But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her

 

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

 

- Luke 10:38–42 

 

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

 

  Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sad at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."   And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."   We know from John's Gospel that Martha and Mary are the sisters of Lazarus, whom Christ raised from the dead (John 11:1).  My study Bible explains here that Martha is not rebuked for serving, but for being distracted, worried, and troubled about many things, even as she was providing hospitality for Jesus.  But the one thing that was needed was for her to listen to Christ, to hear His words, a priority which does not exclude serving Him.   In following Christ, it explains, we serve in order to facilitate the spread of the gospel (see Acts 6:1-4).

As we have observed in various places, hospitality is something very highly praised in the history of Christianity and also in Jewish tradition.  If we look at the story of the woman who anointed Christ's feet with oil (see this reading), Jesus complains of the lack of hospitality shown Him by His host, the Pharisee who asked Jesus to dine with Him.  The great love of the woman, a known sinner who anointed His feet with oil, was praised and even shown as an example of the great hospitality that the Pharisee lacked.  But if we look at these two stories, we see a similar thread that has to do with the place in which we hold Christ -- and through Christ, of course, His teachings and commandments, and the place of God in our lives.  This is where we really need to start to define all priorities, even what love is and how we live love.  This is what Mary is doing, despite Martha's great efforts at hospitality for the Lord.  She sits at His feet -- the same feet bathed and anointed with perfumed oil as well as the sinful woman's tears -- paying close attention to what is that good part, which will not be taken away from her.  In Monday's reading, Jesus taught about the rigors and demands of discipleship, and we were given examples of those who asked to honor family duties before following Christ as disciples.  One said to Christ, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Another asks of Him, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But both of Christ's responses to what sound like very reasonable requests, no doubt, to hearers of the Gospel then, and now, are almost shockingly negative, and sound harsh.  He says to the first, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  To the second He replies, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  There is an important common theme here about what the top priority is, what comes first that defines all else, including necessity.  It is these relationships in the Kingdom that come first, and that define all other relatedness as priority.  If we find that complicated and difficult, let us consider yesterday's reading, above, in which the two greatest commandments in the Law, as approved by Jesus, are in this order: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind," and "your neighbor as yourself."  This is a definition of how priorities and "right-relatedness" are settled.  We begin with love of God, and within that umbrella comes love of neighbor.  That is, how we are to love our neighbor.  Everything else is defined from this, for, as God is love, so we may learn love, appropriately, from God.  Love is not slavery nor slavish devotion to custom, but putting God first assures us that we will be guided in the proper way to honor what is meant to be honored by hospitality, for example, or family devotion.  In today's reading, Jesus does not seek to tear apart the tradition of hospitality, nor the relationship between the sisters!  But He is setting down a priority, and protecting Mary's devotion to God, putting the word of God first, that "good part, which will not be taken away from her."  We are reminded of Jesus' response to the devil during His temptation in the wilderness, when He quoted from Deuteronomy as rebuke:  "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).  Here, Mary is not shirking duty, nor sisterly affection, nor the duties of hospitality, but is rather listening to every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.  In that, she has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.  Let us go and do likewise, allowing Christ's words to inform our lives, habits, customs, and choices.  For the Lord's word is that which remains and will not be taken away, even when heaven and earth pass away (Mark 13:31).

And who is my neighbor?

 

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

 

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

 

- Luke 10:25–37 

 

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

 

  And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  It's quite interesting that this passage comes directly after the return of the Seventy, and particularly directly after Jesus praised God the Father because wisdom has been revealed to "babes," while "prophets and kings" had desired to see and hear what they have seen and heard, and did not (see above, the final verse in yesterday's reading).  Here, immediately following that pronouncement by Jesus, a lawyer -- that is, one who is expert in the Mosaic Law -- stood up and tested Jesus.  Jesus replies with a question of the expert, and invites him to answer his own question.  Hearing the response, Jesus approves; he has answered correctly, coupling two commandments together.  The first is what is known as the Shema (after the first word in Deuteronomy 6:4), the great confession of faith of the Jews.  The actual command the lawyer quotes is Deuteronomy 6:5 (see Deuteronomy 6:4-5).  We can read the second command in Leviticus 19:18.  These commands, coupled together, are also given by Jesus in Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34.  But here in Luke, there is a unique twist, as the lawyer asks another question:  "And who is my neighbor?"

