And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force

Christ's descent into hell, 1495-1504, Dionysius workshop, Moscow School, from Ferapontov Monastery, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

As they departed, Jesus began to say 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 wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of  John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 - Matthew 11:7-15

Yesterday we read that after Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples before their first apostolic mission, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

As they departed, Jesus began to say 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 wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."  Jesus defends John the Baptist, and praises him for his role in salvation history.  He quotes Malachi 3:1, in proclaiming that John is the fulfillment of that prophecy.  He even calls John "more than a prophet."   My study bible says that in terms of the Old Testament Law, John the Baptist is the greatest prophet.  But this is the time of a new covenant, which is Christ's ministry.  My study bible comments that the new is of such incomparable value that those who share in it are greater than John was without it.  It does not mean that John (and all who came before) will not share in that heavenly Kingdom; it just is stating that John's role and life on earth came before something far superior was manifest for the world.

"And from the days of  John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  My study bible offers several varying interpretations which have been given for this statement by Jesus that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence.  One understanding is that it refers to the Jewish opposition to the gospel.  Others say that it refers to the Kingdom breaking into the world in a "violent" way; that is with great power and force.  There are yet others who say that the Kingdom of heaven refers to Christ Himself, who has been incarnate since the days of John the Baptist, and who will suffer the violence of the Cross.  My study bible quotes commentary by St. John Chrysostom, who states that the violent who take the Kingdom by force are those with such earnest desire for Christ that they let nothing stand between themselves and faith in Him.

"For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  This statement reinforces the idea of the change in the world "from the days of John the Baptist" and those breaking into the Kingdom.  This is due to the special meaning of the phrase Elijah who is to come.  In addition to the quotation which Jesus gives from Malachi regarding John (above), Malachi also prophesied that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6).  My study bible comments that although John does not ascribe to himself the role of Elijah (John 1:21), Jesus does.  Jesus is saying that John fulfilled the mission of Elijah (Luke 1:17, 76), and his destiny was similar.  But John, my study bible says, is honored over Elijah because John prepared the way for the advent of Christ Himself.  

So what does it mean that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence?  I personally think it makes sense to me that Jesus is talking about those who are crashing in, taking it by storm, so to speak.  If John the Baptist is Elijah who is to come, then his role as Forerunner of the Kingdom makes inroads for the world in what was already there.  That is, the kingdom of heaven was not simply created or invented at the time of Christ.  It always was.  But what happens with the Incarnation is that this Kingdom becomes available to human beings -- it becomes a part of the world.  It ceases to be secret and unknown, and this is part of revelation of "things hidden since the foundation of the world."  Thereby this heavenly Kingdom is likened here by Christ to a worldly kingdom, which foreign kings and armies enter into by force.  Up until now, this was that place to which only the deeply holy could enter,  those to whom it was given.  But now this Kingdom opens up to the world, even to those who have already passed.  Christ's Incarnation, Passion, death, Resurrection, and subsequent Ascension makes all of this possible.  The icon above is an image of Christ's descent before Resurrection, proclaiming the Kingdom even to those in Hades (Ephesians 4:8-10, 1 Peter 3:18-20).   This has all begun with the days of John the Baptist, who went to all of Israel proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven was at hand (3:1-2).  John prepared multitudes through baptism and preaching repentance.  Jesus continues that expansion through His ministry, and now by sending out the apostles on their first mission.  So how do we break into this Kingdom?  How do we allow it to "break in" to us, our communities, our lives?  There is a way in which we are to hear and receive the good news, the gospel message, and take it in with faith.  It plants itself in us, and that presence of the Kingdom grows.  Let us break in and expand it, grow it through prayer, bring it forcefully into the world simply through living our faith and Christ's commands.  It is a kingdom truly to be desired, its blessings good for all, for the life of the world.

Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?

John the Baptist, "Behold the Lamb of God," by Olga Dytyniak

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

- Matthew 11:1-6

In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus has been giving instructions to the Twelve whom He is about to send out on their first apostolic mission.  Yesterday we read that He taught:  "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who dos not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"   My study bible notes that according to Church Fathers, John the Baptist asks this question so that he may guide his own disciples to Christ.  It adds that John's own faith was undoubtedly strengthened as well because of Jesus' response.  Notice the "symmetry"   John is in prison, and Christ has just sent the disciples on their first apostolic mission.

Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   Jesus directs John's disciples to the things which are occurring in His ministry, the signs predicted by Isaiah as those which would accompany the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 61:1).   My study bible comments that Jesus performed these miracles in the presence of John's disciples (Luke 7:20-21) so that they can see with their own eyes the works that only the Messiah could do.

There is a kind of "hand off" in today's reading.  John the Baptist is in prison (where he will be beheaded by Herod Antipas), and he has sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Coming One, the Messiah.  In the presence of John's disciples, Jesus performs those wondered prophesied as accompanying the coming of the Messiah.  This happens just as Jesus is sending out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission to preach and to heal.  John the Baptist is considered to be the last in the line of Old Testament style prophets, so in today's reading we are seeing the gospel, a new covenant, branching out and expanding, as the old is ending.  Those who follow John have a place to go, Christ to look to for their direction and their future.  There is no one left out of this spreading of grace at work in the world; the transition of the old to the new does not exclude anyone.  Even as Jesus has said He has not come to destroy, but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17), so the disciples of John -- via John's question to Jesus -- now are guided to Christ.  In fact, the Gospels tell us that several of Christ's earliest disciples were first followers of John the Baptist (see John 1:35-42).  What this tells us is of the spreading work of the gospel, the kingdom of heaven at work in the world.  It doesn't eliminate the good of the past (in any tradition), but rather unfolds and expands the spiritual truth "kept secret from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 13:35; Psalm 78:2).  Christ, the One who is both human and divine, the One who will ascend even with human nature glorified, will expand our spiritual understanding of God who is love and at the same time our own understanding of the spiritual capacities of human beings for communion and participation in God's grace.  He will live His life so that we may participate in that "life in abundance" that He will offer (John 10:10).  He has characterized His ministry as that of wineskins that must be new to expand with new wine (see this reading).  Today we read about that expansion, even as He is sending out the disciples to spread His ministry via the power of grace which He has shared and distributes through them.

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword

Christ with sword, fresco, 14th cent., Sacred Monastery of the Ascension of Christ (Visoki Dečani) church, Kosovo

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who dos not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."

- Matthew 10:34-42

In chapter 10 we've been reading about Jesus preparing the Twelve to be sent out on their first apostolic mission.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught:  "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.  Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword."  My study bible comments that just before Christ's extremely violent death on the Cross, He promised peace to His disciples (see John 14:27).  But, my study bible says, the existence of evil necessitates spiritual warfare.  The earth to which Christ came was under the authority of Satan (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4).  In this kind of warfare, my study bible adds, it is essential for Christ to do battle against the leader of vice with weapons of virtue (Ephesians 6:11-18).  Jesus speaks of peace and division, even of the sword, on spiritual terms.  His peace is an internal rest in Him; His sword is His word of truth (see Hebrews 4:12).

"For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who dos not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."  Jesus speaks to the fulfillment of the prophesy of Micah 7:6.  My study bible says that in addition to the literal meaning here, which has been experienced in the Church since the time of Christ, the older generation being divided from the younger also symbolizes the change to the new covenant and its rejection by followers of the old, as well as the internal spiritual struggle between our old state and the work of the Holy Spirit -- ongoing conversion and repentance (in Greek, literally, "change of mind") and our renewal in Christ (see Ephesians 4:20-24).  In addition, to carry his cross, means a depth of commitment that we can't estimate.   This spiritual sword of Christ's word and truth, the impact of His peace that we must accept, may be so deep as to necessitate even the sacrifice of family relationships.  Christ assures us that this is where our true treasure is, what is worthy.

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."  My study bible notes that apostles are ambassadors, who represent the Lord.  Therefore, by extension, all who offer help to them are showing mercy directly to Christ, and will receive God's reward (see 25:40).

