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NOTES for Luk 3:23-4:1

Printable version
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
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Genealogies, lists of ancestry, are a thoroughly traditional biblical genre. And they are almost never used for their straightforward purpose. Of course, the Saviour's family tree would interest us in its own right, quite apart from any other literary aims. But it seems that, for the evangelist, precisely these other aims mattered more than history itself.

We can judge his attitude towards history at least from the undeniable fact that Jesus' genealogy in Luke differs from His genealogy in Matthew. Commentators have devoted much effort and proposed many profound and ingenious explanations for the discrepancies between the different versions of Jesus' genealogy in the Synoptic Gospels. Some of them may explain the matter correctly. Yet, whatever the case, the main question remains: what can such a genealogy actually give us in understanding Jesus' person and the meaning of His earthly ministry? Whatever Jesus' ancestry may be, He remains who He is in any event.

And yet, why do we need to know about the Saviour's earthly ancestors? On the one hand, to avoid the spiritualism that was already beginning to emerge in circles close to the Church when the Synoptic Gospels were being written. Some people were already regarding Christ not as a human being, but as something like an angel who had no earthly history and could have none. Here genealogies provided a kind of historical anchoring, without which one could not speak of Christianity in its true sense.

But there was also something else, something deeper: strange as it may seem, without genealogies there could be no complete understanding of the Kingdom the Saviour brought into the world. It is, of course, in His own words, ‘not of this world’. But that does not mean it stands outside history. On the contrary, it is precisely within history—so deeply within it that, after Christ's coming, after His death and resurrection, after Pentecost, history is determined entirely by its presence in the world. It is itself now history; the whole meaning of Christian history comes down to the history of the Kingdom entering the world.

Its ‘not being of this world’ consists in its existing according to its own laws, not those of the fallen world. The Kingdom is alien not to the world, but to the sin in which the world lies; not to history, but to the evil within history that is sometimes confused with history itself. And genealogies are meant to remind us of this. To remind us that both the Kingdom and the One who brought it into the world were part of history from the very beginning: the history of the world, the history of His people, the history of humanity. And this is no accident: this was God's intention from the very beginning.

Other notes

 
For Luk 3:23-4:1
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Hide
Why is the Savior's genealogy so important to us? He was born of the Holy Spirit, but nevertheless the evangelist places it in his text, though he could have...  Read more

Why is the Savior's genealogy so important to us? He was born of the Holy Spirit, but nevertheless the evangelist places it in his text, though he could have chosen not to. Moreover, he begins with the words: "He was, as was supposed (!), the son of Joseph." If this is simply a misconception that existed among the people, why write about it? But we know that there is not a single accidental letter in the Word of God. This means that we must understand what exactly the Lord is telling us through it. Perhaps He needs to show that in coming into the world He came to humanity not as the higher to the lower, but as one of our own, our kin, in order to erase the last boundary that hinders the love of human beings for God and of God for human beings. For who was Joseph? One of the line traced back to Adam. Yet he is entrusted with care for God. In the image of Joseph pressing the infant Jesus to his breast, all people, through the genealogy, receive the fullness of communion with God.

But this line is not traced simply back to Adam: "...Seth, Adam, God," writes the evangelist. God is at the beginning and God is at the end. He is the alpha and omega of this genealogy. And this genealogy becomes a prototype of the genealogy of all humanity. The final point of this genealogy becomes the summit of humanity's genealogy, which has not yet reached its own end. "Christ is the head of the Church", the Apostle tells us. The head, the summit... this is something deeply connected with everything else; it is its completion, its fulfillment, not something separate, given from outside. This is exactly what the Savior's genealogy is meant to remind us of.

