19 February 2023: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary time A

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Lv 19:1-2, 17-18	Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13	1 Cor 3:16-23	Mt 5:38-48
RCL: Lv 19:1-2,9-18		RCL: 1 Cor 3:10-11, 16-23

Discipleship: a call to deeper observance through deeper holiness

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on a disciple’s call to God’s own holiness and perfection.

First reading (Lv 19:1-2, 17-18)

The first reading is from Leviticus, the third book of the Torah. Leviticus mixes stories about the Israelites’ wilderness experience with legal and holiness codes. The book preserves liturgical and social observances that reveal God’s holiness, and teaches God’s people how to be holy as God is holy.

In today’s pericope, the Lord tells Moses to instruct the people in how to treat each other. If God’s people are to be holy as God is holy (“Be holy, for I am holy”), they must act with justice, not with “hated” or “revenge.” In the ancient world, the “heart” is the source of not only emotion and sentiment, but also intellect, will, and understanding. God’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” is not about emotion, but intention. That is, to be holy, a person must think, speak, and act from love. We express love through acts of justice that align with God’s commands (“bear no hatred,” “take no revenge,” cherish no grudge”).

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it sets out the call to holiness found in the second reading and the gospel.

Second reading (1 Cor 3:16-23)

The second reading is the sixth part of a multi-week, semi-continuous reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to real flesh-and-blood people working out how best to live their faith. He urges the believing community to unity: “that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” Paul teaches disciples to reject any words, actions, or distinctions that disrupt the community’s unity and holiness. Love is the basis and context for community life.

Just before today’s pericope, Paul uses a construction metaphor to explain the Corinthian believing community. As a foundation determines a building’s shape and structure, so Christ determines the shape and structure that the believing community builds up. The believing community’s construction project is a temple, God’s “Holy of Holies,” where God’s Spirit dwells. In today’s pericope, Paul concludes his building metaphor with a warning: if a disciple’s bad workmanship or substandard materials (un-Christian words or actions) destroy God’s temple, God will destroy that disciple. Paul then returns to his earlier themes of wisdom, foolishness, and boasting. Human wisdom (“in this age”) is self-deception. Paul urges those seeking true wisdom to accept the paradox and “become a fool” to find God’s wisdom, and so “become wise.” Paul offers two quotes from Hebrew scripture (Job 5:13 and Ps 94:11) about divine wisdom’s superiority. Paul reminds the Corinthians that, as part of the believing community, they are co-sharers and co-inheritors of God’s mystery: “everything belongs to you.” Through their community relationship they are in relationship with Christ (“you to Christ”); and through their relationship with Christ, they are in relationship with God (“and Christ to God”).

The Lectionary editors chose this reading to conclude Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from 1 Corinthians.

Gospel (Mt 5:38-48)

Matthew’s gospel continues Jesus’ Sermon on the mount. In today’s pericope, Jesus declares the religious leaders’ Torah interpretation inadequate and charges disciples to practice a deeper observance. His examples address human relationships among people in a covenantal faith community.

• On nonretaliation (Mt 5:38-42). Jesus identifies revenge as a cause of broken relationships. Torah placed limits on retribution to limit escalation. Jesus calls disciples to nonretaliation as the way to confront evil and to break the cycle of violence. He tells disciples to ignore insults, humiliation, shaming, and retaliation against others. Disciples are to show generosity to others to invite reciprocal generosity.
• Love your enemy (Mt 5:43-48). Jesus identifies actions against covenant faithfulness as a cause of broken relationships. Torah required Jews to act toward each other with honor and faithfulness (the Ten Commandments), but Jews were not obligated to treat those outside the community in the same way. Jesus calls disciples to treat those inside and outside the community with the same unlimited covenantal honor and faithfulness, just as God treats all with mercy and justice.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about our holiness as based on how we treat others. The Leviticus author records God’s command: to be holy, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Paul warns the Corinthians that they don’t need to chase after the world’s wisdom or status; as members of Christ’s believing community, they already have all they need. Jesus teaches that to reach a deeper observance of God’s law and holiness, disciples must live his beatitudes.

Where do we find holiness? Do we encounter holiness only in personal acts and solitary rituals, or do we become holy in serving others? Do we seek holiness through esoteric studies, or do we find the holy in our community relationships? Do we acquire holiness in solitude, or do we live holiness in our daily engagements with everyone we meet?

—Terence Sherlock

3 January 2021: The Epiphany of the Lord A/B/C

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Is 60:1-6	Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13	Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 RCL: Eph 3:1-12	Mt 2:1-12

Christmastime: Epiphany’s meanings

During the Christmas season, the Lectionary presents us with the events of Jesus’ early life. This Sunday celebrates the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. The readings ask us to consider our own epiphanies.

The first reading is from the prophet Isaiah, specifically Third Isaiah, who spoke to the exiles returning from Babylon. In today’s pericope, Third Isaiah imagines the whole earth engulfed in darkness. The only light comes from Zion (“over you appears God’s glory”): God in glory, present among the Jews, shines out like a brilliant dawn. All nations and kings recognize God’s presence and come to Zion (Jerusalem) to offer gifts (“bearing gold and frankincense”) and to worship (“proclaiming the praises of the LORD”). The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it refers to two of the magi’s gifts (“gold and frankincense”), and because gentiles recognize and “walk by the Lord’s light.”

The second reading is a late first century (80-100 AD) letter to the Ephesus ekklesia by an unknown author writing in Paul’s name. In today’s pericope, the author tells the Ephesians that God revealed (“the mystery was made known”) to Paul, to the apostles, and to early Christian prophets that the gentiles share fully and equally with the Jews (“co-heirs, co-members of the same body, and co-partners”) in Jesus’ saving act (“the promise”). The Ephesians themselves are proof of this revelation because their believing community lives in this unity (“members of the same body” refers to their ekklesia). The Lectionary editors chose this reading to emphasize the gentiles’ place in salvation.

Matthew’s gospel is the story of the magi’s visit. The Greek word ἐπιφαίνω (eh-pee-fah-EE-noh), which gives the Epiphany feast its name, can mean either “to show,” to appear,” or “to give light to, to illuminate.” Matthew’s story reveals Jesus and enlightens his hearers.

• The magi and the story’s sources. The Greek word magos (singular) or magi (plural) refers to Persian priests with special abilities to interpret dreams. Here the magi appear as astrologers/astronomers who study the stars as a guide to important events. Matthew may be connecting the magi to the seer Balaam’s prophecy in Nm 24:17: “A star shall advance from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel.” First century Jewish thought identified a star as a symbol for the messiah.
• The meaning for Matthew and his community. Matthew’s ekklesia in Antioch included both Jewish Christians and gentile Christians. Matthew uses the magi’s quest for the new king to prefigure his community’s gentile believers’ search for Jesus. The magi story’s point is not that the magi are gentiles, but rather that Jesus is manifested (or revealed) through specific signs: the star, Herod’s reaction, the magi’s search, the magi’s gifts and worship. These signs reveal the incarnate God to the world.

This week’s readings, and all Christmas season readings, ask us to consider the meaning of Jesus’ self-revelation. Isaiah describes God’s shining glory revealing God’s presence and giving light to all people. The Ephesians’ author reveals that God offers salvation equally to both Jews and gentiles. Matthew reveals God-with-us in the magi’s words and actions. Epiphany reminds us that God reveals the Godself to those who actively seek illumination. Do we notice God’s presence shining out from the created world? Can we look beyond tired commercial images and see the real meaning of lights and stars? Do we continue to search for God’s enlightenment and our own epiphanies despite the cynicism of modern Herods?

—Terence Sherlock