Boseph's Blog

Tag: Commentary

  • 1st Monday of Lent Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 (Year C)

    31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

    The proceeding dialogue of Jesus sets the tone of todays readings, is focusing on prophecy and parables that illuminate future events, both concerning judgement but some are sooner than others as some concern eschatology, the end times. Matthew 25:31-46 is of an eschatological nature, the events Jesus are talking about concern the final judgement but also by extension our own particular judgements.

    Before we get into Jesus’ sayings we should have a brief overview of Second Temple Jewish eschatology.

    Many Jews anticipated a future “Day of the Lord,” a time when God would intervene decisively in history to judge the wicked, restore Israel, and establish His Kingdom. This day was often associated with cosmic signs, upheaval, and divine judgment (e.g., Joel 2:1-11; Zephaniah 1:14-18). There was widespread hope for a Messiah (anointed one, Christos in Greek) who would deliver Israel from oppression and restore the Davidic kingdom. Some expected a warrior-king, while others envisioned a priestly or prophetic figure, generally speaking someone who would restore Israel to its past glory, he had quasi-divine attributes that coalesces with the Two Powers in Heaven theology, an invisible Yahweh in Heaven and a Visible Yahweh on earth, this visible Yahweh would be the Son of man figure of Daniel, the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of David.

    Belief in bodily resurrection emerged during this period, particularly among groups like the Pharisees. This belief was tied to the idea of divine justice: the righteous would be raised to eternal life, while the wicked would face punishment (e.g., Daniel 12:2-3). Many Jews believed in a final judgment where God would judge all people, both the living and the dead. This judgment would be based on one’s deeds, with the righteous being vindicated and the wicked condemned. The concept of a “Great Assize” (a final courtroom scene) appears in some texts, where God or a divine figure (e.g., the Son of Man) presides over the judgment. This Great Assize will be of focus for todays readings.

    Jesus, speaking in the third person, says that when he comes in his glory, with his angels, then he will sit on his throne. Daniel speaks of the Son of Man receiving authority and dominion but Jesus is already here so why is this judgement not happening? The answer is in the clue of “in his glory”. This references a time after his resurrection in his glorified body. He would go not to an earthy throne but a heavenly throne after his ascension following his rising from the dead.

    32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,

    33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.

    Now we see this as a future final judgement as all the nations are gathered before the Son of Man on his throne. This operates like the foretold Great Assize, the divine courtroom scene at the end of time. He separates people like a shepherd separates goats from sheep. Sheep are docile creatures that recognise the shepherds voice whereas goats are more headstrong and lack docility. In the same way a shepherd splits them up, so will the Son of Man split people up. One side the docile people who follow Jesus and the other, the goats who follow themselves.

    The sheep, the good portion of people, will be placed at the Son of Man’s right hand. This is not just about dominant handedness but to do with rulership. To be at the right hand of a king was to share his rule. Saint Paul tells us we are co-heirs with Christ as he has made us into his body, we share rule with him. To be at his right hand is to partake in his divine authority. Those on the left, simply do not share in any of that. In the Jewish and Near Eastern context the right hand holds this universal place of honour, authority and blessing whereas the left was always considered lesser, unlucky or unfavourable.

    34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

    Speaking again in the third person but now with a royal title of “King”. Jesus says to those on the right that they are blessed, literally favourable of God, they will inherit the Kingdom prepared for them. This kingdom was waiting for them from the beginning of creation “from the foundation of the world”.

    35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

    36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

    37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?

    38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?

    39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’

    40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’

    Jesus then goes on to list all the good works that these people did. Fed him when he was hungry, gave him water when he was thirsty, welcomed him when he was a stranger, clothed him, comforted him in sickness or in imprisonment. These are all good works, not simply believing something. This is articulated as the divider of action between them and those on the left. They did good works. Those in the story are confused and ask the King when did they do this? The king, Jesus tells them that every time you did it for the least, you did it for him. This is rather simple but powerful. The Word became flesh, bound himself by covenant to humanity, so when you do good works for others, you really do do it for Jesus himself.

    41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;

    42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

    43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

    44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’

    45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’

    The King then turns to those on his left, he tells them to depart from the court for they are cursed. Curses are the repercussions for breaking a covenant. They are to be cast into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. This is not Hell, this is where they are destroyed at the end of time. Those that did none of the things that the people on the right did, the good works, will be cast away along with the rebellious angels. Those angels were once servants of God too but they broke their covenants with Yahweh and justice will be served. People are called to this service of God as well but if you break your covenant and do not repent, you get the same punishment.

