The Daughter of Jairus

MATT. 9:1, 18-26; MARK 5:21-43; LUKE 8:40-56
JESUS LANDED AGAIN at Capharnaum in Galilee, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus, knelt before Him and asked Him to come to the aid of his daughter, who was dying. Jesus went with Jairus and a crowd followed, pressing in upon Him. In the crowd was a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years. She reached out and touched the cloak of Jesus, confident that this mere proximity would heal her. At once the hemorrhage ceased, but Jesus turned and said:
"Who touched My cloak?"
The disciples thought His question unreasonable, but He insisted:
"Someone touched Me: for I perceived that power had gone forth from Me."
Now the woman came up trembling and confessed what she had done, and how she had been instantly cured.
Jesus reassured her:
"Daughter, thy faith has saved thee. Go in peace."
At this moment word reached Jairus that his daughter had died and there was thus no need to trouble Jesus further. But Jesus said:
"Do not be afraid; only have faith and she shall be saved."
Taking Peter, James, and John, He went up to the house of Jairus. The mourners had already begun their wailing and noisemaking, and He said to them:
"Begone, the girl is asleep, not dead."
They laughed scornfully, knowing the girl was dead, but He had them dismissed. Then He led the child's parents and His three disciples to the deathbed. Taking the hand of the dead girl, He said:
"Talitha cumi" ("Girl, I say to thee, arise").
To the amazement of all, the girl, a maiden of twelve years, arose from the bed and began to walk.
Then Jesus ordered that the girl be given something to eat. He charged her parents not to tell anyone what they had witnessed, but the story of the miracle spread through the whole neighborhood.

Our Savior worked the miracle for the woman who had been ill for twelve years, not merely to comfort and relieve her, but also to increase the faith of Jairus. Although Jairus sought help for his daughter, his faith in Jesus was not so lively as that of the woman. Seeing her miraculous cure prompted greater faith on his part. We, seeing both miracles with the eyes of faith, can have greater confidence in our Lord.

Across the Lake

CHAPTER 34
MATT. 8:18, 23-34; 13:53;MARK 4:35-5:20; LUKE 8:22-39
WHEN THEY LEFT THE HOUSE that evening, crowds again began gathering around Jesus. To escape them, He got into a boat on the shore and said to His disciples:
"Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."
During the crossing a storm arose and great waves began breaking over the boat, so that it started to ship water. Alarmed, the disciples woke Jesus, who had fallen asleep on a cushion in the stern. "Lord, save us!" they cried, "we are perishing!"
Then He rose, commanded the wind, and said to the sea:
"Peace, be still!"
The wind fell and a calm ensued. And He said:
"Why are you fearful? Are you still without faith?"
But the disciples marveled, saying, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
Landing on the eastern shore, in the country of the Gerasenes, they encountered a possessed man who lived in the tombs on the hillside. Jesus commanded the demon to abandon the man:
"Go out of the man, thou unclean spirit."
Then the spirit cried out in anguish, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, do not torment me."
Jesus asked:
"What is thy name?"
"My name is Legion," said the spirit, "for we are many." And the host of demons within the man began entreating Jesus to permit them to enter a herd of swine feeding on the hillside. He gave them leave, saying:
"Go."
And at once the demons entered into the swine, which rushed headlong down the cliff into the sea and were drowned. The people of the district were alarmed when the swineherds told them what had happened, and they begged Jesus to depart. When He was leaving, the former demoniac asked to accompany Him, but Jesus said:
"Go home to thy relatives, and tell them all that the Lord has done for thee, and how He had mercy on thee."

One of the demoniacs liberated by Christ from the control of the devil wanted immediately to go off and to follow Christ. But Our Lord told him rather to return to his relatives and to announce to them the miracle that had been worked. The cured man would have preferred to work elsewhere for Our Lord; but Christ sent him back home. We too can work for Christ, can be witnesses for Him, without leaving our present surroundings.

