Day 1 (Monday)

Ezra 1:1-11; 2:64-70; 3:1-13; 4:1-5

Last time, we read one of the visions of Daniel the prophet, as he prayed for the end of the captivity and the restoration of Jerusalem, and received a vision that all would be restored after a period of seventy “weeks,” or sevens, which are generally understood to refer to a period of 70 x 7 years, or 490 years. Thus the dates involved are of some interest to us; this time we will read from the book of Ezra, which speaks of the actual return of the people of Judaea (members of the tribes of Judah, Levi, & Benjamin) to the city of Jerusalem. For reference, Cyrus began to reign in 539 BC, and allowed the Jews to return in 538 BC. Darius became king in 522 BC, and in 520 BC he appointed Zerubbabel (a descendant of the kingly line of Judah) as governor, enabling him to complete the work that had begin in 538. We will see this story play out in the selections that follow.

End of the Babylonian Captivity

1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict declared:

2 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of those among you who are of his people—may their God be with them!—are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem; 4 and let all survivors, in whatever place they reside, be assisted by the people of their place with silver and gold, with goods and with animals, besides freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.”

5 The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—got ready to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors aided them with silver vessels, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with valuable gifts, besides all that was freely offered. 7 King Cyrus himself brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods.

8 King Cyrus of Persia had them released into the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 And this was the inventory: gold basins, thirty; silver basins, one thousand; knives,[a] twenty-nine; 10 gold bowls, thirty; other silver bowls, four hundred ten; other vessels, one thousand; 11 the total of the gold and silver vessels was five thousand four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar brought up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

Then the names and tribes of those returning were listed.

Chapter 2:64 The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty, 65 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven; and they had two hundred male and female singers. 66 They had seven hundred thirty-six horses, two hundred forty-five mules, 67 four hundred thirty-five camels, and six thousand seven hundred twenty donkeys.

68 As soon as they came to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of families made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. 69 According to their resources they gave to the building fund sixty-one thousand darics of gold, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly robes.

70 The priests, the Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem and its vicinity; and the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all Israel in their towns.

Worship Restored at Jerusalem

3 When the seventh month came, and the Israelites were in the towns, the people gathered together in Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his kin set out to build the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as prescribed in the law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set up the altar on its foundation, because they were in dread of the neighboring peoples, and they offered burnt offerings upon it to the Lord, morning and evening.

4 And they kept the festival of booths, as prescribed, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the ordinance, as required for each day, 5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the sacred festivals of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 7 So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from King Cyrus of Persia.

Foundation Laid for the Temple

8 In the second year after their arrival at the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their people, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work on the house of the Lord. 9 And Jeshua with his sons and his kin, and Kadmiel and his sons, Binnui and Hodaviah along with the sons of Henadad, the Levites, their sons and kin, together took charge of the workers in the house of God.

10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments were stationed to praise the Lord with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, according to the directions of King David of Israel; 11 and they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,

“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”

And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of families, old people who had seen the first house on its foundations, wept with a loud voice when they saw this house, though many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted so loudly that the sound was heard far away.

Resistance to Rebuilding the Temple

4 When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of families and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of King Esar-haddon of Assyria who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, “You shall have no part with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us.”

4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build, 5 and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

The narrative seems to leave off here, around 539 B.C., with the local authorities working against the rebuilding of the Temple, and this work was slowed or stopped because of this opposition through the reigns of Cyrus and Cambyses, and into the reign of Darius, but at that time it was resumed, and it was completed while Darius was king, around the year 516 BC. At that time, they celebrated the Passover there, in the land of promise once again, with great joy. (Ezra Chapter 6)

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note that this process of rebuilding the Temple was not completed quickly; it was delayed for at least 20 years due to the opposition of the other people in the land. It seems that Zerubbabel was present from the beginning, but did not have the authority of a governor in the region until after 520 B.C.; that change seems to have permitted the reconstruction of the 2nd Temple to continue until completion. However, we need to note the reaction of the people to the laying of the foundation, how many of the people wept and cried out in sorrow because of what had been lost. We must note, as well, that when the Temple’s rebuilding was completed, although they purified themselves and celebrated the Passover as God had commanded, the visible presence of God did not return to the Temple, and this continued absence led the people to conclude that, although they were back in Jerusalem, they were spiritually still in exile. This realization seems to have existed as the base of the project of the Pharisees to set a fence around the Law as we see them doing in the Gospels, in order to help guarantee that everyone is following the Law, so that God can actually return. Thus there is a direct line between this moment, and the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem and the Temple on Palm Sunday.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Irenaeus – Against Heresies 9

