And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

- John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.   The Gospel of John begins with a phrase that gives us a hint of what this Gospel is all about.  In the beginning recalls the creation story of Genesis.  But this book is not so much about creation as it is a revelation of our Creator.  Moreover, Genesis spoke of the first creation, but this Prologue (for so all the verses of today's reading are called) of John's Gospel is a revelation of the new creation in Christ.  Was the Word:  Word is the Greek word Logos.  The Word, my study bible explains, is the eternal Son of God.  Was teaches us about an existence without reference to a starting point.  It emphasizes the Word's eternal existence without beginning.  Logos has several meanings, possibly including "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word," which are all attributes of the divine Son of God.  The Word was with God:  With tells us that the Word -- who is the Son of God -- is a distinct Person from the Father, and also that the Word is in eternal communion with the Father.  The Word was God:  The Word -- again, the Son of God -- is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.  The Word is God with the same divinity as the Father.   In these first  verses, we are given our theological underpinnings of the One at the center of our faith.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.   My study bible explains that the Word is the co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; Psalm 32:6, 9; Hebrews 1:2), and not simply a servant or instrument used by God the Father.  It notes that will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  In this understanding, we are given to know that the heavens and the earth of the creation story of Genesis are the works of the One who made them.  But the Son was not made and is eternally begotten of the Father.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  My study bible explains that only God has life in Himself.  Therefore, the Word, who is God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The life was the light of men:   It should be noted that the word translated as men is Greek anthropos; it is a masculine word, but it literally means "human being."  John is introducing humankind as receiver of the divine light.  As they participate in the life of the Son, believers also become children of the light (12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5).   This light is found throughout the spiritual history of the people of God.  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), the whole nation saw it at the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21), Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5), and three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).   Darkness is a word that used by Jesus throughout the Gospels to indicate both spiritual ignorance and satanic opposition to the light.  My study bible notes that those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves, and strive to keep others ignorant as well (3:19).  The word in Greek translated as comprehend has similar possible meanings to the English:  it can mean both "understand" and "overcome", to "take in."  Therefore, darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, my study bible says, nor can it understand the way of love.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  This John referred to here is John the Baptist, and not the Evangelist, author of the Gospel.  My study bible notes that Christ offers light to each person, but the world and even many of His own refuse to receive Him; therefore, they can neither know nor recognize Him.  Those who accept Christ have Christ's light.  In an Orthodox hymn sung after hearing the Gospel and receiving communion, the words are sung, "We have seen the true light, we have received of the heavenly Spirit."  The right to become children of God:  Right also means "authority," which my study bible says indicates a gift from God, not an inalienable right.  It explains that those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7) and by grace inherit everything that Christ is by nature.  To believe in His name is to believe and trust in the One who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior.  To be adopted as a child of God isn't a matter of ethnic descent (that is, of blood), as it was in the Old Testament.  Neither is a question of natural birth (that is, the will of the flesh), or even by one's won decision (the will of man).  To become a child of God is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested in the sacrament of Holy Baptism, which Jesus explains to Nicodemus in 3:5-8; see also Titus 3:4-7.

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, . . ..  That the word became flesh speaks of the Incarnation -- this is a clarification of the way in which the Son and Word of God came to His people (His own, above).  The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  Christ assumed complete human nature, in body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality.  That is, all the things that pertain to humanity but sin.  As God and Human Being in one Person, Jesus pours divinity into all of human nature, my study bible explains, because anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed.  This is perhaps the most crucial and central understanding of the Church.  Time and time again, it becomes a stumbling block, but also a guidepost to the direction of our faith at significant times of questioning and decision-making.  That the word dwelt among us is a significant phrase.  The word here for dwelt is literally "tabernacled" in the Greek.   In the Old Testament, God's presence dwelt or tabernacled in the ark of the covenant, and later in the temple.  Here, my study bible says, the eternal Word comes to dwell in and among humanity itself.  His glory refers not only to His divine power shown by the signs and wonders of His ministry (2:11; 11:4, 40), but also to His humble service to mankind, shown most perfectly on the Cross (12:23-32; 13:31), the full expression of compassion.  In both of these ways, Christ reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.

. . . the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.   The Son has no beginning, but rather has the Father as source from eternity.  The Son is called only begotten as there is no other who is born from the Father.  (Theologically understood, the Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through another mystery which is called "procession"; see 15:26).   Full of grace and truth:  this phrase references not only the Word but also His glory.  My study bible explains that grace is the uncreated energy of Christ which is given to us through His love and mercy.  Truth, it says, includes His faithfulness to His promises and covenants, and also to the reality of His words and gifts.   

