He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again

 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken. 

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

- Luke 18:31-43

On Saturday, we read that people brought infants to Jesus that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

  Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.   Jesus and the disciples get ever closer to Jerusalem, as He is on His way to His Passion.  This is the third time He's prophesied to them, telling them what is to come.  This time He tells them more details, like that He is going to be delivered to the Gentiles, and mocked and insulted and spit upon.   He's be scourged, they'll kill Him.  And then the mysterious repetition of these words:  "And the third day He will rise again."    We can imagine how baffled they must be.  My study bible says that this saying was hidden not by God, but because the disciples could not comprehend its meaning until the events of the Passion had taken place. 

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.  It's important that we remember that Jericho is considered a great place of sin, someplace undesirable, to say the least.  So this blind man who cries out to Jesus does so perhaps as a kind of loner in a crowd.  His desperate plea for Christ could be likened to the plea of someone lost in sin, and blind because of it, but realizing a desperate need for a better life, a life healed by Christ so that he may truly see.  The title "Son of David" indicates this is His liberator, the Messiah.  A traditional interpretation in the Church is that the people who admonish him to be silent are symbolic of oppressors who would silence the gospel, but this man who knows his need for Christ cries out all the more.  He symbolizes those "future generations" after Christ's departure, who know of Him only by hearing and not by sight.   My study bible also says that Jesus knows what we want before we ask, but calls us to ask freely so we might learn of His mercy.  This persistent blind man, despite those who tell him to be quiet, surely shows his faith by crying out "all the more."

It's interesting that my study bible gives an interpretation citing persecution of the Church, and our response under persecution must like this man, to confess Christ all the more.  We see persecution of brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world at this time, and we, too, must consider what this means for us.  Certainly it means that we increase our prayers, in addition to trying to help address this problem in whatever ways we can.  Surely, by modern standards, an attempt to help those who are thus persecuted is also an affirmation of the rights of all human beings to worship freely.  As we all suffer in the Body of Christ when our brothers and sisters suffer, so we must see our prayers as helping to strengthen all those who confess Him.  I have readers in many countries around the world who directly face such persecution, and my prayers also go to them.  My grandparents' generation suffered for their Christian faith, and were also under persecution and survivors of genocide because of this faith.  And faith is under attack in myriad other ways as well, in neighborhoods where fear and violence claim lives every day, where organized crime rules with cruelty, harassment, and preys on children, and through all kinds of addictions, anxieties, and endless cares and worries.  Many have extended family in need of care, and uncertainty alone fuels many problems.   In these circumstances, too, our brothers and sisters need strengthening and helping prayers -- as well as whatever other assistance we can help with.   In the beginning of our reading today, Jesus delivers the terrible news of His own persecution and death for the third time, but the disciples simply cannot take in this bad news.  One doctor once told me he had seen this phenomenon many times; things that are just too difficult to "take in" simply aren't heard, aren't understood.  In contrast to the good news, this "bad news" simply stuns, as evil acts in the world will do.  Perhaps that is why the next verses, of the blind man healed by faith, take place in Jericho, a notorious place of sin in Jesus' time.  It is an affirmation that no matter what is "at hand" and no matter what surrounds us, no matter the oppressive circumstances and terrible afflictions, we are to hold fast to our faith in Him, to increase our prayers, our confession.  If we wish to truly "see" and understand our lives, this is the one place we must continue to put our faith, and to increase our efforts to do so.  Perhaps now we are in such a time; we are certainly hearing stories of persecution, and ominous increases of the oppressive power of those who rule by death and torture and enforced silence through increasing cruelties.  It's always time for our prayers, our liberator, and turning and following Him in true good sight.

How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

- Luke 18:15-30

Yesterday, we read that Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."  My study bible tells us that infants are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  It quotes Theophylact:  "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."  We might also understand this teaching to the disciples as yet another admonition to humility, to how they are to guide His Church after He is no longer in the flesh. 

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good?  No one is good but One, that is, God.  You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"   The first thing we notice about today's reading is that Jesus is speaking to a "ruler," a person of power and stature in the Jewish society.  Jesus first refers to the only good -- that is God; and then the Law, affirming its righteousness.