 

 Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."  Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan, found exclusively in the Gospel of Luke.  Here the setting is the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.  My study Bible explains that Jerusalem is the place of peace, symbolic of communion with God.  Jericho, on the contrary, was renowned as a place of sin (see Luke 19:1).  To fall among thieves, my study Bible explains, speaks to the natural consequence of journeying away from God toward a life of sin (see John 10:10).  

"Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side."  My study Bible comments that titles and positions are meaningless in God's sight when good deeds do not accompany them. It quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria:  "The dignity of the priesthood means nothing unless he also excels in deeds."  That the priest and the Levite do not help the man is also an indication of the failure of the Old Testament Law to heal the consequences of sin.

 

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion."  My study Bible notes that this Samaritan is a despised foreigner for the Jews, but he is an image of Christ (John 8:48), for Christ "came down from heaven" (Creed) to save even those who were in rebellion against Him. 

 

"So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  My study Bible suggests that the bandages, oil, and wine are sacramental images.  The bandages suggest the garment of baptism, which delivers us from the wounds of sin.  The oil reminds us of the oil of chrismation, which gives us new life in the Holy Spirit.  The wine gives us an image of the communion of the divine Blood, which leads to eternal life.  His own animal, my study Bible adds, indicates Christ bearing our sins in His own body, and the inn reveals the Church in which Christ's care is received.  He pays the price for that care (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23).   

At the conclusion of today's reading, Jesus asks the lawyer, "So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  The lawyer replies, "He who showed mercy on him."  So Jesus teaches, "Go and do likewise."  If we consider my study Bible's note that to bear the man upon his own animal reminds us of Christ, who bears our sins in His own body, with the inn as a stand-in for the Church, then what we must see in this teaching is one in which we are taught to be "like God" (or like Christ) by being a true neighbor, by showing mercy, by having compassion.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).  To be a true neighbor is to be "like God," like Christ.  In this sense, it is an image of perfection drawn from daily life, from the possibilities we as human beings can embody in life.  It's also significant that the inn symbolizes the Church, because it is the place where Christ's care is received.  The Church in its history has frequently been likened to a hospital, for it is where we are to receive care for our wounds and illnesses.  In this context, sin is also seen as a type of illness, a way of being "less than" the perfection Christ describes in the Sermon on the Mount, when we're asked to be "perfect, like your Father in heaven is perfect."  If we see ourselves as in need of care and healing, we might come to terms with our own shortcomings in a much better sense than one in which shame keeps us from coming forward to acknowledge what needs repair and change in us.  Repentance, in this perspective, becomes a kind of medicine, a surgery, a way to begin to address a problem and acknowledge it.  It is said that the only unforgivable sin is one not repented; therefore this medicine for our imperfections and ailments is powerful indeed!  But everything begins with the quality of mercy, and the compassion exemplified in the Good Samaritan.  This is what makes him a neighbor.  Jesus commands the lawyer, "Go and do likewise."  So, we must conclude, are we commanded to act as neighbors.  For this is God's way, the quality Christ asks of us over and over again, and which we will answer for (Matthew 24:31-46).

 

 

 

Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it

 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

 

- Luke 10:17–24 

 

 Yesterday we read that the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.  Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 

 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  My study Bible comments that Jesus is describing an event which took place before the creation of the world.  There are five times when Satan set his will against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; see also Revelation 12:7-12).  Serpents and scorpions are symbols of devils and demons, images of the manifestation of the power of the enemy.  They sting with venous poison.  Note however, that Jesus teaches that we are to rejoice because our names are written in heaven.

 

 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."  My study Bible describes babes as meaning people of simple faith and open hearts (see Luke 18:15-17).  

