There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man

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

'This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

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

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

- Mark 7:1-23

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

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

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

Jesus gets down to brass tacks, so to speak.  He levels the playing field with His criticisms that bare what is real and what is not, what counts, and what is extraneous criticism just for the sake of criticizing.  Again, we find ourselves in a place today where the world is faced with a pandemic, and all kinds of responses are possible.  With Jesus, we always see the emphasis on what is entirely real and valuable, what counts and what matters the most.  Moreover, His entirely helpful emphasis on what is truly defiling and what is not makes us focus.  What are we doing that is harmful?  Do we influence others in a bad way, or do we help?  Today, in the midst of fear of how we approach an epidemic of a virus, there is extreme emphasis on cleanliness, on our need to protect one another, on avoiding contracting disease through sanitary and other protective practices.  But when these things become more important than understanding the character of hope and love, we lose our way.  What is truly defiling and what is not?  Do we lose ourselves in the frenzy of the time, or do we focus on what is important for ourselves as persons?  We should not lose track of the things that are really meaningful at this time, the things that uplift, and the things that destroy.  Too much useless criticism, for the sake of criticizing, or merely for political or personal gain, only adds fuel to the fire. It adds to the stress of time, and tears down our capacity for hope.  There are those who might take advantage of such a time of uncertainty and its accompanying temptations, manipulating others for gain.  But if we pay attention to the priorities here given by Christ, we will stand in good stead throughout this period of time.  What really defiles us?  Jesus names evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All of these things may be temptations to weaknesses at this time.  And note especially the focus of Jesus, which reinforces our Lenten concerns:  the focus is not on what is going on outside of us, for that cannot make us spiritually impure or defiled.   Jesus' focus is on what comes from within and proceeds outward.  Are we watching our own speech, or how we contribute to the time?  Are we caring and concerned?  Are we taking advantage to vent and tear apart?  Are we uncaring and callous, do we treat those who love us with neglect?  What is really the fallout of such a time for us, and what does it teach us?    In this time of unprecedented attention to what might come to us from outside of ourselves, let us follow Jesus' words and pay extra attention to the things that come from inside of us.  Let us focus on what we can do from our own resources to positively affect our surroundings and the atmosphere of this time.  In the Gospels, the difficulties endured by the disciples, such as the windstorm in yesterday's reading (above), are seen as experiences which work to strengthen their faith, to build their character, and their reliance upon and dedication to Christ.  Let us consider this time as another such trial or temptation, and see what we can do to endure the test, to build strength through the struggle, and especially to refocus on building our faith and the ways that we handle things according to Christ's word.  In the end, that's all we have to combat invisible enemies -- no matter what they may be.  For that builds the character and an environment of resourcefulness, good cheer, endurance, creativity, and inner strength to do what we need to do now.  Let us build up and not deplete, let us find the best way forward, His way, right now.

Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

- Mark 6:47-56

Yesterday we read that, following their first mission, the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.  Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.   Our reading picks up from where yesterday's left off:  after feeding the five thousand men (and more women and children) in the wilderness, Jesus had sent the disciples to go in a boat before Him across the Sea of Galilee yet again, towards Bethsaida.  Jesus Himself went to the mountain to pray.  So at this time, the disciples are by themselves in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, which is really a very large lake, approximately thirteen miles long and eight miles wide.   The disciples, several of whom are experienced fishermen, are straining at rowing as the wind was against them.  The text tells us that Jesus, alone on the land, saw them.  The fourth watch of the night is about three o'clock in the morning.  This is the second time that Christ has allowed them to be caught in a storm (see also this reading).  My study bible notes that the first time, He was with them (He slept in the stern of the boat); this second time He has left them alone.  In this way, my study bible says, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.   Jesus tells the disciples, "It is I," which is literally translated from the Greek, "I Am," and is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58).  My study bible tells us that Christ reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  Interestingly the text notes that the disciples had not understood about the multiplication of the loaves (see yesterday's reading, above), because their heart was hardened, meaning they did not perceive the miraculous nature of the feeding, Jesus' divine power at work.  Even the disciples were blinded to the nature of what was happening, despite the things -- such as divine healing -- which they had already seen.  My study bible comments that knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not simply the intellect.  It says that when our hearts are illumined by faith in God, they are open to receive God's presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, the heart is called "the seat of knowledge."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.  We note again Jesus' fame for healing.  He is the hope of the hopeless.  Again, even the hem of His garment is now recognized as healing (see 5:25-29).  My study bible says that Christ allows miracles through touch to show that His very body is life-giving.

