The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, 

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.' "

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1–13 

 

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets:  "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' "  My study bible tells us that gospel, which literally means "good news" or "good tidings") is a reference not to Mark's writings per se, but to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning is a reference to these opening events of Christ's public ministry given here:  the preparation by the one titled "Forerunner" to the Lord, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.  The quotations from the Prophets are found at Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3.

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.   Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  Just as the Prophets spoke of Christ, and form echoes and ties to the Old Testament right at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, so also does the attire of John.  He is clothed in a way that is similar to that of Elijah the Prophet (2 Kings 1:8), which my study bible says helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (Malachi 4:5-6).  Let us note John's deep understanding of the difference between his baptism and the one which will be initiated by Christ.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  My study bible points out that Jesus does not need purification, as He has no sin.  But by making the purification His own, He would wash away the sin of humanity, grant regeneration, and reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity in this theophany of Father's voice, the Spirit descending as if to anoint the Messiah, and Himself revealed as Son.  (As Son, Christ has always had the Spirit resting upon Him; this is a revelation of that understanding.)  Christ also, in descending into the waters, purifies and sanctifies the waters of the world for Christian baptism.  My study bible quotes St. Gregory of Nyssa:  "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Let us note that Mark's language makes it clear that this is the action of the Holy Spirit in the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  In the Greek, it says literally that the Spirit "threw" or "cast out" Jesus into the wilderness for forty-day period of temptation.  Like humankind, He's there in the world, between the temptations of Satan, and the ministering angels, and with the wild beasts of the earth.  See also Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13 for more detailed accounts of these forty days in the wilderness.

In the Eastern Church, Christ's Baptism is understood as Theophany ("Revelation of God") or Epiphany ("Revelation" or "Showing Forth").  Another understanding of the roots of these Greek words is that this is a manifestation of God in the world.  Therefore in the earliest practices of the Church,  the celebration of Christ's Nativity (Christmas) and Baptism were celebrated on the same day.  This beginning (as Mark gives it to us) of the gospel of Christ also paralleled the beginning of Christ's coming into the world through His birth by Mary, the Mother of God.  In the Orthodox Church, Holy Baptism is understood also as "Holy Illumination."  And so there is another parallel between the two events of Christ's birth and His Baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist:  this is the coming of light into the world.  As John the Evangelist put it, it is the light shining in the darkness.  "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" (John 1:4-5).  So, as we also begin a new year, it is important for all of us to consider what it means that Christ remains a light shining in the darkness, and even that the darkness does not comprehend it.  We enter into a new year having completed a time of pandemic and many other ills and forms of "darkness" which run the gamut and span the globe.  For each person in every place, I am certain these varied experiences of darkness have been felt across large segments of population as well as the very personal level.  Let us consider how this beginning of Christ's ministry took place somewhere out of the way, and this revelation was unknown even to most of those who were present at His Baptism.  And yet, it remains the light shining in the darkness, the revelation or manifestation of God the Trinity to the world.  Let us also remember how our earliest Christian forbears understood it, as being in parallel with Christ's birth, a time when the world did not welcome Christ as there was "no room" for Him and His family (Luke 2:7), and instead the world was ready to meet Him with violence (Matthew 2:13-18).  We must remember that this is our own story, as followers of Christ, and understand this dimension of our faith will always be with us, regardless of celebrations and "good news."  We look to that light shining in the darkness, even as we look to find our way.  Let us remember also His time of temptation and struggle in the wilderness, for it is a portrait of ourselves in a world dominated by the "ruler of this world," but he has "nothing" in Christ (John 14:30).   Interesting that John baptizes in the wilderness, and Jesus goes to temptation in the wilderness that is the image of our world.  For it is Christ our Lord who overcame the world (John 16:33), and to Him we look to show us our way through it, just as it has been from the beginning.

If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go

 

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly. 

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."

 

- Luke 22:54–69 

 

Yesterday we read that, coming out from the place where He and the disciples had the Passover supper, also known as the Last Supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."   

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  My study bible remarks upon the fact that it was a girl who was the first to test Peter.  It notes that this is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  It says that our fallen state is overcome in Christ when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (24:1-10).  

