Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great

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

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

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus , perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great." 

Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."

- Luke 9:37-50

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

 Now it happened on the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great multitude met Him.  Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, "Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child.  And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him.  So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?  Bring your son here."  And as he was till coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him.  Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.  We should remember that Christ's disciples have only recently (as far as the narrative of the Gospel text is concerned) returned from their first apostolic mission (see Wednesday's reading).   There are a lot of "firsts" that has recently happened, including the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus' first prediction about His suffering, rejection, death, and Resurrection (see Thursday's reading).  Here the disciples are attempting on their own to cast out a demon and heal a young boy.  We can read the desperation in the father's complaint.  We recall that Jesus and Peter, James, and John are returning from the mount of the Transfiguration.  This attempt at exorcism shows in a microcosm what the disciples will be up against, a world in which unjust suffering and affliction are everywhere, and their ministry will be called upon for its healing and grace as response.  It's important to note the cruelty of the demonic and how it makes both child and parent suffer.  My study bible says that while the disciples' faith was incomplete here (see Matthew 17:19-20), the rebuke by Christ is also to the crowds, who faith was still weaker (see Mark 9:22-24).

And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.  But while everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did, He said to His disciples, "Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men."  But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.    This is the second of Jesus' predictions to the disciples of what is to come.  Here the emphasis of Jesus is that He will be betrayed into the hands of men.  Let us note that Jesus interjects this note as they are surrounded by people who are all amazed at the majesty of God, and in which everyone marveled at all the things which Jesus did.  The message is clear:  they are not to trust in the opinions of the crowds.  My study bible says that Christ's repeated prediction of His passion was meant to encourage and strengthen His disciples for the terrifying events they will face, and also to assure them that He was not powerless, but rather went to the Cross willingly.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.  And Jesus , perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  For he who is least among you all will be great."   Although Jesus has just warned them that He will be betrayed, all that the disciples apparently understand is that He will soon be coming into His Kingdom, which in their expectation in accordance with popular notions of the Messiah, they assume will be a worldly kingdom.  Thus, they start to dispute among themselves which would be greatest!  Here is the repeated important lesson of His kingdom:  so much of the way in which they will use power depends upon humility.  Pulling them from their selfish interest in worldly power, Jesus points to the little child as model of discipleship.  My study bible says that a little child embodies the virtues required for entrance into the Kingdom:  humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  They must be able to receive even the least with the grace and honor required by the presence of the Father.  Moreover, he who is least among them will be great.

Now John answered and said, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us."  But Jesus said to him, "Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side."  My study bible cites two different perspectives here in commentary.  Theophylact sees John's comment as a regret, and believes that John's conscience has been pricked by what Christ said about the least and the great, above.  But St. Ambrose sees John as one who expects full obedience to accompany such blessings.  But either way, Jesus sets them all straight on exactly how His power works:  it is not exclusive to one particular group or another, but rather extends beyond them to all who act in good faith -- even those not currently numbered among the disciples.  This is another teaching of humility as regards their positions.  The enemy is the enemy; power and grace work to counter the effects of the evil one.  My study bible quotes Theophylact:  "See how divine grace is at work even in those who are not His disciples."  There are also examples in Scripture of those who seek to use Christ's name without good faith; see 11:23, Acts 19:13-16.