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For Luk 3:23-38
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Hide
Genealogy is a very ancient literary genre, and at first glance it seems dull and strange to today's reader. The Gospel genealogies are made still more difficult to understand by the differences between the genealogy the evangelist Luke gives in today's reading and the one we find in...  Read more

Genealogy is a very ancient literary genre, and at first glance it seems dull and strange to today's reader. The Gospel genealogies are made still more difficult to understand by the differences between the genealogy the evangelist Luke gives in today's reading and the one we find in the evangelist Matthew. Nevertheless, genealogy as a genre, and the Gospel genealogies in particular, carry a quite definite meaning and occupy an important place in the structure of the biblical narrative.

The principal ideas expressed by genealogies in Holy Scripture may be called continuity, unity, and historicity. Listing ancestors and descendants directly reflects what we would now call the genetic connectedness of people, for example, inheriting the promises made to one's ancestors and their characteristic standing before God. But because ancient literatures, and probably ancient vocabulary as well, had no abstract concept of genetic continuity, many different authors, not only in biblical narratives but throughout the literatures of the ancient Near East, expressed this idea by presenting genealogies.

Furthermore, a genealogy expresses the participation of those included in it in a certain common nature, a single phenomenon. In modern language we would say, “All people are brothers and sisters, descendants of Adam.” An ancient author expresses this idea by giving the genealogy of Adam's descendants.

Finally, the life events of those mentioned in a genealogy are understood to belong to a single flow of shared history, in which one phenomenon follows from and succeeds another. Symbolic numbers of generations, as in the genealogy in Matthew's Gospel, emphasize the historical rhythm and pattern of events. In this way, the events of people's lives acquire their historical ground and context within a genealogy. This is especially important in the biblical narrative because history is its living fabric.

The genealogy of Christ presented by the evangelist Luke, unlike Matthew's, is entirely subordinated to the main point. Its key word is the last one. The evangelist lists: “Jesus... was, as was supposed, the son of Joseph... the son of Adam, the son of God.” By intentionally concluding the long list with an impossible comparison, the evangelist clearly emphasizes the symbolic character of the entire genealogy. Adam is God's creation, not His son in the strict sense of the word. Therefore, Jesus' belonging to the whole sequence of generations listed becomes relative and depends entirely on the fact of the Incarnation.

Furthermore, the law of levirate marriage operated in Israel: a relative of a man who died childless married his widow, and the firstborn of that marriage was considered the deceased man's son. Unlike the evangelist Matthew, the evangelist Luke presents the genealogy in accordance with this law, which also emphasizes its conventional character. Yet despite all this, Jesus' genealogy expresses unambiguously the fullness and reality of His belonging to our human race. The principal thought the evangelist wishes to convey to the reader through this literary device may be stated briefly: Jesus is the Son of Man and the Son of God, Whose coming became the culmination of all sacred history.

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For Luk 3:23-38
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
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To understand the story of the temptation of Jesus Christ, we need to remember the story of Adam...  Read more

To understand the story of the temptation of Jesus Christ, we need to remember the story of Adam, to whom the evangelist points in the last words of the previous chapter. In the biblical account of Adam's temptation (Gen 3), he was offered the chance to become "like God" by breaking unity with God and eating the forbidden fruit. As He begins His ministry, Jesus, as the "new Man," must pass through the same trial: Jesus is offered the chance to become King by using "traditional means" - bread, spectacle, power, and wealth. He chooses another path, the one that will lead Him to Golgotha.

By placing two examples before the reader - Adam and Christ - Scripture also awaits the reader's choice, since every person has a great goal, and everyone has the freedom to use devilish means to reach it.

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For Luk 4:1-13
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Hide
What is the Savior's temptation in the wilderness? Why did it become possible? The simple and traditional answer is that He, while remaining Man in His divinity, could be tempted by the devil just like any person. But this is only part of the answer...  Read more

What is the Savior's temptation in the wilderness? Why did it become possible? The simple and traditional answer is that He, while remaining Man in His divinity, could be subjected to temptation by the devil just like any person. But this is only part of the answer. Every temptation is a test; in Greek (and also in Hebrew), both concepts are denoted by one word. So what was the meaning of the test?

Jesus is the Messiah, and the test was, obviously, connected precisely with His messianic ministry. More exactly, with the possibility of distorting that ministry and thereby making it meaningless. Distorting it just as the devil had already managed to distort it in the minds of many believing Jews, those who expected a miracle-working Messiah, a Messiah who would provide His subjects with complete abundance - of course, on earth, in our world, still by no means transfigured and lying in evil. In fact, this is exactly what the devil proposes that the Savior do: turn stones into bread; demonstrate miracles connected with superhuman abilities hidden in human nature.

But the main temptation lies elsewhere: the devil offers Jesus a deal. He tries to assure the Savior that the world in fact belongs to him, the devil, and not to God. And that the Kingdom must be negotiated with him, with the devil, if Jesus, of course, wants His Kingdom to have any place in the world at all. The devil tempts the Savior with the very same thing with which he tempts every person doing God's work; that is why the description of this temptation is important for us. If He were tempted in some special way, invented only for the Messiah, the story of His temptations would be interesting to us only theoretically. And, of course, biographically, as a most important episode of Christ's earthly ministry.

But one way or another, in one form or another, all this awaits any of us if we are Christians and want to follow Christ on His path. To substitute something for the Kingdom and its life - whether the illusory possibility of universal earthly prosperity or the development of superhuman abilities. And if that does not work, then to offer a deal, a compromise that will shield us from problems and troubles on the Christian path in a world lying in evil. Each of us has to resist these temptations. Throughout our earthly journey. Provided, of course, that our earthly journey really is a continuation of His path. The path of the Kingdom, running through a world lying in evil.

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For Luk 4:1-13
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
Hide
Once again we stand before the scene of our Lord's temptations. And at times the sense of awe and wonder before...  Read more

Once again we stand before the scene of our Lord's temptations. And at times the sense of awe and wonder before what is happening leaves us, because it appears to us: what is strange about His defeating the devil, since He is the Lord, the Ruler of the universe? Then the whole scene becomes for us a sporting event whose result everyone already knows. How easily every temptation bounces off Him, like a tennis ball off the world's top-ranked player!

But if this is our perception, we must urgently renew it, because what is taking place before our eyes today is the greatest, perhaps the chief, spiritual event in all human history. Our Lord created the creature without evil, but free to choose between good and evil, and then part of creation used this right and chose evil.

Can the Lord Almighty, Pantocrator, Omnipotens, correct the situation and return the world to its pre-fall state? This is Dmitri Karamazov's question, or the question of theodicy. He can, for Omnipotens means Almighty. But then this would mean that the Strong One deprived the weak one of life (for God's opponents are weak before Him), exercised power over him, and deprived him of the freedom He Himself had given him. That would simply be unfair and base, and the Lord in His perfection is not capable of such a thing.

People sometimes joke that the best cure for a headache is the guillotine. But the Lord did not want to apply that cure; He found another, one that would help not as quickly as the guillotine, perhaps after another hour or so, but after which the head would still be able to think. And this cure was to come down and stand on the same level as His opponents, in order to fight them on equal terms and not settle everything by right of strength.

This is exactly what is happening, and from the moment the Lord overcame His temptations, the countdown of that "hour or so" began. Time is passing.

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For Luk 4:1-15
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
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What stands out most in the account of the Savior’s temptation in the wilderness is Satan’s powerlessness. The temptations to which we so easily fall victim prove...  Read more

What stands out most in the account of the Savior’s temptation in the wilderness is Satan’s powerlessness. The temptations to which we so easily fall victim prove insignificant to Christ. The Savior rejects putting one’s own interests first—ultimately, the interests of one’s own stomach—by saying that the true source of life for a human being is the Word of God. He rejects the thirst for power that consumes people regardless of era or culture by pointing to God’s unassailable sovereignty over creation. When invited to use the Creator magically as an instrument, the Savior responds by showing reverence for the holiness of the Almighty.

The apostle Paul will say that Christ is the new Adam. The renewal of the human race in Christ consists above all in this: His faith and faithfulness to the Father prove stronger and more important than temptations, which appear petty and empty before Him. His victory over darkness begins from the very moment Christ refuses to yield to temptation.

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For Luk 4:1-15
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
Hide
The Lord experienced our entire lot except for sin, walked the most difficult paths of life, and brought light to the darkest places. He experienced the depths of the greatest and most terrible struggle into which every person and society as a whole inevitably enter, the struggle against Satan. Let us consider in order what...  Read more

The Lord experienced our entire lot except for sin, walked the most difficult paths of life, and brought light to the darkest places. He experienced the depths of the greatest and most terrible struggle into which every person and society as a whole inevitably enter, the struggle against Satan. Let us consider in order what the three temptations through which Jesus passed mean.

The first is about turning stone into bread. The Lord created this world so that it contains enough of everything for a person to feed himself. But Satan proposes breaking this order, playing on human weakness, and buying a person's soul. Yet the Lord also arranged things so that a true soul cannot be bought.

The second is the temptation of power. Christ overcomes it. But has Christ's Church overcome it? Not so long ago the Church in Russia was rigidly bound to the state, and in practice this meant that a person needed a baptism certificate in order to pursue a career. This is truly terrible, because all spirituality is emptied out. Many today want these nineteenth-century realities repeated, forgetting that they ended in revolution.

And finally, the third temptation. There is a saying: “Trust in God, but do not fail to do your part.” The same thought is expressed here in a very simple form. The Lord helps us, but to tempt this help, that is, to put it to the test, means having no faith in it or, even if one has faith, abusing it. The Lord expects from us, on the one hand, maturity, self-reliance, and independence in the inner sense, and on the other, complete trust.

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For Luk 4:1-15
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
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What is the meaning of the trial the Savior has to pass through in the wilderness before He begins His preaching of the Kingdom? With what does the devil tempt Him?...  Read more

What is the meaning of the trial the Savior has to pass through in the wilderness before He begins His preaching of the Kingdom? With what does the devil tempt Him? If we look closely at the picture described by the evangelist, it is not hard to see: the issue is precisely the Kingdom, what it is and how it is to be brought to people.

The first and simplest thing that can come to mind is this: the Kingdom is bread, a society of universal and free prosperity. It is the dream of the post-Soviet person: everything in abundance, and all of it for free. Of course, in the Kingdom no one truly lacks anything and never will. But a person cannot share in the Kingdom in his present condition. Change is needed, transformation is needed, and that means effort is needed. But the one who receives everything in unlimited quantities and without effort will have even less desire to strain himself for the sake of some transformation. Why would he need it if, as it appears, everything is already wonderful?

Then, it appears, people will have to be led to perfection with a firm hand. "Perhaps You could try that," the devil suggests to Jesus. "Here are all the kingdoms of the world, for just one symbolic bow to me, which no one will see, which no one will know about, and I," says Satan, "will no longer stand in Your way. The world is before You; build Your Kingdom in it." All for one bow that means exactly nothing: after all, we are alone, there are no witnesses, no one will ever know anything.

But Jesus, of course, understands: one bow, and the Kingdom being built will cease to be itself. It will no longer belong to God but to the one before whom the bow was made, and it will be built not according to God's law but according to the law of the fallen world, on the basis of which one can build an empire of evil, but certainly not the Kingdom of God. The compromise is rejected: it is not merely unethical; it is impossible in principle, spiritually and ontologically.

"Well then," the evil spirit says to Jesus, "if that is how it is, only personal authority remains. A guide is needed, a leader, a spiritual head. If You want," the devil says to the Savior, "let Your Kingdom be like that." But authority does not come by itself; it must be earned. And what impresses a crowd more than a miracle performed before its eyes? So perform a miracle, demonstrate levitation, throw Yourself down from the roof of the Temple, and when they see You floating in the air, everyone will follow You.