And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."   Here's the gospel message, that the kingdom is worth everything we have, and that whatever we have in this world is at the disposal of the kingdom in our faith.   "Follow Me" is the command that teaches us how to be truly free, how to enter into that kingdom.   For this man to sell all that he has and to distribute to the poor is to accept the great wealth of the kingdom, to exchange one life for another.  It's a call to a radical commitment. 

But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."    My study bible tells us that to be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  It says, "Nothing is gained unless this sacrifice is given freely.  The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  Because wealth had such a grip on this rich man, his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom tells us that giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here; following Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling."  But the things which are impossible with men are possible with God:  God gives us a way to let go of even the things we cherish most, in order to find a greater life in Christ, real freedom and true riches.

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."   Peter affirms the commitment to Christ that these disciples have made.  And Jesus affirms a kind of exchange:  one kind of treasure for another.  There are others whose commands from Christ were not to "leave all."  But everything in our lives is put in His service, nevertheless.

It's important to consider the attitude toward wealth in the Gospels.  For Jesus' purposes, wealth is something we spend far too much time thinking about, chasing after, worrying about, spending endless anxiety upon, and indeed, putting first before all else.  Instead, Jesus repeatedly asks us to cultivate an attitude of what we might call detachment; that is, something else has to come first, and we can't do that unless we consciously make and affirm the choice to do so, with God's help.  That "something else" is the kingdom of God, its righteousness, His commands for us, His love.  The far greater wealth is the treasure of the Kingdom.  I think it's important to note that there are wealthy men in the Gospels; men who are both wealthy and hold powerful positions, and that these men serve the Kingdom in their own way and are considered righteous.  Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy member of the Council who donated an unused tomb (something quite expensive and rare) for Christ's burial.  He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body, an extremely courageous thing to do.  Nicodemus, a Pharisee, is a disciple who studies with Christ (to whom He taught about baptism and the Spirit), and who sought to defend Him before the Sanhedrin.   There are women of obvious means who travel with Jesus and, we're told, support His ministry out of their own means.  All of this would indicate that Christ's purpose in telling the rich ruler to give away what he had to the poor wasn't a command for everyone, but specifically given to this particular man for his needs, as my study bible suggests.  So, we have to conclude that it's not wealth in and of itself that is the problem here.  The problem is our attitude to it, and how it gets in the way of following Christ.  Really, if we look at the disciples, and Peter's comment that they have left all behind to follow Him, what we see is that even the things we treasure most in life must come second to that commitment.  Whatever we have, whether that be wealth, or talents, or gifts of any kind, our intelligence, our love, all of these things are in service to Christ, at His disposal, and that means shared in the ways He teaches us to share.  There's just such a far greater plan for us than anything that we could consider for ourselves.  We don't know what this rich ruler was capable of becoming as a committed disciple of Christ.  We don't know what possibilities are inherent for ourselves in a life fully devoted to Christ.  But we do understand that all things work to the good if our heart is committed to Christ, that every good gift we have is from above to begin with, that we are all stewards of what we have and are taught to be good ones.  Let us remember that there is a Kingdom to be made manifest in this world; it's a mystical reality in which we can participate, and put everything we have in its service.  That includes all our ties, whatever it is we cherish most, and however we -- each one -- are called to serve.  Let us keep in mind today's teaching on the "little ones."  So often the poor and humble, which may include anyone in need, are likened to dependent children.  Let us remember His love and commands to care for them!  We may not know of ourselves the best way to put any of this into practice properly, but the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

God, be merciful to me a sinner!

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

- Luke 18:9-14

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke a parable to His disciples, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.  This is just after He has taught about His eventual return (see Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together).   Jesus said:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  My study bible tells us that the Pharisee is a very highly respected person, and a careful observer of the details of the Law.  We contrast this with the tax collector who is popularly despised as a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces.  Thus, he not only betrays but also cheats his own people.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "  My study bible says that the tax collector shows by his posture an awareness of the state of his own soul:  he stands far away from the altar of sacrifice with his eyes cast downward.  This prayer, "God, be merciful to me a sinner," is the foundation of the Jesus Prayer, as is this refrain "Lord have mercy" that permeates traditional Christian worship and personal prayer everywhere.  We must notice that the text tells us about the Pharisee that he prayed with himself.  Proper prayer is a dialogue with God, not with oneself.