Last time, we saw St. Irenaeus develop the theme of what God asks from us, with a repeated emphasis that God’s instructions to us are not given because God needs anything from us, for of course He lacks nothing, but are rather for our sake, in every possible way, as He directs us in the way in which we will find peace and salvation. He will continue to develop this theme this week, discussing the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, and the way that He has called us to worship Him in the New Covenant. We are depending, then, on a recent condensation of the work by James Payton; anyone who would like to purchase this book can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Irenaeus-Christian-Faith-Condensation-Heresies/dp/1608996247/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

St. Irenaeus of Lyons – Against Heresies – Book 4 (excerpts 4)

Book 4, Chapter 18.3

In the beginning God respected the gifts of Abel, because he offered them with singlemindedness and righteousness, but he had no respect for Cain’s offering [Gen 4:4–5], because his heart was divided by the envy and malice which he cherished against his brother. This was shown when God reproved his hidden thoughts, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” [Gen 4:7]. God is not appeased by sacrifice.

If any one tries to offer a sacrifice as an outward show, unexceptionably, in due order, and according to regulation, but in his soul does not grant his neighbor the fellowship which is right and proper, and he is not under the fear of God—one who thus cherishes secret sin does not deceive God by the sacrifice which is offered correctly in outward appearance, nor will such an oblation profit him anything. Instead, that one must give up the evil which he has conceived within himself, so that sin may not, by his hypocritical action, make him his own destroyer.

For this reason the Lord also declared, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” [Matt 23:27–28]. As far as outward appearance went, they seemed to offer correctly, but within themselves they had jealousy like Cain’s. That is why they killed the righteous one, dismissing the counsel of the Word, as Cain did.

Consequently, sacrifices do not sanctify anyone, for God does not need sacrifice. What moves God to accept an offering is the conscience of the offerer, which sanctifies the sacrifice when it is pure. But he says, “Whoever sacrifices a lamb [is] like one who breaks a dog’s neck” [Isa 66:3]. (4:18,3)

Book 4, Chapter 18.4

But since the Church offers with singlemindedness, her gift is appropriately reckoned a pure sacrifice by God.… It is indeed right for us to make an oblation to God, and in all things to be grateful to God our maker—in a pure mind, in faith without hypocrisy, in well-grounded hope, and in fervent love, offering the first-fruits of his own created things. Only the Church offers this pure oblation to the creator, offering to him, with thanksgiving, the things taken from his creation.… (4:18,4)

Book 4, Chapter 18.5

… Our view accords with the Eucharist, which in turn establishes our view. For we offer him his own, faithfully proclaiming the fellowship and union of flesh and Spirit. For as the bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly, so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, since they now have the hope of the resurrection to eternity. (4:18,5)

Book 4, Chapter 18.6

So we make offering to him, not as if he needed it, but rendering thanks for his gift and thus sanctifying what has been created. For while God does not need our possessions, we need to offer something to God. Solomon said, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and will be repaid in full” [Prov 19:17]: God, who needs nothing, takes our good works to himself so that he may grant us a reward out of his abundant goodness.

Our Lord says in this regard, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” [Matt 25:34–36].… (4:18,6)

668 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note that at the beginning of our selection, St. Irenaeus is developing the point regarding the former animal and grain sacrifices, that what is offered matters much less than the heart and intent of the person offering it; he takes this point, develops it from the teaching of the Lord, and then moves into a description of the Church’s oblation, the Holy Eucharist, and the manner in which it is offered, which must be an outflowing of a heart that is kind to the poor.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

John 14:15-24 (Promise of the Holy Spirit)

Last time we saw Jesus foretell Peter’s denial of Him later that night, and then to speak to His disciples about the Father, assuring them that He is going to prepare a place for them, and that He will bring them to the Father. When they question Him and ask Him to show them the Father, He tells them that He is already doing so, because He is in the Father, and the Father is in Him. This time, we will see Him continue by promising to send to them the Holy Spirit.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