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.   My study bible comments that in saying that we have all received of His fullness, the Scriptures here confirm that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it.   In Christ, God's children become gods by grace (10:34-35), but without ceasing to be human.  That is, fulfilling our creation in the image and likeness of God, we take on qualities that are "God-like."  The classic patristic metaphor is that of metal thrust into fire:  the metal takes on properties of fire (for instance, heat and light) without ceasing to be metal.  So human nature, which may be permeated by God through God's grace, takes on properties of the divine nature.  Therefore, we have all received, and grace for grace:  "grace for grace" is a Semitic expression which indicates an overabundance of grace.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  That no one has seen God at any time indicates that no person can see the nature, or essence, of God, for to see God is to die (Exodus 33:20).  My study bible comments that only One who is divine can fully see God, and therefore only the Son can declare Him.  This revelation of God's energies (or grace) can be received by the faithful.  Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23); Isaiah saw God's glory (see Isaiah 6:1; John 12:41). 

Thus in today's reading we have what is called the Prologue of John's Gospel.  It gives us our theological underpinnings and foundation of our faith.  What is in this Prologue has fed the successive Councils in which our faith has been hammered out, questions of the identity of Christ -- and we as "Christians" -- have been debated, and settled.  But the questions are ongoing, as our faith is ongoing.  Yet, at each new juncture in which we must settle a dispute or answer a question regarding our faith, we turn back to this place, where we are given the foundations and bedrock of what we know, even as we remain entered into Mystery we can't yet understand or which is not yet revealed to us.  Who is Christ?  This Prologue goes far to answer that question for us, and its hidden meanings and implications remain questions for us, for our individual faith, and for the life of the Church as it is guided into its mission in the future.  Over the past couple of months on this blog, we have been reading through Mark's Gospel.  Returning over and over again to themes of both compassion and the use of authority and power in His Church, Christ reminded the disciples of their mission to care for the littlest ones who will come in His name.  In today's reading, the Prologue of John, my study bible reminds us of the same, that Christ's glory and identity as divine Son and Second Person of the Trinity, came to dwell (to "tabernacle") with us as one of us, and thereby God is known to us not only through the miracles and wonders of the Incarnation and His ministry, but most especially through His compassion and His death on the Cross, for He died for us.  That is, for you, for me, for each one of us.  We cannot forget that the majesty of the Divine Son, which is unknowable to us in its fullness, was given to us in the person of Jesus Christ, as human being, and revealed to us particularly and most completely in the death He shared with us, as one of us.  St. John the Evangelist also writes to us, in his Epistle that speaks of God as love, that "we love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  We are invited into that love, and to share it ourselves.  This is the thread that runs for each one of us through all the Gospels, but nowhere will it be more explicit than in this Gospel of the beloved disciple.  As we read it through Lent, let us continue to explore, remember, and live in God's revealed light and love, Christ who became human for each of us, so that we too may share in "grace for grace."

Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury

 Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:

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

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.

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

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how many people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

- Mark 12:35-44

Yesterday we read that one of the scribes came, and having heard Jesus and members of the religious leadership reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.

Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'  Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly.   Jesus quotes from the first verse of Psalm 110, in order to, in turn, question those who question Him.  Perhaps we could say He's responding to the scribe to whom He has just said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God"  (see yesterday's reading, above).   But the question is a challenge to all, for He asks this question to lead His listeners, as He taught in the temple, to the only logical conclusion:  that He is God incarnate.  The expectation is that the Messiah will be purely human and possess no divinity.  Therefore the Christ is called the Son of David, indicating the Messiah's lineage is of the house of David.  But in the Psalm, as Jesus points out, David calls the Christ my Lord.  As king of Israel, David could not and would not address anyone as Lord except God.  Therefore, the Messiah is God.  The only possible conclusion, my study bible says, is that the Messiah is a descendant of David only according to the flesh, yet is also truly divine, sharing His Lordship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  The first reference to the LORD is to God the Father.  Here in Mark's Gospel we are told that the common people heard Him gladly, teaching us about His appeal to the people and their delight in His challenges to the religious leaders, in the face of the general hostility to Jesus among the leadership.  No doubt the people also enjoy hearing the debate.

 Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Even as one scribe seemed to have understood Him and praised His teaching (the one in yesterday's reading, whom He said was "not far from the kingdom of God"), Jesus -- both here and in the question just raised concerning Psalm 110 -- challenges the scribes as a group.  Here He is scathing in remarking on their hypocrisy, linked to their love of social honor.

