But who do you say that I am?

 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."

And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."  Then he said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.   But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

- Luke 9:18-27

On Saturday we read that Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.  Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?"  So he sought to see Him.  And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.  When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."  But He said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."  For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  My study bible says that as in every generation, what the crowds have to say about Jesus is usually unpredictable and misguided.  There is a clear contrast here between those who are disciples and have faith in Jesus, and those who do not and do not know Him.  The question, "Who do you say that I am?" is the ultimate question in Scripture and all theology.  How this question is answered defines the universe, my study bible tells us.  But Scripture (as well as other aspects of the Church, such as its tradition and the ongoing work of God in the world) also defines the answer to this question, and leaves open so much more to be answered.  Christ (Hebrew Messiah) means "Anointed One."  This declaration by Peter that Jesus is the Christ of God reveals that Jesus is not just another anointed king of prophet, but rather the long-awaited Savior.

And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."  Given the different ideas of the crowds, as well as the growing awareness of the rulers in power, Jesus desires to keep His identity as the Christ hidden.  This way He will avoid popular political and theological misunderstandings about His mission and His identity.  Only after His Passion and Resurrection can his identity as Messiah be understood, and all must come in light of the full completion of His ministry and saving mission.

 Then he said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels."   My study bible suggests that we note two things.  First, each person must take up his or her own cross.  Every person's burden in this world is different, each to his or her own.  Each person has been chosen by God to bear certain struggles for one's own salvation and the salvation of those around oneself.  We note also that the cross is to be taken up daily.  Commitment to following Christ isn't a one-time event, it's a full-time reality.  It is the continual practice, says my study bible, of faith and obedience, even to the point of being shamed and persecuted by the world. 

 “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."    In the verses immediately following, the story of the Transfiguration takes place (9:28-36).   This reference is to those who will witness the Transfiguration among them, as well as those in every generation who experience the presence of God’s Kingdom.

 There is an emphasis in today’s text about the essential need for Jesus’ ministry to evolve in a particular way, and that need has to do with why, from the beginning, the emphasis on right understanding was essential to the Church.  There is nothing missing or haphazard or done mistakenly or by accident in this ministry.  Everything has to unfold in a particular way so that Jesus is revealed to us in a particular way.  At the time, there were so many expectations of what the Messiah would bring, what the Messsiah would do.  But Jesus introduces something so extraordinary that no one could really have predicted what this event would bring.  The Incarnation is the greatest story ever told precisely because of what all the meanings of this Christ, or Messiah, bring to each one of us.  Its impact on the early Church set a course for struggles of meaning and understanding that would be fulfilled in the early Councils of the Church.  Jesus’ question to Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” becomes the most central question of all.  What does it man that God becomes a human being?  The multiplicity and infinitude of meanings and impact on us in this conception of Christ’s identity have the fullness of teaching us who we can be.  As Christ comes into the world to re-unite a separated God and humankind, He himself is God and human.  He makes it possible for us to understand that human beings are made for communion with God.  Not only that, but through Him we know that we are capable of becoming like God.  The true direction of all the practices of the Church is this unification, this road of becoming like Him.  We may manifest the fruits of the Spirit.  We may grow in this likeness.  The whole purpose of a devoted prayer practice is simply this.  And this is the way that you build the Kingdom in the world, for “the kingdom of heaven is within you" (17:21).  Without our understanding of who Christ is, then we wouldn’t have any idea what we’re capable of becoming, nor the great grace and honor that are given to human beings.  His words are simple and true; all we have to do is “Follow Him,” take up our crosses daily, and move into the direction He gives us, learning from Him, for “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).  Everything depends on who we say He is, because how we find the deepest meanings in our own lives come from that understanding.

He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick

 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.  Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?"  So he sought to see Him.