Jesus Explains a Parable

Chapter 33
MATT. 13:36-52

LATER JESUS EXPLAINED THE PARABLE of the wheat and the weeds and told them two other parables:
"He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed, the sons of the kingdom; the weeds, the sons of the wicked one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered up and burnt with fire, so will it be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send forth His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all scandals and those who work iniquity, and cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
THE TREASURE AND THE PEARL
"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; a man who finds it hides it, and in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."
THE NET
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea and gathering in fish of every kind. When it was filled, they hauled it out, and sitting down on the beach, they gathered the good fish into vessels, but threw away the bad. So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the just, and will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be the weeping, and the gnashing of teeth."
Then Jesus said:
"Have you understood all these things?"
When they replied that they did, He concluded:
"So then, every Scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old."

The Kingdom of God on earth, the Church, is compared by Christ to a net. Just as the net contains both good and bad fish, the Church on earth contains good and bad members. Mere membership in Christ's Church is no assurance of holiness and eternal salvation. Even though I am in the Church, I could lose my soul.

Teaching in Parables

Chapter 32
MATT. 13:1-35; MARK 4:1-34; LUKE 8:4-18; 13:18-21
IN NOVEMBER JESUS BEGAN TEACHING AGAIN on the shore near Capharnaum. One day when the crowd of listeners was especially large He got into a small boat and sat there preaching to the people gathered on the shore. And for their instruction He told them this parable.
"Behold, the sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and .the birds came and ate them up. And other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much earth; and they sprang up at once, because they had no depth of earth; but when the sun rose they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And other seeds fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them. And other seeds fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
When the disciples asked why He taught in parables, Jesus said:
"To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand. In them is being fulfilled the prophecy of Isaias, who says, 'Hearing you will hear, but not understand; and seeing you will see, but not perceive. For the heart of this people has been hardened, and with their ears they have been hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their mind, and be converted, and I heal them.' "
Continuing, He explained the parable of the sower:
"Hear, therefore, the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, but does not understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is he who was sown by the wayside. And the one sown on rocky ground, that is he who hears the word and receives it immediately with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but continues only for a time, and when trouble and persecution come because of the word, he at once falls away. And the one sown among the thorns, that is he who listens to the word; but the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it is made fruitless. And the one sown upon good ground, that is he who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixtyfold, and in another thirtyfold."
"Is a lamp brought to be put under the measure, or under the couch? Is it not rather to be put upon the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest; nor is anything concealed that will not come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Take heed what you hear. With what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you, and more shall be given to you. For to him who has shall be given; and from him who does not have, even that which he has shall be taken away."
He explained the growth of the seed in this way:
"Thus is the kingdom of God, as though a man should cast seed into the earth, then sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow without his knowing it. For of itself the earth bears the crop, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come."
And He told them another parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men were asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. And when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the weeds appeared as well. And the servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' And the servants said to him, 'Wilt thou have us go and gather them up?' 'No,' he said, 'lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather up the weeds first, and bind them in bundles to burn; but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
THE MUSTARD SEED
"The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. This indeed is the smallest of all the seeds; but when it grows up it is larger than any herb and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and dwell in its branches."

THE PARABLE OF THE LEAVEN
"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and buried in three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened."
In this way Jesus preached to the people about His kingdom, fulfilling what had been prophesied by the psalmist a thousand years before: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world."
The Hebrew mashal, or parable, was exquisitely suited for giving to the public an intimation (not an exposition) of the doctrines of the Kingdom of God. His kingdom was not of this world, and by speaking in this way He avoided any risk that His words would be misinterpreted by the many Jews of that time who were seeking a political messiah and an earthly kingdom. Meaningless to those who did not open their hearts to His message, the little tales were attractive and full of clues for right-intentioned listeners. When such listeners came to Him personally for instruction, He fully explained the mystery hinted at in the parable.

The parable of the sower was explained by Christ 'Himself. We know, therefore, that the various kinds of ground on which the seed fell represent the various kinds of hearts on which the word of God can fall. Each Sunday at Mass the word of God is read to me in the Epistle and Gospel. On what kind of a heart did that word fall last Sunday?