245 words 

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that the enormity of this promise, that Jesus, although He is going away, is not abandoning them, but will rather be with them always, and that whatever happens to them, although the world will see Him no longer, He will not cease to love them and to show Himself to them. It is especially worth noting that in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Lord extends what He said about His relationship with the Father to the disciples, that the Holy Spirit will be in them, and thus that they will be in the Lord, and He in them and in the Father, so that we are in this way brought to the Father and made partakers of the everlasting life and light that flows from God. This is the fundamental point of the Christian life: that we live always in communion with God.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Daniel 9:1-27 (Daniel’s Prayer, Prophecy of Seventy Weeks)

Last time we saw the first vision of Daniel, with the four beasts, the Ancient of Days, and the Son of Man. We discussed how this vision influenced and shaped the expectation of the coming Messiah, and would have been the context in which the people would have understood our Lord Jesus Christ speaking of Himself as the Son of Man. This time, we will see Daniel pray for his people, that the time of judgment might end, and we will see the answer that he receives.

Daniel’s Prayer for the People

9 In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, by birth a Mede, who became king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah, must be fulfilled for the devastation of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 Then I turned to the Lord God, to seek an answer by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying,

“Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love with those who love you and keep your commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong, acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

7 “Righteousness is on your side, O Lord, but open shame, as at this day, falls on us, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 Open shame, O Lord, falls on us, our kings, our officials, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him, 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

11 “All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. So the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against you. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers, by bringing upon us a calamity so great that what has been done against Jerusalem has never before been done under the whole heaven. 13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us. We did not entreat the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and reflecting on his fidelity. 14 So the Lord kept watch over this calamity until he brought it upon us. Indeed, the Lord our God is right in all that he has done; for we have disobeyed his voice.

15 “And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made your name renowned even to this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16 O Lord, in view of all your righteous acts, let your anger and wrath, we pray, turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become a disgrace among all our neighbors.

17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolated sanctuary. 18 Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. Open your eyes and look at our desolation and the city that bears your name. We do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, listen and act and do not delay! For your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people bear your name!”

The Seventy Weeks

20 While I was speaking, and was praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God on behalf of the holy mountain of my God— 21 while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in a vision, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He came and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come out to give you wisdom and understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications a word went out, and I have come to declare it, for you are greatly beloved. So consider the word and understand the vision:

24 “Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city: to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand: from the time that the word went out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks; and for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with streets and moat, but in a troubled time.

26 After the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the troops of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease; and in their place shall be an abomination that desolates, until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolator.”

952 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note first of all the prayer of Daniel, and how it matches with the other prayers that we have seen, from Manasseh, from Mordecai and Esther, and of course from Azariah in the Fiery Furnace. Daniel confesses his own sins and the sins of all his people, and acknowledges the justice of the judgment that the Lord has brought upon them all, and then finally he prays for mercy, compassion, reconciliation, and restoration. He should next point out that the answer is given swiftly; Daniel does not have to wait for an answer, but the answer is that there will be a lengthy period of time until what he has prayed for will be granted in full. The answer to that prayer speaks of 70 weeks, or in Hebrew, 70 “sevens,” which are usually understood to refer to 7-year periods, and not to weeks. This means we are dealing with a period of 490 years that are to intervene until redemption comes. The question of the exact starting time of that period of 70 weeks is unclear, but what is very clear is that, with Daniel prophesying here sometime around the 520’s BC, and the Temple rebuilding beginning about that same time, anyone who read the book of Daniel at the time of Christ would see that the time prophesied had come, and many things of great import should be happening in Jerusalem. This is important context for us to understand as we read the Gospel accounts.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Irenaeus – Against Heresies 8

Last time we continued to read some excerpts from Book 4 of 5 from “Against Heresies,” in which Irenaeus demonstrated from Scripture that God does not need our worship or even our existence, but instead has provided us with guidance and instruction, and even with life and being, out of self-emptying love for us, and that everything He commands us is for our good, that we may be partakers of His glory. This time, he will continue on this theme, and proceed to the question of how we worship God. We are drawing these selections from a recent condensation of this very substantial work by an academic named James Payton; anyone who would like to purchase this book can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Irenaeus-Christian-Faith-Condensation-Heresies/dp/1608996247/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

St. Irenaeus of Lyons – Against Heresies – Book 4 (excerpts 3)

Book 4, Chapter 16

That is why Scripture says, “These words the Lord spoke with a loud voice to your whole assembly …, and he added no more” [Deut 5:22]: as I have already observed about this, he needed nothing from them. Again, Moses says, “So now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? Only to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” [Deut 10:12]. These things indeed made humankind glorious, by supplying what they needed—namely, God’s friendship; but they did not profit God at all, since he did not need humanity’s love.

