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 the 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 said 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, 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."  My study bible suggests that here Jesus is referring to times of tribulation that He has just described.  In yesterday's reading, above, Jesus states, "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."  Elsewhere also, of course, the description of the times of the end and its difficulties is more vivid -- see Matthew 24 with its mixed descriptions both of the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, and also of the time before His Return.   The remedy for these difficult times?  Persistent and faithful prayer.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, St Paul describes prayer "without ceasing" (or constantly) as a proper practice for all believers.

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"  Jesus poses a question in a form He uses elsewhere to indicates something rare (see also 11:11; 12:42).

When Jesus speaks of Judgment, it is usually to indicate the terms on how we will be judged.  But here, He speaks of justice on different terms, and it is in a tradition of the Old Testament of a judge who is a deliverer, someone who requites wrongs done to the innocent, a liberator.  Job, for instance, wants more than anything else to be given a hearing with God, and of course, for God to answer (see Job 38-42 for this event).  Jesus is giving us fair warning of the difficulties that will come to believers in the world, and teaching us how we are to respond:  with persistence and prayer.  The widow is also a character who appears all over the Old Testament as one who is both poor and powerless, and for whom God would demand justice (see these few examples out of many in all of Scripture).  James says in his epistle:  "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).  Often coupled with orphans in a plea for justice and righteous conduct, widows represent those who have no clout, no one to defend them nor to fight for them, the humble of the world.  Even in today's world and the best of justice systems, we understand the difficulties and disparities in justice between the poor and unworldly and those for whom connection -- and still family connection -- power, and wealth may be at work.  In ancient times, justice really depended upon the family or clan and its capacity to render a claim or redress a wrong.  Such is the nature of the world we live in that this stands as a universal experience.   God's plea throughout all of Scripture is that God's people must be concerned for the widow and the orphan, for righteousness to the humble and powerless.  Indeed, when describing Judgment, Jesus names those things in which we may be remiss as that which will cast us out of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 25:31-46).  But here, He clearly indicates the position of the faithful as those who are among the poor and powerless, those whose ways aren't "worldly."   While the world demands that we be an insider, Christ calls us to be outsiders (see John 15:19).   And we have our Judge, our Deliverer, and the way to His hearing is through constant and persistent prayer.  Humility means a dependence upon God, a persistent attempt at relationship through prayer.  Our job is to never lose hope --  or rather, "lose heart."  Actually,  the Greek word ("enkakein") translated as "lose heart" indicates a state of being inundated with weariness from what is evil.  God's love demands of us not only our own righteous behavior, but also that we persist in our faith.   When Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount that we must keep "asking, seeking, and knocking" (Matthew 7:7-12), this is also understood to indicate a state of constant prayer.  So when it comes to understanding "justice," and by this we are given to know He speaks of God's justice, there are really two demands upon us.  The one is for righteous behavior as in the passage on the separation of sheep from goats; that is, we picture Christ Himself in the place of the widow and the orphan, those who are in need particularly of justice.  The other is when we find ourselves in this place, we are asked not to sink into despair nor give in to the evil with which we may find ourselves perpetually surrounded, to continually pray to the Judge and not "lose heart."   We also have examples of widows in Old Testament Scripture who convey such a message, such as Ruth or even Judith.   Let us note that consistently in both cases, the Judge is Christ or God; we are not the judge.  The struggle He paints for us is real; and it is an internal struggle at all times.  Whatever it is we are faced with in the world, there is always one thing necessary, our faith and our dialogue with God.  And there we are to remain until the very end.  Like Job, we may find that God's answer isn't always the one we demanded, but we will find, with wisdom, that it is actually better than what we asked for.

Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it

 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 the 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 said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

- Luke 17:20-37

 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."

 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 notes that the kingdom of God is a spiritual reality that is present within the Christian believer and also within the community of the Church.  Within you can be also translated as "among you" or "in your midst."  Let us remember that the community of the Church extends mysteriously through the work of God the Spirit, creating the Body of Christ.  As a spiritual reality, we may be surprised "among whom" we will find this Kingdom (9:50).

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."  Here is a warning about those who claim to have special knowledge about the return of Christ.  When He does return, it will be obvious to all, complete, powerful, and sudden.  And clearly, there is a plan at work here; nothing proceeds before Jesus' Passion, death, and Resurrection.

