Through the Gospels in 89 Days

Day 12: Encounters with Skeptics

2009-07-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

Summary: Chapter 12

Lord of the Sabbath

Healing on the Sabbath?

The Chosen Servant

Casting Out Demons

He Who is Not with Me is Against Me

Good Tree, Good Fruit

Give Us a Sign

Who is My Mother?

An overall theme for this day might be, “Haven’t we covered some of this ground before?” Indeed, we have! Perhaps the events and questions that arise once again will give us new opportunities to see deeper into what our Lord wants us to know. There are also a few instances of what might be called, “discontinuities” – where the subject apparently shifts, without being clear as to why.

I’m going to try a new format – new, at least to this blog. Rather than posting the entire chapter, and then following it with comments, each day (for now, anyway) will begin with the chapter summary and some introductory comments. Then, each subdivision will begin with the text from the Gospel for that day, followed by comments. That might make things a little more coherent. I’m open to suggestions, if there is something you’d like to see here.

Lord of the Sabbath

12:1 At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 12:2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 12:3 But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him; 12:4 how he entered into God’s house, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 12:5 Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? 12:6 But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 12:7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

It was a violation of the Mosaic law to do any work on the Sabbath. Indeed, there was even a limit set on how far you were permitted to walk on the Sabbath. As such, the Pharisees – whose focus, remember, was on strict adherence to the Law – had ample grounds for the charge they made against the disciples. They were harvesting grain (work); they were rubbing the grain between their hands to remove the husks, a crude form of threshing (work); and they were walking in the fields (which was also classified as work). In response, our Lord reminds them of a time when David, while fleeing from King Saul, entered the temple, and ate the bread that the Law required to be placed on the altar in the Temple. Fresh loaves were put out daily; and the old loaves were then reserved to be eaten only by the priests of the Temple.

This incident is found in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. It is interesting to note that David went to the Temple to ask for something for his men to eat. When the priest, Ahimelech, told David that the only bread they had was the showbread, David asked if some could be given to his men. Ahimelech said this was possible of the men had not touched women – that is, if they were not ceremonially unclean. When David replied that his men were not unclean, Ahimelech gave David the bread for him and his men to eat. How was it that Ahimelech could do this? He recognized that the ceremonial law could be set aside to meet genuine needs; and that compassion for others is the foundation upon which the Law was established. The Pharisees seem to have forgotten this, in their zeal to obey the outward requirements of the Law. Our Lord also questions the Pharisees on the apparent contradiction of the Law that regularly took place on the Sabbath. No work was to be done, yet the priests of the Temple made the sacrifices appointed for the day – which was, after all, their work. So, clearly, the “blanket prohibition” against work of the Pharisees was lacking in understanding; something that becomes all the more clear in Isaiah 58:6-7, where the Lord, through the prophet, says that an acceptable day of fasting – required in the Law – is one on which wickedness ceases, the yoke of oppression is removed, and bread is given to those who are hungry. Biblical scholars that they were, the Pharisees thus were not ignorant of how the Law could be interpreted along the lines our Lord set before them.

In verse 7, we come to the first of the repetitions of incidents, when our Lord tells them, as He did in chapter 9, verse 10, that they do not understand the command of the Lord, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” This, too, is guidance into the proper interpretation of the Law. More than that: The place of the Law for the people of God is changing; for the Lord Who gave the Law has now come into the midst of His people; the Lord Who ordered the keeping of the Sabbath is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Who is the “Son of Man?” It is a title that Jesus (and only Jesus) uses, presumably, in reference to Himself. The prophet Daniel has a vision in which he sees someone he describes as, “like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven” who is brought to the “Ancient of Days,” and given sovereign power, glory, and authority to act. The son of man, says Daniel, shall be worshipped by all nations in a kingdom that will never end. (Dan. 7:13-14)

Healing on the Sabbath?

12:9 He departed there, and went into their synagogue. 12:10 And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” that they might accuse him. 12:11 He said to them, “What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it, and lift it out? 12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” 12:13 Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.

The controversy about the Sabbath continues in this pericope. In the synagogue (where the Pharisees taught the Law), Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. Once again, the Pharisees question Him, for now it is not His disciples who have worked on the Sabbath, but the Lord Himself. His reply is straightforward: using the example of how no one would hesitate to do “work” by rescuing a farm animal of his, He makes the point we need to know: It is, in fact, lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. For this, the Pharisees begin to conspire against Him.

The Chosen Servant

12:15 Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, 12:16 and commanded them that they should not make him known: 12:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 12:18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. 12:19 He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 12:20 He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. 12:21 In his name, the nations will hope.”

The closing verses here are a quotation from the book of the prophet Isaiah (42:1-4). This is one of four “servant songs” found in Isaiah. These “servant songs” are interpreted as references to the Messiah, whose coming the Jews still await, but whom Christians identify with our Lord Jesus. The word, “Messiah” means “the Lord’s Anointed One” – the same meaning as the word, “Christ.” Why would the Lord direct the crowds not to tell anyone who He was? This takes place repeatedly in the Gospels. (See, for example, ch. 8:4) Some commentators say that this was to avoid being seen primarily as a miracle worker; or that He did not want the teaching aspect of His mission to be overshadowed by miraculous healings; or that He did not want to provoke a response that would result in His death before His mission had been completed. St. John Chrysostom tells us that He did so to teach us to avoid boasting about anything we have accomplished, even in the service of God. Instead, we are to give the glory for anything we have been able to do to God, Who has given us life, and the abilities and opportunities to do what we might otherwise be tempted to take credit for ourselves.

Casting Out Demons

12:22 Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 12:23 All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?” 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.” 12:25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 12:26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 12:27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 12:28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. 12:29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.”

The crowd, witnessing the Lord casting out a demon that had made a man blind and mute, asks, “Can this be the son of David?” This title was one by which the Jews regularly referred to the Messiah. (We first saw this title in Matthew 1:1 – “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”) The Pharisees repeat the accusation they made before (in Matt. 10:25) – “He casts out demons by the prince of demons” – Beelzebul. (See the discussion about this name in the entry for chapter 10.) Our Lord replies by pointing out the logical fallacy of their argument – how can Satan’s kingdom survive if those who serve him – the demons – are also cast out by him? Our Lord is also not the only person who is casting out demons; remember, the twelve were given this ability when they were sent out on their missionary journey in chapter 10. He then confronts them with the reality of the situation, which they did not seem to want to face: if it is illogical for Satan to cast out his servants, then it is only possible for them to be cast out by the power of God; and since this is taking place in their presence, it can only mean that the kingdom of God has, as foretold by St. John the Baptizer, and proclaimed by our Lord Jesus, come into their midst. He then reinforces the point with the example of the person who enters the house of the “strong man” – Satan – and ties him up, so as to plunder his house. This we understand as what will take place when our Lord descends into hades, breaks the bars of the gates of death, and leads from there the souls of those held captive by death. He enters the house of the “strong man”; binds him; and plunders what had, until that time, belonged to him. St. John Chrysostom, by the way, points out that it is not that Satan is “strong”; rather, this speaks to the tyranny he had over us, which is based upon our transgressions.

He Who is Not with Me is Against Me

12:30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters. 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.

Keep verse 30 in mind; we’re going to encounter a verse that appears to directly contradict it. Not right away; but we’ll get there, by God’s grace. The verse means exactly what it says, by the way. But what is the “blasphemy against the Spirit” that will not be forgiven?

Some commentators say that the context of this part of chapter 12 suggests that this sin is giving Satan credit for the miracles done in the power of the Holy Spirit. St. John Chrysostom sees it as being aware that it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that demons are cast out, but denying this and instead saying that it is done by the power of Satan, as if ignorant of the truth. Granted, these descriptions are almost the same; but the deliberate choice to ignore the truth and proclaim a lie, as St. John points out, means that those who have done so have hardened their heart; and this to such a degree that, like the angels, those who commit this sin will refuse to change their minds, and repent – and so there is no forgiveness for them.

Good Tree, Good Fruit

12:33 “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 12:35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. 12:36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Does this really need any explanation? I didn’t think so!

Give Us a Sign

12:38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 12:41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. 12:42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here. 12:43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 12:44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 12:45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”

This is an interesting exchange, because, in fact, signs of the Kingdom were being presented – for those who wanted to see them. Remember the dialogue between our Lord and the disciples of St. John the Baptizer at the beginning of chapter 11. What signs? “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (11:5) Why, then, do the scribes and Pharisees given the answer set forth here?

The scribes are the teachers of the Law; the Pharisees are strict followers of the Law. Of all those in Israel, these groups should have been best equipped to recognize the Messiah when He came; but instead they are called an evil and adulterous generation, for they had not kept faith with God and the covenant God had established with them. Even so, our Lord tells them what to look for, by citing events they should have known for themselves: Jonah, who was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights; and who then went to the city of Nineveh, and warned them of the wrath of God about to come upon them – to which they responded by repentance and amendment of their ways, and so were spared. They believed the prophet of God, even without any miraculous sign – and now one greater than Jonah has come to them, and they will not believe. This is why the people of that pagan city will condemn the people of God who did not recognize when the Messiah had come. So, too, the queen of the south, who came to King Solomon to learn of earthly matters as understood by his great wisdom. Yet the Christ, Who possesses a wisdom of things of heaven, otherwise inexpressible, is not welcomed by those who should have known Him, and so they are condemned.

Who is My Mother?

12:46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 12:47 One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.” 12:48 But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 12:49 He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Here again, we have a very straightforward presentation. In the services of the Orthodox Church, we often hear this passage read for the feasts of the Theotokos. It is not, as some non-Orthodox interpret this, a rejection of the importance the Church has always had with respect to the Mother of God; rather, it is an expansion of the privilege of being considered a member of the household of our Lord, which cannot but also include the virgin who gave birth to Him – His Mother. What is the criterion for being included? All those who, as did our Lord, do the will of God are members of His household, He being our older brother – and if we are related to Him, then we are also related to her – right? Of course, right!

A Pause in the Disaster...

2009-06-29T08:46:00.001-07:00

My apologies to those who may be following this blog in real time. Due to other responsibilities, we're off track here -- not for the first time! I either need to find a way to do this briefly -- if you look closely, you'll notice that a number of the entries have been made in the wee hours of the morning -- or accept the fact that I cannot post here every single day, much as I had hoped to do.

I will do my best to stay as current as possible! I hope you'll continue to check in to see the progress (or subscribe via an RSS reader, so, when the blog is updated, you'll know about it).

Thanks.

Day 11: John the Baptizer, Warnings, and an Invitation to Rest

2009-06-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

11:1 It happened that when Jesus had finished directing his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. 11:2 Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples 11:3 and said to him, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?” 11:4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 11:5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 11:6 Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.”

11:7 As these went their way, 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 in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in king’s houses. 11:9 But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11:11 Most certainly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. 11:12 From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 11:14 If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come. 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
11:16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions 11:17 and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’ 11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

11:20 Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they didn’t repent. 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 11:22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 11:23 You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will go down to Hades. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. 11:24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, on the day of judgment, than for you.”

11:25 At that time, Jesus answered, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants. 11:26 Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight. 11:27 All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

11:28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Chapter Summary:

Questioned by John the Baptizer

Our Lord Speaks About John the Baptizer

What Shall I Say About This Generation?

Woe to You!

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Come Unto Me

Questioned by John the Baptizer

St. Matthew does not tell us the story of the arrest and imprisonment of St. John the Baptizer. (We must wait until we get to chapter 14 – although there’s nothing to prevent you from skipping ahead, if you want to do so!) Having sent the twelve on their mission, our Lord Himself returns to doing what He had initially done, which now His disciples have joined Him in doing: preaching the coming of the kingdom of heaven. Word of this reaches St. John the Baptizer in his prison cell; and so he sends two of his disciples to ask, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?” Even St. John, the last of the Old Testament prophets, who had preached the coming of the Messiah, and had recognized Him when He came to the Jordan River to be baptized – even this man of God must confront the doubts that arose in him. He asks for proof; and the answer given to him by our Lord also comes from prophetic roots: the miracles of healing, the raising of the dead, and the preaching the good news to the poor are all signs of the Messiah, given by God centuries before to prophets such as Isaiah. Our Lord concludes, “Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.” Jesus recognizes and acknowledges John’s doubt, and reassures him, even as He speaks to us today.