The only way humans could enjoy the glory of God was by serving him; therefore, Moses said to them again, “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days” [Deut 30:19–20]. Preparing human beings for this life, the Lord himself spoke the words of the Decalogue to all of them. In similar manner, they remain permanently with us, since they are extended and increased, but not abrogated, by his advent in the flesh. (4:16,4)

Book 4, Chapter 17

From all this it is clear that God did not seek sacrifices and burnt offerings from them, but faith and obedience and righteousness, all for their salvation. When teaching them his will in Hosea the prophet, God said, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings” [Hos 6:6]. Besides this, our Lord exhorted them to the same effect when he said, “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” [Matt 12:7]. Thus he testifies that the prophets preached the truth, but he accuses those who heard him of being foolish through their own fault. (4:17,4)

He also directed his disciples to offer God the first-fruits of what he had made—again, not as if he needed them, but so that the disciples might themselves be neither unfruitful nor ungrateful—when he took a created thing, bread, and gave thanks, and said, “This is my body” [Matt 26:26]. He took the cup, which is also part of the creation to which we belong, acknowledged it as his blood, and taught the new oblation of the new covenant—which the Church has received from the apostles and offers to God throughout all the world, who gives us the first-fruits of his own gifts in the New Testament to sustain us.

From among the twelve prophets, Malachi prophesied about this: “I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts” [Mal 1:10–11]. In the plainest manner this indicates that the former people [the Jews] would cease to make offerings to God, but that in every place a pure sacrifice would be offered to him, and that his name would be glorified among the nations. (4:17,5)

Book 4, Chapter 18

The oblation of the Church, which the Lord gave instructions to be offered throughout all the world, is accounted with God a pure sacrifice and is acceptable to him—again, not that he needs a sacrifice from us, but so that the one who offers may be glorified in what he offers, if his gift is accepted. By the gift both honor and affection are shown forth towards the king.… (4:18,1)

Oblations, as a class in general, have not been set aside, for there were both oblations among the Jews and there are oblations among the Christians. The Jews had sacrifices; so does the Church. However, the species has been changed, since the offering is now made by freemen, not slaves. The Lord is always one and the same; however, the character of a servile oblation is different from that of freemen, so that the very oblations might indicate the liberty now granted.

With him nothing is without purpose or signification or design. This is why the Jews consecrated the tithes of their goods to him; whereas those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely the valuable portions of their property, since they expect to receive better things hereafter, like the poor widow who cast all her living into the treasury of God [Luke 21:4]. (4:18,2)

799 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out two essential points of what St. Irenaeus is saying. First, that we offer physical things to God not because God needs them, but because in offering the things God has entrusted to us back to God, we enter into communion with Him, and the very purpose of our existence is fulfilled, and we are made bright and shining and filled with life. Second, that in the Old Covenant the offerings were designated as only a specific piece or part of the possessions of the people, a tithe or a tenth, but in the New Covenant we are called to offer our entire lives to the Lord, and to abide and commune with Him perfectly all the days of our life.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

John 13:36-38; 14:1-14 (Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial, Jesus the Way to the Father)

Last time, the Lord prophesied His betrayal, and even showed the disciples who it would be, giving the bread to Judas Iscariot and telling him to go and do quickly what he had determined to do. He then prophesied His imminent Passion once more, and then gave a new commandment to His disciples, that they should love one another just as He had loved them. This new commandment, then, is not new in the sense that it is different from what Jesus had said before, but in that it is a new commandment more and different than the commandments of the Law, and of course, the commandment toward which all of those commandments had been tending, so that in that law of love, all the other commandments are perfected.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.

Jesus the Way to the Father

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

435 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that this discourse of the Lord’s is not just a monologue; the disciples are asking questions, and Jesus is answering. They are not understanding at the time, but St. John is showing us all the things that He said to them which, although they did not understand them at the time, they remembered and understood afterward. Especially we must note here how Jesus speaks about Himself and the Father; this is the essence of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, that the Son and the Holy Spirit are consubstantial, homoousios, of one essence or being with the Father, yet are distinct persons or hypostases. The Son, therefore, reveals the Father, because the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father. But the Son is nonetheless distinct from the Father, so that we can and must affirm that the Father has not become Incarnate, but rather has revealed Himself to us in the Son, in our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the express image of the Father’s glory.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Daniel 7:1-28 (Vision of Four Beasts; Ancient of Days & the Son of Man)

Last time we saw Daniel remain faithful to God in the face of a threat to his life, when the Persian king Darius was deceived by his other courtiers into creating a law forbidding anyone to pray to or worship any god except himself, with the penalty of being thrown into a den of lions. Daniel was caught praying, and was indeed thrown to the lions, but God delivered him, and Darius confessed and proclaimed the glory of the Most-High God of Daniel. That passage, chapter 6 of the book of Daniel, is the last story of Daniel’s life; the rest of the book records several visions that Daniel saw. We will read one of them this week, and one next week.

Visions of the Four Beasts

7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: 2 I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, 3 and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being; and a human mind was given to it.

5 Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth among its teeth and was told, “Arise, devour many bodies!” 6 After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong.

It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns. 8 I was considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly.

Judgment before the Ancient of Days

9 As I watched,
thrones were set in place,
and one Ancient of Days took his throne,
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.

11 I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a Son of Man
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14 To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. 16 I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: 17 “As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever.”

19 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet; 20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and concerning the other horn, which came up and to make room for which three of them fell out—the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, and that seemed greater than the others. 21 As I looked, this horn made war with the holy ones and was prevailing over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came; then judgment was given for the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom.

23 This is what he said: “As for the fourth beast,

there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
that shall be different from all the other kingdoms;
it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
24 As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
and another shall arise after them.
This one shall be different from the former ones,
and shall put down three kings.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High,
shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High,
and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law;
and they shall be given into his power
for a time, two times, and half a time.

26 Then the court shall sit in judgment,
and his dominion shall be taken away,
to be consumed and totally destroyed.
27 The kingship and dominion
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey them.”

28 Here the account ends. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly terrified me, and my face turned pale; but I kept the matter in my mind.

955 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that we are going back in time; this vision comes before the Persians arrive, early on during the reign of Belshazzar’s father, and of Belshazzar as the heir to the throne. The second thing that we should notice, and perhaps the most important, is that we see here the appearance of the term “Son of Man” which Jesus uses for Himself; when the Lord uses this term, He is referring to this passage, and therefore is making an explicit claim that those who heard Him would have understood, even if we often miss it. The “Son of Man” is the son of the Ancient of Days, and is enthroned with Him to reign forever. This vision, then, is describing the Ascension of the Lord after His Resurrection, when He is enthroned at the right hand of the Father, remaining fully human, the “Son of Man” Who is also eternal God.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Irenaeus – Against Heresies 7

Last time we continued to read some excerpts from Book 4 of 5 from “Against Heresies,” in which Irenaeus expands upon the Lord’s words describing His relationship with the Father, and demonstrates how the Father sends the Son to us, so that the Son can reveal the Father to us, so that we come to know both the Father and the Son (and by the same principle, the Holy Spirit) through the revelation of the other Persons of the Holy Trinity, and thus, even in their distinction, they are shown to be one in essence. We are drawing these selections from a recent condensation of this very substantial work by an academic named James Payton; anyone who would like to purchase this book can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Irenaeus-Christian-Faith-Condensation-Heresies/dp/1608996247/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

St. Irenaeus of Lyons – Against Heresies – Book 4 (excerpts 2)

Book 4, Chapter 6

The Son, administering all things for the Father, works from the beginning of creation to the end of time. Without him no one can attain the knowledge of God. The Son is the knowledge of the Father, but the knowledge of the Son is in the Father and has been revealed through the Son. This was the reason why the Lord declared, “No one knows the Father except the Son, and no one knows the Son except the Father and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” [Matt 11:27].

“Chooses to reveal” refers not to the future alone, as if the Word had only begun to manifest the Father when he was born of Mary; rather, it applies throughout all time. The Son, present with his handiwork from the beginning, reveals the Father to all—to whom he wills, and when he wills, and as the Father wills. So, in all things and through all things, there is one God the Father, one Word the Son, and one Spirit—and one salvation for all who believe in Him. (4:6,7)

Book 4, Chapter 14

In the beginning, God formed Adam, not as if he needed humanity, but so that he might have someone upon whom to confer his benefits. Not only before Adam, but even before all the rest of creation, the Word glorified his Father, remaining in him—and he himself was glorified by the Father, as he later indicated when he prayed, “Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed” [John 17:5]. He did not need our service when he ordered us to follow him, but in this way he granted us salvation—for to follow the savior is to be a partaker of salvation, and to follow light is to receive light.

Those who are in light do not themselves illumine the light; they are illumined and revealed by it. They certainly contribute nothing to it; rather, receiving the benefit, they are illumined by the light. So also the service we render to God profits him nothing, and God does not need our obedience. He grants life and incorruption and eternal glory to those who follow and serve him, bestowing benefits on those who serve him because they serve him and on his followers because they follow him. He does not receive any benefit from them, though, for he is rich, perfect, and in need of nothing.

The reason God demands service from human beings is so that, since he is good and merciful, he may benefit those who continue in his service. While God needs nothing, humans need fellowship with God, and this is the glory of a human being, to continue and remain permanently in God’s service. The Lord said to his disciples, “You did not choose me but I chose you” [John 15:16].

This indicates that they did not glorify him when they followed him, but that in following the Son of God they were glorified by him. This is also why he prayed to his Father, “I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory” [John 17:24]; in this he did not vainly boast, for he desired his disciples to share in his glory.… (4:14,1)

The munificence of God is also the reason God formed humanity in the beginning: he chose the patriarchs for salvation; he prepared a people ahead of time, teaching the willful to follow God; he raised up prophets upon earth, so as to accustom human beings to bear his Spirit and to have communion with God—needing nothing himself, but granting communion with himself to those needed it; and he sketched out, like an architect, the plan of salvation for those who pleased him.

He himself furnished guidance to those who did not behold him in Egypt, while to those who became unruly in the desert he promulgated a suitable law. Then he granted a noble inheritance to the people who entered into the good land, and he killed the fatted calf for those who turned to the Father, and presented them with the finest robe [Luke 15:22–23]. Thus, in a variety of ways, he prepared the human race to agree to salvation.… (4:14,2)

He also thus had the Jewish people construct the tabernacle and build the temple, chose the Levites and appointed sacrifices, offerings, legal admonitions, and all the other service of the law. He certainly needs none of these things, for he is always full of all good and already had within himself all the odor of kindness and every perfume of sweet-smelling savors, long before Moses even existed. Furthermore, by repeated appeals he instructed the people who were prone to turn to idols instead to persevere and serve God.

In all this, he called them to what is of primary importance through those which are secondary—that is, to things that are real, by means of those that are typical; by things temporal, to eternal; by the carnal to the spiritual; and by the earthly to the heavenly. This was the reason he said to Moses, “See that you make them according to the pattern of what was shown you on the mountain” [Exod 25:40].… (4:14,3)

900 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out the two themes present here. The first, in the initial selection, continues the point that we saw St. Irenaeus making last week, that the Son and the Father reveal one another, so that no one comes to know God without God revealing Himself to them. The second theme, however, is the point that God does not need us, and therefore that everything that He does for us is for our sake, not for His own. If we can learn and understand this, then we can learn to trust God, and in obeying and submitting to His will, we can grow in the communion with Him for which we are created, and in which alone we find rest and peace and joy and hope and life.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

John 13:21-35 (Jesus Foretells His Betrayal, New Commandment)

Last time, we saw the Lord and His disciples at the Mystical Supper, and saw the Lord assume the role of a slave, and wash the feet of His disciples. When Peter protested that this was not appropriate behavior for a king, for the Messiah, and that Jesus should not wash his feet, the Lord told him that, if he refused to have his feet washed by Him, then he, Peter, had no part in Him. At that point Peter changed his mind, and asked to be washed everywhere, but the Lord told him that his feet were enough. In this, the Lord has gently, but firmly, showed clearly that He does not come to dominate, but to serve and to save.