"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."  This warning not to be preoccupied with worldly matters, says my study bible, applies both to individual believers and to parishes.  We are to remember what we're supposed to be about.

"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 the 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."  Jesus' return will entail a sudden revelation of judgment.  One will be taken to heaven, and the other left.  My study bible notes that the separation of the saints from the wicked will occur on "the day when the Son of Man is revealed" (verse 30, above), and not at an event that occurs before His return. 

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

 The end of life as we know it in our world will come at Christ's second coming.  Jesus teaches the disciples several truths about that time.  First of all, He must pass through Jerusalem.  The central importance of His Passion, crucifixion, death, and Resurrection can't be avoided -- it is absolutely vital to the whole plan of the world, of the cosmos.  This event is central to the life of Creation, because it is the necessary central piece that must take place before His return and before Judgment.  Secondly, whatever is going to happen at the time of the end is going to happen in a way that is sudden and clear to all.  There is no one who is going to be left in the dark, so to speak.  There is no hidden place where He will return and others will not know of it.  Finally, and probably the most important piece of information we have, as Jesus places so much repeated emphasis on this point, is that we are in this time in which we await His return in order to focus on the here and the now.  That is, in order to be profitable servants.  The reason why our knowledge of His return and the Judgment that accompanies it is important is precisely because we need to focus on what we are to be about, to remember who we are and how we need to live our lives from moment to moment.  That is, our focus isn't on the time of His return at all.  We're not to make all kinds of calculations and estimates because that's not what our focus is supposed to be.  That's up to Him.  His return will come "like a thief in the night" and "at an hour you don't expect."  Our faith teaches us a kind of focus that is meant to be alert, vigilant, and aware at all times of how we are to live our lives.  Every moment counts.  We're to invest our vigilance in what our lives are called to be like, what opportunity is right in front of us, how God is asking us to remember God and to live life by participation in God's life for us.  We're invested with a kind of grace that we shouldn't think of as merely benign or somehow ethereal as if it may or may not make a difference to us.  Rather, grace is energy -- God at work in the world.  And that energy must be allowed to be at work through us and in us and within our lives, at all times.  Jesus tells us about His return so that we may remember this livening, quickening energy that is always within us and among us -- so that we may be truly alive to all that is present with us and live that fullness.  Is there something we need to do?  Do we have someone to thank, or to ask pardon of?  Is there something we need to change about ourselves or our way of thinking?  Do we need to pray?  How can we serve God, right now?  We have an energy in which we participate as good servants.  "Remember Lot's wife," Jesus tells us.  We are always moving forward.  The time for remembering is always right now.

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?

 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 you 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!"  Leprosy was one of the most dreaded disease of Christ's time; it meant total isolation from the community (we note that these ten leprous men stood afar off).   It's clear they recognize something about Christ; their prayer, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" makes that clear.

So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." As in an earlier healing of leprosy in Luke's Gospel (Luke 5:12-15), Jesus sends these men to the priests.  It was required by Mosaic Law to receive a certificate from a priest in order to re-enter into the society and religious community.  But this also would have the effect of making the priests aware of Christ's healing power and authority, which was greater than that of Moses himself.  (See Numbers 12:10-15.)

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."  My study bible says that Christ came to heal all of fallen humanity, yet only a small portion receive Him in faith and thanksgiving to give glory to God.  Thus, many are called, but few chosen" (Matthew 20:16).  For the faithful, worship is the number one priority; it is the recognition of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).  Jesus repeats here what He has said to others, "Your faith has made you well."