Our Lord Speaks About John the Baptizer

As John’s followers depart, Jesus addresses the multitude who followed Him, as perhaps many there had also followed John before his arrest. He asks them, “What did you go out into the desert to see?” He declares that John is a prophet, even the greatest of prophets – in itself, a rebuke to those who went out of curiosity, but did not respond to John’s call to repent and be cleansed by baptism. Quoting the prophet Malachi, Jesus (in verse 10) identifies St. John as the one spoken of by the prophet several hundred years before: The messenger sent to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. He praises John as the greatest of any born of a woman; but then makes him less than the lowest of those who enter the kingdom of heaven. For John was of the old covenant; those who will receive our Lord by faith, and be baptized into His life, who are of the family and the household of Christ, who are of one blood with Him by the blood He shed on our behalf, are closer to Christ than was St. John. (Presumably, as St. John also comes into the kingdom by faith, he is restored to his place of honor – but that was yet to come.) Then John is identified as Elijah, the prophet who was taken up into heaven by a fiery chariot, and who was expected to return when the Messiah had come.

Then (in v. 12) our Lord says something that isn’t immediately obvious in what it says. That is, the words, on the surface, suggest something contrary to what we would expect to hear from the “Prince of peace,” one of the prophetic names given to our Lord before His birth. “From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. “ Most of us, probably, will visualize, upon hearing this, an invading army; or a SWAT team entering a building; or a burglar smashing a door or a window to gain entry. But here is what the fathers tell us about this “violence”: it is the violence of the ascetic life, the doing of battle against our passions, the violent breaking of the holds by which the enemy of our salvation attempts to keep us from rising to the kingdom. We struggle against our flesh, and against the powers of this world, in order to bring the life of Christ given to us in our baptism into reality within ourselves. It is by this “violence” that we “take” the kingdom of heaven.

What Shall I Say About This Generation?

It is my opinion that many of the exchanges which our Lord Jesus has with some of the people that appear to be harsh are, in fact, expressions of His inexpressibly great love of us. I think that, at times, He speaks in such a way as to jar those who hear Him, to shake them from their complacency and self-assuredness, so that they can then hear the good news of the coming of the kingdom, and repent and confess and be about the amendment of their lives. So, when He compares them to children, it is not an insult; and when He pushes them, it is so that they might begin their journey from this world to the kingdom that is coming, which He has brought for us all. In particular, He sets Himself into the story, together with St. John the Baptizer, who, He says, came neither eating nor drinking (apart from locusts, wild honey, and water), and was accused of being possessed by a demon. The same people say of Jesus that He was a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Neither John nor Jesus were “good enough” for these people, who think they are better, more worthy, than others, because they are “righteous.” But they are mistaken; and “wisdom is justified by her children.” Whose lives better reveal the life of the kingdom? Those who repented? Or those who thought they were the righteous ones?

Woe to You!

Moving from “this generation,” our Lord speaks as a prophet to some of the cities to which He had traveled, and where He had proclaimed the kingdom, and worked miracles, and yet was not accepted by the very people to whom the promise of the Messiah had been made. Chorazin was near the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum. Bethsaida was probably on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum was the village where Jesus lived. All three are at risk of a future worse than that which fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah, because they did not believe. Tyre and Sidon were cities on the coastline, established by the Phoenicians, and so were not part of the Holy Land that God had given to Abraham and his descendents – yet our Lord says that, if the pagan peoples living in those cities had seen what the people of the covenant had seen, they would have been quick to repent; something the people of God failed to do.

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Come Unto Me

Here again we come upon an apparent contradiction. Our Lord invites everyone who is troubled to come to Him, and He will refresh them, and give them rest. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls.” Yet not too long before, we heard that the way was narrow, and the number to pass through the gate was small; and that we could not love anyone or anything more than the Lord, and that we must carry our cross and follow Him. So how could His yoke be easy, and His burden light?

The fathers approach this in number of ways. One is very practical, coming from the experience of farmers. A young animal, yoked for the first time, may respond with protest against this restraint laid upon it, and at the load it is then required to pull. But when an older, and experienced animal is paired in the yoke with the inexperienced younger animal, the older exerts a calming influence, and resists the attempts to throw off the yoke; and by this, the animal new to the yoke is trained, and becomes experienced and reliable. As it is for the animals, so it is for us, if we will allow ourselves to be yoked in tandem with Christ, and go with Him, and learn from Him. The fathers also tell us that there is no burden so great, so heavy, as the knowledge of our sins; and how light is the feeling when we have confessed, and our sins are forgiven! Righteousness and virtue, while difficult to acquire – it takes the way of the Cross – are of no burden at all, once we have acquired them. Finally, the fathers remind us that this life is transitory, brief, in comparison with eternity; so that even if bearing the Cross is a great burden now, it will not always be so; and we will rejoice when we have come into the kingdom of heaven, and give no thought to the moment when things seemed insurmountable, and unbearable.

Day 10: The Mission of the Twelve

2009-06-26T00:29:00.000-07:00

10:1 He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; 10:3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 10:4 Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

10:5 Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. 10:6 Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 10:7 As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. 10:9 Don’t take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your money belts. 10:10 Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. 10:11 Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy; and stay there until you go on. 10:12 As you enter into the household, greet it. 10:13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. 10:14 Whoever doesn’t receive you, nor hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet. 10:15 Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. 10:18 Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 10:19 But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. 10:20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 10:21 “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. 10:22 You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man has come. 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. 10:25 It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household! 10:26 Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known. 10:27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. 10:28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 10:29 “Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin? Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will, 10:30 but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 10:31 Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. 10:32 Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 10:33 But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

10:34 “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. 10:35 For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 10:36 A man’s foes will be those of his own household. 10:37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 10:38 He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. 10:39 He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. 10:40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 10:41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 10:42 Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.”

Chapter Summary:

The Calling of the Twelve

The Mission of the Twelve

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves

Take Up Your Cross

There are any number of ways the verses in this chapter might be grouped. I have tried to organize them in a way that makes sense; but perhaps some of the blocks should be broken down a bit more.

The Calling of the Twelve

Most of these names are familiar to us. One that may not be is “Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus.” Not every English translation of this chapter contains that information; instead, we are given the name, Thaddaeus. As far as I know, there are no lists of “major” and “minor” apostles, as there are for the prophetic books in the Old Testament; but beyond being named in the lists of the twelve in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we hear nothing more about some of them. This particular phrase, giving the name “Lebbaeus,” points out something that will occur again in this chapter, and, indeed, throughout the Gospels: the manuscripts from which the Bibles are translated. There are some variations between these source texts; some, as we have noted, contain this phrase, while others do not. Another instance: Simon the Canaanite is given the title, Simon the Cananaean. The meaning is the same; and, indeed, while these variations do occur, there are, to my knowledge, none that are substantive – none that, if included, change the message the Gospels are meant to convey.

The Mission of the Twelve

Having been selected by our Lord to be a part of His “inner circle,” if you will, they are given a mission, and the power and the authority to accomplish it. What are they to do? Preach the coming of the kingdom of heaven; and to heal the sick and cast out demons. In verse 8, we encounter another textual variation. Some source texts read as it is given above; but some add, “raise the dead” as well to what the twelve are empowered to do.

They are also given other instructions. They are sent to the Jews, not to the Gentiles, nor to the Samaritans. They are to take no reward for what they do; and they are not to worry about any provisions for their journey: they are not to take any food, clothing, or baggage; and they are not to take anything of value that might be used by them to pay for food or lodging, or any another expense. They are to rely upon what people in the villages they visit will provide for them – ultimately, to trust that God will provide all their needs. When they come to a village, they are to stay with someone who was worthy. (I must admit to being intrigued by the concept of being “worthy.” St. John Chrysostom gives no more guidance on that than does the text itself. Does anyone have any ideas to offer on what this might mean?)

They were to give their greeting to the household when they entered, and, if the house was worthy, to allow their peace to remain; otherwise, their peace was to return to them when they left. (Remember that “house” means more than the building: it also means “family.”) As with “worthy,” this is intriguing: what is this “peace?” Fortunately, St. John Chrysostom does discuss this point. He says that the instructions our Lord is giving to those being sent out to proclaim the coming of the kingdom, rather than being greeted as teachers, are to greet others first – an act of humility on the part of the disciples. So they are not so much giving a greeting when they enter, but a blessing; which, if the house is worthy, will find the blessing will, indeed be given to them. If the house is not worthy, the first punishment it suffers is that it will lose the peace that would be found by the members of the household as a result of having the disciples stay with them and teaching them. They would also be at risk of being sentenced to destruction, as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. This, of which we are told in the 19th chapter of the book of Genesis, was the result of the sinfulness of these cities, which were destroyed when fire and brimstone – burning sulfur – fell upon both cities, completely destroying them.

Sheep in the Midst of Wolves

The Lord tells the twelve that they are being sent out as sheep among wolves. As such, He advises them that they must be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. (In some versions, such as the King James, the phrase is, “as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.”) What then, is the wisdom or shrewdness of the serpent? What is the innocence or harmlessness of the dove?

St. John Chrysostom (where would we be without his insights?) actually begins to decipher this for us by going back to the first phrase, of the sheep in the midst of wolves. As were the disciples being sent, so, too, are we to be sheep – who are generally gentle creatures not given to attack – rather than wolves, who attack and kill with their teeth. This is connected to the harmlessness of the dove. He further explains that, as the serpent will not vigorously defend its tail, but even allow it to be severed from the body so as to preserve its head – the tail will grow back – so are we to be willing to give up everything except our faith: houses, property, goods, even our limbs or our lives may all be lost to us, but if we preserve our faith, we shall not lose our reward in heaven; only those things on earth which are ultimately transitory, shadows. So to be as wise as a serpent means to preserve our faith; while to be as innocent as a dove is to cause no harm to any other person.

A warning is then given to the disciples: Be on guard. There will be acts of betrayal, even by those who are close to us, even members of our own families. The faithful may be arrested, questioned, imprisoned, tortured, even killed. We are not to worry about these things, not even what answer we shall give when questioned: the Spirit of the Lord will instruct us in what we are to say. We will be hated; but if we stand firm to the end, we shall be saved – perhaps in this world, but certainly in the world to come. (See chapters 2 and 3 of the book of the revelation to St. John for the promises given to those who endure until the end.)

One other little side trip before leaving this section. Our Lord says, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!” Remember that, when the people of God who had made the exodus from Egypt came to the Promised Land, it was necessary for them to drive out the inhabitants of the land, who worshipped idols. One such idol was Ba’al. This word, Semitic in origin (as is Hebrew), may be applied to either a divine being or a human being; it means “master” or “lord.” In some instances, it is a “stand-in” for the deity Hadad, the Lord of heaven and the god of rain, thunder, and agriculture. (Among the Hebrews, the name of God was too sacred to be spoken; and so reference to God used the “stand-in” term, “Adonai” – “Lord” – in place of “YHWH.”) In the Bible, it does not usually carry that meaning, but instead is a general reference to the diversity of “gods” worshipped by the Canaanites. The name, “Baal-Zebul” would mean “Prince Baal” or “Baal the exalted one.” In the Bible, the term is corrupted – probably intentionally – to “Beelzebub” or “Beelzebul”: “Lord of the flies.” The term came to be applied to Satan. If you recall, in chapter 9, the Pharisees said of our Lord that He cast out demons by the prince of demons. They were, in effect, calling Him, “Beel-zebub.”

Take Up Your Cross

Having set before His disciples the possible challenges and dangers they may encounter as they go about their mission, He reminds them of their importance, of the great love that God has for all mankind, made in His image and called to live in His loving presence. He tells us not to fear those whose power to destroy extends no further than being able to take away our life in this world. We should only fear the One who can destroy both the body and the soul in hell. Of course, if we live as we have been instructed by Him, we have no reason to fear: for if we acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives in word and in deed, He will, at the great and terrible Day of Judgment, acknowledge us in heaven. Those who do not risk being disowned by our Lord on that Day. We are, of course, called to love our parents; we are called to love our brothers and sisters; we are called to love our children – but we must not let this love be more important than our love for the Lord; nor let this love pull us away from Him. This is part of the Cross we are called to carry: to love the Lord with all of our being, and to love those who are made in His image and after His likeness – even those who will hate us, and act on that hate, because of our love for, and loyalty to, Jesus Christ the Son of God, our Lord.

(The quotations from Scripture found in the above come from the World English Bible.)