 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how many people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.  Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."  This story is linked to Jesus' condemnation of the hypocrisy of the scribes, just above, in which He claimed they devour widows' houses, even as for a pretense they make long prayers.  It goes straight back to all of His teachings to the disciples about how they must treat the "littlest ones," the meek and humble.   A widow, being less likely to be protected within the society would not only be vulnerable to those who can prey on her trust, but also financially dependent only upon what might belong to her, and therefore easily poor.  Even with the protections modern society generally seeks to build into care for the poor, and for all kinds of reasons, this sadly remains a scenario we are all too likely to encounter.  Jesus puts things into correct spiritual perspective by pointing out the generosity of the widows' great gift.  My study bible says that according to patristic teaching, the Lord accounts the value of a gift not by how much is given, but by how much is kept back.  Therefore, here the poor widow is counted to have given a great gift, because she has kept nothing for herself.   The Lord reads the heart when accounting for a gift.  My study bible points to the story of the conversion of Cornelius, in which we learn that God takes note of our giving (Acts 10:4).   See also Christ's encounter with the rich young man, for whom a greater detachment from possessions was a spiritual necessity.

Throughout Mark's Gospel, we receive the repeated teaching about consideration for the humble in the society and especially within the Church.  Here, Jesus goes out of His way to single out the poor widow and her great contribution for all who listen to Him in the temple.  Two mites, according to Wikipedia, would have amounted to the equivalent value of less than 15 minutes of the average daily wage, a very small sum indeed.  Yet it is very large for this woman and her capacity to purchase things for her own needs.  It is just one more occasion on which He takes great pains to point out to His disciples, and to all those who would hear Him teach, that it is their mission not to use power and authority as they see it used around them -- including by the hypocrites in the religious leadership -- but to care for the humblest among the faithful, for whom God has great regard.  Jesus' condemnation of those in leadership who do not care for the poor and powerless, but rather prey on their vulnerability, is repetition of His constant admonition to His own disciples about how they are to conduct themselves in the care of His Church and in particular the most vulnerable and meek.  His notice of the widow's donation makes it clear that this is not just a question of redistribution of wealth.  It is not a merely consideration of money that is His point here.  Jesus' point is about something more profound, and reflects His response to the scribe in yesterday's reading about the two greatest commandments.  Jesus' perspective calls us to understand first and foremost the relationship to God.  This widow isn't commended simply because she gave generously to the treasury of the temple.  She is commended because of her tremendous love of God; it is this which creates her generosity.  Her gift is an expression of the great love and generosity of her heart.  That gift is also a reflection not only of her capacity to honor the greatest and first commandment of the love of God "with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength," but also of the second, to love neighbor as oneself; for her generous gift is all about an expression of love for neighbor through giving to the community embodied in the temple.  In effect, Jesus is singling out the poor widow not simply for an act of large donation, but for the goodness of her whole being, as an example to all, but who is overlooked in the grand scheme of things.    Let us understand that if He does so in the middle of the temple while teaching all who listen, during the Passover Week, in which pilgrims come from everywhere among the Jews (including the diaspora), then this example clearly was meant never to be forgotten by His disciples and all who would follow Him.  In effect, through this public teaching in the temple, and by contrast to the hypocritical practices He condemns of the scribes, Jesus is once again hammering home His teaching about greatness in the Church, and who would be great among them (see this reading, and all those from last week).  What He risks in publicly condemning the scribes as hypocrites, even as He teaches in the temple, He does so knowing those in leadership are plotting to kill Him, but as a gift of love to the Church -- as another unforgettable teaching about the kind of leadership He wants from His disciples.  Today in our Churches, 2,000 years later, we all know of plenty of examples of failure to follow these teachings.  I would venture to say that it really doesn't matter which church or denomination we might be talking about.  Human weakness and failure is still with us, and it is human beings upon whom the Church relies.  But the Holy Spirit still calls us; we still need the Church to remind us of who we truly are and where we need to go to be the ones Christ calls, and to be true to that calling.  His teachings are still as compelling to all those in leadership, and to every single one of us who would be His disciples.  We need to remember this widow, to see Christ in all those who are like her whom we may encounter in our churches, and to remember the One whom we receive.  Jesus' teachings are not about changing the social order, nor redistribution of wealth, nor about accounting and economics.  They are not abstract social theories nor simply intellectual concepts for a public policy paper.  As in the story of the rich young man, Jesus is not teaching us that we all need to give all we own to a treasury or fund.  We are reminded that all that we have belongs to God to begin with, and that the commandments Jesus gives teach us to seek the way God would direct us in all our transactions.  These are teachings about the heart and about compassion; about how we see and especially about our capacity for the practice of His commands in our every day personal encounters with others.  His teachings are calls to our own hearts and how we stretch ourselves, where we are called to make an effort in our own awareness and conduct and practice.  He calls us to a kind of accountability and responsibility, to a place where we can continue to become the persons He asks us to be, with His help, even sacrificing our deepest impulses and ingrained habits of character if necessary in order to do so.  Let us consider the love and compassion to which He calls us, and the way He teaches that God sees all of us.