Jesus' power expands far beyond His present disciples; this is a message hidden in today's text.  Moreover, this power does not extend in other directions that one would normally expect it would in a conventional sense of a king or ruler over a kingdom.  Betrayal is bound to happen, Jesus assures His disciples.  Betrayal will come from within; betrayal is an act that belongs to a friend, a trusted person, one supposedly on one's own side.  Jesus knows about it in advance, and yet He will do nothing to put it down or repress it.  He will continue to try to offer Judas every chance, even at the final moment of betrayal with a kiss, asking Judas, "Friend, why have you come?" (see Matthew 26:48-50).  All of these disparate glimmers of the nature of Christ's power conspire to tell us something important:  the free will of human beings is unassailable, sacrosanct.  Manipulation in the sense of coercion is not a part of Christ's power; violence is not at the heart of Christ's power.  In this vein, the understanding of grace and humility is all important.  To receive even a little child as if one is receiving either Christ, or even God the Father, is to understand something deeply important about God's perspective on human beings, on just exactly what or whom we are created to be.  There is a threshold here that Jesus forbids His disciples to cross.  It gives us a notion of how deeply valuable and worthy the souls of human beings truly are in the sight of God and God's ministers.  If only we understood this about ourselves!  On the contrary, the forces of evil or the demonic know no such boundary.  They are full of abuse of human beings, seeking to enslave human souls to pain and misery.  They afflict, and are quite actively hostile to Christ's Kingdom -- a revelation hidden in Christ's saying that "he who is not against us is on our side."  They are aggressive, and respect no boundaries except only those which they are compelled not to cross by God's superior power.  And this is the grand war that is going on amidst all the skirmishes and conflicts we may read of and think about in the context of our faith.  There is a bigger war going on, one whose aspects and extensions we may not know nor see, but nevertheless one which plays itself out in this world.  In a modern context, we are not used to hearing or speaking of the world or our reality on these terms, but the Gospels constantly remind us of this otherworldly existence that is parallel and intersecting with our own.  Jesus' Transfiguration on the mountain is an illustration of a reality that co-exists with us, but which we have no common perception of; this is why it is a revelation.  So it is also with the demonic, the "prince" or "ruler" of this world, as Jesus puts it (John 14:30-31).  In Jesus' teaching about His power and its extension to those who are His disciples, the stress is on grace, on love, and most especially on the respect for persons inherent in all of the ways He teaches His disciples to interact with others.  Even a little child is to be received not only as if they are receiving the Christ, but moreover God the Father.  When going out on their first mission, invested with His power and authority to cast out demons and to heal, the emphasis for their conduct was on humility (see Wednesday's reading).  Here, in today's reading, their humility is to extend to others even who do not follow with them, but nevertheless are not against them.  These are the teachings of Christ.  The big overall unseen battle going on and those things that characterize either side remind us of what we are up against.  Our own inclination to impatience, a lack of forbearance, an unwillingness to take up our own crosses (which come so frequently beyond our own control and through the hardships that may be imposed by others), or a desire for expedience so often may get in the way of truly following the path He teaches us.  This is the heart of the reason why "by any means necessary" is the last thing a true follower of Christ should ascribe to;  He did not.  This Kingdom needs followers who come voluntarily.  It is a Kingdom of hearts and minds before all else, where the chief prize is the soul, its value beyond our capacity to truly estimate.   Let us consider how we sell ourselves short, and the long learning curve of humility in service to Christ.  Where is He calling you? What is He calling you to let go of?  What lies beyond your control that you need to see as a cross to bear, and find His way to do it?  Let us consider the ways in which His power and grace and truth reach to us today -- and the struggle for faith into which we enter and through which we participate in His life.

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

Transfiguration icon by Theophanes the Greek, late 14th century

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

- Luke 9:28-36

Yesterday we read that as Jesus was alone praying, 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."

Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.   The number eight mentioned here, is significant spiritually, and particularly in light of the fact that it is the Transfiguration that is going to take place before these three disciples who form Jesus' inner circle.  Eight is the number of the Resurrection.  It signifies eternity, as we say the new day of Resurrection is the eighth day.   Previous to the Resurrection, worship for the Jews was on the Sabbath, which was the seventh day, Saturday.  The new Sabbath is the Lord's Day, the eighth day, Sunday.  To be up on the mountain is frequently a place of divine revelation in Scripture.

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  The whole character of this experience is the great light that transforms or "transfigures" everything.  It is a revelation of the divinity of Jesus.  My study bible tells us that because God is light (1 John 1:5), all the elements that reflect a light inexplicable by worldly standards demonstrate that Jesus is God.  In some icons, this light is shown with a blue hue, depicting an ineffable color, showing its spiritual origin.  We note that the appearance of His face was altered; this is a revelation of a transcendent truth, something more than what the purely worldly can reveal.

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  Moses and Elijah represent all of the spiritual history that has led to this time of the Messiah, the Christ.  Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and, as he did not experience death (see 2 Kings 2:9-12).  My study bible says that their presence shows that the law and the prophets, all the living and the dead, bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament.  Importantly, Christ speaks to Moses and Elijah of His decease which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.  In the Greek, the word translated as decease is "exodus."  This incident foreshadows the Resurrection, the time of glory when as the Messiah He will usher in the long-awaited Kingdom.