Children

Christ's tender love for children is reflected in the Church's care of her children

OUR SAVIOR was conversing with His Apostles at a house in which He was a guest, when a group of mothers and children approached. The mothers may have heard that Jesus was about to leave the neighborhood, and they were anxious to have Him bless and pray over their children before He left. It was a pious custom for mothers to seek this favor from the hands of rabbis and doctors whom they revered; in seeking the blessing from Jesus they were showing high regard for His holiness, goodness, and power.
The Apostles rebuffed the group as troublesome intruders. They may have objected to having their own conversation with Jesus interrupted, or they may have objected to anything that would further tire our Lord.
When Jesus saw what was happening He was displeased with the Apostles. Gathering the children around, He told His followers that God's kingdom is for those who are like children, that is, for those who are innocent, humble, obedient, and simple; that, in fact, those who do not receive the kingdom of heaven as little children will not enter it.
Today we are the children of the Church. As Christ gathered the children around Him to bless them, the Church, our Mother, gathers us, her children, to bestow her heavenly favors upon us. In Baptism, First Communion, and the administration of the other Sacraments, the Church is forming in us that childlike innocence and simplicity that prepares us for the heavenly kingdom.

"Amen I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God as a little child will not enter into it."
MARK 10:15

THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPELS has had strong appeal to the hearts and minds of children in all ages of the Church. Through the process of canonization the Church has crowned the heroic virtue of several young people: among the best known of them is Saint Aloysius.
SAINT AEOVSIUS GONZAGA (1568-1591) was the eldest son of an Italian nobleman who wished his son to follow him in the soldierly and diplomatic life; so, it was to these things that the very young boy's interests were directed.
When Aloysius was seven, he began to give quite serious attention to his own religious development. He faithfully recited daily the Little Office of Our Lady as well as the Penitential Psalms. His confessors testified of him later that never in his life did he commit a mortal sin. Such was the completeness of his early surrender to God!
When, at the age of seventeen, he announced his intention of entering the Society of Jesus, his father offered strong opposition; but the boy won out and was admitted to the novitiate on Nov. 25, 1585. Submitting himself completely to the discipline, he advanced to the study of theology and to the reception of minor orders.
When a plague broke out in Rome in 1591, Aloysius was one of those who gave personal service to the sick and who themselves contracted the plague. He passed from the plague to a serious fever that slowly brought him to a holy death about midnight of June 20, 1591. Canonized in 1726, he is now the protector of students and the patron of Christian youth.

The Holy Women; The Relatives of Christ

Chapter 31
MATT. 12:46-50; MARK 3:20-21, 31-35; LUKE 8:1-3, 19-21
THE PENITENT who anointed Christ in the house of Simon the Pharisee may have been one of the women who, Saint Luke tells us, journeyed about with Jesus and the Apostles, taking care of such tasks as marketing and the preparation of meals. The evangelist says that they were women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, and that their band included Mary Magdalene, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward, Susanna, and many others.
On one occasion when Jesus entered a house, a great crowd gathered, so that He and His followers could find no room to take their meals. While He was speaking to the crowds some of His relatives arrived before the house. Believing that His evangelizing had reached the point of madness, they had come to constrain Him, and they had brought along with them Mary, thinking, perhaps, that she would dissuade her Son from the dangerous work He had chosen. They could not enter because of the crowd, however, and they stood outside calling for attention.
At last someone within heard their cries and going up to Christ, said to Him: "Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren are standing outside, seeking Thee." And He replied:
"Who is My mother, and who are My brethren?"
Then He pointed to those in the midst of whom He had been preaching, and He said:
"Behold My mother and My brethren! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."
Mere formal relationship is no significant token of a bond with Him. Those who are closely united with Him are the practical exponents of His teachings, not those who are merely nominal Christians and who make no real effort to serve Him.

Christ gave Himself completely to His work. Some of His friends misunderstood and felt He was going too far. They wanted Him to be more moderate, more "prudent." But He insisted that His work of preaching must be His great concern. If I try to carry out in my life the full teaching of the Gospel (as a nun, for example, or as an apostolic layman), friends will misunderstand and will recommend moderation. They will tell me I can be a good Catholic without going to extremes. Will I make a complete dedication of my life to God?

