9TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

MT 7: 21-27

v. 21 - Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of hea-ven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

v. 22 - Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'

v. 23 - Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'

Verses 21-23 is further explanation of the preceding verses (16-20) where it talks about “by their fruits you shall know them.” Fruit is not what a man says but what he does. Therefore, to distinguish the two kinds of prophets is by their deeds. The prophets in verse 22 are identified as a false prophets because their deeds were evil (v. 23).

Jesus as judge on the last day will also judge by deeds and not by words (Mt 3:12).

“I never knew you” is used here in the sense of “to not acknowledge” or “to not recognize”. Jesus declares that although they claimed his authority for the mighty deeds they performed, he has not commissioned them.

“Depart from me, you evildoers” is a quotation from Ps 6:8.

v. 24 - "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

v. 25 - The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

v. 26 - And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

v. 27 - The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

As in the case of the false prophet so also those who hear the teaching of Jesus will also be judged by what they have done.

The one who acts of the words of Jesus is the one who obeys his teachings. He is considered a wise man. The one who disobeys his teachings is a foolish man.

Contrasting the wise and the foolish is also found in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Mt 25:1-13). There the foolish virgins addressed the bridegroom with “Lord, Lord” (Mt 25:11) as here in Mt 5:21. And as in v. 23 the foolish virgins also received the response of “I do not know you” (Mt 25:12).

8TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

No one can serve two masters.

Mt 6: 24-34

The teaching of this Sunday is as follows: The disciple is to have single-minded devotion to God in contrast to hypocrites who pretend to give to God but in fact collect their reward from men. The disciple is to be a slave of God alone, and have no care for anything except his will; and if he does this, he should not be afraid for himself, because the God whom he serves is the God who cares for his creation. You can rely on him today and tomorrow.

The connection with the Beatitudes – The man who lives by faith (who puts his trust in God’s providence) is not anxious about his life. He is poor in spirit. God will reward him in the age to come and will clothe him and feed him here and now.

v. 24 - "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Mammon is an Aramaic word for ‘wealth’ or ‘property’. Devotion to God cannot be combined with devotion to mammon because there will be times when the former will require the sacrifice of the latter (cf. 5:29. 30. 40). A choice has to be made between God and wealth or between faith and anxiety.

v. 25 - "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

The disciple may protest: “But I must have enough to live and to clothe myself.” The reply of Jesus is: “God who has made life and the body will surely take care after those things which are less than these, that is, food and clothing.

v. 26 - Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?

If God feeds the birds, how much more will he feed men.

v. 27 - Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?

Anxiety cannot increase the “helikia” of a man. The Greek word may be translated as “span of life” and “stature”. These things are in the hands of God. Cf. Mt. 5:36.

vv. 28-30 repeats the argument found in v. 26. Anxiety is the penalty for men of little faith.

v. 31 - So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'

Compare this verse to v. 25. This is another example of inclusion, a technique used by Matthew to round off the passage.

v. 32 - All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

The Gentiles who live without faith in God (cf. Mt 5:47) are anxious about these things. The disciples in contrast trust in God because he is a Father who knows all their needs even before they ask (cf. Mt 6:8).

v. 33 – But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.

Righteousness with reference to moral conduct means conformity with God's will. It may also mean the saving activity of God.

v. 34 - Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

It is futile to be anxious about tomorrow. Tomorrow is completely outside our possible control today (cf. Mt 5:36 ; 6:27).

Compare vv. 33 and 34 with vv. 10 and 11 of the Lords’s Prayer both found in this chapter (Ch. 6). Kingdom , righteousness, tomorrow, this day and kingdom, will (= righteousness), this day, tomorrow.

6TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 5:17-37

DIVISION

• Mt 5: 17-20. The righteousness necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven
• Mt 5: 21-26. Killing and anger
• Mt 5: 27-32. Adultery and lust
• Mt 33-37. Oaths and truthfulness

MT 5: 17-20. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS NECESSARY TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

v. 17 - Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets may be taken in the sense of fulfilling the prophecies of the OT or in the sense of teaching a righteousness that exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

v. 18 - Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.

It may mean that the whole Law is binding until the end of the world or that it will no longer be binding on Christians once Jesus fulfills it demands.

v. 19. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

What are these commandments? Are they commandments of the law (Mosaic Law) or the commandments of Jesus (which Jesus will now talk about)? It would probably be the former because Matthew was writing for the Jews who had converted to Christianity.

v.20. I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was based on the Law and the Prophets. How Christians are to exceed this righteousness will be explained in the following verses (21-48).

THE OLD RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE NEW RIGHTEOUSNESS

If Jesus demands a greater righteousness, he must teach a more exacting “law”. Thus we find five paragraphs beginning with “You have heard that it was said…But now I say to you…” (5:21ff; 5:27ff; 5:33ff; 5:38ff and 5:43ff).


We have here the new Law for the new Israel. This law is given by Jesus who is greater than Moses (Jn 1:17). The new Law covers the subjects of anger, lust, oaths, retaliation and love. The first three are covered in the gospel for this Sunday.

The section on killing and anger may be related to the seventh beatitude (blessed are the peacemakers) while the section on adultery and lust may be related to the sixth beatitude (blessed are the pure of heart).

MT 5: 21-26. KILLING AND ANGER

Matthew takes the first the fifth commandment (you shall not kill) and contrasts it with the prohibition of anger. Anger is to killing as thought is to deed.

The disciple is not only to avoid anger in himself. He is to avoid or remove the anger of others against himself. Thus he is to be a peacemaker (Mt 5:9).

v. 21. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.'

To your ancestors – to Israel in the wilderness, who first received the Law of God through Moses.
Whoever kills will be liable to judgment – Judgment may mean the decision of a court or condemnation. See Ex 21:12, Lev 24:17 and Dt 17:8-13.

v. 22. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, 'Raqa,' will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.

There is a double contrast here: Moses and Jesus; the Old Israel and the new.

