If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes

 

 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." 

 

- Mark 9:14–29 

 

Yesterday we read that after six days (following Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ) Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

 

  And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"  Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid.  So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."  My study Bible says of today's passage that sickness in Scripture is often connected to demonic activity.  

He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me."  Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.  So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"  And he said, "From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."  Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it:  "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him.  And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead."  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.  The key issue in today's reading is faith, and our struggle with it.  Clearly there are degrees of faith, as shown in varied places in the Gospels, but also here in an explicit way.  Jesus laments this "faithless generation" which would seem to include all the people.  We should remember that Jesus has come down from the Mount of the Transfiguration where He was with Peter, James, and John.  So the disciples who could not cast out the demon were the other nine.  Let's note also that this is the center of a dispute, where the scribes are also critically eyeing what happens with Christ's disciples, and the boy's father is also struggling with his faith, as evidenced by his plea with Jesus, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

 

 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"  So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  Again, the key to this passage is faith, and the levels of faith within each person.  Prayer and fasting are two things that help to shore up and to build faith.  St. Jerome comments on this passage, "The Lord himself consecrated his baptism by a forty days’ fast, and taught us that the more violent devils cannot be overcome except by prayer and fasting."

 

 In St. Jerome's commentary (quoted above), he recognizes the particular violence of these "devils" who often throw the child into fire and water, to destroy him, in the words of the father.  So we can read a correlation between the particular malice of these demonic spirits and the strength of faith required to combat them.  There is another commentary on this passage by a very early Church Father, called Minucius Felix, who writes, "These spirits therefore, having lost the simplicity of their created being and the primitive fineness of their nature, are now clogged and laden with iniquity. Utterly undone themselves, they make it their whole business to undo others, for companions in misery. Being depraved themselves, they would infuse the same depravity into others.… When we command them by the one true God, the wretches, bitterly against their will, fall into horrible shiverings, and either spring straightaway from the bodies they possess, or vanish by degrees, according to the faith of the patient or the grace of the physician."  In other words, he sees the viciousness of these demons as corresponding to their own fall and misery.  At the same time, we must see that it is faith that uplifts, and again the strength of the faith of the disciples (and of course, Christ Himself) makes the difference.  But clearly, through Christ's words directed at the disciples, we must understand that while faith is a gift, it is one that asks for and responds to our cooperation, and our own efforts to shore it up, through acts such as prayer and fasting.  Our dedication to Christ makes a difference, even our willingness to sacrifice for it through efforts such as these, giving our time, energy, work, and devotion.  This is why regular attendance of worship, and practices in the home, remain important to us and always have been a part of Church practice, and community practices.  We as faithful have a kind of honor to participate in these ways, and be a part of Christ's life and mission by so doing in whatever way that we can.  As today's reading demonstrates, and particularly the words of this Church Father teach us, it is the strength of our faith that makes a difference in terms of combating the effects of the malicious spirits in the "unseen warfare" that goes on around us all the time.  While these things always remain somehow mysterious to us, let us focus especially on the mystery and power of faith.  We've already seen Christ taking those who would be healed outside of a town where belief or faith was little to nonexistent, and in this we observe the importance of faith to healing.  In the healing of Jairus' daughter, He brought in with Him only Peter, James, and John (together with her parents) and put outside all those who ridiculed His statement that the child wasn't dead.  What we need to think about today, and for ourselves, is the power of faith in our own lives, and what difference it might make that we also participate in the things that Christ here indicates may strengthen it.  If faith makes such a difference in terms of the malice of the demons, then imagine how our own communities and environments are influenced in subtle and perhaps not-so-subtle ways in accordance with our faith.  In our own homes we might venerate icons (as in Orthodox Christian practice but shared between denominations), practice regular prayer of various kinds, and follow traditional fasting practices as well, in addition to our worship tradition on Sundays and other days services are offered.  There are many ways in which we can "work the work of faith" (John 6:28-29) and help to build up faith through our capacity to receive it.  St. Augustine comments, "So then in order that we may pray, let us believe, and let us pray that this same faith by which we pray may not falter."  Faith and prayer, then, go hand in hand.  Jesus teaches in today's reading, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."   In this sense, faith becomes the bedrock of the lives we wish to lead, and where we go in life, what we build in our lives and communities.  Without it, where do we go, and what do we do?  St. Paul writes, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).  All the Gospels, and the mission of Jesus Christ, continually teach us this sacred blessing of faith, and its growth and fullness within us, and how essential it is to our lives in so many ways.  Let us do as He teaches.