A Penintent Woman Anoints Christ's Feet

Chapter 30
LUKE 7:36 - 50
ONE DAY JESUS WAS INVITED TO DINE in the house of Simon, a Pharisee. A woman of ill-repute in the town learned that Jesus was there, and bringing an expensive jar of ointment, she entered the house and knelt weeping at His feet while He reclined at table. She bathed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Then she kissed them and anointed them with the ointment she had brought. Meanwhile, the Pharisee was muttering to himself that if Jesus were indeed a prophet, He would know that such a woman was not worthy to approach Him. But Jesus answered the unspoken rebuke:
"Simon, I have something to say to thee."
"Master, speak," replied the Pharisee. And Jesus said:
"A certain money-lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty. As they had no means of paying, he forgave them both. Which of them, therefore, will love him more?"
"He, I suppose, to whom he forgave more," said Simon.
And Jesus approved his answer, saying:
"Thou hast judged rightly."
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon:
"Dost thou see this woman? I came into thy house: thou gavest Me no water for My feet: but she has bathed My feet with tears, and has wiped them with her hair. Thou gavest Me no kiss; but she, from the moment she entered, has not ceased to kiss My feet. Thou didst not anoint My head with oil; but she has anointed My feet with ointment. Wherefore I say to thee, her sins, many as they are, shall be forgiven her, because she has loved much. But he to whom little is forgiven, loves little."
Addressing the woman, who remained weeping penitently at His feet, He said:
"Thy sins are forgiven."
The others at the table were offended at this and began whispering their grievances to each other. "Who is this man," they said, "who even forgives sins?"
But Jesus said to the woman:
"Thy faith has saved thee; go in peace."

The soul of this woman, once steeped in sin, is the object of Christ's love. From His words it seems that her soul is very dear to Him; He takes her side against the unspoken accusations of the Pharisee; as though she were His own property, He becomes her protector. While sin is hateful to Our Lord, the sinner is the object of His love. How do I regard those who offend me? Do I love them as Christ loved this sinner?

John Sends Messengers to Christ

Chapter 29
MATT. ll:2-19; LUKE 7:18-35; l6:l6
TO CONVINCE THE SKEPTICAL, John the Baptist sent two disciples to ask Jesus directly whether He was the Messiah. They found Him preaching and healing in Galilee, and when He had heard their errand, He said:
"Go and report to John what you have heard and seen: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not scandalized in Me."
And as they left, He spoke to the people about John, delivering a tribute to the Forerunner and condemning the false rationalizations with which some had rejected him, just as they were now rejecting Christ:
"What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who wear soft garments are in the houses of kings. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, who will make ready Thy way before Thee.' Amen I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. For all the prophets and the Law have prophesied until John. But from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been enduring violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elias who was to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
"But to what shall I liken the men of this generation? It is
like children sitting in the market place, who call to their companions, and say, 'We have piped to you, and you have not
danced; we have sung dirges, and you have not mourned.'
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He
has a devil!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and
they say, 'Behold a glutton and a winedrinker, a friend of
publicans and sinners!' And wisdom is justified by her children."

In answering the messengers of John the Baptist, Our Lord refers to the character of John. Special emphasis is placed by Christ upon the austerity of John's life, which is contrasted with the soft life of his royal persecutor. In the luxury of our lives, filled with comforts, we have little of the austerity of John the Baptist. Perhaps that is why we have so little of the firmness of character that he displayed.

The Raising to Life of the Widow's Son

Chapter 28
LUKE 7:11-17
IN JULY, shortly after the cure of the Centurion's servant, Jesus again left Capharnaum and traveled with His disciples into southern Galilee. A large number of others went with Him. Two days of leisurely travel brought them to Nairn, a small town on the northwest slope of Little Hermon, about eight miles south of Nazareth. As they approached the gates of the village, a funeral procession was coming out, on its way to the village burial ground, which was located about ten minutes walk from the town. Rabbinic regulations provided that bypassers encountering a funeral procession should stop and accompany the mourners to the grave, and Jesus and His followers duly halted and awaited the approach of the cortege, which included a large group of the townspeople. The laments must have been unusually keen, for the deceased was but a young man, and his death had left his mother, a widow, alone in the world.
As the procession began to pass Jesus, He went up to the mother, who was sobbing with grief, and said to the woman compassionately:
"Do not weep."
Then, instead of following on behind with the other mourners, He came to the bier and laid His hand upon it. Obeying His unspoken command, the bearers halted and put down the bier. And Jesus spoke to the shrouded corpse, saying:
"Young man, I say to thee, arise."
Instantly, the young man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus returned the youth to his mother, who ran to embrace him with outstretched arms.
For a moment those who stood about were silent and fearful because of the tremendous spectacle they had witnessed. Then they began to rejoice and shout the praises of God, saying: "A great prophet has risen among us; God has visited His people." Soon the story of this great miracle of Jesus had spread through all of Judea and the surrounding regions.