Jesus declares that anger, the motive behind killing, is liable to the same pu-nishment as that for killing. Rabbi Eliezer (c. A.D. 90) said: “He who hates his neighbor, lo he belongs to the shedders of blood.”

Insults, raqa is probably an Aramaic word meaning “stupid” or “blockhead”.

There seems to be an ascending order of punishment here: local court (judg-ment), Sanhedrin (council) and Gehenna (hell).

Gehenna is the place of punishment after death. It received its name from a valley south of Jerusalem where refuse was burning continually. In popular Jewish belief , the last judgment was to take place there.

v. 23-24. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

The reference to gift and altar may mean that at this time Christians were still taking part in the temple worship.

The disciple has a more difficult task here. He is to seek reconciliation with those whom they have offended. He starts from a weak position.

vv. 25-26. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.

Probably Matthew sees behind this saying the final court at which the Son of Man will be the judge and the prison will be Gehenna.

MT 5: 27-32. ADULTERY AND LUST

As anger is the motive behind killing, so lust is the motive behind adultery. And just as he forbids anger, he also forbids lust.

It may be that Matthew is collecting material here to illustrate “Blessed are the pure of heart”. He contrasts lust with purity and the sinful use of the eye in this world with the vision of God in the age to come.

v. 28. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

There is a rabbinic saying that goes this way: “He who looks at a woman with desire is as one who has criminal intercourse with her.”

vv. 29-30. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

In order to avoid lust, the occasions that give rise to sin must be avoided. And since looking was mentioned first, the eye is place first before the hand.

Here we find one of the basic Christian ideas – that the way to the greatest gain in the world to come involves the sacrifice and loss of life in the here and now.

v. 31. "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.'

See Dt 24:1-4.

v. 32. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlaw-ful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Neither Mark nor Luke makes an exception to this command. Only here and in Mt 18:9 is an exception allowed in the case of unchastity (porneia). It is not clear what “porneia” refers to.

MT 33-37. OATHS AND TRUTHFULNESS

The Law forbade the use of oaths when one was going to tell a lie. It also commanded oaths in the name of the Lord. Jesus forbids all oaths in the name of the Lord or in any other name. The disciples are simply to be truthful and this makes oaths unnecessary.

v. 33. Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.'

Do not take a false oath - This is not an exact OT quotation. But see Ex 20:7, Dt 5:11 and Lv 19:12.
Make good to the Lord all that you vow – See Ps 50:14.

v. 37. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the evil one.

“Ek tou ponerou” may either be masculine (the evil one) or neuter (evil).

Oath-taking presupposes a sinful weakness of the human race, namely, the tendency to lie.

5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.

Mt 5:13-16

v. 13 - "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

Parallels:
• Mk 9:50 - Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.
• Lk 14:34 - Salt is good, but if salt itself loses its taste, with what can its flavor be restored?

The Church is the new Israel because the old Israel had lost its taste.
Just as salt is useful in cooking, preserving and as fertilizer on the earth, so the Church has a usefulness to God in making the world acceptable to him through its sacrifice and intercession (prayers).

Some consider this to refer to the salt that came from the Dead Sea which was often an unstable combination of salts. This salt was quite capable of deteriorating and going bad. Others take this to refer to even pure salt which could not lose its flavor but could become ritually unclean and thus be unusable and be thrown out.

Jesus compares a disciple who loses his passion for following the Master with salt that has gone bad.

Salt which acts as both a spice and a preservative was also an image of a good teacher who enhanced and preserved the student's life by his teaching.

v. 14 - You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.

Perhaps the city set on a mountain is Jerusalem.

v. 15 - Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.

Parallel. Mk 4:21 - He said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?”

God is lighting a lamp through the teaching of Jesus and which he is giving to his disciples. This light will be displayed for all to see when he sends his disciples to all nations.

v. 16 - Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

The light will be seen both in their words and in their good works which is doing the will of the heavenly Father.

v. 17 - Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets may be taken in the sense of fulfilling the prophecies of the OT or in the sense of teaching a righteousness that exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

v. 18 - Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.

It may mean that the whole Law is binding until the end of the world or that it will no longer be binding on Christians once Jesus fulfills it demands.

4TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME - A

When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

Mt 5: 1-12a

The gospel for this Sunday is the Sermon on the Mount. In this section of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is presented again as the new Moses. Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law. Jesus goes up the mountain to present to his disciples a vision of life for those who wish to follow him. The Law of Moses is contained in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. In this section we find the first of the five long discourses that correspond to the five books of Moses. The five long discourses are:

• The "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5:3-7:27)
• The missionary discourse (Matthew 10:5-42)
• The parable discourse (Matthew 13:3-52)
• The "church order" discourse (Matthew 18:3-35), and
• The eschatological discourse (Matthew 24:4-25:46)

We find in Luke a parallel to the Sermon on the Mount. It is called the Sermon on the Plain. Instead of the 8 Beatitudes, Luke has a list of “4 blessings and 4 curses” (Lk 6: 20-26).

v. 1. When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

The mountains are believed to be places where God is especially present. It was in Sinai that God gave the Law to Moses. It was in Mt. Tabor that the disciples saw the divine glory of Jesus and heard the voice of the Father.

Jesus sits down. It is a position of authority, in this case of teaching authority. When the Pope preaches, he is seated. When he proclaims a truth of faith and morals with full teaching authority, he is said to be teaching ex cathedra, from the chair.

v. 3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed” is a combination of being happy AND fortunate. In Greek it is “makarios”. In Latin, it is “felix”.

The poor in spirit belong to the Kingdom of heaven. God reigns over them. For this reason they are both happy and fortunate. But this is not immediately obvious. We would expect that it is the rich who are happy and fortunate. But this is not so. Instead, we find Jesus declaring: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Lk 6:24). It is precisely for this reason that entering the Kingdom of Heaven requires metanoia, a change in the way of thinking and of looking at things.