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.  When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."  But He said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."  For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

- Luke 9:1-17

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples returned from the other side of the Sea of Galilee, the multitude welcomed Him back in Capernaum, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace." While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep, she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.  Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.   It is the point in Jesus' ministry where He sends the disciples out on their first mission; hence, they become apostles (disciple means "learner" and apostle means "one who is sent out").  Their mission is like Christ's:  they are to preach and to heal.  They are to take nothing for the journey:  not staffs, nor bag nor bread nor money, nor extra clothing.  Their dependence is to be fully on God, and their mission also depends on them not being accused of greed.  To stay and depart from one house only means they will not "trade up" for better accommodations or to stay with more wealthy folk as they are welcomed.  Everything depends upon the reception they get; the first house to welcome them will be the place they remain and stay.  But in towns where they are not received, they are to shake off the very dust from their feet as their testimony against them.  So, like the word of Christ, everything depends on those to whom they go hear and receive the good news -- or not.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.  Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?"  So he sought to see Him.  Herod the tetrarch is also known as Herod Antipas, to whom Pilate will send Jesus during His trial (23:7).  He's the ruler of Galilee, and the son of Herod the Great, who had slain the innocents in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  We learn of the things that people are saying about Jesus, how perhaps it is John who's risen from the dead, or that the prophesy of Elijah's reappearance has been fulfilled (Malachi 4:5-6).  Throughout the Gospels this Herod is seen as a figure who has a strange curiosity about the holy.  He was intrigued to listen to John the Baptist before he beheaded him and knew and feared that John was a holy man.  He will be disappointed and contemptuous that Christ performs no miraculous sign for him nor responds to the charges against Him (Luke 23:9-11).

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.  Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.  But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.  When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."  But He said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."  For there were about five thousand men.  Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty."  And they did so, and made them all sit down.  Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.  So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.  My study bible tells us that this first feeding miracle is seen as a parallel to the liturgy by Theophylact.   Christ first healed and spoke of the gospel, and then He fed the multitude with the miraculous bread by the hands of His disciples. In the Church, a person is first healed through baptism; then at the Liturgy, the gospel is preached and the bread of life and the cup are received from the hands of the ordained clergy.    In such a parallel, we can see a clear indication that after the first apostolic mission, this is a clear beginning of the Church.  We note that there are twelve baskets of leftover fragments, one for each apostle, the bread of life to be taken to all the world.

In today's reading we see the early seeds of the Church: the disciples are now ready for their first mission, and to be sent out.  Jesus teaches them that they are to rely on God for this mission, and that the word of God will somehow direct them.  Everything depends on how that word is received, the good news of the kingdom of God, and the healing they bring.  And the state power, in the person of Herod Antipas, gets news of Christ.  For the state, everything material to its rule is a concern, and Christ becomes an object of interest and curiosity, and even perhaps of fear as He may be John the Baptist risen from the dead.  We know how Herod's father responded to news of the birth of the child Christ, but Herod does not realize who Jesus is in that respect.  And finally there is the return of the Twelve and the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness.  Theophylact gives us the liturgical parallel, and we are to understand that we are reading about the birth process of the Church.  Of course it is also a stupendous parallel on par with Moses and the feeding of Israel with the bread from heaven, but this bread will never be exhausted and will be continually consumed by those with faith in Christ, even as we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," with its eucharistic significance in the Greek.  "Daily" is translated from epiousion, a word that more literally means "supersubstantial" -- the bread of the eternal day of the Kingdom.  It is this "day" of the Kingdom that we are watching unfold in real time, so to speak, as the Gospel unfolds the story of Jesus' ministry and His life.  Everything intersects, and in the miraculous signs present in the Gospels, eternity makes itself known within our own system of time.  So it is with the feeding of the five thousand; it is as if time is suspended, and so eternal multiplication is possible without awaiting the time for natural processes to take place.  And this, too, must be what we understand as "daily" or "supersubstantial" bread, this food with which we're fed as Christ is the bread of life (John 6:35).  This is really how we must view our faith, as that of the eternal intersecting with the world, just as Christ is God incarnate as human being.  When we pray, we should understand that it is this reality in which we participate, in which all dimensions of being may play a role even at just a moment in our lives.  We are here as faithful to intersect with this Kingdom, even as the apostles were sent out to preach just such a word to those who would receive it.

Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace

 

So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. 

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace." 

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep, she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened. 