Jesus Foretells His Betrayal

21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”

So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

The New Commandment

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Reading 35 – 337 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out how difficult it must have been for the disciples to hear Jesus refuse to seize power; it is this act of washing the feet of the disciples which comes immediately before Judas leaves to betray Jesus, and we may, I think rightly, conclude that Judas, seeing that Jesus really means what He has been saying about humility, service, and sacrifice, wants nothing more to do with this sort of leader. The other thing we should note is how St. John the Evangelist doesn’t talk about the Institution of the Eucharist; this should not be taken as a denial that it happened, but rather as something St. John omits because it’s been covered sufficiently in the other Gospels. St. John’s point is to provide things that the others did NOT cover, and thus he gives us far more of what Jesus says at the Last Supper than any of the other Evangelists.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Daniel 6 (Daniel in the Lions’ Den)

Last time, we saw the end of the Babylonian Empire, as the Medes and Persians came and conquered Babylon. God sent a final warning to the son of the king, Belshazzar, as he was in the midst of a great and sinful party, using the vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem to drink wine, and Daniel interpreted the warning even as it was being fulfilled. This time, we will see how Daniel fares in the kingdom of the Medes and Persians.

The Plot against Daniel

6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, 2 and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom.

4 So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. 5 The men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

6 So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

10 Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. 11 The conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. 12 Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?”

The king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.”

14 When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. 15 Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

16 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!” 17 A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

Daniel Saved from the Lions

19 Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. 20 When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.”

23 Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king gave a command, and those who had accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

25 Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: “May you have abundant prosperity! 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:

For he is the living God,
enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.
27 He delivers and rescues,
he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
for he has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Reading 15 – 897 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note first of all that this is Daniel’s opportunity to once again show faithfulness to God in the face of a threat; we saw his friends, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael do the same in the story of the Fiery Furnace, and now Daniel faces the same choice, and he shows faithfulness to God, and God is faithful to him, protecting and preserving him from the lions. We should also address a historical point with this text; it speaks of the Persian king being Darius. History tells us that the first king of the Persians was Cyrus, and that he was succeeded by his son Cambyses, and then after a series of successions and coups, Darius the Great came to the throne in 522 BC. If Daniel was around 10 years old in 601 BC, when Nebuchadnezzer took him and brought him into Babylon, then that would make Daniel very old at this point, 79 or 80 years old. It’s also possible that the names have become confused, and the Scripture writer is calling Cyrus by the name of Darius, but it seems more likely to me that they are simply skipping over Cyrus’ reign to reach this relevant story from the life of Daniel.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Irenaeus – Against Heresies 6

Last time we read some additional excerpts from Book 3 of 5 from “Against Heresies,” in which Irenaeus spoke about how the Lord Jesus Christ, in His Incarnation, united Himself with humanity, and therefore brought incorruption and glory to our nature. This time, we will move on to Book 4, and will see him speak Christ as the One speaking to and through Moses and the prophets, and then we will see an exegesis on one of the Lord’s parables, and an expansion of some of the Lord’s words about His relationship with the Father. We are drawing these selections from a recent condensation of this very substantial work by an academic named James Payton; anyone who would like to purchase this book can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Irenaeus-Christian-Faith-Condensation-Heresies/dp/1608996247/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

St. Irenaeus of Lyons – Against Heresies – Book 4 (excerpts 1)

Book 4, Preface

The serpent beguiled Eve, by promising her what he did not have himself. This is also what these heretics do with their pretensions to superior knowledge and acquaintance with ineffable mysteries.… The aim of him who envies our life is to get people to disbelieve their own salvation, and to get them to blaspheme against God the creator. For whatever the various heretics have advanced, even with utmost solemnity, they eventually come to the point that they blaspheme the creator and deny the salvation of the body, which is God’s handiwork.… (4:pref,4)

Book 4, Chapters 2

Since the writings of Moses are the words of Christ, he himself declares to the Jews, as John recorded in the gospel, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” [John 5:46–47]. He thus indicates in the clearest way that the writings of Moses are his words. If, then, this was the case with Moses, then beyond a doubt, the words of the other prophets are also his, as I have pointed out. And again, the Lord himself presented Abraham as saying to the rich man with regard to those who were still alive, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” [Luke 16:31]. (4:2,3)

With that story, he not only told us about a poor man and a rich one. He also warned us against leading a luxurious life, one of worldly pleasures and constant feasting, lest we become slaves to our lusts and forget God: he said, “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day” [Luke 16:19]. Through Isaiah the Spirit warned about being the kind of people “whose feasts consist of lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine, but who do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands” [Isa 5:12].