The poor are the needy ones of Israel, the anawim They prefer divine service to financial advantage. Their poverty is real and economic but with a spiritual dimension.

“In spirit”. The emphasis shifts from social-economic to personal-moral: hu-mility, detachment from wealth, voluntary poverty.

But the poor in the Bible are not just the materially destitute but all those who in their need turn to God. Poor in spirit are those who clearly acknowledge that they depend totally on God.

v. 4. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Here we think not just of those grieving for a death but those also who feel a deep sorrow for the evils and injustices of this world. They mourn not just for their own pain but are in solidarity with all those who are the victims of "man's inhumanity to man".

v. 5. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

Derived from Ps 37:11, it means “slow to anger” and “gentle with others”. It is a form of charity. t is the very opposite of arrogance, bullying and violent manipulation.

It is not to be confused with wimpishness, weakness or cowardice. The truly gentle person, the one who can remain gentle and respectful of the other's dignity in the face of provocative violence is a very strong person.

v. 6. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

To hunger and thirst for something is to pray for it. And what do they pray for? Righteousness, that is, obedience of the world to the will of God.

v. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

This is not just pity or sympathy but a deep down compassion and empathy, a real entering into the pain that others are experiencing.

It also refers to pardoning of one’s neighbor (Mt 6:12), to love (Mt 9:13), especially of the needy (Mt 25:31) and even one’s enemies (Mt 5:44-47). All vengeance is excluded.

v. 8. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.

In the OT this refers to ritual and moral impurity being cleansed (Ps 51). In Mt it means justice, covenant fidelity, loyalty to God’s commands, sincere worship.

v. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Peace (shalom) means total well-being. In Mt peacemaking is closely related to love of neighbor and hence, to the beatitude of the merciful.

v. 10. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

They are persecuted because of their obedience to God.

3RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Mt 4:12-23

The gospel for this Sunday may be divided into three parts:
• Jesus, the light of the nations (in fulfillment of the OT prophecies)
• The call to conversion (or living in the light of Jesus)
• Response to the call of Jesus

v. 12. When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.

The Greek that was used to translate “arrested” was “paradidomi” which literally means “handed over”. As John the Baptist was handed over and executed, so also Jesus will be handed over and executed.

This handing over of Jesus is commemorated in every celebration of the Eucharist. Hence, the words of consecration are formulated as: “Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body which will be given up for you.” “Given up” is how the Latin “tradetur” was translated into English. Now “tradetur” is in fact the Latin equivalent of the Greek “paradidomi”.

vv. 13-14. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled. 

The choice of Galilee did not seem to be a good one for the start of Jesus’ public ministry. It was populated by Gentiles and Jews who were not noted for their observance of the Law. It was not held in high esteem. Nathanael’s low estimation of Nazareth (Can anything good come from Nazareth?) might be a reflection of the common low estimation for Galilee.

v. 17. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the king-dom of heaven is at hand."

Preaching might be better translated proclaiming. Hence, “Jesus began to proclaim….”

Jesus was proclaiming the nearness of the kingdom of heaven. We might think of kingdom of heaven as the place were good people go after death. Jesus was not speaking of the after-life. He was speaking of life here on earth.

At this point it must be pointed out that when Matthew talks about kingdom of heaven, he was really talking of the kingdom of God. The Jews do not mention the name of God. So they use other words, such as heaven.

Instead of “kingdom of God”, the better translation would be “reign of God”. This is because the kingdom of God is not a territory. It is not a place. Instead it is a relationship between you and God. And that relationship is described as placing oneself under the loving power of God.

To repent is usually understood as being sorry. It is to regret some wrong thing I have done in the past and not to do it again. The repentance that Jesus asks of us is more than that. He is asking us to change direction. And this change in direction is the fruit of a paradigm shift. Simply put, paradigm shift means a change in how one thinks and how one looks at life. In other words, Jesus is asking us to an external change that is rooted in an internal change. The New Testament uses the Greek word “metanoia” for this kind of change.

vv. 18-19. As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus began to form a group associates. He did not pick them from influential members of the community such as the Scribes and Pharisees (although later on he would call St. Paul to be an apostle) . He picked fishermen who were probably illiterate (unable to read nor write) but steeped in the oral tradition of their Jewish faith. They probably knew very well the OT.

Another thing that may be pointed out is that the initiative comes from Jesus. He chose them to be his helpers. They did not choose to be his followers.

Following Jesus meant undergoing a metanoia. They left the life of fishermen to become fishers of men instead. Jesus had already done this. He left the life of a carpenter to be an itinerant preacher.

Regarding fishing Matthew (13:47ff) uses it as a metaphor for the kingdom. On the other hand, Luke (5:1-11) and John (21:4-8) use it as a metaphor for the work of the ministry.

v. 21. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them….

Can we find any symbolism in the observation that James and John were mending their nets?

The Greek word for “mending” is “katartizein”. Now this word has been used in the NT Letters to indicate the work of perfecting the church. Cf. 1 Cor 1:10; Heb. 13:21; and 1Pt 5:10.

Following this line of thought, casting the nets (Peter and Andrew) might be interpreted as the work of evangelization directed to those outside the church while mending their nets (James and John) might be interpreted as the ministry directed to those already in the church.

v .23. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.

Teaching, proclaiming and curing describe the activities of Jesus. Late on Jesus will give to his disciples the authority to do what he does. Cf. Mt 10:1.7; and 28:20.
 
Matthew regularly uses the expression “their synagogues” to bring out the distinction between Christians and Jews.

Among the people (in Greek, “laos”). Matthew uses this expression 14 times. In most cases it means the Jews. Matthew might want to point out that although the ministry of Jesus was taking place in Galilee of the Gentiles, it was directed to the Jews who lived there. Only later when the Jews reject the good news will it be preached purposefully to the gentiles.

STO. NINO

Please refe to the Sto. Nino entries of the previous years for information and reflection on the Solemnity of the Sto. Nino.