- Luke 8:40-56

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a  house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And he got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue.  And he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.  Jesus returns to Capernaum from their mission across the Sea of Galilee.  Here is His makeshift ministry "headquarters," where Peter has a family home, and He is well-known.

But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.  Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment.  And immediately her flow of blood stopped.  And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?"  When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."  Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.  And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace."   For the community of the Jews, contact with blood caused defilement and led to social and religious isolation (see Leviticus 15:25-30).  This woman, therefore, has a bold faith in approaching both Christ and a ruler of the synagogue in a crowd.  It means that she is potentially defiling all of them (so that they all would be considered unclean) and subjecting herself to ridicule or worse.  My study bible says that Jesus' question, "Who touched Me?" doesn't simply mean a physical touch.  As He perceived power going out from Himself, Jesus is asking, "Who touched Me in faith?"  It notes that just as "the temple sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), so also matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation, and the power of Christ works through even His garment.  To touch Christ's garment, it says, is to touch Him.  Perhaps our most clear Incarnational "understanding" is in the sacrament of bread and wine.  When done in faith, the power of Christ is received.  But oil, icons, water, and other forms take on the same power in the overall context of the Church.   We may compare Jesus saying to this woman, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well.  Go in peace" with His words to the woman who anointed Him with the alabaster flask of fragrant oil, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead.  Do not trouble the Teacher."  But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.  Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep, she is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.  But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, "Little girl, arise."  Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.  And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.   Both healing stories are about faith.  In this one, Jesus goes so far as to put those who ridicule Him out of the house, and to take along with Him those disciples of His inner circle with the greatest faith.  Everything is done to strengthen Jairus and his wife in faith.  Again, the healing is by touch.  Let us note that He tells them to tell no one what happened.  We can be certain all will be amazed as this has already been quite a public event, but the implication is not only that His messianic secret must be kept for His own reasons, but also that faith is an intimate understanding, a communion between God and those immediately concerned -- and not the business of the unfaithful.

The two women, of both this reading from Monday, and the woman with the blood flow in today's reading, are interesting to think about in tandem.  Both, in some sense, have made spectacles of themselves for the sake of their faith in Christ.  Each has been called out from a place identified with sin or uncleanness.  But each, through her faith, has been rewarded with praise from Christ.  Maybe a key element to all of this is the inclusion that Christ brings to them.  Both are cast out of society by their violations of the Law, one through sin and the other because of her blood flow.  But Jesus sees both as clean, both are allowed to touch Him, something questionable within the society under even normal circumstances and without the other issues of violation of the Law.  But the great good news is clearly augmented by the communion that Christ brings to them, their inclusion in His community.  He resets all relationships, and perhaps these women are illustrations that are most dramatic of how that happens in His presence and through His ministry, even through touch directly.  We think of touch as part of communion:  we shake hands, in the Middle East there is the formal kiss that shows good will to right relationship.  But Christ's touch brings so much more:  part of His healing is communion.  In the case of Jairus' daughter, let us not forget also that this is a girl who is just on the verge of womanhood as she is about twelve years of age.  She is still living under the protection of her father's house, and far from being like the other women, religious and social outcasts, she is the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue who has come to plead with Jesus for her life.  And yet, there is still this intimate element of touch, perhaps made more clearly intimate by the fact that Jesus puts all the servants and mourners out who ridicule, making it a private moment indeed.  And He also teaches them that they must tell no one what had happened, giving another private and intimate aspect to this healing.  But all of them center on faith, and it is faith that makes not only the connection with Christ, but which somehow engages the power of Christ.  What that power is and does we can't fully define nor contain, as that's not ours to do.  But we do see its evidence, and we have His word about what it means for us.  He tells both women that in some sense their faith has delivered them from their afflictions, and gives a kind of command, "Go in peace," which also signifies relationship and communion.  In today's lectionary reading, we may take note also of St. Paul's words from Romans 14.  Verse 17 reads, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."  We may assume that the faith of these women (and the young girl, via the faith of her parents) is accounted to them as righteousness by Christ; included in His kingdom, they are given peace and joy. 

Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you

 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a  house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And he got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

- Luke 8:26-39

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered them and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For he commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time.  And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a  house but in the tombs.  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg You, do not torment me!"  For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.  For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  After a terrifying storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples come to the other side of the Sea.  Here they encounter something strange indeed:  a man who cannot live among men, but lives among the tombs.  He wears no clothing.  He is taken so far outside the commerce of "civilized" life by the occupation of the demons that he's kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles, and driven into the wilderness.  He is a prisoner indeed, afflicted into a state of utmost misery.  But the demons understand who Jesus is, and the Judgment He represents.  Jesus uses His power to command the departure of the demons from the man, and arrives as Deliverer -- a key meaning of the word Savior.

Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?"  And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him.  And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain.  So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them.  And He permitted them.  Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  A legion of  the Roman Army at around the time of Christ was about 5,000 men.  It was the largest unit of the Roman Army.  So the elements of "occupation" by a hostile power figure very strongly here.  My study bible says that while some teach that this region across the Sea of Galilee must have been a Gentile region, as evidenced by the presence of the swine, it's more likely that the text is teaching us this is a region where Jews are engaging in what was considered a sinful occupation.  Jesus would forbid His disciples to go to the Gentiles on their first apostolic mission  (Matthew 10:5), and was reluctant to seek out Gentiles Himself (Matthew 15:24).  The destruction of the entire herd of swine suggests several things, according to my study bible.  First, that while animals are a venerable part of creation, human beings are of far more value.  Second, Christ removes a source of sin, as swine herding was an abomination to the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:8).  Additionally, the text teaches us that demons have no power over creation, but are rather subject to the will of God -- they could only enter the swine at Christ's command.  Clearly it is Jesus who has the power in this spiritual realm.  He is the "stronger man" who can bind this hostile force (Mark 3:27).  Human beings are protected under God's providence, otherwise the demon-possessed man would have come to the same end as the swine.  Finally, their great economic loss would remain as a sign for the hardhearted people who fled the region (see the following verses). 


When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed.  Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.  And he got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him.  But Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you."  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  These apostate Jews who were raising the swine care only for their economic loss.   Although the miraculous healing of this man, who is now clothed and in his right mind, and peacefully sitting at the feet of Jesus must have made an impression, this is not a priority for the people of the region.  When they find how Jesus healed the man, they respond with great fear.  They ask Jesus to depart from them.  But the healed man is ready to proclaim the good news of His Savior, and what great things Jesus had done for him.  

This story tells us so many things.  I always find new things to see in it whenever it comes up.  It's rather striking to us that although the man wants to come with Jesus and the disciples, Jesus has other plans for him.  We may wonder why this is so, considering the hostile environment that perhaps only served as a "welcoming place" for the legion of demons that had afflicted him.  The people are entirely hostile to Christ and His mission.  They don't care at all about the healing of this man, and are rather more saddened and disturbed by the loss of the swine.  They simply respond with fear to Christ's effect on their environment, and ask Him to leave the region.  But Christ's desire for this healed man is to be a kind of light among the darkness.  He will go on to proclaim to others what great things Christ has done for him.  He will be a witness, he will testify.  He will be a sign of the presence of the Kingdom in a dark world, the great changes wrought in him and for his life being evident to all.  What Jesus does is send the man out, back into this place where people apparently prefer a kind of darkness, in order to cling to his truth.  He bears witness to the truth of Christ, to the healing that has happened to him, to the great things Jesus has done for him.  In so doing, he bears a light into the darkness, and his mission -- as given by Jesus -- is simply to continue proclaiming and clinging to that light and bearing it for others.  This, we suspect, is yet another aspect of his healing.  We can see parallels to the terrible imprisonment of this man in modern afflictions of the world.  It bears resemblance to addiction of all kinds and forms, or people who may find themselves stuck in an abusive situation, community, or family.  When we are healed or helped by Christ to be "liberated" from any form of bondage, it's essential that we cling to the truth of that liberation and healing.  When we return to our own environments, we'll still need the strength of Christ's truth and grace to remain in the place He's put us, to remain within the new life He gives.  And we may need to cling to His truth and light to deal with those who don't value our lives in a healthy state.  This remains true for those in recovery of any kind, regardless of the affliction or problems one may describe.  Christ takes this man back into his home town as a changed person, with a new life to live, an experience to tell and teach to others.  He'll need to proclaim and live the "good news" in order to live that new life he's been given.  So we should remember and cherish and live all the good things the Lord has done for us, proclaiming them for ourselves.