In this return of the Seventy we can read the great good news of Christ's gospel, and the effects of their ministry.  First they report their power (Christ's power, shared with and bestowed upon them and their mission) even over the demons.  But Christ's response to them becomes even more important for us.  First, they are directed to rejoice not over their power against the demonic, but rather because their names are written in heaven.   In this place of the kingdom of God is the greater glory and salvation found.  But then Christ goes on to give us greater reason for rejoicing; indeed, it is His reason for rejoicing and giving thanks to God the Father:  "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight."  The text here asks of us to notice what great good news this is -- so much so, and we may even say stunningly so, that Jesus pauses to give thanks to the Father.  In this sense, we can call this a revelation of God, for even to Jesus this seems to be a new turn in His ministry, a new sign from the Father about how God's kingdom manifests, and teaching those who would seek to follow Him all about the true nature of God whom we serve.  For this is a God whose glory is defined by graciousness.  That is, not only by a shared power which the Seventy have experienced in their contact over the demonic, but rather in the wisdom and knowledge shared even with "babes."  For these Seventy are not exclusively those of the learned class or schooled in the formal schools of the religious establishment.  They are those "of simple faith and open hearts," as my study Bible describes them.  Let us note how Jesus has emphasized the gifts of the Holy Spirit already, as we read when He taught the Lord's Prayer (in this reading from chapter 11), saying, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"  For this revelation of the gracious sharing of wisdom from God the Father comes not only as good news to us, but also as a revelation of the fullness of the authority bestowed upon the Son:  "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  And then we read Jesus' private comment to the disciples:  "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."   Here is the glory and flower of this ministry, in Jesus' joyful -- perhaps we might say ecstatic -- sight, that His disciples who are "babes" have seen and heard what prophets and kings have desired to see and hear, and have not seen and not heard.  The great revelation of God in the world, through the ministry of Jesus Christ and these seventy apostles He has appointed, is God's gracious nature even to the humble and simple in the generous outpouring of the Spirit and the things of the Spirit, especially God's wisdom.  This is where we must also see God as light, for these things which prophets and kings could not hear and see are part of what it means to be enlightened, illuminated.  They are in this sense the great outpouring of God's gracious energies, the "light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel" (Luke 2:32).  If in this passage we are witnessing Christ's own ecstatic joy at this outpouring and enlightening even for the "babes," then what of us?  How are we joyful over such glad tidings, the good news of the gospel?  Do we appreciate what tremendous gifts we've been given? Do we glory in that light in the world? Can we cherish it as does He, and appreciate its worth?  Let us be grateful and live in that light, bringing glory to God as is fitting.

 

 

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

"Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

 

- Luke 10:1–17 

 

Yesterday we read that it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 

 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.  Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  Here Jesus appoints seventy more apostles to carry out and preach the word of God.  The records of the Church indicate that these served with dedication and zeal, and many of them are mentioned in the Book of Acts and also in the letters of St. Paul.  Many became bishops of various cities throughout the countries in which they traveled and made converts, as the Roman Empire of the time made possible such travel.  My study Bible notes here that Jesus instructs us to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

 

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."   My study Bible comments that lambs speak of the sacrificial life of the apostles and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves, it says, are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  This statement by Christ amplifies the teachings in yesterday's reading (see above) regarding discipleship.  

 

"Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.'  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.  Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you."  My study Bible asks us to notice that twice here Christ commands the apostles to eat whatever is offered to them.  It notes that this has a twofold significance.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  St. Cassian the Desert Father writes that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  My study Bible says that when he asked why, the elder replied, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way the ascetics would obey Christ's command here and His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2). 

"Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you.  Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.'  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city."  My study Bible comments that the gospel message is not simply that there is a Kingdom in the future, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

 

 "Woe to you, Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.  But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.  He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  My study Bible comments here that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in that regard (John 15:22-24), and are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).

 