Showing Himself to be the absolute Master of life, Our Lord with a word gave life back to the dead body. For this tremendous exercise of divine power Christ's motive was compassion, sympathy for a widowed mother who had just lost her son. Human kindness, a real concern for the afflictions of another, prompted Christ to work one of His greatest miracles. What concern do I have for the afflictions of those around me?

The Centurion's Servant

Chapter 27
MATT. 7:28; 8:5-13; LUKE 7:1-10
WHEN JESUS RETURNED TO CAPHARNAUM after the Sermon on the Mount, a group of the Jewish leaders of the city came and sought Him out. The disciples were probably alarmed when they saw this delegation approaching, anticipating a repercussion from Jesus' encounters with the Pharisees, but the mission of the elders of Capharnaum was quite benign. They had come in behalf of a certain centurion, a captain in the garrison of Herod, who besought Jesus to cure one of his favorite servants who was at the point of death.
Though a pagan, the centurion was favorably disposed toward the Jews, and the elders earnestly pleaded with Jesus to help him. "He is worthy that Thou shouldst do this for him, for he loves our nation and himself has built us our synagogue."
Without any discussion, Jesus gently agreed:
"I will come and cure him."
And He went off with them in the direction of the house
of the centurion. But as they drew near the place they were met by the centurion's servants, who brought a somewhat curious message from the captain himself: "Lord, do not trouble Thyself, for I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof; this is why I did not think myself worthy to come to Thee. But say the word, and my servant shall be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, and have soldiers subject to me; and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
Apparently this man had heard of the miraculous cure Jesus had wrought a month before, when He had healed the child of an official at Capharnaum, though He Himself was many miles away, at Cana.
Touched by the centurion's humble faith, Jesus said to His followers:
"Amen I say to you, not even in Israel have I found so great a faith."
And when the messengers returned, they found the servant recovered and in good health.

The centurion sought a cure for his servant, not for himself. He was a truly religious man, having contributed to the building of the Jewish synagogue. Humble and modest, he did not approach Christ himself, but asked the elders of the town to speak to Him. A man of deep faith, he never doubted the power of Jesus to cure his servant. His prayer was answered promptly by Christ. If I had the qualities of this centurion, perhaps my prayers would be more readily answered.

Conclusion of the Sermon

Chapter 26
MATT. 7:13-27; LUKE 6:43-49; 13:24
CONCLUDING His DISCOURSE, Jesus urged His disciples to be persistent and ever vigilant. The road to salvation is arduous:
"Enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who enter that way. How narrow the gate and close the way that leads to life! And few there are who find it."
False teachers beset the way to salvation; but they may be recognized by the evil effects of their teaching.
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them."
Self-deception is another peril. Outward conformity is not enough; we must be practical Christians.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father in-heaven shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Thy name, and cast out devils in Thy name, and work many miracles in Thy name? And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity!' "
"Everyone therefore who hears these My words and acts upon them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house on rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it was founded on rock. And everyone who hears these My words and does not act upon them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house on sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and was utterly ruined."

At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount Our Lord gave the universal prescription for holiness: "Do the will of My Father." Whether pleasurable or painful, whether others approve or disapprove, whether others are doing it or not, the will of God must be my guide. God speaks to me through my conscience, through the directions of those in authority, through His written word in the Holy Scriptures. My effort must be to be always docile before His holy will.