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  The disciples, after struggling from sleep, saw His glory.  Let us remember another moment when Peter and those with were heavy with sleep:  in the garden at Gethsemane, Jesus' time of great agony, when He also asked these to watch with Him (Matthew 26:36-46).  Peter's seemingly disconnected remark is coming from his understanding that he's witness to what prefigures the coming of the Kingdom.  Tabernacles (or tents) were built for the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, or the Feast of the Coming Kingdom) which commemorates Israel's time of wandering in the wilderness toward the Promised Land, worshiping in the tabernacle and living in impermanent dwellings.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.   The very presence of the Kingdom of God is indicated as well in the cloud, such as overshadowed the tabernacle of Moses and led the Israelites is a visible sign of God being extraordinarily present.   The voice of God the Father proclaiming His beloved Son and that all should Hear Him!   The present tense used here:  This is My beloved Son, is a further indication of the eternal quality of this experience and of the Kingdom, and that Christ is Son before all ages.  The glory radiating around them in the presence of the holy light  is Christ's by nature, God's energy. 

God's energies are revealed to Peter, James, and John.  That is, these divine energies that are extraordinarily present in Christ.  This moment will give them strength for what is to come, as the text continually reminds us.  Indeed, this moment is tied to Jesus' suffering on the Cross, which He calls His "hour of glory" (John 12:23).  Although it is here that His glory is evident to the disciples, as the divine light is radiant around them and through all of the elements present, even Jesus' clothing, it is the time of the Cross that Jesus calls His glorification.  But we have this moment with us, one of divine revelation, to teach us about Christ -- who He is, what He is, the nature of His divinity.  What are God's energies?  Perhaps we are to understand that this radiant extraordinary light is always present, but we are not equipped to perceive it.  Certainly we are to know, and confess in faith that Christ has always been the Beloved Son of God, begotten before all ages.  He does not become Son because of His ministry and mission.  Rather, the truth is the opposite:  this ministry and mission as one of us, His suffering and death as one of us, comes because He is the Son.  It comes because the world is so beloved of God that Christ was sent to us (John 3:16).   A hallmark of the nature of God shared among the Trinity is surely love (1 John 4:8).   In this is perhaps the greatest truth about Jesus' time among us, the accomplishment of His "decease" which He calls His hour of glory, as His sacrifice is a supreme act of love in order that we may have the eternal life He can give us.  His mission as human being into our world isn't simply to reveal His glory to us as God.  Rather, it's just the opposite:  His glory is revealed in His love for us, in the sacrifice and suffering He voluntarily makes out of love for us.  This is what our faith offers us.  It surely offers us all of the glory and grandeur and power and otherworldliness associated with the divine everywhere.  But it offers us one thing deeper, truer, grander:  it offers us love as the ultimate character of God -- a love which is guaranteed to be always extraordinarily present, which has been present before all ages and always will be.  This is a love so pure that it will experience even death for those upon whom it is bestowed, even if they should refuse that love.  Christ is true to His own nature, and His hour of glory reveals the fullness of that nature.  He offers to share His nature with us, if we "follow Him."   Let us consider the fullness of what that might look like, and the holiness of the saints.  Its learning curve has an eternal horizon, and grace and truth is its cup.  The Transfiguration is titled "Metamorphosis" in Greek.  Let us remember that this radiant example is for all of us to understand about ourselves.  Our lives are not meant to be stagnant; we exchange one reality for another.  This glory is reflected in our cross we take up daily, as He has said (see yesterday's reading, above).  It is the way to grow in the fullness of His likeness.

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

 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

Yesterday 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 notes here that as in every generation, what the crowds have to say about Jesus is usually unpredictable and misguided.   We note that here Christ is alone praying when His disciples join Him.  It is another important juncture of His ministry -- the revelation that Jesus is the Christ in Peter's confession on behalf of all the disciples.  Again, according to my study bible, Who do you say that I am? is the ultimate question in Scripture and in all theology.  How each answers this question defines the universe, it says.  Christ (Messiah in Hebrew) means "Anointed One."  This declaration by Peter that Jesus is the Christ of God is a revelation that He is not simply another anointed king or prophet.  He is instead the long-awaited Savior of Israel.

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."  Immediately Jesus prophesies to His disciples what is to come; that He will suffer many things and be rejected.  Even His death and Resurrection are immediately told to them.   My study bible tells us that He wishes to keep His identity as the Christ hidden from the crowds in order to avoid popular political and theological misunderstandings.  It is only after His Passion and Resurrection that His identity as Messiah can be correctly understood.