 Many people suggest that -- for at least those of us in the West or in nominally Christian countries where the message of Christ has been heard for centuries -- we live in what some are calling a "post-Christian" world.  That is, a world in which the message of Christ has been preached and heard and part of the fabric of society for a very long time, and is now -- at least for some of the population -- fading.  That is, we live in countries where statistics indicate that those who formally hold Christian faith are receding in numbers.  Oddly, the same statistics have those who declare themselves to be "spiritual" rising nonetheless.  So, what are we to make of such stories and social reports in the light of Christ's words in today's reading?  Let us consider what it means to be exposed to Christ's gospel message of mercy and compassion, of salvation, and of the presence of the Kingdom -- and to reject that living witness.  It is very important to consider spiritual life on these terms, for we're not simply talking about an intellectual acceptance of a message.  Neither are we talking about obedience to something people can't fathom nor understand, in a blind sort of a way.  There are many who say that they were raised in homes where the Christian message was taken to one tangential extreme or another, and so have rejected Christianity, or at least embraced an ambiguous agnosticism, as a result of such experiences.  Many people possibly do not understand the fullness of the message and have perhaps been subject to distorted images of Christ and Christ's teachings.  But we know that in the world of today the gospel is available to all through popular media and in many translations, and churches of all sort also have media outlets that reach out to the world.  But there is one thing, or so it seems, of which many people are unaware or never seem to consider, and that is the presence of the Kingdom, and the power of Christ's spiritual truth.  As we can read in today's gospel passage, the Seventy return to Christ declaring, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  This is evidence of a spiritual presence, of something beyond intellectual assertion or a simple doctrine of doing good in the world, or a philosophy that sounds appealing and good.  This is powerful evidence of something that goes beyond words, or perhaps we should say, something for which the words and teachings of Christ are an icon.  That is, an opening to much, much more than words on paper, a sign of much more.  It is when that sign and that presence are rejected that we should not be too sure about the effects of such rejection.  Just as, for many people, good fortune or some sort of material blessing is automatically accounted as the result of one's own "luck" or personal merit, rather than something that suggests gratitude to God, so it is also with bad luck or bad fortune.  People fail to realize that stumbling blocks that come our way can also be lessons, teaching tools, salvation tugging at our sleeves to pay attention and to clean up our act, to become aware that there is more to life than luck or merit or ambition.  There is also holiness, and there is also the presence of the Kingdom which Christ has brought to us.  This is why the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum are those given warnings of "woes" in Christ's words in today's reading.  They have been the places that have benefited from the mighty works of Christ, witnessing the power of the presence of the Kingdom, and yet have rejected His ministry and mission.  In Mark's Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" (Mark 9:41).  Have you been blessed by such a "cup of water" by one who, through faith, has seen the face of Christ in you?  In today's reading, Jesus tells the Seventy, "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  How has a person of faith passed on to you this living reality of the Kingdom through a kindness or even a correction?  We may be in what some call a post-Christian world, but we also need to stop and look around us at the things we take for granted which have come to us as a result of the presence of this Kingdom and Christ's teachings.  Justice systems have evolved which take care to protect the innocent through the conviction that comes from knowing that the greatest Innocent was also condemned to die the most ignominious criminal death.  As such, Jesus is the great Witness to the injustice of this world.  Activists against the institution of slavery were emboldened and inspired through Christ's gospel.  The first hospitals were created by Christian faithful.  Our whole understanding of charity, and the need to protect the "least of these" can be traced to inspiration through the spread of this gospel to the world.  The concept of holiness and compassion cannot be swept away by those who would admire sheer material power and manipulation, because there are consequences to the world should we lose these precious things.  Perhaps along with the loss of such values comes a more hostile society, one in which we forget that even our opponents are human beings, one which neglects day-to-day compassion in favor of slogans that have not produced a kinder or better society by any social measure we can construct.  When even justice is reduced to a concept that benefits a select group even as it hurts others, then we have lost truth in favor of lies and manipulation.  When our sense of justice is corrupted to the point that personal conscience is rejected in favor of goig along with the crowd, then we ourselves have lost the value of our soul.   When we lose the humility He teaches, then we are in danger indeed of our own arrogance and where it leads us.  One might suggest here that we can witness this kind of "post-Christian" society in varied examples from the past century, and that we should take them to heart as examples.  Let us consider what we lose when we disparage His words and lose the presence of this Kingdom among us.  Let us hear His words and carry His kingdom into the world, within us and among us, the gospel message alive through living our faith.