You are not far from the kingdom of God

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.

- Mark 12:28-34

Yesterday we read that they sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words as He taught in the temple.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.  Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.  Jesus answers the question of the scribe by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith.  It is called the shema', which means "hear," the first word of the confession.  He then quotes Leviticus 19:18, creating a combination in order to forge a new understanding.  Consistent with His teaching to the apostles regarding the care of the littlest and their use of power (see all the readings from last week), and with His teachings on prayer and forgiveness (see Tuesday's reading), Jesus expresses through what is already present in the Old Testament a new lesson:  that love of neighbor is an expression of love of God.  Let us note that this scribe, a lawyer, is told by Jesus that he is "not far from the kingdom of God."  The Gospels give us a sense that among the leadership there are those who become faithful followers of Christ, including the Pharisee Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man of Jerusalem, both members of the ruling Council.

It's important that we understand that despite what is to come, Jesus' condemnation by the Council, the Gospels teach us that all members of the Council are not alike.  Rather, the picture we get is one of manipulation from the powerful at the top through wrong use of power, violations of their own law and procedure, and for reasons of envy.  But all in leadership do not agree, and there are those who are clearly not merely sympathetic to Jesus, but who also at great risk to themselves become disciples and supporters.  This is important because the Gospels teach that there are no assumptions to be made based on a social or community identity; what is truly important is just what Christ teaches in today's reading:  who are those who keep these two great commandments, understanding that they go hand in hand?  Throughout Mark's Gospel, Jesus has set out the difference between using power as a manipulative and coercive tool, and using power and authority in ways that create and practice love and compassion.  He has Himself set the example for this.  Here, in His answer to the scribe's question, Jesus sets out the correct juxtaposition of the two greatest commandments of the Law, that in effect sum up His own teachings.  First, one must love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  Coupled with this first and greatest commandment Jesus deliberately adds a second:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus teaches us about compassion.  In Matthew's Gospel, when He sums up the Judgment that will come at the end of the age, He speaks of the separation of sheep and goats, using them as images for the ways of life that people practice.  The separation takes place on the basis of the showing of compassion, and this is the summing up Jesus presents us with in these two greatest commandments.  We note the importance of the fact that one comes first.  It is God who is arbiter of all things, and God who is love, and from whom we learn concepts of love, of justice, of truth, of mercy.  It is in this model of loving God through communion that we learn how to love neighbor, how to use discernment, how to find true righteousness that does not shrink from truth about our condition and that of our neighbor.  Let us consider how we fulfill these two great commandments, and in what order of magnitude we need to understand them.  What are we to make of Jesus' reply to the scribe?  Perhaps it is the understanding that to fully live these commands is to draw the Kingdom near to us.

Whose image and inscription is this?

 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

- Mark 12:13-27

Yesterday we read that, after spending the night near Bethany, east of the City, they came again to Jerusalem.  This is the day after He cleansed the temple.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'   But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away. 

Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.  The Herodians were Jewish political supporters of the ruling house of Herod the Great (who built the lavish restoration of the temple as it was in Jesus' time; and father of Herod Antipas, who was at this time ruler of Galilee).  They were therefore willing servants of Rome.  Given the Pharisees' perspective on the necessary isolation of Jewish life from the influence of foreign culture and practice, it is likely that these two groups of men are on opposite sides of the question.  If Jesus answers Yes, He could be called a collaborator with the Roman occupiers; if He answers No, He could be charged with treason or inciting insurrection before the Roman authorities.  But again, His capacity with words and language, and the concepts He introduces are more profound than that.  The paradox of the worldly and the sacred which typifies the Incarnation itself makes Christ's faith one that opens us to deepening and expanding mysteries.  My study bible says that the distinction between the things that are Caesar's and the things that are God's doesn't imply that there is a division of a believer's life into the secular and the sacred.  Instead, God is Lord over all of life, including the secular.  But we do, however, fulfill governmental requirements that do not conflict with our first responsibility to God (Romans 13:1-7; contrast Acts 4:19, 5:29).  It adds that paying taxes and other similar civil duties are not detrimental to holiness. 