Day 9: Signs of the Kingdom

2009-06-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

9:1 He entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city. 9:2 Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.” 9:3 Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.” 9:4 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 9:5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’ 9:6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to your house.”
9:7 He arose and departed to his house. 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9:9 As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

9:10 It happened as he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 9:12 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 9:13 But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

9:14 Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” 9:15 Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 9:16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. 9:17 Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

9:18 While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 9:19 Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. 9:20 Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; 9:21 for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.” 9:22 But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. 9:23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd in noisy disorder, 9:24 he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him. 9:25 But when the crowd was put out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 9:26 The report of this went out into all that land.

9:27 As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!” 9:28 When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.” 9:29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 9:30 Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” 9:31 But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

9:32 As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him. 9:33 When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!” 9:34 But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.”

9:35 Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 9:38 Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”

Here’s my summary of this chapter:

Healing a Paralytic

The Calling of Matthew

Tax Collectors and Sinners

Fasting and the Bridegroom

Healing the Ruler’s Daughter and the Woman with an Issue of Blood

Two Blind Men are Healed

Casting Out a Demon

The Lord of the Harvest

In a way, if the chapter as a whole were to be given a title, it might be, “Signs of the Kingdom, and the Opposition of the Jews.” Not all Jews, mind you; but certainly the scribes (the teachers of the Law) and the Pharisees, whose lives focused upon keeping the Law to the nth degree were skeptical about the miracles and contemptuous to our Lord. Of the eight different sections of this chapter, four of them include encounters with these opponents.

Healing a Paralytic

Arriving in Nazareth, our Lord is met by a paralyzed man and his friends, who have carried him to be healed by Jesus. Here, our Lord heals with a word: “Your sins are forgiven.” Now, to this time in the story, after His baptism and the forty days in the desert, our Lord has healed a number of people. Some reports lack details, and simply say that He healed the sick; or that many were healed. (This is in chapter 4.) In chapter 8, He heals a leper with a touch and the words, “Be made clean.” He heals the servant of the centurion from afar by the word of His command. He heals Peter’s mother-in-law with a touch, and others are healed, but we are not told how. He casts out demons by His word. What is particularly worth noting is that here, unlike the previous healings where some details are given, He does not say, “Be healed”; He says, “Your sins are forgiven.” This provokes the scribes, who said among themselves, “This man is a blasphemer”; that is, someone who speaks or acts impiously, who slanders God.

St. Matthew tells us that our Lord knew their thoughts, even if He did not hear them speak. He confronts them with the question, “Which is easier? To say, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’; or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed, and walk?’” The obvious answer – from a human point of view – would be to say that one’s sins are forgiven; for how can this be known in this life? Our Lord, then, uses the more difficult task, and heals the paralyzed man with His command to rise and walk, to demonstrate that He also has the power to forgive sins. The conclusion that those present at the time of this miraculous healing, and those present when St. Matthew was telling the story, and us – if we will make the effort to understand – were meant to know that, as only God can forgive sins, Jesus was showing them that the kingdom of heaven had, indeed, drawn near to them – very near!

The Calling of Matthew

Having healed the paralyzed man, our Lord finds a tax collector named Matthew. He says to him, “Follow me.” Amazingly, Matthew does exactly as he was told to do, leaves his booth, and becomes a follower of Jesus.

None of us like to pay taxes. We may do so because we don’t want to face the consequences that may befall us if we do not pay; we may do so from a sense of duty; we may even do so giving thanks for the many opportunities we have in this land. But the collection of taxes today is almost nothing at all like it was in the time of the Gospels. Ever wonder why the tax collectors were so despised? It’s because they were contractors who, in exchange for guaranteeing the ruler a certain amount of revenue, they were allowed to collect whatever they could from whomever they could. Tax collectors almost invariably got rich, because they were accountable to no one – as long as they didn’t get too greedy! For Matthew to have walked away from such a position is mind-boggling, even in today’s world. Give up a six or seven figure income to follow a wandering teacher? Had Matthew gone crazy?

Tax Collectors and Sinners

Was the dinner mentioned here served in Matthew’s house? Wherever it was served, the company was not what common opinion thought was appropriate for a “man of God,” as Jesus clearly was – or, at least, sought to portray Himself to be. As such the Pharisees come to the disciples and ask why their “Teacher” eats with tax collectors and sinners. The Lord responds by the analogy of sickness and sin: as those who are ill have need of a physician, while those who are healthy do not, so, too, do sinners need someone who can heal their spiritual illnesses – which, the Fathers tell us, frequently manifest themselves in our bodies as well as our souls – while those who have not sinned have no such need. Then, to open their eyes to their own state of sin, our Lord quotes the prophet Hosea to show the Pharisees that, in their own assumed state of self-righteousness, they are no better than the tax collectors and sinners with whom the Lord is dining: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”

The story of the prophet Hosea is a fascinating study, and if you’ve never read this book of the Old Testament, it will be worth your time to do so. Early on, God directs Hosea to marry a prostitute, Gomer, and to accept as his own her children; all of this as a sign to the people of Israel that they have forsaken God, as a form of adultery in the relationship between God and His people. (Interesting: Here again, the theme of a “man of God” – the prophet – associating intimately with a sinner.) The message from God to His people through the prophet is that they shall be punished for their lack of fidelity – punished, but not destroyed. Gomer is driven out by her children, at Hosea’s direction; but God has ordered Hosea to continue to love her, and she is brought back and, after a time of isolation, is restored to her husband and family. At one point, God laments over His people, and asks, “What shall I do with you?” Then He says, “For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (6:6) The Hebrew word hesed that is translated as “mercy” can refer to proper conduct directed toward others, loyalty to God, or both; and can also be translated as, “love.” What is presented, then, is the contrast between the interior action and the exterior; where the offering and the burnt offering are external actions, made in the Temple, while mercy, loyalty and love all arise from the heart. The exterior actions can be counterfeit; the interior, much less so, if at all. Worship offered to God without being faithful to the will of God does us no good; it may even do us harm. The Pharisees have judged Jesus by His outward actions, and have shown by this their lack of love and mercy – and are as much in need of the forgiveness of their sins as are the tax collectors and the other sinners. But where the group with whom our Lord is dining recognize their sin, and so their need, the Pharisees, who think they do not sin because they outwardly keep the Law, do not recognize their need to repent, and confess, so that their sins may also be forgiven.

Fasting and The Bridegroom

Although this is not a “hostile” encounter, as experienced with the scribes and the Pharisees, it is still a question about why the Lord and His disciples appear to live in a way that, if not outside the Law, then is certainly pushing the boundaries of the Law. John’s disciples come and ask, “Why do we fast, and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?” The answer is straightforward: when it is time to celebrate, you do not fast. The presence of the Lord with His disciples – and it is important here to remember that we, as we follow Him, are His disciples – is something to celebrate. At the proper time, His disciples will fast. But then the Lord teaches through an interesting analogy: using cloth and wine and wineskins to illustrate His point.

St. John Chrysostom points out that the center of the analogy is the contrast between what is old and what is new; and how mixing the two very likely results in the destruction of both. A new piece of cloth, not yet shrunk, if cut to size and used to repair an old garment, will, when it shrinks, make the damage worse than what initially required the sewing in of a piece of cloth. Similarly, new wine is poured into new wineskins, which have not been stretched, and so will have the capacity to stretch as the wine ferments. An old wineskin, having been stretched, will burst, as its elasticity is less than that of a new wineskin. Here, I think, is the point: The disciples, indeed, everyone, are under the Law, under the covenants with Abraham and Moses; but our Lord has come to bring about a new covenant; and so before it can be given to the disciples, and to all others who follow Christ, they must first be made new, and then, given the “new wine” of the life of our Lord and the Holy Spirit in our “new wineskin” being – the nature that had fallen because of Adam and which Christ would renew by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

The Ruler’s Daughter and the Woman with an Issue of Blood

This request for healing turns into something more. A man of some importance comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal His daughter. Jesus agrees to accompany the man, who has phrased his request by asking Jesus to lay His hand on her to heal her. (Compare this with the centurion in chapter 8.) As they travel, word comes to them that the girl has died; and, as they enter the residence, the mourners have already started to gather. Our Lord says that the girl is not dead, but only sleeping – which causes those gathered there to laugh in derision. Our Lord takes the girl by the hand and raises her up, restored to life.

In the middle of this account, another story appears – that of a woman who has suffered from an issue of blood for twelve years. Her specific condition is unknown to us; but we can imagine the circumstances that her condition caused for her. Blood was significant; blood was the carrier of life, as we are told in the 17th chapter of the book of Leviticus:

17:10 “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. 17:12 Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.”

Remember that it was the blood of the lambs slain for the first Passover in Egypt that was used to mark the lintel and door frames – a form of the sign of the Cross – to identify the homes of the people of God when death, the tenth and final plague on Egypt, came into the land. No one died where the doorway was marked with blood; while in those homes not marked, the first-born male in each household died.

In Leviticus we find, then, the significance for the woman who has come in the midst of the story about the healing of the ruler’s daughter:

15:19 “‘If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 15:20 “‘Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. 15:21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 15:22 Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 15:23 If it is on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening. 15:24 “‘If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean. 15:25 “‘If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period; all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period: she is unclean. 15:26 Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period. 15:27 Whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.”

So, the issue of blood had rendered this woman unclean, and therefore, untouchable, for twelve years. She was undoubtedly shunned by many, because simply brushing against her garments while passing in the street meant that you would be unclean for seven days. Her coming to touch the hem of our Lord’s cloak, then, would, under the Law, meant that Jesus would also be unclean. But, as He did not withhold His touch from the leper, here He does not object to her having come to Him with the faith that she would be healed; and He tells her, “Your faith has made you well.”

Casting Out a Demon

A man who could not speak because he was possessed of a demon came to our Lord, Who drove out the demon, making it possible for the man to speak. The people remarked that such a thing had never been seen in Israel. But once again, the Pharisees see evil where the crowd saw something wonderful, and said that the only reason why the demon-possessed man had been restored was because the Lord invoked the prince of demons to do so – saying, in effect, that our Lord was doing the work of the enemy of our salvation, rather than the work of God.

The Lord of the Harvest

The Lord sees the crowds who are coming to Him, who will need instruction and guidance, and, in His love for all, He is moved to compassion for them. He speaks to His disciples in an analogy to farming, speaking of how the harvest is ready, but that there are not enough laborers for the task. He urges His disciples – and again, we who are called by His name are meant to be His disciples – to pray, asking that the “Lord of the harvest” will send workers to bring the harvest into His house. We should offer that prayer; and we should be willing to go and do that work. For some, this will mean offering themselves for ordination; but for most, it means that we must labor to acquire the Holy Spirit, to struggle against our passions, to repent and confess, to fast and to give, to love others more than we love ourselves, and with patience and humility show the life of Christ in our own. If we will do these things, we may be of service to others by bringing them closer to our Lord; and this is the harvest, the harvest of souls.

Day 8: Healings, Disciples, Storms and Demons

2009-06-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

8:1 When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 8:2 Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.” 8:3 Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 8:4 Jesus said to him, “See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

8:5 When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him, 8:6 and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.” 8:7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8:8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8:9 For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. 8:11 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, 8:12 but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 8:13 Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour.

8:14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 8:15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. She got up and served him. 8:16 When evening came, they brought to him many possessed with demons. He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick; 8:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.” 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes around him, he gave the order to depart to the other side.

8:19 A scribe came, and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 8:20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 8:21 Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father.” 8:22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

8:23 When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. 8:24 Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. 8:25 They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!” 8:26 He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm. 8:27 The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

8:28 When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way. 8:29 Behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 8:30 Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding far away from them. 8:31 The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.” 8:32 He said to them, “Go!” They came out, and went into the herd of pigs: and behold, the whole herd of pigs rushed down the cliff into the sea, and died in the water. 8:33 Those who fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons. 8:34 Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.

I would break down this chapter in the following way:

A Leper is Healed

The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant

Healing the Sick

The Cost of Discipleship

The Wind and the Sea Obey

Casting Out Demons: The Gadarene Swine

A Leper is Healed

Perhaps the first thing here that is remarkable is our Lord’s response to the leper’s request to be healed. Not only does Jesus desire to heal this man; He touches him. Now, although the term used in the biblical texts that is translated as “leprosy” should, perhaps, be translated, “an infectious disease of the skin” – which category would include Hansen’s bacillus (leprosy) – but also much more. The key point here is that the condition, whatever the cause, is contagious. The Law provided that persons having such a condition be examined by a priest, and then isolated outside the settlement for a period of seven days, and was considered to be ceremonially unclean, and so barred from entering the Temple. After the seven days of isolation, the person was again examined, and pronounced to be either “clean” or “unclean.” If the person was clean, there were sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving specified in the Law; while if they remained unclean, they went back into quarantine. Anyone who touched anything that was unclean became themselves ceremonially unclean, and had to wait the seven days, and then be pronounced clean, and wash themselves and their clothing, and bring the sacrifices to the priest for the offering. Thus, touching the leper was a serious action, one with strong implications.