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.   My study bible tells us that Peter is so overcome with fear that neither Christ's prediction (verse 34) nor the crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance, but only the Lord's gaze causes him to weep bitterly.  Nevertheless, St. Ambrose of Milan comments, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  When we witness the suffering of Christ, His abuse at the hands of the violent and unjust and cruel, we must think to ourselves that our Lord became human, so that He could heal all the scars of the rest of us who know what this is, both as victim and victimizer.  The outrage here is in some sense even greater when we know the holiness and true majesty of Christ, His total innocence, and moreover that so many know He is a holy Man.  This is a violation and abuse not only of a human being, but of grace itself.  By this suffering, Jesus takes it upon Himself to transfigure the suffering of the world and turn it on its head for all of us.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." My study bible comments that Jesus asked many questions of the Jewish leaders which they refused to answer, because doing so would have meant confessing Jesus was the Christ (Luke 20:4-7; Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 3:4).   With Jesus' final statement, His claim that He will sit on the right hand of the power of God, He declares Himself to be equal with God.  

In the verses that follow, which are not a part of today's lectionary reading, we see that Jesus' truth has condemned Him to the punishment the leaders will create for Him.  They ask, "Are You then the Son of God?"  And Jesus replies, "You rightly say that I am."  They then say to one another, "What further testimony do we need?  For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."  (See Luke 22:70-71.)  Although Jesus follows where the Father leads Him, and accepts to endure suffering and human death, He does not stop speaking the important truths which He is given to reveal to the world, as He is the light of the world (John 8:12).  We may confuse Jesus' seeming docility with passive acceptance, but as far as I can tell, that would be wrong.  Jesus accepts to endure the injustice and unrighteous behavior handed to Him, but it is with a particular purpose in mind, and a spiritual value which undercuts the evil in the world and that which is shown to Him.  In His truthful reply to His persecutors, even after beatings and cruelty, Jesus shows the true character of His mission.  Whatever injustice He endures, it is in service to the truth that will proclaim not simply the righteousness of God, but also the salvation of the world, and the judgment that is to come.  But what we see in Jesus is not the worldly way of correcting injustice, which so often uses violence which begets more violence and thereby more injustice and power abuses.  Jesus' way is God's way shown to us; it is the true way He overcomes the world and continues to do so (John 16:32-33).  This is something we need to turn to and to understand.  The power that is in Christ is not simply a worldly power, nor is it something that "fixes" what's wrong with the world through coercion or similar types of efforts of seizing power or changing regimes.  Christ's power, first of all, is in the truth that He tells, that He is, and that He brings into the world.  His power rests upon the spiritual reality of God that is behind, within, and radiating through all things.  This is the correction and salvation and healing that He brings to the world, and with which He meets the violent and destructive and powerful who are motivated by greed and other forms of selfishness.  And in this mission, we too may share.  How can we do that?  Prayer is first of all the great weapon of those who love God.  Prayer strengthens us and helps to purify our own motivations and thinking.  It helps us to become aware of ourselves and where we need to clean up our own act, so to speak.  Prayer connects us with God, and helps us to find that deeper truth in which we seek to rest.  It also connects us to grace which blesses us with the good things we read about in St. Paul's letter to the Galatians:  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).  These are all things which strengthen and help us.  They help us to keep our cool, so to speak, in all circumstances.  They help us to pull back and think, rather than simply to react to bad circumstances by making them somehow worse.  Christ's work in this world, and His mission to us, is to respond to the bad things in life through the righteousness of God, and through the light He brings into the world.  This is spiritual truth.  We need to understand that the evil we see and experience in the world has a spiritual counterpart behind it, and it is the roots of that injustice and unrighteousness we see in the world that Jesus is going for, and inviting us in to help Him in that struggle.  We might not be able to discern this on a grand scale, but if we experience this in our own lives, we can learn its effects through time.  The power of God's healing might be at work in us first, to overcome some abuse by the world.  But if we look closely, we might observe the fate of those who repeatedly turn against this truth, and their emptiness and hunger for something more, because of that deeper reality that underlies all things in this world.  It is in full cooperation with that deeper reality that Jesus acts, which is why it seemingly doesn't make sense from a purely worldly or material consideration.  Jesus plainly tells the disciples, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36).  And yet, "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21).  And let us note, these words in Greek have a double meaning of "within you" and can also mean "among you" -- both are valid.  That living Kingdom that dwells both within us and among us is one in which we participate through the life of Christ.  The Eucharist and our worship services and the life of prayer in which we engage are all built as a living structure in which we participate and partake, and the life of grace can dwell in us and through us.  We are meant to carry God's light into the world by following His lead through all things.  What we see in the world, and the evils and unrighteous behavior we might experience ourselves can be our own opportunities for choice:  we may turn to God and follow as did Jesus, not relinquishing our truth -- or we may turn to the ways of the world.  We are meant to be in this world but not "of" it.  That means that our prayer may lead us to participate fully in the society, but in particular ways that keep our faith alive and well and growing within us, producing the spiritual fruits of grace, and making a contribution to the world in the process and to the future we build for ourselves and those whom we love.  Jesus transfigures the world through this process, and this is the whole purpose of the Incarnation.  We, also, may help and grow in that transfiguration by seeking to do the same in response to evil and unrighteousness in the world.  This is how we each take up our cross and play our part.  This Christmas, we may simply look around at all the children who need faith so badly, and the love that goes with it, and the peace and goodness, and see what a worthy project that is.  Let us follow Him and look to that light and His truth to share with the world.  Jesus says to those who seek only His conviction:  "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  Even where we have no hope of changing someone's mind, we are still called to that truth and His way and that life He offers to the world.