    46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

    The cursed go to eternal punishment and the righteous receive eternal life. What is striking about these passages is how adamant Jesus is about good works since man-made churches have spent the last few centuries determined to say otherwise. That simply saying in your head “Lord, Lord” is enough, it isn’t and Jesus says explicitly that it isn’t.

  • 1st Sunday of Lent Gospel Luke 4:1-13 (Year C)

    1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit

    Luke has just concluded his infancy narrative, Jesus’ baptism and ending on the Genealogy of Jesus. He is “full of the Holy Spirit”. This phrasing alludes back to Old Testament prophetic designation. Examples like Bezalel in Exodus and Moses along with the Elders in Numbers.

    “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship.” (Exodus 31:3)

    “I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you and put it upon them.” (Numbers 11:17)

    Jesus has been anointed (baptised by John) and is filled with the spirit, he leaves the location of his anointing and is “led by the spirit”. Although we acknowledge the Trinity as a relationship of persons we rarely notice particular elements of this relational communion except between The Father and The Son. Here we see the Spirit utilise its guiding role and leads The Son out to the wilderness.

    2 for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry.

    Jesus following his anointing as a prophet will endure 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. This reflects Moses’ fasting on Mount Sinai in Exodus 34:28 and Elijah’s journey in 1 Kings 19:8. Jesus is marked out as the fulfilment of Moses and Elijah.

    He is tempted by “the devil” diabolou in Greek, which is singular, indicating a personal adversary. When referring to unclean spirits Luke uses plurals like daimonia. This informs the reader that this entity is the singular Evil One and not just a lesser evil spirit.

    3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

    The Evil One says to Jesus that if he is the Son of God he should simply command the stones around him to turn into food. Jesus has been fasting, denying physical nourishment as a component of his preparation for his mission, the devil does not understand this and seeks to tempt him using both his divine identity and hunger. Basically if you have power, use it. This temptation to usurp divine authority in order to eat something should cause echoes of The Fall in Eden.

    4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ”

    Jesus responds by quoting scripture, specifically Deuteronomy 8:3 where Moses reminds Israel that their sustenance is rooted in God, not the bread itself. God is the source of it all, the thing itself is not its own source of nourishment.

    5 And the devil took him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,

    6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.

    7 If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.”

    Not being able to win Jesus over with food, the Evil One now tempts Jesus with power. He takes him “up” we should probably interpret this as to one of the “Heavens” like what is found in the Pseudoepigraphical work The Ascension of Isaiah as what the Devil shows Jesus is “all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time”. He’s showing Jesus the height of empires that didn’t co-exist, this is a vision. The Devil also acknowledges that he, as of right now, has the legitimate authority of the earthly kingdoms. This is true but incomplete. Yahweh disinherited the nations at Babel, putting them under the control of lesser elohim, the Devil props himself up as the leader of these lesser elohim but this disinheritance was only temporary and Yahweh was always above those other gods.

    Just like the previous temptation this also follows the Edenic blueprint, except where man failed, the God-man prevails. The Serpent in Genesis promises our first parents that if they eat of the Tree of Knowledge they would “be like God”, therefore have glory and power but that would require disobeying God and obeying the temptation of the serpent a type of worship. Here we see that same old evil entity promise a God-like power, dominion over all Kingdoms, if Jesus worships him.

    8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ”

    Once again, Jesus responds with scripture, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13. It is a part of the Shema which is essentially the Hebrew Creed and it was recited daily. Jesus rejects the shortcut to earthly kingship, remaining obedient to God The Father.

    9 And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here;

    10 for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you,’

    11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

    Not convincing Jesus with having a lesser kingship over all the nations, the Devil takes Jesus to the top of the Temple in Jerusalem. Telling him that if he is the Son of God he should throw himself off because God will save him. The Devil, noticing that Jesus uses scripture as his rebukes, uses scripture to justify the action, he quotes from Psalm 91:11-12. This shows that Sacred Scripture can be abused with false interpretation, purposefully ignoring the context of Sacred Tradition.

    This also finds it’s allusion back to the Fall in Genesis where the Serpent distorts God’s command about the Tree of Knowledge.