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."  My study bible tells us that the Sadducees represent landowners and other wealthy families in Jerusalem; they form a kind of aristocracy of the City.  They held high offices in Israel, and controlled the temple and the Sanhedrin.  They were different from the Pharisees, in that they were politically prudent and they adapted to the presence of the Romans.  The Sadducees, my study bible adds, interpreted the law more rigidly than the Pharisees.  Unlike the Pharisees, they also rejected belief in angels and in the resurrection from the dead at the end of the age.  The Sadducees, as a class, disappeared altogether after the destruction of Jerusalem.   When Jesus tells them, You are mistaken, it is a confirmation that there will indeed be a resurrection (as the Pharisees hold), but it won't be the sort of thing that the Sadducees imagine here.  They consider the resurrection to be a continuation of earthly life (including earthly marriage), and thereby mock the doctrine with this absurd scenario.  But, as Jesus teaches them, they are ignorant of the Scriptures, which reveal a complete transfiguration of life in the resurrection, therefore their questions are irrelevant.  Moreover, my study bible adds, they fail to understand how Abraham and his sons can be alive in God even if they are physically dead.  It's the clear teaching of Christ, a note adds, that the souls of the faithful who have departed life in this world are sustained before the face of God in anticipation of the final joy of the resurrection.

The Gospels lay out the competing religious perspectives in the rulers of the temple and of the people at this time.  The Sadducees are wealthy landowners, closely linked to the priestly classes, an aristocratic party of Jerusalem.  Their religious understanding upheld in particular the first five books of the Old Testament, called Torah or Pentateuch.  The Pharisees and their closely linked associates the Scribes are experts in Scripture, who hold that both the written Law and the tradition built up around the Law are necessary to keep Jewish faith and identity pure, and free of external foreign influence.  In some cases, Jesus' positions seem to side more with the Pharisees, such as on divorce and also resurrection.  In other ways, Jesus openly opposes the Pharisees, telling them that they uphold the traditions of men and cast aside the Law of God (see Mark 7:1-13).  They become His most outspoken critics in the Gospels on a number of occasions, seeking with hostility to find fault with His disciples and Himself, as well as John the Baptist (see Luke 7:24-33, especially verse 30).  Indeed, their very hostility can be linked to the fact that Jesus is from Galilee, a place of mixed Jewish and Gentile populations.  (See John 7:47-52, in which they falsely claim that no prophet had arisen out of Galilee, seemingly "forgetting" about Jonah.)  Today's questions and Christ's answers call us toward His reconciliation of what seem to be paradoxical impossibilities in a worldly sense.   This same phenomenon happens when Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well in John's Gospel (John 4).  She questions Him about the proper location of the temple, remarking on the conflict between the Samaritans and the Jews, but He answers her with an unexpected new understanding:  "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).  This great revelation is the key to Christ's answers for us when we have a conflict regarding the sacred and the worldly, and we are not sure where to turn.  Because of the Incarnation, we now know God as Spirit, and that we worship in spirit and in truth.  Therefore, regardless of the circumstances, the time and the place, the issue or the conflict, we can turn in prayer to the presence of God and seek a way through that keeps us faithful.  Because of the Incarnation, we do not consider heaven and earth to be fully and perfectly linked; rather, what we understand is that Christ is with us, the kingdom of God is within us and among us (Luke 17:21).  The good news that comes to us is the very announcement that the kingdom of God is at hand, it has come near to us (Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15).  In this world, we are always in the midst of spiritual struggle, and to this struggle we are all called as His followers.  But we are also given to understand that God's presence is with us, and through faith and prayer we not only have communion, but we also share in a far greater communion which is also always at hand to strengthen us and help us to find our way, His way.  Christ Himself is our Ladder, linking us to His kingdom at all times and places; moreover the saints with whom we pray do so as well.  Because of the work of the Spirit, we understand in the ancient tradition of the Church the sanctification of worldly things and places, just as we ourselves may be baptized and chrismated, receiving the Spirit.  During our services, we know that we worship even with the angels who continually praise God before God's face.  Let us remember our prayers reach the very hope of the hopeless; with faith we will always find the One who shows us the way through whatever conflicts and choices the world will hand to us, who trampled death through death and gave eternal life through the Cross.  This is the reality of our Lord's gift of paradox.  Through Christ, we know that we each bear Christ's image within, even as the coin bore the image and inscription of Caesar.  Let us remember God at all times.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'   But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD'S doing, 
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away. 

- Mark 11:27-12:12

Yesterday we read that the next day after the Triumphal Entry, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.   Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to the, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 Then they came again to Jerusalem.  And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.  And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority to do these things?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- was it from heaven or from men?  Answer Me."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men'" -- they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.  So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."  Jesus is challenged as to His authority to cleanse the temple; that is, to drive out the commercial dealers and vendors from the temple, the money changers and those who sold animals (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study bible notes Jesus' technique of argument with these people; He is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, to those who will simply attempt to belittle or deny whatever truth He is telling them.  Instead He confounds them with a different question about John.  Both the question of the elders and also Christ's question require the same answer; therefore it would lead the respondent to confess that Jesus has come from heaven.  My study bible adds that by not answering them directly, Christ teaches us not to answer people who come asking about holy things with a malicious intent.