But this is your hour, and the power of darkness

 

 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness." 

 

- Luke 22:39–53 

 

On Saturday we read that the Lord said to Simon Peter at the Last Supper, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  My study bible comments that Christ's agony was the product of His human nature.  As He asks that this cup be taken away, Jesus is revealing His human will.  In submitting His human will to God the Father, Christ reveals His divine will to be one with the Father's, and this moreover shows that each person must do the same:  seek to submit one's own will to God's will (Luke 11:2).   My study bible makes the point, moreover, that Christ willingly has taken in Himself the voice of weak humanity, and thereby conquers weakness through transfiguration.  This is the crucial focus of the Incarnation and its power to heal our brokenness.  St. Gregory the Great comments:  "The words of weakness are sometimes adopted by the strong in order that the hearts of the weak may be strengthened."

And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."   My study bible comments that this healing is recorded only by St. Luke the physician.  It is an indication of the manner in which we are to treat our enemies, it notes.  In patristic commentary, a spiritual meaning is seen in that it is Christ who gives people the ability to hear the truth (as it is the servant's ear that is cut off and healed) and thereby come to salvation (see Luke 8:8, 14:35).   Regarding the power of darkness, see John 3:19-21, 13:30.

 

 So what is the power of darkness?  Certainly darkness is the absence of light.  We say the light of the sun is dimmed when there is an object in the way, such as a cloud, or even the earth's face is turned away in our orbit around the sun, the axis of the world at certain times leaving our particular area of the planet in night's darkness, illumined only by the light of the moon and its phase at that time (also a function of obstacles in the way of the light).  In John's Gospel, its Prologue affirmatively declares that Christ is the light of the world that has come into the world; John 1:4-5 declares, "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."  The cause of this darkness is the absence of the light, and in this case that light refers to Christ and all the things that are in Christ, particularly the light of spiritual truth, but also all the things implied in the Word, the Logos:  order, reason, wisdom, creativity, and a myriad host of good things that make for good life.  True peace and joy are also found in this light of Christ (John 14:27, 15:11).   St. Paul writes to the early Christians at Philippi, "Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you" (Philippians 4:8-9).  All of these things, and the capacity to give us grace that bestows them upon us and magnifies them in us, are in that light.  And the darkness is its absence, through whatever cause.  Sometimes that cause is deliberate choice.  The Gospel of John tells us, "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  Sometimes it is ignorance through no fault of the person who is in darkness.  Matthew's Gospel quotes from Isaiah:  "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned" (Matthew 4:15-16, Isaiah 9:1-2).  Judas is betraying that light, but Christ the true light continues to try to save him, by asking, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"   This is another quality of that light in Christ, to love and to save and to heal, all on display in today's reading.  The brokenness of this world is essentially its darkness; but nevertheless John's words remain true, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  And we can see this all around us in our world.  But nevertheless, Christ gives us a mission, to spread His light in the world, and that light is in the word of the Gospel.  Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the light.  No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).  Soon we will be celebrating the birth of Christ into the world, the Light who comes to us and lives a fully human life in order to heal all of our own darkness.  Let us consider the darkness we may observe around us in corruption and violence and lies and all manner of problems, and understand that His mission to bring that light to the world continues with every new generation, every new worker that comes to join the harvest (Luke 10:2).

For the things concerning Me have an end

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that when the hour had come to eat the Passover, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  In the first two verses here, my study bible notes for us that the form of the word "you" changes.  In the first verse, in which Jesus says that Satan has asked for you, "you" is plural.  This means that Jesus is saying "Satan has asked for" all the disciples.  But the "you" in the next verse, when Jesus says, "I have prayed for you" is singular, meaning that Jesus has prayed especially for Simon Peter.  A note says that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  Regarding what Jesus refers to when He tells Peter "when you have returned to Me," see John 21:15-17.  "Strengthen your brethren" refers not simply to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until Christ returns.  Christ's prophecy regarding the rooster's crow will manifest after His arrest (Luke 22:54-62).  

