NOVEMBER 9
The
Final Journey
From Ephraim, the final days of Jesus'
life and ministry begin to count , down. What occurs during this period,
probably between January and the end of
March, is a microcosm of his entire ministry. There is more teaching to be done
and, as always, the need for dialogue and confrontation with the Pharisees.
Jesus once again blesses little children and once again reminds those who would
follow him of the burdens they must bear. As he has done twice before, Jesus
again tells of his impending death. And there are more parables to be taught
and still more people to be healed.
Surely it is a constant source of discouragement to Jesus—even in these last days, and after repeated lessons on humility—that his disciples are still seeking personal glory in the kingdom. Even now the apostles continue to think only in terms of an earthly kingdom. James and John, prompted by their mother, ask that they be given special positions. Jesus admonishes them once again, pointing to the spiritual nature of his kingdom and to the need for humility and service. Yet the time is short now, and Jesus knows that they will soon understand.
There is at least one person who already seems to understand about Jesus' mission and his call for humility. That person is Mary, the sister of Lazarus. As Jesus' journey to Jerusalem comes to an end, the Gospel accounts tell the beautiful story of Mary anointing Jesus with precious ointments. It will be a touching prelude to the brutal events of the final week.
PHARISEES QUESTION DIVORCE. Mt. 19:3-9 [Mk. 10:2-9]
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
"Haven't
you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them
male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and
mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh''? So they
are no longer two, but one.
Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
DISCIPLES QUESTION JESUS. Mt.19:10-12, Mk. 10:10-12
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." Mt The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage m because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
JESUS
BLESSES CHILDREN. Mk.
10:13-16 [Mt.19:13-15, Lk. 18:15-17]
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
RICH YOUNG MAN. Mk.10:17-22 [Mt.19:16-22 Lk.18:18-23]
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'""
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
LOVE OF POSSESSIONS. Mk.10:23-27 [Mt.19:23-26 Lk.18:24-27 ]
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is" to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus
looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God;
all things are possible with God."
FORSAKING EARTHLY ATTACHMENTS. Mt. 19:27-30 [Mk. 10:28-31 Lk. 18:28-30]
Peter
answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there
be for us?"
Jesus
said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when
the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also
sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who
has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother? or children or
fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit
eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be
first.
DEATH FORETOLD THIRD TIME Mk.10:32-34 ,Lk.18:31-34 [Mt.20:17-19]
They
were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the
disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took
the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. "We are
going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be
betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to
death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on
him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." LkThe
disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and
they did not know what he was talking about.
Mary
the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down,
asked a favor of him.
"What
is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom." MkThen James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
"We can," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
JESUS TEACHES HUMILITY. Mk. 10:41-45 [Mt.20:24-28]
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
ZACCHAEUS RECEIVES JESUS. Lk. 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When
Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come
down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at
once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
Jesus
said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man,
too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was
lost."
BLIND
BARTIMAEUS HEALED.
Mk.10:46-52 ,Lk.18:35-43
[Mt.20:29-34]
MkAs Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
"Go,"
said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Lk immediately he
received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw
it, they also praised God.
PARABLE OF THE TEN MINAS. Lk. 19:11-27
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minars. Put this money to work he said, 'until I come back.'
"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
"'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.' "
TRAVELING
TOWARD JERUSALEM, Lk. 19:28
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
ARREST
PLANNED FOR PASSOVER
Jn.11:55-57.
When
it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to
Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking
for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another,
"What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?" But the
chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where
Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.
MARY
ANOINTS JESUS. Mt.26:6-13, Mk. 14:3-9, Jn 12:1-8
'"Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here [M tin the home of a man known as Simon the Leper] a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.5" He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
"Leave
her alone," Jesus replied. "Jt was intended, that she should save
this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you,
but you will not always have me." Mk l tell you the truth,
wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will
also be told, in memory of her."
PLOT TO
KILL LAZARUS jn. 12:9-11
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were
going
over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.