LENT – WEEK 3 – SATURDAY

LESSON: LUKE 9:46-50

“He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:23

The Gospels are replete with many fine sayings which set forth very important teachings. This is also the case in Christ’s words at the end of the Gospel concerning the healing of the dumb demoniac: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” “The devil is not with me, for I drive him out. And so, he must certainly be against me.”

However, this saying refers not only to the devil, but to the blasphemers on whom also He passes sentence and condemnation here. They are against Him because they are not with Him.

To be with Christ means to think with Christ, that is, to believe in Christ, to believe that His works and not our works help us. That is Christ’s position, and that is what He teaches. To “gather” with Christ is to do good in love and to be rich in good works.

He who does not believe in Christ is compelled to rely on his own works. Such a man is not with Christ but against Christ. He denies Christ because he builds on his own works. A man who does not love does not gather with Christ but performs vain works, whereby he becomes worse and gets further away from faith.

SL.XI.556,11
AE 76,396

PRAYER: Lord God, our loving, heavenly Father, grant us at all times such an understanding and clarity of faith that we are always absolutely with Christ and not against Him, gathering with Him and not scattering. Amen.