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  My study bible explains that justified means forgiven and set right with God, "for inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned."

I think it's significant that Jesus gives us this great parable near the end of His ministry, particularly at a time in which He's told the disciples of His coming Passion (He is on the road to Jerusalem) and also of His Second Coming.  Thus, this teaching -- this parable -- is given to us as He's preparing them for the time when He will not be with them in the flesh.  It's a teaching especially for the time in which we live now, while we await His Return.  How are we justified?  Certainly, above all else, truth is indispensable to our faith.  It is the tax collector who has a more correct viewpoint on himself.  After all, Christ has said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  Thus, we worship the Person who is truth; thereby our faith has to be one of honoring truth.  How do we see ourselves clearly, except in dialogue with God?  We cannot judge ourselves clearly.  Often, I find, there is also "sin" on the opposite side of this coin, an over-statement of guilt, a kind of morbid guilt which is another side of self-centeredness.  It's right "on the mark" where we want to be, and this is in the loving and truthful gaze of Christ, of God.  Thus, prayer, as dialogue with the Lord, is our most important tool for understanding where we are and who we are, and maybe more importantly, where we need to go, what needs work in us.  Thus, "Lord have mercy" becomes a prayer for everyone, for all time, for ourselves and for others, for our world, for those we love, and even for those who have done us harm.  God's love is a love in truth, a love that corrects and heals and sets right, and calls us to repentance and recognition as well as reconciliation with God -- and, as best we can, with one another.  This is a prayer one can use at any time, particularly to remind us always that we have a way to go to become truly "like Him."  There is always going to be something we can't see about ourselves, something that needs a little work, some awareness, some change.  A true translation for repentance in the Greek is "change of mind."  We're always on the way there, and repentance is the means.  In what way does God's mercy call on you to "change your mind" about something today?  It may most likely be something you never thought about, it may be surprising, but it is always something that leads to God's love and healing, to reconciliation with Him.  Today's reading reminds us also that our real business is between ourselves and God, and not what others must be doing!  It is before God that we humble ourselves, and it is God who also exalts.

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

- Luke 18:1-8

Yesterday, we read that when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'   Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left." And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He aid to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart . . .  Here my study bible inserts a note that persistent and faithful prayer is the remedy for the tribulation just described (in yesterday's reading, see above; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  

. . . saying:  "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'  And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"  Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.  And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?  I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."   I love that Jesus uses a widow for His example.  It gives us a picture of what makes a person truly strong.  A widow would possibly be the most powerless person in society; this is, apparently, one who has no one else to fend for her or to get justice for her.  Her only hope is this particular judge.  It's a very strong teaching about the power of persistence, how persistent prayer is the strongest tool we have for our lives, for justice in the world.

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"  My study bible says that the Lord often uses this form of question when speaking of characteristics that are rarely found (see Luke 11:11; 12:42).

Jesus' question, at the end of today's reading, is a very poignant one.  He's speaking of His Return and also preparing the disciples for His Passion and the time when they won't see Him anymore, after His Ascension.  "Will He really find faith on the earth?" seems to me an extraordinarily wistful kind of question, and one that gives us an assurance of the totally free will possessed by human beings.  This is the end of His mission that is approaching.  All that He has said and done, the establishment of His Church, the choosing of His disciples, His entire earthly ministry, is coming to a close and has been done but for this purpose:  for the faith of human beings.  And here He questions, "Will He really find faith on the earth?"  It's a strong affirmation of our own tendencies to dismiss what is good, to devalue what is the most meaningful and powerful help we have,  to take for granted all that is and all that we have.  We have to remember that this isn't just any human being saying these words out of discouragement or a bad situation.  These are the words of God incarnate, of the Christ who is the heart-knower, the One who knows us best.  As such, we have to take them very, very seriously.  The value of faith is something unsurpassable, a kind of foundation for our lives that gives us all kinds of strengths, in many ways.  This image of a widow is of someone without means, who needs help to get justice in her life.  Her persistence is grounded in her faith, and it's an image of persistence in prayer.  My study bible notes how it references the sort of tribulation just described, but let's understand St. Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians that we should "pray without ceasing."  This is a teaching for all times, and for any type of tribulation.  It's a teaching for the whole of our lives.  And, maybe even more importantly for the purposes of Christ's teaching in today's reading -- and especially His poignant question at the end of it -- it is the weapon we have to increase and deepen our faith.  It is communion and communication with God.  It's our way of engaging our faith in the most intimate and personal way.  And this is what is really indispensable for our own age and our own time, regardless of the circumstances.  Let us take His words to heart and remember that we are, at heart, like the widow, reliant upon God.  Nevertheless, we, too, could ask, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?

Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'   Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left." And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He aid to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

- Luke 17:20-37

Yesterday, we read that as Jesus went to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."  My study bible says that the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality that is present both within the Christian believer and within the community of the Church.  The phrase within you can be translated also as "among you" or "in your midst."  

Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.  And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!'   Do not go after them or follow them.  For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.  But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."  The tone shifts here as Jesus speaks privately to His disciples, speaking about the time after His Passion, death on the Cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.  They will long to see Him, but they are not to believe anyone who tells them to go here or go there -- that He's someplace they don't know about.  When He does return, and this is His promise here -- it will be such that everybody knows it.  It will be unmistakable.  But first must come His Passion, His rejection, and suffering, the Cross.

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."    My study bible tells us that this is a warning not to be preoccupied with worldly matters -- and it applies both to individual believers and to parishes. 

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:  They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.  Likewise as it was also in the days of lot:  They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.  Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away.  And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.  Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in bed:  the one will be taken and the other will be left.  Two women will be grinding together:  the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field:  the one will be taken and the other left."   My study bible notes here that Christ speaks of His second coming as including a sudden revelation of judgment.  It says, "One will be taken to heaven and the other left for eternal condemnation.  The separation of the saints from the wicked will occur on 'the day when the Son of Man is revealed' and not, as some speculate today, at an event that occurs before His return."

And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?"  So He aid to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."  My study bible explains that the body here refers to Christ, and the eagles are the angels and the saints.

It seems to me that Jesus is introducing a rather radical concept here, that of the Kingdom as a mystical reality present in our midst.  It is both within us as individuals and among us as community.  A prayer of the Eastern Church describes the Holy Spirit as the One who is "everywhere present and filling all things."  It's a reality that encompasses everything, and yet is not perceived by everyone, and not everyone chooses to participate in it or be a part of it.  As John's prologue tells it:  "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness didn't comprehend it."  This is a present reality; it's His promise to us.  Until that time comes when everybody knows everything, when everything is suddenly revealed amidst our daily lives, this is the present reality we live.  It's like a great dimension, a full circle, that exists within our own worldly reality, but we must have "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" to perceive it.  Somewhere it's our own choice for faith deep inside of us, in a very mysterious place, where the love of God calls us in the heart and we respond with love.  What Christ promises is not a radically changed world here; instead, He chooses images from every day life for that time of His return.  He portrays a picture here in Luke's Gospel, of "life as usual," and no warning at all for the time when His return and revelation to all occurs.  I suppose that the teaching, "Remember Lot's wife.  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" can apply to us at all times, and is a general word of caution and warning to all of us.  "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" is a teaching He's given elsewhere, a word we are to live by, an understanding that we "sacrifice" the worldly where it intersects and interferes with our lives in this mystical Kingdom.  In that way, we each bear a cross, just as He did in His example to us.  The word here is clear:  that whatever we do with our lives, we must keep this mystical Kingdom paramount in our minds, not just for this last day described here, but for every day.  It is our reality, and it is the eventual reality for everyone depending upon whether one chooses to enter it and embrace it or not.  Faith is the key here; it's like a kind of passport.  Can we live and dwell within this mystical reality, or is it so far away from us that this is impossible to us?  The door is open, we have the key and it is faith.  He is the door Himself.  Ultimately, we become a part of His mystical Body, where the eagles are gathered.

Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well

 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."

