| Reading 1 | Response | Reading 2 | Gospel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10 | Ps 131:1, 2, 3 | 1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13 | Mt 23:1-12 |
| RCL: Micah 3:5-12 | RCL: 1 Thes 2:9-13 |
Discipleship: critiquing others’ actions, seeing our own
During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on seeing our own duties and responsibilities in the choices and failures of others.
First reading (Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10)
The first reading is from the prophet Malachi, who wrote sometime after the exiles’ return in 445 BC. This short book, which consists of six speeches or disputations, doesn’t even give the prophet’s actual name: the Hebrew word malachi simply means “my messenger.”
In today’s pericope, Malachi critiques the Jerusalem priesthood, complaining that the priests fail to perform sacrifices properly (“give glory to my name”). The priests instructed the people in laws and moral imperatives. The prophet charges that the priests failed to keep the covenant (“turned aside from the way”) and failed to teach the people fully, which caused many in Judea to fall away (“to falter by your instruction”). Malachi likens the corrupt religious leaders to judges who rule unfairly (“show partiality in your decisions”). Finally, the prophet condemns the priests for permitting marriages with foreign women who worship other gods (“we break faith with one another”). Foreign marriages violate the covenant (Dt 7:1-4).
The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Malachi’s criticism of the Levitical priests echoes Jesus’ critique of the religious leaders in the gospel.
Second reading (1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13)
The second reading is the third part of a five-week, semi-continuous reading from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonica ekklesia. Paul wrote this letter, the earliest written document in Christian scripture, in 50-51 AD to encourage the Thessalonians in their faith and to answer questions about marriage, Jesus’ parousia, and believers’ resurrections.
In today’s pericope, Paul contrasts the apostles’ free and freely given gospel message with traditional Greek itinerant philosophers, who attracted a few converts and then required payment to teach them philosophy or religion. Paul points out that he, Silvanus, and Timothy came to the Thessalonians “gently” (“as a nursing mother cherishes her children”), openly sharing without cost not only “the gospel of God” but also themselves with the new believers. “In order not to burden” the Thessalonians, Paul earned money (“worked”) as a tentmaker and leatherworker to support himself during the “day,” and “proclaimed the gospel” to the new community at “night. Paul closes with thanksgiving to God that the ekklesia discerned his preaching as “God’s word,” and for their understanding of faith (“you who believe”), which God makes visible (“now at work”) in the community.
The Lectionary editors chose this reading to continue Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Thessalonians.
Gospel (Mt 23:1-12)
This section of Matthew’s gospel is from Jesus’ teachings in Jerusalem as his opponents question and challenge him. In today’s pericope, Jesus critiques his opponents for their hypocrisy, bad theology, and performative religious show. Matthew uses these criticisms to distinguish the emerging Christian ekklesia from emerging rabbinical Judaism and to warn about his own community’s attitudes and behaviors.
- Jesus critiques the religious leaders. Throughout the gospels, Jesus criticizes some religious leaders of his day (late 20s-early 30s AD) for their actions and attitudes. Using the prophetic language of Amos, Isaiah, and Malachi (see today’s first reading), Jesus warns the crowds and his disciples to hear the religious leaders’ Torah teachings, but to reject their hypocritical actions. Jesus does not condemn all Sadducees, Pharisees, and scribes; he addresses only those leaders who put their own gratification ahead of their responsibilities to the people whom God places in their care.
- Changing historical context from Jesus to Matthew. When the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem temple in 70 AD, the Jewish religious and political order collapsed as well. The Sadducees (temple priests and Roman political supporters), along with their supporting scribes, ceased to exist. The Pharisees (a lay religious movement that emphasized ritual purity, tithing, and sabbath observance), along with their supporting scribes, began the slow transformation into today’s rabbinical Judaism.
- Matthew’s message to his believing community. Writing in the early 80s AD, Matthew adapts Jesus’ early-30s AD criticisms to reflect the conflict between developing Pharisaic Judaism and Matthew’s believing community. Matthew rewrites Jesus’ rebuke of the Jewish leaders to highlight the same faults present in his ekklesia. He challenges his community to examine their own conduct and attitudes, including creating human laws over and above Torah laws, making religious observance about appearance rather than substance, and using titles to set themselves apart from everyone else. He reminds disciples that they share in Jesus’ mission to bring the good news to all, and that they teach Jesus’ example of service only when the serve other.
Summary and reflection
This week’s readings ask us to think about what we say about ourselves when we critique others. Malachi criticizes the religious leaders of his time because they fail to keep God’s covenant; but God’s people also have covenantal responsibilities. Paul contrasts his free and freely given gospel and self-funded mission with the itinerant philosophers’ fee-based and convert-supported teachings. Matthew adapts Jesus’ critique of the leaders of his time to point out similar behaviors present in his own believing community.
Who doesn’t prefer to be exalted by others than be publicly humbled? Jesus calls disciples to serve; our service to others in words and actions determines if we are exalted or humbled. Do we rejoice in others’ failings, or do we hear the call to change our own words and actions? Do we expect a return for demonstrating our faith, or do we freely share what we believe without expecting a return? Do we reject the gospel because we disapprove of the teachers, or can we hear God’s message despite the messenger?
—Terence Sherlock
The Lectionary In Context 