27 February 2022: Eighth Sunday in Ordinary time C

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Sir 27:4-7	Ps 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16	1 Cor 15:54-58	Lk 6:39-45
RCL: Is 55:10-13		RCL: 1 Cor 15:51-58	RCL: Lk 6:39-49

Discipleship: inner life yields outward actions

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on the alignment between one’s inner life and outward words and actions.

First reading (Sir 27:4-7)

The first reading is from the wisdom writer Sirach (Jesus ben Sira), who wrote around 180 BC. Sirach’s grandson translated the writer’s practical advice on true wisdom, duties of parents and children, and friendship from Hebrew into Greek around 132 BC. In today’s pericope, Sirach offers common sense advice on how to recognize someone’s integrity. Using three observations from nature (a shaken sieve, a potter’s kiln, a tree’s fruit), Sirach suggests that difficulty (“tribulation”) reveals true character. That is, words and actions, not appearances, “disclose” someone’s real nature or inner life (“the bent of one’s mind”). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Sirach’s saying about a tree’s fruit is similar to Jesus’ saying in the gospel.

Second reading (1 Cor 15:54-58)

The second reading is the conclusion of the semi-continuous reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to the Corinthians to urge them toward unity and to correct their misunderstandings and wrong behaviors. In today’s pericope, Paul closes his teaching on the resurrection of the dead with a scripture quote and a summary exhortation. First, Paul quotes from Is 24:8 (“Death is swallowed up in victory”) and Hos 13:14 (“Death, where is your victory? Where is your sting?”) to express the resurrection’s final triumph over death. Paul continues Hosea’s metaphor (“death” is like a scorpion’s lethal “sting”), equating death with sin. Jewish apocalyptic writers believed that Adam’s transgression resulted in his death. Paul also teaches that “sin’s power is in the law.” Paul is referring to laws in general, not specifically to Torah. Greek philosophers thought that all law was compromised because mortal and perishable humans created law. Finally, Paul closes his teaching with an exhortation for unity and harmony within the community (“be firm, steadfast, always devoted to the Lord’s work”). He highlights his kinship with the Corinthians (“my beloved brothers and sisters”) and closes the main body of his instruction with faith (“your labor is not in vain”). The Lectionary editors chose this reading to close the semi-continuous reading from 1 Corinthians.

Gospel (Lk 6:39-45)

Luke’s gospel concludes Jesus’ “sermon on the plain.” Addressing those who have chosen discipleship, Jesus uses several sayings to teach about how our judgement of others and our words and actions reveal who we are.

• Blind leaders, limited teachers, impaired vision. These three sayings are about judgements that masquerade as fraternal correction. Blind leaders see themselves as more competent to guide others, but everyone ends up in a hole. Limited teachers see themselves as experts, but because they can teach only as much as they know, their students, at best, can be only as good as their teachers. Those quick to see others’ faults should first ensure their view of their own faults is clear and accurate. The Greek word ὑποκριτής/hypokritḗs (“hypocrite”) means “a pretender” or “play-actor.” The hypocrite doesn’t see his or her own faults, yet insists on judging, criticizing, and correcting others.
• Trees and fruit, character and actions. These two sayings are about how a person’s words and actions reveal true character (“heart”). In the ancient world, character preceded action; the state of a person’s heart is revealed in her or his deeds. Only a hypocrite would use good deeds to hide an evil heart. Jesus comments that just as a well-tended tree yields good fruit, a person’s moral goodness yields kind words and thoughtful actions. Jesus gives those who judge others another criterion to gauge their own worthiness: one’s mouth (what you say) must agree with one’s heart (what or who you are).

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about how our words and actions reveal our interior lives. Sirach teaches that adversity reveals a person’s true character. Paul closes his letter by reminding the Corinthians, who share in Christ’s victory over death, are also united by Christ in their common relationship and work. Jesus teaches his disciples that serving others requires that we know and judge ourselves first, otherwise we are hypocrites.

Our words and actions reveal to others who we really are as disciples. What do we reveal about our inner spiritual lives? Do our words and actions witness to moral integrity? How does what we say and do reveal our relationship with Christ and the believing community? Does our mouth speak from a heart that’s full, or a heart that’s empty?