BAPTISM OF OUR LORD - A

And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Mt 3:13-17

We celebrated the feast of the Epiphany last Sunday. The feast recalls the visit of the Magi in which Jesus manifested himself as Savior also of the gentiles, represented by the Magi. Jesus had two other epiphanies or manifestations: his Baptism at the Jordan and the miracle at Cana. At his baptism, the Father presented Jesus to the Jews as his beloved Son. At Cana Jesus manifested his glory, “the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Today we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus at the Jordan.

Matthew seeks to show Jesus as fulfilling the OT. In particular he seeks to present the life of Jesus as a parallel to that of Moses. For example, Pharaoh sought to kill the children of the Hebrews, including Moses, so also King Herod sought to kill Jesus and in doing so killed the Holy Innocents. Now Matthew wishes to show that as Moses led the Hebrews through the Red Sea and in the words of St. Paul were “all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1Cor 10:2), so also now Jesus goes to the John to be baptized by him in the Jordan.

Matthew takes Mark as his basis in his narration of the baptism of Jesus. However, there are important differences:

• Mark has “he saw the heavens opened”. Matthew has “And behold the heavens were opened”.
• Mark has “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased”. Matthew has “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The changes in Matthew make the baptism of Jesus a public event, a manifestation, an epiphany to those who are present.

The conversation between John and Jesus may have served to solve the problem surrounding the baptism of Jesus:

• Did his baptism imply that Jesus was also a sinner and needed repentance?
• Was John superior in rank to Jesus?

This is the first and only time that John and Jesus meet (excluding the visitation of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth). The Voice crying out in the desert meets his Lord. The one who baptizes with water for repentance meets the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire.

v.14. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?"

John objects to Jesus coming to him for baptism for he had asserted previously that “but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Mt 3:11).

v. 15. Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."

Being a righteous man is often understood as a person who fulfills the Law. It is in this sense that Joseph was called a righteous man. Fulfilling all righteousness may mean fulfilling the Scriptures, that is, the baptism of the Hebrews in Red Sea (crossing of the Red Sea) is repeated in the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan.

v. 16. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the hea-vens were opened (for him), and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove (and) coming upon him.

Matthew may have in mind Gen 1:2 “The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters”. The meaning then is that as the Spirit of God was there at the creation of the world so also now the Spirit is present in Jesus and then upon his disciples at the beginning of the new creation.

v. 17. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

This has reference to several OT passages:

• Gen 22:2 – Take your son, your only son, Isaac.
• Ps 2:7 – I will tell the decree of the Lord: He said to me, You are my son.
• Is 42:1 – Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.

As Abraham brought Isaac to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him there, so also Jesus will be brought to Mt. Calvary to be sacrificed for the salvation of men.

In this verse, the Father proclaims to the people that Jesus is his Son. It is be-cause of this that the Baptism in the Jordan is truly an epiphany, a manifestation of who Jesus is.

EPIPHANY - A

And on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Mt 2:1-12

v. 1. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem…

The place is called Bethlehem of Judea because there is another Bethlehem in Zebulun (Jos 19:15). Lk 2:1-7 explains how Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem and then brought up at Nazareth.

King Herod ruled over Palestine from 37-4 B.C.

Magi (magoi ) may be used in two senses: a wise man or a magician. In the NT the only other magus was Elymas (Acts 13:6ff) and he was clearly a magician.

v. 2. …saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."

The magi ask for the king of the Jews because they were gentiles. Jews would say the Christ (v. 4) o the King of Israel (27:42).

The star was the sign of a king. In Num 24:17 we read: “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel”.

In 7 B.C. there was an alignment of Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. Matthew might be referring to this phenomenon.

v. 3. When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

We meet the word “troubled” again in Mt 14:26. “When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.” In this passage the Greek word is translated as terrified. In both cases being troubled and being terrified arise from unbelief.

v. 4. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

The chief priests and scribes make up the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews.

There might be a reference to Ps 2:2 “Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the LORD and his anointed”.

v. 5-6. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

The prophecy of Micah might have been combined with a passage from Samuel.

Micah 5:1 - But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.

2Samuel 5:2 - In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'"

v. 7. Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

From v. 16 it would seem that the star had appeared two years earlier. “When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi.”

v. 8. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."

This is a lie. V. 13 “When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."

v. 10. They were overjoyed at seeing the star.

We see the same reaction in the women when angels announce the resurrection of Jesus and the command to give a message of Jesus to the disciples. “Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples” (Mt 28:8).

v. 11. …and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Worshipping Jesus is often cited in Matthew.

• 8:2 - And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."
• 28:16-17 - The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

Symbolic meanings have been given to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

• But they may all be gifts suitable for a king.
• They may be the materials used by a magus/magician. In this case the magi by surrendering them to Jesus may be declaring an end to their practices.

HOLY FAMILY

"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt."

Mt 2:13-15. 19-23

This Sunday's gospel is divided into two parts:

• vv. 13-15. Flight into Egypt
• vv. 19-23. Return to Israel

v. 13. When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him."

In v. 12 the Magi were warned not to return to Herod. V.13 reveals the reason. Herod wanted the baby dead.

In v. 8 Herod tells the Magi: “"Go and search diligently for the child… that I too may go and do him homage.” Contrast this with his real motive as revealed by the angel in this verse: “Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.”

Matthew sees in Jesus the New Moses. This is probably why he shows what happened to Moses repeated in Jesus. The King of Egypt, Pharaoh, wanted the Jewish children dead. Moses was hidden and was saved. Now a King wanted Jesus dead but was saved by fleeing to Egypt.

v. 14. Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt.

The verb used for “departed” is “anachorein”. Matthew uses this verb when he writes that Jesus departed from a certain place due to unbelief. See 2:22; 4:12; 12:15; 14:13 and 15:21.

It is possible that Matthew’s use of the verb “anachorein” was influenced by the Greek version of the OT (LXX or Septuagint). “Moses fled (anachorein) from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Midian” (Ex 2:15).