Jesus emphasizes, in varied ways, the spiritual nature of the project upon which the apostles are about to embark.  That is, He emphasizes that what they are doing isn't merely a worldly mission, but that it is also -- at the same time -- a spiritual mission.  They carry with them the Kingdom; they have been instructed to each as they go, saying "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."   Some people might mistake the military images, here in the Gospel and also in the Epistles, for allusions to physical combat or war, but they would be entirely mistaken, and lacking in understanding of Scripture.  When Jesus says He did not come to bring peace but a sword, Jesus is speaking of a spiritual battle in the world.  The sword is the word of truth that He brings.  The peace of which Jesus speaks is also not a worldly peace.  His peace, my study bible says, is not the false peace of a kind of shallow harmony which is the result of ignoring issues of truth.  Genuine peace has spiritual fullness, and includes a reconciliation to God, a surrender to spiritual truth in faith.  This peace is the peace which Jesus gives us, an internal peace which "surpasses all understanding," as it is not dependent upon external factors.  We find it when we rest in trust and abiding in God in faith, finding a way to supersede worldly circumstances.  It is like taking a moment to rest in prayer, and seeking out solitude to do so, even when there are squabbles around oneself.  Can this peace translate itself into circumstances around us?  Of course it can, as we seek to live it and share it.  But, my study bible says, this true peace of spiritual nature also has division as a byproduct, because not everyone wants that truth.  In fact, in this fallen world, it says, divisions are necessary for truth to be manifest (see 1 Corinthians 11:18-19).  Jesus further emphasizes the spiritual nature of preaching the Gospel when He teaches that "he who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."  He speaks of a connection between those who bear the Kingdom and those who will receive what they bring.  If whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and those who receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward, then whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."   What we are to understand is that although we see only the worldly dimensions of life, there is a spiritual reality that is at work through faith, which the apostles carry with them.  And by extension, true faith will carry with us when we choose to live as His disciples, to do His word, to live His truth in the world.  This is not simple to understand, it doesn't not necessarily manifest instantaneously, in real time -- for even Christ, we see in the Gospels, refuses to issues proofs on demand.  Therefore it is highly unlikely that without faith, we will never understand it.  But it is a promise, and it is, nevertheless, a reality experienced by countless faithful over twenty centuries of faith in Christ, and through the work of the Spirit which is everywhere present and fills all things.  Surely we must know how much we need this peace, even when all others relinquish their place in it.  Let us dwell within His faith and truth, and sustain ourselves in His peace with our prayers for ourselves and for one another -- even for all the faithful, both seen and unseen.

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops

Christ the Teacher/Pantocrator, with Gospel open to John 11:25, Greek

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

- Matthew 10:24-33

Yesterday we read the continuation of Jesus' teaching to the Twelve, as He sent them out on their first mission:   "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a  father his child; and the children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."  Jesus continues to warn the disciples about the persecution and hatred that is to come.  He refers back to something we read in chapter 9, that the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by the power of demons (9:34).  My study bible notes that in today's passage, the phrase do not fear is repeated three times all together, in order to embolden the witness of the gospel in the face of adversity and difficulty.  It adds that Christian believers, both then and today as well, must neither be intimated by persecution nor fail in their mission to preach.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."  My study bible says that, as Jesus tells us there is no need to fear the killing of the soul, we are to understand that souls are immortal, and ours by grace.  Fear Him is a command to fear God (Proverbs 9:10; Luke 1:50, 23:40; Acts 10:2; Colossians 3:22; 1 Peter 2:17), as God alone has the power to judge the soul.  We are instructed, by contrast, to resist the devil (James 4:7) and not to fear him.  The word for hell is literally "Gehenna."  In Jewish history, Gehenna was the valley of Hinnom; it became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3, Jeremiah 32:35).    King Josiah stopped these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By the time of Christ, my study bible explains, this valley had become a garbage dump that smoldered continually.  Because of such associations, Gehenna took on the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife.  Nevertheless, Christ's warnings regarding judgment are quite real.