 

 

His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them

 

 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.  And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

 

- Mark 9:2–13 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."   And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

 

  Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  The event described in today's reading is called the Transfiguration, after the fact that Christ was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.  Let us keep in mind that these three are Christ's "inner circle," those disciples of the strongest faith and to whom He is closest.  According to St. Augustine, after six days refers to the intervening days between the day that Peter made his confession that Jesus is the Christ (see yesterday's reading, above) and the day of the Transfiguration.  That would make this day the "eighth day"which is associated with the Resurrection.  

 

 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.  This powerful description of light pervading Christ and even His clothes is the signal of the presence of God, the heavenly reality that is revealed here.  Because God is light (1 John 1:5), my study Bible notes, the presence of light -- the shining, exceedingly white clothing -- demonstrate that Jesus is God.  In some icons this light is shown as "beyond white" (such as no launderer on earth can whiten them), a blue-white, ineffable color, to indicate the spiritual origin of this divine, uncreated light.

 

 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. Elijah and Moses appearing together give us the understanding of the communion of saints (that great cloud of witnesses as St. Paul describes it in Hebrews 12:1) and the timelessness of the Kingdom of heaven, as all present were from different earthly time periods and yet speak to one another, and are immediately known and recognized by St. Peter.  My study Bible comments that Moses represents the law and all those who have died, while Elijah represents the prophets and -- as he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  It notes that their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, who is indeed the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  Peter has an instant sense that the Kingdom is present, and suggests the building of tabernacles as was done at the Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Sukkot), which was the feast of the Coming Kingdom; these are symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.

 

 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  Here the Holy Trinity is present.  There is the transfiguration of Christ, the Father who speaks from heaven testifying that Jesus is the eternally-begotten divine Son, and the Holy Spirit is present in the form of the "bright cloud" (as Matthew 17:5 describes it) which overshadows with light the whole mountain.   This type of event is therefore called a Theophany, a manifestation or "showing forth" of God. 

 

 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.  Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.  So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.  And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things.  And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."  As Moses and Elijah were present and recognizable to the disciples, now they are able to understand Jesus' words that Elijah has also come already as referring to John the Baptist.  My study Bible comments that their eyes have been opened to the fact that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5) refers to one who would come "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), rather than to Elijah himself. 

 

The Transfiguration serves as a model for the life of the faithful, bringing us meaning in what it is to be touched by Christ, by His holy light, and to live in faith.  For in accordance with our faith, we take the Eucharist as instituted by Christ, in which Christ's human and divine natures are present for us, and become a part of us.  Therefore we might also become transfigured; that is, assisted via Christ and through the Holy Spirit to become the spiritual children of God, and to grow in likeness to Christ.  As St. Paul writes, "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).  Through Christ's light and our faith, we also are meant to be transfigured into this image, and bear the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives.  Our growth and gradual transformation through these virtues becomes, then, a work of God in us and through our faith.  If we look at the disciples, we also see such growth and maturing, as well as their growth in wisdom and leadership in the Church.  Jesus' image of this transfiguring light permeating all around Himself serves as a reminder that the light of Christ is not something that is meant for Him alone, but that He came into this world to transfigure our human nature, so that we, in turn, might attain eternal life with Him.  At Christ's Ascension, His human nature as Jesus went with Him, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, just as His divine nature is.  Therefore, He went to make a place for us:  "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3).  So this event of the Transfiguration, while it is a tremendous revelation of the presence of the Trinity, and of the true divine nature of Christ, also tells us about ourselves and our faith.  For nothing has happened in Christ's mission that was not meant specifically for us, and an act of God's love for us.  Certainly this experience would serve for Peter, James, and John as an unforgettable understanding of Christ and the Kingdom, and also one that would affirm their faith as they went forward into their lives as apostles and leaders of Christ's Church.  These experiences are here in the Gospels for us also, so that we understand better the nature of our faith, and the truth of Christ.  In Greek, the title for the Transfiguration is "Metamorphosis" (Μεταμορφωσις).  This gives us a taste of what our faith is all about, that we as human beings are meant for change and growth, and in following Christ and living His faith, this is what we accept, to change and grow in His image for us.  This is what saints are all about; it is the holiness that comes from devoting oneself to God, and deepening one's reliance upon God.  So let us look to the Transfiguration for the image of the holy light that sanctifies.  Origen comments on this dazzling light, brighter than white, more brilliant than the sun, whiter than gleaming snow, and its transfiguring power.  He says, "The best of human wisdom is bleached and purified by his coming."  So is Christ's effect on everything we might know, preparing all to be a part of His Kingdom.  We know Him in the Church as the Sun of Righteousness; let us become through Him the children of the light. 