I had been a priest in the Episcopal Church for less than a year when I was sent by the rector of the parish in which I served to visit a man in the hospital. He was, I learned, dying from the onset of the complications that accompany the AIDS virus. During my summer of clinical pastoral education in seminary, I was assigned to the cancer ward of the hospital, which is also where the patients with the most serious cases of AIDS were treated. The medical staff would almost always wear a surgical mask and gloves – if not the full sterile suit – when visiting these patients, and so I did the same; but we were told later that this wasn’t necessary for us when making pastoral calls. As such, on this day, I entered the hospital room as if the man only had a bad cold: no goggles, no gloves, no mask. We spoke for a while, and prayed; and then his “partner” came into the room and said that the patient needed to be turned, and asked if I would help. I did so; and as we shifted the patient, I felt that he had been sweating – and that his partner was wearing surgical gloves. As soon as I left the room, I found a place to wash my hands. He died a day or so after that visit; and I spent more than a few years where, every time I started getting sick, I wondered about that day, and whether I might have been exposed to the virus.. As such, it helps me to see our Lord reach out in love and touch this “untouchable” leper as part of the way the man was healed. (It’s 18 or 19 years later; I don’t worry about it as much any more…)

The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant

Let me hit you here with a $10 word from seminary: pericope. A pericope is a selection or an extract from a book. This particular pericope, verses 5 through 13, could also be called, “The Centurion’s Faith.” I wrote a long paper on this topic in seminary, so I’m going to do my best to be brief here!

We have already seen our Lord heal with a touch, and heal by the power of His word. These events took place among the people of God – that is, the Jews. Now a man who is not a part of that community approaches our Lord to ask for healing; not for himself, but for his servant, whose illness is such that he cannot be brought to the Lord. Jesus says, “I will go and heal him.” The centurion tells Him that it is not necessary; that it will be enough for the Lord to give the command to have the end accomplished – something the centurion knows from practical, personal experience. In response, our Lord praises the faith of the centurion, and points out how it has come from someone who is not an heir of the kingdom, as those who were truly members of the covenant with Abraham could rightly claim. But their unbelief in the One for whom they said they had been waiting is made all the more pronounced by the centurion’s faith; and his servant was healed at that very hour.

Casting Out Demons: The Gadarene Swine

This pericope is well known to those who attend church! There are a few points worth mentioning, I think, which have to do with what we might call the difference between “fact” and “truth.” (I owe what understanding I have of this to the teaching of Fr. Francis Martin, with whom, while in seminary, I took more courses in the New Testament than from the faculty of my own seminary. I will not do his teachings justice here.)

When presented with a report in the news media, we generally have the tendency to trust the report, unless something has happened that causes us to do otherwise. For example: yesterday, there was a horrific crash of two trains carrying commuters on the Washington, DC, Metro system. In the initial reports, two people were said to have been killed. Later, that number was increased to six people. Now, we recognize that this type of change in reporting takes place as the confusion surrounding the immediate event dissipates, and a slower, more careful investigation takes place. But what it, in a year’s time, without there having been any other reporting, that number of six people who were killed suddenly jumps to ten people? The change causes us to wonder, where previously we had accepted the story as being true that six people had died, whether or not the story is true; or, which story is true? When the facts do not agree, we wonder about the truth of the story. If something is true, the facts should be in agreement – shouldn’t they? This becomes an issue in this story: Is it “Gadarene” or “Gergesene?” Was there only one demon-possessed man, or were there two? In the Gospel accounts of St. Mark and St. Luke, there is only one; St. Matthew reports there were two. So, which story is true? Is the story true?

We need to be careful in asking contemporary questions of a text written from a different culture in a different time. We need to be careful about the expectations we have, and the way we analyze the text. To hear of a different number of men afflicted by the demons causes us to question the account; but more importantly, it causes us to miss the point. Eh? What’s that, you say? What is the point? The point is that someone with the power to command the demons has come into our midst. Not only does He have power over them; He has the authority to compel them to obey; and He terrifies them. “Behold, they cried out, saying, ‘What do we have to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’” They then begged Him to allow them to enter into the swine, which they then destroyed by causing them to rush into the sea.

Compare also the response of the villagers whose herd of swine – and what are Jews doing keeping swine? The pig was an unclean animal under the Law of Moses, and so the people of God could not eat them. Now, as the power of the kingdom of heaven has been demonstrated before them by the healing of those who had been possessed, and by the destruction of their animals, what do they do? Do they respond with the faith that the centurion displayed? No. Instead, they begged Him to go away and leave them alone!

Which begs the question for each one of us: Do you resemble the centurion? Or do you resemble the villagers?

Day 7: Matthew 7

2009-06-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

7:1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 7:4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

7:6 “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

7:7 “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. 7:9 Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 7:12 Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

7:13 “Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it. 7:14 How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.

7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 7:16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 7:18 A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. 7:20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 7:22 Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ 7:23 Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’

7:24 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. 7:25 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. 7:27 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”

7:28 It happened, when Jesus had finished saying these things, that the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, 7:29 for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.

Chapter 7 is the third of three chapters in which the Sermon on the Mount is presented. Beginning with the Beatitudes, through the course of His teaching, our Lord is telling those who would follow Him about the life of holiness, and how we may do our part in the transformation of our being from the state of fallen human nature to recovering what was lost when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, including their theosis: our deification, salvation from our fallen state by participation in the life of God, given to us when we receive the life of our Lord Jesus Christ at the time of our baptism. What is established in us is the potential for the expression of this new life in our own thoughts and words and deeds and feelings. To actually realize this potential takes work: ascetic labors along the pathways shown to us throughout the Sermon on the Mount.

We can sum up today’s instructions in this way:

Do Not Judge Others

Holiness

Ask, Seek, Knock

The Golden Rule

The Narrow Gate

Warnings

Building Upon Rock

The chapter closes with a description of the impact of our Lord’s teachings upon those who had gathered to hear Him. They were, we are told, astonished, for He taught as “one with authority,” and not in the way that the scribes taught the Scriptures. On this point, St. John Chrysostom has this to say: “He said what He said, not with reference to another, to Moses or the prophets, but indicating that He Himself had the power of deciding. When setting forth His laws, He would say, ‘You have heard that is was said’; but He kept adding, ‘But I say to you…’” The multitude had gathered to hear Him because of the miracles of healing He had performed; and, after having taught on the mountainside, He went forth again, showing His power – the power of His authority to speak and so interpret the Law of Moses – by working miracles.

Do Not Judge Others

The key to understanding our Lord’s instruction not to judge is not to turn a blind eye to sin, or be silent; for to do so may be to allow another to come to destruction, either in this world, or in the next. Here is the key: You shall be judged according to the same standard by which you judged others. If we are merciful to others, we have the hope of mercy for ourselves; while if we apply the law strictly, so, too, shall the Law be applied to us. St. John Chrysostom says, “…we should not find fault with others severely, but rather caution them, and remind them of their duty. We should not speak abusively to them; we should, rather, advise them as friends. We should not attack them from our pride, but correct them tenderly… We do not correct others as an enemy, or as an opponent assessing a penalty, but as a physician providing medicine.”

Part of the danger of judging is the damage it does to our own hearts, and to our own souls. If we happen to, as St. John puts it, put on “a mask of benevolence,” pretending to care for another person, but work wickedness by finding someone else guilty of the same sins that we commit, we are, as our Lord says, hypocrites. Before we try to help someone else – and certainly before we judge someone else – we must first deal with our own sins. But this is not “natural” to us in our fallen state; it is a quality that we must labor to acquire, as we also labor to set aside our own sins, including that of being judgmental.

Holiness

St. John Chrysostom tells us that the dogs mentioned here are those who do not believe; while the swine are believers who lead a filthy and shameful way of life. Offering them the pearls of the holy Mysteries has no good outcome. They will despise them – that is, trample them under their feet; and will turn on us to pour contempt on our faith.

The Narrow Gate

Few, we are told, will enter by this narrow gate, while the road to destruction carries many people. The narrow gate consists of trials: those undertaken voluntarily, such as fasting; and those that are involuntary, such as persecution or imprisonment. Another unknown church father equates the narrow gate and the burden we must carry as we go along the way as the commandments. These, he says, are light and good for those who sincerely desire eternal life and blessings; but are heavy and tedious for those who, rather than striving for the life to come, are more interested in what this life and this world have to offer. This is why few are saved; and he adds, “See to it that you are one of the few.”

Day 6: The Sermon on the Mount, Part 2

2009-06-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

6:1 “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.6:2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6:3 But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, 6:4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 6:5 “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 6:7 In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. 6:8 Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. 6:9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. 6:10 Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 6:11 Give us today our daily bread. 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 6:16 “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6:17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face; 6:18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 6:19 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; 6:21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 6:23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. 6:25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 6:26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? 6:27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 6:28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 6:29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? 6:31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 6:33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 6:34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

The Sermon on the Mount, which began in chapter five, continues here in chapter six. It is full of advice, set before us in a very straightforward and understandable presentation. Perhaps we could sum it up in a few phrases:

Giving and Hypocrisy

Praying and Hypocrisy

Simplicity in Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer

Fasting and Hypocrisy

Earthly versus Heavenly Treasure

Light versus Darkness

God and Mammon

Important versus Unimportant Needs

Each one of these phrases would be a profitable study. The amount of time required to do that in for daily blog entry makes that extremely impractical! But two points intrigue me; so, with your indulgence, I will explore them a bit more. Before that, a quick observation about verse 19ff. It says, “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal…” Notice the action of the thieves. It’s not “break in,” as we would say today. It’s “break through.” (Well, OK, in some versions, it is, “break in”; but the point remains the same.) The Greek text uses a word which, translated, actually says, where thieves dig through and steal. When you consider that many of the dwelling places in which people live at that time had walls made of earth, to “dig through” and steal wasn’t that hard – all you needed was a lookout and a little bit of time!

How is the eye the lamp of the body? How does a eye that is sound fill you with light, while an eye that is evil fill you with darkness?

St. John Chrysostom tells us that our Lord is teaching us concepts that we would not ordinarily comprehend if He immediately went to the main point. Instead, we learn from the analogy, talking about the health or disease of the body, in order to then comprehend the health or disease of our mind, and then the health or disease of our soul – for these are all connected. When the eyes are blinded, he says, most of the energy of the other parts of the body is quenched as well. The same is true when the mind is depraved; the rest of life is filled with countless evils. As the eye is to the body, so is the mind to the soul. If the organ by which we see light is put out or clouded over, then we cannot see clearly, and so are at risk. When we take the ability to reason and understand, given to us by God to drive away ignorance, and to make correct decisions, so as to avoid what might cause us injury, and neglect or misuse this gift to try to obtain what is unnecessary and useless (in terms of life, not in this world, but rather in the kingdom of heaven), then the light in us is darkness – that is, no light at all. The mind has the power to control the passions; but when we misuse our minds, we rob them of this power; and then, how great is the darkness within us then? We are blinded by our wicked desires; and only our Lord Jesus can restore our sight to us.

The other phrase that particularly draws my attention right now would actually be a subset of the “Important vs. Unimportant” category; specifically, verse 33: “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”

We need to see that, in this part of the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord is building upon earlier ideas to bring us to the core of what needs to be done. He began this part of the teaching by calling us to turn aside from the treasures of this world and to devote ourselves to setting aside for ourselves treasures in heaven. After all, the wealth of this world will not endure; nor can anyone take anything of material value with them when they depart from this life. What good, then, is wealth? We want to be rich, He says, so that we can obtain whatever it is that we desire: food, drink, clothing, and so on. He connects with the discourse about the eye and light, and warns us about allowing our spiritual and moral vision to become clouded, or even lost, by pursuing what is unnecessary, even harmful. We were not born to eat, or to drink, or to wear fine clothing; we were born to worship and glorify God. When we grasp this, and learn to set our souls to labor for that purpose, rather than a worldly one, we are set free from anxiety about such things. The Lord knows what we need, better than we know ourselves; and He will provide what we need to do our part in bringing about our salvation. Our attention, our energy, even our prayers, are to be to the end of coming to dwell in the kingdom of God, and helping others to do the same; and when we do this, whatever else we need will be given to us, as well. (And if we didn’t get it, it’s because we didn’t need it – but you have to learn to put aside the anxiety of, “what will I do if I don’t?” – and then you will find peace in the midst of the worst of circumstances.) May God grant that this will be so for us all!

