The Luminous Mysteries:
His mission is authorized by the Father.
1. Baptism in the Jordan
"This is my beloved Son"
- Matthew 3:16-17 ~ "beginning"
Why does Jesus go to John to be baptized? This is the Son of God, entirely sinless yet seeking the baptism of repentance. John is amazed, "I would be baptized by you, but you come to me?" Jesus answers, "Let it be so for now, for we must fulfill all righteousness." This is an action of faith, which we are meant to emulate, and faith is righteousness in God's book. When God's people recognize their sinfulness and repent, coming to seek forgiveness, we are trusting God to grant, not only forgiveness, but the grace to choose Him first, rather than selfishness. The key here is trust, and trust is faith. This is what God wants.
But there is more going on here. Remember the rainbow? God repented for trying to destroy all of humanity in a flood. He had lost patience with us, and acted in anger. But God's disappointment with us goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When we doubted, and didn't trust Him, He was angry, and cursed us, removing the grace that allowed us to always follow our conscience. But now, having seen the results of that, God regretted having left us prone to the Devil's temptations. Trusting is difficult when you've been listening to a liar.
So God, in the person of his Son, is coming down to the Jordan river to receive the baptism of repentance. His humanity is declaring his intent to trust, implicitly and totally, in God's plan, even when Jesus can't yet see how it's going to play out. He knows the strategy, from the Scriptures, but not the tactics. This is God, repenting for his rashness in condemning all of humanity for the hubris and wickedness of a few, or even for the selfish disobedience of most. Nor is He judging us collectively as a nation, a people whom He has chosen and tried to teach and guide, and who repeatedly went astray. This time He is calling us individually, to listen to the Gospel and believe. He wants to discern who would try to keep faith with Him, and return contritely after we do something wrong.
Here at the Jordan river, God is choosing to humble Himself, accepting the baptism of repentance to remind Himself to be merciful, because humans are too broken to be capable of righteousness. He sees that we are only barely able to have faith, inasmuch as we need to see God here, working beside us and living as we live. God is repenting his overwhelming justice, and replacing it with infinite mercy. He now asks only that we believe in Him and trust in his love for us, and that we dedicate ourselves to love and follow Him in return. He is asking us to trust his intention to be merciful, despite the trouble we get ourselves into when we don't listen to Him. And if we will do that He accounts it to us for righteousness.
2. The Wedding at Cana
"Fill the jars with water."
- John 2:5-7 ~ "joining"
When we look closely at this episode, and the miracle of changing water into wine, we see layers of meaning. First, we hear that the party has run out of wine, and we reflect on the recent history of Judaea. There hasn't been a prophet in 400 years. People feel like God has abandoned them, because of their sins. It's a disaster to ruin the joy of being the chosen people. If a wedding runs out of wine, it reflects badly on the family of the bride. But Jesus does something generous, and replenishes the supply.
Moreover, this is a metaphor to reveal the Gospel. Just as John the Baptist said, Jesus is here to give us the Holy Spirit. And when we look deeper, we see even more, that Jesus has replaced the rituals of purity, washing our hands, with an abundance of joy - an intoxication of happiness in the Spirit. No longer are we to be filled with ritual observance, but we are filled with the Presence of God.
At yet another level, we look at the wider context. This is a wedding feast. How many times did Jesus give us parables about this? We know that the Gospel is an open invitation to a celebration of love, but who is the chosen bride? Jesus spoke plainly, saying that the Gospel was to be taken first to the Children of Israel. The Jews have always been the chosen people, so they are the beloved bride. The Song of Solomon tells us about God's longing for His people. And yet, a wedding is a shared event. All of our friends are invited, and if the budget is grand enough, the whole town is welcome to attend.
Jesus transformed the whole supply of cleansing water into wine, six huge 30 gallon jars of it, way more than any ordinary wedding would need. At 16 cups per gallon, once again we have an uncounted number close to seventy times seven. The Bible generalizes the number of the gentiles as being seventy nations, so we have a prefigure of all the nations, everyone, to be included in the great feast, with abundance for all. How many days was the feast supposed to last anyway? A week? Every day we can drink this wine! There were six jars, after all.
3. Proclaiming the Kingdom
"The Kingdom of God is at hand."
- Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:16-22, Isaiah 61:1-2 ~ "newsflash"
Who among you has never sinned? Which one of you does not rationalize why you continue to do what your own conscience would ask you to stop and reconsider? We are all sinners! We all need to repent. Come to Jesus, confess your brokenness and ask Him to forgive you. Then "do whatever He tells you to do," just like Mary told the servers at the wedding in Cana. And the story begins from there...
"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! Repent, and believe the good news!" This is the message that Jesus preached when He returned from the wilderness. Repentance means that we recognize what we have done wrong, and our responsibility for it. We see that we need to change our lives, and we make a solemn vow to change our habits and stop offending against God, or at the very least, to try our best and let our consciences tell us that we owe Him our apologies, and get back up to try harder. No longer can we sin, and ignore how it offends both God and our neighbors. We have to stop, and make whatever amends we can.
And if we hear and believe, and choose to follow and obey Him, Jesus promises to forgive our sins, and lead us into the Kingdom of God, both now and in Heaven. Jesus made an extended campaign of proclaiming the Gospel, first in Galilee, then in Judaea, and finally opening it up to include any of the gentiles who would believe and follow his teachings. He went to local synagogues to read from the prophets' scrolls and teach people about "the acceptable year of the Lord." That was what He did at Nazareth, reading from the scroll of Isaiah, declaring his agenda for proclaiming the good news, that He would release us from the confusion, captivity and oppression of the demons that warp our view of the world. When we are free, we can once again trust God to defend and provide for us. And as we see that happening, we can respond in gratitude and obedience to love God and our neighbors.
When we follow Jesus, we are no longer led by our nearsighted self interest. We are reaching for higher things, choosing to do what is right rather than seeking our own advantage. Our aim becomes to please the Father by imitating his beloved Son. And so the revolution begins. What was once a pointless existence becomes truly meaningful, first transforming us, and then the world around us, bit by bit, because we agree to allow the Father's will to be done through us, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
4. Casting out Demons (suggested)
"I do believe! Help my unbelief!"
- Mark 9:17-29 ~ "overcoming"
Someone from the crowd came to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, I have brought to you my son. He is possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so." Jesus said to the gathering crowd, "O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me." They brought the boy to Him, and when he saw Him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then He questioned his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" He replied, "Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire or into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can?! Everything is possible to one who has faith!" Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe! Help my unbelief!" Jesus looked out upon the rapidly growing crowd, then rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!" Shouting and convulsing the boy again, it came out. The boy lay limp and still as a corpse, so that many thought he was dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up. Then all were amazed. Later, his disciples asked Him in private, "Master, why could we not drive it out?" And He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer and fasting."
A central message in Jesus' mission to Israel, and to the world, is breaking the bonds of sin. When we willingly sin, we become slaves to sin, and unwittingly allow the minions of Satan to enter and take control of our lives. These demons are often quite destructive, intending to harm us however they can. They don't want us to have the time to believe and repent, or to seek the Lord for help. They can even give us grave illness, or troublesome conditions, which challenge our faith, so we may doubt whether we deserve to be healed. And the truth is, we don't deserve it, due to our lack of faith. But Jesus knows how we want to believe, and his aid comes as a free gift, if we will ask humbly, acknowledging our sins to repent. Sometimes it may be difficult, such that we may need to prepare ourselves with prayer and fasting. But if it will serve to establish faith, in ourselves and possibly others who see it, then He is fully able to grant the miracle. All of the demons are subject to Him, even Satan himself must obey his commands, for they know that He comes with the power and authority of the Father. And yet, Jesus comes to us with the compassion and love of a brother, seeking to call us back into the Kingdom where we can share his love with one another.
5. The Transfiguration of Jesus (was #4)
"and his face shone like the sun"
- Matthew 17:1-8 ~ "revealed"
Just a few days after Jesus began to tell what He expected to happen to Him, that He would suffer crucifixion, He took Peter, James and John away for a day. They were in Galilee, and they went to climb a mountain. When they reached the top, Jesus' appearance began to change, glowing brighter and brighter, until it was hard to look at him. And two other figures arrived, appearing as Moses and Elijah, and they took counsel with Jesus for a short while. When they had gone, Peter suggested that they erect tents in that place to honor Jesus, Moses and Elijah, but before he finished speaking, a shining cloud descended upon them. A great voice was heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him." All three disciples were amazed, and groveling at his feet, but Jesus bent down and lifted them up. "Do not be afraid. But you cannot tell anyone what you have seen, not until the Son of Man has risen from the grave." In this way, Jesus revealed that everything that would happen was already planned.