The verb “anachorein” was used in the for the following contexts:
• Withdrawal from public life
• Withdrawal to the desert by peasants who were oppressed by taxes
• Withdrawal into oneself in contemplation

Monasticism took the word in order to describe the withdrawal of monks from the world. Hence, eastern monks were called “anchorites”.

v. 15. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

The quotation is taken from Hosea 11:1. It originally referred to God’s calling Israel out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus.

v. 19. When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt…

Did Matthew make a mistake here? Herod died in 4 B.C. (Before Christ!). There is a mistake here but the mistake was made by Dionysius Exiguus who wrongly accepted the year 753 after the founding of Rome as the year of Christ’s birth.

v. 20. …and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."

There is an allusion here to Moses. In Exodus 4:19 we read: “In Midian the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought your life are dead.’"

Notice the contrast between the OT and the NT.

• In the OT the king of Egypt is the enemy of Israel. In the NT it is the king of Jerusalem that is the enemy.
• In the OT Moses flees FROM Egypt to save himself and later returns. In the NT the Holy Family flees TO Egypt to save Jesus and late returns to Israel.
• In the OT Pharaoh and Egypt are symbols of unbelief and hardness of heart. In the NT it is Herod and Jerusalem.

v. 22. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee.

Archelaus reigned over Judea from 4BC to 6AD. Herod Antipas reigned over Galilee from 4BC to 39AD.
Take note of the verb “departed” (anachorein). Again there is a withdrawal from unbelief (Judea) to a place where Jesus will find faith, Galilee of the Gentiles.

v. 23. He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spo-ken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazorean."

The source of this prophecy is unknown. It has been suggested that Is 11:1 might have something to do with this prophecy. “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” Bud is “neser” which has similarity to the name of the town of Nazareth.

4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT - A

She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.

Mt 1: 18-24

v. 18 - When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, 7 but before they lived together….

Jewish marriage consists of three steps. (1) Engagement. When the couple are still children, their parents or a match-maker arranges their marriage. (2) Betrothal. It is a one-year period when the engaged couple are already considered husband and wife but not yet living together. The betrothal may be broken if the girl does not want to go through with it. Once entered into, it can only be ended through divorce. This was the stage in which the gospel of today finds Joseph and Mary. (3) Marriage proper – at the end of the one-year betrothal.

v. 19. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to ex-pose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

A just man is one who observes the Law. St. Jerome asks: How can Joseph be a just man if he seeks to hide the sin of his spouse (adultery)? He will only be a just man if he had insight into the origin of the child, that is, the child to be born was not the fruit of adultery but of divine intervention.

v. 20. Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.

Jesus did not become a man through ordinary means.

v. 21. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Naming the child Jesus means that Joseph was adopting Mary’s son. Since Joseph belonged to the House of David, Jesus also becomes part of David’s House. In this way Scripture was fulfilled. The Messiah was to come from David’s House.

Jesus is the Greek form of Yehoshuah. Joshua is the Jewish form. It means “Yahweh saves”. Jesus was born to be a savior.

v. 22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet….

The Greek word that is translated as “fulfill” can mean two things: (1) To realize, for example, a prophecy; (2) to fill, for example, a container. Here it means to realize the full meaning of the prophecy or to bring it to perfection.

3RD SUNDAY OF ADVENT - A

Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see?"

Mt 11:2-11

The Gospel consists of two parts:
• Mt 11:2-6. Who is Jesus?
• Mt 11:7-11. Who is John the Baptist?

v. 2. When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him….

According to Josephus, Herod put John the Baptist in jail for fear that he might start a rebellion. Mt 14:3-12 instead blames it on Herodias who took offense when John told Herod that it was not right to take his brother’s wife.

The works of THE Messiah. “The Christ” or "the Messiah" - for it was a title. And this is how Matthew uses it in his gospel – 1:17; 2:4; 16:16. 20; 22:42; 23:10; 24:5. 23; 26:63. 68.

v. 3. “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"

“He who is to come” may be a title of the Messiah (3:11; 21:9; 23:39) and may have been derived from Ps 118:26 (Blessed is he who enters in the name of the Lord).

“Or shall we look for another”. In Greek “proskdokomen” means “wait for” or “expect” as in 24:50.

v. 4. Jesus said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you hear and see."

Jesus does not answer directly but asks John to consider what the messengers see and hear – the deeds and words of Jesus. These are the way to come to faith. Hence, those who do not believe are said to be deaf and blind (cf. 13:16).

v. 5. The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.

The miracles of chapters 8 and 9 of Matthew are summarized in this list. They (the miracles) accompany the preaching of the Kingdom.

• Blind – 9:27ff
• Lame – 8:5ff; 9:1ff
• Lepers – 3:1ff
• Deaf – 9:32ff. The Greek “kophos” translate either as deaf or dumb.
• Dead – 9:18ff

The climax of the list is the poor having the good news preached to them (Is 61:1).

See also Is 29:18ff; 35:5f; 9:27ff; 61:1f.

v. 6. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.

To take offense is to sin. Jesus cause the Pharisees to sin. Their sin is their unbelief in him (12:24. 31ff).

v. 7. As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

John preached in the wilderness as Isaiah prophesied in 40:3 (Greek transla-tion). An abundance of reed can be seen in the Jordan valley shaken by the wind and not in the desert.

The reed can also stand for a weak and vacillating person, carried away by what people say. This cannot be said of John who was imprisoned for denouncing the behavior of Herod (Mt 14:3f).

v. 8. Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.

Those who dress in fine clothing are people of the King’s court. John in fact is in prison and his clothing was that of a prophet: woven camel’s hair and leather belt.

v. 9. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

A prophet is not one who foretells the future. He is one who speaks the word of God. When the last of the prophets died—Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the Jews believed that the Holy Spirit ceased to be present in Israel. The appearance of another prophet meant a new epoch in the history of Israel.
Jesus says that John was more than a prophet for he is the messenger who comes before the Messiah and prepares his way.

v. 10. This is the one about whom it is written: 'Behold, I am sending my mes-senger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.'