- Luke 17:11-19

Yesterday, we read that Jesus said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him.  And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "

 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"   We're reminded again that Jesus has "set His face to go to Jerusalem."    When we first read this, in chapter 9, Jesus and the disciples traveled through a village of Samaritans, but none of them received Him, because He was headed to Jerusalem.  Here, He passes through Samaria and Galilee, and the story is different.  On this journey, a group of lepers appeal to Him, as do so many others who need His help, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  My study bible tells us that leprosy was one of the most dreaded diseases of the time.  It not only brought tremendous physical suffering to people, it also meant total banishment and isolation from society.  In Scripture, it also serves as symbol of our sin.

So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  In order to be re-admitted into the community, it was necessary to receive a certificate from a priest.  Jesus is following the Law (as we have just read Him speak about in chapter 16).  Cyril of Alexandria has commented on Jesus' command to a leper to show himself to the priest in Matthew chapter 5, that this also was to show the priests by a tangible miracle that He's superior to Moses.  Christ's healing is immediate and by His own authority -- Moses sought mercy from above for Miriam to be healed of leprosy, and her healing came only after seven days (Numbers 12:10-15).

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"  And He said to him, "Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well."  My study bible tells us that Christ came to heal all of fallen humanity, but only a small portion receive Him in faith and thanksgiving to give glory to God.   Therefore, says my study bible, "many are called, but few chosen" (Matthew 20:16).  The lesson thereby is that worship is a number one priority.

There is a sort of formula present in this reading that will be repeated later on, in chapter 18, as Jesus prepares to pass through Jericho.  He walking on His way to Jerusalem, and passing through towns there are those who shout to Him, "have mercy on me!"   Jesus concludes this reading and the one in chapter 18 (with a blind man) with similar words, to the effect that, "your faith has made you well."   And of course these stories are related in the other synoptic gospels.  And it's interesting that both places where this happens "on the road" are places of poor spiritual repute, as we could put it.  The Samaritans don't really worship properly, according to the Jews, even though they have a lot in common.  They're enemies.  Jericho is also a place of poor spiritual repute, known as a place of sin.  But the power of faith is clearly at work anywhere in this world, even in the least likely of places.  And that is the powerful notion we must take away from today's reading, by observing exactly what's happening here.  The healing of the Samaritan leper becomes spectacular not just because he's one of ten, but because he's the one who comes back and glorifies God, and he's the one to whom Jesus says, "Your faith has made you well."   In yesterday's reading, Jesus promised His disciples, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  But the understanding here is that the mulberry tree is symbolic of the works of evil in the world (as silkworms feed on its leaves, worms giving an image associated with hell); therefore the power of faith works even against the evil in this world, even amidst the places we'd least likely expect it.   Faith, thereby, in a theme continued from yesterday's reading, is a formidable weapon of power.  It is the weapon of power for the presence of the Kingdom in this world.  Our worship, in all its forms, thereby becomes a powerful tool.  True faith, in the heart, as expressed in communion with and gratitude to God, becomes a basis for real revolution, the kind that transforms oneself and one's environment, the only kind that truly reaches down inside to all that there is of what it means to be a human being.  And that is where (and how) we need the most help. So often we think of the physical and external as the place where we need things, we need help.  But if these lepers don't have their lives "straight," then even with this miraculous, extraordinary healing their joy won't be complete, and they won't have peace.  Many people feel that a lot of money is going to take care of their troubles, whatever they may be, but a good psychologist or spiritual director will tell you that there are plenty of miserable people with a lot of money.  To be really healed, we need what will touch us at the deepest core of what it is to be a person, a human being.  For that, we need relationship with another Person, and One who became incarnate as human being out of unmeasurable love for us, for the world.  We need a relationship with this Person who can help us and direct us, who is beyond us, and knows us better than we know ourselves.  The Scriptures give us repeated images, throughout both Old and New Testaments, of faithful people who are in the midst of deeply sinful places, who simply through their faith save others as well.  The power of faith is something that works through all things the world may give to us, all places we may find ourselves.  The 23rd Psalm declares, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."   Let us remember the power of faith, and strengthen it and grow in it in all the ways we can:  worship, prayer, and faith practices designed to keep us in this place we need to be.  It's a powerful weapon, and we have mighty help.  We have His love.

If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea," and it would obey you

 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him.

