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St. Elizabeth Seton Virtual Parish

Breaking Open the Word

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The third and final section of Luke’s Sermon on the Plain begins: And he told them a parable. There are actually four parables, three of which we read today. They are all about how to be a good disciple.

The blind cannot lead the blind. And a disciple cannot be a good disciple unless he or she has learned from the teacher. Everyone who is fully trained is like the teacher who knows how to cure the blind. Before you can be a good disciple and teach others you must take care of yourself. Do not try to take a speck out of your brother’s eye until you have taken the board out of your own. Finally, only when you have purified yourself can you produce the good works that the teacher requires. Discipleship asks us to produce good deeds. But to produce them requires the integrity and purity of heart found in the teacher. When people see your good deeds they will know that this is because you have a good heart.

The final parable, which we do not read today, is about building on the solid foundation of rock and not on sand. This is the only way to face the difficulties a disciple will encounter and survive.

March 2, 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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This week’s gospel comes on the heels of the baptism of Jesus where the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, and the Father declares “You are my beloved Son…” Consider the very first verse of the gospel: “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.” It is the Holy Spirit that strengthens us to ward off temptation.

This account of Jesus is an autobiographical passage. No one was with Jesus and satan when these events occurred, so it must have been told to His disciples by Jesus.

We read that Jesus was taken to the desert for forty days. The number forty has great significance in the Bible – it always is associated with a great change that is to take place: Noah and the great flood; Moses on Mt Sinai; Israel wandering the desert; Elijah’s fasting….

The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to show us the evil nature of satan. This begins the journey of Jesus showing how he will conquer all evil. The temptations of Jesus are brought to Jesus from outside of Jesus, He does not feel the temptations from inside Him as we do as a result of our imperfections.

Each of the temptations is meant to attack a weakness. The first is hunger, tempting Jesus at His humanity because satan could never defeat Jesus by attacking His divinity. Jesus corrects satan by directing satan to the glory of God in scripture. Jesus quotes Deuteronomy and shows that mankind will glory in God more than the things of this world.

The second temptation contains the lies of satan as satan falsely declares he can give Jesus power, glory, and the vastness of the world as if satan actually owns it. Satan is allowed to roam the world, but the world is owned by God. Satan is trying to get to the human ego with this attempt and Jesus again rebukes satan with the great love God has for us.

The third is the temptation of pride: “If you are the Son of God throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you…” It is as if satan is saying to Jesus: “Ok hotshot. If you are so great and powerful, prove it. Misuse your powers just to make me happy.” Jesus again points satan to scripture to show that authority and power lies in God alone, and that is something we must trust.

Finally, the gospel notes satan “departed from Him for a time.” Satan was not done with Jesus and he would show his ugliness as satan tempts Jesus to not go through with the crucifixion.

March 9, 1st Sunday of Lent

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Luke’s account of the transfiguration comes just after the prediction of the passion of Jesus. It reaffirms Jesus’ words that suffering is the way to glory. Taking Peter, James and John with him, Jesus goes to the mountain to pray, as he often does in Luke’s Gospel. In the midst of the prayer, his appearance changes, which is reminiscent of Moses in the presence of God. Elijah and Moses appear with him. Elijah representing the prophets and Moses representing the law. They speak together of what is to come. This may suggest that Jesus is staying true to the law and the prophets, that this is the will of God.

Specifically, they speak of the “exodus” he will experience in Jerusalem. The original Greek word is exodus and though it can simply mean departure, it sounds like the exodus of Israel from Egypt. As the Israelites passed through the sea and entered the promised land, so Jesus will pass through death and enter into glory.

Peter wants to erect three booths, like the huts used during the feast of the tabernacles. But Luke says that he really didn’t know what he was saying. The voice that speaks from the cloud echoes the words at Jesus’s baptism, pointing out Jesus’ role as son and servant. When the vision ends, the disciples see only Jesus, suggesting that he replaces the law and prophets in the new age. The voice from heaven insisted that they are to listen to him from now on.

This passage follows immediately after the confession of Peter that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus’ instructions about his own sufferings, and the necessity of his followers to be willing to suffer. Soon after the transfiguration, Jesus leaves Galilee and heads towards Jerusalem. There is no turning back. The chosen one is on a journey, that will lead to his death.

March 16, 2nd Sunday of Lent

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March 23, 3rd Sunday of Lent

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March 30, 4th Sunday of Lent

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