 

 

 

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me

 

 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."   And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

 

- Mark 8:27-9:1 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Jesus, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But he sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"  Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, " Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town." 

 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"  So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."  Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.  My study Bible comments that, "Who do you say that I am?" is the greatest question any person can ever face, for it's the question that defines Christianity.  As Peter answers correctly, this prevents the Christian faith from being seen as merely another philosophical system or path of spirituality, as it names Jesus as the Christ.  That is, the one and only Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16).   This position, it says, excludes all compromise with other religious systems.  Peter's understanding cannot be achieved by human reason, but only through divine revelation through faith (1 Corinthians 12:3).  Christ means "Anointed One."  It is equivalent to the Hebrew title "Messiah."  My study Bible also asks us to note that Christ first draws out erroneous opinions about Himself.  He does so in order to identify these incorrect ideas, as a person is better prepared to avoid false teachings when they've been clearly identified. 

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.  He spoke this word openly.  Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.  But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Here, following Peter's confession of faith that He is the Christ, Jesus reveals the true nature of His messiahship:  this is the mystery of Christ's Passion.  My study Bible explains that it was expected that the Messiah would reign forever, so the idea that Christ would die was perplexing to Peter and remained scandalous to the Jews even after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:23).  Here Peter unwittingly speaks for Satan, as the devil did not want Christ to fulfill His mission and save humankind through suffering and death.  

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."    The cross was a dreaded instrument of Roman punishment, reserved for the worst of criminals.  But it is also a symbol of suffering by Christians in imitation of Christ.  My study Bible comments that we practice self-denial for the sake of the love of God and the gospel.  To accept this suffering is not a punishment, and neither is it an end in itself.  Rather, it's a means to overcome the fallen world for the sake of the Kingdom and to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).  

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."  My study Bible notes that the central paradox of Christian living is that in grasping for what is temporal, we lose the eternal.  But in sacrificing everything in this world, we gain eternal riches which are unimaginable (1 Corinthians 2:9). 

 

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."   Jesus asks, "What will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  My study Bible says that this question emphasizes the utter foolishness of accumulating worldly wealth or power, for none of this can redeem a fallen soul, nor benefit a person in the life to come.  

And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."  This is a reference to those who would witness the Transfiguration (tomorrow's reading), as well as those in each generation who will experience the presence of God's Kingdom.  

My study Bible emphasizes Christ's gospel of the Kingdom as making that presence real to those who may experience it through faith.  Jesus will teach, as reported in Matthew's Gospel, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).  Here in today's reading, Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ makes the presence of God's kingdom real and palpable in the midst of the disciples, for He is the only-begotten Son.  Therefore, Christ's final comment in today's reading is illumined through His real identity as the Christ.  He introduces the great paradox of saying that, although that kingdom of God may be present with power to some, nonetheless that Kingdom will be achieved and claimed for Him with all authority through the means of a tremendous sacrifice, His suffering and death on the Cross.  There are many, many things that can be inferred and understood from this sacrifice, Christ's mission in the world as the Incarnate Son of God and human being Jesus, and no doubt many more to come.  But for now let us pause to consider that in teaching the disciples about taking up their own crosses, He invites us into perfect participation in His life, death, and Resurrection.  These things do not simply mean the life of this one human and divine Person, but the entirety of the life of the Kingdom.  For in so doing, Jesus invites us to live the life of the Kingdom, and for that Kingdom to be present to us even in the here and now.  Let us remember that through His mission and the Cross, Jesus assumes all authority as Lord.  So, He teaches here, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"  How will we know what life of the soul is in store for us?  How can we understand these grave questions except in terms of participating in the life of the Kingdom, and what that holds for us?  There is no other way, except to understand that in imitation of Him, and through His invitation to us here to take up our own crosses, He invites us into that eternal life of the Kingdom, that "more abundant" life with Him.  We are asked to participate in His sacrifice ourselves so that we may also participate in His life and Kingdom.  Let us understand this great mystery, and the tremendous invitation to the gift of this life and this Kingdom.  Moreover, the gift of the soul is the gift of identity, and the "more abundant" life possible therein.  We can look at the saints and understand their sacrifices for the life of the Kingdom, and note that these lives are dynamic and powerful, people becoming somehow "more" themselves through such sacrifice, not less.  That door is open to us, and He is the Door Himself.