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study bible says that the sword which Christ mentions is not to be understood literally (compare to vv. 49-51), but rather refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  St. Ambrose gives us an additional meaning:  to give up one's garment and buy a sword is a reference to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  As the disciples were thinking literally of swords, Jesus abruptly ends this discussion by saying, "It is enough," which is better translated, "Enough of this!"  (see Deuteronomy 3:26, Mark 14:41).  

Jesus warns the disciples, yet one more time, of what is to come.  He tells them, "the things concerning me have an end," letting them know again what is coming by quoting from the prophesy of Isaiah:  "And He was numbered with the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).  Jesus will be taken as a criminal and sentenced to the death penalty reserved for the worst criminals in the Roman Empire.  He will be hung on a Cross, carry a curse in His own people's eyes, and His movement will be subject to hostility and persecution.  It's easily possible to believe that this is what He was referring to in telling the disciples that they must now carry moneybag, knapsack, and sword -- as these are images of those who will be traveling and must prepare themselves for travel in places among those hostile to them, and unwelcoming.  He may also be preparing them for the time that begins here with the Passion, with His Crucifixion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension, the "end time" which is the epoch we have been in since that time.  For this is a time in which judgment is being facilitated through the work of the Holy Spirit and the word of the Gospel.  We are in a time which is essentially one of testing for all people, and indeed, we might even call it a time of the sword in a symbolic sense.  That is because the word of God itself is understood as such.  St. Paul writes, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  Revelation describes "one like the Son of Man" in metaphorical imagery:  "He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength" (Revelation 1:16).  This sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth is clearly the word of God, the same thing to which St. Paul is referring in similar language.  That "two-edged sword" is one of judgment, because it is how we fall upon that word, so to speak, that determines where we are.  Do we embrace its truth?  Or do we cut against that sharp side?  Like St. Paul says, it pierces even to the division of soul and spirit . . . and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  This is the language of God's judgment, of that "one like the Son of Man," for it is the Son of Man who will judge, based upon His capacity for discernment and understanding and the knowledge of our hearts, and depending upon how we all respond to that word and to the work of the Spirit in the world in this age, this time of the end.  It is this age in which we live, and have lived during the entirety of the period of the Church.  We must consider Christ's words to the disciples, as they are the ones who will be sent out as His apostles on all the roads of the Roman Empire and into the known world and beyond, bringing the word of God as they travel among strangers and those who will persecute them, sowing the seeds of that word.  As we go about our lives today, some of us know Christians who face persecution even in those lands where Christianity first took root.  Let us consider the powerful words of warning that Christ tells the disciples, and remember also the metaphorical meaning of this sword of truth, and consider how we will respond today.  The apostles responded through evangelization, and our mission remains the same, with the same warnings, and following the same Son of Man for whom "the things concerning Me have an end."  Each of us, in our own way, must follow along that road, and take up that same sword of truth.

And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel

 

 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing. 

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

- Luke 22:14–30 

 

Yesterday we read that the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.   Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

 

 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  My study bible comments that Christ has a fervent desire for this Passover because this particular meal will impart the mysteries of the new covenant to His followers.  Moreover, this event will inaugurate the great deliverance of humanity from sin through the power of the Cross. 

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  This first cup is a conclusion of the Old Testament Passover meal which Christ eats with His disciples in order to fulfill the Law.  Until the kingdom of God comes means until Christ's Resurrection, my study bible explains.  At that time, He will again eat and drink with His disciples (Luke 24:43, Acts 10:41).  

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."  Gave thanks has as its root the Greek word eucharist/ευχαριστεω, which my study bible says immediately came to refer to both the Liturgy and the sacrament of Holy Communion.  Written before the end of the first century, the Didache mentions the celebration of the Liturgy as "the Eucharist."  Additionally, in the year AD 150, St. Justin said of Holy Communion, "This food we call 'Eucharist,' of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing [holy baptism] for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ commanded us."   Jesus also declares:  "This is My body."   My study bible notes that the Orthodox Church has always accepted these words as true; as St. Justin puts it, "that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from Him is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."  