 

 

 

 

No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God

 

 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

 

- Luke 9:51-62 

 

On Saturday, we read that the next day after the Transfiguration, when Jesus, John, James, and Peter had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

  Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now that Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, He has steadfastly set His face to go toward His Passion.  From Galilee, He must pass through Samaria.  Let us understand that He is headed toward rejection by His own people, and so in a sense, this rejection by the Samaritans is a preparation for the disciples.  Clearly, as Jesus says, they must learn "what manner of spirit" they are of.  They will face an incredible amount of rejection, both in Jerusalem and in their missions and ministries afterward, in the Church.  But their mission will always be to follow their Master, who has come not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.  See John 3:17.  They must learn to move on, as did Jesus, to another village.  We know Jesus' instructions for encountering rejection among the Jews (Luke 9:4); here they are among the Samaritans.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  My study Bible comments on this passage that, as Jesus responds to those who would like to follow Him, He teaches that there is a cost to discipleship.  He reveals three of them.  First, the disciple relinquishes personal or earthly security; that is, if the Lord has nowhere to lay His head, then neither will the disciple.  Second, there is nothing, not even the honor due to parents, that can be an obstacle to serving the Lord.  Finally, a disciple cannot delay in accomplishing the good that Christ demands.

 

These notes on discipleship in our last passage sound very harsh at first reading.  Even Jesus' commands sound like they could be very harsh:  "Let the dead bury their own dead," speaking of one's father, and, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God," speaking of saying farewell to those at one's house.  But these are commands that reflect, first of all, the urgency of the time.  Jesus has "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem."  It is the time for Him to act, His hour (John 12:27).  We must remember that God's timing is crucial to this picture.  We're told in Ecclesiastes, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (see Ecclesiastes 3).  This is the time for Christ's purpose, His hour of glory and glorification.  It is the time of the Cross.  But so it is in our own lives and with our own purposes set forth by God.  There are times when we're to act and to respond.  Everyone makes choices for how they are to serve God, and once that choice is made there is a hierarchy of necessities that one must face.  Do I go home now for a visit, or do I heed this call in my heart and during my prayer to act as it seems God is commanding me?  One cannot suggest that every single impulse is from God, but there are times when prayer and discernment, when speaking with pastors, and asking brothers and sisters in the Church to pray for oneself and one's choices, all add up to what seems like a powerful call, a decision to be made, even (and perhaps often) when we seem to have compelling reasons to delay, turn the other way, and put this off.  The story of Jonah is illustrative of this point.  Indeed, the first chapter of that story is all about Jonahs' disobedience, his refusal of the call from God (Jonah 1).  Similarly to Jonah, there are those of us who are aware we have put off a decision repeatedly put forward to us during prayer, and have experienced the bad outcome as another lesson from God, another pronouncement of Jesus' statement that we're not to look back once we've put our hand to the plow.  In terms of family obligations, it is often surprising how one will find that things work out, with family members much more obliging than we thought possible, or circumstances creating opportunities for us to know it was better that we responded to that call.  Oftentimes, it happens otherwise.  Our family obligation might disappoint ourselves and even those whom we sought to please, and God's call was the better priority in retrospect.  These are small examples from experience, but suffice to say that God calls us where love calls us.  We're not asked to treat family and loved ones poorly.  Nor are we asked sacrifices that will not in the long run benefit us and our lives overall -- especially in terms of values gained, character expanded, and the greatest love part of our internal experience.  While these words in today's Gospel reading sound harsh, in effect they are Christ's words of love, telling us about priorities and the values of the Kingdom.  There will be times -- and one may testify that this is so -- when it seems we are throwing away important relationships and norms in order to follow what seems like a fool's errand that is the product of our faith.  But those times have embedded within them a prescience we're not always in touch with, and that is truly where faith comes in, even how our faith grows.  God asks of us courage, even as Christ shows His courage.  Sometimes we are being asked for a greater humility than we knew.   Let us consider the help we have to make good decisions and find our way with faith.  Remember that the God we serve is love, whose kindness and mercy and grace is our guiding light.  For we, too, must know what manner of spirit we are of.  Ultimately our choices are about the values we wish to help to bear into the world, the greater love that might not make sense to the world, but which we nonetheless can know.

 

 

Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me

 

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. 