Master, Master, we are perishing!

 Icon of the Calming of the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Greek Orthodox Church of the Twelve Apostles, Capernaum, Galilee (photo: Fr. Patrick McInerney)

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered them and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For he commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"

- Luke 8:16-25

Yesterday we read that after Jesus preached the Sermon on the Plain, He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that  'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'  Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and the pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

  "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.  For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  Jesus continues here to speak about the work of parables.  In yesterday's reading, He emphasized the capacity of the hearer to truly "hear," quoting from Isaiah (see Isaiah 6:9-10).  He indicates here that receptivity to the "mysteries of the Kingdom" will produce more, will allow those who can hear to grow in their capacity to comprehend.  He has revealed a great light, and now does so through parables.  But that light will come to those who can grasp it.  To those who are dull of perception, even what they have will be taken away.

Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.  And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You."  But He answered them and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."   There is a kind of relationship inherent in the capacity to receive His word, and here Jesus indicates this notion of family and communion.  His "brothers" are extended family, as the term brothers is still commonly used in the Middle East.  He's not rejecting His family, who haven't yet understood His mission and identity.  But, according to St. John Chrysostom, He corrects both them and His hearers "to the right idea concerning Himself," that the family of His Kingdom "is not by nature but by virtue."

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.  And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  And they launched out.  But as they sailed He fell asleep.  And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.  And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.  And they ceased, and there was a calm.  But He said to them, "Where is your faith?"  And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be?  For he commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!"  My study bible says that Christ deliberately permits the windstorm to arise while He's sleeping in order to perfect their faith, and to rebuke their weaknesses, so that eventually they will remain unshaken by life's temptations.  These are the ones He will send out to the world on a mission, and they must be prepared for whatever they will encounter with faith.  Here their faith is still mixed with unbelief.  They showed faith when they came to Him, but unbelief when they said, "We are perishing."

Icons of the Church historically portray the Church as a boat or ship.  The image is an ancient one, and served the early Church to portray its mission on a sea of disbelief, persecution, and the problems of the world (or "worldliness").  In some sense the image illustrates what Jesus has taught in yesterday's reading with the parable of the Sower.  He taught that the seeds that did not truly take root and bear fruit were among those from whom the devil snatched away the word, or for whom temptations took away the word, or the cares, riches, and the pleasures of life choked out its roots.  The changes of life bring unanticipated challenges.  Chaos may be a part of that experience.  A stormy sea blown by the wind is an image of all of those obstacles that will be tossed on the path of the Church, that divine-human organism that carries the Word through human history.   In the story of the ship tossed by the sea, the disciples are terrified.  We remember that among them are seasoned fishermen (Peter, James, and John -- and most likely Andrew also, Peter's brother), and their fishing territory is the Sea of Galilee.  But in today's story, they are set off with Christ toward an unusual destiny to the other side of the lake (the Lake of Tiberias or Sea of Galilee are two names for the same body of freshwater), outside of what is known to them.  (There they will have a strange experience indeed.)  In a sense, this is a preparation mission, undertaken with Christ, for what they will be doing as His apostles.  He alone is calm enough to sleep while the boat is storm-tossed, and His one word to them is to ask, "Where is your faith?"  He is the one who calms the winds and the water.  But the Church will always be on this mission, and the ship has served as symbol from the earliest times of the Church.  The ship is also a reminder of Noah's ark, carrying those of faith through the waters of the earth.  It's a symbol that teaches us that the Church isn't an institution that stands still, but rather a living organism that is both human and divine, that must always meet its challenges, and is always on a pilgrimage with Christ to lead us.  It is an understanding that teaches us that we are reliant on Christ above all else.  From a Scriptural perspective, the Lord of the Old Testament, who guided Israel, is present as Christ.  The icon in the photo above is an icon of today's Scripture reading, but it also tells us something of the story of the Church.  If you look closely, you see two images of Christ in the boat:  one is of Him asleep, and in the other He is giving the blessing.  In both images, He is not only identified as Jesus Christ, but wears the crown of light in which is usually inscribed the letters that form the Greek version of the Tetragrammaton (Ο ΩΝ), that give the meaning "I am that I am," or the holy name of the Lord.  This ship isn't bound by time, as each moment of His life is with us, and He is presently always with us.  As we who make up the membership in the Church are all in this boat together, we may think of strengthening one another's faith as part of the mission of this ship, the way in which we survive and continue on and grow to meet our challenges, even through history.  On that boat are all the saints, and all who may guide and command, and the souls the ship will carry to its destination.  That is something, indeed, to think about.