    “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)

    He then tempts our first parents with divine status, in the Gospel reading the Devil switches the order, If you are of divine status you can do my interpretation of scripture (God’s Command).

    12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

    Again Jesus succeeds where our first parents failed, this time hearkening back to something elusive to many man-made churches. There is more than just Sacred Scripture, there is Sacred Tradition that instils a framework of correct interpretation of said scripture. “It is said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ “

    In the previous cases, the rebukes from Jesus have been quotes of Scripture but now the Devil seeks to use scripture against him, Jesus refers to the Tradition of said scripture. “It is said”. Without a divinely instituted framework of Tradition hand-in-hand with Scripture we could abuse it like the Devil does here. Jesus specifically refutes the Devils sola scriptura with sacred tradition.

    13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

    After all of the failures of the old Adam are fixed by the New Adam, Jesus, the Devil gives up, temporarily. Luke tells us it is “until and opportune time” this is likely when goes into Judas, in order to betray Jesus and cause our Lord’s Passion but he is unaware that this event will be his undoing.

  • Saturday after Ash Wednesday Gospel Luke 5:27-32 (Year C)

    27 After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.”

    28 And he left everything, and rose and followed him.

    Jesus has just demonstrated his authority to forgive sins with a miraculous sign of healing the man let through the roof by his companions. Then Luke narrates Matthew’s calling by Jesus. “After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi”. We can assume this is still in Capernaum which did have it’s own Roman tax office where the Rome took her taxes from the Jews. We are told his name is Levi but elsewhere he is called Matthew. Some assume simply that Matthew was his Greek name and Levi his Hebrew name but it might be a little more complex than that.

    Matthew appears to be his Greek name originally Matthaios and Levi, his Hebrew name. Levi means “Joined” or “attached” and is the name of one of the Tribes but Mattaios is actually a Greek version of the Hebrew name Mattityahu which means “Gift of Yahweh”. Considering Levi was a tribal name, his full name was likely Mattityahu of the Tribe of Levi, he Greco-fide his first name to sound more Greek because he was typically working with Romans who spoke that language. If he was of the tribe of Levi that would have meant he was of priestly lineage, this means his occupation as a tax collector was even more of a betrayal than it was perceived to be.

    Jesus simply tells him to follow him and he simply does. He drops everything he is doing in order to do so.

    29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them.

    Levi despite his ostracization from polite Jewish society, he was well accepted and richly rewarded by the gentile one. He has a house large enough to host feasts with “a large company of tax collectors and others”. Although his apparent distance from Jewish covenantal practices, he does make this great feast for Jesus. In Jewish culture, to eat with someone was to say “this is my family”. Levi dropped everything to follow Jesus and now he shows just how far he accepts him, by bring him into the meal. Everything in Jewish life was religious, we might see a list of do’s and dont’s and purity laws but the reason why was that everything essentially was liturgical because everything comes from God. A meal meant a lot more then than now.

    30 And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

    The Pharisees, the dominant sect of Second Temple Judaism and occupiers of Moses’ seat of teaching, along with their scribes see this feast going on. They “murmured” against his disciples, this should take us back to the Exodus where the people murmured against Moses. Ironic, those who now occupy Moses’ seat murmur against the New Moses. It might seem odd in how they saw this going on so we should probably explain some ancient activities that were common then and unheard of now.

    There was a lack of entertainment in ancient days but something rather common in both the Greco-Roman and Judaic world was a type of meal where the public were onlookers. This still might sound weird but it was common especially among Greek philosophers, you’d have an impressive meal, talk about all your big brain ideas and the public could watch and listen. They weren’t involved in the meal but could watch. Considering the Greco-fied Matthew, this might be what’s happening and would explain how passers by could know what was happening, because anybody could.

    The Pharisees with their purity legalism and tunnel vision observations cannot understand why you would ever eat with such people, as the Jewish notion we’ve explained already means you’re incorporating these people into your family in a sense by doing this.

    31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick;

    32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

    Jesus makes it incredibly clear, he is here to help and those who are broken are the ones who need him. He refers to himself as a physician, once you perceive sinners as people who are sick instead of people who are stains on purity your obligations shift. Jesus is not here for those who are righteous but those who need to repent of their sins.