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

 

- Luke 9:37-50 

 

Yesterday we read that, about eight days after Jesus taught the disciples that He will suffer, and also that one must take up his cross daily to follow Him (see Monday's reading), He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  

 

Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.   My study Bible comments here that, while the disciples' faith was incomplete (Matthew 17:19-20), Christ's rebuke (O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?) is also to the crowds, whose faith was weaker still.  See Mark 9:22-24, in which the father of the boy tearfully pleaded with Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

 

 And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.  This is the second time that Christ has warned the disciples of what is to come in Jerusalem, at His "decease" (in the Greek, literally, exodus) which the disciples witnessed Him speaking of with Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, in yesterday's reading, above.  The first time was He warned them about His suffering, death, and Resurrection to come was in the text from Monday's reading.   My study Bible comments that Christ's repeated prediction of His Passion was meant to encourage and strengthen His disciples for the terrifying events they would face, and also to assure them that Christ was not powerless but went to the Cross willingly.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."  Now John answered and said, "Master we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."  My study Bible says that this dispute among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest indicates a selfish interest in worldly power.  Jesus points to a little child in order to illustrate the humility necessary to be truly great in His Kingdom.  My study Bible cites Theophylact, who attributes John's comment to regret, his conscience having been pricked by what Christ said about the least and the great.  But St. Ambrose, on the other hand, sees John as expecting full obedience to accompany such expectations.  In either interpretation, my study Bible notes, Christ's response shows that those who act in good faith are not excluded, even if they are not currently numbered among the disciples.  Theophylact writes, "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  See also Numbers 11:24-30.  On those using Christ's name without good faith, see Luke 11:23; Acts 19:13-16.

Without humility we have no real service in the kingdom of God.  Jesus sets a little child next to Him as an example of the "least of these" in the Church, or who will come to the disciples in their future missionary and shepherding duties for the Church.  While they seemingly expect the Kingdom to appear imminently, as they have been twice told by Christ that He will be betrayed and suffer, indicating the first time (see Monday's reading), that on the third day He will rise again.  Let us not forget, we ended Monday's reading with Jesus telling them, "But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."   So we may understand their dispute as to who will be the greatest as related to places in this earthly kingdom they believed the Messiah would bring, as this was the popular expectation among the people.  But this becomes a teaching opportunity for Christ, as in the ancient world, rank and hierarchy were absolute.  To be great was to boast of one's power, even ruthlessness in using that power, and the capacity to crush one's enemies.  This was typical of the earthly kingdoms of Christ's time.  In a sort of public relations campaign, Caesar bragged that he had killed a million Gauls.  This was considered a testimony to greatness.  In fact, that message was the subject of one of the emperor's "gospels" (good news), the word at the time for such proclamations.  But Christ here sets His Kingdom on a completely different trajectory, and especially indicates what leadership -- greatness -- should look like in His Church.  Here, He begins to prepare His disciples for the time when He will not be humanly present among them as Jesus, and they will be the ones to lead and carry the Church into the world.  From His teaching here on greatness, we can trace the understanding in the Christian tradition of the importance of hospitality, of caring for the "least of these" and those less fortunate among us.  In fact, for the desert monastics, the tradition of hospitality, of welcoming the stranger, would take priority even over prayer if there was a knock at the door.  It's important to understand Christ's stress on humility, as it is the platform, foundation, and gateway to all of the Christian virtues.   He models for us what we understand as graciousness, gentleness -- and this becomes a foundation for civilization.  For our part, let us be grateful for His legacy to us.  

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening

 

Transfiguration Icon, late 16th century - St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 

- Luke 9:28-36 

 

On Wednesday we read that, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."  So He said to them, "When you pray, say:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us day by day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.  So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

 

  Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  The first hint we have that something very important is happening here is the reference to eight days.  Eight is an important number, and since this is in the context of days, it gives us another important reference.  At the Feast of Tabernacles (which makes its appearance in another reference further along in today's reading), the eighth day was the last, great day of the feast (John 7:37).  This was also known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom, and so here we have a hint about what is manifesting for these apostles on the mountain.  In Christian tradition, and specifically because of the Resurrection, Sunday is known not only as the first day of the week for our worship, but it is also called the "eighth day," which my study Bible says symbolizes eternity, a day without end.  If seven is a number of completeness, eight is that step beyond.  To go up on the mountain is symbolic of a holy place, a place closer to God.

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  Here we begin to understand something truly special is happening, for this is the story of what is called the Transfiguration, a major feast day in the Church.  This alteration of Christ's face, and particularly the white and glistening quality of His entire appearance, makes this moment a theophany.  Theophany means a manifestation of God, and in particular here, what is revealed is a display of Christ's uncreated, divine energy.  Because God is light (1 John 1:5), there are several elements which combine in the reading to convey that Jesus is God.  Here, in particular, the white and glistening quality of the light emanating from Christ's person.  Matthew reports that Christ's face "shone like the sun" (Matthew 17:2).  In some icons of the Transfiguration, this light is shown as beyond white, a bluish-white, ineffable color, indicating its spiritual origin.  In Greek, the word for transfiguration is metamorphosis/μεταμορφωσις.