In today's reading, Jesus says, " For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known," and also, "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."  These are sentences which express the idea of revelation, of openly showing something to the world that was previously hidden or secret, possibly known to only a few.  It tells us about the growth of the gospel, and what is coming into the world.  It also gives us a sense that the spread of the gospel is similar to the Incarnation itself.  Christ was born at night, without fanfare except for the shepherds in the hills (Luke 2:8-20), who only know because the glory and rejoicing of heaven is uncontained and made known by the angels.  Similarly, the Magi of the East, the "wise men" (Matthew 2:1-2) know because they can read the stars (also associated with angels in Scripture; see Revelation 1:20).  These things of great portent happen in ways unknown to the world, and yet they unfold to become magnificent, brilliant, a light to the world.  We might think of revelation as limited to particular things or messages, such as prophesy or the specific ways that God is revealed in Scripture.  But the truth is that through Christ's words, we should understand that the action of revelation goes on all the time, and even that we are to be a part of it.  At the end of today's passage, He says, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."   This is a continuation of the action of revealing what is covered, and coming to know what is hidden.  It follows upon His command that what He tells in the dark, we should speak in the light -- and that what we hear in the ear we are to preach on the housetops.  To confess, in the sense of the way the Greek word is used here,  is to express a belief, to agree.   Therefore Jesus isn't speaking specifically about witnessing; instead He's speaking about proclaiming His truth, preaching the word He has given, sharing the gospel.  He reveals that gospel to us, and we in turn may give it to others.  Our choice to either confess or deny what He offers is linked to what we choose to reveal or to help suppress; in turn His own action will be reciprocal to ours as we choose to live our lives.  Do we deny His truth?  Or do we share it?  Jesus does not present other "in between" alternatives.  In a sense, to fail to profess is similar to denial -- because we remains hidden through silence, a lack of expression in the world.  In what ways do you live the gospel and so reveal it to others?  How do we follow His commands and act on them?  What are the things you learn from your faith and then pass on to others?  Let us not keep it hidden, but profess it so that its beauty may be given to all.

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves

Detail, apse mosaic, 12th cent., Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome, Italy

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a  father his child; and the children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

- Matthew 10:16-23

Yesterday we read about Jesus sending out the twelve.  He commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whosoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."  My study bible says that Jesus instructs the disciples to be wise as serpents so that they might not be unnecessarily wounded, and also so that they can take all advantage of the spread of the gospel.  He also tells them that they must be as harmless as doves, so that they shouldn't retaliate against those who do them wrong, and remain blameless in their witness of the gospel.

"But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a  father his child; and the children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another."  This is a warning about the "wolves," and the conditions they will meet in the world, the hostility of those who cannot accept word of this Kingdom among them.  It is the first time in the Gospel (aside from the promise of John the Baptist, 3:11) that we have heard about the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's work in the world and among us.  The Spirit of your Father will speak in you, and what to speak will be given by the Spirit,  Christ promises, when they are delivered up and challenged.  Let us note the persecutions.  The alliance and affiliation with the Kingdom cuts so deep that not only are family relationships split up, they are murderous, betrayal of the most extreme kind:  brother will deliver up brother to death, a father his child; children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And they, His disciples, will be hated by all for My name's sake.   This is the depth of response of rage among those who reject the Kingdom.   And here is the watchword for those who would follow Christ:  he who endures to the end will be saved.

"When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."  Let us note Christ's commanded response to rejection:  when they persecute you in this city, flee to another.   He does not command retaliation and endless fighting, but rather a search for more fertile ground, a better harvest among others among the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" who will want what they offer.   My study bible says that persecution must not cause the disciple to quit, but simply to move forward in one's mission.  According to commentary of St. John Chrysostom, before the Son of Man comes is not a reference to the Second Coming.  It means that before the disciples could visit all the cities in Palestine, Christ would rejoin them -- thereby more quickly ending the hostility they would encounter.