Scripture texts are taken from the World English Bible.

Day 5: The Sermon on the Mount, Part 1

2009-06-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’ but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Oh, my. Forty-eight verses, and every one of them just chock-full of meaning. Chapter 5 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew begins, “Seeing the multitude…” What multitude? Chapter 5 begins, in a way, with the concluding verses of chapter 4:

Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Clearly, His was a message they wanted to hear; and the miracles of healings added to the curiosity factor that drew many, as well as those who desired to be healed. We do not know the place where this event occurred, apart from being on a hillside able to accommodate a large number of people.

Now, to be honest, this would be a fantastically long blog entry, even if all that I did was to highlight one point of each verse. I taught a class that was five one-hour sessions covering this material! Can you imagine the length of the transcript? St. John Chrysostom preached four sermons just on chapter 5! As you may know, his sermons were anything but brief. You can find them here.

The chapter’s teaching begins with the Beatitudes. If you are not already familiar with these from church, may I suggest you make an concerted effort to get to church before the Divine Liturgy begins? The best place to learn our faith, after all, is in the worship of the Church. Other forms of instruction – even silly little things such as this blog – can be helpful; but nothing can take the place of being there for worship – and that means in body, mind and spirit – not just standing in church while your mind goes wander… The Beatitudes address the way to true happiness; a blessed state that the world cannot give. We have to understand at least some small part of this before we can pursue the things that will allow us to be transformed, and so achieve what our Lord tells us is possible: the peace of God that passes all understanding, by which we can endure all hardships without condemning or striking out at others, and be patient and gentle and loving and forgiving, and anything but weak.

Our Lord tells us we are salt and light. Salt has two main uses: to flavor food, and to preserve food. St. John Chrysostom tells us that our human nature was flawed; in terms of food, it was spoiled, rotten, decaying. We had “lost our savor.” No amount of salt could change that situation; but our Lord can, and did, renew our nature. Now our nature has need of salt, so that it is preserved, and not allowed to spoil again. What is the nature of this salt, which we represent, which we are? It is the ascetic way of life; it is living the Beatitudes: poor in spirit; mourning for our sins; meek; hungering and thirsting for righteousness; being merciful; being pure in heart; being peacemaker; enduring persecution; being diligent in the struggle against the passions that lead us into sin, and fighting them with all our might. Not only is this good for us, to preserve the new life we have been given, the new nature freed from corruption; but by living in this way we also add savor to the lives of those around us, making their lives better, and helping to draw them closer to the Lord, so that they, too, may become salt.

We are light. Light banishes the darkness; light reveals what is before us. We stumble and fall in the dark; but it is easier to avoid doing so in the light. A city on a hillside cannot be hidden; and, indeed, in our world today, a city cannot be hidden in the night – unless there’s been a power failure. The light shines out from the city into the surrounding darkness; and, like moths to a flame, we are drawn by our nature from the darkness to come into the light – unless we have learned to love the darkness because, in the darkness, our vile deeds and desires are more easily hidden. You’d think we would immediately recognize that anytime we’re trying to hide something that we’re doing for fear of being caught, that we’d recognize how inherently wrong that whole scenario is, and we would change our behavior. May God grant us to make it so! Similarly, what’s the point of lighting a candle in a dark room, and then covering the candle, so that its light is hidden? As a candle is put on a candle stand to light a room, so, too, are we meant to be candles bringing the light of our transformed being, the light of Christ in us, to shine in the darkness of this world, so that those who still dwell in darkness may see the light, be drawn to it, and walk the path of salvation with us. The light, we are told, comes from our good works: works of mercy; works of patience; works of love; works of giving, helping, caring, feeding. Clothing, of spending time with those who are sick or in prison or are otherwise alone. When we go against the grain of the culture of the world, and think of others rather than focusing primarily on ourselves, a light shines in the darkness, and some will come to the light. How will they see it if we don’t live it?

I’ve already written more than I had intended! Let my conclude today’s entry with a quick summary. The remaining part of chapter 5 is our Lord taking the Law that had been given by God to Moses, and showing its deeper truth, and its deeper power, and its deeper meaning. He is preparing us for the change in the Law that will soon be inaugurated for us. The Law, prior to this time, was written by God on tablets of stone. In a way, it is an exoskeleton; something from outside of our being that guides us to a way of life that is beneficial to us and to others, and pleasing to God. But soon the Law will be written, not on tablets of stone, but on the hearts of those who come to Christ; and then it will no longer be an external that we put on, but instead come from the core of our being, and reaches out beyond us – but I’m getting ahead of where we are…

Day 4: Temptation in the Wilderness

2009-06-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’” Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him. Now when Jesus heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he came and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, to them light has dawned.”* From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.” They immediately left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them. They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

If you’ve been an Orthodox Christian for a year or more, then you’re probably used to the idea of a forty day fast, since we have two of them – the Nativity Fast, in preparation for the celebration of our Lord’s Incarnation and birth; and Great Lent, the period before Holy Week and Pascha. The fasting rules for Great Lent are the most restrictive of the year, except, perhaps, for Great and Holy Friday, when those who are able to do so refrain from eating or drinking from the end of the Matins service on Thursday evening until after the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning. Those who are unable to keep this rule are encouraged to take as little as possible, and so to participate in this fast. The fasting rules for the Nativity Fast are the least restrictive. It’s a good season for those who like fish! Of course, it’s one thing to say “fast” when we mean, “to abstain from eating certain foods while eating others”; and to say “fast” meaning no food or drink. In all probability, our Lord Jesus did the latter – nothing at all to eat, and nothing at all to drink. Keep that in mind during the next fasting season when that craving for a cheeseburger strikes you!

The desert is a harsh and unforgiving environment, and those who can endure forty days in the desert are rare; and the survivors of the desert are transformed: tougher, stronger, and with an adamant will. The author Leon Uris, in several of his novels about the Holy Land, draws on this image of the desert as a place where men are “forged,” as if by a blacksmith. Frank Herbert used the same imagery and language in his Dune science-fiction novels. In the Orthodox Church, there are many, many saints who went into the desert, and so were transformed: St. Anthony the Great, who did physical battle with demons while in the desert; and St. Mary of Egypt, who was purified by her ascetic labors in the desert – to name just two. It is also clear from the language at times in the Bible that the desert was a place to be avoided; a habitation of demons and unclean things, a source of terror.

If, or how often our Lord did battle with demons, we do not know. We do know that, at the end of this forty day period, the devil came to our Lord, Who was hungry and thirsty, and sought to have the Lord use His powers to turn stones into bread. Two other temptations follow. In each case, our Lord – the Word of God – responds by quoting the Word of God – the Scriptures – and, by doing so, defeating the attempts at the devil to ensnare Him, as Adam and Eve had been ensnared, and so led into sin.

St. John Chrysostom tells us that our Lord entered the desert and fasted so as to give the devil the opportunity to wrestle with Him. He did so immediately after His baptism in order to teach us that we also, after we have been baptized, will have to endure, and struggle against, temptations. Knowing this, we should not be surprised that we are being tempted; and we should not lose our poise, nor the peace of God within us, but to wrestle with the temptations as our Lord did. He makes a point of telling us also that we are most vulnerable when we are alone, as Eve was tempted at a time when she was not with Adam, and as our Lord, alone in the desert, was tempted. The devil is less likely to challenge us when we are with others, and especially with those who share our faith and hope in Christ. The saint also wants us to know the value of fasting as a weapon of spiritual warfare against the devil and against temptations. We are far more likely to yield ourselves to temptation when food and drink are abundant, and we have filled ourselves with all manner of tasty delights. We are also meant to follow the example of our Lord in doing battle, drawing upon God as the source of our strength.

The first temptation is not so much to make stones into bread as it is a challenge: “If you are the Son of God…” Prove it, the devil says, to provoke a reaction. Our Lord’s response tells us that we are to obey the devil in nothing. St. John Chrysostom points out that this applies even when the devil is trying to provoke us into doing something that, on the face of it, would be a good thing. The focal point is obedience. It was the failure of Adam and Eve to be obedient to God that caused them to be cast out of Paradise; and their failure was initiated by listening to the devil. They were no match for his cunning and guile; what makes us think we would do any better?

The second temptation also incorporates the challenge of identity: “If you are the Son of God…” The devil is saying, “You were called a beloved Son when you were baptized; let’s have some proof.” He advances his argument by going to the same source as did our Lord in countering the first temptation; the words of Scripture, saying, “for it is written…” How does our Lord respond? “You shall not test the Lord, your God.” Here St. John Chrysostom tells us that we do not overcome the devil or temptations by some miraculous powers, but by patient self-control and by enduring suffering, doing nothing to prove anything, or to gain any attention or glory. The act of casting down is the work of the devil; the work of our Lord Jesus Christ is to raise us up once more the place from which we had fallen, and He displays His power to the devil and to us, not by jumping off a high place to be carried by angels, but by destroying death and setting free death’s captives.

The first temptation was an attempt to exploit “the belly” – our desire for ease and comfort, and food and drink with which to satisfy ourselves. The second temptation was an attempt to exploit our desire for glory and honor and recognition. The third temptation attempts to exploit our desire for wealth, for its own sake, or for the sake of other things or pleasures that wealth enables us to obtain. The Lord is offered the wealth of the world if He will worship the devil, who presents himself as if the world God created had been his to bestow. Our Lord replies by commanding the devil to leave; God alone is to be worshipped, and no one else. Having failed, the devil withdrew, and angels came and ministered to the Lord – presumably, with food and drink for Him after His fast.

All three passages cited by our Lord in His battle with the devil are drawn from the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth book in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy means, “second law”; not in the sense of a replacement for the first, but a retelling of the Law that God had given to Moses on Mount Sinai. At that time, Moses spent forty days (fasting) atop the mountain, being given the Law by God. Now, as the people of God were about to cross the Jordan River and enter into the land promised by God to Abraham and his descendents, Moses is teaching them the Law for the last time, as he will not be entering the land, because he had disobeyed a command God had given during the Exodus. Speaking of how God had led them through the desert to test them and try them and to find out what was in their hearts, Moses said:

He humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Deut. 8:3)

At the second temptation, our Lord quotes Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not tempt the Lord your God, as you tempted him at Massah.” Massah is the name given to a place where the people of the Exodus camped, but had no water. They complained to Moses, and demanded that he give them water. Moses responded by asking why they quarreled with him, and why did they want to test God? In part, this situation has its roots in an earlier confrontation when the people, hungry, complained, saying, “If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." (Exod. 16:3) The Lord acted in this way:

Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days. (Exod. 16:4-5)

The Lord put His people to the test at that time; now, at Massah, the people put God to the test. It is as if they are saying, “You gave us food; now give us water.” The miracle of the manna was not enough to convince them that God would provide for all their needs. When we are faced with temptation, we are to remember that, as God was with His people as they left behind the land in which they had suffered as slaves to come to “a land flowing with milk and honey,” as God had promised, so will He also be with us and provide what we need as we make the journey from this world, in which we were slaves to sin and captives of death, to the kingdom of heaven, where we will once again live in the intimate presence of God. (The events at Massah are found in the 17th chapter of the book of Exodus, if you want to read it for yourself – not a bad idea!)

The third temptation is met by a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:13 – “You shall fear the Lord your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.” Now, you will undoubtedly have noticed that there is an apparent inconsistency between what is written in Deuteronomy and what St. Matthew has written. “Fear” isn’t the same as “worship.” What’s going on? Something interesting! If you look at the Hebrew text for the passage from Deuteronomy, the word used there means “fear” – but not fear in the sense of “terror.” Rather, as the Psalmist says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 110:10); and which the author of the Book of Proverbs quotes, and enlarges upon. However, St. Matthew would, in all probability, not have been quoting from the Hebrew text; rather, he would be quoting from the Septuagint, a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (what we Christians call the Old Testament) from Hebrew into Greek. Here again, a different word in Greek is used when comparing St. Matthew’s text; but the difference is significant in that the intermediate work in the Septuagint actually transitions from the Hebrew word, “fear,” to the word St. Matthew uses, “worship.” The word found in the Septuagint version of Deuteronomy has the meanings, “to fear, be terrified” – touching the word in Hebrew; and also, “to reverence with fear and respect toward God.” (The same word is used in Ps. 110.)