This seems to be a fusion of two verses: Ex 23:20 and Mal 3:1.

Although Ex 23:30 is traditionally translated as “Behold, I send an angel before you”, angel may also be translated as “messenger”.

The wording in all the synoptic gospels (“before you”) differs from the Greek and Hebrew Malachi, which has “before my face” or “before me”.

v. 11. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

No one has appeared in the world with a greater function than that of John, which is to proclaim the coming of the Messiah.

Anyone who shall gain entry into the Kingdom will be greater than John the Baptist is now.

Yet "the least in the kingdom" may also be interpreted as Jesus who came to serve and not to be served. This would agree with what John said that he who is coming after me is great then I (Mt 3:11).

2nd SUNDAY OF ADVENT - A

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Mt 3:1-12

Today’s gospel is divided into three parts:
• vv. 1-6. John the Baptist in the wilderness.
• vv. 7-10. John warns the Sadducees and Pharisees.
• vv. 11-12. John preaches the coming Judge.

Who is John the Baptist?

John is the herald of the King and announces the nearness of the Kingdom. He fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah: he preaches in the wilderness and prepares the way of the Lord. He dresses like Elijah who was expected to return before the Messiah. He preaches repentance and Baptism and people come to him. He baptizes them and they confess their sins.

According to Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, Herod was afraid of John because of his influence over the people. He put him to death so that he would not raise a rebellion.

There is a similarity between the teachings of John the Baptist and the Essenes.

v. 2. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

The word used for repent is metanoia which means a change of mind. It involves turning from one’s evil ways to the commandment and love of God.

The message of John the Baptist is the same as that of Jesus in Mk 1:14-15.

Kingdom of heaven is the same as Kingdom of God. These terms do not refer to heaven in the after-life. Instead, it refers to the condition where man is in perfect harmony with God and each other and where man lives in a way that he reflects perfectly the image of God.

v. 3. It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: "A voice of one crying out in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"

The Hebrew version states: “"A voice of one cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the Lord….”

v. 4. John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

The clothing of John the Baptist is the same as that of Elijah (2Kings 1:8). This was to identify John as the Elijah who was believed to return before the Messiah.

Locusts was the food of poor people in Arabia, Africa and Syria.

v. 7. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

The Pharisees recognize both the written and unwritten law. The Sadducees accept only the written law, the Pentateuch. They lived mainly around and in Jerusalem.

Viper stands for wickedness and murder.

“Who told you to flee….” The Pharisees and Sadducees come to John as if repenting to escape the wrath. But in fact, they have not repented.

v. 8. Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.

Produce fruit (or bear fruit) is “poiein” which also translates as “do”. Fruit stand for deeds. To produce good fruits, therefore, means “to do good deeds”.

v. 9. For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

In Aramaic, “stone” and “children” sound almost the same.

v. 10. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

To cut down a fruitless tree is to pass judgment.

Fire stands for condemnation. See 3:12; 5:22; 7:19; 13:40.42; 18:8; 25:41.

vv. 11-12.
The coming Judge is greater than John himself, greater than John’s baptism nad divide men for reward and punishment.

v. 11. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.

The baptism of John is baptism of repentance. The baptism of Jesus is baptism with Holy Spirit and fire.

Joel 2:28 speaks about the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit and fire are mentioned together as an allusion to the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3).

Fire may also be an allusion to the coming judgment which either purifies o destroys (1Cor 3:13).

v. 12. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Wheat and chaff stands for the wicked and the righteous. The wicked will receive punishment and the righteous, reward. Jesus also speaks of reward and punishment (Mt 25:46 ).

1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT - A

For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Mt 24:37-44

This section of St. Matthew’s gospel is directed at those who live carelessly and unprepared as if the judgment were not coming.

vv. 37-39.

The story of Noah and the Flood.
• The Genesis story emphasizes the wickedness of the people while Matthew emphasizes the unexpected coming of the flood for those who are unprepared.
• Noah is a model for a man who lived by faith and was preserved from de-struction because of his obedience to God.

Verses 37 and 39 are examples of “inclusio”. They both speak of the coming of the Son of Man. Only Matthew makes use of the term “Parousia” (coming).

v. 37. For as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

The ordinary meaning of son of man is a man. But in Dn 7:13-14 it refers to the Messianic King. Son of Man is how Jesus referred to himself in Matthew and was applied by the Church to Jesus after his Resurrection.

vv. 40-41. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.

The end comes as a surprise. One is taken to the Kingdom; the other, left for destruction. The criterion is readiness for the coming of the Son of Man.

vv. 42-44. 

Vigilance and readiness for the coming of the Son of Man is compared to that of the coming of a thief. See also 2Pt 3:10; 1Thess 5:4; and Rev 3:3. 16:15.

v. 42. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.

Staying awake is alertness to the will of God.

v. 43. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.

The Palestinian house had mud walls. You gain entry by just making a hole.

v. 44. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

Regarding the end of time, the right attitude is alertness and preparedness and not speculation and fear. For this reason, Luke does not place vv. 42-44 immediately after 24:1-36 (called the “Little Apocalypse”).

By being alert and ready you will not suffer loss in the coming judgment.

CHRIST THE KING OF THE UNIVERSE (C)

"Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Lk 23:35-43

v. 35 - The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God."

Luke presents to us the different attitudes of the spectators: the silent curiosity of the crowd; the contempt of the rulers; the callousness of the guards; the bitter invectiveness of one criminal and the goodness of the other.

“Chosen one” alludes to the transfiguration (Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him" Lk 9:35.) and to the Servant chosen by God for his work of salvation and despised by men (Is 49:7).

v. 36 - Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine….

In Luke the offer of vinegar was an act of mockery and not of compassion. See Ps 69:21.

v. 37 – 38 - They called out, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."