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."  Immediately here Jesus admonishes His followers that they, too, must be like Him.  My study bible asks us to note two things here.  First, Each person must take up his own cross.  Every person's worldly burden is different for each, and each has been given particular struggles for one's own salvation and the salvation of those around oneself.  Second, one's cross is to be taken up daily.  The commitment to following Christ isn't a one-time kind of slogan or event.  Instead, it is the continual practice of faith and obedience, day by day and moment by moment -- and even to times of shame and persecution 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."  My study bible tells us that this is a reference to the disciples who will witness the Transfiguration (tomorrow's Gospel reading), as well as to those in each generation who experience the presence of the kingdom of God.

What does it mean to take up one's own cross?  If we look at Jesus' words, they are really much stronger than simply advising us that we must each take up our own cross.  He says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."  Let us look at this conditional statement that He gives.  If anyone wishes to come after Him, they must first deny themselves, and take up their cross daily, and follow Him.  He is suggesting that without these two factors of self-denial and a daily taking up of one's personal cross, one cannot then follow Him.  This is the logical or rational impact of Christ's statement, as He frames discipleship here.   In a modern Western context, we can hardly imagine such a "sales pitch" for joining a group or movement.  Self-denial?  Taking up one's own personal cross daily?   That doesn't sound like much fun.  But to be a follower of Christ, He's telling us, this is the requirement.  It's what we must be prepared to do in order to truly follow Him.  We might not find this sounds very appealing, but it is a recipe for healing what ails us.  It is a way to truly find ourselves.  It is a way to bring meaning into our lives.  To deny oneself is really to acknowledge that there are deeper truths and meanings than what it is we learn from "the world."  In other words, Christ takes us to places where we have to find the bedrock of who we are, in the heart.  We are offered all kinds of appealing things in a worldly sense, to gain one thing and another materially.  Now that we move toward a nominal holiday season, we have our senses appealed to in varied ways for gratification and potential fulfillment of raised expectations.  But Christ asks us to put aside what seems immediately or impulsively "good" and focus on what He offers first.  To take up one's own cross daily may have to do with particular burdens we face in life.  The hardship of illness, or perhaps a childhood affliction, the effects of harsh circumstances or trauma come to mind.  In reaction to any one difficult experience, we may find ourselves with all kinds of impulses to find any kind of gratification as a response.   This sort of "loop" is what Christ pulls us out of.  Old hurts, injustices, bad experiences, things difficult to bear, even the false hope of unrealized expectation -- in Christ's light, these all become part of the cross we take up daily when we put them in His hands and seek His solutions for our lives, His way to bear them.  To deny ourselves, in His terms, is to look beyond ourselves and to find His way to handle our problems, rather than our own immediate and limited impulses.  Christ shows us a way that is meant not only to take us beyond what we know, and below the surface of our immediate experiences, but also to heal ourselves -- and in so doing, the world around us.  This is why my study bible comments that each one of us has been given particular struggles for our own salvation and the salvation of those around ourselves.  A harsh childhood may leave us, for example, with rage or anger issues.  It is a simple thing to transfer that anger to our own children, someone who is vulnerable around us, and can't really fight back.  They offer a convenient source for venting frustration.  But to deny oneself would be to question that rage, to give it up to Christ, rather than simply indulging in its impulse within us.  To take up our cross would mean recognizing the wound from childhood we bear, and asking instead for the light of Christ for not only our own healing, but for better ways to cope with the affliction we've suffered.  If we look at His words through this lens, we can understand His teaching that these two things form our preparation for following Him, for being His disciple.  He offers us a better way, a way to heal ourselves and those around ourselves, and this is our salvation.  Can we do the work?  Can we find it?  He may not offer us "feel-good" temporary solutions, or self-indulgent fantasies.  But instead, if we so desire, we are offered truth, reality, the be-all and end-all of life's meaning -- and the capacity to make significant choices that change our own experience of reality as well as those of others around us.  Which one do you think you'd find more truly satisfying for yourself?  Which one offers you to become the bearer of true wisdom? 