  • Friday after Ash Wednesday Gospel Matthew 9:14-15 (Year C)

    14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

    Following the calling of Matthew the Tax-Collector to become Matthew the Apostle, the Pharisees question why he eats with such people, tax-collectors and sinners. The Pharisees were the largest “sect” if you could call it that of Second Temple Judaism. They were at odds with people like Saint John the Baptist and his disciples. Todays readings now show that Jesus is not on any human side, yes he has much in common with all these different sects but he is here in representation of the God the Father, not man. Saint John the Baptist was sent to be his forerunner but many of his disciples did not understand this.

    There is in fact an enduring group to the modern day who claim to be disciples of John the Baptist, they call themselves Mandaeans, originally living in Judea, they were driven out to Ephesus but modern political conflicts in and around the middle east have caused them to live in the large quantities in Europe.

    So despite their large differences with the Pharisees, the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees fast. Meaning they deny themselves of food as a practice of piety. This confuses the John’s disciples so they ask Jesus why this is so. We should understand that this isn’t just an act of piety practiced by these two groups but was a universal concept among Jews going back through Old Testament literature. Fasting was a work of penance or mourning of death or sin. Everyone did it but Jesus during this part of his ministry does not. We should also remember that before this ministry of his began he did fast for 40 days in the desert. So it’s not that the act shouldn’t be done but in this exact moment, Jesus is not whereas the other groups are.

    15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

    Jesus responds with rhetorical question with parabolic language, that explains more than just why he and his disciples are not fasting but what the nature of his earthly ministry is really about. First of all we have stated that fasting is about denying oneself for sake of mourning a death or penance for sin. Both these things are related to the Fall. Death came into the world through Sin. Fasting is a human act that conforms oneself to God in the hope of being free of these things.

    Jesus starts talking about weddings. He talks about what he is doing here as if it is all apart of a wedding preparation and that his disciples are the weddings guests with himself being the Bridegroom. A wedding is of twofold importance, it is covenantal in nature and creates life. Sin is a breaking of covenant, Jesus is making a new covenant. All the while that the Bridegroom Jesus is here, they should not fast because they should enjoy his company but soon he will give himself entirely to his bride the Church, he will say from the cross “It is consummated”. They will not have him like they did before and they will fast.

  • Thursday after Ash Wednesday Gospel Luke 9:22-25 ( Year C)

    22 saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

    According to Luke’s more chronological narrative of events, Jesus has just fed the five thousand Israelites and Peter has made his confession of faith. Both a demonstration of Jesus’ divine identity and an acknowledgement of it. The further mystery is what is to happen to the God-Man. The reason it is a mystery is because as Saint Paul says it is folly to the pagans and scandalous to the Jews. Jesus outright says what is to happen and the Hebrew Scriptures themselves testify to it. The Messiah must be “cut off” as the Prophet Daniel tells us.

    The title Son of Man itself is a call-back to the Prophet Daniel as well, further cementing this point. The old wineskins will break if they are filled with new wine so the old must be replaced. How could the Old Covenant be replaced, destroyed even without infringing on free will though? That’s a good question. You have to take on an ancient worldview, what we would call the “natural model”. In the natural model, a nation is a body with figures in its elite operating as the head. When a head rejects something, the body rejects it, it has no will of its own. God the Father provides an ultimatum, his Son. If they accept well all is good but we know from history that they didn’t and thus rejected God himself. This is why when the elders, chief priests and scribes reject Jesus, the Old Covenant people reject it. These are the heads of the body of Israel, even though some members accept Jesus, when the head says no, the body is forced to comply.

    It might seem odd to explain all of that in this section but this is why Jesus explains it in these terms, if we do not take on their worldview we’d be left stumped at why their rejection does anything. Their rejection and command to kill Jesus enables Jesus to conquer death. God uses the wickedness of man to demonstrate the Good News. There is a New Covenant, a new body and the head of it conquers death by rising on the third day.

    23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

    Although he is explaining essentially everything, conversion is an act of the heart. So Jesus explains what it will take in order to comprehend, at least in human terms, what he is doing. They will have to deny themselves, meaning to submit entirely unto God, not their inclinations. In order to follow him they have to take up their cross daily.

    Although in our time the cross is a symbol of love and holds many positive connotations, in Jesus’ time it was the most horrific, humiliating and torturous death known to man. Successively “improved” over many centuries in various cultures it finally landed in the hands of the Romans as the perfect method to publicly humiliate and execute someone in the most painful way possible. Your dignity was removed as your clothes were stripped from you, then you are whipped to near death, forced to carry the cross beam through the public square to your execution spot and then nailed to or hung from the beam until you slowly asphyxiate to death in front of everyone. Barbaric to the gentiles, rejected by the Greeks for being to cruel it was kept by the Romans explicitly for slaves and rebels. To the Hebrews, on top of all this horror it was also the symbol of a curse. As scripture says any man hung from a tree is cursed.

