You will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls

 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."  So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified, for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."

Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand or what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."

- Luke 21:5-19

We are in Luke's gospel during Passion Week.  Jesus is in Jerusalem with His disciples.  He teaches daily in the temple.  He has entered the city in His  Triumphal Entry, and wept over the city, lamenting its lack of peace.  He has cleansed the temple, and already run into confrontations with the leadership, as they asked Him, "Who is he who gave You this authority?".  He told a parable against them, warning them of the times of the Gentiles and of Judgement.   The leadership has tested Him regarding payment of taxes to the Romans, and life in the Resurrection.  In yesterday's reading, He first spoke in response to the scribes:  He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David Himself said in the Book of Psalms  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'Therefore David Calls Him 'LORD'; how is He then his Son?" Then in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

  Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, "These things which you see -- the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down."   My study bible points out that in Luke, "the discourse of Christ on the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age occurs in the temple area and is addressed to the public."  It adds, "The Lord's warnings about the future are intended to alert people to live righteously in the present."  This prediction would manifest in A.D. 70 during the Siege of Jerusalem, when the temple would be destroyed, with the exception of one remaining retaining wall which is now called the Wailing Wall.  It was rumored that there was gold between the stones of the temple, and so Jesus' prediction quite literally was true.  I think that to understand the impact of what Jesus was saying one would have to consider what an extraordinary and splendid building project the temple was at this time, as built by Herod the Great to be a magnificent construction.  The Second Temple was an architectural marvel of the ancient world.

So they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, but when will these things be?  And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"  And He said:  "Take heed that you not be deceived.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and 'The time has drawn near.'  Therefore do not go after them.  But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified, for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."  My study bible says that "not to be deceived is the first caution Christians ought to heed when people talk about the signs of the end."  I can only imagine the events that were to come, their impact on the people, and particularly on the already persecuted Christian community.  In His words we find a sense in which we are to remain calm and assured, and they mirror the splendors of the magnificent temple in light the things He's teaching:  we're not to be deceived by appearances.

Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony."  In light of the history of twenty centuries that have passed since these words, they are certainly striking in their summing up of what we witness, the times of the present age.  But my study bible focuses on Jesus' teachings to the flock about persecutions to come.  It says, "Persecutions against Christians will provide them with opportunities to give testimony to their faith."

"Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand or what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.  You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But not a hair of your head shall be lost.  By your patience possess your souls."  How do we testify? We rest within the Holy Spirit.  At all times, Jesus teaches, we are not to be deceived by appearances, not to rest in panic and other fears and emotions that are stirred up by what we see.  We are to have faith in the Advocate during persecution and in testimony.  Here is the emphasis of the early Church.  My study bible points out that "not a hair of your head shall be lost" is an ancient expression that not even death can harm a soul that is in God's hands.  It teaches that "by your patience possess your souls means that "endurance assures a place for us in the kingdom of God."

As Jesus moves toward His own human death, He gives testimony here as to what is to happen to His own flock and to the people of Jerusalem in the times to come.  That is the near future, in the decades following His death.  Over and over again, He tells them not to be deceived by appearances, but rather to endure through the persecution to come.  Not even are they to consider what words they will speak when they are delivered up, betrayed by all:  it is occasion for testimony.  We see the emphasis of the early Church:  to live for Christ, to be given the opportunity for this kind of witness, is full of meaning, of transcendent value. Even then they are to rest in their faith, not to meditate beforehand what they will answer, for they will "be given a mouth and wisdom."  He is warning that the real end will not come soon -- that is the end of the age.  But in the meantime there will be persecutions to endure, wars, famines, earthquakes, pestilences, fearful sights.  And here comes the greatest assurance of all:  "by your patience possess your souls."  Here is the emphasis.  In today's age of great literalism, our constant thoughts monitored and projected through social media, so much emphasis on daily affairs, the lives of "stars" in film and television, such a great emphasis on appearance of every kind, we may find it hard to grasp the mindset of His followers at this time.  All these things, we are told, are not what we are to react to, respond to.  We are to possess our souls, to keep calm and heed His words, not to give in to the temptation to believe false rumors.  But rather we are to rest in His faith, and in His promise.  The great thing is the opportunity to testify.  The greater is that by our patience we possess our souls.  In this time in which so much emphasis is placed on appearance, what we have, what we look like, let us remember the framework into which the early Church set its goals and values.  How much do we value our soul?  What is the opportunity to testify worth?  Jesus teaches us what truly matters.  In the din of the world we see now, can we grasp what that truly means for us?  Do we understand what is truly priceless and of surpassing worth?

Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had

And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David Himself said in the Book of Psalms:

'The LORD said to my Lord,
"Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

Therefore David Calls Him 'LORD'; how is He then his Son?"

Then in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."

  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

- Luke 20:41-21:4

In the current chapters of Luke, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He is teaching daily in the temple.  He has entered the city in His  Triumphal Entry, and wept over the city, lamenting its lack of peace.  He has cleansed the temple, and already run into confrontations with the leadership, as they asked Him, "Who is he who gave You this authority?".  He told a parable against them, warning them of the times of the Gentiles and of Judgement.   The leadership has tested Him regarding payment of taxes to the Romans.  In yesterday's reading, some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also, and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.


And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?  Now David Himself said in the Book of Psalms:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  My study bible says that "the first reference to LORD applies to God the Father, the second to Christ--whom David, the writer of this Psalm, calls my Lord."  Jesus is quoting from Psalm 110:1.

Therefore David Calls Him 'LORD'; how is He then his Son?"   My study bible tells us:  "The riddle has its solution in that the Messiah is David's Son in His humanity, yet David calls Him Lord in His eternal deity."

Then in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Jesus has first established the theology of the Son by interpreting the Psalm, above.  It is in a sense another answer to the question, "Who is he who gave You this authority?"  It is also a teaching on not relying on holy ancestors for assurance of one's own sanctity.  Jesus may be called Son of David, but He is more than Son of David.  The scribes are the experts in Scripture.  My study bible says that "these verses criticize the scribes, a professional class of teachers and experts in Mosaic Law, for glorifying in their influential roles while practicing injustice."  We remark on the fact that (in yesterday's reading), the scribes have just told Jesus, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But, Luke's gospel tells us, after that they dared not question Him anymore.  Jesus takes the opportunity, in front of all the people, to criticize the way the scribes play their roles among the leadership.  They who are experts in the Law, use their authority against the purposes and intent of the Law.  He has already shown they do not truly understand the Scripture without the fullness of Christ's revelation of Himself as Son.

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  A mite is a Jewish copper coin of the lowest value, like a penny, says my study bible.  It continues, "Yet this sacrificial offering by the poor widow is praised by Christ.  The value of a gift derives from the spirit in which it is given.  A gift that seeks recognition loses spiritual value; a gift made from the heart gains immense value."  I feel that the words in my study bible teach us something extremely profound.  We can look at Jesus' teaching as one about social justice and recognition of the efforts of this poor woman, but my study bible takes it much, much deeper.  What is it to be a hypocrite, to live for show, as Jesus criticizes the scribes above?  What does it mean that this woman loves God with all her heart?  

Psalm 51 tells us: "For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise." Jesus has already taught that the greatest commandment is from Deuteronomy: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And the second is like it, to love one's neighbor as oneself. Here, the poor widow with only two copper coins to give has actually given everything. She has made the sacrifice God asks of us: all that we are is His in love, and all that goes with that love. In the fulfillment of this gift one also experiences that love as love of neighbor: and in this case Jesus shows us what that looks like, by pointing out the real sacrifice and love of the poor widow in the community, and the true value of her gift in God's sight. We contrast this with His criticism of the scribes, who "desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers." If you think about it, Jesus is contrasting the hypocrisy of the scribes with the purity of heart of this poor widow, and so, she has the far more valuable gift in God's sight.  So what do you sacrifice to God?  Do we live by appearances, for the opinions and judgments of others, to impress others?  Or do we live by the truth, God's truth, the truth of what is in our hearts and who we truly are.  When we make our sacrifice the love of all our heart and soul and mind then we are where God wishes to see us.  Psalm 51 also says, "Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom."  It's not about what the rest of the world thinks or sees or asks or expects, but about what the sacrifice of our whole lives to God asks of us, in the inward place, of "truth in the inward parts" and of true "wisdom."  What is your sacrifice that God truly desires?  What is most precious in Christ's sight?  In the inner dialogue of the heart, what does God really want of you?  Even the poorest among us has the greatest gift to give to God -- one's whole heart and soul and mind.

