greatly in their life will be at home when beyond death, even after losing everything else. On the other hand someone who has failed to love will feel out of place. Recently someone was dying. They were afraid as they felt that the life that they had led had been astray. In an effort to comfort them someone said “You’ll be all right.” The person answered “Why?” Blurting out a response they replied “Well you’ve loved animals. You’ve loved people.” Indeed hopefully such a person would be at home with the very Source of Love.

There may need to be clarification here about the word “heaven”. The Greek and the literal translation of the text use the words “heavens” which can be quite different from our understanding of it. One may think of ‘heaven’ as a place where we may or may not go after death. But to the Gospel writers “the heavens” was a sky full of stars that people knew intimately. They could lay on their roofs for instance and view the sky where the stars shone without competition from artificial lighting at ground level. (Try it on a farm house roof sometime!). The ancient peoples may not have had long-range telescopes but they did have the sense of these celestial bodies moving around in accord with universal patterns. They understood how this movement was intimately linked with the whole of creation. ‘Father in heaven’ to them would not mean an old man in the sky with a beard but rather ‘The Source of the Natural Law and all of creation’ - an identity which was described to Moses as “I am Who am”

13 Is affected by

13:53-58

Not powerful deeds because of unbelief

13:53-58 It came to pass when Jesus ended these parables he went from there. And coming into his native town he taught them in their synagogue so that they were astounded and said. “Where did this man get this wisdom and how can he do these powerful deeds? Is he not the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary and are his brothers not James and Joseph

and Simon and Judas? And his sisters. Are they not all with us here? How then can he do all these things?” And they were offended by him. But Jesus said to them. “A prophet is not without honour except in his own native town and in his own house.” He did not do powerful deeds there because of their unbelief.

The sentence “It came to pass when Jesus ended these parables” is similar to the break sentence after other sections in the gospel. Here it arguably ends a sub-section of his teaching.

14. Listens

14:1-12

Reported to Jesus

14:1-12 At that time Herod the tetrach heard about Jesus and he said to his servants. “This is John the Baptist. He was raised from the dead and therefore powerful deeds are done through him.” For Herod had seized and bound John and had put him in prison on account of Herodias the wife of Philip his brother. For John had said to him “It is not lawful for you to have her (as wife).” And although he wanted to kill him he feared the crowd because they believed him to be a prophet. Now the birthday of Herod came and the daughter of Herodias was dancing

in their midst and pleased Herod. He therefore took an oath promising to give her whatever she might ask. Being instructed by her mother she said “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish.” The King was grieved. But because of his oaths and because of those reclining at the table with him he commanded this to be given. And sending, he had John beheaded in the prison. and his (John’s) head was brought on a plate and given to the girl. And she brought it to her mother. Approaching (John’s) disciples took the corpse and buried him and they came and reported all this to Jesus.