"But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.    My study bible remarks that Judas too is invited to this table for the mystical supper, and that in doing so Jesus is seeking by all means to save him.  His unworthy participation, it says, leads to his utter destruction (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-30; compare to Esther 7).  This is pertinent to considerations of what it means to partake of the Eucharist and the consequences possible for those who are spiritually unaware or unprepared.

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The kings of Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves."  The disciples begin at this juncture a small-minded dispute, unworthy of them and out of place here in the context of the mysteries which Christ has just revealed.  My study bible comments that He corrects them by first comparing them to the power-hungry Gentiles, whom they consider an abomination, and contrasting them to Himself, who serves us even though He is Lord of all.  

 

"But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."   St. Ambrose of Milan is quoted by my study bible here:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."   My study bible adds that the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but rather by the witness of their own lives.  Since God's kingdom begins with the Resurrection of Christ, it says, the authority of judgment was already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (Matthew 16:19; John 20:23). 

I'm intrigued by the commentary on the part of St. Ambrose of Milan:  "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."   I wonder how many of us could benefit from this wisdom.  It's quite amazing how often we find ourselves measuring everything by deeds, and along with that way of thinking goes the measurement that proclaims whether or not someone is "deserving."  But Christ works with grace, and God's love is poured out in ways that aren't measured in such a way.  In chapter 6, Jesus declares, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).  The generosity of the hand of God, of grace and mercy, is linked to what St. Ambrose is saying.  How do we measure?  Must we always think in terms of "deserving" rather than gifts?  I think this is a way that children think, as they compete for what they want with siblings.  At any rate, it is a type of immature thinking.  It is important, also, that St. Ambrose writes such commentary so closely connected with the institution of the Eucharist.  As was once explained to me by a patient Bishop I was questioning, nobody "deserves" the Eucharist.  It's not a question of earning it by good deeds, or making certain qualifications.  This is a type of legalistic thinking that doesn't belong with grace.  The Eucharist -- as is implied by its name meaning "giving thanks" -- is a pure gift.  It is grace.  It is given to us as something irredeemably greater than anything we could earn or "pay" for with our good qualities, good deeds, or favors to God.  The Eucharist is the promise of life in Christ.  It is not simply a promise of eternal life (however we want to think of that), but a promise of life in abundance essentially much greater than we can think of or imagine.  In every dimension, it is a gift of pure grace and unattainable by our good deeds or acts.  This is the way God's mercy works, the way God's judgment works, exactly in tune with the words here by St. Ambrose.  And we would do well to consider how we, also, can be "like God" and think of how our gifts can also be given without measure in the sense of God's good judgment.  That is, how often is our own love or mercy given in ways that don't have to be paid for or, in fact, can't be earned?  When we act out of love, such a divine thing like grace happens.  I'm not suggesting anyone go out and bankrupt themselves with lavish gifts, nor expend their good energies on people who are entirely selfish and unappreciative.  What I am suggesting is that if we follow the lead of Christ, we will find ourselves giving where payback or a measure-for-measure payment is not possible.  Christ teaches us two great commandments that sum up all the Law and the Prophets.  He said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (see Matthew 22:36-40).  This is a prescription for living life out of the love of God; then the abundance we might share of love for others -- whether that might be a kind word, a prayer, a true warmth of the heart, assuring another of their worth and meaning to you, or any other gift -- becomes a way to share God's love with others.  And it is there -- God's love -- that we find what is inexhaustible and abundant, and ready to continually give itself through us.  It is truly amazing to understand how prayer recharges our batteries so that we find energy to continue to care for others when we're exhausted, even directing us in ways we might find revealing.  It is not a question of payment or measure or deserving:  it's a question of living out of this participation in God's love.  We see it on display in Christ:  He knows what Judas is going to do and what's in Judas' heart, and yet He is still trying by every means to save Judas in allowing him also to partake of the Eucharist and offering him the gift of His love and of Himself.  The Kingdom which Christ proclaims He bestows upon the apostles has nothing to do with what they have earned in a materialistic mindset or utilitarian sense of looking at and judging human beings.  It's quite revealing that Jesus tells them that "you are those who have continued with Me in My trials."  The Kingdom is theirs because of their faith and their potential for faith, a mysterious and unknowable reality which is revealed through time and personal struggle and sacrifice for what one ultimately loves.  But He knows who they are and invests everything in them through the grace that shows His love.  We are capable of doing the same, but with His help and grace.  For with God, all things are possible.

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve

 

 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude. 

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

 

- Luke 22:1–13 

 

In yesterday's reading, we were given an excerpt from John's Gospel, which told us the story of the woman caught in adultery.  During the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, staying with many of the other pilgrims to Jerusalem for the feast.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned.  But what do You say?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."   