Studies on gratitude show its positive effect in our lives.  This thoughtful article published by Harvard Medical School interprets data from such studies to include the interpersonal meanings and connections that form as part of a state of gratitude, including exercises in which someone is specifically thanked, and the effects of doing so on one's own sense of well-being.  We often hear that to have "an attitude of gratitude" is a good thing, but it's also true that we can choose to be generally grateful for possessions such as material things we have, as well as, for example, good health, or for coming through a difficult situation relatively well, without necessarily thinking about the source of those good things.  But the Harvard article explains that having a thankful attitude toward the source of those things for which we're grateful is at least as important as the gratitude itself in determining our own sense of well-being.  To quote the article regarding one such exercise, "When their week's assignment was to write and personally deliver a letter of gratitude to someone who had never been properly thanked for his or her kindness, participants immediately exhibited a huge increase in happiness scores. This impact was greater than that from any other intervention, with benefits lasting for a month."  In our reading for today, Jesus teaches the one leper who came back to Him with gratitude for his healing that "your faith has made you well."  In this context, we may connect faith with the state of gratitude.  It is one thing to cultivate a personal list of things we're grateful for, but it's another to focus on the object of gratitude, the one to whom we're grateful.  As the Harvard Medical School article indicates, to do the latter is to truly reap the possible benefits of gratitude, and those include a better sense of interpersonal relationships.  I would suggest that through faith, the leper's relationship to God was bolstered exponentially through one act of gratitude, thus, as Christ indicated, impacting the quality of his entire life.  To view Jesus' words, "Go your way, your faith has made you well," in this light is to come to terms with the great gifts possible through a life of faith.  Of course, "gratitude" is rooted in the word  for "grace," a recognition of blessings from God.  To really understand gratitude, we have to know true righteousness, or right-relatedness.  Gratitude, when we practice it properly in recognizing the source of grace -- God as well as other human beings (and, one supposes, other beloved creatures!) -- becomes an exercise in cultivating "right relationships."  Our own place in the universe, in our own world, our community, becomes enhanced and set down in a proper place.  Our understanding of our own basic reality becomes more full.  Let us remember that it's not simply the having that gives us real happiness and benefits, but rather the recognition of those from whom our good things come.  In this way we enhance our own lives by recognizing the sources of the good we have.  One may even find quite often in this perspective that even nominally "bad" experiences can become sources for gratitude, and that gifts flow in an abundance not usually recognized.  May our faith truly make us well, as Christ said.

So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do"

 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 you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do."

- Luke 17:1-10

On Saturday, we read that Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."

  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."  The lectionary takes us to chapter 17.  Here, little ones refers primarily to children, says my study bible, and by extension to anyone whose heart is humble and dependent upon God.   Jesus is speaking about the humble who will follow Him, and be in the charge of the apostles as leaders of the Church.  He is reminding them again of their own necessary humility, and what kind of shepherds they must be.

"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."  Seven is a number that represents fullness.  Jesus uses it as an illustration of unlimited forgiveness. We note that He includes the recognition of the sin, and what we understand to be a sincere statement, "I repent."  He is giving a recipe for humble conduct in the Church, even on the part of those who will be its leadership -- it is a recipe for peace and right-relatedness with fellow-members, whom we call brother or sister. The word here for forgive is the same as we pray in the Our Father prayer (Matthew 6:12); it means to "let go."

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 is symbolic of the devil's works.  Silkworms feed on the leaves of the mulberry tree, worms being an image of hell (Mark 9:42-48).  This is a patristic interpretation of this passage, which is confirmed by the many scriptural images of evil which is destroyed in the sea (8:33, Exodus 14:27, Matthew 21:21, Revelation 20:10).  This is an image of spiritual power over the works of the evil one.

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep . . ."   The servant plowing is mentioned first, and the one tending sheep second.  My study bible suggests that Christ shows one must first work out his or her own salvation (Philip 2:12) before one can become a shepherd to others.

". . . 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 you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do."  To be an unprofitable servant (the word for unprofitable literally meaning "without merit") does not mean that the servant lacks intrinsic value.  What it means is that all that we have comes from God and is therefore owed back to Him.  Nothing that we can offer God is not already God's.  It is an important facet in the recognition of our true reality.