What do we make of the phenomenon of Jesus' healing by touch, that even the hem of His garment is life-giving?  My study bible gives us a fundamental understanding of our faith, that His very body is life-giving.  This is a foundational treatment in the understanding of the Eucharist and its benefits for us.  There are many dimensions to the understanding of the Eucharist, and this is one of them.  As we "do this in remembrance" of Him (Luke 22:19), so we accept that this is His body and His blood  (14:22-26).  We accept, and I also ascribe to this aspect of our faith, that Christ is mystically present.  "Mystically present," as I understand it, does not entail some deep detailed explanation of how exactly that happens physically or microscopically or any such thing.  It is what it implies:  an article of faith, a mystical reality that involves far more than we understand or know.  In the sacrament of the Eucharist, as instituted by Christ, He is mystically present, His body and blood.  This is the body and blood which was capable of giving healing by faith and through touch.  It is that which was prefigured in the feeding of five thousand, which we read in yesterday's lectionary reading (above).  Today, in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, debate rages in the Churches over questions of protection of the population and the distribution of the Eucharist.  State bodies have intervened, and at this present moment, churches are not congregating.  Instead, many are having services without a full congregation present, in which priests do as they have done since the institution of the Church:  they consecrate the sacrament on behalf of all of their flock.  They pray for us.  They are mediators in this sense of acting on our behalf in worship.  And the sacrament goes on, the Eucharist remains for all.  This does not stop.  In some churches (such as the Armenian Apostolic Church), Lent is a time when the sacrament is not taken as the normal practice in the Church.  But we can all look to the story of the disciples as they row their boat against strong headwinds, alone in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, for some guidance and enlightenment in our present circumstances at this time.  Although they are far away from Christ, and feel terribly threatened and afraid in the storm and in the darkest part of the night, they really are not alone.  Christ, alone on the land, still sees them straining at rowing.  He knows about them, although they are not aware that He knows and He sees.  For them, He is far away, and so when He approaches, walking on the water, they suppose that He is a ghost.  But He is not a ghost; He is instead mystically present.  That is, we don't know how His divine power works, we cannot explain it, and we don't have rational explanations based on laws of physics that we know.  But then again, Christ -- although fully human -- is not an average human being.  He is also divine, and therefore spans dimensions of existence in ways we can't know nor understand.  Whether we are first century fishermen, or PhD candidates in modern science, the cosmos, in its entire existence and its fullness, still holds mysteries we can't explain and don't know about.  Let us consider ourselves then, like the apostles, straining at rowing with headwinds against us, in the middle of a giant lake, at three o'clock in the morning.  We don't know that Christ is aware of us, and we certainly can't necessarily perceive Him.  But He knows and He comes to us.  His life-giving Eucharist is served in our churches on our behalf whether we are present there or not.  Let us remember His words to the disciples, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."   Through all things, this divine "I Am" is present with us.   He sees our struggle; He asks our faith, and that we call on Him through prayer, mystical dialogue.  Let us remember that our emphasis now should be on our faith, and how we get through uncertain circumstances.  Keep in mind always that the "mystical" part of our faith is indispensable, and that without it, we don't have a complete grasp of what to be a Christian is all about.  We accept in trust that there are realities we don't yet understand, and we look to a future when possibly we will come to know what we don't see now.  What we do know, however, is that love transcends all realities, from the divine to the deeply worldly.  There is nothing that can stop it, save the hardness of our hearts to turn against its understanding and perception.  Let us read once again from the words of St. Paul:  "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).  It is love through which Christ is sent ("For God so loved the world" - John 3:16).  Jesus tells the disciples, "Do not be afraid."  St. John writes that "perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18).  We put our trust in that love, through all things, even when the winds blow against us, for that is where our faith belongs.  In this time of difficulty, call on that love, count on it, live it, share it as we are motivated to do, and let it give us strength to ride out the storm.   His love is always mystically present.

And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray

Multiplication of five loaves and two fish.  Miniature from the gospel of Tsar John Alexander of Bulgaria, 1356

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

- Mark 6:30-46

Yesterday we read that the twelve apostles, on their first mission, cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  Now King Herod heard of Jesus, for His name had become well-known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  The narrative of the Gospel picks up where the beginning of yesterday's reading left off, with the culmination of the first mission of the twelve apostles.

And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  My study bible remarks that Jesus gives rest to His disciples to show those who are engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  In a sense, it reflects upon this time of Lent, in which we turn away from frenetic activity, to consider the value of a time of inward disposition for prayer, rest, contemplation, reflection.

But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.   At this stage in Jesus' ministry, and after the apostles have come back successfully from their first mission, the Gospel is careful to let us know of Jesus' great fame in the region, and the multitudes who seek Him so vociferously that they anticipate even His move to a "deserted place" and arrive there before Him.  Once again we're told that Jesus is moved with compassion, and we understand this union of full humanity with full divinity.  In the Greek, the expression denotes an inward feeling of the interior body, not simply an impression in the mind.  My study bible notes that this expression occurs many times in the Gospels concerning Jesus (1:41, Matthew 20:34, Luke 7:13), and it shows that Christ's power and authority are extended to those who suffer.  Let us observe that He first feeds these sheep not having a shepherd by teaching them many things.  For Him to teach is to respond to their immediate need.

When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.   Let us note first of all that, although unplanned, Jesus responds as needs arise.  More importantly, His responses become hallmarks of God's work in the world, and of His ministry and its meanings and spiritual impact.  This feeding miracle is reported in all four Gospels.  It first of all reflects God's work of feeding the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16).  But Jesus' action takes that episode, understood from Israel's spiritual past, and magnifies it into something new.  That new thing is a reflection of the Eucharist (this is implied most strongly in John 6, the last of the Gospels to be written, and so reflecting the understanding of the growing Church at that time).  Christ's blessing and division of the loaves, and distribution via the disciples, is clearly indicative of the Eucharist, and teaches us about giving thanks to God for all things.  One traditional spiritual interpretation of this feeding miracle teaches that the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law, or Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which are broken open in Christ and thereby feed the universe.  The two fish, my study bible says, represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In the gathering of the leftovers into twelve baskets by the apostles (one for each), we see that the teachings which the faithful are at present unable to grasp are nevertheless held in the consciousness of the Church for those who will understand, and sent out into all the world through them.  This feeding miracle, with its multiplication on behalf of a hungry multitude, is a clear sign of the divinity of Christ.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  Christ returns to His purpose and mission; the disciples are sent toward familiar territory in Bethsaida, while He goes to the mountain to pray.  It is also noteworthy that at this juncture, when something new and "explosive" (especially in the multiplication of the loaves and fish) occurs, He retreats for prayer and reorientation in communion with God the Father.  So we should do likewise.

I'm most intrigued today by Jesus' retreat to the mountain to pray, after such a ground-breaking kind of miracle or sign as the feeding of the multitude in the wilderness.  In this feeding is not only a clear opening toward an understanding and eventual full manifestation of the Eucharist, but it is also a sign of God's profoundly explosive work in the world, which suddenly shakes our understanding and interpretation of everything that has come before.  These facts of this manifestation of a sign of God through Christ's ministry contribute to the way in which we look at His immediate withdrawal to the mountain for prayer.  Not only does this sudden, unexpected manifestation of power testify to His divinity and God's presence, it will surely give rise to yet more and deeper zeal of the crowds to follow Him, to make Him even more renown, to spread word regarding what kind of figure such miracles portend.  In short, at this stage it is also inevitable that He is moving toward confrontation with the religious authorities over His growing following and reputation.  He has suddenly become, much more profoundly, a messianic figure.  In light of this, Jesus' withdrawal to the mountaintop tells us some more about Christ, His purpose, and His mission.  There is a great emphasis on constant communion with the Father.  Rather than capitalizing on His fame (in John's Gospel, we're told that the people wished to forcefully make Him king - see John 6:15), Jesus withdraws for a deeper communion in prayer.  His first impulse is to retreat for realignment and direction, a deeper communion in which He may receive and understand the appropriate direction for His ministry.  Let us note that in this withdrawal there is an affirmative character placed upon how we should approach our lives as well when any good thing befalls us.  We not only should give thanks, as does Jesus for the loaves and fishes, but also reorient ourselves for God's direction in our lives.  Our good fortune, such as it is, and no matter what it is, should also be placed into the hands of God not only for good direction in how it is used, but also for a strong faith in how we carry ourselves into the world in the next stories in our own lives.  As we are perceived by others having a certain profile with each new unfolding or event in our lives, so we turn to Christ to find how we are to conduct ourselves most profitably also for our spiritual selves and for the spiritual lives of those around ourselves.  And that is a profound teaching indeed, especially at this time of Lenten prayer and retreat.  Let us give thanks for what we have, let us place all at the hands of God for service and spiritual health and growth.  At this time, during the world outbreak of the coronavirus, there is so much emphasis placed on our physical health.  Let us not forget, in this time of retreat, how we can so profitably use the time for spiritual growth and health as well.

This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead

John the Baptist, Angel of the Desert.  17th century Russian icon

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well-known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

- Mark 6:13-29

Yesterday we read that Jesus went out from Capernaum and came to His own country Nazareth, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do not mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  Today's reading begins with the last verse from yesterday's (above), giving us a framework for what is happening.  The apostles have been sent out on their first missionary journey, and so Jesus' ministry is not simply expanding, but it is also becoming more known for the marvelous works that accompany it.

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well-known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  King Herod Antipas is the son of the King Herod the Great who slew the infants in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16).  He is technically the governor of Galilee (also titled tetrarch), but popularly called a king.  Herod is aware that John the Baptist did not perform miracles.  But now he suspects that Jesus is John risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.  Today's reading unfolds the story of the Baptist's death at Herod's hands.  My study bible comments that Herod fears John more dead than alive.

Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  The prophet Elijah was expected to return and work signs before the coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).   The Prophet is interpreted by some to be a reference to the Messiah, my study bible says; that is, the One foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).  Others interpret this as simply meaning that a new prophet had arisen.

But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  We can understand the fear of Herod, as he supposes that John the Baptist has been raised from the dead -- effectively with great powers he did not have during his ministry -- whom Herod himself had beheaded.

For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.   This explanation, and the story of John the Baptist's death, is given parenthetically in the Gospel, explaining what has happened previously, and Herod's fear that John has returned from the dead.  Herod had married his brother's wife, Herodias, while his brother was yet living.  This was in opposition to the laws of marriage of the Jews, and so John the Baptist had spoken publicly against it.  Herodias wanted to kill him, we're told, but Herod, on the other hand, had a sense of John's righteousness and holiness, and so he protected him.  He also apparently delighted to listen to him.  It seems that Herod knew John's revered popular status as a prophet and holy man among the people.  My study bible notes that Herod feared John.   With all his wealth and soldiers, Herod feared a man who lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair (1:6).  My study bible calls this a testament both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, for they held him in the highest esteem (11:32).

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.  There are a few things we can note about this story.  First of all, there is the temptation to swearing oaths, which Herod gives in to with an over-lavish promise to Herodias' daughter.  In effect, he sets his own trap for himself.  Moreover, contemporary hearers would be scandalized to know that parading a daughter in such a display and in such a setting was a violation of her modesty, in accordance with the cultural standards of the time.  The violence and gore of the holy man's fate -- and the relationship between mother and daughter -- testifies in and of itself to the excesses of thirst for power on display, and its consequences.

In a certain light, we may consider today's story from the Gospel illuminating for Lenten meditation.  The excesses of the court of Herod are instrumental in pointing out to us the wisdom of traditional practices of Lent, and the things we need to consider at this time.  There are first of all the great expenditures of lavish wealth meant to show off the king's (and his kingdom's) power and reach.  We can imagine what sumptuous feast must have been served, showing off the far extent of the Empire's trade in its exotic fares and spices, the skill of the king's cooks and servants, and the possibly the sophistication of luxuries available to them.  And yet in the midst of beauty and royal splendor, the selfish and ruthless acquisition of power for its own sake is at play.  It corrupts the relationship between mother and daughter, not only with disrespect for her daughter's own modesty and integrity of her body and being, but with the "teaching" of the skill of murder for the sake of absolute power.  That there is no regard whatsoever for the holiness for which John the Baptist is widely known and revered by the people doubles this effect.  The king's over-indulgence in swearing a rash oath to his stepdaughter teaches us something as well, for not only are oaths generally things to avoid, but they also present to us great temptation -- a trap we easily fall into, as illustrated here.  Oaths often give us a sense of control and power, but we see even that slip immediately through the king's hands, as his wife uses the opportunity to her own perceived advantage.  And there we have another casualty of relationships based merely on power and the acquisition of authority, and not on love:  manipulation for its own sake as a kind of victory, as a way to operate in the world in which we delude ourselves regarding our own capacity for intelligence and cunning and what it says about us.  These things are instrumental not only as cautionary tales for those who take the faith of Christ seriously, but in particular at this time of Lent, when we are meant to go within more deeply, to take time out from our usual frenetic activities, and consider what is most important to our faith.  This is a time when we are meant to consider what is most important for the good of our body, soul, and spirit.  Our practices of focus on the interior life should give us pause to consider what it is we chase in life, what's most important to us, what is really worthwhile, and where we might to pull back and reconsider how we might live a little differently -- for that's the real meaning of repentance, or "change of mind."  John the Baptist himself remains a figure of importance, especially at this time, for both he and his disciples teach us what it means to stick to the real business of our faith at all times, through thick and through thin.  Not only does he continue with his faith and ministry through his imprisonment, but he dies a heroic death, a martyr to his faith.  In the tradition of the Church, he precedes Christ to those who have passed, proclaiming the coming of Christ in Hades, as forerunner both to the living and the dead.  The detail added in the final verse gives us the disposition of John's disciples, they stick faithfully and soberly to the business at hand, accepting all that has come, and doing what is necessary for their faith.  All of this teaches us something about this time, in which the world faces an epidemic to consider our response to:  Who are we really?  What are we to be about?  How do we get down to the real things of Lent we need to focus on, especially now?  I could make a bad joke about losing one's head -- but let us consider the case in which at times like these, we need to think about the things to which we dedicate ourselves, and the things we're better off in letting go and getting down to the real business of life such as it is now.  Such circumstances have the capacity to really focus our energies on where effort is needed, and to let go of what is extraneous to our health on all levels of our being.  Let us consider to what we dedicate ourselves, and what is most important and essential in our lives now, just like, in our tradition of Lent, we are supposed to do.  The icon above depicts John the Baptist, particularly titled as Angel of the Desert.  In many Orthodox icons, he is depicted with wings, as this gives us an understanding of his role (similar to the angels) as messenger.  In fact, the word angelos means messenger in Greek.  (It should be noted that for the most part, depictions of angels with wings, such as Gabriel or Michael, are also symbolic of their status as divine messengers.)   John is also called Angel of the Desert in this icon for his dedication to the things of God, putting material things second to his purpose, as he was called as prophet and forerunner, and the one of whom Jesus said, "among those born of women there is no one greater than John" (Matthew 11:11, Luke 7:28). 

So they went out and preached that people should repent

The Synaxis of the holy and the most praiseworthy Twelve Apostles. Byzantine icon,  beginning of the 14th century

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do not mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. 

- Mark 6:1-13

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side (returning to Capernaum from healing the demoniac), a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And he looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who sad, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.   Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.   My study bible remarks on the double response of being both astonished and offended, which frequently occurs with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).  Jesus' rejection in His own country of Nazareth in Galilee is a foreshadowing of His rejection by the entire nation at the trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15). 

But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do not mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  This saying is reported in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24, John 4:44), therefore its significance is highly noteworthy.  My study bible says that Jesus could do no mighty work there, not because He lacked power, but because of the unbelief of all but a few in Nazareth.  It notes that grace is always offered to all, but only those who receive it in faith obtain its benefits.  Let us note carefully that this rejection does not stop Jesus, but He continues to do what He is sent to do (1:38).

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.  At this stage in Christ's ministry, He sends out the disciples ("learners"), and they become apostles -- apostolos/ἀπόστολος in Greek means "one sent out" (on a mission), a messenger.  Mark tells us they were sent out two by two on this first "missionary journey" (see Matthew 10:1-4 where the names of the twelve are given in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled together).   In contrast to the power Jesus displays that is His own (which His disbelieving townspeople reject), the apostles have the power which Jesus gave them.  We note how overall Christ commands humility:  they are to take little with them, indicating no ostentation.  They are to stay in whatever house they are first received, and not "trade up" for better accommodations.  But their message nevertheless carries a powerful judgment with it, despite their lack of worldly power and authority; they are to shake off the dust under their feet as a testimony against the place where they are rejected.  My study bible explains that anointing the sick with oil has not only medicinal value but also sacramental value as well.  It notes that as God's healing power is bestowed through creation (5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is also a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14). 

 When we consider the difficulties of these first apostles, we really have to wonder and marvel at their faith.  Jesus has just been rejected in His hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.  The ones who have known Him all of His life, who know His extended family (called "brothers" even today in Middle and Near Eastern usage), cannot reconcile the Jesus they know, and coming from that particular family, with the One whose ministry and fame are spreading everywhere, whose authority is evident in His teaching and wisdom, and whose healing work is now known all across Galilee.  We see how the heart of faith works, and how it doesn't work as well.  Whatever stands in the way, including ridicule (see yesterday's reading, above), makes the working of faith impossible.  Here those who deny that this Jesus they know could possibly amount to such a striking individual, with qualities and power that comes only from God, suffer from a resulting lack of faith that renders any great work Jesus might have done impossible.  This is such a striking outcome that Jesus Himself marveled because of their unbelief.   The fact that Jesus marveled tells us something about the human heart:  that we are so ultimately free that the choices of our hearts may surprise even angels and Christ Himself.   It would suggest that Jesus finds their "unbelief" and their stubborn snobbery (for lack of a better word for it) surprising.  But such is the human heart, revealing what kind of creatures we are.  When we close our minds through habit, assumption, or convenient untruths which assure us of our desired places in the world, not even God will force our hand -- nor our eyes to truly see.  We are God-like in this sense, that our choice is free, and we are endowed with minds that may choose one way, although all rational, reasonable, and particularly spiritual wisdom would lead another.  We are capable of great spiritual blindness.  And into this world with its potential blindness the disciples are sent out, two by two.  Neither are sent with mitigating signs of authority or worldly power so that they may possibly be better received.  On the contrary, their mission is to be extremely humble in all of its aspects.  Jesus directs them only to "shine" through their work and their preaching, and not worldly ostentation of any kind whatsoever.  It is, in effect, an enforcement of the humility which Christ's hometown villagers simply cannot overcome in their estimation of Jesus.  So we have a great key to our faith in these contrasting examples, one shown by Christ and taught to His disciples, and the other shown by His rejecting hometown neighbors.  Faith can only exist where we are capable of stripping away the surface:  our prejudices, our worldly rules, and our doubts about unlimited possibilities of God.  It only exists where we are, indeed, free enough to respond to God's work in the world as it is and wherever it is found.  Our goal, then, is to get to the place where we are capable of seeing through so many of our own conditioned worldly understandings and finding that place where we ourselves are humble enough to recognize God.  We must be capable -- and do all the things we can to render ourselves capable -- of seeing God's light shine through whatever vessels carry that light and shine it into the world.  Jesus' neighbors refuse to recognize His "right" to His understanding and wisdom and power.  Whoever is going to receive and believe what the apostles offer must be those capable of seeing through all worldly expectations of the grand and the great, and recognize what these humble men and their humble mission bears into the world.  And there we start with the lesson we take for today from the reading.  Lent is a period in which we get down to basics and seek to find this ultimate humility that is conducive to our truly seeing and knowing and understanding.  For without that humility, we fare poorly when it comes down to what really matters.  In this time of a viral epidemic, we can think perhaps more clearly about what really matters.  We should ask ourselves what we really need and desire, thinking about the true things that matter when all comes down to the wire.  If we left the world today, what business have we left undone?  Are there things we need to forgive, and prayers we need to pray?  Are there people we perhaps might pray for, despite our differences with them?  Where does our peace come from?  And maybe most importantly, what kind of light do we choose to shine in the world?  Are we going to bring strife or help?  Are we users or givers?  What do we contribute?  And in the midst, are there people of whom we need to let go, who do not serve but hinder our journey to our faith?  (Therein comes forgiveness, "letting go" in the Greek of the Gospels, as well.)   What is most important?  Do we put on a positive face within this humble place before God, or create merely an image by going with the crowds, what seems expedient, or worse, morally fashionable?  All of the questions the Gospels raise to us now become more urgent, and it is time for positive spiritual growth if we but heed this call to go within, get quiet, and consider what is needful.  Most of all, let us consider the preaching of the apostles -- that people should repent.   We need to understand what repentance is and means.  In the Greek, it merely means "change of mind."  So, let's ask ourselves, what do we need to change?  Is there something we need to change our minds about, a way of living or behaving we need to reconsider?  Lent is a traditional time to heed the call of repentance, but let us think of that in the positive way it means for us.  What can we change so that our lives are better, and so that we are better, going in the positive and good direction for full and true health (including spiritual) that we desire?   The icon above is for the Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles, as noted in its title.  In the front, we see the four Evangelists, evident by the Gospel books and scrolls they carry.  The eldest, John, is second from the right.  Perhaps it is Matthew, second from left, who carries a scroll and receives another, whose Gospel is written for a Jewish audience.  In the back with a scroll is St. Paul, who not only seems to be giving a scroll to Matthew, but who carries one of his own, for his Epistles.  And in the center back, with his white hair, is St. Peter, his hand extended in a blessing to all, from all.

Daughter, your faith has made you well

Jesus healing the woman with the blood flow, Michael Astrapas, 1320.  Fresco, Church of St. Nicetas (Serbia), Banjane, North Macedonia

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And he looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who sad, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.   Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

- Mark 5:21-43

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the sea in their boat, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.  So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Jesus and the disciples return back "home" to their ministry headquarters, so to speak, in Capernaum.  They are greeted by a ruler of the synagogue, who presents Jesus with a universal concern:  his little daughter lies at the point of death.  He desperately seeks Jesus' healing to save his daughter, so that she will live.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And he looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   This event has numerous Scriptural interpretations which are understood through it.  First of all, we must consider that this woman's flow of blood excludes her from community.    In the Old Testament, hemorrhage caused ceremonial defilement, which in turn imposed religious and social restrictions, as contact with blood was strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  But Jesus' power to cleanse and to heal is expressed here, including restoration to community.  He corrects her thinking, shows that she is not excluded from Him because of her illness, and applauds her faith, so that all might imitate her.  A traditional spiritual interpretation of this story views this woman as symbolic of human nature in general:  my study bible notes that humanity is in constant suffering and subject to death, which is symbolized by the flow of blood.  The many physicians could not cure her; they stand for the various religions of the world, as well as the Old Testament Law, which were unable to grant life to humanity.  It is only through Christ that we are freed from suffering and bondage to sin. 

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who sad, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.   Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  This is one of three resurrections which the Gospels record Christ as performing (see also Luke 7:11-17, John 11:1-44).  My study bible says that they confirm the promise given to the prophet Ezekiel that God will one day open the the graves and raise all the dead (Ezekiel 37:1-14).   It reminds us that there are many who have exercised authority over the living, but as the Orthodox funeral service reminds us, only Christ "has power over both the living and the dead."  Note that Jesus can heal by the power of His word alone (John 11:43), but here He also touched the child by the hand,  showing the life-giving power of His body.

Let us note Jesus' tremendous emphasis on faith in both of today's healings.  First there is the woman with the blood flow, who through her affliction, and despite the precepts of the Law, and the crowds who may respond with such anger that she is harshly penalized, she approaches Christ with great faith.  She says to herself, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."   Then Jesus praises her faith before the crowd, telling her, "Your faith has made you well."  After some come from Jairus' home, telling him that his daughter has died, Jesus tells him, "Do not be afraid; only believe."   Moreover, after Jesus is ridiculed, He goes so far as to put all those who do so outside, to shore up the faith of the parents.  He takes with Him only His closest disciples whose faith is the strongest:  Peter, James, and John, the same who will be present for the Transfiguration (9:1-10).   So far in Mark's Gospel, this is the strongest emphasis on faith yet:  on the depth and quality of faith, and the necessity for endurance of great temptation, stress, and fear.  At the present moment, most of the world is experiencing a time of great temptation, stress, and fear due to an epidemic afflicting many places around the globe.  But if we pay attention to today's reading, and Jesus' teachings and emphasis on the quality of faith, then we understand how we are to respond to such a time.  It is a time to strengthen, deepen, and shore up our faith -- even when that means staying away and separating from ourselves for a time those who will simply respond with ridicule or other forms of denial for our faith.  Furthermore, Lent is the very period in our faith made for this time of "going within."  Many of us are in a voluntary quarantine, told to stay at home as much as possible, or rather to avoid crowds.  But this is precisely the prescription for the Lenten period from the earliest times of the Church.  We are taught that festivities might be given a rest for a while, including the need to pursue endless social networking, parties, gatherings.  While many of us are in contact with friends and loved ones through all kinds of modern media, let us remember also what a time this is for:  for caring, for practicing our faith in ministering to others, for letting others -- especially the isolated -- know that they are not alone.  It's not a time for gossiping; and that prohibition, too, is a traditional prescription for the Lenten period.  In some sense, the unprecedented time of quarantine on such a widespread scale is a perfect experience for Lent, as it gives us much needed room for prayer and silence, for meditation, for study, for making time for God, and being mindful of the things of God.  It suits us that we are able back off from the frenetic preparations of worldly life and start to think instead about our inner life.  It is a time to remember that our faith -- especially as shown in our reading today -- is shown to be one that does not separate the spiritual from the rest of life, but on the contrary, addresses and shores up our health on all levels:  body, soul, and spirit.  And this, of all things right now, is the perfect time to remember that, to work on it, and to emphasize our own abilities to do what is prescribed for us as medicine in the time of Lent.  Let us go forward and work on that faith which makes us well.  Let us take courage in the example of the woman with the blood flow, symbolizing humanity who, while suffering, is yet capable of great faith.   This is a time to shore up our faith, and to be mindful that, with all the emphasis on physical affliction and scientific data, we need not neglect the understanding that it is our faith that indeed makes us well.   God gave us understanding, the capability to investigate every mystery of science, philosophy, and all that our minds can grasp.  But it is our faith that is capable of strengthening us on every level of our existence, from our depths within to the wholeness and healing we seek in every other way as well.  Let us remind ourselves that this, in the cycle of the Church, a time to simplify, to get down to basics, and to focus on our most basic need which nurtures and strengthen all the rest.

What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?

Healing of the Demon Possessed (Mark 5), Ottheinrich Bible, 1425-30. Bavarian State Library, Munich, Germany

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

- Mark 5:1-20

Yesterday we read that, on the same day Jesus had been preaching in parables, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side."  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  Today's reading takes place across the Sea of Galilee, outside of the familiar territory of Jesus' disciples and His ministry.  This is still in Galilee, however, my study bible says, and it is a place where there are many Gentiles mixed midst with the Jewish population.

And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.  The description of the plight of this man is always striking in my view.  He lives among the tombs, far away from life and community and a civilized kind of existence.  No one can bind him, or bring order to his life, although he has often been bound with shackles and chains.  Let us note the details of his life:  night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  The demons, according to my study bible, are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment (see Matthew 8:29).  We note the slavish understanding of these demons; while they use their power to torment and destroy this man, they fear only torment from Jesus.

Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.   Many feel that this takes place in Gentile territory, due to the swine being raised in this area.  But still others comment that it indicates apostate Jews who raise swine for money, against the precepts of the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8), as lucrative commodity to sell to the Gentile population.  Living among Gentiles, they have taken on Gentile practices.  The demons essentially beg for mercy, which Christ grants them; but the swine are not protected by God in the same way that the tormented demoniac was, and the demons destroy them.

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.  Two different directions are apparent here.  In the first, those who were raising the swine see this formerly demon-possessed man, sitting and clothed and in his right mind, and it means nothing to them.  They care far more for the loss of their swine, and so they respond with fear and plead with Jesus to depart from their region.  And on the other hand, there is the healed man, who wishes only to get into the boat and go with Jesus, and begged Him that he might be with Him.  But instead, with his faith and his experience of healing, Jesus sends him out as a type of early evangelist and apostle, clearly preparing the way for the future Church:  "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."

One commentary on this story reminds us of Jesus' own journey to come, and how it is reflected in some way in today's reading.  St. Peter Chrysologus, a 5th century bishop known for his homilies, preached, "Behold where is he, who was promised all the glories of this world, found to dwell—where?—in the tombs! Compassed about with the putrid rottenness of dead bodies"  (Sermons 17).  In a certain sense, this man oppressed and driven mad by the demons dwells where Christ brings life, in the tombs.  It tells us about how infinitely and inexhaustibly resilient the human soul is, for even under such conditions, and apparently for a great length of time, he is still capable of running to Christ and recognizing his need of Him.  It also tells us about Jesus' mission, that it is indeed "to the ends of the earth" in this sense of coming to this forsaken place and this forsaken person, left to dwell wild among the tombs with no sense of life nor community nor hope -- until Jesus comes.  Let us also note how Christ Himself aims his journey directly toward this man on this foreign shore of the Sea of Galilee, and remember the storm through which the disciples have passed to get here.   All of this indicates it is deliberate, with Jesus' mission being to redeem this man, despite his circumstances, his history, and the place where he has lived and those among whom he has dwelt.  Nothing is hopeless.  This is our message.  The glory of humanity -- made in the image of God -- remains visible to our Creator, who seeks only to redeem those who still retain the capacity (however elusive) to desire that redemption.  In the light of this story, one must consider that Christ will Himself go into the tomb in order to secure this great depth of hope -- even among death -- for all of humanity, and not only for this poor and oppressed demoniac.  If the actions and conditions of the demoniac resemble what might seem modern-day sights of homelessness and those in need of mental health care, let us not lose sight of the message that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).  Speaking from this place, we may indeed consider that it makes little difference whether we are speaking of this abandoned man in the tombs or a wealthy man living in a palace and bound to wealth (as in Matthew 19).  There is always hope, for God has created us so, and Christ has come into the world to teach us so.  The one thing that can keep us from the love of Christ is our continued rejection of such love -- and even then, the depths of the human heart are not even fully known to ourselves, but only to God.  Let us consider the boundless hope expressed in today's reading, the infinite chances we have for redemption, how nothing is lost to God that is given to Christ (John 6:39).   Through all things, let us always remember that it is the slimmest of chances on which Christ stakes His ministry and bets on us, His effort for all of us.  It gives us the great message that we must never give up hope at any time, even against a sea of troubles or a legion of enemies.  There might be times when we also feel like asking, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"  And the correct answer is, "Everything."