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.   My study Bible says that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- since he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  My study Bible comments that their presence here shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  Moreover, it is noted here that what is translated as Christ's decease is in Greek exodus/ἔξοδος, which literally means "departure."  My study Bible adds that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, as Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  This term, exodus, reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover and is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  Also, it adds, that this revelation of divine power also confirms Christ's upcoming death was not imposed on Him by outside forces, but was a voluntary offering of love, as no arresting soldier could have withstood such glory if He had not consented (Matthew 26:53).

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  My study Bible notes the words of an Orthodox festal hymn of the Transfiguration:  "Your disciples beheld Your glory as far as they could bear it, so that when they saw You crucified, they would understand that Your suffering was voluntary."

 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said. Here is another reference to the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of the Coming Kingdom, in which the time Israel wandered toward the Promised Land and dwelt in tents, or tabernacles was commemorated.  My study Bible says that Peter sees what is happening as a sign that the Kingdom has come, and in this sense, he asks to build booths as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  Some also suggest that Peter knows he is witnessing what might be called a "divine council" meeting, and so the presence of the gathering tents is a natural association for his time and place.  Additionally, the presence of Moses and Elijah here manifest the communion of the saints (Hebrews 12:1).  Both are immediately recognizable and they talk with the Lord.  Now, my study Bible says, the disciples are able to understand Jesus' words that "Elijah has come already" (Matthew 17:2) referring to John the Baptist.  It notes that their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one coming "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), rather than to Elijah himself.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  Finally, what truly makes this event a theophany is the manifestation of the Holy Trinity:  Christ is transfigured, the Father speaks from heaven testifying to Christ's divine sonship here, and the Holy Spirit is present in the form of a dazzling light which surrounds Christ's person, overshadowing the whole mountain. 

When we think of the Transfiguration, we think of this dazzling white light.  To remind us, my study Bible says it is beyond white, symbolizing its divine, heavenly origin.  White light might be something to ponder, because when we think of earthly white light, we get an interesting phenomenon.  Truly white light is in some sense "misleading."  This is because while the color white in a material sense may reflect the absence of all color as in a bleached garment, reflected light is different.  White light is actually composed of every color in the spectrum, while darkness is the absence of light.  So if we consider that Christ is here reflecting not simply "all things" in the spectrum of worldly light, but even more beyond that, heavenly light in origin, then we truly have the Christ.  That is, another manifestation here of the Incarnation, both divine and human (that is, both divine in origin and also earthly in origin).  So we could think of the Transfiguration as completing this revelation of Christ's identity also in this dual sense of the light.  Moreover, if white light reflects a whole spectrum of worldly light, then Christ's transfiguring "beyond white" divine light transfigures all of our worldly realities and experiences, and that is what He -- in the Incarnation -- is also here to bring to us.  It is even what He will bring to His Passion and Crucifixion, transfiguring the Cross with the same light so that it becomes the symbol of salvation and Resurrection that we know.  In this sense, the Cross is the truly transfiguring symbol we have, for it tells us that all things, and even death, are transfigured in Christ and in the power of Christ, and this transfiguring power is offered to each of us.  If we can think of that in this sense when we read Christ's words that we are to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23), then we will understand more clearly the power that is conveyed in that cross, for we are meant also to be transfigured as followers of Christ, as participants in God's grace and Kingdom, even as we live through whatever struggles and experiences we have in this world.  The icon above is from St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai, home to what is considered the Burning Bush in Moses' vision (Exodus 3).  If we remember that for the ancient world, fire was the source of light besides the sun, we begin to perceive the ties between the Burning Bush of Moses, and the Mount of Transfiguration.  The energies of God are present in both places, both on the holy mountain, and both with Moses as witness to the testimony of God, to theophany in both Old and New Testaments.  Let us consider the mystery, the fullness of revelation, and the Resurrection to come in this light.