You give them something to eat

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 returned from across the Sea of Galilee, the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.  And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was 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.  Jesus calls His twelve disciples ("learners" in the Greek) and invests in them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  They are "sent out" (the literal meaning of "apostle") to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  We note with what humility they are to go on this mission and characterize their conduct:  they take no extra provisions nor clothing, they stay and remain in the first place that will receive them.  Their rebuke to those who do not receive them is simply to shake the dust from their feet as testimony against them.  This is their first apostolic mission.  It is the works they do, the power and authority given to them, which will speak for the Kingdom. 

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.   This is the first mention we're given in Luke's Gospel of state power taking notice of Jesus and His ministry.  Herod is tetrarch of Galilee.  It is significant that Herod hears of Him just as the first apostolic mission takes place.  At Jesus' trial, Pilate will send Him to Herod (23:7), when Pilate finds that Jesus is a Galilean.  The beheading of John the Baptist can be read at Mark 6:14-28.

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.  The Gospel gives us the events as they unfold in His ministry:  the apostles return from their mission, and Christ takes them aside privately to a deserted place.  But this is the region in which His ministry is already well-known, the the crowds follow Him.  Jesus' graciously receives those who want what He has to offer:  first He speaks to them about the kingdom of God, and then heals those in 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." My study bible suggests that this commission (You give them something to eat) is a type and preparation for the apostolic ministry the disciples will perform after Christ's Resurrection.  They will feed the world with the word of God and with the Eucharist.

And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people."   St. John Chrysostom, in His commentary on the Gospel, notes that Christ is the same Creator "of both the earth and the sea, who in the beginning brought fruit from the earth and life out of the water."

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.  About five thousand men is a way of counting from the period;  there were more women and children as well.  My study bible again quotes St. John Chrysostom.  Christ looked up to heaven "not as receiving power from elsewhere, but as honoring the Father who begot Him."  That Christ blessed and broke the bread serves as example for us "not to touch any meal until we have given thanks to Him who gives us food."  Christ's blessing gives as well a eucharistic image; it directs us to pursue spiritual food greater than that which is earthly (see John 6:26-27). 

There is a clear parallel between feeding and being given the bread of the Kingdom:  the spiritual food and drink of Christ's authority and power in the gospel of the Kingdom and the healing and casting out of demons.  In the meantime, we have the interest of Herod, son of Herod the Great who destroyed the children of Bethlehem as he sought to destroy Christ (ironically, the very reason that Jesus is a Galilean -- see Matthew 2:16-28).  Notice the difference in what power and authority means between the examples of Christ and of Herod.  As Christ sends out His apostles, it is that very authority and power that "speaks out" as substance within the very works they do.  Their conduct is not to draw attention to itself.  It bears no marks in itself of authority or power.  Their conduct, on the contrary, is one of great humility.  They are not to "trade up" for better lodgings after they preach and heal and cast out demons.  Their rebuke to the places that do not receive them is simply to "shake off the very dust" from their feet as a testimony against them -- when they go out of the city.  Herod, on the contrary, is notorious enough in his use of power that the Gospel makes no mention of the story of Herodias and her daughter (found in Mark 6:14-28, which it is obviously assumed that readers will already know about).  Herod has committed the grave sin of having John the Baptist beheaded, such is his rule and use of his power and authority.  In a subtle sense, the juxtaposition of the state power of the time and of Christ's power and authority gives us a great sense of the temptations and corruption of our world, as compared to the ways in which Christ uses His authority.  Moreover, the authority and power which Christ gives to His apostles is also remarkable:  it is to cast out demons and to heal, and especially to preach the Kingdom.  One can sense a clash, a war at work here between two very different sources of power and authority, two different types of rule, two forces at odds with one another.  The oppressive and enslaving and unjust power of the "prince of this world" is exemplified in Herod's unruly, chaotic, power-hungry court.  Our Liberator, Redeemer, and Deliverer is embodied in Christ and in the ways in which power and authority are used by Him.  Compare the grandeur and haughtiness of Herod's court with the conduct that Jesus teaches His apostles to use as they are sent out on their first mission.  The difference is staggering.  It reminds us of the truth of His teaching, that "by their fruits you will know them"  (Matthew 7:15-20).  And so the truth of this teaching remains for each of our own lives.  And there is precisely the point:  the culmination of today's reading is in the very sharing of the bread of this Kingdom with the multitudes.  The obvious parallels to the Eucharist make that clear.  When we pray the prayer Jesus has taught us (Luke 11:1-4), we pray for our "supersubstantial bread" given to us day by day.  "Supersubstantial" is the literal meaning of the word that is translated as daily in Luke 11:3.  Therefore in this foreshadowing of the Eucharist, Jesus raising His eyes to heaven and blessing the food before it is distributed gives us an important message about how we, too, need this "extra-essential" bread day by day, so that we also share in the power and authority of Christ in whatever way is available to us.   On some subtle level which we may not necessarily always discern, it is always about choosing which Kingdom we wish to serve, whose power and authority, what conduct is truly becoming to whom (or Whose) we truly are.   Just as identity may be derived from what is stamped on a passport, so the Gospels give us a picture of the reality that what we choose to ally with becomes identity for us.  Compare the notion of what we take in, what we choose to consume, to take to heart, to become a part of and to make a part of ourselves.  It's all about what we choose in our heart, not about any predetermined aspect of our lives and behaviors that comes only from worldly sources -- unless that is how we live our lives.  Let us consider the power and grace in the mercy of Christ, the good gifts He gives us, to make us "good trees" who bear "good fruit."