It’s late, this is long, and most of the rest of the text is certainly clear. The last portion I want to point out is that, with St. John the Baptizer imprisoned, our Lord takes up the message His cousin had been proclaiming. He tells His listeners, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Indeed: the One Who will open the way for us to enter that kingdom is now in our midst.

To close, let me invite you to listen to a podcast prepared by a friend, Reader Steve Robinson. Posted today, he reflects on time he is spending at a monastery as he is there helping them to drywall and refinish their chapel, which is Steve’s craft – and let me tell you, he does excellent work. His podcast, posted today, is about marriage and monasticism; but he also spends time talking about the desert. This chapter’s setting in the desert, and what Steve has to say, are congruent; his podcasts are worth taking the time to listen. I recommend that you do so by going to his website, Steve the Builder. You should also check out his blog, Pithless Thoughts, and his other podcast (with Bill Gould), Our Life in Christ. Bookmark these sites. You’ll want to go back!

Scripture texts are taken from the World English Bible.

Day 3: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!

2009-06-18T01:41:00.000-07:00

In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.” Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance! Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. “Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.” Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?” But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The third chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew has two sections: The Coming of St. John the Baptizer; and the Baptism of our Lord. The first portion has three times as many verses as does the second (12 and 4). There is much more that is known about St. John the Baptizer; but we learn that later, in the Gospels according to St. Mark and St. Luke.

If ever there was a prototype for the way a prophet should look, it could easily have been St. John. We are told that his clothes were made of camel’s hair, held on his body by a wide leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. Living in the desert, he surely had tanned, maybe even leathery skin, a shaggy beard and wild hair – an altogether grizzled look, with a fire in his eyes! His message was simple and direct: a call for people to repent. Why? Because the kingdom of heaven is near.

St. Matthew uses this phrase – the kingdom of heaven – where St. Mark and St. Luke instead say, “the kingdom of God” – a phrase St. Matthew uses only four times. Some scholars believe that the community for whom St. Matthew was writing his Gospel was Jewish in its background, rather than a community whose members had been drawn from the Gentiles. This is why, for example, the genealogy in the first chapter traces our Lord’s lineage back to Abraham, and no earlier. In the churches that arose from the Jews, these things would be far more important than to non-Jewish communities. This might also account for the difference in the way the kingdom is described. It was forbidden to speak the name of God; and there were euphemisms that were used in place of the name of God, which was too holy to be uttered by human lips. It would have been troubling, even scandalous, to refer to the kingdom of God among the Jews; and so we have instead the “kingdom of heaven.” Sometimes I’ll play some word games with our students, and ask, “Where does God live?” The answer invariably is, “Heaven.” Then I’ll ask, “And where is God?” The answer, because they already have been taught that God is omnipresent – that is, present everywhere in creation at every moment – is, “Everywhere.” Then the final question: So where is heaven? Usually, it isn’t too long before someone says, “Everywhere.” Not so simple now, is it, when St. John declares, “The kingdom of heaven is near?”

St. Matthew tells us that Isaiah had foretold that there would be a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. The prophet spoke of this after King Hezekiah, who had been deathly ill, had been healed by God and granted fifteen more years of life. The king received envoys from Babylon, and showed them everything in his palace. Isaiah confronted the king, and told him that the result of this would be a time of peace, at the end of which the Babylonians would come and carry away everything and everyone from the palace, and all the wealth of the city as well, taking the most prominent people as captives into exile in Babylon. While the king was glad that there would be peace through his lifetime, the news of the coming time of troubles had to have been disturbing. But God speaks to His people, saying to them, “Comfort, comfort ye, My people”; and promises that there will be an end to their suffering and exile, and that they will return to Jerusalem and once more worship God in their midst, signified by the Temple. This is when the voice of one crying in the wilderness will be heard, calling on the people to prepare a way for the royal procession to come from the wilderness into the city. St. Matthew then identifies St. John the Baptizer as the one who has come to tell the people it is time to prepare for the coming of the king.

If we look at this in terms of being in exile from the Garden of Eden, where we lived in Paradise and in the immediate and intimate presence of the Lord, the coming of St. John is the announcement that the time of our exile is drawing to a close. The King is coming; the kingdom is at hand; and so it is time for us to prepare the way, to make straight in the wilderness – the wild and untamed condition – of our hearts a highway for our God to travel. This is accomplished by repentance and confession; and by baptism, which, as administered by St. John, was not a baptism of regeneration – that was still to come. Instead, it was connected with the ritual bathing for purity that accompanied the preparation for the Sabbath, and for the worship of God in the synagogues and in the Temple. The people who heard the call of St. John came to him, confessed their sins, and were “washed” clean of them by their baptism.

When the Pharisees and the Sadducees come to hear St. John, he speaks to them in a most direct, even blistering, way. It really isn’t possible to concoct a “positive” outcome from referring to someone as a “brood of vipers.” He asks them, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” He uses the images of axes cutting down trees at the roots, and of the sifting of wheat from the chaff by the use of a winnowing fork to declare that one aspect of the coming of the King is that the great and terrible day of Judgment is also coming nearer. He tells them, “Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.” As the saying goes today, “talk is cheap.” It’s easy to say, “I repent.” It is much more difficult, and extremely important, to make our deeds conform to our words. It is not enough to say, “I repent”; we must also “do” what demonstrates that our repentance is more than just an empty, meaningless statement. It is interesting that we do not hear of anyone from either the Pharisees or the Sadducees being baptized by St. John. He speaks of his baptizing with water; and that the one who will come after his ministry will not baptize with water, but with fire. We see this accomplished on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and disciples with the appearance of being flames of fire.

The account of the baptism of our Lord is straightforward, and those who attend church regularly are probably quite familiar with it. One important aspect is that, in the events that accompany the baptism of our Lord, there is a “theophany” (which is the name given to the feast) – God appearing to us – by which the Trinity is revealed most clearly. We are told that the actions of our Lord Jesus have the approval of God the Father, Who calls Him, “My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased.” In part, this is related to the dialogue between the Lord and St. John. We also should note that, with His baptism, the period of time in which our Lord ministers and preaches in our midst begins.

As the cousins meet in the river, the elder, St. John, says to the younger that it is not appropriate for the elder to baptize the younger, for St. John knows that the man before him is more than what he appears. He admits his own need for baptism. St. John also wonders at the Lord coming to be baptized because, after all, his was a baptism of repentance, with the cleansing of baptism following the confession of one’s sins, with repentance – only now One Who is without sin, a blameless Lamb, has come to be baptized, Who does not need to repent or confess. Our Lord asks St. John to baptize Him anyway, so that all the requirements of righteousness may be fulfilled. St. John Chrysostom points out that the way of righteousness is the keeping of all the commandments. Here again, we are reminded that the sin of Adam and Eve was that of disobedience to the command of God. By their disobedience, death entered the world. Christ has come to remove the curse. He does so by His obedience in every aspect of the Law, doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves – and this act of fulfilling all the requirements for holiness, done for us by the incarnate Word of God, includes being baptized. As requested, St. John baptizes our Lord; and, with the Theophany, He enters a time of preparation for what lies before Him.

Day 2: Magi, Murder, Flight and Return

2009-06-17T02:57:00.001-07:00

The second chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew can be divided into three sections: The Coming of the Magi; The Escape Into Egypt; and The Return to Nazareth. The stories are not complex: the first part has twelve verses; the second has six; and the third has only four verses. One interesting thing to note – and which, I must say, I hadn’t noticed before – each section involves a revelation that is given by God in the form of a dream.

At this point, something needs to be said about revelations that come from dreams. The teaching of the Orthodox Church with regard to dreams is, beware. We do not say that all dreams are nothing more than the attempts of the demons to deceive us. Clearly, the fact that dreams often play a role in revealing the will of God can be seen in the pages of the Bible: here in this passage, obviously; and in Jacob’s dream, just to mention one that immediately comes to mind. Here are two quotes from the Fathers that give us a good understanding of the interpretation of dreams (which I found on the website of St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Texas):

Demons often transform themselves into angels of light and take the form of martyrs, and make it appear to us during sleep that we are in communication with them. Then, when we wake up, they plunge us into unholy joy and conceit. But you can detect their deceit by this very fact. For angels reveal torments, judgments and separations; and when we wake up we find that we are trembling and sad. As soon as we begin to believe the demons in dreams, then they make sport of us when we are awake too. He who believes in dreams is completely inexperienced. But he who distrusts all dreams is a wise man. Only believe dreams that warn you of torments and judgments. But if despair afflicts you, then such dreams area also from demons.

(St John Climacus, "The Ladder of Divine Ascent", Step 3: On Exile or Pilgrimage (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978))

Inasmuch as we know the true sign and image of the Cross, the devil does not dare to use it (for our deception); for on the Cross his power was destroyed, and by the Cross a fatal wound was given him. The Master Christ we cannot recognize by the flesh, which is why the devil tries to convince us by lying that it is He, so that having believed the deception as if it were truth, we might perish. And thus, when you see in a dream the image of the Cross, know that this dream is true and from God; but strive to receive an interpretation of its significance from the Saints, and do not believe your own idea. May the lord enlighten the thoughts of your mind, O brother, so that you might escape every deception of the enemy.

("Saints Barsanuphius and John: Guidance Toward Spiritual Life," trans. by Fr. Seraphim Rose, (Platina, California: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1990))

Some good rules of thumb when it comes to dreams:
• Always start by being cautious. Cross yourself as soon as you have awakened and remember what you have dreamt, asking God to protect you as you ponder the dream.
• Always check the dream against what the Church teaches and practices, and with what is found in holy Scripture to be God-pleasing, and what is praised in the lives of the saints. If what you were “told” in or through the dream contradicts any of these, it is probably a sign of an attempt to deceive and mislead you. Even if the dream is in agreement with all three of these categories, don’t automatically assume that everything is fine, and that the revelation is authentic. Rather, proceed to the next step.
• Always share the situation with your spiritual father, and take only the actions that he blesses you to undertake. (This isn’t a bad idea, even if you are pretty sure the dream was false.)

The Coming of the Magi

Almost everyone in the western world knows the Christmas carol, “We Three Kings,” which tells of the visitation of the Christ Child by the Magi. They bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Three gifts; three kings – makes sense, right? Well, in St. Matthew’s account, the three gifts are mentioned – but the magi are unnumbered, and who says they are kings? The text of the Greek New Testament calls them “magoi” and not “basileos” – “king.” (These words appear in the same verse, v. 1 – in reference to both Herod and our Lord, “born King of the Jews.”) The magi may have been priests of Zoroaster, living in the region of modern-day Iran; or astronomers, as “magi” can have both meanings, as well as to mean a magus – a magician, a sorcerer.

Isn’t it interesting that the first visitors that St. Matthew tells us about are not the shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, who heard the angels singing in the heavens? (We’ll hear about them when we consider the Gospel according to St. Luke…) Of course, the shepherds were “locals”; and so, most likely, were Jews. The magi were certainly not either locals or Jews! This event is so important, St. Matthew may very well be saying, that even those who worship false gods are drawn to seek Him, and to offer gifts to him. They come to Herod in good faith, and out of respect – always a good position to adopt when you are in a strange land, with laws and customs that are different from your own! Their desire to find and worship the newborn Son of God – who may have been as much as two years old; for when you’re traveling by camel through the desert, it takes a while to reach Bethlehem from Persia – together with their dealings with Herod lead to another remarkable event: They are warned about Herod’s treachery through a dream given to them – to pagans – by God, and so return to their native land without returning to Herod.

There is a great deal of speculation among astronomers with respect to the star that guided the magi to find the Lord. Some think it was a nova, or a supernova, while others believe it was a comet. The Orthodox Church has a different understanding; and that understanding is a part of the service of the Proskomide. When a Divine Liturgy is to be served, there is a service, the Proskomide, that takes place before the Liturgy. The priest, and, if the church has one, the deacon say the prayers for entry into the altar, and then vest for the service. The bread and the wine that will be blessed to become the Body and Blood of Christ are prepared: the Lamb, which is placed in the center of the diskos; a piece for the Theotokos; nine pieces for the nine angelic orders; a piece for the hierarchs and other clergy; a piece for those in authority; and a piece for the departed follow, all going on either side and in front of the Lamb. Wine and water are added to the chalice; and then a particle of bread is taken out as the names of the faithful, living and departed, are read. The particles for the living go to one side before the Lamb; those for the departed, to the other side. Then the gifts are “covered.” The covers are for the diskos and the chalice; and there is a third cover, called the aer, which is placed over the diskos and chalice with their covers. He cover for the chalice sits on the rim; but the cover for the diskos needs a support to hold it above the bread. To do this, two pieces of metal, each in the shape of a “C” (with squared corners), and connected in the top center with a pin around which the arms can pivot, is placed to form a “roof” over the diskos, on which the cover can rest. This device is called the “star” – and the first thing done when it is time to cover the gifts is to hold the star in the smoke from the incense; and then, as it is placed on the diskos, the priest says, “And the star came and stood over the place where the young child was.” (This is in verse 9.)