    When we take all of this in, and re-read the what Jesus is saying, we can understand just how extreme this is. This is what they must willingly endure daily in order to follow him.

    24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.

    In the context given previously, these sayings make a lot of sense. If imitating Christ, laying your life out like him who is raised from the dead then if you try to avoid doing that, you do not get eternal life. If you run away from the cross you will die permanently but if you lose your life for him you will gain life in the resurrection. This level of loyalty Jesus is expecting is, as we have noted else in these commentaries is unique. No king or general ever speaks in these extremes yet Jesus does. Suddenly the “just believe you’re saved” folks seem a little lack lustre and the “Jesus is just a wise teacher” crowd go very quiet at these words.

    25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

    All the material things you gain in this life you will not carry with you when you die so if the cost of having those things temporarily is your eternal soul, what does it profit you? By turning mortality into a simple financial question, the true answer becomes very clear.

  • Ash Wednesday Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

    1 “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

    Todays readings are extracted from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The entire sermon of Jesus takes up Chapters 5-7 of Matthews Gospel so we are only getting a small portion of it but the context of what Jesus has to say is simple enough when understood correctly.

    First of all Jesus tells his audience to beware of practicing your piety, so religious acts like prayer for example, in order to be seen by others. We must be careful here, many take what Jesus’ has to say as a reason to have no public acts at all and that any are contradictions of Jesus but he is very specific here and explains why, as he does with the later instructions.

    Your intent behind your acts of piety are important. God is incredibly just, so just in fact, that he gives everyone their rewards that they desire. If you do public acts of holiness because you want to be perceived as being pious by others, God will grant that but that is all you will receive. The adulation of others and no reward in Heaven. If you do pious acts in public but your intent has nothing to do with public appreciation and is focused on the Father in heaven then you will be rewarded.

    If public acts of piety were actually condemned, then Jesus would be contradicting himself when he sends out the apostles to be his martyrs, his witnesses. What they are doing are public acts of piety, preaching the Good News and they are rewarded richly in heaven for it. So the point is absolutely the intent of the heart.

    2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

    3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

    4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    An act of piety common today as well as in Jesus’ time is giving alms. Donating money. In the same way as the general rule of piety, you mustn’t do it for public approval. Jesus also says “when”, this strongly implies an obligation. So you will give alms not “if you give alms” and you must not do it so you are praised by men. Your intent must be pure.

    He says to “sound no trumpet before you” although this can be taken as metaphorical language about announcing your act to others publicly for their praise it could also have a rather literal meaning. In Herod’s Temple Complex in the Court of Women, where any Jew was allowed to enter, there were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests known as shofarot. These were where Temple donations were collected and the wealthy would create a very loud noise with all the shekels they poured into it, letting everyone known just how rich and pious that they thought they were. The substantial meaning is still present, don’t alert people to your alms giving but the origin of the phrasing is likely referencing how people did that in Jesus’ culture. Synagogues maybe had similar smaller versions of these trumpet-like chests for collections.

    Jesus says to not let your left hand no what your right hand is doing when you give alms. This is impossible obviously but its likely a Hebraism, a phrase that implies a level of extreme secrecy. All of this is to make sure you give alms with the right intention, if you give in secret, your Father in Heaven will reward you.

    5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

    6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    Jesus again uses the term “when” when talking about prayer, letting us know that this is absolutely something he expects us to do. Like the previous instructions he explains the Father’s justice. When the hypocrites pray (hypocrite meaning actor in their context) they do it to be seen by men, they receive exactly that reward but no other. No eternal rewards if you seek out men’s approval. It does not mean you cannot pray among others, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount will teach his audience the Lord’s Prayer that the earliest Church members all prayed in common and still does today. It is again, down to the intent behind your prayer. If you pray in secret, you will be rewarded by the Father in Heaven in secret.