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 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 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 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 and the disciples have returned from their travel across the Sea of Galilee, and are now in their Galilean "headquarters" of Capernaum.   In contrast to His travels across the sea, here all know Him, and await His return.  The ruler of the synagogue approaches Him with a desperate request.

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."   My study bible comments on the prohibition against blood; in the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement.  This meant the imposition of both religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited.  (See Leviticus 15:25 regarding the restrictions upon women, and contact with others.)  Therefore this woman's approach to Christ is done stealthily, but in great faith.  Let us observe Jesus' response:  He is aware of power going out from Him.  A contact via touch was made through faith.  My study bible notes that just as "the temple sanctifies the gold" (Matthew 23:17), so matter is sanctified by Christ's Incarnation, and the power of Christ works through even His garment.  To touch His garment in faith is to touch Him.  Thus, in the Church there is the power of sacraments; we touch Christ also through icons, oil, water, bread, wine, etc. when we do so in faith.  This transforming holy power "overrules" all notions of what is unclean, and is healing and cleansing.  Its power extends to the whole community:  Christ brings her good cheer and praises her faith before all the people, which includes Jairus who is to hear devastating news about his daughter, but will still need to retain his faith.

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.  Jesus has the power of life and death.  Let us note the essential nature of faith to these healings.  Here, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with Him, as well as the father and mother of this girl.  The three disciples are His inner circle, those of greatest faith.  He tells Jairus, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well."  Let us observe also how far Jesus goes to shore up faith:  He puts the ridiculing and weeping crowd outside.  This is another illustration of the power of touch in faith, but this time it is Christ who touches the girl by the hand, and the faith of the adults around her that is essential to her healing.

In today's reading, Christ's holy power defies all expectation and understanding.  It works despite the unclean nature of the condition of the woman who touches Him in a secret or hidden way.  It works to draw her out before the crowd and proclaim her faith.  It works to separate Jairus and his wife from the weeping, wailing, and ridiculing crowd.  It works even to create the power of life and death.  This is an important understanding of Christ and how faith and God's holy power can work in our own lives:  it breaks us out of our own expectations and understanding.  It defies our mindset.  In the incidents described in today's reading, without this defiance of such norms, there would be no healing in either case.  This is another reason why faith is an essential part of healing.  How is it possible for one to break through one's own assumed conventions without faith?  There is another more hidden aspect that is common to both incidents in today's reading as well, and it is that of patience.  The woman has had a long and difficult time -- twelve years of suffering with her hemorrhage.  Not only that, but she has exhausted all of her income on doctors and remains unhealed.  Yet when she secretly touches Christ in the crowd, it is with great faith.  Jairus is told even that his daughter is dead, and yet Christ admonishes him to "only believe."  Moreover, we make note of Jairus' desperation for Christ's help when he comes to Him.  Nevertheless, Christ takes time to single out this woman for whom holy power has gone out of Himself, even while He has been summoned to the house of the ruler of the synagogue to save his dying daughter.   The counsel of patience is an elusive and difficult thing, perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of faith to learn, or so it seems to me at least.   To recollect oneself in the midst of difficulties, to place all things in the hands of God, to cultivate this kind of detachment, is not simple, and it involves a great learning curve.  It's not merely an intellectual exercise, but one of the heart, that involves every aspect of ourselves -- including the physical stimulation of our nerves and all that goes with it.  Yet nevertheless, this is a great gift of faith.  It is the kind of faith that Jesus counsels for Jairus, the kind of faith Jesus publicly praises in the woman healed of her hemorrhage.  It is a subtle message to us that there is time, always time for God, for Christ, for prayer.  We may find that life works this way when we make "room" to take time out for prayer.  We're reminded in today's reading that Christ is not only Lord of life and death, but also the Master of time.  We'd be surprised how much time there is for prayer, how fluid time can be when we take time out for our own "touch in faith" to Christ in the middle of a busy schedule, how much time we may surprisingly find we have.  It is another aspect of learned patience as spiritual fruit.  This is all contained in the message of our faith in the Gospel reading for today.  How will you seek to put this all into practice? 

Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered 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.  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 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 Saturday's reading, Jesus continued speaking to His disciples, after having told the parable of the Sower:  "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 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.  This man lives in the tombs.  It is a symbol of death, of a destroyed life, dominated by the demons who oppress him.  If we look at this picture painted in his description, we see one who is far from "civilization" or what makes human life more "humane."  He wears no clothing, he's considered dangerous enough to be under guard, and bound with chains and shackles, more symbols of his oppressed and life-stopping condition.  Moreover, the demonic violence that seizes him is enough to break his bonds and to drive him into the wilderness, a sign that he is even further away from human society than we can know.   His only company is death and demons.   The demons, as usual, recognize Christ, and they are terrified of Him.  They fear He will torment them, as they torment the afflicted man.

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.   Let us notice how the demons fear the commands of Christ, which they are compelled to obey.   They fear being commanded to go out into the abyss.  Abyss literally means "bottomless" or "depthless" in the Greek, a place of total oblivion, non-existence.  It is also comparable to the lowest depth of the ocean.  For the Hebrews, this is the place of the dead.  (See also Revelation 20:1-3).   The country of the Gadarenes was east of the Sea of Galilee, in the Decapolis, a Greek-speaking region of mixed Gentiles and Semitic people.  The fact that there are swine being raised here, however, appears to be a further indication of "lawlessness."  Given that at this point Jesus' mission is to the Jews (Matthew 15:24), these are likely Jews raising swine to sell to the Gentiles who live in this territory, in violation of their faith.  Again we note that the demons can only enter the swine with permission of Christ.  My study bible says that their totally destructive effect on the herd of swine indicates that regardless of his degradation, the man as human being was nevertheless under the protection of Christ, as they could not destroy him altogether. 

When those who fed them saw what 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.  We notice the effect of this man's healing on these townspeople:  they respond by being seized with great fear.  They do not rejoice at his healing and the power of Christ to destroy the demons.  But the healed man, understandably among these people, begs Christ that he might go with Him.  Jesus instead gives him a mission; comparable to the apostles, he is sent out to proclaim "the great things God has done for you."

Some comment on this story that the people who raise the swine must be Gentiles, but everything indicates, on the contrary, that these are actually Jews engaged in the unlawful occupation of raising unclean animals.  They are the ones who cannot respond to the power of Christ with acceptance.  Neither do they rejoice at the healing of the formerly demon-possessed man.  They are not only seemingly devoid of compassion, but their values are upside down.  Perhaps it is the loss of the income from the swine that most concerns them.  This is an intriguing story in that it gives us an illustration of an entire community where there is no place for Christ.  They respond to His work only with great fear.  It teaches us, importantly, that there are times when a community, a sort of human eco-system or environment, will be toxic for those who need true healing.  In this environment, the oppression of the demons was tolerated more than the great power of Christ to heal the man.  Furthermore, the community's values are so skewed that the value of a healthy and healed human being doesn't compare to the loss of the swine.  It teaches us, importantly, that the greatest and highest authority is Christ -- God the Lord -- regardless of the value of any idol an entire community may hold to the contrary.  We notice the fearless witness now shone by the healed man.  We don't know where his own house is (to which he is sent by Christ), but he goes through the entire city proclaiming the good news of Christ.  His own house would be his origins, his natal family, where presumably his healing and transformation will have the greatest impact.  Nothing more is known of this man, as we know nothing more of the demons after they drive the swine down the cliff into the sea.  What we are left with is Christ's absolute authority over the unclean spirits, and the choices of human beings either to embrace what He brings us or to reject it.  How about you?  Are there things you are afraid to face that Christ will come to heal?  Hard choices you might need to make about the difference between what is acceptable in your own environment, and where God leads you?  Remember this story; it is one of life and death.  The healed man is one resurrected from the tombs by the power of Christ, and ready to proclaim his good news.  What do you need in your life?   Do you know others so bound and chained, oppressed under a kind of violence, that they, too, need His healing? 