It is hard to argue: fallen human nature is drawn to miracles. But only to those that do not require inward, essential change. Of course, the Kingdom is also a miracle, the main miracle of our days. And there, in the Kingdom, the resolution of all real problems can be found. But on one condition: a person will have to change, be renewed, and change his life, outwardly and inwardly. Fallen man would like all problems to be resolved without any changes, at least without changes that touch his own deep essence. And of course he will follow a leader who promises such a resolution, especially if that leader has supernatural abilities, because such abilities guarantee the fulfillment of what was promised.

But Jesus, of course, does not want to be that kind of miracle worker. He wants to open the Kingdom to people, not amaze them with supernatural abilities. And He again says "no" to the devil. Only now, when all the main seductions and temptations connected with the Kingdom have been offered and rejected, does Jesus begin His preaching.

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For Luk 4:1-15
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
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Today's reading brings us back again to the temptations that Jesus experienced in the wilderness. Unlike Matthew...  Read more

Today's reading brings us back again to the temptations that Jesus experienced in the wilderness. Unlike Matthew (Matt. 4:1-11), Luke lists these temptations in this order: the proposal to turn stones into bread (vv. 3-4), the proposal of a bargain (recognition of authority in exchange for freedom of action) (vv. 5-8), and the proposal to perform a miracle obvious to everyone (vv. 9-12). It is not hard to notice that this order differs from the one given by Matthew, where the proposal to perform a miracle follows immediately after the proposal to turn stones into bread, and the proposal of a bargain concludes the sequence of temptations.

Why, then, do the evangelists' descriptions differ? And which order should be considered correct? The first question is not hard to answer. Clearly, none of the evangelists could have been a witness to the event they describe, for during the temptation Jesus was alone in the wilderness. Both Matthew and Luke tell about it from someone else's words. Matthew, who belonged to the twelve apostles, had the opportunity to hear from the Teacher Himself what had happened in the wilderness; Luke, evidently, had to use the testimony of those who could communicate directly with Jesus.

But each of the evangelists undoubtedly interpreted what he had heard in his own way, for the Gospels are not stenographic reports, but authored texts that imply, in each case, a quite definite understanding and presentation of everything seen and heard. Evidently this is why many of the evangelists' accounts differ in details and particulars, including the account of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. As in some other cases, Luke conveys this account differently from Matthew, placing the emphasis in his own way. For him, it appears, the main temptation is not the devil's direct proposal to make a bargain, but the temptation connected with the possibility of taking the path of performing miracles obvious to everyone, the kind that so attract people who want all their problems solved instantly.

Perhaps Luke, writing his Gospel at a time when quite a few different accounts and stories about Christ had already appeared (Luke 1:1), had to draw his readers' special attention to the fact that the essence of Christianity is by no means miracles. Many of the accounts he mentions were probably at times utterly fantastic in character, like the stories that fill some apocryphal texts. They are full of miracles, but miracles precisely of the sort that those around Jesus sometimes demanded from Him and that He never performed.

The apocrypha themselves, of course, did not yet exist, but legends and rumors about incredible events connected with the Savior's earthly life, later set down in them, may well have already been circulating in circles close to Christianity. And Luke has to remind his readers that Jesus came into the world not to demonstrate miracles that strike the imagination of an admiring crowd, but to give the world the Kingdom.

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For Luk 4:1-15
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
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As always, Satan proposes things that are entirely normal by the world’s standards...  Read more

As always, Satan proposes things that are entirely normal by the world’s standards: if you are able, take everything you can from life; if you want to live in the world, accept its laws; if you speak of God’s love, why not put it to the test? (When one reads this passage, advertising slogans somehow spring to mind of their own accord.) Indeed, why not? But it turns out that Christ calls us not to a “normal” life, but to a real one. With three simple quotations from Deuteronomy that run counter to the norms of the modern world, Jesus tells us about the life He Himself lives and offers to us.

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For Luk 3:1-38
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
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As he moves into the main part of his Gospel, Luke weaves into a single narrative the continuation of John the Baptist's story, the beginning...  Read more

As he moves into the main part of his Gospel, Luke weaves into a single narrative the continuation of John the Baptist's story, the beginning of Jesus Christ's ministry, and His two genealogies. Two indeed! In this paradox the joyful Good News is revealed: Jesus is called the Son of God twice—within human history, that is, in the genealogy proper that ascends from Joseph to God, and in divine revelation, when the Father's voice sounded from heaven during His baptism. This means that history and revelation merge into a single whole in the life of one Man, and now God's word will sound from human lips. It also means that the words and deeds of Jesus of Nazareth, which the reader will encounter in the following chapters, truly reveal God: He is found in the very midst of earthly events, on the streets and plains of Palestine and—in the reader's heart.

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For Luk 3:1-38
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
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Today's reading brings us back once again to the figure of John the Baptist. Here again we encounter the different visions of the evangelists Matthew and Luke, this time regarding...  Read more

Today's reading brings us back once again to the figure of John the Baptist. Here again we encounter the different visions of the evangelists Matthew and Luke, this time regarding John's ministry. Unlike Matthew, Luke, in addition to the general content of the prophet's preaching (vv. 3-9), also mentions the advice John gave to people of different professions and social groups (vv. 10-14). This advice differed in different cases, but it also had something in common: all of it, in one way or another, was connected with the question of keeping the commandments given by God. Clearly, when John recalls Isaiah's words about the need to "prepare the way of the Lord" (v. 4), he has in mind first of all the importance of following the Torah. It would seem that there was nothing fundamentally new in such an appeal: all the Old Testament prophets spoke about this. Yet there was also something unusual in John's activity.

It is no accident that the evangelist's account mentions tax collectors ("publicans") and soldiers (vv. 12, 14). Both groups were outcasts in Jewish society in Gospel times. Publicans were seen as collaborators, working with the occupiers and robbing their own people. As for the soldiers, the reference here is probably to Roman soldiers who were either pagans, which is improbable, or proselytes, former pagans who had converted to Judaism. The social position of such proselytes was rather ambiguous: they were not considered full members of the Jewish community, only their children became such, while to their fellow tribesmen they were outsiders, and often traitors.

John, however, evidently accepts everyone regardless of social or religious status. He obviously did not think that the coming messianic Kingdom would be given only to orthodox Jews. The way was open even to those whom the people of God considered lost, and lost forever: the publicans. For they had committed their sin consciously and freely, and from the consequences of such a sin, it was believed, one could not be cleansed, even if later the sinner sincerely repented of what he had done. God could accept his repentance, but the defilement left by the sin would rest forever on him and on his descendants.

Meanwhile John did not push away even the publicans, requiring only that after the cleansing washing ("baptism") they should no longer violate the norms of the Torah (v. 13). For him, evidently, cooperation with the Roman authorities was not as terrible a sin as it was for most of his contemporaries. But of course that was not the only point. For John, as no one else, understood that the Messiah whom he awaited and whose coming he testified to would bring into the world the Kingdom where everyone would be given the chance to begin life with a clean slate. And his own task was to prepare the people of God for this new life. A life in which, after repenting, even the most terrible sinner can share, if only he is able to accept the chief gift of the Kingdom: the gift of God's love.

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For Luk 3:1-38
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,
28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
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The word “repentance” has become familiar to us. We repent simply because we are supposed to. We repent of many sins, but does our life change as a result? If we bear no fruits of repentance, we may safely...  Read more

The word “repentance” has become familiar to us. We repent simply because we are supposed to. We repent of many sins, but does our life change as a result? If we bear no fruits of repentance, we may safely apply to ourselves the Baptist’s words about a “brood of vipers” and the “axe laid to the root of the trees.” It is clear what fruits tax collectors and soldiers should bear. But what if we belong to neither group? What are we to do?

To understand this, we need to work seriously on ourselves, pay attention to our lives, and resolve to live differently. Then the possibility opens before us of being baptized with the Spirit and fire and of following the beloved Son, and we may hope to hear the cherished words: “In you I am well pleased!”

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