    16 “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

    17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

    18 that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

    Now another act of piety, with the “when” being used. Fasting. Jesus’ expects us to fast but when we do it we must not do it for the attention of others. Jesus then describes some of the behaviours that he must have noticed in his own time. People making them selves look like they’re fasting, doesn’t mean they are not actually doing it. They probably are but they’re doing whilst making it obvious to others so they are praised by them. What is meant to be an act of piety focused toward God becomes an act of self idolatry. Anoint your head with oil, wash your face, look fresh and good and happy about what you are doing. Again, do this without seeking the approval of others and you will be rewarded by the Father in Heaven. This does not mean that people can’t find out, your fasting doesn’t suddenly get cancelled out if someone notices somehow. It is all about the intent of your heart in what you are doing. God knows and you know, you can lie to yourself but you can’t lie to him. You know if you’re breaking these rules.

  • 8th Tuesday Gospel Mark 10:28-31 (Year C)

    28 Peter began to say to him, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you.”

    After a man, which we know from the other Gospels as the rich young ruler, stopped Jesus before he embarks on his journey to Jerusalem. Jesus explained what it would take for an upstanding Law-abiding Jew to attain eternal life. The man was sorrowful as it required giving up his attachments to earthly things and he could not let go of them. This shocks the apostles so Peter, as their leader, speaks up. He basically sees this as a moment where they are not in the wrong, he remarks to Jesus that they, meaning him and the other disciples have done exactly what he asked of the rich young ruler.

    29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,

    30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

    Although Peter is right, his acknowledgement of it needs to be set in its context. Jesus does this by saying that no one who leaves their homes, families or lands for Jesus’ sake and the Good News will not be rewarded way beyond their comprehension in this life as well as in the eternal life that is to come.

    If you were to leave your family and home and land. What on earth would a hundredfold mean to be given back you? Jesus is using an incomprehensible measurement to the senses to describe the spiritual rewards. The disciples are not the only recipients of this but all those who abandon this life for Christ. This level of commitment is unique, not even generals or kings would demand such fealty. This type of reserve was for God alone. Again we see another hidden claim of divinity by Jesus here recorded by Mark.

    31 But many that are first will be last, and the last first.”

    A repeated saying by Jesus, it was a common statement that needed to be reinforced on various occasions. God’s ways are not our ways. Our Order is not God’s Order. There will be many, especially those in the Jewish leadership that are “first” now who will be last. And many poor, orphans and widows who are considered the least in society will be first in the Kingdom of God.

  • 8th Monday Gospel Mark 10:17-27 (Year C)

    17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

    Jesus is about to leave for his journey to Jerusalem but before he leaves a man runs to him. An act of desperation. He kneels before Jesus, typically an action reserved for royalty or God. He calls Jesus “Good Teacher”, and asks him how he is to inherit eternal life. This is not typical language of a Jew from the Old Testament context but the clue is in “inherit”.

    Jews were definitely aware of their inheritance in Kingdom of God, the message that Jesus preaches though they had various understandings of what that meant. If Mark is not romanizing a Hebrew phrase then we can assume that during the intertestamental period, the latter half of Second Temple Judaism, eternal life and being in the Kingdom of God that is to come with the messiah were synonymous.

    18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

    Based on Jesus’ answer here, and that we know Jesus can read the hearts of those around him, we can see that this mans declaration of Jesus being a “Good Teacher” was simply a human acknowledgement. This is not like those who see Jesus and make a confession of faith, this man (like many people in the modern day) just see Jesus as a “Good Teacher” which if you pay attention to Jesus’ words, he does not give us the opportunity to see him as just that. Liar, Lunatic or Lord comes to mind if you have heard of that trilemma.

    Since Jesus is aware of how the man is perceiving him, he essentially agrees with his mortal perception but then if that were true, he would not actually be good therefore the man is not making sense. Basically Jesus is saying “If I am Good, then I am not just a teacher am I?” He is inviting the man deeper which is not a reach by me, Jesus extends his hand to draw the man deeper in the following verses. People just have a habit of misrepresenting the beginning of the conversation.

    19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ”

    20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.”

    The man wants eternal life in the Kingdom of God, Jesus tells him what he already knows and lists some of the most important of the Decalogue. If he wants more he has to go deeper, it is like the man is somewhat aware that the Law is merely a shadow of the Word itself. He calls Jesus “Teacher”, no longer calling him “Good”, this means he will follow what Jesus tells him to a certain point. He explains that he has followed all of these laws. Now we can start to see why the pious remained hopeful of the future promised covenant. Abiding by the Mosaic Law was “observed” not lived, it was not a fulfilling relational covenant.