My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it

 "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 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 Jesus 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 on, 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 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."  It's interesting that this passage appears here in Luke.  In Matthew's Gospel, the teaching about light and the lampstand is found in the Sermon on the Mount, right after the Beatitudes, when Jesus preaches to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (see Matthew 5:14-16).  We've recently read the Sermon on the Plain in Luke (6:17-49), in which Jesus preaches many things also found in the Sermon on the Mount.  But today's passage appears just after Jesus tells the parable of the Sower.  Its emphasis is on our capacity to hear:  that is, our capacity for spiritual sight and hearing.  We who listen to His words are in some sense responsible for what and how we hear, what we receive.  We must "take heed how [we] hear."  If we are capable of receiving, more will be given.  But if we don't make an effort to hear, even what we have will be lost.  Jesus says, "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."   The word "mystery" means in the Greek means "secret" or "hidden."  It is that which can only be known through revelation.  What Christ suggests here is about caring for, valuing, and nurturing our capacity to receive.

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 and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  My study bible comments that it was not Christ's will to deny His mother and brothers.  Instead, St. John Chrysostom tells us, Jesus is correcting both them and His hearers "to the right idea concerning Himself," that the family of His Kingdom "is not by nature but by virtue" (see also 11:27-28). 

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!"  Jesus has just told His disciples, in a very vivid display before His natural mother and brothers from Nazareth, that "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Here, the disciples follow His command to cross over to the other side of the lake.   My study bible comments that Christ deliberately permits the windstorm to arise while He is sleeping in order to perfect the disciples' faith, and to rebuke their weaknesses.  What is the point?  So that they would eventually be unshaken by life's temptations.  In this incident, their faith is still mixed with unbelief.  They showed faith when they came to Him, but unbelief when they said, "We are perishing."

There is so much emphasis in today's reading on hearing and doing the word of God, on the unity of this family of the Kingdom that is fully dependent upon this process of hearing and doing, receiving the word that we are capable of hearing.  But how does God instruct us?  Tradition regards the story of the disciples on a stormy sea as an allegory to the Church.  Our faith does not keep us from challenges.  In fact, it may be that God leads us to particular challenges in order to strengthen God's relationship with us -- in order to strengthen our faith and to understand and grow within our dependency upon and trust in God.  In the Greek language of the original Gospels, the word for faith is rooted in the word for trust.  This is the deepest meaning of faith.  It's what connects us to love and how we understand love.  There is trust when you know someone has love for you.  To fully depend upon God may sound like a kind of fatalism, or an idea that takes away our independence.  But this is a failure to know God.  Our dependency upon God does not make us infantile.  Rather it is a true perspective on the reality of life.  The very fact that the Gospels teach that it is God who leads us into challenges so that we may grow in our determination, faith, and understanding of relationship to God shows us that in our dependency we are led to greater fulfillment as human beings.  God's challenges increase the strengths, the courage, and the wisdom of the disciples.  Our dependence upon God decreases our need for control, our insecurity, and our dependence upon others for fulfillment of our need for love.  The dependence upon God in its fullness gives us love as fulfillment which we may then share with other people.  It grants us a kind of security that is not so much about what we have, as it is about who we know we are and how we know we are loved and cherished and valued by Creator.  This is the reality of the family of God.  God as our Parent, is the One who leads us to true adulthood and maturity.  Jesus encourages our growth in this relationship, so that we may become more rooted in the capacities which God wishes to share with us.  Such rootedness takes us away from the pettiness that results from seeing life as mere competition with one another, but rather understanding a better and deeper purpose, more mature spiritual and personal values, and a way to recognize that our own worth comes within God's love for us.  These are sobering thoughts, but they are the place God will lead us to if we experience our own struggles with faith.   To grow in that trust is to learn to detach ourselves from worry in the confidence of God's faithfulness, to grow in patience, to meet challenges.  Let us consider where God's family will take us, where we may find our roots, and expand our own horizons when we come to understand even who we are through faith.