteous figure, and as so often is the case, the Gospels teach us that righteousness may often be at odds with state power and its use.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." This is Luke's treatment of the manifestation of the Trinity, an Epiphany or Theophany -- the revealed Father, Son and Spirit. My study bible teaches that while Jesus has no need of baptism Himself, He recognizes John's ministry. Jesus undergoes baptism as part of a teaching to us about how we live as He did -- and He sanctifies and blesses the waters of the world for our own baptism as the future Church -- as my study bible says beautifully, "by mystery restoring [all of creation] to its original condition through union with Him." The dove is the sign of the "anointing" of Jesus with fullness of the Spirit that is eventually to baptize us all following His death and Resurrection.

It is rather poetic that we have just been through the readings of Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His Apostles in John (beginning with the reading for Good Friday, and ending with Wednesday's reading). Jesus, in the lectionary, has recently told us of the coming of the Spirit, the Comforter, into the world. But here we begin the story of His ministry: we start with the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist -- and we are introduced to the revelation of Trinity in the Person of Jesus at His baptism by John. It is a beautiful, poignant, and also, sad beginning, because of the note of John's imprisonment. It is a kind of reflection of Jesus' words about His own death: that the grain of wheat falls to the ground and bears much fruit. In baptism, we also die to ourselves -- to the old self, and are born again through the Spirit, as Jesus' ministry is born in this passage. Let us remember the transitions that we go through in life, the holy fire that purifies and sends us beyond what we knew and into the unknown, the life of God -- the Way -- whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our way. What do you have to learn today? What is it that you may need to leave behind in order to go forward into the holy fire of the Spirit and His life for you?

Make His paths straight

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

- Luke 3:1-14

Throughout the past couple of weeks, from Good Friday on, we have been reading Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His Apostles in the Gospel of John. Yesterday, we read His great summing up, His final words of prayer to the Father concerning the Apostles and the future Church, those who would follow. We read the tremendous words of love, of belonging and relationship, that encompasses all who "abide in Him" -- and how He prepares a place for all to be with Him. Jesus' beautiful words reinforce the power of love as His ministry, speaking to the Father that He loved the Apostles as He was loved by the Father, adding, ... "for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." He prayed, "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." Today, the lectionary takes us to the Gospel of Luke, where we begin with the work of John the Baptist, in chapter 3.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. Luke has been called the "historian" of the Evangelists because he gives dates and places -- a historical reference for the events of which he writes. My study bible points out that from these references it can be concluded that John the Baptist's and Jesus' ministries began sometime between A.D. 26 and 28. Pilate was the governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36. Caiaphas was the sole official high priest -- but it was widely recognized that the power behind him was his father-in-law Annas (a previous high priest who had been deposed by the Romans). Earlier in his Gospel, Luke has written about the conception and birth and naming of John the Baptist, his father Zacharias and his mother Elizabeth, so readers are already familiar with him.

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" John begins the momentous preparation for what is to come, and this is his ministry, to be the herald of the kingdom. My study bible points out that the call to repentance was typical of the Old Testament prophets, "but John's baptism for the remission of sins sounds a deeper note: a symbolic washing away of sins, prefiguring that which will come. As Paul writes in Rom. 6:2-6, those who come to Christ will be buried with Him in baptism, rising to new life." Isaiah's prophecy here gives us a particular insight: it is an evening up, a making the way straight -- and it will be reflected in the words of John the Baptist in his preaching in the verses that follow. This repentance is also about justice: a kind of regard for others in which we see reflected the love of God -- and so, poignant in the reflection on the Scripture from John's Gospel that we have been reading. Luke is also known as the "beloved physician," and his emphasis on true justice -- compassion at work -- is revealed here. (Luke will be the Evangelist who gives us the story of the Good Samaritan.) In this case, the quotation from Isaiah not only reflects the greatness of the One who is to come, but also His absolute effect of evening out all differences -- that we all stand equally before Him, revealing who we truly are, and what we need. Thus, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins in the face of the One who will be true Judge, who knows us as we truly are, and calls us all to Him.

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." John sounds a word of warning: we can't rest in who our ancestors are, our Tradition, or the authority that has come before. We stand before Him as ourselves, with whatever it is we truly bear within us, in our hearts. My study bible says, "Ethnic or 'spiritual' ancestry does not guarantee security in the face of God's judgment. Only faithful repentance and good works worthy of it bring salvation. Stones symbolize Gentile Christians who became children of God." The power of God to create is emphasized in order to make a point: none of us is above the responsibility we bear as God's children. We mustn't presume an inheritance we fail to value, the life of love that God offers to us.

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." What is it to bear fruits worthy of repentance? to bear good fruit? Here, it is the kind of "evening up" through compassion, love in action, that is at the heart of righteousness or true justice. They are to help the poor, and those in positions of authority are not to abuse that authority, but to be fair and just, not corrupt. It is a blueprint for a righteous life, lived within the boundaries of the awareness of God's love and the righteousness to which we are all called. We are asked to bear fruits -- to abide in His love and His word. John sets the world at readiness for the One who is to come by emphasizing what it means to live a righteous life. But it is clear that he is in preparation for what is to come; we are getting ready here in this Gospel reading.

What is it to anticipate that Judge, the Christ, who is the knower-of-hearts? In yesterday's reading, we culminated the Farewell Discourse of Jesus to the Apostles, with the great emphasis on love and relationship, and the love of the Father that goes through Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Apostles, and to all of us who constitute the future Church. Some people -- many -- might say that there is a seemingly great contradiction between the image of the Judge here and the loving Christ of John's Gospel. But it is also the Evangelist John who brought us the Revelation, and I see no contradiction. God who is the God of Love asks us to live and abide in His word, in that love, and the call to repentance calls us to bear fruits worthy of His judgment, His compassion and His love. We, too, are to live that life of love and its righteousness. How else do we "abide in Him?" The words of Isaiah emphasize the great equality that all people bear before Him. How then, shall we act and bear fruit in that image of standing before this One who is to appear? We think of justice, of true righteousness, of the "evening out" in the great equality before us that is truly in our hearts when we see who we are beyond our possessions. How do we use our authority? Do we act in a selfish manner? With what responsibility do we live our lives? In the face of justice, of the knower-of-hearts, do we understand where we are and what we do? Let us consider then, the God of love who was and is and is to come, and how we live when we are called to remember Him.

That the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom you gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

"O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

- John 17:20-26

This week, we continue with Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His Apostles at the Last Supper. We began on Good Friday, with the reading of Jesus' prediction of Peter's denial, and have progressed through His discourse since. In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His prayer to the Father for the Apostles. He spoke of keeping them together, in His name, except for the "son of perdition," Judas Iscariot. He said, "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." He prayed that they might be safe from the evil one -- He leaves them in the world to follow in the work He did. Jesus said, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." In this passage, Jesus extends His prayer beyond the Apostles, to the future Church, to all of us. And we have to take this very seriously -- the oneness, the unity of relationship and gift of grace with which He has endowed the Apostles and His relationship to them, He also extends to us. And the world must know that He is truly sent by the Father through the relationship we bear to Him. He incorporates all of us in this relationship of truth and of glory, of abiding in Him. Ultimately, it becomes a statement about love, and that this love must communicate itself to the world through us and our relationship to the Father: "that the world may know that You have sent me, and have loved them as You loved Me." My study bible says, "Jesus prays for the future Church, which participates in the life and glory of the Father and the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians enjoy two kinds of unity: vertical, with the Trinity, and horizontal, with one another, the latter rooted in the former."

"Father, I desire that they also whom you gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." And this glory and unity also extend beyond the world, just as it does for the Apostles, whom Jesus has told that He goes to prepare a place for them. It is a linking of love that is absolutely complete: the place He prepares for the Apostles (in the "many mansions" of His Father's house, He also prepares for us, to keep us with Him, for the Father "loved Me before the foundation of the world." We are rooted in that love and we return to it in Him. The entire universe, from before the foundation of the world, is rooted in that love -- in this He assures us through these words.

"O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." My study bible has a beautiful note: "We cannot have love for God the Father, or receive His love, apart from the knowledge of (communion with) the Father. The purpose of the knowledge of God is to impart the love of God." Jesus says, "That the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." Again, our Evangelist is the Apostle of love; there can be no more sure statement than that, that this love with which we are loved and have known through Him is the root and anchor of our faith. In this love we abide.