—Terence Sherlock

20 February 2022: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary time C

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23	Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13	1 Cor 15:45-49	Lk 6:27-38
RCL: Gen 45: 3-11, 15		RCL: 1 Cor 15: 35-38, 42-52

Discipleship: love, mercy, and compassion like God

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on mercy, forgiveness, justice, and love.

First reading (1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23)

The first reading is from the first book of the prophet Samuel, which tells the story of the beginnings of Israel’s monarchy, including stories of Saul and David. Saul was Israel’s first king; David, after killing Goliath, became Saul’s second in command. David was more popular with the people, and Saul began to distrust David, expelling him from Israel. In today’s pericope, Saul is hunting David to kill him. In a plot twist, Saul is delivered into David’s hands, asleep and undefended. David’s general, Abishai, wants to seize this chance to kill Saul, but David refuses to harm God’s anointed king (“who can lay hands on the LORD’s anointed and remain unpunished?”). David realizes that only God can judge Saul (“The LORD will reward each man for his justice”). Instead, David takes Saul’s spear as evidence that he has spared Saul’s life (“I would not harm the LORD’s anointed”). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because David’s forgiveness of Saul echoes Jesus’ demand to forgive enemies.

Second reading (1 Cor 15:45-49)

The second reading is a continuation of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to the Corinthians to urge them toward unity and to correct their misunderstandings and wrong behaviors. In today’s pericope, Paul presents Hebrew scripture’s story of Adam (“the first human, Adam”) and the Christian understanding and meaning of Christ (“the last Adam,” “the second human”). In a series of contrasts, Paul compares Adam and Christ. Adam is given life by God (“became a living creature”); Christ gives life through his transformative death and resurrection. Adam emerges in God’s creation as a “natural” being; the pre-existent Christ is a “spiritual” being. Adam is “from the earth” (Gn 2:7); Christ descends “from heaven” and is made flesh. All humans share Adam’s earthliness and humanness (“we have borne the image of the earthly one”), but believers can also share in Christ’s life and divinity (“bear the image of the heavenly one”). In the present life, God’s grace helps believers align their lives to Christ’s example; at the end-time, resurrected believers will be conformed to Christ. The Lectionary editors chose this reading as part Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from First Corinthians.

Gospel (Lk 6:27-38)

Luke’s gospel is a continuation of the “sermon on the plain.” In today’s pericope, Jesus gives his disciples the “laws” of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ laws are not prescriptive rules, but a way of thinking and living that, guided by the Spirit, enable a disciple to do the right thing at the right time.

• The law of love. Jesus demands that disciples go beyond and do more than simple reciprocity. The human golden rule (“Treat others as you wish to be treated”) is a minimum human response; Jesus calls disciples to follow the divine golden rule: “Do as God does.”
• Going beyond reciprocity. In three examples, Jesus identifies the limits of simple reciprocity: “even sinners do that.” Disciples must act as God does, being kind to all, even to those who are unkind or evil. A disciple’s true test of love is honoring a specific person whose words and actions are unlovable. Those who define their own conduct as the measure of love for others (the human golden rule) necessarily limit their love to others. Jesus calls disciples to use God’s actions as the measure of love for others (the divine golden rule), which requires disciples to rise above and go beyond human limitations of love.
• Measuring love. Disciples experience life in the kingdom by their relationship with God. Disciples must not judge others, not because others will judge disciples in return, but because God will judge disciples. Jesus sums up his teaching about the law of love with a warning: whatever measure a disciple uses in doing, loving, or condemning another will become the measure God uses to measure that disciple’s actions and words.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about judgement, justice, forgiveness, and love. David, often forgiven by God, recognizes that God alone can judge Saul. Paul tells the Corinthians that they come from Adam’s earthiness, but through God’s grace are called to share in Christ’s heavenliness. Jesus calls disciples to love the unlovable, to forgive the unforgivable, to stop judging and comparing, and to be merciful as God is merciful.

Love does not conflict with justice; love always satisfies justice, even when love exceeds justice’s demands. Whom do we forgive and not forgive? Do we accept God’s grace to align our ways of thinking and living with Christ’s? How does God measure our words and actions toward those who hate, judge, and refuse to forgive us?

—Terence Sherlock

13 February 2022: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary time C

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Jer 17:5-8	Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6	1 Cor 15:12, 16-20	Lk 6:17, 20-26
RCL: Jer 17:5-10		RCL: 1 Cor 15:12-20	RCL: Lk 6:17-20

Disciples as prophets: blessings and warnings

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on a disciple’s prophetic messages.

