Saturday, 16 June 2018
Friday, 15 June 2018
Audio Reflections of Saturday, June 16, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Saturday, June 16, 2018 click HERE
Saturday, June 16, 2018 When you say, “YES” do you mean YES?
To read the texts click on the texts:1 Kings 19:19-21; Mt 5:33-37
The fourth of the six antitheses is completely a Matthean
composition. There is no precedence for the absolute prohibition of oaths in
Judaism. Rather, an oath invoked God to guarantee the truth of what was being
sworn or promised, or to punish the one taking the oath if he/she was not faithful
to their word.
The Matthean Jesus here rules out oaths completely. He rejects not
only false and unnecessary oaths, but also any attempt to bolster one’s
statement claim to truth beyond the bare statement of it. It is a demand for
truthfulness in everything that one says.
If we are convinced that we are telling the truth as we see it,
there may not be any need for us to either raise our voices when making our
point or swear or even to call others to witness what we have said.
Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 1 Kings 19:19-21; Mt 5:33-37
Saturday, June 16, 2018 - 1 Kings 19:19-21; Mt 5:33-37
Thursday, 14 June 2018
Audio Reflections of Friday, June 15, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Friday, June 15, 2018 click HERE
Friday, June 15, 2018 - Will you bother less about your “doing” and focus more on your “being”? How?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Kings 19:9,11-16; Mt 5:27-32
The text of today contains the second (5:27-30) and third
(5:31-32) of the six antitheses (5:21-48), which appear in the Sermon on the
Mount immediately after the theme. All six while addressing various aspects of
the law move the focus away from the letter to the spirit. Each of the six
begins similarly i.e. with a juxtaposition of what was said (by God through
Moses) and what is now being said (by Jesus to his disciples).
In this pericope, Jesus reaffirms the prohibition against
adultery (Exodus 20:14), but goes beyond i.e. to the intention of the heart.
The third antithesis about divorce is related to the earlier one
about adultery in subject matter. Deut 24:1-4 assumes the legitimacy of
divorce, and in Jewish tradition divorce was relatively easy to obtain. Jesus,
however, prohibits divorce. Matthew alone adds the exception clause, not found
in Mark 10:2-9 which here is more original and reflects the position of the
historical Jesus.
There is sometimes in our understanding of Christianity too much
emphasis on what constitutes and does not constitute sin, and on how far we can
go before we commit sin. The real question we must ask is how far we must go in
love.
Friday, June 15, 2018 - 1 Kings 19:9,11-16; Mt 5:27-32
Friday, June 15, 2018 - 1 Kings 19:9,11-16; Mt 5:27-32
Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Audio Reflections of Thursday, June 14, 2018
To hear the Audio Reflections of Thursday, June 14, 2018 click HERE
Thursday, June 14, 2018 - How many times did you get angry yesterday? Will you attempt to make it one less time today?
To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Kings 18:41-46; Mt 5:20-26
The righteousness of the disciples of Jesus must exceed that of
the Scribes and Pharisees. In the six antitheses (5:21-48) that follow, Matthew
shows what this means in practice.
Each of the six begins with what was said of
old and what Jesus is now saying. In these verses (5:21-26) Matthew narrates the first of the six, which is about the Torah’s prohibition of murder (Exodus
20:13; Deut 5:18). The supplementary “whoever murders shall be liable to
judgement” is not found verbatim anywhere in the Old Testament, and seems to
have been added by Matthew to introduce the word “judgement” which he uses in
the next verse. After stating the law and adding a supplementary, the Matthean
Jesus then radicalises the law and calls for an interiorization of it (5:22).
The call seems to be to submit one’s thoughts about other people, as well as
the words they give rise to, to God’s penetrating judgement. It is a call to
realise that God wills not only that human beings not kill each other but also
that there be no hostility between human beings.
The next verses (5:23-26) are
an application of what Jesus says. Reconciliation is even more important than
offering worship and sacrifice. The disciples are called to work for
reconciliation in the light of the eschatological judgement toward which they
are journeying.
If we come to worship God and there are feelings of anger,
revenge or hatred in our hearts, then our worship remains incomplete. It is
only an external worship and not true worship. God does not need our adoration,
but if want to adore him it must also come from within.
Thursday, June 14, 2018 - 1 Kings 18:41-46; Mt 5:20-26
Thursday, June 14, 2018 - 1 Kings 18:41-46; Mt 5:20-26
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