"Unprofitable" is a word that we have to think about.  First of all, we note that the apostles to whom Jesus speaks are characterized here by Him as servants.  It gives us a sense of where they are and who they are.  They are in the positions as future leadership of the Church as servants.  They have a Master to serve.  Not only that, but at the Last Supper, He will Himself bathe their feet, giving them an idea of just what kind of servanthood characterizes His Church, where the Master Himself is a servant of all.  Service, then, becomes a byword of the Church, an image of what it is to be a leader but also a follower of  Christ, all who are His disciples.  But we have to keep in mind whom it is we serve, and what it is we serve.  We don't serve just any agenda someone else desires us to serve.  That's not being a truly "profitable" servant.  We seek to fulfill the commands of God who is love, of Christ, to do the Father's will in the world.  Too often we seem to substitute a kind of sentimental notion of service for that which is truly called upon within us.  Our loyalty is above all to God whose love is so much greater than ours, wiser than ours -- and we are called to grow in that service.  Thereby do we serve others as ourselves (see Jesus' two great commandments, and note which is first).  To be a truly profitable servant, then, requires many qualities or characteristics of discipleship:  discernment, humility, endurance, persistence, patience, and so much more.  We remember the words of St. Paul, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."  Read all of the passage at 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, and it will tell you all about what it is to be a truly profitable servant, who seeks to grow in likeness to our Master.  The word for "unprofitable" in Greek might translate as used in modern language to something like "useless."  That is, one who really is of little value or necessity to others (as my study bible says, not intrinsically but in terms of what one does).  Do we produce good?  Do we want to be a light in the world somehow, that helps the light shine in the darkness?  For this, we learn what it is to be a good servant, and always know and grow in awareness of God whom we serve.  We are called to grow in that likeness, and every part of our lives from the deepest heart to all that we do becomes a part of that call.

He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters

 And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."

- Luke 11:14-23

Yesterday, we read that as Jesus and the disciples went toward Jerusalem He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."  

And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  In between yesterday's reading and today's there is a passage in which Jesus teaches the disciples to pray.  The lectionary gave us that reading just before Ascension day (see the reading from Tuesday, May 23).  Beelzebub was a pagan god, the name one of ridicule and derision by the Jews, meaning "the Lord of the Flies."  As used here, it is a direct reference to Satan.  Jesus is being accused of using demonic power to effect his healings and signs.

Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is frequently asked to prove Himself by providing a sign from heaven.  That is, a kind of obvious sign of astounding power meant to "convince" others of His divine identity.  My study bible says that a sign is never given to those whose motive is merely to test God (see 4:9-12).

 But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges."  Jesus knows their thoughts, one characteristic of His identity and divinity (He is also called the "Heart-knower"; see Acts 1:24).  He responds with logic:  every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, a house divided against a house falls.  Why would Satan attack his own kingdom.  And we note that exorcism was already a tradition in Judaism, so Jesus asks, "By whom do your sons cast them out?"  Their "testimony," which is accepted as the work of God in the world, becomes the judgment against those who accuse Him.

"But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you."  This is as strong a warning as Jesus gives anyone.   The finger of God is the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:28).

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils."  Jesus makes a clear statement of power here.  The strong man is Satan, whom my study bible says holds sway over the fallen human race.  But the stronger than he is Christ, who comes as liberator or deliverer for human beings (see 1 John 4:4), and clearly a conqueror of evil. 

"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  Finally, this is a statement of absolute power.  It's unequivocal.  My study bible says that it is the work of Christ to gather the children of God, while those who scatter are in direct opposition to Him.  Those who work in opposition to Christ differ from others who work in good faith toward His purpose, but aren't yet united to the Church (see Jesus' statements and teaching at 9:46-50).  A note quotes St. Seraphim of Sarov:  Only "good deeds done for Christ's sake bring fruit," and thus deeds done for any other purpose, "even if they are good, are deeds that scatter abroad."

Jesus presents us with a spiritual paradigm:  there is a kind of "war in heaven," if we may use that phrase.  There are forces allied on one side and another.  Human beings are involved in this battle, and the battleground in our world is the human heart, the interior of a person.  The heart, in biblical language, is the center of the self, of consciousness.  It contains all that makes up who we are as persons, and depths that we don't know ourselves.  In this context, we should keep in mind that Christ is called the "knower of hearts," literally "heart-knower" in the Greek text (kardiognostes).  His statements here indicate not only a kind of battle or struggle for this world and the human beings in it, but also His own supreme power.  To say that he who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters is really to state that there is no battle and no contradiction; in Him is the meeting of all things.  Whatever it is that struggles against this truth, this spiritual reality, does so in vain.  The one thing that may be missing here for those who encounter this language as the language of a worldly warrior is that mysterious but inalienable ingredient in the equation:  the human heart.  God does not compel anyone to love God, to return God's love.  In this we are free to make our choices.  We, unfortunately, have all kinds of influences on us, and part of the characteristic of the demonic is that it is materially-oriented.  Coercion, hypocrisy, persuasive falsehoods that appear truthful, fear and terror, oppressive violence and force, and many other forms of temptation and manipulation are part of the arsenal of that which is against Christ.  But what we put our faith in is His power to liberate, to be the redeemer, the one who ransoms us from captivity, slavery, imprisonment -- especially in the human heart and soul.  All of this battle takes place on a spiritual level, but we do experience day to day its working out in our world in time.  It may never be obvious -- we can view Jesus' refusal to give a sign as a signal that this is not about what manipulates and coerces!   It is ultimately the loyalty and love of the human heart for which Jesus is here in the world as incarnate God.  As He puts it Himself, He is here not to lose a single soul that the Father brings to Him.  But when we're faced with our own difficulties, temptations, terrors, and evil we can see manifest in the world, our faith must be in Him and His words:  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."   This is the reality of a universe beyond what we know, the spiritual truth of Christ's identity.  But we walk through a world that will deny its meaning and its value.

Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her

 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

- Luke 10:38-42

Yesterday we read that a certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy to him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."  In the stories of Martha and Mary, we find a great consistency in the depiction of their characters.  Both are essential to the story of Jesus and His ministry, both beloved by Christ as friends, along with their brother Lazarus.  It is Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 11).  My study bible makes clear here that Martha isn't rebuked by Jesus for serving.  Rather He rebukes her for complaining and for being distracted, worried, and troubled.  In following Christ, my study bible tells us, we serve in order to facilitate the spread of the gospel (see Acts 6:1-4).

What can we make of Mary's act of sitting at Jesus' feet and hearing His word?  We suppose that she is sitting there along with the men who are Jesus' disciples and have come to hear the famous Teacher speak.  Her sister's complaint is that Mary has left Martha to do all the serving herself, in a busy household of a rather prominent family as we gather from the Gospels, who is hosting their friend Jesus.  We can read Psalm 99, and understand that Mary is in fact doing just as the Psalm proclaims we should do:  "Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool— He is holy" (verse 5).  In Luke chapter 9, we've read about the cost of discipleship:  nothing stands between the call to Christ and the gospel message, not even responsibilities to family.  Jesus says to one who wishes to go home and bury his father, "Let the dead bury their own dead."  He says to another who wishes to return home to say good-bye first, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  The call to discipleship takes priority, and Mary is answering that call.  Both Mary and Martha are recorded in the Gospels are those who form a core group of women essential to the ministry of Jesus.  They form deep bonds with Jesus, who weeps with them when their brother dies.   We must recall also Mary's anointing of Jesus, which He says is in preparation for His burial (John 12:1-8).   Each of these stories that have been given to us illuminate something of the character and devotion of this woman, for whom His Person, His message, His ministry is clearly paramount, primary to whatever else is happening in her life.  The two sisters form a core set piece of the lives of women; the duties belonging to social and daily life are juxtaposed against a deep devotion to the word of God, the "good part" that Mary has chosen.  Both are necessary and good, but we may see in the story a parallel for women that is equal to the demands of discipleship as expressed to the men called by Christ to "Follow Me."  Luke gives us a depth of true devotion expressed by Mary, consistent with what we know of her character, and returned in the compassion and love of Christ for both sisters.  In a time when the roles of women and men were far more segregated than many of us understand now, the Gospels teach us, through these sisters and others, not only the essential roles of women in the society, but the deeply meaningful and compelling nature of faith for all.  We must pause, however, to consider that no matter what differences we may think there are between Mary and Martha's time and ours, we still take pride in and make a priority of hospitality and our homes -- at times to distraction, worry, and trouble.  That Mary has chosen "that good part," which engages her mind, body, and soul, elevates all of us to the role of disciple, on no uncertain terms.

The Good Samaritan: Go and do likewise

 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."

But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy to him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

- Luke 10:25-37

Yesterday we read that the seventy apostles Jesus had sent out returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  The lawyer (an expert in the Mosaic Law) quotes from two statutes:  Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. 

But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."  The lawyer tests Jesus with an essential question, And who is my neighbor?  Jesus clearly deems the question important to answer, as He gives this parable in response.  Jerusalem is the place of peace, says my study bible.  It is symbolic of communion with God.  But Jericho is a city in complete contrast; it was renowned as a place of sin (see 19:1).  To fall among thieves is seen as an image of the natural consequence of journeying away from God toward a life of sin (see John 10:10).

"Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side."  My study bible quotes Cyril of Alexandria's commentary on this passage:  "The dignity of the priesthood means nothing unless he also excels in deeds."  Titles and positions are meaningless in God's sight, it notes, when good deeds do not accompany them.   The priest and the Levite also represent the Old Testament Law, and its failure to heal the consequences of sin.

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion."  While the Samaritan may be a despised foreigner in the eyes of the Jews (and therefore those listening to Jesus tell the parable), he's also an image of Christ (John 8:48).  Christ "came down from heaven" (Creed, also John 6:38) to save even those in rebellion against Him.

"So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'"  My study bible tells us that the bandages, oil and wine are sacramental images for several things.  First. there is the garment of baptism, which delivers us from the wounds of sin.  Second,  there is symbolism here for the oil of chrismation, which gives us new life in the Holy Spirit.  Third, the communion of the divine Blood, symbolized by wine in the parable, leads to eternal life.   That the Samaritan sets the man on his own animal indicates Christ bearing our sins in His own body.  The inn where the man who receives care reveals the Church in which Christ's care is received.  He pays the price for that care (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23).  In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ refers several times to good deeds done in secret, which the Father will repay openly.  See in particular Matthew 6:3-4.

"So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy to him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  Go and do likewise is a commandment for all of us. 

"Go and do likewise."  Let us consider this command from Jesus.  We are to be like he who showed mercy to him:  the Samaritan to the man who had fallen among thieves.  One thing we may note:  the word for mercy in Greek is eleos.  This is alike to the word for olive oil; that is, like the oil with which the Samaritan bound the wounds of victim of thieves.  Olive oil, in ancient times, formed the basis for all healing balms and even fine perfumes.  So, to truly understand the role of mercy in the Gospels, we must also understand the ties to this word and their associations with the oil of chrismation, and the balm of mercy.  We also note that Jesus' command to go and do likewise speaks to us of personal incentive.  That is, we take the initiative to become neighbors.  One does not have to seek out such circumstances or dream of glorious things we might do and plan.  The good Samaritan comes upon a circumstance in his life which asks him to make a choice.  He sees the choices that others make, the priest and the Levite.  But he takes compassion on the one who is left with his wounds at the hands of the robbers.  In the Orthodox Church, St. Nicholas is honored each Thursday, along with the Apostles.  If we look at the life of St. Nicholas, we may understand a connection with the parable of the Good Samaritan. St. Nicholas is known to us in large part for his charitable works, which were extensions of his great piety and faith in the Lord.   He took pity on those he knew who not only were in need, but who were in danger of being left aside, without community, alone to fend for themselves.  One prominent story in the life of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, tells us of three daughters of a formerly well-to-do man, fallen on hard times.  In that time, a woman without a dowry was unlikely to marry.  They risked a life of slavery or prostitution.  St. Nicholas had inherited wealth from his parents.  One night, the story goes, a bag of gold was tossed through a window of the home of the three young ladies.  Soon the eldest was married.  Later on, the same thing happened again.  The father of the young women was determined to find out their secret benefactor, and began to keep watch during the night.  A third time a bag of gold landed inside the home, and the father surprised St. Nicholas as he fled, identifying his donor.  The father was told by St. Nicholas, "You must thank God alone for providing these gifts in answer to your prayers for deliverance."   That the Church honors St. Nicholas weekly, and in conjunction with the Apostles, tells us that such works of compassion and charity do the greatest service for our Lord, it spreads the kingdom of God into the world as the apostles did.  It is an eloquent way to express one's love for God in the world.  Like the Good Samaritan, and like St. Nicholas, these works don't need to be things we plan on to impress the world or to find some glory for ourselves.  Rather, as we live our lives, we will come upon circumstances that ask us a question -- what can we do to help?  The gift is made all the greater for its lack of worldly glory.  We may find ourselves in a circumstance where we take compassion on those whom others may hate, for one reason and another.  But our blessing is from God and our service is to God, especially when we include those whom all others forget or exclude.  May God bless you with Jesus' command to go and do likewise.  Even in the smallest of ways, whether it is a smile we give or a courtesy or even just a kind word, the compassion our Father sees in secret will be repaid openly, in one way or another.  This, then, becomes a true act of prayer, the true glory of beauty in the sight of Christ.