Jesus sends out His apostles, knowing that they are like sheep in the midst of wolves.  What kind of ministry is this?  What kind of risks are they taking?  Moreover, long before the persecutions of the Roman Empire would start -- with which we associate the early Church of the following centuries -- He teaches them that they will be delivered up by their own closest relations in this world.  We also have to understand the notions of justice that prevailed at this time in the world.  While the Romans certainly had courts, laws, and proceedings, and while the Mosaic Law held sway among the Jews, for the most part -- generally speaking -- one had to rely on relations and clan for help in times of trouble.  Frequently justice depended upon it when one was wronged or wrongfully charged.  (Even today, with all the safeguards that centuries of concern built into modern justice systems, we know that worldly justice is not perfect.)  Therefore, the kind of betrayal and deathly hostility that Jesus outlines here is truly frightening, almost unthinkable.  And yet, the power of the Kingdom cuts so deeply into the core of who we are that this is the level at which split and division will happen.  Those who respond with anger and hostility will do so in ways that will shock and reveal what hasn't been seen before.  Although Jesus teaches them to offer their peace to all, a little further along in this chapter Jesus will teach that He didn't come to bring peace on earth; rather He's come not to bring peace, but a sword (10:34), and He will emphasize the family divisions that will ensue.  And yet, we're not to think of any of this in material military terms.  If we're "soldiers for the Lord," and if we are engaged in a particular kind of battle in this world (even one that is unseen), there are particular rules of engagement involved here.  They're to simply move on to another town when they are rejected anyplace.  They're not to fear if they're betrayed to councils and judges, institutions and courts, even governors and kings, where they can face terrible penalties.  Rather, they are to trust that the Spirit of their Father will give them something to say, a testimony, a truth to utter -- as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  Now that is indeed interesting, because Christ is sending out the Twelve on their first mission only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel."  And yet, their mission -- their testimony, even under persecution -- will have its impact among the Gentiles and the "great ones" of the world.  As sheep in the midst of wolves, we rely on the protection of God, the power of God, the holiness of God to guide our way.  These Twelve are asked to go out into a world in which Jesus testifies that "you will be hated by all for My name's sake."  But what's the real key here to discipleship?  Jesus teaches, "But he who endures to the end will be saved."   As disciples, we are soldiers engaged in a particular kind of battle, one that is to a great extent totally unseen, regardless of persecutions and hostility, injustice and cruelties, unreasonable hatred, rage, and envy.  In this battle, we struggle not for material gain or with conventional weapons, but in a test of endurance in His truth and in His word, wearing the badge only of His name.  We seek reliance upon His truth and His word, and the work of the Spirit within us and among us.  Today, we might not face the same persecutions of the past (although in some parts of the world, our sisters and brothers surely do.)  In our own lives, even the most comfortable of material lives, we may find our own challenges if we are truly His sheep.  We might be shocked to discover that we are among wolves when issues of choice and conscience rise up for us in our lives of discipleship.  As His disciples, we, like the Twelve, are faced with the choice to grow increasingly dependent upon God, rather than the institutions of the world.  This is the sword He brings to us, and the power of His name, His truth, His word.

And as you go, preach, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand"

Christ and the twelve disciples as True Vine and branches, 16th century, Byzantine Museum, Athens, Greece

 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.  Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whosoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"

- Matthew 10:5-15

On Saturday we read that Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying:  "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.  Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food."  My study bible comments that the disciples' mission is like Christ's.  He sends them out to preach, and to heal.  So, in this sense, by investing them with His power, and sending them out with these instructions, He is extending His ministry.  My study bible also asks us to take note that Jesus sends them only to the Jews.  It says that Jesus' earthly ministry was focused on the Jews (15:24) so that, after the Resurrection, they could not blame the disciples for going "to uncircumcised men" (Acts 11:3).  Note also that Christ prepares the disciples to be single-minded in their mission to preach and heal.  Here reminds them that His power is free; that it is a gift from God.  He also instructs them to carry no money, so that they cannot be accused of greed, as well as learning dependence upon God (see also 8:20).

"Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out.  And when you go into a household, greet it.  If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it.  But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  And whosoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"    My study bible says that the greeting of peace that Christ commissions His servants to give is the same peace that was proclaimed by the prophets (Isaiah 52:7), and which He offers to His disciples (John 14:27, 20:19), and which will be revealed as the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  This peace remains today offered to the faithful in worship services, with the words, "Peace be to all."