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?  But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "

- Luke 17:1-10

In Saturday's reading, Jesus taught the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus:   "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "

 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones."  Jesus has just finished teaching a parable about a rich man who cared for little but his own pleasures.  Here He begins to teach them about leadership in His Church, His "model," if you will.  The first consideration is for the "little ones."  My study bible says that little ones refers primarily to children, but also by extension to anyone whose "heart is humble and dependent on God."  In other words, it applies to all the "little ones" in the Church, the ones who will be dependent upon their leadership.  We can also think of this phrase in terms of what power an individual holds in a particular social structure, like poor Lazarus.

"Take heed to yourselves.  If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."   If we look closely at this statement in context, we can see it as another teaching about power in the particular structure of His Church.   Those who sin against us (and we remember that He is speaking to His disciples, who are the future leaders of that Church) must be spoken to.  This is an "open" structure of not just correction but also justice in the sense of speaking up where there is an offense.  But equal weight is given to repentance, and this action of identifying an offense or sin, and also of repentance, must be allowed freely.   "Seven" is a number of completeness.  Seven times in a day is an unlimited amount; it's a kind of model of interaction which secures a repeated focus on repentance and forgiveness.

 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."  So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."  My study bible says that the mulberry tree here is symbolic of the works of the devil.  Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves, and worms are an image of hell (see Mark 9:42-48).  This is a patristic interpretation, which my study bible says is "confirmed by numerous scriptural images of evil being destroyed in the sea (Luke 8:33; Exodus 14:27; Matthew 21:21; Revelation 20:10).

 "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'?"   My study bible points out that the servant is named as first plowing and second tending sheep, indicating that "one must first work out his own salvation (Philippians 2:12) before he can become a shepherd of others."

"But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'?  Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.  So likewise you, when you have done all those things which are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.' "  My study bible notes the word translated as "unprofitable."  This word (ἀχρεῖος) means "without merit" or in some more strict sense, describes action that is not needed, or without usefulness.  My study bible notes, however, that it doesn't mean there is no intrinsic value -- rather it means "everything we have comes from God and is owed back to Him.  There is nothing we can offer God that is not already His."

Jesus gives commands that recommend a structure of humility, one that is based on a use of power rooted in the value of humility.  We are first taught about the value in this structure or hierarchy of the "little ones."  That is, those who wield the least power, like children.  They are the ones who are entrusted to the care of these disciples who will become the leaders and shepherds of His Church.  This is the root of the rest of His teachings on leadership. They are to avoid at all costs offense to the little ones, abuses of power, sinning against those who are vulnerable in all sorts of ways, who come for teaching and instruction and leadership.  Offense between one another is to be handled in a particular way, not suppressing offense and when it occurs, but rather making an opening to repentance and forgiveness, as a constant and steady process, repeated endlessly, demanding humility and patience.  Power comes via faith, as illustrated in the parable of the mustard seed and the mulberry tree, and this power is against works of evil in the world.  If then power comes via faith (even faith so small as a tiny mustard seed), then what we do see of power illustrated here is a power that works within the will of God.  This is not a worldly autocratic kind of destructive power; rather, it's the "power" to be allied in faith to God's desires, God's prerogatives.  And with this understanding as background to all else, we come to see this model of faith and structure in the works of His Church.  The servants are those allied to the Master's will, via faith, and in this we also get a model of what is to truly be a powerful person of prayer.  Prayer that is truly effective is not a statement of wishes or desires; it's something powerful because it is allied to the will of God.  In the Eastern Church, today is the day of Pentecost, and we would do well to remember here Christ's true model of power:  it is in the power of the Spirit, the One in whom we are always to pray, the One who truly builds the fullness of the Church and is the power within and through all things.   In St. Basil's treatise "On the Holy Spirit," he quotes from Psalm 33: "By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the Spirit of His mouth."  This is the power in which the Church is rooted, the power that turned common men into great Apostles via faith, the kind of power that truly models the Church and how it must be shaped and function.  Jesus speaks even of what I would call the humility of the Spirit:  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come"  (John 16:13 NKJV).   Let us remember the true power we're rooted in, how it works, how it loves, how we seek to pray within it, and how it will always surprise us.  This is our real foundation in life and in His service.