He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him

 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also, and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."  

Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

- Luke 20:27-40

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was in the temple teaching.  It is Holy Week, the week of Jesus' Passion, as we read through Luke's gospel.  Jesus has just spoken a parable against the leadership in the presence of the crowds.  He quoted from Scripture, warning them:  The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them.  So they watched Him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.  Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:  Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Show Me a denarius.  Whose image and inscription does it have?"  They answered and said, "Caesar's."  He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.  And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  And the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.  Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also, and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become?  For all seven had her as wife."    My study bible explains, "The Sadducees:  the high priestly and landowning class which controlled the temple and the Jewish Council.  In a striking difference with the Pharisees, the Sadducees rejected the resurrection of the dead and they came to Christ to dispute it."

Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.  But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection."  Here in Jesus' answer we have an intriguing glimpse of the resurrection, of "life after death."  These few details have caused endless theological treatises on the life that we look forward to, and they continue to fuel our understanding of what the afterlife is like, the future for mankind in God's eternal plan.  That those in the resurrection "neither marry nor are given in marriage" nor do they die anymore, that they are "equal to the angels and are sons of God" as "sons of the resurrection" has opened up our eyes to the possibilities in this transfiguration of resurrection.  Clearly we await a different sort of a life than the one we have lived in this world.  Along with the visitations of the Risen Christ, these are the teachings to which we turn to understand something of the eternity, the "age to come" that awaits His return.

"But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."  Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."  But after that they dared not question Him anymore.  My study bible says that "Jesus' answer is concise and irrefutable.  Since God is not the God of the dead but of the living, both those who are physically alive and those who are deceased, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all live to Him."

It's quite striking how awed the scribes are at Jesus' answer.  It's clear that His expertise in dialogue and debate is extraordinary.  His answers remain to us remarkable, concise, deft, irrefutable.  But that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, is a remarkable statement to think about.  It gives us first of all an affirmation about the nature and Person of God to begin with, that God is life.  All things originate with our Creator, and all things live to and in the life of God.  So we take our assurance about our own lives when we practice our faith, when we pray, when we seek the word and life of God.  Jesus has said of Himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life."   He has also taught that "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  In Christ is the abundant life that we wish to have more of in our own lives.  Through participation in the energies of this God to whom all live, we seek life in abundance, and we receive that which constitutes life -- and life more abundantly.  Furthermore we are assured that all live to Him.  Those whom we love are not lost to us, but they live to Him as well.  The Patriarchs such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, referred to in the burning bush passage, live as do the saints, and we are in communion with them.  We trust that in that life of God, the life of Christ, we all live to Him.  It is a promise about eternity, and time, just as the promise of the life in the age to come, made so tantalizingly here with a few hints about that life in that age, gives us a sense of life as eternal and the promise of the Resurrection.  As we go through Passion Week, we will see those determined to put Him to death, and we know His human suffering.  But He is our Teacher of life.  His word is with us that we may have it more abundantly.  Let us consider our prayer and worship; that when we do so we enter into this life, abundantly, that He promises.  How does it activate things in you that need healing, and perhaps to take a look at?  How does it contribute to your life through a deepened sense of wonder, of joy, of understanding -- perhaps of transcendence?  Let us remember, as noted in yesterday's reading, that every good and perfect gift is from above.  We have the gift of life, and Christ came that we may have it more abundantly.  While the world may be full of sorrows, let us remember that in His life we also may have joy, and that it promises to be for us, "abundantly."  In the image of the burning bush, let us understand the "fire" and energies of God, that burn but don't consume  --  that continue to fire and illumine our lives with God's presence. 

Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's

San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission - Carmel, California (author's photo)

 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them.  So they watched Him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.  Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:  Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Show Me a denarius.  Whose image and inscription does it have?"  They answered and said, "Caesar's."  He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.  And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

- Luke 20:19-26

Jesus is now in Jerusalem and it is Holy Week, the week of His Passion.  He entered the city as Messiah in His Triumphal Entry.   He wept over the city, lamenting its lack of peace.  His next act was to cleanse the temple, and then we are told He was teaching and preaching the gospel daily in the templeHe cleansed the temple and was daily teaching and preaching the gospel in the temple.  He was grilled by the temple leadership who asked Him,  "Who is he who gave You this authority?"  In yesterday's reading, He told a parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him.  But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?  Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. We again see the "mirroring" in the crowds Jesus puts to good use.  It is the leadership who care so much for the opinions of the crowds.  Jesus speaks His truth; the Gospels never project the crowds in a very good light, and Jesus Himself has railed against the hypocrisy of those who care more for the praise of men rather than the praise of God.

So they watched Him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.  Now it is an "open secret" -- and from the point of view of the Gospel, an open season for attack on Jesus by any means.  They will seek to deliver Him to the Roman governor to get rid of Him.  It's a kind of extreme irony:  those who are criticized as hypocrites ("actors" in the original Greek sense of this word) send spies who pretend to be righteous, to trap Jesus.  The word here for "send" is the same root as the word for "apostle" (or one who is sent on a mission).

Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth . . . "  Again, the ironies here play themselves out, in a veiled teaching on "good trees" and "bad trees" and what kinds of fruit each bears.  The spies praise Jesus as one who is not a "respecter of persons" -- and yet all is done for fear of the crowds, under cover of pretense, and false righteousness.  The irony deepens as they tell Jesus that, literally, He doesn't look at persons, or rather, in the Greek, faces.  In these words are also allusions to the masks of actors ("hypocrites" in the Greek) who portray persons other than themselves.  In Jesus' truth, He is not fooled by rank or station or "face."  Rather He sees the true person, and He tells His truth regardless of worldly countenance.

"Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Show Me a denarius.  Whose image and inscription does it have?"  They answered and said, "Caesar's."   In a few simple verses there are yet more ironies in the Gospel.  Jesus perceives the craftiness underneath their poses; He sees the truth.  Again, as in His testing earlier by the leadership when asked about His authority, He will not answer on their terms, but only in terms of what is truly in their hearts.  As they seek to deceive, so He answers truthfully but appropriately to their motives.  The irony is in His question:  "Whose image and inscription does it have?"  He is not respecter of "persons" or "faces."  They wear false faces or masks as righteous.  And Jesus points to literally another face and image, a representative of Caesar whose stamp and name are on all coins, making them a part of Caesar's realm, and giving the weight of Caesar's presence.

He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people.  And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.  My study bible has a long note on this passage:  "The question on Roman taxation is designed to trap Jesus between the Roman government and the Jewish people.  A 'yes' would turn the people against Him.  A 'no' would bring a charge of treason by the Roman governor.  His answer defeats their cunning, and shows that no conflict need exist between civic and religious duties.  Christians can render the state its due while serving God.  As the coin bears the image of the emperor and is properly paid to him, so each person bears the image of God and belongs to Him.  Conflict arises when the state demands of Christians what belongs only to God."

Once again we note Jesus' brilliant use of the "mirror" of the crowds for the spies of the hypocrites who pose questions to Him.  It is they who fear the crowds, not Jesus.  Image, all this talk is about image.  What is our true image within us, that my study bible writes about in its commentary?  What is the false image one might portray as a hypocrite?  So much depends upon the difference between truth and lies, what we respect and what we do not respect.  It is Christ we revere as Truth, it is His truth that we seek.  As Caesar has stamped the coins in his image and name, so also we are stamped with an image by God, and we may choose to live in His name.  In reality, of course, "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" James 1:17-18.  In the words of the Epistle of James, we come to understand that our lives, approached through faith in Christ, become framed in a kind of framework of authority that recognizes all things within the sphere of God, indeed all of our lives.  This embrace includes all worldly and created things, all worldly realms and empires.  So, we negotiate our lives through the name that is above all others.  Jesus (and Luke's gospel) gives us a picture of the Incarnation in this understanding.  As the Lord was human and lived a human life as Jesus, so we are to negotiate our own lives in this world through lives of faith, through the lens of what it is that we understand as the bearer and beginning of all things, and whose image is stamped in us.  In this Holy Week portrayed in Luke's gospel, let us remember what season we find ourselves in today (December 5th), as we approach the celebration of the nativity of Jesus into our world.  As He took flesh, let us remember that our worldly lives are also to be lived in such an "incarnational" way, so that we bear fruits in His likeness.  We know what is Caesar's and what is God's, but all is negotiated through our example in Christ.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone

 Then He began to tell the people this parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him.  But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."  And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone'?

Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

- Luke 20:9-18

In the readings of this week, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  It is the beginning of Passion Week.  He has already made His Triumphal Entry.   He wept over the city, lamenting its lack of peace.  His next act was to cleanse the temple, and then we are told He was teaching and preaching the gospel daily in the temple.  In yesterday's reading, He was confronted by the religious authorities.   Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me.  The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

  Then He began to tell the people this parable:  "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time."  This isn't the first parable Jesus has told of a man with authority who goes away for a long time, leaving his servants in charge of his property and the other servants.  In last week's readings, we read a parable that began similarly which He told to His own disciples.   It was a parable about what is to happen as He goes away Himself, and in the times in which we now live, and await His return, how His servants are to use what He invests in them.  See Everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  We also read parables in the Gospels told to His disciples about those stewards or servants who are unjust and cruel with the other servants while the master is away.  But here the teaching is told to the leadership, the religious authorities of Israel, and to all the people in the temple.  So, we see a kind of parallel thread, because the history of Israel is also reflected in Jesus' ministry; He is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

"Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.  Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?  I will send my beloved son.  Probably they will respect him when they see him."  My study bible says, "This parable recounts the history of Israel.  God the Father is the owner.  The vineyard is Israel.  The vinedressers are the religious leaders.  The servants are the prophets.  The beloved son is Jesus the Messiah."  In the history of Israel, time and again prophets have been sent, calling to repentance, protesting abuses.  The last of these, in the view of the Gospels, was John the Baptist.

"But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'  So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others."   My study bible teaches that the "others" are the Gentiles.  I think we can't discount the truth that is found in such parables, a kind of simple and straightforward truth that stares us in the face.  How simply human is it to think that if we "get rid" of our problems by abusing or destroying or silencing the messengers, the problems will go away unnoticed.  How typical of human or "worldly" nature is it to believe that with a manipulation of appearances, all things are taken care of?  The ultimate manipulation in this sense is murder.

"And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"  Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?  Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  In their response, "Certainly not!" they reveal that they understand perfectly well what Jesus is talking about, who and what He's speaking to.  It's a great example of what we now might call "entitlement" and which Jesus has addressed many times, as He taught that faith in who an ancestor is will not be sufficient to secure an eternal life in Paradise.  The quotation is from Psalm 118:22.  My study bible says that it refers to Christ, "the foundation stone rejected by the religious leaders, who becomes chief cornerstone of the Church."  About the final verse in today's reading, my study bible says, "To attack or resist Christ means to suffer judgment and utter destruction."

At this point in Luke's gospel, we read many things about judgment, about just judgment and false judgment, and about Christ who has been welcomed as Messiah and King, and who ultimately is the Judge who will return to us.  While it is Jesus they seek to put on trial, to condemn and to sentence to death, He remains, nevertheless, the Judge.  He is the chief cornerstone; "whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  He is the Center and the substance of faith and the history of Israel, through which the Word has been revealed in Scripture.  We, as Christians, read our Old Testament that way, and see the Word revealed in the countless stories of the Burning Bush, of Commandments and Prophets and the whole spiritual history of the People of God.  It is as Son He appears to us in the Gospels.  He is the Christ.  And so, though they seek to kill the son and heir, as in the parable, He is warning them about what they are doing, what they seek.  It is foolish, foolhardy.  He is the capstone, the chief cornerstone.  How often in our lives we seem to believe that if no one sees and no one knows, there will be no consequences.  In today's lectionary reading, there is also the verse from Psalm 10, that describes an evil person who preys on the innocent, poor and helpless:  "He says in his heart, 'God has forgotten,  he has hidden his face, he will never see it.' "  Today's reading assures us indeed that even though the Son Himself may be killed as a human being, the chief cornerstone will nevertheless fully function as Judge.  It's a question of what we tell ourselves no one else sees, no Judge can discern, because we fool ourselves by believing only in appearances.  In faith in only what we can see lies manipulation; truth becomes only what I tell you, what I show you, and what is hidden doesn't count.  But Christ is the knower-of-hearts, and His truth cuts through all things.  Without this awareness we become victims of our own ignorance, losing ourselves in power in a worldly sense.  We remember that He will teach (to His "Stone" Peter, even as Jesus is being defended), that "He who takes the sword perishes by the sword."  Do we have faith in death and manipulation, or in His word, His judgment?  We live to Him, to His life and His truth.  To be lost in the vision of the purely "worldly," and its lack of sight, is to risk losing ourselves and stumbling on that stone, being crushed by it, as we fail to see and to discern true judgment.  So, even as Jesus is being pursued to the end of this Passion Week and His human death, we are given a message that is as true today as it ever was.  How do we know what God sees?  By what do we live, and what do we put our faith in?  Let us remember this parable is told to the people, and that it is for all of us.