I see men like trees, walking

 

 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But he sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  

And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"  

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, " Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."

 

- Mark 8:11–26 

 

Yesterday we read that, in those days of Christ's ministry, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

 

Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But he sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign?  Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation."  A sign from heaven, my study Bible explains, means a spectacular display of power.  It says that the time of the Messiah among the Jews was expected to be accompanied by signs, but these hypocrites have not recognized the signs already being performed because their hearts were hardened, and they ignored the works which were happening all around them.

And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  They said Him, "Twelve."  "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"  The leaven of the Pharisees, according to my study Bible, is their doctrine (Matthew 16:12) and their hypocrisy (Luke 12:1).  In Scripture, it explains, "leaven" is used both positively (as in the parable found at Matthew 13:33) and also negatively, as Jesus uses it in this instance.  In either case, what leaven symbolizes is a force powerful enough -- and frequently subtle enough -- to permeate and affect all that is around it (see 1 Corinthians 5:6-8). 

 

Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town.  And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking."  Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.  And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  Then He sent him away to his house, saying, " Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town."  My study Bible comments on this passage that the people of Bethsaida were unbelieving (see Matthew 11:21).  This is why, therefore, Jesus leads this blind man out of the town in order to heal him.  My study Bible comments that this is so that the people would not scoff at the miracle, and thus bring upon themselves greater condemnation.   (Let us note also that Jesus does the same with the people who ridicule Him at the time of the healing of Jairus' daughter; see Mark 5:40.  This is also done to shore up the faith of those who seek the healing.)  My study Bible further asks us to observe that this blind man was healed in stages; it says that this snows that he had only a small amount of faith, for healing occurs according to one's faith (Mark 6:5-6).  However, this little faith was enough, and it increased with the touch of Jesus.  Christ's command not to return to the town symbolizes that we must not return to our sins once we have been forgiven, my study Bible says.  Note also that by doing so, this healed man will not surround himself with scoffers, but hopefully will remain in a place that helps preserve, protect, and grow his faith instead.  Those who seek healing in faith will often find it is necessary to separate oneself from old company or even community in order to retain the life in Christ we gain and the strength that comes through our faith, should such influences be detrimental to it.

 