To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.'

Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and the pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."

- Luke 8:1-15

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  These women noted by Luke were faithful to Christ to the end (23:49, 55).  They were the first to proclaim the news of His Resurrection (24:1-10).  My study bible also reminds us that in the Scriptures, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating here that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing by Christ.  These women did not only support Christ alone, but His entire ministry.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   Jesus introduces teaching in parables here at this point in Luke's Gospel.  The parable of the Sower is also the first parable introduced in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark (Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20).  The teaching in parables indicates a kind of turning point in Jesus' ministry.  It tells us now that great multitudes are following Him, and that includes those who are not disciples and also who will reject Him.  We have just read about a woman, a notorious sinner, who was forgiven and is clearly devoted to Him (see yesterday's reading, above).  But this level of discipleship also demands a level of faith, or perhaps we should say spiritual hearing, that others will not find.   Parable ask of us to be capable of truly hearing, and reach us on whatever level we can (or cannot) understand.  And they serve to draw us into the Kingdom, to find more, to open up mystery.  The parable of the Sower is, of course, the parable that teaches us about Christ Himself, and His work of the Kingdom in the world, and the seeds He is planting.  he fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.

 Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'  Now the parable is this:  The seed is the word of God.  Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and the pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."   Mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, says my study bible, but rather they are the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand or receive Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.  St. John Chrysostom comments, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would not only have been to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."   My study bible notes also that while some might teach a person is permanently saved at the moment of the profession of faith -- a view not held by the historical the Church -- the teaching of Jesus is clear that it is possible to believe for a while and then fall away.

"But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."  My study bible emphasizes the teaching in the words here, especially "with patience."  This is no one-time "hallelujah, I'm saved" kind of commitment.  This is something that endures within us, that is not battered away by time or the other concerns of the world.  It dwells within us like a seed planted deep.  We may see its fruit at times, we may not see what seems like anything of progress at all at times.  We may forget it's even within us at other times.  But to hear the word with a noble and good heart, to keep it and bear fruit with patience is to live a life of true faith.  That is a faith that we turn to when we need to make choices and decisions, when we need help, when we need something to rely on.  It is a faith we turn to when we look for direction, and when we look for love.  It is a faith that calls us in the heart.  In it there is a depth of longing.  We note that in Christ's explanation to His disciples there is a list of things about the world that can take away the seed and uproot the word in the heart.  There's the devil that takes away the word before it can take root.  There are temptations.  There are the cares, riches, and pleasures of life.  All of these things are present with us all the time.  The road of faith isn't meant to be one of pure ease.  It is, rather, one in which we face all kinds of obstacles to that faith and in which we may struggle with those obstacles.  Thus, the need for patience.  Toward the end of His ministry, Jesus will speak more to His disciples of the simple need for endurance and watchfulness.  Faith isn't a one-time goal we take care of and then we're done with it.  It is, rather, something that comes to us repeatedly throughout life, asking us to question what we're hearing or thinking or receiving.  It reminds us that there's a way to live in God's love, a way to find what it is we're looking for at the root of identity.  Every moment, we're a new person, and time does not stand still for us in the sense that life goes on to ask of us new things, new questions, present us with changed situations and circumstances.  But that which takes root and grows asks of us to turn back to it through all these things, to do the work of struggle and discernment and bearing fruit with patience, to be that good soil that allows the Kingdom to be harbored and nurtured within us and in our lives, so that we will always be those who have ears to hear.  At each new turn in our lives we may find that the same word gives us new insights, and new fruit, and new choices.  Thus, the mysteries of the Kingdom unfold, expand, invite us further.  This is the work of patience and endurance for all of us.

Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little

 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."

"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace." 

- Luke 7:36-50

On Saturday, we read that the disciples of John reported to him concerning all the things Jesus was doing.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not weep.' For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."    My study bible says that this Pharisee was intrigued by Christ, as evidenced by his invitation, but he clearly doesn't have faith in Him, as shown by his reaction to Christ's mercy, and also by his lack even of what was common hospitality (as noted in Jesus' comments further down, verses 44-46).  The encounter with the sinful woman is "an icon of grace," a note reads, which is found only in the Church.  St. Ambrose of Milan writes that through this woman, "the Church is justified as being greater than the Law, for the Law does not know the forgiveness of sins, nor the mystery in which secret sins are cleansed; therefore, what is lacking in the Law is perfected in the Gospel." 

"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."   Here is a question of what the Law allowed, and what Jesus does.  That anyone could forgive sins was beyond the bounds of the Law as understood by the Pharisees (see 5:21).  Yet Christ wasn't simply a man, but rather the very Lawgiver Himself.  St. Cyril of Alexandria comments, "Who could declare things that were above the Law, except the One who ordained the Law?"

This particular story in the Gospels centers on forgiveness.  We read of the power of God to forgive, the power of Christ as Son at work in the world.  The point of view of the Law, however, demands restitution of some sort for sin.  That this woman would simply be forgiven is not a sense in the Law (and that is beside the fact that only God can forgive sins).   The new covenant, however, would seem to indicate something new here, a different equation, and that equation includes love.  It's not simply about Jesus' love for others, God's love for us, in forgiveness.   But what we read about here is the love of this woman for Christ.  Her repentance is great, that is a given.  But the love she expresses is something tremendously great here, as told in the text.   It is an act of extravagance, not simply for the great value of the oil, but rather of the great love that is expressed by the woman.  Jesus frequently expresses the notion of sin as "debt," and this is in keeping with the Law.  In the prayer He has given us to our Father (Matthew 6:8-15), we pray that our debts may be forgiven, as we forgive our debtors (verse 12).  But forgiveness, in Jesus' teaching, seems to set up an entirely different sort of equation -- or rather, it sets the equation on a different footing.  God's love is extravagant, gracious, merciful, overflowing for us.  The love of this woman as expressed to Jesus is also extravagant and overflowing.  We go one step beyond debt and payment here, and into the Kingdom of heaven where love becomes the currency of all things (see 1 John 4:8). This woman knows what that Kingdom is, and she travels in this love as she is expressing it here.  Jesus tells everyone present that she knows what it is to be forgiven, and she has taken up the dwelling place in the Kingdom that she is able to live in this life.  Her tears teach us about repentance, but also they  express the great joy of forgiveness at the same time, the participation in God's love.  Jesus says, "To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."   And there is not only a great truth which we can observe in human relationships, but rather again a description of a state of being, a place where we know and live within a kind of currency of love, where love may be like the air we breathe.  It teaches us about a new kind of exchange that goes beyond the Law.  There is an important understanding here about debt:  to forgive is to let go or to release.   Love allows us to release debt, to let it go.   We may consider this reading to be a great teaching on the power of prayer, the expression of love within the grace of God and our capacity for living the life of the Kingdom in the world.  To pray for others is to express love, and to pray to Christ whom we love may also be an extravagant outpouring of love.   There are times, we may find, when all we can do is express love for someone through prayer, even when we can't have dialogue or contact in person.   In this communion, love becomes language, communication.  She doesn't say a word, but her every gesture is an act of love.  This passage is read in the Orthodox Church on the days commemorating holy nuns.  As in Saturday's reading, it teaches us a great deal about holiness, even the lives of the saints.  So many were those who were former sinners, even notoriously so, but within the love of God they lived lives of holiness and participation in the Kingdom.  And like Saturday's reading, in which Jesus taught that "wisdom is justified by her children," so we may also see in the actions and love of this woman, whom Jesus tells, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."