Lest we incur the same punishment as these people did, the Lord reveals their end, showing at the same time that if they had obeyed Moses and the prophets, they would believe in him whom Moses and the prophets had preached. The one they thus preached was the Son of God, who rose from the dead, and bestows life upon us.… Many who are of the circumcision do believe in him: these have rightly heard Moses and the prophets announcing the coming of the Son of God.… (4:2,4)

Book 4, Chapter 6

The Lord, who revealed to his disciples that he himself is the Word who grants knowledge of the Father, and who reproved the Jews who imagined that they had God but nevertheless rejected his Word, through whom God is made known, declared: “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” [Matt 11:27; cf. Luke 10:22]. This is the way Matthew put it; Luke and Mark do so in similar words; John omits this passage. The heretics, however, who would be wiser than the apostles, explain the verse … as if the true God were known to no one before our Lord’s advent, and that the God who was announced by the prophets was not the Father of Christ. (4:6,1)

But if Christ only began to have existence when he came into the world as human, and if the Father only remembered to provide for human beings’ needs in the time of Tiberius Caesar, and if his Word has not always coexisted with his creatures, then it was not necessary for another God to be proclaimed; instead, the reasons for such great carelessness and neglect on his part should be made the subject of investigation. No question like that should even arise and gather enough force both to alter God and destroy our faith in the creator who supports us through his creation. For as we direct our faith towards the Son, so also should we possess a firm and immoveable love towards the Father.… (4:6,2)

No one can know the Father unless the Son reveals him; neither can anyone know the Son, except by the good pleasure of the Father. But the Son accomplishes the good pleasure of the Father, for the Father sends and the Son is sent. The Word knows, as far as regards us, that his Father is invisible and infinite. Since he cannot be declared by anyone else, he himself declares him to us; on the other hand, it is the Father alone who knows his own Word. Our Lord declared both these truths. So, the Son reveals the knowledge of the Father through his own manifestation: indeed, this constitutes the knowledge of the Father, for all things are made known through the Word.

Therefore, so that we might know that the Son who came is the one who grants to those who believe in him a knowledge of the Father, he said to his disciples, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” [Matt 11:27]. In this way, he presented himself and the Father, so that we may not receive any other Father except the one who is revealed by the Son. (4:6,3)

… The Lord taught us that no one is capable of knowing God, unless that person is taught by God; that is, God cannot be known without God. And this is the express will of the Father, that God should be known. For those to whom the Son has revealed him will know him. (4:6,4)

End of Reading 6 – 972 words

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note that, in these excerpts, we are jumping through several distinct thoughts from St. Irenaeus. First, we see him speak of the serpent’s temptation of Eve, and then of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, and draw some essential conclusions from each story. Then, we see him reference a saying of the Lord that is recorded in three of the four Gospels, which shows us that he knew the four Gospels, and only those four, even at the time he wrote this in the middle of the 2nd century. Finally, the rest of the time is spent in reflecting on the relationship between the Father and the Son, and how the Son reveals the Father to us, but is Himself sent to us by the Father, so that the two (and we may extend this principle to the three persons of the Holy Trinity) reveal one another to us.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

John 13:1-20 (Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet)

Last time we saw the Lord engage for the last time with the crowds and with the people, as He hid Himself from them because of their anger and unbelief; He urges them to walk in the light, and warns them that the light will not be with them forever, and that there is a judgment coming, not from Him, but from the word that He has preached so clearly to them, which will itself judge them in the simple fact of their rejection of it and Him. This time, we will begin the Mystical Supper, and see the Lord wash the feet of His disciples.

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.

17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he. 20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

Reading 34 – 471 words –
+120

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that, as the Lord washes the feet of His disciples, He is simultaneously showing them two things. The first is an essential and implicit rebuttal to the kind of program that they are wanting Him to establish; they want Him to be a conquering hero, but such heroes never abase themselves in this way and wash the feet of their followers. The second point is the one that the Lord makes explicit; He tells them that they should imitate Him in this, and not seek to accumulate power or respect, but should rather humble themselves and serve one another, and all the world. They are not to seek to gain the coercive power and domination that the rulers of the world seeks to wield.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?