Strive to enter through the narrow gate

 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."

- Luke 13:18-30

Yesterday, we read that Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  There was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."    Luke gives us the powerful parable of the mustard seed.  My study bible tells us, "The mustard seed is tiny, but the plant grows to a height of about 10 feet in Palestine."   I think that in the gospels, the juxtaposition or placement of verses near one another tells us something, shines light on another facet of meaning.  Here, this teaching comes right after the healing of the woman bent over for eighteen years!  In this sense, we can call it a reference to the good work of the Sabbath.  One act of the heart to lift another's burden may truly be a seed that grows extraordinarily.  When we act to bring the Kingdom into this world, we should never scoff at how small we think our contribution is; the mustard seed holds the power of an act in His name.

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  My study bible tells us, "A small amount of leaven inevitably penetrates the entire dough.  Such is the power of the Kingdom."  Leaven is quite often a negative reference in Scripture, such as Jesus' earlier warning (in the last chapter) to His disciples to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."  But in posing these two sayings together, about the mustard seed and the leaven, we get a tremendous sense of the Kingdom; that is, its growth can't be limited, and exists in many dimensions.  The mustard seed grows into a tall and broad tree, while the leaven penetrates and permeates from within.  It transforms the entire composition of the whole.  That Jesus says the woman "hid" the leaven in the mixture tells us something; the word is the same word for that which is "secret" -- as "your Father who is in the secret place" and "who sees in secret."

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."  My study bible notes that "the narrow gate is a path to salvation marked by Jesus' teaching on discipleship and its cost."  I think it goes deeply into the teaching on the mustard seed and the leaven:  that without the involvement of both inner and outer self, acts that come from the heart, we miss that "narrow gate" of communion with Him.

"When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'"  A note tells us here:  "Jesus says I do not know you because they are workers of iniquity.  If a person is not abiding in Christ, neither verbal confessions ("Lord, Lord") nor previous experiences with Christ will be of any avail at the Judgment."  What is it to abide in Christ?  The mustard seed and the leaven don't just tell us about outward acts or previous good works, but the leaven speaks to the inner nature of this "abiding" and its power of transformation in us and among us. He has earlier taught that "he who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."

"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."  My study bible says here, "People of humble faith from all parts of the earth will join together in God's consummated Kingdom.  Those who vainly think themselves secure because of honored status will be last."  What we take from these verses is another sense of the breadth and height and depth and completeness of this Kingdom:  people come from the east and the west, from the  north and the south -- and there are the last who will be first, and there are the first who will be last.

We often think of ways in which community is created in our modern world.  Is it on Facebook and other forms of social media?  (I use this blog and its software and also reprint on Facebook and through Twitter and email.)  How do we come together?  Jesus speaks of the great assembly of the Day of "God's consummated Kingdom."  How do we get through the narrow door to be a part of this Kingdom?  What does He mean there will be those to whom He says that He never knew them?  Gathering is important, community is essential, but to my mind Jesus' words also tell us about the inner person and how and why we come together -- even how acts of community take shape within this dialogue of faith, of the heart.  God knows the number of hairs on our head, and remembers every little sparrow.  So each of us comes, as members of the flock, in assembly, as individuals who are deeply known and loved.  We can think of great humanitarian efforts, great contributions of money and might and power, to help community.  But in the economy of this Kingdom, it's not those of stupendous privilege who are allotted the place of greatest contribution.  In the field of the heart, in the place where we abide, and from which an act of compassion can come -- no matter what that might be -- we are all equals, we start on a level playing field.  Therefore the great sacrifice of the heart becomes the one thing necessary, the true thing God really wants from us.  And every other good thing flows from there.  How do we enter into this Kingdom?  From what comes our citizenship?  How will God "know" us?  Think about the mustard seed and the leaven, and it will give us great hints about how we participate, and how we abide.  That there are the last who shall be first and the first who shall be last tells us something about the true place where we all come together.

Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

- Luke 13:10-17

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was told about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that those Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  He also gave them a parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?"  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down."


Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.   In today's reading, our first picture is one of a woman very tormented by suffering; she must have been in a lot of pain never to be able to straighten.  Jesus calls this a bondage by implication; He tells her that she is loosed from her infirmity.  We note her response, and it is to glorify God.  So, in effect, do all the healings of Christ; they are actions of God in the world, and they glorify God.  The gospels present us with a picture of a world which is afflicted by a power Christ has come to break in His power, by God's mercy.  But the surface picture of the healing, as so often is the case, leads us to something more complicated below the surface.

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The ruler of the synagogue quotes the rule.  I don't think we can just simplistically see him as mean, although the lack of mercy is something to note, of course.  But there are six days to heal, are there not?  That gives us pause, something to think about.  But Jesus' work is the work of the Sabbath, as we have already been told.  Here is an illustration of a certain type of piety, and how it can work against us to come closer to God.  But, again, there is more to this story, something deeper which Jesus will reveal to us.

The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.  In the word, hypocrite, we have once again Jesus' greatest criticism.  It meant "actor" in its original sense.  Here, what Jesus cleverly points out tells us something more complicated than the constant need for mercy and compassion which He illustrates.  If we look at this image of the ox or donkey, we also get a sense of the material concern for these animals.  They're working animals, property, transportation, a means whereby one can work.  So, what is this woman?  Jesus calls her "a daughter of Abraham" to teach us of her worth to God.  And Luke really explicitly tells us of Jesus' compassion:  He exclaims that they should just think about being bound this way for eighteen years!

My study bible says about this scene:  "Acts of help toward others on the Sabbath were considered work and were forbidden, except in life-threatening situations.  Jesus notes that if animals needing water were cared for on the Sabbath, certainly a woman of Israel could be delivered from Satan's bondage on the Sabbath."  But the story leaves us with a certain taste, a comparison of what was important to the ruler of the synagogue, just as Jesus pointed out.  We get a sense of the need for relating to ourselves where our priorities are, weighing what values we're using.  The ox or donkey would also be cared for under the law; but Jesus cleverly points out their value or worth to someone.  And what of the poor woman?  We can just imagine seeing her as someone who most likely wasn't of much "use" or status in social terms; as infirm, what would she do?  Would she not be an older woman also?  One suspects that had she been the wife or mother of someone prominent or socially important or materially important to the community, perhaps there wouldn't have been such an open objection.  So what is more important?  She is, as Jesus explicitly pointed out, a daughter of Abraham and thus someone of great worth in spiritual terms (and she does glorify God at the end of the story, telling us where her heart was).  Jesus' sympathy, describing her as someone who has suffered already for eighteen years, also tells us vividly that she's waited long enough.  It's not just about the Sabbath, about today, but we must also take in the level of suffering she's already endured, and this goes into His decision.  As we look around the world, let us think about discernment, weighing our values, what's more important?  Can we look upon what needs healing?  Can we perceive the suffering in others?  Do we, too, give the glory to God?  And more -- behind our outspoken piety, are there unseen values at work jostling for priority over real compassion for those who are so easily overlooked?  Jesus tells us powerfully that the Sabbath is for liberation from what afflicts us, for the work of this Kingdom, and the truth that makes us free.

I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish

 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that those Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

He also spoke this parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?"  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down."

- Luke 13:1-9

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His teaching which began in Friday's reading (see Friday's and Saturday's reading and commentary).  These teachings include a great awareness that He is on His way to Passion, death and Resurrection.  In yesterday's reading, He taught about division:  "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three.  Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother in law."  He spoke of the time and the Judgment, speaking not just to the disciples but to the multitudes: "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?  Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."

 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that those Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  Luke here reports that Jesus speaks regarding two historical incidents of human suffering.  My study bible says they are reported in no other source but Luke.  It notes, "The slain Galileans were probably Zealots, Jewish nationalists who triggered some disturbance against the Romans in the temple area.  The collapse of the tower in Siloam may have been simply an accident, rather than an act of sabotage, which people thought of as divine justice on sinners.  Jesus passes judgment on neither group.  He only registers these tragic events to warn that, unless His listeners respond to His message and repent, they would all likewise perish.  Perish may have the double meaning of both physical and spiritual death."  The word in Greek here for perish implies utter destruction, a kind of annihilation.  Jesus is changing the perception of sin and death.  We all have the opportunity for repentance, for change of mind.  Calamities and other personal disasters aren't necessarily the result of personal sin; but rather God's judgment rests elsewhere, and that death is something far more encompassing.  In Jesus' vision here, we all equally have work of repentance to do, and we look to our own -- the plank in our own eye, the inside of the cup.

He also spoke this parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"  My study bible notes, "Here Luke gives his account of the fruitless fig tree.  It is spared from the curse, at least for a time.  In the Old Testament the fig tree symbolizes Israel, which receives God's loving care in the expectation of a fruitful harvest.  Three years probably represents the three-year ministry of Christ.  Because of the pleading of an unknown vineyard keeper, the Master allows additional time for true repentance and fruitfulness before judgment occurs."  I think there's no doubt this is a hint about His ministry, and also the time to come, in which the Apostles and countless other "vineyard keepers" will work fertilizing this tree, and praying for its harvest.  Again, there's a sense of time that Jesus offers to us which is quite different from the assumptions about suffering implied in the earlier verses:  we don't know when this judgment will happen.  But we do know our need for spiritual fruits.

In today's reading, Jesus tries to emphasize repentance.  He tries to get His audience to understand that repentance happens in the here and now, and that mercy is operative in a kind of time lag of our lives.  We can't understand on direct material terms how this judgment works.  What we must understand is both God's mercy, in giving us time to "change our minds" (the true definition of the word in Greek for repentance) rather than a swift sort of justice that we can see before us on our worldly terms.  The judgment of which Jesus is speaking is something that happens in another place, beyond what we understand, but nevertheless its certainty is undoubtable if we take Jesus' words seriously.  Repentance is, I believe, something we must understand more deeply than we commonly do.  As "change of mind" it doesn't necessarily need to carry the burdens of terrible shame and guilt with which we so often overload it.  It's paradoxical, but somehow our human nature doesn't want to recognize something that carries such things with it, and so the unwillingness to actually examine something for our own good becomes a means whereby we never heal, and we remain separate from the One who loves us.  "Sin" itself is a word often laden with terrible guilt and shame, but really directly translated means "missing the mark."  If we consider then, the One who loves us, who asks us to turn to Him and be healed, then the things within us diminish to a place where we can offer our lives to Him and simply be willing to change what we find may need to change.  On our way to "God-likeness" (as we are made in the image and likeness of God, and for this we were created), we may just find all kinds of ways in which we change our minds, our outlooks and values can be changed and transformed, but we won't get there if we insist there is no reason to come before Christ without this open heart that is willing to grow and change.  Change is hard, and thus healing becomes something we don't see as merciful.  But God wants us in relationship to God.  Jesus compares the sinfulness of ones for whom disaster is fallen and asks the crowds if they really believe there are no others more sinful in the community.  His call is for us all.  We come and ask how He wishes to change us in relationship.  Can you step into the water of His baptism?  These waters are those of constant renewal, growth, and fruit bearing.

I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

"I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three.  Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother in law."

Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

"Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."

- Luke 12:49-59

 On Saturday, we read Jesus' teachings for His "little flock" -- at least immediately, this meaning extends to the disciples.  On His way to Jerusalem and the Passion, the teachings begin to take note of the time that is to come, when He will no longer be with them.  "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms, provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!"  My study bible notes that "fire on the earth is either (1) the fire of judgment and the anticipated divisions resulting from uncompromising loyalty to Christ, or (2) the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out as tongues of fire upon the disciples on Pentecost."  But of course, we can see this fire as one and the same thing:  Jesus has said that blasphemy of the Spirit will be the one unforgiven thing.  This fire of love is also the fire of witnessing.  And Christ's baptism is also a powerful metaphor of something two-sided:  baptism is death and rebirth.  He's referring to His Passion, death and Resurrection -- through which we will receive the Holy Spirit.

"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three.  Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother in law."   My study bible notes, "Jesus' words are tinged with irony.  Indeed He came to bring peace to the world, but uncompromising witness to truth inevitably causes controversies and divisions even within households."  Luke's gospel has repeatedly emphasized, in Jesus' words, the primacy of the kingdom over all other allegiances, groups, and ties -- even of family ties.  This kingdom's reign is over the place of the heart, and links deeply within ourselves.

Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?"  Here Christ turns not just to the disciples, but to the broad crowds, a message for all people.  My study bible says, "These hypocrites are those who pretend to have insight into all things (here the weather) but cannot see that in Jesus' words and works the long-awaited Kingdom of God is dawning."  He speaks to our own blindness, and to the power of God to be at work in the world, and yet those without eyes to see and ears to hear (that is, of the heart, where spiritual discernment lies) cannot understand it, neither its work within ourselves or among us.

 "Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."  My study bible says, "Jesus gives another warning concerning discerning what is right.  Just as one should know when to negotiate a reconciliation with an opponent before suffering greater loss, so also one should know to come to terms with the claims of Christ before having to face His dread judgment."

Jesus speaks boldly of the time that is coming, when the earth shall be baptized with fire, and He shall be baptized with a baptism of His own, for all people.  He's calling not just His apostles, but everyone into reconciliation with this time, this time "of the end" in which we now live, which His baptism inaugurated.  Do we see divisions?  Yes, we have seen this.  But there are things we may not see.  We may not discern the real signs of the times.  We may fail to understand the Spirit at work in our lives, within ourselves, calling us to a reckoning and a growth and a giving, the willingness to change our minds.  We can't discern what the time may be in our own lives sometimes, when something may be long overdue.  None of us can tell the date of our own passing, which emphasizes Jesus' warning in yesterday's reading that it is time to be aware and alert, and awaiting the return of the Master.  It's never too late to develop spiritual eyes and ears, to pray, to cultivate a desire for the things of God, of this Kingdom.  But today is the day.  The fire of God's love is here with us, all around us, and within us, waiting to burn away the things we don't need, and to cultivate its flame within us and to our neighbor.  The fire of God's love is everywhere, but how many of us want to see it?

For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more

 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms, provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"  And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

- Luke 12:32-48

In yesterday's reading, we read that a man from the crowd asked Jesus, ""Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Jesus gave a parable in response:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." '  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.    If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."


 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms, provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  We continue the theme of emphasis on the riches of spirituality, of the Kingdom which comes first, from yesterday's reading.  My study bible points out that the words "little flock" is a reference to the "band of disciples who have left everything behind in total commitment to Christ and the kingdom."  It also says that "material riches suffer corruption; spiritual riches abide eternally."  I think it's highlighted that it is the "Father's good pleasure" to give them the kingdom!  What is this tremendous gift?  What does it uphold and do in their lives?  How will they live as part of this kingdom?  And in these few verses, the tremendous poetry of the Bible is on display, of the treasure that doesn't fail nor grow old, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  Finally, there is the great summing up of all we understand about faith:  "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  We must take heed what we love, and what we worship, what we treasure -- because it is going to become central to who we think we are.  My study bible points out this meaning behind it:  "This verse expresses a basic principle of human behavior:  a strong warning to guard the heart, the door of inner spirituality."

"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning, and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.  Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.  And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  Therefore you also be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  Jesus begins - for the first time in Luke, it seems - to give us a hint of His Second Coming.  In these verses, He tells us what we are to be about in this period after the Passion, death, Resurrection and Ascension what they and we are to be about.  "Let your waist be girded" is a reference to military armor; my study bible says it "renders one ready for action.  Lamps burning suggests alertness in doing God's will."  It points out that the return from the wedding is a reference to the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.   When the master returns, he wishes to find his servants watching, alert, wakeful; and he in return will gird himself and serve the servants at that meal.  Finally He tells us plainly, we must be ready, "for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."  My study bible says, "The point of Christ's admonitions is that we should constantly be prepared for His Second Coming, the date being unannounced."


Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"   Here's an important question!  Is this "little flock" extended?  My study bible says that the nature of these admonitions suggests Jesus is speaking about matters of concern to all people.

 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.  Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.  But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.  But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few.  For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."  These verses give us Jesus' answer to Peter, and much more also.  We are all to be vigilant, but there are some to whom much is given -- we have begun our reading today with Jesus telling the disciples, the little flock, that it is the Father's good pleasure to give them the kingdom.  We are all servants who are instructed to be alert.  But those who have authority under the master, and this most certainly applies specifically to those like the band of disciples who will become leaders in the Church, will suffer the greater for the lack of discipline while the master is away, for the abuses committed to those under their care.  The servant who is aware of his master's will and yet violated it, shall be beaten with many stripes -- yet even those who do not know that will, and committed things deserving of stripes (that is, the "stripes" left by a whip, an ancient instrument of punishment) will still be beaten but with few.    My study bible says, "The master requires not merely vigilant waiting, but also actively doing God's appointed tasks."

Today, many of my friends in New York are relieved to have electricity, water, telephones, transportation, and the return (mostly) of the life of the normal, modern City.  But the hurricane effects of the past week or so remind us how interconnected we are, and increasingly so.  We may share a degree of freedom that tells us that we have the power to make decisions within a kind of autonomous value system, at least choices for our own behavior, but in effect the networks within which we are all interconnected link us up in particular ways which in history haven't been felt so deeply before.  As we enter into the third millennium of Christianity, we find ourselves in a world that is, in fact, increasingly interconnected, where events in one place have a profound impact on events elsewhere and around the globe.  A crop is wiped out in one area, and world prices for certain goods go up.  Warfare which we think of as limited to one place in effect creates vast movements of populations and affects other countries around the world.  A news event in one place instantaneously is known everywhere, and affects markets, politics, and outlooks of vast numbers of people.  We can think of many instances as examples of our interconnectivity, for example this blog written over the internet, which reaches all kinds of people in all kinds of countries around the world, is translated through the internet into languages I can't speak at the touch of a button in networks available to (just about) anyone where internet is a part of life.  Images (and hence culture) from one place go everywhere through television and all media.  And this interconnectivity, the depth of impact of one event upon community and world community, is only going to grow more deep, more swift, and more powerful as world populations and technology grow.  In New York, the electrical system and how it increasingly functions for all daily needs means a tremendous loss, in this storm, of all kinds of ways that people function, from telephone to water to transportation and internet access for all kinds of communication.   My point is that this time of watchfulness, and awareness of waiting for the return of the Master is happening now in a time when community, whether we like it or not, has effectively become greater and more powerful than ever.  We are dependent upon and connected with one another to an extent greater than we may understand, and the powerful impact of our choices - as a group, as a nation, and even as an individual - may be felt in ways more potent than ever in the past, and affect countless numbers of other people.  Therefore our vigilance, our need to know what it is to be a neighbor, our awareness of our responsibility and choices and what we treasure - especially regarding this gift and true leadership - is in many ways more powerful and essential than ever.  Are we ready?  Are we watching?  Do we know what we and our Master's business are about?  Are we good stewards of all that good gift we're given?

But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." '  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.    If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."

- Luke 12:13-31

In yesterday's reading, we first read that Jesus' ministry has reached a point at which He is now being challenged by the Pharisees and scribes, looking for something in which to catch Him, so that they may accuse Him.  In front of huge crowds, so great they trample on one another, Luke tells us, Jesus taught, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For these is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.  And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

  Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."  But He said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"  And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  My study bible explains that "it was a tradition for respected rabbis to arbitrate personal disputes over property or money.  But Jesus refuses to play the role of judge regarding material things, and instead issues a stern warning about greed."   It's interesting here that Jesus refuses to be "judge" in a traditional and, if you will, worldly sense.  In the teachings in yesterday's reading, Jesus is quite clearly asserting Himself as Judge, but that is "judge" in a cosmic and spiritual sense, as His divine Person.  He's also begun to openly challenge the religious establishment.  So the context here emphasizes the difference between "judge" and Judge.  Jesus places His emphasis on the kingdom breaking through and the values of that kingdom in our lives.

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:  "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this:  I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." '  But God said to him, 'Fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  Again, I'll quote my study bible:  "The rich man is a fool, despite his material success, because he vainly puts all his trust in his possessions rather than in God.  To be rich toward God is to have a life of close communion with Him through faith and works."  Jesus' emphasis is on those who put all their faith in "worldly" or material life, and neglect to be rich toward God.  This isn't a criticism of reasonable concern for life and its necessities, but rather the blindness of a life lived without concern for the true wealth that gives value and meaning (including perspective) to everything else in our lives.

Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.  Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.  Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow:  they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.    If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."   My study bible teaches:  "This is an exhortation against worry and anxiety, not against God-ordained planning and earnest work."  Jesus will frequently speak against worry and anxiety in the Gospels, and here we can see a parallel with yesterday's reading as well -- in which He taught that in the face of persecution and worldly courts His disciples are not to worry what they will say.  They are to place their faith in the Holy Spirit; they are in the process of true witnessing.  Here, there's a parallel emphasis on the necessities of life.  We're assured that God knows we have need of them.  But again, there's a parallel with the earlier story in Luke of Martha and Mary, and the one thing needed, the good portion.  And there is a promise here, that putting the things of the kingdom of God first will set things in order, in proper relation, and "these things" shall be added unto you.

I think it's important that we take Jesus' words seriously here.  What is it to seek that Kingdom first, and to put its values before everything so that we may be properly "related" to everything around us, including our material needs?  If you think about it, the world isn't only about our needs, but if we are privileged to live in a place where we have more than what we need for survival, then we also have choices to make about what to do with what we might be able to store up.  If we look at life and possessions that way, then we see that we may need a sort of plan for how we look at our wealth and what we do with it.  The values of the Kingdom become essential in this perspective, because they become a guidance for how we handle things in our lives.  Jesus addresses Himself to disciples who are going to work for this Kingdom, who may face terrible persecution because of it, be cast out of community and ostracized; they will put everything on the line.  And yet in this case, they are cautioned against worry and anxiety, to be rich toward God, and that the God who remembers every sparrow and numbers all the hairs on our heads is aware of what they need.  This is a powerful teaching of trust, above all else, a faith that is a trust (the essential meaning of the word we translate as "faith" from the Greek).    So let us remember, in all the choices we may make in our lives, what comes first? What sets things in right order for us when we make our decisions about what we pursue?  Jesus tells us that these things will be added unto us.  But can we take that great step of trust to begin?

Do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say

And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to his disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For these is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.  Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

- Luke 11:53-12:12

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was asked to dine with a certain Pharisee.  The Pharisee marveled that Jesus did not wash before dinner.  Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.  Foolish ones!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?  But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.  But woe to you Pharisees!  For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Woe to you Pharisees!  For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."  A lawyer (an expert in the Mosaic Law) present said, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."  And Jesus said, "Woe to you also, lawyers!  For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.  Woe to you!  For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.   In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation.  Woe to you lawyers!  For you have taken away the key of knowledge.  You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.  The Gospel teaches us that at this point the rift is open; Jesus has openly challenged the Pharisees and lawyers present in yesterday's reading with His criticism.  Their response  is to seek to accuse in return.

In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to his disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  For these is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops."  Leaven is often used throughout Old and New Testaments as something undesirable, an influence here which can permeate the whole.  This leaven is that of hypocrisy.  My study bible emphasizes Jesus' warning against hypocrisy:   "All pretense and hidden evils will be exposed by God's light."  We get a sense of Jesus as true judge, as Truth, as the light which shines to reveal truth.  There's a kind of poetic tie to revelation of spiritual truth, and also to that which exposes and reveals a lie.  It is also a warning to us about our own inner and outer truth, playing further upon the verses in yesterday's reading teaching us about cleaning the inside of the cup, paying attention to what we have to give of the things that are within us.

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear:  Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!  Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  And not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."  My study bible says, "In the face of persecution and dangers the disciples are to fear only god, in whose power and providential are lies each person's ultimate destiny."  Jesus uses three times the (plural) command to His disciples to fear Him who has power to cast in to hell.  It's an emphasis to teach of the far more severe importance of the power of God to all they might fear in the world.  Yet in the very next verse, He tells of our extraordinary importance, our essential preciousness to this same One.  The very hairs of our heads are all numbered.  Not even a single sparrow is forgotten before God.

"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.  But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.  And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven."  Here is a powerful double statement, and similar to the juxtaposition earlier between the statement about the One we must truly fear, Who is at the same time the One who values us and knows even all the hairs on our head, for whom even the sparrows are not forgotten.  Here, it is both Christ and the Spirit we are to respect:  to confess and to honor.  But it is blasphemy of the Spirit that won't be forgiven; that is, to label the Spirit's work in the world as something evil.  My study bible says, "To say a word against the Son of Man is to reject His messianic claims. To many people, before their conversion, Jesus seems a mere man.  Later, they are enlightened, repent and are forgiven."

 "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."  Here is the guidance for the persecution to come; it will come as a result of their confession of Christ, and it will come as a result of blasphemy of the Spirit -- declaring the Spirit's work to be evil.  And here is Jesus' response to this behavior, for all of us:  we are to put our faith in the Spirit.  To trust to the guidance of the Spirit in all things, in difficulties and persecutions, is to remain true to Christ, and to true witnessing which He here encourages.

Recently, I experienced a very difficult situation in which I was afraid that I should not speak out what I felt was spiritual truth, something that had been shared with many, and also shared with me from many sources.  It was a situation that was very difficult and very perplexing, quite upsetting.  But I found that the one and only thing I could really do was to trust to the Spirit in this sense:  that I simply could not plan, but the best I could do was put all things in the hands of God in my next meeting with the person who'd hurt me.  I was quite surprised at the outcome.  In fact, it seems that no matter what I might have planned personally as an alternative, the outcome to this trust could not have been bettered.  It was a sense of elation at the outcome that is the only thing by which I can convey my experience.  I felt that I was taught a lesson, and that by leaving things in the hands of God I was able to encounter not only a very surprising situation (and one with a far better outcome than any of my plans would have made), but also an opening of a door for me to learn new things in the future.  I don't know that every outcome for every situation will be one of elation, but I do know what my experience did for me.  Let us give all things to His hands, to open the door to surprise and new outcomes, and for forward movement in His Way.