 Then He began to speak to them in parables:  "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country  Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.  And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.  Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'   But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'  So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.  Have you not even read this Scripture:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"  And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them.  So they left Him and went away. In this parable, the man who planted the vineyard represents God the Father.  The vineyard itself is God's people.  The vinedressers are those who are entrusted to care for the people, the religious leadership.  Every servant who is sent by the owner represents a prophet of the Old Testament, who comes to call people back to God.  The son, the owner's beloved, is Christ Himself.  The vinedressers killed the son and cast him out of the vineyard, inferring that the story of the Son will go to others to whom the vineyard will be given; these are are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23, a psalm which tells of the overthrow of hostile superior force through God's help.

We should keep in mind that Jesus knows that He will be crucified while He is speaking to these men.  He knows they will be plotting against Him, and even that they will use the power of the Roman state to do so.   But nevertheless Jesus acts with His own full authority, and in debating with these men, He gives away nothing of His authority, but instead acts in accordance with the truths He embodies.  Elsewhere, in the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matthew 7:6).  This teaching is given in the context of useful corrections within the Church, and He makes Himself clear as to whether or not a teaching is useful.  While these religious leaders in the temple -- the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders -- cannot be called dogs nor swine, they nevertheless have so much contempt for Christ that they will not truly listen to what He has to teach.  There is no point in casting His pearls of wisdom before them, revealing His true identity, for they wish to destroy Him.  They see Him as competition, a threat to their positions.  While what is important to Christ is not Himself, per se, it is the truth He is here to reveal and give to us that matters:  "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" - Matthew 12:32.  The truth He is here to give, including that of His own identity, is real, it matters.  It is a substance deeply necessary for the healing and salvation of the world, and necessary also so that a final reconciliation and dispensation can be made, so that Judgment can take place.  This is one key to why important spiritual truths are not revealed to scoffers:  their rejection will endanger themselves spiritually.  In this case, these men are those who are the most prepared to accept and to recognize Christ.  They are the experts in Scripture, they know thoroughly the spiritual history of Israel and therefore the work of the Holy Spirit.  Their rejection is therefore all the more profound, and in this case Christ chooses His response, knowing what is going to happen at the end of the week.  He will not relinquish His truth, but that means He will not simply hand these men the answers they demand.  I would also suggest that His answer is designed, yet again, to make them think, and to remind them of the danger they court through rejection of Christ.  Truly, the parable reveals this explicitly to them, but they respond only with outrage.  There are times in our own lives when we may be in such a position:  we are telling the truth, but others who surround us are ready to condemn.  In this case, Christ's ultimate dignity -- which is really a form of standing in truth -- remains as our teaching.  Let us endeavor to remain humble as He does, rooted in the truths that God gives us, and also the demeanor we are commanded to bear, as we face the reality of our lives and accept the cup God gives us in faith.  What is important to Jesus is not His own interest in a selfish sense, but to bear the responsibility for the work of the Kingdom that must go into the world, a higher truth, a bigger plan.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.   Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to the, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

- Mark 11:12-26

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "God into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.  Loose it and bring it.  And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it.' and immediately he will send it here."  So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.  But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?"  And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded.  So they let them go.  Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!"  And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple.  So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.   This is an example, or illustration, or Christ in His role as Judge.   That it was not the season for figs means that this fig tree had sprouted an unseasonably early full foliage, which would indicate a first crop.  But it didn't bear any fruit.  Jesus, finding that there isn't even one fig, condemns it.  In Scripture, my study bible says, a fig tree is often a symbol of Israel (Hosea 9:10).  This fig tree is like the people who reject His ministry or perhaps particularly the religious leadership who plot against Him rather than recognize Him; their fruitfulness has ceased, and so the Kingdom will be taken away and given to another people, called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43, Galatians 5:22-23).

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.   Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.   Those who bought and sold traded in live animals which would be used for sacrifices.  At Passover (which season this is now at this point in the Gospel), pilgrims would come to purchase animals so they could make the proper sacrifices for themselves and their families.  The money changers traded Roman coins for Jewish coins.  Roman coins bore the image of Caesar, in whose name the coins were minted, and therefore were considered to be defiling in the temple.  My study bible comments that the cleansing of the temple points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  It notes that as each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19), it is also as sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  Jesus quotes from the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, who repeatedly called the people back to God in preparation for Christ's Incarnation (Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11).

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to the, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."  My study bible explains that the cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act, which signifies the judgment of Israel.  It adds that the disciples need to learn that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).  They will go on to establish His Church, which will ultimately be filled with both Gentiles and Jews, and they need assurance that they will be following His will.  The fig tree will remain indelibly as an image in their minds.  Jesus relates the withering of the fig tree to the power of prayer and the authority of God which is linked to individuals through the communion of faith.  This is not a magical practice and not about the power of positive thinking or affirmations!  This is a call to the depth of faith, and the deep desire and willingness in us to follow God's will.  It is also an exposition on spiritual fruitfulness, and a prayerfully lived life, even in the midst of seeming loss and rejection, which these men will also suffer through persecution.

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."  Let us note that as Jesus is talking about the power of prayer, this admonition is added in.  It goes back to relatedness, and in particular the communion we have in faith with God and through extension to others.  My study bible comments that Jesus insists on mutual forgiveness between people as a precondition of God's forgiveness.  It says that those who do not forgive are not forgiven -- period (see also Matthew 6:14-15, and also the parable of the unforgiving servant at Matthew 18:21-35).   It adds that to not forgive others is to willfully flee from the forgiveness of God for ourselves.

Since Jesus ends today's reading with a teaching on forgiveness, it is very important to understand exactly what forgiveness is.  Forgiveness is not making everything better nor necessary "fixing" broken relationships in the sense that a relationship reverts to an earlier stage.  If necessary, one must remain apart from those who will continually seek to harm us, or in cases where trust remains a difficult issue.  Forgiveness is really, like everything else, first and foremost, about our relationship with God.  It is a way in which we choose to exercise and practice fully our faith by surrendering all things -- including justice -- to the sovereignty of God.  The Lord's Prayer uses the language of debts (Matthew 6:12), and in teaching that prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus added the statement noted above using the concept of trespass (Matthew 6:14-15).  Both of these are legal concepts, and the language reflects the regulation in the Law and therefore the system of justice.  Forgiveness is the act of surrendering our debts and also the times others have trespassed (literally violated our appropriate boundaries) to God.  It puts justice in the hands of God, and takes it out of our hands.  We surrender a claim to personal vengeance in response, and instead we put it in God's hands and ask for guidance for how to handle it God's way.  Through forgiveness, we recall what we read in Scripture.  St. Paul writes (in Romans 12:19), "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord."  He is quoting from Deuteronomy 32:35.   Forgiveness, in this understanding, is a choice that is always possible.  Reconciliation -- that is, a return to full relationship with someone -- is another matter altogether.  This confusion frequently leads to a fear of forgiveness, and that is an error.  Jesus repeatedly prohibits the practice of vengeance, and this is important in the context of justice systems of the time; frequently, in the ancient world, justice was only possible for those who could rely on extended clan and kinships to help settle a matter.  Christ's teachings on justice and judgment, illustrated in the image of the withered fig tree, and linked by Christ to the power of prayer, cement this need in us to forgive.  We can always pray for others, we can always tell God that we give up a situation, a hurt, a terrible wrong, to God -- and ask God to help us with it, God's way.  We hand it over to God in prayer so that we will be shown the best way to handle a bad situation.  The world of popular psychology is filled with advice and teaching regarding the effective and necessary power of the practice of forgiveness for our psychological and spiritual health.  What remains within us colors who we are; giving all things up to God cleans our own internal slate for a better outlook and our time and energy better spent, our capacity to love the ones with whom we do have contact, communion, and relationship more full as a result.  Everything that we read in today's reading is linked, because forgiveness teaches us that we are capable of practicing compassion and not merely responding to a perceived loss.  God and our relationship with God makes us much bigger than that.  Greed and selfishness, the idea that what we are is simply the product of all that we can grab in life, or get back from what we lost as if everything is merely quantity added or subtracted, is what goes into making the temple a "den of thieves."  If we simply look at our lives as merely steps to gain or loss, then we fail to understand quality, true treasure, that which makes our lives truly good and better.  Predators think in terms of adding and subtracting, what we gain or what we lose.  But Christ calls us to compassion, to a better, sounder, deeper way of life; we are meant to be His sheep.  And He is, ultimately, the only Judge.  Let us keep in mind that these teachings come in the midst of rejection; the religious leaders will have Him going to His Crucifixion before the week is over, and let that fact sink into us to render these teachings all the more important in light of it.  If it was what was crucial to Christ, then let it be that crucial to us as well for our own lives.

Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord!

 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "God into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.  Loose it and bring it.  And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it.' and immediately he will send it here."  So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.  But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?"  And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded.  So they let them go.  Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

"Hosanna!
'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'
 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David
That comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!"

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple.  So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

- Mark 11:1-11

On Satuday, we read that Jesus and the disciples came to Jericho, as they make their way on the road to Jerusalem.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to 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 called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "God into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.  Loose it and bring it.  And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it.' and immediately he will send it here."  So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.  But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?"  And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded.  So they let them go.   In today's reading is the story of Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It is the event which the Church celebrates on Palm Sunday.  At Jesus' time, Jewish nationalism has looked toward a political Messiah to deliver the nation from Roman control, and to reestablish the kingdom of David.  Christ enters the city in humility; by His actions and choices He shows that He does not come to establish a worldly kingdom.  This is signaled by the choice of a donkey's colt, a humble animal, which my study bible says is a sign of humility and peace (Zechariah 9:9).  Conventional kings and conquering rulers would be riding on a horse or chariot, sign of power and might.  The entrance into the Holy City, my study bible tells us, declares the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  It is, in addition, a promise of Christ's final entrance into the heavenly Jerusalem with all believers, and of His accepting the New Jerusalem as His pure Bride (Revelation 21:2).  So in this event is contained layers of meaning and also reflection of the ultimate authority of Judgment belonging to Christ, the final cosmic victory.

Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The people spread their clothes before Jesus, as if paying reverence to a King.  My study bible says that this action is spiritually interpreted as our need to lay down our flesh, and even our very lives, for Christ.

Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!"  And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple.  So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.  The people's cry comes from Psalm 118:25-26, verses in Scripture which are associated with messianic expectation.  This was recited daily for six days during the Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Sukkot), and seven times on the seventh day as branches were waved.  Hosanna means, "Save, we pray!"  The first thing Jesus does after entry into Jerusalem is to go into the temple, which is the house of God, His Father's house.

Jesus enters into Jerusalem with all the popular expectations of the masses desiring Him to rule over them as king.  They have seen and heard about the miracles He's performed, and so they know that God is clearly with Him.  The things He has done are associated with messianic expectation, the time of the Messiah -- such as healing a man blind from birth, as He did with Bartimaeus outside of Jericho on the road toward Jerusalem (see Saturday's reading, above).  With Jesus, we see the overlapping of the worldly and the holy -- the events of His ministry are frequently those that have been prophesied, reflective of the Old Testament Scriptures.  Jesus enters into Jerusalem from the East, as expected of the Messiah.  The Psalm verses recited by the people are those associated with the coming of the Lord's Kingdom, as is their use at the festival of Sukkot, known as the Feast of Tabernacles or that of the Coming Kingdom, commemorating the time the people wandered in the wilderness following Moses to the Promised Land.  But this overlapping of the divine and the worldly is precisely the paradox that we find in our faith in Christ, that which leads us to deeper realities and into the mysteries of the true kingdom of God.  Christ is both divine and human; in Jewish expectation, this was not the case.  The Messiah was to be a supremely God-like man, a great king who would restore the kingdom of David.  But to know Christ requires a different set of expectations, and to come to terms with quite a different reality.  In worldly terms, a human being who is also divine might be expected to be so supremely powerful that no worldly or human army or military might could stand against Him.  But our King comes in a humble human package, and so does His ministry, as do His teachings.  Nothing in Scripture is an accident, and it's not merely a coincidence that our readings over the past week, as we have read of the preparation for this moment of entry into Jerusalem, have included numerous teachings about the importance of humility and sacrifice, the use of power and authority with the greatest love and grace.  The disciples have repeatedly been told that he who would be first shall be last, and that those among them who desire to be the greatest shall be last and servant of all.  They have been told that to receive even a little child in the name of Christ is to receive Christ Himself, and even the Father who sent Him.  Jesus chooses for His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem the colt of a donkey.  He rides not in a chariot or on a horse like a conquering king, and He has no army with Him, no display of worldly power and might.  No, this is not a Messiah who will meet the worldly expectations of nationalism and power, and lord it over the rest of the world.  He does not use manipulation and coercive force.  His is a kingdom of hearts and minds which are won over only through a free will choice, because it is a kingdom of reciprocal love.  You can't really fake faith.  You can't really feign loyalty, because Christ is the "heart-knower."  What He is after is something that is deep inside of us, that perhaps He sees that we don't even understand.  Somewhere within ourselves we have the capacity to cooperate with grace, to say "yes" to spiritual calls and prompting.  Christ shows us the way, with His identity and ministry of divine/human synergy.  He teaches us that there are hidden things within us which are found in the identity that He has for us in His Kingdom, if we but choose to follow in faith, and if we are prepared to do so His way.   He defies all expectations, to the contempt and consternation of some -- and to the heights of beauty, truth, and goodness the world can grasp, if we but know how to see and to receive as a little child.