The first thing we might note about today's reading is that what we might term the slow learning of the disciples parallels the healing in stages of the blind man in the second part of the reading.  This "slow learning" is also a matter of faith; for as the text says, their hearts were hardened.   That they had not understood  is also a matter which goes hand in hand with faith, and the depth of that faith in the heart.  If we go back to an earlier passage in St. Mark's Gospel, we find that the text tells us the disciples did not understand about the loaves, for their heart was hardened.  On that passage, my study Bible commented that to know Christ is a matter of the heart, and not simply the intellect.  It says that when our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive God's presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, we're told, the heart is known as "the seat of knowledge."  So, we must find this understanding of the heart for ourselves, if we are to understand our faith and how it works in us and for us.  Note how this understanding, in fact, grows.  Nothing is static, else Christ's mission -- and the ongoing mission of the Church -- would be in vain.  At the very beginning of our reading for today, we see for ourselves the "hardness of heart" of the Pharisees; they don't understand at all, and for reasons that conflict with what that understanding and faith would mean for them.  It would result in a loss of authority for their doctrine, and the need to repent and change.  They are blind in a sense that is symbolic, and also reflects a parallel in the healing of the blind man.  In their blindness, a demand for a sign, even if fulfilled, would do not good anyway, and so Christ responds with the truth that He will not provide proofs on demand, signs to convince.  His signs come in response to faith.  So, in this context, we move on to today's somewhat humorous passage in which the disciples cannot understand what Christ is talking about, and misunderstand His comment regarding "the leaven of the Pharisees" for criticism that they have forgotten to bring bread with them -- to Christ's seeming exasperation.  His words, "How is it you do not understand?" would seem to indicate that our Lord even marvels at this possibility.  Yet, they are His chosen disciples, and there is something essential that makes them different from the Pharisees.  They remain capable of growing in their faith, and growing in their understanding of Christ and the gift of His mission into our world, and His ongoing ministry in which they will participate and grow also.  Finally, we come to the healing of the blind man, which is such a significant passage for so many reasons.  There is first the understanding which my study Bible comments upon, the gradual healing of the man.  Note how it comes from Christ's repeated touch with His hands on the man's eyes.  We have already written above the notation in the study Bible regarding separation from those who scoff, and what an important component of our need to strengthen and shore up our faith that is.  One common example we might take from modern life is the struggle against addiction, and the Twelve Step program's advocacy for reliance upon a Higher Power for help.  Very frequently recovering addicts will find they need to separate themselves from old friends or even community in that same struggle, for bad influences are detrimental to sobriety.  It's the same with our need for our faith, and these deep matters of the heart.  We need to do all we can to protect and guard our hearts in the very need to practice and grow our faith as well, regardless of circumstances.  Like the disciples will do in their ongoing journey and learning from Christ, the blind man gradually recovers his sight, even as it is parallel to his faith.  "I see men like trees, walking" is a memorable image of an image coming gradually into focus, something we can't quite see nor understand with a bare grasp only of what it is.  It is Christ who gives sight and heals, Christ who teaches us that He is the light of the world by which we shall truly see.  That He has great patience while we learn and grow, just as with the disciples, is the gift of the love of God for us, and teaches us in turn how to love. 

 

 

How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?

 

 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

 

- Mark 8:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read that, after a disagreement with the Pharisees, Jesus arose and went to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered into a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." 

 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.  This is the second feeding of a multitude in the Gospels.  My study Bible says it should not be confused with the first (see this reading), for they are two distinct miracles.  There is a significance in the variance of the number of loaves, it says.  In the first feeding miracle, there were five loaves, which symbolizes the Law.  But here there are seven.  Seven is a symbol of completeness, and here it indicates spiritual perfection.  So, in the first feeding miracle of the five thousand, Jesus reveals Himself as fulfilling the Law.  But here is, in some sense, the New Covenant, as Christ is shown to be the One who grants spiritual perfection.  We must note also that the crowds have continued with Him for three days; this number is clearly significant as the number of days Christ would rest in the tomb prior to the Resurrection.  My study Bible comments that participation in Christ's perfection can only come through being united to His death (see Romans 6:3-5). 

Why two feeding miracles in the wilderness?  As my study Bible explains, these are clearly two distinct miracles, meant to be included in the Gospels.  One clear explanation seems to be in the symbolism noted by my study Bible.  In the first miracle, there was the exposition of the fulfillment of the Law in Christ.  Perhaps we should note that just as He distributes fish and bread, He is also the Lord, the giver of the Law of the Old Testament.  In today's reading, He repeats this giving and distribution, but of something new.  Four thousand is a number that indicates the whole world, or perhaps the whole universe, as four is a number symbolizing the four directions, and the four points of the Cross.  This is the New Covenant being giving to all, and both Gentile and Jew, for which Christ will lay in the tomb three days before His Resurrection.  The number seven, as my study Bible points out, is an indication of completeness.  This is the spiritual perfection, the granting of that eternal life of the Resurrection in which we may participate also, through the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ.  It is He who makes this possible for us, and we take life from His hand, so to speak, in the distribution of the Eucharist, the memorial of His sacrifice to make this abundant life possible for us.  So while the first feeding miracle reminds us of the Covenant given to the Jews, and the feeding in the wilderness as they journeyed to the Promised Land, this second miracle is the giving of the New Covenant, as we journey in faith toward a different promised land, and the life of the Kingdom.  We "continue with Him" taking in His teachings, and relying upon Him to provide what we need for the life He offers.  Let us remember to do just that, to continue with Him, to endure in faith, even through the difficulties we encounter in life.  For this is where He asks us to go, and how He asks us to walk with Him and to grow more dependent upon Him.  He is the One who feeds us what we need, and multiplies His blessings, grace, and teachings as we need them.

Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it

 

 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered into a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.  

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

 

- Mark 7:24-37 

 

On Saturday, we read that the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Jesus, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand?  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man." 

 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered into a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  Tyre and Sidon is a Gentile region which was to the north of Galilee.  As the text indicates, Jesus goes here to withdraw after yet another conflict and challenge to the Pharisees (see Saturday's reading, above).  It is for this reasons that He entered into a house and wanted no one to know it.  However, His identity and fame by this time mean that He could not be hidden.  In St. Matthew's version of this story, this withdrawal from the Pharisees into Gentile territory is emphasized through Jesus' remark, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:23).  Thus, He was not there to preach.

For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.  My study Bible comments that Christ's refusal at first to heal her daughter comes not only because His ministry before the Passion is first to the Jews, but also serves to reveal her profound faith and love.  Her persistence, her alacrity in her response, and her humility before Him all speak of her faith.  My study Bible says that she accepts her place beneath the Jews ("the children"), who were the chosen people of God, but still desires a share in God's grace.  It notes that Christ's hesitancy is not a lack of compassion, but a conscious means to reveal her virtues.  This is confirmed in Christ's response, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  Little dogs are house dogs, puppies.  One can imagine her persistence in the way that a puppy may plead under a table for the good food thereon.  My study Bible further comments that her ultimate acceptance by Christ also points to the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church after Pentecost, no longer as dogs but as children who are invited to eat the bread of eternal life. 

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.   My study Bible indicates that Christ's sigh in looking up to heaven is a sign of divine compassion for the sufferings of our fallen human nature. 

Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."  Here, according to my study Bible, Jesus shows us that we must not seek acclaim or praise when we do good to others.  Interestingly, it notes, Theophylact upholds those who disobey Christ under these circumstances.  He sees them as a good example, that we should proclaim those who have done good to us even if they do not want us to. 

 

 Theophylact's praise of the people who proclaim Christ's work, although He commanded them that they should tell no one, is an intriguing understanding of grace and graciousness.  From a certain perspective, it is a way to enact the reciprocal practice of mercy, of the joyful receipt of a gift.  It speaks to all of gratitude for something very fine and good.  In this sense, we can understand Theophylact's approval and praise.  In a sense slightly similar to the voluntary expression of humility by the Syro-Phoenician woman, the people's exuberant praise for Christ is an acknowledgement of something or Someone who is much greater than they, or than others they have known.  It is a way to express that God is worthy of praise at all times.  In the understanding from the Gospels, and the Old Testament Scriptures, we call this giving glory to God, an appropriate thing to do in all times and circumstances.  This seems difficult to do -- or perhaps it doesn't seem to make sense -- when we go through difficult times.  One might turn to the first part of our reading today, and a modern sense of what's fair would be appalled and upset at Christ's reference to the Syro-Phoenician woman as a "little dog."  But then one would have to recall that it was in the very earliest days of the Church that the idea that all the faithful were one family as believers, Jews and Gentiles.  Instead, we need to see the responses Christ gives to this woman as something to be thankful for, even to glorify God, because -- as my study Bible remarks -- Jesus' response to this woman draws her out, and shows to all her faith, persistence, intelligence, and commitment of love for her daughter.  In our own lives, the same can be said of difficulties met with faith and the help of God.  This particular episode described here in today's reading also opens up the door to the fruitfulness of Christ's mission, and its eventual turn toward the Gentiles as well as the Jews.  Let us remember gratitude as a great key to our faith, one that unlocks all kinds of ways in which we may experience the love of God and the insights that will give us.  For faith is not purely a rational choice, it's not just expedient, neither is it merely something we practice because everyone else is doing it.  It's the work of God we're given to do. 

What comes out of a man, that defiles a man

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  

 

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand?  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1-23 

 

Yesterday we read that when evening came (following Christ's feeding of the five thousand), the boat of the disciples was in the middle of the sea; and Jesus was alone on the land where He had gone to pray.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.   

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."   My study Bible frames this is as not concerning the observation of Jewish customs or tradition, which Christ does not prohibit (Matthew  5:17-19; 23:23).  The conflict here is setting human tradition which is contrary to the tradition of God, such as that which was given to Moses for the people.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law.  For the Pharisees and the scribes this became as authoritative as the Law and often superseded it.  According to that tradition, offerings (which were called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself, but not for anybody else, including a person's parents, my study Bible explains.  It notes that secondary traditions like this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, contained in God's commandments.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand?  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study Bible explains that Jesus teaches that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God, and these are what defile a person.  

Sometimes Jesus' teachings on the internal life of a person can be somewhat confusing; or rather, the truth is, we might become confused about how they actually apply to our every thought, such as in His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount on murder and adultery (Matthew 5:21-30).  Jesus' emphasis there is on how such violations of the law begin within the heart, and the importance of guarding our hearts and knowing and correcting ourselves in this sense.  But here, His teaching, while it emphasizes the internal state of a person and one's heart, makes clear that what is truly defiling is the evil that comes out of the heart -- not simply restrictions of food.  Indeed, there are things we may avidly consume which are harmful and defiling to us (such as entertainments that encourage lust, violence, covetousness, the components of Christ's teachings about murder and adultery in the Sermon on the Mount just cited).  Jesus' emphasis here on what comes from within, out of the heart of men, is on evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness."  He says that all of these things are evil, and that they all come from within and defile a person.   Therefore, similarly to the teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, we are to guard our own heart in terms of the things we nurture and encourage within ourselves.  Clearly all of these things come from the heart, and so Christ is asking us to be aware of them, to be conscious of where our own spiritual vulnerabilities and temptations are, to correct ourselves and our thinking in this sense, before these things are acted upon.  (An evil eye, by the way is envy.)  It is easy to get caught up in outward appearances, showings of virtue in some sense, and to thus eliminate concern and care for the thoughts we nurture in our hearts as if they don't matter.  But this leads also to the hypocrisy that Christ condemns most vehemently in Matthew 23, His grand critique of the behavior of the scribes and Pharisees.  There, Jesus teaches His disciples that as teachers, the "scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do" (Matthew 23:2-3).  In other words it's not their teachings according to the tradition of Moses that are the problem, but rather their hypocrisy:  "For they say, and do not do."  The practices which He criticizes in today's readings are those things that easily lead to and cover hypocrisy, where greed or covetousness or lust, and all manner of corrupt behaviors that follow, are cultivated and covered by an outward appearance of virtue.  So while one may focus on how well one fasts, or how strictly one can follow outward "good" behavior, if we don't understand that everything we are and do, good and bad, comes from the heart, then we lose the sense of God's presence  to us, and how we need to fight the good fight of faith.  In simplicity and humility we approach God in this sense, for God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The best of the practices of our faith, the things given in tradition such as fasting during Lent, making the sign of the Cross, all of our liturgical practices and prayer, the use of icons -- all of these things are good and proper when we make proper use of them to shore up our faith, to encourage others, and especially to cultivate and practice a deepening reliance upon God and to learn God's mercy and truth, and live by it in community.  But when the focus becomes purely outward we lose sight of the place to which Christ calls us, and the truth of His teachings in today's reading.  Much of our common life in this time focuses on outward appearance especially through the use of social media.  Many are all too aware of their presence online, what they present to others, how one is seen or can cultivate an image for outward consumption.  Let us also note that those things Christ names as evil things which come from the heart (evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness) can easily stem from and be cultivated by social media and popular culture.   We might call that emphasis on appearance before others and the ruthless demand to adhere to certain social choices our modern day "commandments of men," in the words of Isaiah quoted by Jesus.  An unrelenting focus on outward appearance before others may disrupt the deeply personal reality of faith and of the heart, encouraging us to follow and to fear the crowd more than we focus on the love of God first and its root in us.  Thus our real spiritual struggle becomes one of self-discipline and discernment, holding fast to the love of God first before all else.  Let us consider our focus and remember Christ's words and teachings in today's reading.  For there will always be those who criticize, but the love of God in the heart knows no rival for goodness and truth.