The Works of Justice

Chapter 25
MATT, 6:1—7:12; LUKE 6:37-42; 11:9-13; 12:22-36
IN PERFORMING GOOD WORKS, Christ's followers must act for God alone and in hope of being rewarded by Him in heaven. They must not publicize their virtuous acts; charity motivated by a desire to impress one's fellows will receive no more than this base human reward. This teaching was in absolute opposition to the formalism which had infected the religious thought of the Jewish people. The three principal works of Jewish piety had always been alms, prayer, and fasting, but all of these were tending to degenerate into merely formal observances. The ancients had emphasized the motive of the giver in acts of charity: "By mercy and truth is iniquity redeemed," said the Book of Proverbs (16:6); but now almsgiving had become a perfunctory affair in which the donor publicly paraded his virtue. Prayer, too, had ceased to be important except as a public observance. In the time of Isaias such worship had been explicitly condemned: "this people ... with their lips glorify Me, but their heart is far from Me" (Is. 29:13); this merely external worship had now become commonplace. Fasting, in itself an external discipline, had been a medium for false piety from early times. "Why have we fasted," said Isaias, "and Thou hast not regarded: have we humbled our souls and Thou hast not taken notice? ... Do not fast as you have done until this day, to make your cry heard on high. Is this such a fast as I have chosen: for a man to afflict his soul for a day? Is this it, to wind his head about like a circle, and to spread sackcloth and ashes? Wilt thou call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?" (Is. 58:3-5). In our Lord's time the meaningless fasting against which Isaias inveighed was observed almost ritually. The doctors of the Law had multiplied the fasts of earlier days and had consecrated the traditional accompaniments of the fast: wearing a garment of haircloth and daubing the face with ashes in order to give it a mournful appearance.
Specifically denouncing these prevailing abuses of the great works, of piety, Jesus said:
"Take heed not to practice your good before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you shall have no reward with your Father in heaven. Therefore, when thou givest alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets, in order that they may be honored by men. Amen I say to you, they have had their reward. But when they givest alms, do not let thy left hand know what thy right hand is doing, so that thy alms may be given in secret; and thy Father, who sees in secret, will reward thee."
"Again, when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in the synagogues and at the street corners, in order that they may be seen by men. Amen I say to you, they have had their reward. But when thou prayest, go into thy room, and closing thy door, pray to thy Father in secret; and thy Father, who sees in secret, will reward thee.
"But in praying, do not multiply words, as the Gentiles do; or they think that by saying a great deal, they will be heard.
So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. In this manner therefore shall you pray:
'Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.'
For if you forgive men their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you your offenses. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offenses."
When we fast, we should do so without show or pious affectation. We should fast, as we pray and give alms, to please God, and not to gain credit with men.
"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, who disfigure their faces in order to appear to men as fasting. Amen I say to you, they have had their reward. But thou, when thou dost fast, anoint thy head and wash thy face, so that thou mayest not be seen by men to fast, but by thy Father, who is in secret; and thy Father, who sees in secret, will reward thee."
Everything is to be done for God alone. All earthly possessions are achievements that are perishable. He only can give us enduring reward.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth consume, and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes, nor thieves break in and steal. For where thy treasure is, there thy heart also will be."
The purity of our intentions in pursuing virtue is to our spiritual life what the eye is in our body. Without it, we are left groping vainly, in utter darkness. With it, our whole being is filled with light.
"The lamp of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be sound, thy whole body will be full of light. But if thy eye be evil, thy whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore, if the light that is in thee is darkness, how great is the darkness itself!"
Wholehearted confidence in God excludes devotion to any other end, especially the pursuit of material things, such as money (mammon).
"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will stand by the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
"Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life a greater thing than the food, and the body than the clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you of much more value than they? But which of you by being anxious about it can add to his stature a single cubit? Therefore if you are not able to do even a very little thing, why are you anxious concerning the rest.
"And as for clothing, why are you anxious? See how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith!
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or, 'What shall we drink?' or, 'What are we to put on?' (for after all these things the Gentiles seek); for your Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be given you besides. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for to-morrow will have anxieties of its own. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
We must avoid rash judgment of our neighbors. God alone knows our hearts; it is for Him to give final justice to all.
"Do not judge, and you shall not be judged; do not condemn, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they pour into your lap. For with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you."
And He told them a parable:
"Can a blind man guide a blind man? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is above his teacher; but when perfected, everyone will be like his teacher. But why dost thou see the speck in thy brother's eye, and yet dost not consider the beam in thy own eye? And how canst thou say to thy brother, 'Brother, let me cast out the speck from thy eye,' while thou thyself dost not see the beam in thy own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam from thy own eye, and then wilt see clearly to cast out the speck from thy brother's eye.”
Those who are charged with sanctifying His kingdom must discreet in preaching to unbelievers, lest the holy things be profaned and their ministers outraged.
"Do not give to dogs what is holy, neither throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet and turn and tear you."
Persistence and a filial confidence that God will hear us are essential to the success of our prayers.
"And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened. But if one of you asks his father for a loaf, will he hand him a stone? or for a fish, will he for a fish hand him a serpent? or if he asks for an egg, will he hand him a scorpion? Therefore, if you, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Good Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Concluding this part of His discourse, He gave us what we call the Golden Rule, in which are condensed the moral precepts of the whole Scripture.
"Therefore all things whatever you would that men should
do to you, even so do you also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets."