Who is he who gave You this authority?

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"  But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me.  The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

- Luke 20:1-8

In the previous reading on Saturday, we read that Jesus drew near to Jerusalem as He was making His descent from the Mount of Olives in His Triumphal Entry into the city.  Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.   For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."   Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel . . .  We see how Jesus spends His days, at this beginning of what we know as Passion Week, after His Triumphal Entry in which the crowds welcomed Him as Messiah.  He begins by cleansing the temple (see yesterday's reading), and is openly daily teaching in it and preaching the gospel.  All are free to come to Him, to listen, to ask, to dispute.

. . . that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things?  Or who is he who gave You this authority?"   My study bible says that "Jesus is questioned about His authority.  These things include the cleansing of the temple and His preaching of the gospel with messianic claims."  It's a perfectly reasonable question on some level:  Jesus' cleansing of the temple was a Messianic act.  But of course, we see things in the Gospel from a particular perspective; we already know things the narrative will reveal about the questioners and their motives.  In some sense, this is poetically appropriate, as Jesus knows them already as well.

But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me.  The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"  In Jesus' dialogues with people, He often responds ultimately depending upon what He already knows about their hearts.  Here He answers a question with a question.  And we must keep in mind that this is a public dispute, as the text tells us.  The crowds are watching and listening, and the ones who question Jesus know that full well also.  It's a sort of scene of mirrors upon mirrors:  what is in their hearts is mirrored to Jesus who knows already, and yet they are all facing the mirror of the crowds, which Jesus will use as well -- including the leadership's fear of what the crowd thinks.  Jesus Himself is fearless.  As we begin Passion Week, we observe His action, answering a question with a question.  All is in His control, including what will happen in the week to come, despite any appearance to the contrary.  In this clever question, He is making it impossible for them to answer on their terms.

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."  So they answered that they did not know where it was from.  And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Who is worthy of the revelation of the true answer?  They are not really willing to listen, nor are they honest in their questioning and their aims.  Jesus has just openly entered the City, welcomed as Messiah.  And yet He will not reveal this "obvious" answer to the leadership.  He is in complete control.

It's hard to think of Christ refusing an answer to anyone.  It's hard to think of Jesus refusing anything to anyone!  But our perspective comes as believers and faithful.  We are those who pray to Christ, who put our problems before Him, and seek His answers.  We have been told (in chapter 11 of Luke's gospel), "I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." So, here, we wonder:  why does Jesus not answer them directly?  But in some sense, He is answering them directly.  He's telling them the answer, although where they are, in their way of thinking, no clear answer can come forth because it's not really their concern.  The plain answer is that John's authority and Jesus' authority come from the same place, from the Father.  But Jesus is Son as Only-begotten.  In this is the truth.  But the leadership doesn't ask truly for truth; they don't really want the full answer.  They seek to put Jesus to death, to get rid of Him as their problem and threat to their authority and their places, their love of the "the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces"  Jesus answers the truth in their hearts, and He will not refrain from exposing what that is.  His judgment is true, His aim is true.  The crowd plays a rather incidental part here, we must note.  The crowd has an effect on the leadership which Jesus uses to further illuminate their motives.  But ultimately, it is the true judgment that matters, not the opinions of the crowds.  Ultimately, we are one of that crowd.  We also might be in the position of the leadership, when we have something that needs to change which we don't really want to see (that plank in our own eye, about which He's taught us).  So, we watch Jesus, who is clearly the Center of this drama.  He is being judged, and yet He remains Judge.  In all things, no matter what we see and observe according to worldly perspective, we must keep in mind the message of the Gospel, that He remains King, He is in charge, He will surrender nothing of His life except by virtue of the power of the Lord and the authority given to Him.  When we live our lives, it is important to consider to whom our own loyalty lies, who gives true authority, and whose will we seek.  We may face bullies and false charges, we may find ourselves on the side of the bullies or those misusing authority.  We may deal with people whose motives are false.  But there is one answer, truly, to every question.  Let us look the answer, and His true Judgment, justly in plain sight here in the Gospels.  Let us seek His answer, and follow His way.  There is only one real authority, from whom all things come -- as well as true judgment.

If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.   For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."   

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

- Luke 19:41-48

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat.  Loose it and bring it here.  And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'"  So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.  But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?"  And they said, "The Lord has need of him."  Then they brought him to Jesus.  And they threw their own clothing on the colt, and they set Jesus on him.  And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.   Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying:  "'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."  But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it . . .  Here, my study bible says, "Jesus wept over the Holy City because, in spite of its beauty and spiritual significance, it lay in unbelief and impending judgment."

. . . saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.   For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."   My study bible explains, "Luke recounts two occasions of Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem  [see the reading for Luke 13:31-35].  The second half of the name Jerusalem means 'peace,' but the things that make for peace are hidden from its eyes because of unbelief.  The predicted destruction occurred in A.D. 70 at the hands of the Romans, who recaptured Jerusalem by storm and burned the temple.  The time of your visitation is Christ's ministry as a visitation from God, either for salvation or judgment."

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  Again, my study bible explains:  "Into the temple refers to the temple area, where a precinct was used for the selling and buying of animals offered in sacrifices.  This was regulated by the Law, but to Jesus the atmosphere reeks of commercialism."   Jesus' first act upon entering into Jerusalem is to cleanse the temple.  What is the temple for?  It is a house of prayer.  As Son, as Messiah, He is the One to do this work of cleansing. 

 And He was teaching daily in the temple.  But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.  It's important that we understand this is what Jesus does in Jerusalem.  He teaches daily in the temple.  He is the Good Teacher, He is our Teacher.  As in all the other Gospels, as Jesus teaches, the crowds listen.  They are delighted with what He teaches, and especially when He takes part in disputes with the leadership.  We get the sense of a people feeling oppressed from many sides, from the outsiders, the Romans, and also from their own leadership, locked in a system that placed burdens on the people, and, as Jesus has exposed in the cleansing of the temple, worked in some ways to hurt especially the poor among them.

There is so much vivid color in the Gospels!  As Jesus enters into Jerusalem, we get the sense of a city in turmoil, of the hustle and bustle of the place, of so many people jostling one another, under an oppressive yoke of foreign rule, under a daily regime of listening for signs from the leadership of what is happening, of so many interests including that of Herod and those who rule together with the Romans.  And in this mix, in the midst of all of it is Jesus.  You have a people who have an ear open for the Teachers and for the Prophets such as John the Baptist, those who will tell the truth, who are strong enough and holy enough to challenge what is happening, who are "no respecter of persons."  In the Gospels, the events at Jerusalem are so vivid, focused and distilled, a concentrated energy in which one never knows what will happen next.  And into this comes the story of Jesus and what will unfold as His Passion.  For now, He is teaching daily in the temple.  His acts are fearless -- and thus, like John the Baptist before Him, He is revered as a holy man, a Good Teacher, and enters as Messiah (see yesterday's reading).  But we know what will happen.  Our understanding of the events to come colors the way in which we see these scenes.  We know of His death, and we know of His Resurrection.  Today the city of Jerusalem remains without peace, and a site holy to several religions and to all Christian denominations.  As we await His return, let us remember the peace of Jerusalem.  It perhaps still serves as a model for our problems, for what we need, for the mess and scandal of the world, and its people await One who will reconcile all things.  It is still a holy city, that reminds us where we have failed and how we fail, and yet awaits the holy things that belong to its beauty, for which many people yet wait in hope.  Let us remember that Jesus began by cleaning His own house, calling it a "den of thieves."  Do we know the things that make for our peace?  How do we await His return?