Luke wants to point out the majesty of Jesus. Ironically truth about Jesus is proclaimed in the derision of the soldiers.

v. 40 – 41 - The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal."

This intervention of the good thief is found only in Luke who is interested in episodes of conversion: 7:36-50; 19:1-10; Acts 9:1-25; 10; 16:14-15. 29-34.

v. 42 - Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

This request echoes the prayer of the dying found frequently in Judaism.

Again Luke highlights the majesty of Jesus when he returns.

v. 43 - He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Paradise comes from a Persian word which means park or garden. In the Septuagint (Greek bible), it is used for the Garden of Eden which is believed to be a copy of the heavenly paradise, the future home of the just.

The Jewish belief in the after-life takes two forms. One believes in Sheol, the universal graveyard. There all the dead waited in the sleep of death until the general judgment and resurrection. The other is the just going to heaven immediately after death. This second belief is behind the promise of Jesus to the good thief.

In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, we find another description of the after-life: the rich man found himself in the netherworld while Lazarus found himself in the bosom of Abraham, that is, heaven (Lk 16:22-31).

33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

Jesus said, "All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Lk 21:5-19

The announcement of the destruction of the Temple is the last discourse of Jesus in Luke. It is also the moment when Jesus prophesied about the tribulations that will herald the end of time and his return in glory. The language that Jesus uses is the apocalyptic language of the time.

In Luke Jesus speaks to the people in the Temple. He distinguishes the announcement of the end of time from the events that will precede it (the persecution of the disciples and the destruction of Jerusalem). He concludes by exhorting the people to perseverance (endurance) and vigilance.

v. 5 - While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings…

Construction of the Temple began in 19BC by Herod the Great. It was a whole new Temple at the time of Jesus. Votive offerings were either for construction or for decoration.

v. 6 - All that you see here--the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.

Numerous prophets of old had announced the destruction of the first Temple (Jer 7:1-15; 26:1-19) because the people had broken their covenant with Yahweh. Jesus now announces the destruction of the second Temple because the people have refused God’s invitation made through him (Mt 26:61).

v. 7 - Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"

In Lk and Mk the question is about the date and the sign of the destruction of the Temple. In Mt it is not only the date and the sign of the destruction of the Temple but also of the Parousia (second coming of Jesus) and the end of time.

The response of Jesus is about the date of the Parousia and the end of time which is different from the destruction of the Temple.

v. 8 - He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them!"

The verb deceive may also be translated as “seduced” or “lead into error”. In Hebrew apocalyptic literature it refers to messianic, diabolical, political and doctrinal error.


“I am he.” The false Messiah is he who give to himself the role and authority of Jesus.

“The time has come.” For Luke the teachers of error announce the nearness of the end of time.

v. 9 - When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end."

Luke may be thinking of the military and political upheaval that accompanied the suicide of Nero in 68 when there arose four claimants to the throne.

Wars and insurrection do not mark the end of time.

v. 10 - Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”

These are signs that will mark the end. But before these signs occur persecution of the disciples will take place (v. 12).

Wars are apocalyptic themes (Is 19:2; 2 Chron 15:6).

v. 11 - There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

In 79 Vesuvius erupted, causing earthquakes.

The sky will also bring awesome terrifying sights (Lk 21:25-26).

v. 12 - "Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.”

Just as Christ had to endure suffering in order to enter into his glory so also the disciples have to pass victoriously through the test – persecution, which will lead to the final phase, the end of time.

Local synagogues had small Sanhedrins which became important after the fall of Jerusalem.

Being led before kings and governors – Acts 25:13 – 26:32.

v. 13 - It will lead to your giving testimony.

Giving testimony is the essential function of the Twelve (Lk 24:48); of Stephen (Acts 22:20); of Paul (Acts 22:15).

It consists in proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus and his Lordship. The Greek word for testimony is the origin of our word for “martyr”.

v. 19 - By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Perseverance and endurance (Lk 8:15) refers to facing the dangers which threatens the Word of God. It frequently used by Paul (1Thess 1:3; Rom 2:7).

32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him….

Lk 20: 27-38

Parallels are: Mt 22:23-33; Mk 12:18-27.

v. 27 - Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him….

• The Sadducees were priests and aristocrats. They were wealthy and collaborated with the Romans. The Pharisees were apolitical.
• The Sadducees did not expect any Messiah. The Pharisees did.
• The Sadducees believed in free will. The Pharisees believed in fate.
• The Sadducees only accepted the Torah. The Pharisees accepted all of Scrip-tures as well as the oral and ceremonial laws.
• The Sadducees did not believe in the after-life, in the resurrection, in angels and demons. The Pharisees believed in all of these (Acts 23:8). But their belief in the after-life is very physical and carried to the extreme. For example, they believed that women will give birth every day.

Belief in the Resurrection appeared only 2 centuries before and can be found in Daniel 12:2-3. Since the Sadducees did not accept Daniel, they did not accept the belief in the Resurrection.

The Sadducees contested the Resurrection by using an argument that shows the resurrection to be ridiculous.
The response of Jesus was based on Exodus whose authority the Sadducees accept.

v. 28 - Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.'

This is called the Levirite law and found in Dt. 25-5-6. This, however, is prohi-bited by Lev 18:16 and 20:21.
The purpose is the perpetuate the name of the family and to assure an heir for the deceased. But the law was already in disuse at the time of Jesus. Moreover, the law became less important when daughters were allowed to inherit (Num 36).

This practice is also found among the Hittites and the Assyrians.

v. 35-36 - But those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.

The phrase “deemed worthy” seems to suggest that it is a grace to be admitted to the world to come.
Jesus gives us an idea of what the resurrection entails, “we shall be like the angels”. The material will pass away.

Instead of children of God, read “sons of the resurrection”. They are heirs of the new world to come and of the life in that world.

There is no intention to devalue marriage. The intention is to stress that in the after-life there is no other preoccupation but to serve and praise God.

v. 37-38 - That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called 'Lord' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.

Jesus quotes Ex 3:6 because the Sadducees accept the authority of the Book of Exodus, being part of the Torah. “I am the God of your father," he continued, "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob." Take note that God says: “I AM the God your father” not “I WAS the God of your father.”
God takes care of the living. God revealed himself to Moses as the God of the Patriarchs, as a living God who guides the history of the living. Moreover, men may lose their friends to death. But not God.

v. 39 - Some of the scribes said in reply, "Teacher, you have answered well."

The scribes applaud Jesus because he has proven the Sadducees wrong. We can also find in Mk 12:32, a scribe commending Jesus for his answer. The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.'”

30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Lk 18:9-14

The parable is not a simile, nor a comparison, but an example which presents a behavior to be imitated or to be avoided. Cf. 12:16-21; 14: 28-32; 16: 1-8; 18:9-14.

v. 9 - He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.

Jesus criticizes those who are secure in their justice (5:32; 15:7) and who want to show it off (16:15; 10:29). The parable is an appeal to humility (v. 14).

v. 12 - I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.

The Pharisee truly fulfills the practices of piety of his sect (5:33; 11:42) and he finds in them the security of his justice; but he expects nothing from God.

v. 13 - But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

What the publican says is true: he is a sinner. But this sincere confession opens him to God and to his grace.

v. 14 - I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

That justice which the Pharisee pretends to have acquired through his works, is a gift which only God can give (Phil 3:9).

This sentence (for everyone who exalts himself….) which we also find in 14:11 was probably put here by Luke in order to show that this parable is an invitation to humility.

29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

Lk 18:1-8

vv. 2-5 – This parable was originally with Lk 11:5-8 to form a doublet. Their purpose was to invite us to persevering prayer. Other doublets can be found in: 5:36-38; 13: 1-5. 18-21; 14:28-32; 15:4-10.

v. 1 - Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

Pray always and pray without growing weary are Pauline expressions.

Pray always: 2 Thess 1:11; Phil 1:4; Rom 1:10; Col 1:13; and Philemon 4.

Pay without growing weary: 2 Thess 3:13; 2Cor 4:1.16; Gal 6:9; and Eph 3:13.

This prayer is centered on the eschatological return of Jesus. Lk 18:6-8 and Lk 17:20-27 (preceding discourse).

v. 2 - "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.”

This was not a judge under the Jewish Law. Ordinary disputes were brought before an elder. In matters of Jewish Law demanding arbitration, there were three judges. One judge is chosen by the plaintiff, the second by the defendant and the third, was independently chosen.

Therefore, the judge here was appointed either by Herod or the Romans. They were called Dayyaneh Gezeroth, judges of prohibition. However, they were popularly called Dayyaneh Gezeloth, robber judges because they demanded and received bribes.

v. 4-5 - For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'"

In the parables of Luke, characters often express their inner thoughts by means of a monologue: Lk 12:17; 15:17-19; 16:3; 18:4; and 20:13.

It seems that instead of “lest she finally come and strike me” the translation should be: “lest she pester me to death”. This is because it is the widow’s insistence that finally brought her justice.

v. 6 - The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.

Luke uses this title “Lord” 20 times in the narrative section. This count excludes the vocation use of “Lord”. Matthew (21:3) and Mk (11:3) use the title only once.

By using the title “Lord”, Luke wants to emphasize the mysterious majesty of Jesus.

v. 7 - Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?

Luke does not hesitate to compare God to the dishonest judge. But in this case, comparison does not mean similar but different.

Also , he uses an “a fortiori” line of reasoning, that is, if dishonest judge acts this way, how much more will God act on your behalf.

This verse seems to be a reassurance in the face of seeming inaction of God regarding the evil in the world or the delay of the Parousia (Second Coming of Jesus). Cf. 2Pt 3:9 and Rev 6:9-11.

v. 8b - But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

The coming of the Son of Man is a judgment that will happen in the indeterminate future. And therefore, will your faith be strong enough in the face of the delay of the Parousia?

The second half of verse 8 is independent of the parable. It refers to the apostasy that will grow until the end of time. This is a classic theme of eschatology. Cf. 2Thess 2:3 and Mt 24:10-12.

28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!

Lk 17:11-19

v. 11 - As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.

The mention of going to Jerusalem indicates that a new section is starting (17:11-19:28). We see the same sign post in 9:51 and 13:22.

The structure of Luke’s gospel is a journey to Jerusalem.

Examining the geography of Palestine, we should be surprised that the Jesus traveled through Samaria and Galilee. The order of Jesus’ journey should be Galilee and then Samaria. It is perhaps because of this error that some manuscripts attempted a correction by indicating instead that Jesus “traveled along the border of Samaria and Galilee”.

v. 12 - As he was entering a village, ten lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him….

Those who were put under the classification as lepers were not only those af-flicted with Hansen’s disease but other kinds of skin diseases.

They are to live separated from the general population. They have to warn others of their presence by ringing a bell and shouting “unclean, unclean”. They are to keep themselves at a distance from healthy people – 50 yards if they are windward from them. Cf. Lv 13:46.

v. 13 - and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"

“Master” is used to translate “epistates”. This is common in Luke but the only time used by someone who is not a disciple. “Epistates” expressed a more profound faith in the authority of Jesus in contrast to “didaskalos” which is also used to translate “master” (Lk 5:5).

v. 14 - And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests."

The priests were authorized to certify that a person has truly been healed and can, therefore, return to the community. Cf. Lv 14:2-3

v. 15 - And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice.

To praise God and to give glory to God is the usual reaction of those present who witnessed a divine manifestation or a miracle. Lk 2:20; 5:25.26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15.18.

v. 16 - He was a Samaritan.

Luke makes use of the Samaritan, the centurion, the non-Jew in order to provide an unexpected twist in the narration. It may be a way of indicating the acceptance of the gospel by the pagans.