 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover.  And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.  My study bible explains that the Passover (in Greek, Pascha) is the celebration of the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt and the deliverance of God's people from bondage (Exodus 12 - 14).  In remembrance of this, an unblemished lamb was slaughtered and eaten with unleavened bread.  This prefigures the Passion of Christ, in which the only-begotten Son of God is slain in order to deliver God's people from their bondage to sin and death, and then is raised to lead them into the eternal Kiingdom.  Therefore, "Pascha" is the primary term by which the Eastern Church refers to the death and Resurrection of Christ, known in the West as Easter.  

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.  So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.  And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.  So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.   My study bible comments here that Satan does not enter a person except by that person's consent.  The reason that Satan chose Judas, and none of the others, is that Judas had a place for Satan in his heart, and the others did not.  Luke mentions Judas as numbered among the twelve in order to emphasize the depth of betrayal.  It also teaches us that religious position isn't worth anything unless it is accompanied by faith and virtue.

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.  And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."  So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"  And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.  Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'  Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready."  So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.   My study bible elaborates that the term Passover (or Pascha in the Greek) can refer to the original event itself, the celebration of that event, the food that is eaten, or the lamb that is slain.  According to patristic commentary on this passage, Peter represents zeal while John represents spiritual understanding, the two virtues with which we are to partake of the Lord's supper.  

What do we think of the Gospel's report that Satan entered into Judas?  My study bible sums up the traditional patristic understanding of the Church, that this doesn't happen without at least some form of consent on the part of the person so afflicted.  It says that Judas had a place for Satan in his heart, and the others did not.  We don't really know why, although John's Gospel tells us that Judas used to steal from the treasury of the ministry, as he kept the money box.  In fact, John tells us this in the reporting of the anointing of Jesus' feet by Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus, as it was Judas who criticized her for this lavish act of love (see John 12:1-8).  Perhaps it was Jesus' open rebuke of Judas on that occasion that influenced Judas' decision to betray Christ.  Perhaps it was a wounded sense of pride that made him vulnerable and left him open with a "place in his heart" for Satan.  If that is so, then once again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, today's passage brings us again to the importance -- even the absolute necessity -- of humility as a virtue in the ministry and discipleship of Christ.  A wounded pride is quite easy to come by, especially if we are made to feel humiliated before others, most notably those whom we consider to be our peers.  We can put ourselves in Judas' place on that occasion, and imagine a perhaps somewhat quick-tempered and slightly immature personality, one used to a certain measure of honor or status, given a public rebuke by Jesus -- and in favor of a woman like Mary.  John also reports three times that Judas was the son of Simon, first in John 6:71, then notably in telling the story of Mary's anointing of Jesus in John 12, and finally in John 13:26.    In Matthew 26, the anointing of Jesus' feet by an unnamed woman takes place in Bethany, at the home of "Simon the leper," and the betrayal by Judas immediately follows (Matthew 26:6-16).  Putting these texts together, we might make a possible case for this rebuke to have happened in Judas' father's home.  In Luke chapter 7, Jesus dines in the home of a Pharisee named Simon, at which a similar anointing by a notorious sinful woman takes place (Luke 7:36-51).  All of these stories may easily be separate, having notably different aspects to them.  Nonetheless, even without the verification of which Simon might possibly be the father of Judas mentioned by John (or even if he appears in the Gospels), a good case is made for the fact that Judas suffered an open rebuke from Jesus, and so it is possible to infer a lesson for us all.  The Book of Proverbs is full of sayings about the value of a rebuke made in love.  Proverbs 1:23 commands: "Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you."  In other words, those who respond positively to a rebuke of the Lord are fit vessels for God's wisdom and grace.  Psalm 141:5 proclaims:  "Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness.  And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it."  Proverbs 3:12 tells us, "For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights."  In Revelation 3:19, the Lord declares, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent."  It's tough to accept a rebuke.  It's even tougher when that rebuke comes in front of others who are your peers.  In Judas' case, that would be the other disciples among whom he perhaps counted on a certain amount of authority regarding money matters (as "he had the money box," as John 12:6 tells us).  Especially after Judas' open criticism, Jesus' rebuke comes as a direct rebuttal, not only to Judas' statement about the waste of money, but also that he should leave the woman alone as she has done something good for Christ.  We can just imagine the public embarrassment, and the kind of character it really takes to be a good disciple, to accept correction, especially where our own vulnerabilities are concerned.  Today many of us seem to live in a world where correction seems sometimes forbidden, or to diminish someone else's standing in front of others seems a threat so hurtful that competition itself of any traditional sort becomes problematic.  In yesterday's commentary, we remarked on the harmful and hurtful nature of false accusation, open condemnation and vilification of those who err, and especially when we forget we are just as liable to need forgiveness for sin as the next person.  But in today's reading, we get another point of view that adds another facet to a teaching on humility.  It is not simply humility which might help us bear the brunt of an injustice or falsehood or harmful public disparaging, but even more importantly, it is humility that helps us benefit properly from a just rebuke made by a loving teacher.  Humility is the indispensable virtue that allows us to know a rebuke made in love by the Lord, whether that comes in the form of a stumbling block or any type of circumstance where we learn a lesson -- and more about ourselves -- by possibly falling flat on our faces, one way and another.  In a time, once again, when social media magnifies both a false pride and an over disparaging criticism or ridicule, we must consider the currently underestimated virtue of humility and how necessary it is to a Biblical perspective on our faith and discipleship.  I don't think it's fair to say that, at least in accordance with what we can read from the Gospels, humility might have prevented that vulnerable place in Judas' heart from being open to Satan.  It might have helped him to acknowledge that the rebuke from Christ was made by One who loved him.  It possibly may have allowed him to correct himself and his attitude.  And if he truly made the remark from greed, and because he was a thief, it opened the door for correction -- but his heart responded in a way to push him down a road of terrible destruction.  This is really a lesson for us all, as it illustrates something found repeatedly in the early teachings of the disciples, quite notably in what is called the Didache, the earliest teaching document of the Church, attributed to the disciples of Christ.  The Didache emphasizes the "two ways" we can choose:  the way of life and the way of death.  We can read this teaching also in Jesus' words, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).  Judas illustrates for us the importance of understanding that our choices are important, and most especially the ways in which we are capable of responding to a rebuke made in love, especially when we find ourselves in humiliating circumstances.  We need to have the humility it takes to give us the capacity to ask ourselves what God might be teaching us, and to accept a lesson we may need to learn in order to change to go forward on the road to life.  A refusal can so easily take us down the opposite road, even with consequences of great destruction to others and to ourselves.  Let us remember that a rebuke may indeed be a good and necessary thing, for none of us is without need of correction.  It is important to find a way to turn to our loving Lord to discern how best to respond, lest we give room the one who only destroys.