One thing we can say about this ministry that is extended to the disciples:  it is characterized in all of the instructions of Christ as humble.  Each direction He gives commands humble behavior in their ministry.  They first of all must focus on "the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  It's a kind of setting of boundaries and proper focus.  Jesus limits their mission to the first people among whom they need to go, and they are not to expand past these "lost sheep," to call them back to God.  It is a way of saying that the grand and great harvests of faithful that will come later in all the world are not to distract them now from those who need them so deeply.  These "lost sheep" are the same, in fact, which the Gospel told us were scattered and weary, like sheep having no shepherd (in Saturday's reading, above).  This is humble in its focus, not grandiose, and not too widely drawn.  They must be aware of the limits set upon them in this ministry.  It is only their work itself that is to speak for them and for Christ's ministry which they represent in the world.  They are to preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "  They are to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons."  Jesus reminds them of the nature of this kingdom, when He instructs them,  "Freely you have received, freely give."   This kingdom does not represent itself to the world with silver and gold, in adorned chariots and with great armies of cavalry.  It is free of charge, and its great gifts and pearls are the product of grace.  Its emissaries are not ostentatious, nor do they seek to impress with material goods, gorgeous clothing, nor even largess with which to buy food.  They don't go out into the world as do other kingdoms, conquering.  Instead, their mission is the opposite:  they bring the peace of the Lord with them, and this is what they offer.  Let us note also that this peace is either received or rejected.  There is no sense here of an automatic reception or even that everybody will want what they offer.  This is a particular kind of peace, for a particular kind of people who are attuned to it and want it.  Like the swine-keepers and townspeople who begged Christ to leave from their region, what Jesus offers (and now through the disciples) is not necessarily what everyone wants.  It carries its own message with it, its own way of life, its humility, its impact.  Let us note that humility does not mean without power and without effects.  Jesus proclaims to the disciples regarding those who refuse this their ministry, "when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  This mission and ministry carries its own way of being in the world, and it is in accordance with a kingdom that is not of this world.  There is no fanfare and there are no trumpets announcing their entrance.  There is only the ministry and the work they do, the things they preach.  And there is a kind of peace that will pass by unnoticed if one is not attuned nor receptive to it.  The kingdoms of the world conquer with weapons -- from the great armies of Caesar, to the powerful armies and economies of today.  But Christ's kingdom asks us if we value something entirely different; that is, something that we need a different kind of sensitivity and attunement to value.  We can live in this world, and in a certain sense, we can even be "of" this world, functioning within and understanding its workings.  But He still takes us out of this world if we are His followers.  We ask for and live for and seek to share His peace, we nurture within us and cherish His joy, we desperately need His grace and are aware of that need.  He does not ask us to reject the material or the world; He is both human and divine for a reason.  And yet, the humility He teaches tells us of what is truly needful, at our deepest core, and what must guide the whole of our lives as stewards of whatever God gives us.   We, as His followers, must cherish what comes first.  How do you extend Christ's mission through discipleship?  What comes first?  How does humility regulate your life, even your ambitions and prospects for what Christ asks of you?  How do you nurture His peace and joy within?

The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest

Vincent van Gogh, Green Field, 1889, National Gallery of Prague

 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

- Matthew 9:35-10:4

Yesterday we read that when Jesus left the home of the ruler of the synagogue in Capernaum, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"  And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him.  And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"  They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you."  And their eyes were opened.  And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it."  But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.  As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.  And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke.  And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!"  But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons."

 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  This phrase, like sheep having no shepherd, is a very significant one for the Gospels, and for the ministry of Jesus.  Mark uses it when Jesus begins ministering to the people He feeds in the wilderness (Mark 6:34), and we know, of course, that Jesus will call Himself the true Shepherd (see John 10).  The phrase is drawn from the Old Testament (Numbers 27:17; 3 Kings 22:17; Ezekiel 34:5).  My study bible comments in the context of our recent readings in Matthew, in which He's referred to Himself as Physician to the sick, that Jesus does not condemn sinners but instead sees them as lost sheep, who need to be found and brought home.  Compassion, it notes, means "suffering with."   If the people are like sheep without a shepherd, then it is the leadership which has failed them, and this is therefore an accusation against them.  Religious leaders have the duty of shepherds, but instead they have behaved as wolves (see, for example, 23:4).

Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."  My study bible suggests that the harvest gives us an image of those who are ready to accept the Kingdom.  It says that Christ is both the Sower and the Lord of the harvest.  Christ's disciples are sent not to sow, but to reap what He had sown by the prophets (see also John 4:35-38).  My study bible also notes that how many are sent to harvest is less important than with what power they go into the harvest (see the following verses in today's reading).

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:  first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.   My study bible notes that the terms disciples and apostles are used interchangeably for the twelve.  The Greek word for disciple means "learner," and the word from which we derive apostle means "one sent out" (as on a mission).  Jesus gave them power to do specific things, while Christ's works are done through His own power.   My study bible also notes  that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here in Matthew, their names are given in pairs, which suggests which ones traveled together on their first "missionary journey, " as Mark tells us that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).   This list of the Twelve is reported in all three Synoptic Gospels; in each case Judas is listed as the one who betrayed Christ.

What does it mean to be a good shepherd to the people?  If Christ thinks of us as sheep -- some of whom are lost -- then what does that say about religious leadership in general?  A shepherd leads the people and protects them from predators.  So what is a good shepherd in this context?  First of all, a shepherd puts himself on the line for the sake of the well-being of the sheep.  He cares for his sheep.  In John's Gospel, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep" (John 10:11-13).  Once again, in a deep sense, we continue to see the conflict between serving God and serving mammon, as a good shepherd is contrasted with hirelings, and with wolves.  A hireling works for money, and has no love for the sheep.  He will not put his life on the line.  A wolf is merely predatory, and takes advantage of opportunity to prey on the vulnerable and weak or helpless.  In John 10, Jesus goes on to say, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:12-16).  A good shepherd has a relationship of love to his sheep.  Moreover, the sheep are intimately known by name, and they know their shepherd.  This is a connection that can only come from the real trust present where love is.  And that becomes our bottom line in our faith.  Who do you trust with your life?  Whose word do you trust to guide you?  Where is the safe place to put that trust?  In the Greek of the Gospels, the word for "faith" has as its root the word that means trust.  We live in a world that sometimes seems to be filled with predators who are supposed to be in positions of responsibility.  But in the context of our faith, we read about the One who has compassion for the sheep who really do need a shepherd.  Christ has come into the world as Incarnate Son, but we can't minimize His willingness -- even as fully human being -- to go to the end, to His utmost, for the sheep.  This is love that cannot be minimized.  We can't simply ascribe it to His divine origin, and we can't minimize the voluntary nature of that love, nor the sacrifice He will make as a human being for that love.  And it is in this voluntary love that we find the deepest roots of our faith, what it means, and what Jesus teaches.  That is because Christ consistently suggests to us that a true love of God -- putting love of God first in our hearts -- will render us loving volunteers as well.  He expresses this is the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), especially as He teaches, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37).   In the Sermon on the Mount, He has taught us, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (see this reading).  In the Jewish tradition, there already existed the teaching, "Do not do to others what you don't want them to do to you."  But Jesus changes this by turning it into an affirmative, pro-active choice for expressing love and mercy, in the context of the love we already know from God (see especially 22:36-40).   In a certain sense, He asks each of us to step up to the plate when opportunity presents itself for us to also follow Him, and be "good shepherds."  This is what it means to be a laborer for the harvest.  Christ's response to this deep need is to invest His disciples with the power to cast out demons, and to heal, and also to send them out to preach the good news of the gospel.   Do you know someone who needs some guidance?  Is there someone who needs a little protection?  Do you know a person who's helpless and needs some assistance?  Or do we respond by being predators, or taking advantage?  Do you know those who are weary and scattered?  What does it mean to you to have compassion?  There are times when even a smile becomes a way to help, and to give support and love.  A friend of mine recently shared this story about a man who seems to have become a voluntary example in his job, turning it into so much more by being a shepherd to some little ones, and being much more than a hireling.  Christ urges His disciples to become leaders by doing so.  Let us consider our Good Shepherd, and how He calls on us to step up and be His disciples, laborers for the harvest, and to use the power of love which we're given through faith.