First reading (Jer 17:5-8)

The first reading is from the book of Jeremiah, a prophet in Judah from 626 BC to Jerusalem’s fall in 597 BC. In today’s pericope, Jeremiah contrasts those who trust humans and are “cursed,” with those who trust God and are “blessed.” The blessing/curse formula appears throughout Hebrew scripture (for example, Dt 11:26-28, Ps2:12, Ps 40:5), but especially in the prophetic tradition (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because the prophet Jeremiah’s “cursed” and “blessed” parallel Jesus’ “blessed” and “woe” in today’s gospel.

Second reading (1 Cor 15:12, 16-20)

The second reading is a continuation of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to the Corinthians to urge them toward unity and to correct their misunderstandings and wrong behaviors. In today’s pericope, Paul addresses those who deny the resurrection. Most likely these few deniers are gnostic believers who think those who “died” in baptism have already attained a “spiritual” resurrection. For them, a “bodily” resurrection would be a step backward. Paul corrects their faulty logic using the creedal statement from last week’s reading (1 Cor 15:3b-5). If the resurrection of the dead is impossible (“the dead are not raised”), then God could not have raised Christ from the dead (“neither is Christ raised”). Logically, “if Christ is not raised,” the Corinthians’ sins are not forgiven, because it is Christ’s resurrection that gives the power to save. In addition, without a resurrection, the faithful believers who have died (“fallen asleep”) will not be seen again; they are lost forever (“perished”). “But,” Paul counters, “Christ has been raised,” contrary to what the deniers believe. Paul uses “firstfruits” as a metaphor: just as the first fruits of a harvest are a promise of the larger harvest to come, so also Christ’s resurrection is a promise of the future resurrection of all believers. The Lectionary editors chose this reading as part Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from First Corinthians.

Gospel (Lk 6:17, 20-26)

Luke’s gospel is from the first part of Jesus’ “sermon on the plain.” In today’s pericope, Jesus announces blessings and woes that address his hearers’ social conditions (poor/rich; hungry/satisfied; grieving/laughing; outcast/socially acceptable). The blessing and woes continue Luke’s pattern of reversal, first seen in Mary’s Magnificat (Lk 1:48-55).

• Social context. In scripture, the word “poor” describes a social status, rather than an economic condition. In today’s world, wealth itself bestows power; in the ancient world, power was the path to wealth. In Jesus’ time, someone became rich by using his social power to take wealth from the weaker and defenseless, leaving them hungry, grieving, and socially isolated.
• Jesus’ audience. Jesus addresses his teaching to his disciples first (“raising his eyes toward his disciples”), then to the crowd of Jews from Judea and Jerusalem and gentiles from Tyre and Sidon. Luke includes gentiles in his account because his believing community was predominantly gentile Christians from lower social classes oppressed by those in power.
• Jesus’ message. Jesus’ beatitudes give shape to what a disciple’s life should look like. He announces to poor, hungry, grieving, and socially outcast disciples that they have a place in God’s kingdom, the kingdom that his ministry now inaugurates. The beatitudes are eschatological because they look forward to life in God’s kingdom, but they are also of the here-and-now of Jesus’ coming and his saving word. God is casting down the mighty and lifting up the lowly now, before the kingdom is fully realized at the end-time.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about how we, as prophets, proclaim the kingdom. Jeremiah tells God’s people not to trust in other humans who will fail them, but to trust in God’s constancy and care. Paul tells the Corinthians to put their trust in the resurrected Christ, who saves them now and promises their own resurrections. Jesus tells his disciples that they are blessed because they are already part of God’s kingdom, which is now overturning the mighty to lift up the poor.

As prophets of God’s kingdom, what is our message to others? Are our words and actions full of trust in God’s care, or do we proclaim faith in human power and strength only? Are we confident in the resurrected Christ’s power to save, or is our faith in our own reason and ability? Do we think and act as members of God’s kingdom now, or is our discipleship contingent on what people in power think and say about us?

—Terence Sherlock

6 February 2022: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time C

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Is 6:1-2a, 3-8	Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8	1 Cor 15:1-11 or 1 Cor 15:3-8, 11	Lk 5:1-11
RCL: Is 6:1-8 (9-13)		RCL: 1 Cor 15:1-11

Discipleship: God’s call and our response

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on God’s call to each person, and that person’s response.