The Transfiguration was a sign for them that Jesus was not merely an ordinary human, but that He had the favor and acceptance of God to do and say what He does. Not only authority to do miracles, but Jesus can do whatever He sees necessary, to execute the plan of salvation. He is the Son of God Himself, and what He says will happen. This is the reason why Jesus revealed his glory at the Transfiguration, glowing with the holy brightness of sanctification and walking together with Moses and Elijah: to show his disciples that they should not be scandalized, nor have their faith shaken when He was put to death on the cross. He wanted them to see this, and remember that He has God's own power for what He needs to do.
Peter never got used to hearing it when Jesus spoke of his coming suffering and death, but he never again questioned Him in protest. Still, he understood that telling what he had seen was unlikely to convince anyone who hadn't been there to believe. Indeed, he had almost forgotten the incident, until Mary returned with the news that Jesus was missing from the tomb. Then, as he and John ran to see what had happened, he remembered, and seeing to stone rolled away, he stopped.
Peter could see then, in his mind's eye, what had occurred: how the guards had been afraid, and the stone removed, and Jesus emerging just as Lazarus had. The Light would have been too overpowering, blinding the soldiers who tried to look. No one could move to interfere with the angels who came for Him. It had all happened according to the plan. This was the reassurance that he had needed. Now Peter could go back and tell the story to the other disciples, and James and John would support him. Jesus has risen from the dead, just like He said He would!
Extra: (moved to the Theological Mysteries)
5. The First Eucharist
"This is my body which is given for you."
- Luke 22:14-20 ~ "sacrifice"
When Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 from one basket of a few loaves and fishes, He was once again proclaiming the Kingdom, without words. But no one was understanding. So when the crowd followed, He tried to tell them the rest of the story, that He Himself is the Bread of Life. And yet, they couldn't put the miracles together with the teachings. They wanted to dispute Jesus' claim to be coming from the Father, to be more than the manna in the wilderness. Before He could even finish telling them the whole truth, they had stopped listening, and started drifting away. So when He saw that his disciples were also confused, He stopped talking.
The story finally comes together "on the night before He was to suffer." As they are sharing an early Passover feast, no one questions Him. This time, they are listening, but now, there is no time for in-depth discussion. Jesus has to trust us to understand what He is about to do. So, He picks up a piece of unleavened bread, raises it up to Heaven and says the blessing, then breaks it. Passing it down the table, He says, "Take this, each of you, and eat from it. This is my body, which is to be broken for you." This is definitely not a part of the Passover ritual, and everyone here knows it. Then, as supper is ending, Jesus pours a last cup of wine, raises it and says the blessing, then passing it on, He says, "Take this, all of you, and drink from it. This is the cup of my blood, which shall be poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. And this shall be a new Covenant between us, in my blood. Do this in memory of Me." Again, this is not the usual ending of Passover. They will remember.
The crucifixion of Jesus was a traumatic wake-up for the disciples. They really didn't see that coming, and were appalled and frightened for their own lives. It was the women, led by Mary Magdalen, who discovered that He had risen. That was when they began to see just how much of what He had said they hadn't understood. They were gathered in discussion to try and piece it all together when Jesus appeared to them in that upper room where they had shared dinner. That was when He explained how they should reenact that evening, and He told them to meet him in Galilee on the mountain where they had seen Him transfigured.
The whole point of the Last Supper was for Jesus' followers to share a common meal in fellowship, and to establish a ritual by which to reenact the memory of the new covenant between God and his people. Jesus had told them that they must "eat my body and drink my blood," or else they would have no life in them. He did not say whether performing the ritual would effect a miracle of "transubstantiation," or if it was a metaphor, or more simply, a symbol of an ineffable truth. He did say that doing it would give us life, and make us a part of his body, the Church. He meant for us to have faith, to believe that his Word gives us eternal life, because whatever He says, happens.
No matter what else you think you see, we do not eat bloody meat in the Eucharist. Neither did YHWH eat the flesh nor drink the blood of the sacrifices in the Temple. But we do partake of the body and blood of Christ in some way, no matter how you understand it, and that gives us life, and imparts God's grace to us, all because of our faith, our trust in his Word and promises. Faith has always been what God counts for us as righteousness. That upholds our end of the new covenant.
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