How can a star do that? How can a comet do that? Any star in the sky, apart from the Sun, is millions of miles away from the earth. A comet is thousands of miles from the earth. Even if the place from which the magi started their journey was in a straight line from where they were to Bethlehem – which is certainly possible – how in the world could a physical light in the heavens show them the exact location of the cave that was the stable for the inn, in which the Theotokos gave birth to our Lord? It can’t be done. But if the light was an angel… Well, an angel could go before them and lead them to the precise spot where the Lord was to be found. So we let the scientists ask their questions, and form their hypotheses, because we know, in the end, they’ll never figure out how it could happen until they turn their thoughts to God…

One more tease before we move on. Last time I looked at a map, the region of Persia/Iran is to the east of the Holy Land. So if the magi came from Persia, they would have been traveling to the west. How, then, can they say, “We saw His star in the east,” and follow it? (I don’t know the answer, either. If you’ve got an idea, please share it with us!)

The Escape Into Egypt

As in the first section, a dream is important in this part of the narrative as well. Herod, who wanted to put the Child to death, so as to prevent this person “born King of the Jews” from taking his throne, has been frustrated in this because the magi did not return to tell him where the Child could be found. Instead, he gives the order to put to death every male child under the age of two years living in Bethlehem, the location which the chief priests and teachers of the law identified as the place where the coming of the Messiah had been foretold by the prophets. (Yes, I realize this is actually in the first section of the chapter; but it develops here, so…) Why two years old or less? Because that was how long it had been since the star that guided the magi has appeared to them. Notice, too, the final line of the prophecy quoted in verse 6: “…for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.” You’ll recall that, in our discussion of chapter 1, we spoke of the covenant God made with David the King. The Lord said to David, “You will shepherd my people, Israel, and you will become their ruler.” (2 Sam. 5:2) The prophecy cited by Herod’s advisors was found in the book of the prophet Micah. (Mic. 5:2)

With this developing threat, God sends an angel to warn Joseph that he is to take the Child and His mother and go to Egypt, beyond the territory ruled by Herod. Joseph – who by now has had enough experience with dreams and with miracles! – obeys without question. In the tradition of the Orthodox Church (although found nowhere in the Holy Scriptures), Jesus, Mary and Joseph are also accompanied by James, the brother of the Lord, the youngest son of Joseph by his first wife. It is James who will become the first leader of the Church in Jerusalem, and who is martyred by being thrown down from the roof of the Temple, and, having survived the fall, was stoned, and finally killed by having his skull broken with a fuller’s pestle. This took place during the reign of Herod Agrippa II, the great-grandson of Herod the Great (who is the ruler we meet in this second chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel).

Herod’s troops carry out their orders, putting to death the male infants in Bethlehem. According to some, the number slain was several dozen; in the Orthodox tradition, the number was ten thousand or more. Neither figure can be supported by Holy Scripture, as no number is mentioned. Indeed, this account is not found in any of the other Gospels. In a way, the number is not what is important: it is the truth that innocent children were murdered simply to keep an old tyrant in power. The hymns of the Church for the service of remembrance for these little ones, which takes place on December 29th (on the Julian calendar; January 11th on the secular calendar), call Herod a latter-day Pharaoh, who took a similar action in order to eliminate the child born to be the Deliverer of the Jews from their slavery in Egypt. Pharaoh was unsuccessful in his attempt to kill Moses; and Herod was unsuccessful in his attempt to kill our Lord Jesus. The prophet Jeremiah had foretold the slaughter of the holy innocents. (Jer. 31:15) Rachel, the second wife of Jacob, was the mother of Benjamin; and Ramah, located in the territory allocated to the tribe of Benjamin when the Jews entered the Holy Land at the end of the Exodus, was the city where, after the Babylonians had captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple, assembled those who would be taken into exile in Babylon.

The Return to Nazareth

When Herod died, Joseph was told in a dream that it was now safe for him and his family to return to the Holy Land. He is further warned in a second dream not to return to Bethlehem, as Herod’s son, Archelaus, now ruled in his father’s place; and, presumably, would pursue his father’s policy if their presence in Bethlehem became known. They go instead to Nazareth.

Two prophecies, we are told, are fulfilled by their departure from Egypt, and their settling in Nazareth. The first comes from the book of the prophet Hosea. God, speaking through the prophet, says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt have I called my son.” Most of us, when we hear a reference to “Israel,” think of the country of that name. It is the land of Israel because that is the place where the people of Israel settled. In other words, unlike what typically happens – we are called “Americans” because we live in America, or “Russians” because we were born in Russia, and so on – the people didn’t take their name from the territory; rather, they gave their name to the territory. “Israel,” as a matter of fact, is much better known to us by another name. He is Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, and the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. You will recall that, with the help of his mother, Rebekah, Jacob, Isaac’s younger son, impersonates Esau, the elder son, and so receives Isaac’s blessing, and so inherits all that had been Isaac’s. When the treachery is discovered, Rebecca sends Jacob to her people, where he lives in the house of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. Laban has two daughters, Leah, the elder, and Rachel, the younger. Jacob wants to marry Rachel, and Laban agrees, but deceives Jacob the deceiver, and he unknowingly marries Leah. He had worked for Laban for seven years in order to be married; and so he must work another seven years in order to also marry Rachel. This, by the way, is the Rachel whose weeping is in Jeremiah’s prophecy. God blesses Jacob, and he becomes wealthy. After he marries Rachel, he wants to return home; but since he must pass the place where Esau lives, Jacob divides his riches into two groups, and sends them separately, hoping that, at worst, Esau only intercepts one of them. As he is traveling through the desert, he sends his wives and eleven children across the ford at Jabbok, and so is alone in the night. During the night, he wrestles with a man who only succeeds in defeating Jacob at daybreak by touching his hip, and putting Jacob’s hip out of joint. Even then, Jacob did not release the man, and said he would not do so until the man had blessed him. When the man asks, “What is your name?” and Jacob replies, he is told, “You will no longer be called ‘Jacob,’ but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men, and have overcome.” The man vanishes, and Jacob/Israel realizes he has looked upon God, and lived. So the “people of Israel” are the descendents of Jacob – the twelve tribes. A bit more: Jacob will have a total of 13 children; one girl, and twelve boys. Of the boys, only two have Rachel as their mother. The first is Joseph, who will become Jacob’s favorite, be given a coat of many colors, and so sold into slavery in Egypt because of the jealousy of his brothers. He will rise to prominence there, become second in power only to the Pharaoh himself, and his actions – based on his ability to interpret dreams – will be the salvation of all his family, including his father, Jacob, after they have settled in the land of Goshen, part of Egypt. After a time, when Joseph has been forgotten, the Egyptians, fearing that the Hebrews, who were becoming numerous, might be a threat, enslaved them – setting the scene for Moses and the Exodus.

Who would have thought that there was so much going on in the background behind the brief second chapter in St. Matthew’s Gospel? But we’re not done yet! Now we go back to Hosea, and the prophecy, “out of Egypt have I called my son.” Israel, the people, were loved by God, not the least of which was because of His love for Abraham, and His love for Jacob/Israel. So the descendents of Israel were called out of Egypt, set free from their slavery, and led back to the land God had promised to Abraham and his descendents. Of course, by the time of Hosea’s prophecy, this had long before been accomplished; and now God is speaking of how His people have failed to keep their covenant with Him. The people whom He delivered from slavery in Egypt still need One Who can deliver them from their slavery to sin and death; and so the prophet’s words take on an additional meaning, now that the Son of God has come. This is part of what St. Matthew wants us to know.

There is one more prophecy to mention, and that has to do with where the holy Family lives upon their return from Egypt – Nazareth. Nazareth isn’t mentioned at all in the Old Testament; and it didn’t appear to have much going for it at the time our Lord took up residence there. Consider what Nathanael says when his friend Philip tells him they have found the One foretold by Moses and the prophets, Jesus the Nazarene. Nathanael replies, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” To be called a Nazarene at that time was an insult. Likewise, the Pharisees, when confronted about whether Jesus was a prophet, reply that no prophet arises out of Galilee – and Nazareth is in Galilee. There is no direct quotation for this prophecy in the Old Testament, or elsewhere in the Bible. St. John Chrysostom teaches that, because of the carelessness of the people of God, who did not value such things, many books of the Old Testament period, in which such prophecies were recorded, were destroyed or lost. Indeed, the book of Deuteronomy was lost for a time, until a copy was found in the period after the exile into Babylon, when some of the people returned to Jerusalem, and began to rebuild the Temple. There is an account in the book of Nehemiah (one of the “historical” books of the Old Testament) of a great assembly of the people at the newly-rebuilt Temple, where Ezra the scribe reads the Law to the people, beginning at daybreak and ending at around noon. Perhaps what was read was, in part, from this book that had been lost, and then found.
You’ve probably figured out by now that there is more that can be said – but this is probably enough for today! Tune in again tomorrow, when we read and reflect on chapter three!

Day 1: The Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ

2009-06-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

We used to joke in seminary and say that the first chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew was one of two New Testament “phone books”; in part, because of the old joke about the man who, having read through a phone book, wrote the following review: “This book has a great cast of characters, but it doesn’t have much of a plot.” The first part of this first book does, indeed, have a great cast of characters; some known, and some unknown. There are some names that would be familiar even to those who seldom or never read the Bible, nor heard it apart from being read in church. There are a great many names that would be familiar only to those who have read the historical books of the Old Testament a number of times; and some names that are virtually unknown, apart from this list (and the parallel list in the Gospel according to St. Luke).

Examples of the most familiar names are: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Judah; David and Solomon; Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh; and Joseph, to whom Mary, our blessed Lady Theotokos, was betrothed. Actually, maybe the troika of Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh are pushing the boundary of “most familiar” names; unless you are paying attention during the readings after the Entrance at Great Vespers! If you have spent any time in the historical books of the Old Testament, you’ll know who they are, as well as Boaz, Obed, Jesse, Rehoboam, and Jehoshaphat; and, if you’re familiar with the book of Isaiah, you’ll recognize Uzziah, for the passage that describes Isaiah’s call to be a prophet of the Lord begins, “In the year that King Uzziah died…” The only other potentially recognizable name is that of Zerubbabel – and that primarily because it’s just fun to say his name: “Ze-RU-bba-bel!”

With the exception of Zerubbabel and Joseph, all of the names listed above come from the first two of the three series that St. Matthew lists, regarding the ancestry of our Lord Jesus Christ – the reason why he has included the genealogy at all. Although I didn’t highlight that here, St. Matthew sets it out in the first verse: “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Having traced the line of descent from Abraham to Joseph, St. Matthew adds his summary in verse 17: “Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.” Clearly, St. Matthew wants us to know that our Lord Jesus Christ is, first of all, an heir to the covenant God made with Abraham: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:2-3) As well, in Genesis 13 God gives to Abram the land He had promised; and in chapter 15 God foretells the 400 years of slavery in Egypt, and of the Exodus, and that Ishmael, the son Abram fathered on his wife’s maid, Hagar, would not be his heir, but that a son of his with his wife would inherit the promises God had made. Then in chapter 17, God makes yet another covenant with Abram, the covenant of circumcision, in which God gives Abram a new name, Abraham, together with the promise, "I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” (Gen. 17:5b-7) For his part, Abraham is circumcised, and he takes every male in his household, family and servants alike, and circumcises them, as well. His descendents, if they desire to receive the blessings of the covenant, must be circumcised; and any who refuse to do so are to be expelled from the community, cut off from his people.