First reading (Is 6:1-2a, 3-8)

The first reading is from the prophet Isaiah, specifically the first Isaiah, whom God called to speak to the people of Judah in the eighth century BC. In today’s pericope, Isaiah describes his call to be a prophet. The word “prophet” means “to speak for [another]”; Isaiah volunteers to “speak for God.” In a vision, Isaiah encounters God and God’s divine council (the “seraphim”) in the Jerusalem Temple, which is an earthly extension of God’s heavenly palace. Isaiah describes God sitting on “on a high and lofty throne,” surrounded by the divine assembly’s members. The contrast between God’s holiness and human sinfulness (“I am a man of unclean lips”) overwhelms Isaiah. The seraphim’s purifying ember cleanses Isaiah (“your wickedness is removed”). God then asks the divine council, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” His “sin” now purged, Isaiah volunteers to be God’s prophet: “Here I am, send me!” The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Peter’s claim of unworthiness in today’s gospel echoes Isaiah’s response before God.

Second reading (1 Cor 15:1-11)

The second reading is a continuation of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to the Corinthians to urge them toward unity and to correct their misunderstandings and wrong behaviors. In today’s pericope, Paul returns to his unity theme, by restating the gospel (“the word I preached to you”) that all believers hold in common. Paul reminds the Corinthians what he “handed on” to them: a Palestinian-based creed about Christ’s saving act. The creed has two parts: the reality of Christ’s death and the reality of his resurrection. First, Christ “died for our sins,” an interpretation (“according to the scriptures”) of Is 53:5. “He was buried” means Christ really died. Second, Christ “was raised,” a divine passive that indicates God raised Christ. That “Christ appeared” to many people proves the resurrection’s reality. Paul then notes his place among the apostles, coming late to belief (“born abnormally”). He is “least” because he persecuted the believing community (Acts 9:1-6), but through “God’s grace,” Christ called him to apostleship. Paul closes in the same way he started, with themes of preaching and believing. The Lectionary editors chose this reading as part Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from First Corinthians.

Gospel (Lk 5:1-11)

Luke’s gospel presents Jesus as a teacher and prophet who begins to gather his disciples.

• Jesus as teacher. Jesus “sat and taught the crowd from the boat.” Both Greek philosophers and Jewish rabbis taught while seated. Luke often describes Jesus in this posture, a detail that his gentile readers would understand: Jesus is an important teacher.
• Jesus as prophet. Jesus tells Simon to “put out into the deep and lower your nets.” Peter, an experienced fisherman, knows this won’t work. His two-boat dragnet team fishes close to the shore and at night because that is where and when fish feed. Despite his skepticism, Simon complies and is overwhelmed by the catch. Fish are a messianic sign; the superabundance suggests the messianic age has begun. Luke portrays Jesus as a prophet (“lower your nets for a catch”) whose prophetic word is immediately fulfilled.
• Simon responds to Jesus. In calling Jesus “Lord,” Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus not simply as an earthly leader, but as Lord (κύριος/kýrios), a title the post-resurrection believing community uses to indicate Jesus’ divinity. Realizing his unworthiness before the Lord, Simon, like Isaiah in the first reading, expresses his “sinfulness.” Fear in the presence of a transcendent experience is a recurring theme in Luke. Jesus tells Simon, “Don’t be afraid.” Simon’s miraculous catch prefigures his vocation and missionary work as Jesus calls him from catching fish to catching people. Based on Jesus teaching, prophecy, and mighty work, Simon, James, and John leave everything and become Jesus’ disciples.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about the discipleship and ministry to which God invites us. Isaiah considers himself too wicked to speak to God, yet he becomes God’s voice to God’s people. Paul says that he is not fit to be an apostle, yet God’s grace enables him to travel the ancient world proclaiming Christ’s saving story. Simon Peter recognizes his sinfulness before Jesus, yet Jesus chooses him to fish for people.

Despite our personal limitations and failings, God calls us to discipleship and ministry. Although we may not be able to speak in public, are we being called to witness through our works alone? Although we may not be able to do missionary work far away, are we being called to serve in our own community? Although we are already be successful at something, are we bring called to do something different that makes us fearful or uncomfortable? Whatever the case, are we able to respond, “Send me!”?

—Terence Sherlock