As my study bible says, "The purpose of the knowledge of God is to impart the love of God." Why do we "know" God, if not to live the life we learn from that love and to express that love through what we do? Isn't this really the crux of our faith, and the means of our perfection in God, our abiding in this all-encompassing and eternal relationship? I'd like to know what that love means to you, and how you experience it in your life. I can say for myself that without this love, I don't know where I would be -- and that I have truly experienced it. It has "taken me out of the world" in the sense that more worldly behavior is not the loving beauty I find there, and that I do believe it is our job as Christians to try and live that love as we are directed, so that "the world may know," as He said. This is truly our work in the world, but we each may have unique and beautiful forms and ways in which to express it. But it all comes from this relationship of love that is, even before the foundation of the world.

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth."

- John 17:12-19

In yesterday's reading, we read the continuation of Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His Apostles. Last week we began reading this discourse, and this week we continue. In yesterday's reading, Jesus prayed to the Father about His Apostles, and His own glorification to come. He will return to the Father -- but He speaks of the eternal life which He offers to those who abide in Him. They will come to know God. He said, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." The Apostles have received the word which Jesus has given them as the Father has directed, and He has kept them in the Father's name. He prays, "Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are."

"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." My study bible points out that the son of perdition is Judas Iscariot. Perdition here also means "destruction" - or to be completely cut-off from life, in a sense, from that which gives life. A note says, "Old Testament prophecy (Ps. 41:9; 109:2-13) alludes to Judas. Judas's actions also herald the 'falling away' that will occur in the last days (see 2 Thess. 2:3 where 'son of perdition' refers to the Antichrist)." One wonders -- why was this necessary? For myself only I can speak: Christ's life must mirror the things that we will also endure and live through in this world; and so, we know betrayal but He has been there before us. He bears all that we do - and He has been there first.

"But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." As Jesus is going to the Father, He prays for the Church He leaves behind, those who are "in His name." They have accepted God's word. But we have a great sense of just how much this communion means: they are no longer "of the world" but are in the world as a part of this communion with God, this holy Body that is 'set apart.' Christ prays, importantly, simply that this church be spared from the evil one. My study bible notes, "Christians have their citizenship in the Kingdom of God (3:1-5). yet their vocation is in the world, where they are protected by God against the evil one."

"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." To sanctify, according to my study bible, is to "consecrate, make holy, separate, set apart from the world, and bring into the sphere of the sacred for God's use." In other words, the fullness of this relationship is to somehow be set apart, to be sanctified -- and the way this happens is through truth, through the word of God. All the relationship of Father, Son, Spirit and the full Body of the Church comes in this way, and it is so strong that we as Christians are to be in the world but not of it. In other words, God empties His grace into us, and through all that we can experience of that grace: the Book of the Church, Tradition, our lives of prayer, liturgy and common worship, and all the myriad outpourings of this holiness we can possibly experience -- these are the things that set us apart in a, hopefully, ever-growing and deepening relationship.

But I think it's important that we consider what we are "set apart" for, and what it means to be set apart. Jesus empties all that He is, and the Father gives Him everything, so that He may consecrate those who remain in His word, His truth. I think this is a gift of grace we are bound to receive through an entire lifetime of prayer and communion, and all the forms that can take with us and within us in our lives. We are here to do a work in the world, just as He did a work in the world -- and to continue to receive and allow ourselves to be shaped by that word and that truth as we grow and abide in it. How will you do that? How is your life 'set apart' for the work of grace through you? Do you give it the time that it needs, the thought and prayer? Do you take this word seriously for yourself? Grace need not be a spectacular note or action the whole world will notice; it may simply work in your heart to teach you how to love, or to love better, in one situation or another that is a puzzle, or difficult. Let it work and know that you, too, can be "set apart" as part of Christ's prayer for those who seek to live in that word.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as you have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

"I have manifested Your name to all the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are."