By the time of our Lord’s incarnation, the descendents of Abraham, the people of the covenant, were known as the Jews, who would, at one point, say to our Lord, “We have Abraham as our father.” By beginning his genealogy with Abraham, then, St. Matthew is showing how our Lord can legitimately claim to be an heir to the covenants God made with Abraham. Abraham begins the first of the three series of ancestors; the first series, then, will include Isaac and Jacob, and Joseph and his brothers, who come to live in Egypt during the seven years of famine, settling down in the land of Goshen. Then comes the prophesied four hundred years of slavery In Egypt, and the calling of Moses, and the Exodus; followed by Joshua and the entry of the people God brought out of Egypt into the land God had given to Abraham, and the time of the Judges, and the rise of the prophets, and finally, the rejection of God by His people when they demanded to be given a king, as all the nations around them were ruled by a king, and not by prophets and judges. The prophet Samuel anoints Saul to be king; but Saul, like Adam in the garden and Moses in the wilderness, disobeys a command of God, and his throne passes to a shepherd named David. With David, the first series draws to a close.

God also made a covenant with David. The Lord says, “You will shepherd my people, Israel, and you will become their ruler.” (2 Sam. 5:2) At first, David is the king of Judah, while the remaining portion of the land is ruled by the sons of Saul. But after seven and a half years, David becomes king over Israel as well as Judah, and so establishes a unified country and kingdom, over which he will reign for thirty-three years. With this, David moves his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem; and, while living in his palace, he is moved to build a house for the Lord. He buys a property, a threshing-floor; but the Lord appears to him and tells him that David will not build a temple, but his son will do so. Then the Lord, speaking through the prophet Nathan, promises, “…the LORD himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son… Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” (2 Sam. 7:11b-14a; 16) Not all of the descendents of David kept their part of the covenant with God. In the time of David’s grandson, the kingdom, wracked with rebellion, was split once more into two territories, with Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Foreign armies invaded the land repeatedly, with the northern kingdom falling first to the Assyrians, and then the southern kingdom being defeated by the Babylonians, taking the royal house and the other principal leaders away into exile. With this, the second series draws to an end.

The third series is the period of time from the exile until the time of our Lord’s incarnation. With the disappearance of self-rule, the situation changes somewhat. Prophesy becomes more important, as God’s people are reminded time and again of the promises God has made to them through Abraham and David. The people are departing from God’s ways, the Law given by God to Moses, and so they are suffering. Even as judgment is pronounced on them by God through His prophets, they are not left without hope: the theme of the Anointed One of God – “Christ” means, “anointed” – is heard more and more frequently. Then, some four hundred years before the birth of our Lord, the prophets were silent. The people of God, the descendents of Abraham, who were once a mighty nation, were now a province in a series of Empires: the Persians; the Greeks, under Alexander the Great, and then under one of his four generals, between whom his empire was divided; for a brief time, following the Maccabean revolt, self-ruled; and finally becoming part of the Roman Empire. During this time, the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek for the benefit of the Jews in the Diaspora, who spoke Greek, rather than Hebrew. The Jews in the Diaspora, who were cut off from worship at the temple in Jerusalem, and surrounded by pagan practices, organized themselves into synagogues; a practice they brought with them and continued when they returned from exile. The synagogue downplayed the rituals of the temple, making them mystical instead of literal: “Let my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense before Thee; and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.” (From the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts) The two forms of worship, one centered in the Temple, the other in the synagogue, produces two groups in Israel: the Sadducees, who controlled the High Priesthood and so were connected with the Temple, and who were also more influenced by the culture; and the Pharisees, who were associated with the synagogues, and whose emphasis was on the Torah (the Law) rather than ritual. A third group, the Essenes, may have been a separate group, or were perhaps a subset of the Pharisees, who believed it was necessary to separate themselves from culture and society in order to live in a manner pleasing to the Lord. With all of these developments, the stage was set for our Lord to come into the world and fulfill the promises made by God.

One more point worthy of mention before we leave behind the prologue to the story St. Matthew wants to tell us. He has shown how our Lord is descended from Abraham, and so is rightly counted as an heir to the promise; and he has also shown how our Lord is a descendent of David, and so is of the royal line – in other words, fit to be King. But there among the forty men named are five women: four listed by name, and one by reference. They are Tamar, the mother of Perez; Rahab, the mother of Boaz; Ruth, the mother of Obed; “Uriah’s wife,” which is to say, Bathsheba, who is the mother of Solomon; and Mary, the wife of Joseph, “…to whom was born Jesus, Who is the Christ.” We know the final name, of course! Some may know Ruth, or Bathsheba; the others require you to be a bit more of a scholar of the Old Testament. Let me tell you about them.

Tamar was Judah’s daughter-in-law. Her husband was the eldest of Judah’s three sons. Because of his wickedness, God put him to death. As was the custom at that time, Judah sent his next son, Onan, to impregnate Tamar, so as to raise up sons to be the heirs of the eldest brother. Onan refused; and, because of the way in which he expressed this refusal, he was also put to death by God. Judah then instructed Tamar to dress as a widow and to live in her father’s house until Judah’s youngest son came of age, to marry her. Time passed, but Judah did not keep his promise. When Tamar learned that Judah was coming to her village, she dressed as a prostitute, covered her face with a veil, and became pregnant by Judah. She then resumed living as a widow in her father’s house. When her pregnancy became apparent, her family was determined to put her to death. Judah ordered that she be burned to death, the punishment for prostitution. When she produced evidence that, in fact, he was the father, Judah spared her, and she gave birth to twins. You can find all this in the 38th chapter of Genesis.

Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho at the time that city stood against the army of Joshua and the people of God. She assisted the spies Joshua had sent into the city, hiding them in her house, and lying to the king of Jericho by misdirecting his search for them. Pleading that her life and the life of her family be spared, she betrayed her city, which Joshua conquered. As God had commanded, every living thing in the city – man, woman, children, and cattle – was put to death; with the exception of Rahab and her family, who were spared, and given a place among the people of God.

Ruth was a woman of Moab, married to a man of the tribe of Benjamin, whose father and mother and brother had gone to Moab when a famine struck their homeland. When all three men, father and two brothers, died, the mother, Naomi, resolved to return to her people. Her daughters-in-law pledged themselves to accompany her. Naomi sought to send them back to the house of their father, and one daughter-in-law did so. But Ruth would not be deterred, saying, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16b) They returned to Bethlehem at the time of the barley harvest; and so Ruth came to the attention of Boaz, who allowed her to work as a gleaner, and saw that she was protected and given what she needed to eat and drink. He was moved to kindness for her because he was a relative of Naomi’s, and he was grateful for Ruth’s caring for her. Eventually, they married, and had a son, Obed, who was the grandfather of David the King.

“Uriah’s wife,” the mother of Solomon, was seduced by King David, and conceived a child when they committed adultery. David then gave secret orders to the commander of his army to set Uriah in the first rank of a charge into battle, and then to withdraw, so that Uriah would be killed. That child died; but, when confronted by the prophet Nathan, King David confessed his sins of adultery and murder, was forgiven by God through Nathan, and married Bathsheba, who then gave birth to Solomon, David’s heir to the throne.

The significance of all this? Prominent in the family background of our Lord Jesus Christ are two prostitutes, a traitor, a pagan foreigner, a murderer, and two adulterers. Most of us wouldn’t put such people in a family tree or genealogy! This was part of the plan of God: to taken on Himself a human nature that was dead in sin and corrupt, in order to restore it, and make it new.

Now we come to the actual opening of the story: the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Matthew keeps his focus in these next eight verses primarily on Joseph, for it is through Joseph that our Lord’s place in the community of the people of God would be reckoned. Some say that the genealogy and focus on Joseph indicates that St. Matthew’s Gospel was written to speak primarily to the Jewish communities, and so touched important points of connection to that community and its history. It’s an interesting theory, but ultimately we find that Joseph’s story is very much one of faith and love. He is betrothed, an older man whose wife has died, and his family all but grown, because she is related to him – as we found in the story of Boaz and Ruth. When his wife, with whom he had not consummated the marriage, was found to be pregnant, he did not respond as Judah had done, calling for Tamar to be put to death; he was going to divorce Mary quietly, so that she would be spared. It was then that God revealed what was taking place, and Joseph did as the Lord commanded him, even giving the child the name, “Jesus.” St. Matthew also tells us that what took place fulfilled the prophesy of Isaiah, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel — which means, ‘God with us.’” (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23) We also get insight into the meaning of our Lord’s name. “Jesus” is the Greek rendering of “Joshua” (Yeshua); which means, “The Lord saves.”

Well, that’s all for chapter one! I had no idea this was going to be this long! I also have no idea what the next chapter may be like: longer, shorter, or about the same? We won’t know until we get there! Oh, and your questions and comments are certainly welcome!

Day Zero: An Introduction to the Journey

2009-06-15T02:16:00.000-07:00

My original intention was to post each day's chapter, and follow it with some discussion, perhaps drawn from a commentary, or simply my own observations. By the way, I will do my best to let you know which is which. After all, you can trust the commentaries! I am always at risk of making an error, so where you should consider the Fathers authoritative, please do not do the same for my offerings! <- Please note: What just happened is likely to happen at any time! I started out with one point to make, but without any warning, suddenly shifted to something else. In my classes, I always have to warn my students: sometimes, we may fall into a rabbit hole; other times, into a wormhole. How do you know the difference? If we can find our way back, it was a rabbit hole. If we have no clue as to where we are, or how we got there, it was a wormhole! For the record, what happened here was a rabbit hole.

Back to the point: posting the actual text. The problem with doing this is that any attempt to use any sort of contemporary text will invariably result in a copyright violation. So far, the only copyright-free versions are the venerable old King James Version (KJV), and the 1899 Douay-Rheims American Edition. Frankly, the KJV language is not the easiest to work with; and the Douay-Rheims isn’t much of an improvement. The Douay-Rheims also has the disadvantage of its being a translation from the Latin Vulgate for use in the Roman Catholic Church. This is not a negative criticism of the Roman Church; just a recognition that the D-R was prepared to a very large degree for use by the Counter-Reformation in Europe; and I'd prefer to use a version that has been translated from the Greek...

What does all this mean? It means that, until/unless a better translation that can be copied and reposted on the Internet can be found, I will not be posting each day’s chapter; only the comments and observations, with the occasional short passage from the text that day, when doing so will be helpful, or necessary, to the discussion. This will not, therefore, be as convenient as I had hoped; but I will post a link to the site for each day’s text, and hope that will be sufficient.

So, put on your crash helmets and buckle your seat belts, and let’s get ready to go!

Coming Soon!

2009-04-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Christ is risen! Xpuctoc Bockpece!

It was over five years ago that, in a burst of enthusiasm, I decided to launch this blog. At the same time, I had started four other blogs: one to comment on current events (Observations); one to use to post my sermons (Reflections); one to present an explanation of what we believe as Orthodox Christians, and why (Ancient Religion); and one to be a sort of "online catechism class." (Orthodoxy 101) Only the first two ever went beyond the initial post; and even these suffered from neglect, as the "shine" of blogging became a grind, and then the grind became too demanding, and everything "shut down" for a while.

I'm not sure I can say what, exactly, has changed to bring me to revive these blogs -- and I do intend to be posting in all five very soon. The best explanation I can offer is that, as our parish has moved through time and space, the single most effective way we have found to announce our presence to the larger world has been through the internet. As such, it seems to me that the more places where we can be "found," the better -- for we don't have the resources to match the mission: to bring as many people as we can reach to an awareness of the Orthodox way of life and belief, and to invite as many of these people as possible to join us on the journey from life in this world to life in the Kingdom of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. Having this as our responsibility, together with my responsibility as a priest to proclaim the good news of our salvation in Christ, well...

The cycle of readings is completed once every quarter. Ideally, then, just to keep things neat and tidy, I should have started April 1st (if not January 1st). This means that I'm some twenty-two days or so behind at the start! But the third quarter doesn't begin until July 1st -- and I'm afraid that if I wait until then to start "neat and tidy" it will never happen! So I'm going to start now, and hope to be posting multiple entries in an effort to "catch up" to the cycle of this quarter.

Not having done this before, I'm not sure what form it should take. I hope that those who read this site will feel free to offer comments and suggestions.

2004-04-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

According to Fr. Arseny, it is a pious practice to read a chapter each day from the four Gospels: St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John the Theologian. There are 89 chapters in all; and so one can read through the Gospels four times each year.

I propose to do just that -- and to record the reflections and study notes that I derive in this blog. Of course, I've already missed the first quarter of this year (2004); and the start of the second quarter; and, with Holy Week and Pascha just around the corner... well, the posting may be inconsistent at first. By the grace of God, and to His glory, it will get better!

Your unworthy servant in Christ,