29 October 2023: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary time A

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Ex 22:20-26	Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51	1 Thes 1:5c-10	Mt 22:34-40
RCL: Lv 19:1-2, 15-18		RCL: 1 Thes 2:1-8	RCL: Mt 22:34-46

Discipleship: love God by loving one’s neighbor

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on how disciples concretely love God by honoring and caring for those who are nearby.

First reading (Ex 22:20-26)

The first reading is from Exodus, the second book of Torah. Exodus tells the stories of Moses, Passover, freedom from Egypt’s slavery, the Ten Commandments, and the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings.

In today’s pericope, the Exodus writers define social regulations to protect the powerless. Hebrew scripture, especially the prophets, demands caring for those who do not have a family patriarch to provide for and to protect them: widows, orphans, the resident alien, and the poor. Society’s weakest are most vulnerable to exploitation; justice is not simply compensating someone for a loss, it also requires care for society’s defenseless. God promises the exploited special access: God “hears their cry.” The pericope also includes instructions on right treatment of the neighbor: honoring God and creating personal holiness require concrete actions. Torah, presented in a social context (the widow, orphan, the alien, the poor, the neighbor), inculcates a social ethic based on compassion.

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because Torah instructions about social responsibilities toward one’s neighbor correspond to the gospel’s greatest commandments.

Second reading (1 Thes 1:5c-10)

The second reading is the second 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’ faith and to answer questions about marriage, Jesus’ parousia, and believers’ resurrections.

In last week’s pericope, Paul said that the good news came to the Thessalonians not only through the missionaries’ words, but through God’s power, specifically through the Spirit, whose outpouring resulted in the Thessalonians’ full conviction in the words’ truth. In today’s pericope, Paul connects the results of those human words and God’s outpouring: the Thessalonians became “imitators” of the missionaries and “the Lord,” both in their afflictions and their joys. Even more, the Thessalonians and their “faith” stand as “a model” to their neighboring believers (“believers in Macedonia and in Achaia”). These other believers publicly witness (“openly declare”) the Thessalonians’ generous “reception” of Paul and his company, and how they “turned to God from idols.” Modern readers can hardly imagine the personal sacrifice and risks in “turning to God:” becoming a believer created social and family disruptions and sometimes brought persecution from local authorities and from the empire. Paul closes with a summary of belief: “awaiting God’s Son from heaven” and “the coming wrath (or judgement)” suggest early Christianity’s belief in Jesus’ imminent return; the God who “raised [Jesus] from the dead” suggests God’s promise of salvation to those who believe.

The Lectionary editors chose this reading to continue Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Thessalonians.

Gospel (Mt 22:34-40)

This section of Matthew’s gospel is from Jesus’ teachings in Jerusalem as his opponents question and challenge him. In today’s pericope, Jesus skillfully answers another test question from the Pharisees about the greatest commandment.

• The question’s context. The scribe asks a question in the narrowest, legal sense of Torah. Torah contains 613 commands, and Torah scholars distinguished between the great and small, and even the very great and very small. The scribe is not asking “what commandments can we disregard?”, but rather is challenging Jesus to sum up Torah in a simple statement like rabbi Hillel (“What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor”). Jesus’ answer will reveal how well he knows Torah.
• One answer, two commandments. Jesus joins two important commandments (“Love God” and “Love your neighbor”), and in joining them, suggest a new dimension in loving God. First, Jesus quotes the Shema prayer (Dt 6:5), which every devout Jew prayed twice a day. Jesus identifies the Shema as the “greatest commandment” because it spells out concretely that one loves God by keeping the covenant. Second, Jesus quotes from the Holiness Code (Lv 19:18). That is, to be holy as God is holy, one must love one’s neighbor as oneself. By joining these two commands, Jesus suggests that the two form one, inseparable law: one “loves God” by “loving one’s neighbor.”

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about love as an action. Exodus instructs the Israelites to care for and to protect society’s most vulnerable members: widows, orphans, resident aliens, and the poor among them, as well as those nearby (“neighbors”) who are not kin. Paul praises the Thessalonians for their faith, which has inspired their neighbors to become believers. Jesus expands the interpretation and understanding of Torah to show how serving and caring for one nearby (“neighbor”) also honors and glorifies God.

In the ancient world, “love” meant a concrete action (“I will care for this sick stranger”), not simply an abstract emotional feeling (“I love your shoes”). What are we doing to love God? What are we doing to love the nearby one, the neighbor, the stranger? What do our actions (or inactions) say about our commitment to God and our discipleship to Jesus?

—Terence Sherlock

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

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