- John 17:1-11

All through last week, we were reading Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His Apostles. Today, we continue with the discourse, starting chapter 17. On Saturday, the lectionary gave us the passage in which Jesus spoke of His going away "for a little while" and of the great sorrow the Apostles would feel -- albeit temporarily. Jesus said, "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Jesus warns them again that in the coming times, they will be scattered, and leave Him alone. But He warns them so that they may have peace when all happens. He said, " In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as you have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." My study bible says that the fact that Jesus says, "the hour has come" signifies that He is in charge of time. It is He who decides whether or not the time is right to lay down His life. It is the time of glory: of recognition of true identity in both Father and Son. The eternal life that we may be granted is just this, to participate in the life of Father and Son and Spirit so that we may live with and grow in knowledge of God. My study bible has an important note: "The knowledge of God, which is eternal life, goes far beyond rational or academic pursuit; it is participation in divine life and communion with God. Thus, eternal life -- life proper to the age to come -- is an ongoing, loving knowledge of God in Christ." Jesus has finished His work on earth, the hour has come -- and in all things in that work, He has glorified the Father. He has followed God's will in all things; and the time has come in which God restores Him to the fullness of life with God, as before Incarnation (even "before the world was"). But He has authority over all flesh: my study bible says: "For Christians, there are two important and interrelated aspects of Christ: (1) who He is: the eternal Son of God incarnate; and (2) His work: accomplished through His Incarnation. His work is not limited to the Cross. It incorporates everything from His conception in the womb of Mary to His Ascension and enthronement in the eternal Kingdom."

"I have manifested Your name to all the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me." To manifest the name is to reveal or make it real and present to others. God's "name" (as we have previously discussed) is all that belongs to God, just as with the name of an emperor or king. My study bible says, "Isaiah 52:6 prophesies that in the messianic days the knowledge of the Name, which is an extension of the being and power of God, will be revealed (see Rev. 3:12; 22:4)." The name of God is linked to all the acts that God commands -- the word given to Christ to give to those whom the Father chose out of the world. So, together with what has come earlier in the passage, above, Jesus has gathered those to Himself whom the Father has gathered to Him -- and through the understanding of the "name" of God, through the words He has been given with which to teach, all become one, a Church. It is all about relationship: from the Father to the Son to the Apostles -- and by extension, of course, to us. Jesus does more than return to the glory and state He had "before the world was" -- He has established His church on earth through the depth of relatedness expressed here, to those whom the Father has gathered to Him, and this is the work in the world which He has completed. It is a full relatedness of faith and love and discipleship, which extends from the Father down to the human beings who will live in that faith.

"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are." And here is the depth of prayer for this new thing in the world, this singular relatedness of the group of human beings together with Father and Son (and Spirit, of course) who constitute "Church." He prays that His work will continue, that not one will be lost, despite the fact that His work as Incarnate Jesus in the world is over and He is leaving to rejoin the Father in glory. He also prays, so significantly for us, that He is glorified in us. It is not only a heavenly glory, distant from this world, but a glory that lives through us and in us. It is a full relationship of each to each, with the presence of God with us -- Emmanuel. As so often in the past, He prays a full circle of reality here: the Father has given Him the Apostles, He has kept them and glorified God's name in His work with them in the world. They have full faith in the relationship between Father and Son and the word they have been given. And now He prays for one more powerful thing to be real and kept alive in the world: "that they may be one as We are." My study bible quotes the eucharistic prayer of Didache 10:2: "We give You thanks, Holy Father, for Your Holy Name which You have made to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which You have made known to us through Your Son Jesus."

Over and over again, we will encounter Jesus' restatement of relationship, and how significant it all is in the face of the great truths He teaches us. Here, the relationship of Father and Son is highlighted, and the glory that is to happen as Jesus returns to that state He was in "before the world was." But there is so much more to it. We cannot see Jesus as simply returning to that early state of communion or oneness with the Father in the divine reality; instead He carries us with Him. The great work He has done is for our salvation, to bring us to eternal life, or -- as it says in today's reading -- "that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." To know is to live in relationship, as in to get to know someone, to grow in an intimate understanding. And, as my study bible says, this involves so much more than rational or academic pursuit, but rather to "live in participation in divine life or communion with God." All in all, this is a prayer about love -- and the relatedness in love that extends from the exalted heights of mystery in the Father, right down to us: or rather, to the Apostles, through whom the word will come to the world. When we accept that word, which is so much, then we too may be gathered into this communion. My study bible says, "The word which they have kept is Jesus' revelation, and especially the new commandment to love one another, which is a definitive mark of discipleship (13:34)." God is glorified in us when we keep His word, and as we grow in this relationship, which is eternal life. Today, this moment, you have a choice to step onto that eternal road. Will you take it? As the prayer says, "Your Holy Name which You have made to dwell in our hearts" -- it is right there. Will you open the door to it and see where it takes you today?