He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first

 

 And everyone went to his own house.

***

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned.  But what do You say?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." 

 

- John 7:53-8:11 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke a parable to those with whom He was speaking about end times, both the fullness of worldly time and His second coming, and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.  He said, "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.  But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him. 

 And everyone went to his own house. . . . But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.   Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  Although the lectionary is currently in the midst of readings in Luke (in yesterday's reading we finished Luke chapter 21), in today's reading it skips to a text from John's Gospel.  This reading is from the last verse of John 7, and the beginning of John 8.  The setting is the Feast of Tabernacles, which, in accordance with John's Gospel, Jesus attended midst His three year ministry.  Many important things happen at this Feast, significant events in Christ's ministry, and tremendous examples of His preaching, inspired by and reflecting various elements of the Feast (see John 7 - 10:21).  Today's reading, however, is one section that doesn't always appear in the lectionary.  This is because, according to my study bible, this story which follows of the woman caught in adultery is not found in several ancient manuscripts.  Neither is it found in the commentaries of St. John Chrysostom and specific other patristic commentators.  But it is nevertheless sealed by the Church as inspired, authentic, and canonical Scripture.  It bears the same authority as all other Scripture.  In the Eastern Church, it is read on the day when St. Mary of Egypt is commemorated.

And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned.  But what do You say?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.   My study bible comments here that the law dictated the death penalty for adulterers (Leviticus 20:10).  However, this was not observed to the letter in Jesus' time.  The Pharisees simply bring this woman to Him because it is an opportunity to test Jesus.  If He objects to the punishment, then they can accuse Him of opposing the Law.  If Christ upholds the judgment, He can be accused of showing no mercy to sinners.  My study bible also adds that this is the one place in the entire New Testament where we're told that Jesus wrote something.  There are many theories regarding what it was exactly that He wrote.  Some suggest He wrote out the Ten Commandments, which every accuser here had violated at least once.  Others say that He wrote the names of the accusers who had themselves committed adultery.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."  Jesus' answer is confounding to the Pharisees, because, according to my study bible, He upholds a great principle of the Law -- that the wages of sin is death (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23), while at the same time He does not neglect the greater aspect of mercy (Deuteronomy 13:17; Psalms 116:2-117:4; Hosea 6:6).  This mercy is freely offered to all repentant sinners.  In order to receive this gift, we must flee from sin.  We might observe that Jesus gives this same advice to go and sin no more after some of His gracious healings (see, for example, John 5:14).  

If we read the statute in the Law carefully regarding adultery, we see that both male and female who commit adultery are to be put to death (Leviticus 20:10).  As the Law is written with an orientation toward men, the emphasis is on breaking the rights of marriage by committing adultery with another man's wife.  Logically speaking, if this woman in the text was caught in adultery, there must have been a man also committing adultery, and therefore breaking the statute.  It stands to reason that the man was known to the scribes and Pharisees testing Jesus; for all we know, he might have been one of them.  Therefore the story is from the start unjust and lopsided, besides the fact that this statute was no longer upheld to the letter of the Law in Christ's time.  So, we have to focus on the fact that bringing her to Him is, in fact, simply a trap designed to catch Him in such a way that He can be accused before the people, and diminished in their eyes as a holy Man.  If we look at it that way, we have to view this test the way my study bible sees it:  with one answer He might be accused of opposing the Law, and with another He can be accused of hard-heartedness -- or, as my study bible puts it, of failing to forgive sinners.  And let us remember that this is the very thing for which Jesus has scandalized the Pharisees and scribes.  He has sat at dinner with notorious sinners such as the tax collector Matthew (also known as Levi) whom He has taken on as disciple (see Luke 5:29-39).   A Pharisee who had invited Christ to a dinner in his home was scandalized when a well-known sinful woman bathed Christ's feet (Luke 7:36-50).  If they can show Him as being hard-hearted in this instance, perhaps it will burst the appealing bubble of Christ as the One who forgives, even taking on disciples -- apparently both male and female -- who are known, even rather notorious sinners.  This might even be a clever way to burst the popularity of His ministry, this "new" covenant for which "new wineskins" are necessary, as He has so summarily told them on the occasion of their criticism when He dined with Matthew and his friends (Luke 5:36-39).  Let's note also that both of those occasions -- dining with tax collectors and when the sinful woman bathed His feet -- were quite public.  They were occasions on which Jesus' rebuke of those who would accuse Him of failing to properly uphold the Law where sinners were concerned was quite public.  His dismissals of those who would make a scandal of His commerce with such people were, as reported in the Gospels, even rather abrupt.  So this occasion in the temple becomes, in that plausible setting, of comeuppance by those scribes and Pharisees whom He had rebuked.  It was a kind of test to put that dispute to rest one way and another.  But yet again, they failed to do so -- for Christ went right to the heart of the matter.  It doesn't really matter who we are, nor how exemplary our behavior or exalted our position.  There will always be some way in which we, also, are imperfect.  All of us need God's mercy, one way and another.  Besides the missing man who had to be also caught in adultery, there's another kind of obvious hypocrisy here which Jesus points to with His command,  "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."   As we think of these words today, let us ponder how easily we throw stones at others in a modern medium:  that of the virtual world of the internet and social media.   We might think this story has nothing to do with today, but we'd be wrong.  In fact, I'd suggest there is an epidemic of unconscious and cruel stone-throwing going on around us.  Perhaps those who are quick to do so have never bothered to think about their own imperfections, or how easy it is to find something -- or concoct something out of thin air, as the case may be -- with which to label another.  Just like this woman seemingly plucked out of nowhere and brought before Jesus, there is a backstory to everything.  With social media, it is just that much more easy to conjure up facts taken up out of nowhere, to omit the circumstances, to edit the fullness of the whole story.  We are rather quick to throw stones, even while in our hypocrisy -- far from alien to the world of Jesus' criticism of the Pharisees and the scribes -- allows us to target others when we ourselves are far from perfect specimens of kindness or care, or even real compassion that is not simply for social appearance.  Moreover, like these scribes and Pharisees themselves, appearance-driven "good deeds" are frequently motivated by a deeper, hidden, and selfish ulterior interest.  Let us think twice when we see others vilified.  Let us look to the real story.  But most of all, let us consider how easily we ourselves - as opportune victims for another's hostility -- could be targeted and treated the same.  For true compassion comes only through humility, a virtue sorely missing from the pantheon of attributes that seem to be widely admired today, when it is so often the voice of the snide that pervades the dialogue of what passes for insight.