Good works sometimes lead to praise. In the Sermon on the Mount Christ calls those who do good just to be praised for it "hypocrites." The intention of the doer is what counts. Being praised for good works cannot make them wrong, but doing them just for praise makes one a hypocrite. To follow the teaching of Christ here, I must examine my motives. Does the anticipated praise of men influence me?

The Old Law and The New

Chapter 24
MATT. 5:17-48; LUKE 6:27-36; l6:l8
THE BEATITUDES AND JESUS' ADVICE to His apostles serve as an introduction or exordium to the Sermon on the Mount. Now He enters the main part of His discourse, and discusses first the relation of His gospel to the Law which was given to the Jewish people through Moses. He is concerned not with the liturgical, civil, or criminal law, but with the basic moral precepts of the Old Law; and He at once makes clear that He has no intention of abrogating these. They are as permanent as our world. He is rather to perfect the Old Law: He will reestablish it independent of the superficial interpretations of the Scribes and Pharisees; He will impose it as the moral law, not merely of the Jews, but of all mankind; He will show the prime importance of the commandment of charity, the love of God and one's neighbor.
"Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For amen I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall be lost from the Law till all things have been accomplished. Therefore whoever does away with one of these least commandments, and so teaches men, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever carries them out and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your justice exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."
Restating the fifth commandment, He said:
"You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Thou shalt not kill'; and that whoever shall murder shall be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be liable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, 'Thou fool!' shall be liable to the fire of Gehenna. Therefore, if thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has anything against thee leave thy gift before the altar and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Come to terms with thy opponent quickly while thou art with him on the way; lest thy opponent deliver thee to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Amen I say to thee, thou wilt not come out from it until thou hast paid the la penny."
Similarly, He restated the sixth commandment, saying:
"You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' But I say to you that anyone who even looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
"So if thy right eye is an occasion of sin to thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish than that thy whole body should be thrown into hell. And if thy right hand is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should be lost than that thy whole body should go into hell.
"It was said moreover, 'Whoever puts away his wife, let him give her a written notice of dismissal.' But I say to you that everyone who puts away his wife, save on account of immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and he who marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery."
Restating the second commandment, He said:
"Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients,
‘Thou shalt not swear falsely, but fulfill thy oaths to the Lord.'
But I say to you not to 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; not by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither do thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your speech be, 'Yes, yes'; 'No, no'; and whatever is beyond these comes from the evil one.”
The seventh commandment He also restated:
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye,' and, ‘A tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you not to resist the evildoer; on the contrary, if someone strike thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if anyone would go to law with thee and take thy tunic, let him take thy cloak as well; and whoever forces thee to go for one mile, go with him two. To him who asks of thee give; and from him who would borrow of thee, do not turn away.
''You have heard that it was said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and shalt hate thy enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and calumniate you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, who makes His sun to rise on the good and the evil, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward shall you have? Do not even the publicans do that? And if you salute your brethren only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do that? And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive in return, what merit have you? For even sinners lend to sinners that they may get back as much in return. But love your enemies; and do good, and lend, not hoping for any return, and your reward shall be great. Be merciful, therefore, even as your heavenly Father is merciful."

Murder had been wrong; Christ declared that even anger with another is against God's will. Adultery had been wrong; Christ declared that even impure thoughts are against God's will. Not just exterior actions, but interior thoughts and desires must conform to the will of God. One of the distinctive marks of Christ's teaching was His emphasis on the hidden activities of each man's soul. When I examine my conscience, do I look only for exterior faults, or do I check also my thoughts and desires? Hatred is a sin, whether or not my feelings are expressed in actions. Lustful thoughts contain the seeds of lust in action: "Anyone who so much as looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart."