14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

My yoke is easy, and my burden light.

Mt 11:25-30

v. 25. At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of hea-ven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.

Rather than see in it a “sapiential” language related to Sir 51 or with Prv 8; Si 24 and Wis 6-8, it seems preferable to link it to “apocalyptic” language as found in the book of Daniel. While the wise men were unable to interpret the dream of Nebuchadnezzar (Dn 2:3-13), the mystery was revealed to Daniel who has invoked the God of heaven (2:18-19.28) and who praised God for giving him wisdom (2:23). He speaks of the kingdom established by God himself (2:44).

In Matthew the little ones are the disciples (Mt 10:42) to whom these things have been revealed (Dn 2:29). The mystery referred to is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 13:11).

v. 26. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

Literally: Yes, O Father, for it is thus pleasing to you. This expression recalls the voice of the Father at the baptism of Jesus (3:17) and Is 42:1 cited in Mt 12:18.

v. 27. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

“All things” refer to the kingdom and its secrets. The words are better situated in the apocalyptic tradition (Dn 2:22.28-29; 7:10-27) rather than within the sapiential tradition (Sir 24. 51) and Hellenistic tradition.

It is one of the three passages (with 21:37 and 24:36) where Jesus affirms in-directly his unique relationship with God, his Father (cf. Mk 14:36; Lk 2:49; 24:46; and Jn 20:17).

v. 30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.

The image of the yoke, already known in the OT (Jer 2:20; 5:5; and Hos 10:11), is commonly understood in Judaism as the law of God, written and oral (Sir 6:24-30; 51:26-27). This yoke is not always felt as heavy and painful. The joy of the yoke was known in Judaism (Sir 51:26-27).

Here, in the same perspective of the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7), begun with the announcement of the happiness of the reign of God, Jesus contrasts his liberating interpretation of the law against the legalism of Judaism. He does so because Jesus communicates to men, together with a renewed law, the joy of the Kingdom.

CORPUS CHRISTI (A)

And the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.

Jn 6:51-58

v. 51. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."

The last section of this discourse is about the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Even if the Johannine style of this passage is generally acknowledged , it is not impossible that these verses may have been added later to the chapter or on the contrary, that John may have added here a very old tradition.

Here “flesh” means every things that belongs to the reality of the human being, with all his possibilities and limitations (1:14; 3:6; 8:15; 1Jn 4:2).

Perhaps John has preserved an independent liturgical tradition that translated literally the Aramaic word “bistra” which Jesus would have used at the Last Supper. John insists on the salvific value of the incarnation.

John has preserved in his own way the traditional formula which expresses the salvific dimension of the death of Jesus. There is a connection between the fact that Jesus is the source of eternal life and the fact of his death. And for this reason he talks about the bread that he shall give (10:11.15; 11:50-52; 15:13; 17:19; 18:14; 1Jn 3:16).

v. 53. Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you."

One finds here that greater portion of the themes developed in the preceding sections and in retrospect, the development of these sections take on a Eucharistic meaning.

v. 54. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

The literal translation of “eat” is “masticate” and “chew with the teeth”. John uses a vocabulary that is particularly realistic in order to describe participation in the Eucharist. In so doing he puts the readers on guard against the Docetist interpretation of the ministry of Jesus. According to Hebrew custom the food taken at the paschal meal should be chewed carefully.

The Son of man came down from heaven and will go up to heaven and those who believe in him and participate of the sacrament will share in this heavenly life that is in him. The Eucharist is the leaven of the resurrection for those who believe (6:39.40.44; 5:21-29).

v. 55. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

At the Last Supper the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ, fulfills eminently the purpose of the bread and drink which is to ensure life.

v. 57. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

To live is to enter into communion with the Son and therefore, with the Father. This exchange, done in mutual knowledge and love, is assured in a stable and definitive way. The Eucharistic banquet is at the present time is a privileged sign of this communion.

TRINITY SUNDAY (A)

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

Jn 3:16-18

v. 18. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not be-lieve has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

For Judaism and many New Testament texts the final judgment is awaited as the end of history. For John instead, judgment has taken place when a man finds himself before Christ and in a particular way, before the cross (16:11) and rejects that revelation (3:19-21)

Faith in the name of the Son consists in acknowledging and in invoking with trust the power of the person of the Son. The name manifests the person (2:23; 3:18; 1 Jn 3:23; and 5:13). Faith is adherence to Christ acknowledged as Son of God and as revealer.

PENTECOST

And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Acts 2:1-11

v. 1. When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.

The Jewish feast of Pentecost was celebrated 50 days after Passover. It com-memorates the covenant of Sinai between God and Israel. Crowds of Jews from many countries congregated in Jerusalem. This was the scene for the first outpouring of the Spirit from Jesus (2:33). This gift manifested itself with a kind of outburst of many languages.

In Luke the preaching of Jesus began at Nazareth (Lk 4:16-30). Here the apostolic preaching began in Jerusalem (1:8).

v. 2. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.

This is probably the same place as 1:13-14. There the apostolic group gathered and prayed.

v. 3. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

The tongues of fire evokes the same source of power which grants the gift of speaking in languages and of expressing oneself with a new language.

v. 4. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

The phenomenon which is produced certainly evokes “glossolalia” o “speaking in tongues”. The apostles express themselves in the manner of the ancient prophets (Nm 11:25-29; 1 Sam 10:5-6; and 1 Kgs 22:10).

In any case Christians seized by the Spirit in the early Church (10:46; 19:6; and 1Cor 12-14) spoke in a state of frenzy (2:13). But speaking in other languages is meant to make themselves understood in the language of other peoples. This point is very important to the author of Acts. The gift of the Spirit re-establishes here the unity of language which was lost at the tower of Babel (Gn 11:1-9) and prefigures the universal dimension of the mission of the apostles (1:8).

v. 5. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

These are not only the pilgrims going to Jerusalem for the Pentecost but also Jews coming from all parts of the world who had come to stay permanently in Jerusalem.

v. 10. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome….

These nations enumerated more or less from east to west with Judea as center probably represents the whole of the inhabited world.

v. 11. “…both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

Converts. Here and in 6:5 this term designates those men who, wirhtout being Hebrew by birth, were joined to the chosen people not only through the observance of the Law but have also accepted circumcision.

ASCENSION

And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.

Mt 28:16-20

v. 16. The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.

Matthew does not identify the mountain just as he does not identify the mountain of the transfiguration (17:1) and the mountain of the third temptation (4:8)

v. 17. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.

The mention of doubt is surprising, especially after stating that the disciples worshipped Jesus. It does not correspond to the recognition of the Lord, as often happens in the classic scheme of the stories of the apparitions (Lk 24:11.37-44; Jn 20:25-27 and Mk 16:11.13-14).

Some critics instead see in it a clarification added to a tradition which presented the encounter of the living Lord with his disciples in the form of an epiphany, simila to the eschatological announcement of Dn 7:14.

One can also translate as follows: They who have doubted (not Jesus but the words of the women).

v. 18. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

He who on the mountain of the temptation has refused to receive from the devil dominion over the kingdoms of the earth (4:9-10), proclaims that he has reveived it from God (Dn 7:14); nay more, he received dominion over heaven and earth, in conformity with the belief of the primitive church (Acts 13:33; Rom 1:4; Phil 2:5-11; and 1Tim 3:16).

v. 19. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name

of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit…

These nations are not only the pagans but also the Jews (24:9.14; and 25:32). In contrast to his way of acting during his public life (10:5-6.23; and 15:24), Jesus now fulfills the prophecy of Is 42:6; 45:18-20; and 49:6.

“In the name of…” means that a personal relationship is established with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is an indication that the Trinity was already known in the early church (1Cor 12:3-5; and 2Cor 13:13). The baptismal formula was probably derived from the practice of the early church (Didache).

v. 20. “…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

With these words the Risen Christ takes up and fulfills the figure and the promise of the divine presence in the OT (Ex 3:12; Jer 1:8; Is 41:10 and 43:5; Mt 1:23). He does not only guarantee particular gifts (Lk 24:48 and Jn 20:22), or an enduring presence (Mt 18:20) but an effective assistance all days, even during persecution. In this sense the presence of Jesus is similar to that of the Paraclete of John (Jn 14:16; and16:7-11).

6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.

Jn 14:15-21

v. 16. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always.

The single Greek word “parakletos” has many meanings. Its juridical meaning is one who is called to help and defend the accused. He is a defense attorney (or advocate). Related to this role are the roles of consoler and intercessor (or mediator).

In the NT the expression does not appear elsewhere but in John. At times it refers to the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16.26; 15:26; and 16:7). At other times, it refers to Jesus (1Jn 2:1).

Some interpreters believe that the expression can be understood by looking at the use of the verb “parakaleo” in the NT (Acts 2:40 and 1Cor 14:3). In these passages the Christian is called to remain firm in the midst of difficulties.

In John, however, the juridical sense dominates: the Spirit helps the disciples who are being persecuted by the world (Jn 16:4-15).

“Always”. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given without time limit. He (the Holy Spirit) assures the disciples of continuing communion with Christ who has gives him to them (Mt 28:20).

v. 17. The Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.

The Holy Spirit, given by him who is the truth, helps the disciples to grow in knowledge (Jn 16:13) and to be his witness (Jn 15:27).

The Spirit of truth is opposed to the spirit of error (1Jn 4:5) and to the lying spirit (Jn 8:44) that rules the world.

v. 19. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. 

There is another possible translation: “You will see me alive and you also will live.”

While the world, left to its own means of knowing, will be unable to see Jesus beyond his death (Jn 7:34; 8:21), the disciples will experience the presence of the Risen Christ and share his new life, as well as those who will believe on the basis of their testimony.

This knowledge and participation in the life of the Risen One already constitutes eternal life for John.

v. 20. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.

“On that day” is a recurring expression in the OT to designate the coming of the eschatological age (Is 2:17; Jr 4:9; Zc 2:15). The end time begins with the elevation and resurrection of Jesus in which believers participate. This participation is still open to further fulfillment.

Only the relationships which unite the disciples to Jesus allow the discovery of the reality of the relationship with unites Jesus to the Father.

v. 21. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

The one who loves Jesus is the one who knows the commandments of Jesus and puts them into practice with constancy (know-practice). We find other examples of such doublets in Jn 12:47 (listen-observe) and in Jn 5:24 (listen-believe).

This obedience is the expression of love and of faith. It permits one to know in a concrete manner the love of the Father through the manifestation of Christ.

Another translation for “observing” the commandments is “keeping” them.

4th SUNDAY OF EASTER - A

I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.

Jn 10:1-10

There are two parables in this gospel periscope:

• First parable (Jn 10:1-5) – There is the shepherd who enters in the normal way because he has received the mission on behalf of the flock. The parable compares him to those who wish to dominate the flock for their own profit. These are the Pharisees.
• Second parable (Jn 10:7-10) – It comments on the declaration of Jesus as the door or gate.

v. 1. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.

At night the sheep are gathered together into a fold surrounded by a low wall and watched over by a guard.

v.3. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

There are two groups of people in Israel. The first are those who belong to shepherd. They listen to him and only to him. The second are those who do not respond to Jesus because they neve belonged to him.

v. 6. Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

In the mind of John speaking in parables is the means of revelation proper to the earthly mission of Jesus. They cannot truly be understood except through faith and in the light of the final revelation which is the moment of the elevation of Jesus and the giving of the gift of the Spirit.

v. 8. All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

Jesus is not talking about the prophets of the OT but of those men in both the Jewish and Gentile worlds who pretend with their own ways to bring to men salva-tion and knowledge of things divine.

v. 9. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.

The theme of door or gate which gives access to heavenly things was common in the Hebrew tradition and in the synoptic.

• In solemn wonder he cried out: "How awesome is this shrine! This is nothing else but an abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven! (Gn 28:17)
• Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. (Lk 13:24)

In John Jesus himself through his incarnation is the place of discovery and reception of things divine. This is the meaning of the second parable.

Jesus saves from death and from all that brings destruction to man.

Because the disciples have been saved, they find freedom and security.

v. 10. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

While the false saviors seek to disperse and destroy, Jesus has as his mission to fill his disciples and make them participants in the life of the Father.

3nd SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.

Lk 24:13-35

v. 13. Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus.

Luke wants to show how Jesus leads these two disciples who had lost their faith in him following the scandal of the cross found it again through knowledge of Scriptures.

v. 16. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.

All the resurrection stories present Jesus as initially unrecognizable. He looked different.

The two disciples were unable to recognize Jesus until he had introduced them into the mystery of his death and resurrection by means of the Scriptures.

v. 18. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?"

The two travelers take the stranger to be a pilgrim for the Passover feast.

v. 19. And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.”

The disciples still consider Jesus as only a prophet.

v. 21. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.

The hope of the disciples was dashed by the actions of the religious authorities of Jerusalem and by his crucifixion. Moreover three days have gone by and God has not yet intervened on behalf of his prophet.

v. 26. Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

“But first he (the Son of Man) must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation” (Lk 17:25).
Luke is the only New Testament writer to speak explicitly of a suffering Mes-siah. The idea of a suffering Messiah is not found in the Old Testament or in other Jewish literature prior to the New Testament period.

v. 27. Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.

Moses (that is, the Law) and the Prophets constitute the essential books of Scriptures. These are read during worship at the synagogue.

v. 29. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

This insistence is in keeping with Palestinian hospitality. Many commentators have also concluded that the two travelers had arrived home.

v. 30. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.

Jesus probably reproduced here his actions at the Last Supper.

Luke here makes use of Eucharistic language. He might want to tell his readers that at the breaking of the bread (Eucharist) they also meet the Risen Lord whom the two disciples met on their way to Emmaus.

Frank Doyle, SJ sees all the elements of a good Eucharist in the Emmaus story:

• There is the encounter between the Lord in the guise of an ordinary person, any person, even a total stranger. The very gathering of the Eucharistic community is an encounter with the Lord. The community is already the Body of Christ.
• There is the Introductory Rite where the two disciples express their disillusion-ment and sense of hopelessness and helplessness as they walk the road to No-where.
• There is the Liturgy of the Word as Jesus breaks open the Scriptures, explains its full meaning with regard to himself and leaves their hearts on fire with evangelising enthusiasm.
• There is also the remembering of the sacrificial death of Jesus which is at the heart of every Eucharist.
• There is the breaking of the one loaf of bread by which the community recognises the living presence of the Lord in each one and the unity that binds them together as the Body of Christ.
• Finally, there is the desired conclusion of every Eucharist - the urge to go out and share the experience of knowing and loving Jesus as Lord and inviting others to share that experience.

v. 34. "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"

This event is mentioned in the ancient list of appearances found in 1Cor 15:15.

2nd SUNDAY OF EASTER (A)

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

Jn 20: 19-31

v. 19. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."

The first day of the week is Sunday. This event occurred on the evening of Easter Sunday, that is, on the day Jesus rose from the dead.

The doors were locked and yet Jesus was able to enter the room. The resurrected body of Jesus was no longer bound by the laws of physics. It has been glorified or transformed. Hence, the stone covering the tomb was rolled back not to let Jesus get out of the tomb but for the women and the disciples to be able to enter and see the empty tomb.

The disciples had reason to hide out of fear. They could be next to be arrested.

Peace be with you is a typical greeting among Jews. But the peace that Jesus bestows is different. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (Jn 14:27). The peace that he bestows is the bounty of the messianic blessings which includes gift of salvation.

v. 20. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The dis-ciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

The body of Jesus was a glorified body, transformed by the resurrection. Jesus became unrecognizable. He had to show them his wounds (nail marks and the wound at his side) to identify himself.

Regarding the joy of the disciples, “So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16:22).

v. 21. (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

Jesus was sent by the Father. He can be called the apostle of the Father. Now Jesus sends his disciples, making them his apostles. Jesus now entrusts his mission to them.
They are to proclaim and live the message of Jesus. They are to call others to membership in the community of believers in Jesus.

v. 22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit."

This is St. John’s version of the Pentecost event described in the Acts of the Apostles. It was as if the apostles were “confirmed” in the mission that has been entrusted to them.

The act of breathing on them recalls the creation of man in Genesis. “The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). The Holy Spirit brings about what St. Paul calls a new creation, and the putting on of the new man. “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor 5:17). “And have put on the new man, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator” (Col 3:10).

Pentecost not only marked the coming of the Holy Spirit but also the birth of the Church. Hence, this was also John’s version of the birth of the Church.

v. 23. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave the Sacraments of Eucharist and Ministerial Priesthood to his disciples. Now the Risen Lord gave to his disciples the power to forgive sins, the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

v. 25. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

The disciples were not ready to believe in the Resurrection. It belies the accusation that the Resurrection was an invention of the apostles.

v. 26. Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them.

The meeting with Thomas takes place a week later, on this very day the second Sunday of Easter.

v. 28. Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Thomas made an act of faith. What is significant is that no one in the gospels has ever made this act of faith in Jesus. And this act of faith was not the result of seeing. For he could see Jesus but he could not see God. It was faith that made him see God in Jesus (that Jesus was God).

v. 29. Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

These words were spoken by Jesus more for later disciples than for Thomas. For while Thomas at least saw Jesus, we who came later and all those who would come after us would not even have that privilege.

Advisory

This will be a very busy month for me. I might not be able to post every week. Please refer to the posts of previous years.

4TH SUNDAY OF LENT - A

I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Jn 9: 1-41

v. 2. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

In ancient times there was a common belief that sin results in physical sickness. In the case of sickness from birth, some rabbis attribute it to the sin of the parents. Others attribute it to the child himself in the course of his development in the womb.

v. 3. Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.

Jesus rejects the current belief without proposing another. Instead he affirms the fact of his infirmity and assures this man that he will be made whole (cured). By doing so, Jesus will perform a sign that will show his divine origin and invite men to receive the true light.

The passage from blindness to vision symbolizes the transition from unbelief and death to faith and life. In this sense the blind man (the only one blind from birth in the NT) may be considered to be the prototype of those who will arrive to faith.

v. 4. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.

“WE have to do the works…” seems to indicate that the Christian community is speaking here and declaring that its actions is a prolongation of the action of Christ.

The life span and activity of a person is often compared to a day of work. In the same way the activity of Jesus who is the light of the world may be compared to a day.

v. 5. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

The salvific activity of the Father is manifested in Jesus for the good of all men. He is the only possibility of salvation.

v. 6. When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes.

In ancient times it was believed that saliva possessed curative powers. (Marahil ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang laway ay ginagamit para pagalingin ang isang batang na-usog.) Jesus makes use of this familiar gesture.

v. 7. And said to him, "Go was in the Pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see.

The Pool of Siloam is found in the city. John who gives great importance to the theme of mission suggests an etymology: As the water of the Pool of “Sent” (Siloam) gives sight, the Messiah “who was sent” brings the light of revelation. It is very possible that this passage was used in the baptismal liturgy.

v. 14. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a Sabbath.

Except for cases of grave danger, it was forbidden to cure on the Sabbath.

v. 35. When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

The man who was cured has reached the highest point of his testimony and suffered persecution. He prefigures the situation in which the Church will find itself.

Jesus meets him and reveals himself to him as the Son of Man, that is, he who comes down from heaven in order to gather all men and elevate them to a participation in the life of God.

v. 39. Then Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind."

The mission of Jesus brings about a reversal of situations. The blind who has faith in Jesus are cured and arrive at knowledge of revelation. On the contrary those who believe themselves enlightened do not have the capacity to see he who brings the light of salvation. They remain always in darkness and in perdition.

3rd SUNDAY OF LENT (A)

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."

Jn 4:5-42

v. 6. Jacob's well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon.

The meaning of the Greek words is that Jesus was so tired that he sat down without selecting any special place to sit. This is significant because John among the evangelists emphasizes the divinity of Jesus and yet he is not afraid to record his human limitation (11:33. 35. 38; 19:28).

v. 7. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."

Obviously she was not from Sychar. This underlines her position as the repre-sentative Samaritan just as Nicodemus had been the representative Jew.

v. 9. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Sama-ritan woman, for a drink?" (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)

The sentence “For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans” may either be a comment of the evangelist in which case the parenthesis would be correct. It may, however, be a part of the woman’s reply to Jesus, in which case, it should be within the quotation marks.

v. 10. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

The gift of God can be taken to mean the “living water” soon to be mentioned. But in the OT it is a metaphor for the help given by God to men. It is a more common metaphor in Rabbinic writings. There it is used for the Torah (Law of God). If this is so, then the sense of Jesus’ reply would be: If only she (and the Samaritans) understood the Torah, then they would realize who Jesus was and so they would come to him for living water which he alone could give.

v. 11. (The woman) said to him, "Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cis-tern is deep; where then can you get this living water?

“Sir” is a term of respect. This already indicates that the woman is already on her way to being enlightened as to the true identity of Jesus.

In v. 6 the word for “well” may also be translated as “spring”. Here it is really “cistern” because the water here is not living (that is, not fresh) as the water coming from a mountain stream. The religion of Samaria is like the water stored in a cistern.

v. 12. Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?"

The word used for “flock” can also mean “slaves”. The point is that what Jacob left was sufficient for freemen, for slaves and beasts. Can Jesus improve on that? The answer is yes. The salvation brought by Jesus is sufficient for the world.

v. 13. Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again."

Jesus contrasts the drink that can only quench the thirst for a short time and then needs to be repeated with the drink which drunk only once quenches all thirst for good. This reminds us of the OT sacrifice which needs to be repeated daily and the sacrifice of Christ (NT) which was offered only once and yet is efficacious always and everywhere.

v. 15. The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."

The woman does not yet fully understand Jesus; but it seems equally clear that she realizes that the conversation is moving to places where her own personal and her national religious life will be challenged.

v. 16. Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband and come back."

First, she will have to bring her husband and then from Christ she will be able to draw living water. A commentator suggests that Jesus was actually speaking at two levels. He was not only thinking about the man she was cohabiting with. He was also talking about her Samaritan religion (= husband). The woman, of course, understood that Jesus was only speaking about her husband.

v. 17. The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus answered her, "You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband.'

The woman tries to evade the incursion of Jesus into her private life by saying she has no husband. But Jesus persists in talking about her husband. Of course, he also had the Samaritan religion in mind. He asserts that her religion is empty because it is not wedded to the one true God.

v. 19. The woman said to him, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet."

The supernatural knowledge of Jesus leads her to conclude that he was a prophet. Now it was the duty of the prophet to denounce any adultery on the part of God’s people. And she felt that it was to this that the conversation what was leading to.

Also she might be suspecting that Jesus was no ordinary prophet. Jesus could be THE prophet that Dt 18:15 was talking about.

v. 20. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem."

The mountain cannot but be Gerizim. At the same time, dialog cannot be taking place on that mountain. No doubt John had in mind the symbolic character of the conversation taking place between Jesus and the woman.

v. 21. Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

Jesus already foresees that some Samaritans will come to worship the Father and these like some of the Jews will do it through Jesus himself.

v. 22. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews.

The Samaritans accepted the Pentateuch but without they remain ignorant for they are without the divine commentary written on the recorded history of Israel and without the writings of her inspired religious writers.

v. 23. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.

A scholar rephrases “in spirit and truth” into “in Spirit which is the truth.” Truth as used by John often means “reality”.

The Spirit is not some vague spirituality. He is the power that filled and pos-sessed Christ and wrought the works of God in him.

v. 24. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth."

God is not just one of the beings that inhabit the spirit world. He is not just one member of the clan of spirits.

v. 25. The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything."

“He will tell us everything” may be re-worded as “He will reveal all things by his teaching of the truth”.

v.40. When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.

Testimony (of the woman) is adequate to bring men to Christ. But this must give way to personal experience and communion with the Lord.

The Jesus whom men met in Galilee, Samaria and Judea is the same as the risen Lord that men can meet in any time or place. And it is the concern of John, the synoptics and St. Paul and the rest of the NT writers to affirm that the this Jesus of history is the same as the Christ of faith.

v. 42. And they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."

The universal mission of Jesus is once again affirmed as it was affirmed in the encounter of Jesus with Nicodemus (Jn 3:16).

2nd SUNDAY OF LENT (A)

And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

Mt 17: 1-9

Today’s passage recalls the story of Jesus’ baptism. In both there is a voice; in both the voice says: This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased (Mt 3:17). Both are epiphanies or manifestations of Jesus. They belong to the other manifestation stories of Jesus such as the manifestation to the magi. Epiphany stories about holy men are common in ancient writings. In these stories the veil that hides the invisible and the future is pushed back for a moment in order to reveal what is hidden.

The story of the transfiguration of Jesus may be the earliest epiphany stories about Jesus, older than the Baptism of Jesus, the Visit of the Magi and the Visit of the Shepherds.

Some have suggested that that behind the Transfiguration story was really the story of the appearance of the Resurrected Christ which tradition had somehow misunderstood. Others offer the opinion that behind the Transfiguration was a mystical experience that we encounter in the lives of the Saints.

In the Transfiguration story what is revealed is the glory of the Son of Man when he comes at the end of the age (Mt 16:27f). In Mt 26:17ff he will take the same three disciples to reveal something to them again. This time it is the meaning of his death and resurrection, which is his obedience to the Father’s will.

v. 1 - After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

After six days – The precise note of time links this paragraph (Transfigura-tion) with the previous sayings – Jesus foretells his death and resurrection (Mt 16:21-23) and the cost of discipleship (Mt 16:24-28).

Precise notes of time are something unusual in the Synoptic gospels with the exception of the account of his last days in Jerusalem and of the Passion.

The mention of six days may allude to Ex 24:16ff where it is written: “The glory of the LORD settled upon Mount Sinai. The cloud covered it for six days, and on the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.”

Peter, James and John seem to form the inner circle of Jesus’ apostles. He brings them with him in Gethsemane (Mt 26:17) and to the healing of Jairus daughter (Mk 5:37).

v. 2 - And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

Metemorphothe means ‘changed, transfigured’. Paul spoke of this event in 2 Cor 3. He used the same word in order to speak of the change Christians are undergoing now and which will be completed at the end of this age (2Cor 3:18).

The face of Jesus shines just as when the Kingdom comes, the righteous will shine like the sun (Mt 13:43).

His garments become white as light. The book of Revelation describes the army of angels who will accompany Jesus at the end of the world has arrayed in fine linen, white and pure (Rev 19:14).

v. 3 - And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.

Moses and Elijah appear. The Jews believed that they were taken up to heaven and did not go down to Sheol, the abode of the dead. They were expected to return to earth before the Messiah. They embody the Law and the Prophets. They are also the two witnesses described in Rev 11:3ff.

v. 4 - Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

In Matthew the disciples address Jesus as Lord. Only Judas Iscariot calls him Master (Rabbi).

Peter may want to make permanent a vision that was meant to be temporary.

v. 5 - While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

The cloud is a sign of divine presence in Exodus.

Overshadowed (epeskiasen) is used of the cloud covering the tent of meeting in Ex 40:35.

The declaration of the voice is similar to that made at his Baptism (Mt 3:17).The voice of God from the bright cloud tells the disciples that Jesus is the Son, the fulfillment of the OT expectations. He is the one to be heard by men because he is the Judge on the last day.

v. 6-7 - When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid."