    21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

    Jesus looked at the man and loved him. This is a great expression of agape. This man in front of Jesus is a truly upstanding Jew of his time, he has done exactly what was required of him but unfortunately “observation” was only a temporary component of salvation history. Doing and living in a relationship with God was coming which means doing and living a certain way. For example under the Old Law it was possible to fill-in all the checkbox’s of the observances and still be entirely attached to material wealth.

    Jesus loved him and therefore tells him the secret of the New Covenant. He must give up his earthly attachments and follow Jesus. For all those who point to the earlier passages as evidence of Jesus denying his own divinity seem to lack the context of these verses that come after. A Jew, following all the Law’s of Moses, given to the Israelites from God is still missing something. Jesus. Jesus places himself above the Law of Moses here. The only thing above the Mosaic Law is God himself. Jesus is not denying his divinity, he humoured the mans mortal perceptions then outright admitted who he really is. God in the Flesh.

    22 At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

    The man could follow all the Law’s of Moses, he could keep all the ordinances but he could not give up his wealth. The throne room of his heart was occupied by things. His expression that presumably was filled with hope falls and he leaves sorrowful.

    23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”

    24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

    Jesus sees his disciples around him who we can assume are confused as they usually are. It is important to note that a wealthy person in Jewish culture at this time was perceived to be blessed by God, that they were being rewarded for their piety. The typical understanding was “He’s rich? Keeps the Law? He’s a Saint!” But Jesus undercuts all of this and says the complete opposite. People who have wealth can afford to appear pious but they’re typically wealthy because they’re attached to their wealth. They don’t want to give it up. Therefore it is hart for them to enter the Kingdom of God where there is not financial entry fee.

    The disciples are amazed but Jesus doubles down. Those who trust in their riches, define themselves by their wealth. Will find it very difficult to get into the Kingdom of God.

    25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

    26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”

    27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

    Now the common phrase that so many have heard, even those who have never read scripture. It is easier to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.

    First of all, time to correct some stupid things said about this passage. There are many protestant/evangelical circles (especially rich wealthy self seeking ones) that invented a fictional gate called the “needle gate” and claimed it was in Jerusalem and in order to go through it you had to bow forward. People will make up anything in order to get away from what Jesus is saying. Jesus is talking about a sowing needle, the eye of which is the loop that the thread goes through. It is easier for a camel go go through that than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. This action is impossible by the efforts of man. That is the point. No amount of money will pay for a camel to be able to go through a sowing needle eye.

    If entering the Kingdom of God is a divine action and not a human one then reliance on human wealth will not get you there, if you are a person who is defined by their wealth and clings to it as their rock and refuge, you will not be able to get there. But God makes all things possible. Through God a person with wealth can inherit the Kingdom. What’s really fun about this passage is that Jesus is not saying rich people don’t go to Heaven, he is saying that it is only by a miracle that they do. Consider the ancient context we mentioned, to ancient Jews, wealth was a sign of blessing from God, Jesus is saying “uh no, they’re kinda cursed actually” they need more help from God than poor people do. The poor already rely on God for everything, grace is no extra baggage for them but wealthy who rely on their own money, they’re going to struggle and if they think they can pay their way out they will fail.

  • 8th Sunday Gospel Luke 6:39-45 (Year C)

    39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?

    The Parables in Luke:39-45 come after Luke’s rendition of the Beatitudes, essentially an instruction manual in how to act as Jesus wants us to. The parables in todays readings are not simply a thematic edition as some commentators assume but are directly related. Jesus gives instruction on how the adherents of his New Covenant community are to act. Then with the use of parables proposed as questions, Jesus explains how if they don’t abide by the rules he has set out they will be of no use to those in need. They are to be lights of the world, they have to act like it in order to be it.

    The first parable, can a blind man lead a blind man? In context, can people who reject God’s revelation lead others to God’s revelation? No. He uses physical senses, something we do understand, as a symbol of the invisible senses of faith. Those that do not abide by Jesus’ words cannot lead other people into it, they will both fall in the pit. What’s interesting in this particular line is the possible additional meaning of “pit”. This was a colloquial term for Sheol, the land of the dead.

    40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher.

    We will be like Jesus if we abide in him, we will never outrank him because we will always be his students but if we fully take in his teachings we will be able to imitate him. We shouldn’t let the parable limit us to just the consumption of knowledge, that would be heretical, the parable of learning knowledge as a student from a teacher in order to be like the teacher is again a more understandable framework to our small minds. It is a sign pointing toward a greater divine truth beyond our regular senses.

    41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

    42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

    If we fully understood sin as it is we would notice the glaringly more obvious sins of our own doing before we ever noticed others. It doesn’t mean we can’t help people despite ourselves being sinful but if we truly want to help people we must be more aware of our own sins than others. We cannot correct another of a lesser sin than we ourselves commit without being a hypocrite. If we are to make war with sin we must acknowledge it fully in ourselves first.

    43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;

    44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

    Using trees and their fruit, something his audience will definitely understand, Jesus applies it to the model of the human person. We all understand that good trees make good fruit. Bad trees make bad fruit or no fruit at all. We have to be good people in order to make other people good. Changing the label on a pine tree does not make it an apple tree, the tree itself must be good. We have to be good to bear good fruit.

    45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

    A good person produces only good things from his heart because his substance is in itself good. Like the one Saint Paul speaks of, one who abides by the Spirit lives in the Spirit. No bad works, mistakes sure, but nothing intentionally evil. Jesus uses a persons heart as symbolic store room of our intent. If we only have good intentions store there, only good actions can come from it.

    All of this relies on our adherents to his instructions on the Sermon on the Mount/Plain. We have to be like God in our own capacity in this life. We can’t fall into our own broken inclinations.

  • 7th Saturday Gospel Mark 10:13-16 (Year C)

    13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.

    After the confrontation Jesus had with the Pharisees over the status-quo of permitted divorce, Mark takes us through the other component of the family unit, the fruits of marriage: Children. Although thematic, that does not mean that this is not literally the order of events, some find it to be an either/or situation, things are placed in the order of chronology or placed in the order of themes. I do not think we have to choose.

    The crowds have been surrounding Jesus in his public ministry for a couple of years at this point. Wherever he goes, hundreds maybe even thousands flock to him. They bring their children with them to see Jesus, in order to be touched by. This laying on of hands was typical in order to pass on blessings in second temple Judaism, even a cursory glance at the Old Testament shows many examples. Most people think this touching with hands was limited to the conferring of an office but it was the common action of all blessings.

    There is no indication that the children are being brought because they are sick and in a later verse Mark specifically says they are here to receive blessings from the holy and wise itinerant rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. Unfortunately Jesus’ over-protective disciples rebuke the people do this. They always seem to be able to be pro-active when its wrong, disordered zeal.

    14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

    15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

    16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.

    Jesus, upon seeing what the apostles are doing “was indignant”. The Greek word for this phrase is ēganaktēsen which gives the impression of an internal grief or anger, in this case at an action that he perceived as an injustice. The apostles denial of the children being in the presence of Jesus is perceived as an injustice to the Word made Flesh. We should attempt to acknowledge the gravity of this. Jesus gets irritated at his disciples lack of understanding at times but rarely do we see an internal grief generated by injustice. That means this activity of withholding the children from Jesus is worse than misunderstanding him.

    Jesus then corrects his apostles behavior with the phrase “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Although this phrase is typically used in apologetics as an argument for infant baptism, we should look at the actual meaning in its context. Why are children owners of the Kingdom of God? Saint Paul speaks of us as co-heirs with Christ, as we made into his body. This makes God the Father, our very own Father through covenant. This would make us children. Even though we grow old, there is a permanent aspect of childhood within us, we will never outgrow the divine fathership of God.

    On top of the theological and eschatological implications we should look at the contemporary context. In this time period the lowest people in society were children. Even the child of a noble was no better than a slave until he reached his inheritance. This did not mean there was some kind of equality between all children across classes, but that they were unable to hold any power. Without power comes absolute surrender to those around you. Living in submission to those around you. Some postulate that this notion of barely human status of children came from the infant mortality rate but I think that is a rather shallow materialistic understanding. It is about inheritance and authority, a child simply has none. Even a child king has a figure actually managing the power called a King Regant. This happened in the Kingdom of Israel’s own history as elsewhere. Children cannot hold power, therefore they have none. Something to the divine mystery of things seems to enforce this concept but because of it, children become the first in the reverse hierarchy that Jesus brings in the New Covenant.

    Children are then to be the model, we are to imitate the submission and surrender like powerless children do in order to be entirely dependant on God the Father and be members of his Kingdom.