This is similar to the experience of Daniel (Dan 10:5-12).

v. 9 - As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

The disciples are not to speak of the glory of the Son of Man which they have seen until after the resurrection. At that time they will preach it to the Church to warn and to encourage.

In Matthew this is the fifth and last time when Jesus commands them to keep silent. Mt 8:4 is an instance when Matthew commands silence .

1ST SUNDAY OF LENT - A

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

Mt 4: 1-11

The only words of Jesus which Matthew has so far recorded is found in 3:15 (Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.). It means that Jesus must fulfill scriptures.

In this section Jesus speaks three times and each time he uses the phrase “it is written”, that is, it is written in the scriptures (Old Testament). Jesus responds to the testing of the devil by citing scriptures which he must fulfill.

The devil begins his first two sayings with the words “If you are the Son of God…” This harks back to the voice from Heaven at the Baptism of Jesus: “This is my beloved Son” (3:17).

The three responses of Jesus all come Deuteronomy. They refer to the testing of Israel in wilderness after their crossing of the Red Sea. Matthew may have had this event in mind when he wrote about the temptation of Jesus in the desert. He might have also had in mind the crossing of the Red Sea when he wrote about the Baptism of Jesus.

The words “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights…” is similar to the words of Moses in Deuteronomy. “Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by affliction and find out whether or not it was your intention to keep his commandments” (Dt 8:2). Now the words “tempt” and “test” are the same in Greek. Matthew might want to tell us that Jesus is re-living the experience of Israel in his own life and that where Israel failed, Jesus is victorious.

This assertion is further strengthened by later events. For example, the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus proclaimed the Beatitudes is an allusion to Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai.

v. 1. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

The desert or wilderness was believed to be the home of evil spirits. Jesus is, therefore, taken directly to the headquarters of evil.

v. 2. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.

The fasting of Jesus and his hunger paves the way for the first temptation, the satisfaction of his hunger.

v. 3. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, com-mand that these stones become loaves of bread."

At his Baptism, the voice from Heaven identifies Jesus as his Son.

If God can raise from stones children to Abraham (Mt. 3:9), then he can surely change those stones into bread.

v. 4. He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'"

The reply of Jesus comes from Dt 8:3. The complete verse is as follows: “He therefore let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna, a food unknown to you and your fathers, in order to show you that not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the LORD.”

The story of the Manna in the desert is found in Ex 16:1ff. The temptation of Israel was to doubt the power of God to provide for his people. The response of Jesus to this temptation was affirming his faith in the care of God for his creatures (Mt 6:25).

vv. 5-6. Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you and 'with their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"

The holy city is Jerusalem.

The second temptation comes from the response of Jesus to the first temptation. If God cares for his people, then they will come to no harm. Therefore, let Jesus throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and thus prove the truth of the promise made in Ps 9:11-12 (For God commands the angels to guard you….) .

The use of the title Son of God in order to tempt Jesus is also found at the Crucifixion (Mt 27: 40. 43).

v. 7. Jesus answered him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'"

The second reply of Jesus comes from Dt 6:16, “You shall not put the LORD, your God, to the test, as you did at Massah.” Massah means proof or testing. The incident is related in Ex 17:1-7 (The place was called Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD in our midst or not?").

Jesus refuses to test his Father by calling for angelic assistance. Cf. Mt 26:53.

vv. 8-9. Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me."

Cf. Jn 12:31; 16:11; 2 Co 4:4; 1 Jn 5:19 about the devil as ruler of this world.

v. 10. At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'"

The third reply of Jesus comes from Dt 6:13. But read the whole passage (Dt 6:13-15).
Jesus does not commit the sin of worshipping other gods. He, therefore, receives from the Father what the devil promises and more (Mt 28:18).

“Get away, Satan!” We find something similar in Mt 16:23. There Peter tempts Jesus to avoid the crucifixion. In both passages, Jesus is being tempted to take a path different from the one pointed out by the Father. He refuses and is rewarded (Phil 2:5-11).

v. 11. Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Jesus is victorious ove the devil and is, therefore, exalted above the angels (Heb 1:6).

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.