OBDURATENESS - SEE THE END OF THE GOSPEL READING

Tuesday, December 17, 2013 - Are you a person who says but does not do? Do you say YES but mean NO?

To read the texts click on the texts: Zeph3:1-2, 9-13; Mt 21:28-32

The parable, which is the text of today, is exclusive to Matthew and contains the first of three parables.  These parables are all addressed to the chief priests and elders of the people, as a continuation of Jesus’ response to their challenge of his authority. Since they remained silent to his earlier question about John the Baptist, the Matthean Jesus begins this parable by forcing them to answer. He does this through the question, “What do you think?” The older son is first asked to go and work in the vineyard. He initially refuses, but afterwards, relents and goes. Since the older son refused him at first, the father then goes to the younger son and asks that he go and work in the vineyard. This son replied that would certainly go, but did not do so. Without any doubt, the one who did the will of the Father was the older son who was asked first.

The Parable does not seem to be so much about Jew and gentile as it is about religious leader and public sinner. Thus, Jesus is saying that the scum of society, though it says no to God, repents, performs the Father's will, and enters the kingdom, whereas the religious authorities loudly say yes to God but never do what he says, and therefore they fail to enter.

Both religious leaders and public sinners had John as a pointer of the way to Jesus and the kingdom. Yet, of these, while the sinners repented and believed, the religious did not, even after seeing sinners repent.

Lip service is easy. It does not require any action on the part of the person who gives it. This kind of person merely says, but will not do. Committed service is more difficult, because this calls for action and putting oneself out for the sake of another. It is not those who say “Lord, Lord”, but those who DO what God wants, who will gain entry into the kingdom.

Monday, December 16, 2013 - Do you usually mean what you say?

To read the texts click on the texts: Num 24:2-7, 15-17; Mt 21:23-27

In these verses, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus enters the Temple for the last time.  Even while he teaches, the chief priests and elders of the people challenge his authority. The context in Matthew for this challenge seems to include Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple, his miraculous healing, and also, perhaps, his teaching in the Temple. In his response to this challenge, Jesus mentions John the Baptist and his entire ministry, including his baptism. In doing so, Jesus is not being evasive.  He is trying to get the chief priests and elders to recognize that John was, indeed, sent by God, so that they will then be able to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, about whom John prophesied. If they gave the correct answer to the question that Jesus asked, they would know from where Jesus’ authority comes.

The answer of the chief priests and elders that they did not know is loaded with meaning. This is evident in the way they argued among themselves how they must respond. Thus, what they were in effect saying was that they knew, but did not want to say it aloud because that would lead to their being trapped in their own net. If they answered that John was from God, they would have to also answer why they did not accept him and his baptism. However, even more than that, they would have to answer why they are not accepting Jesus to whom John pointed. They could answer that John was not from God, or of human origin, since they were afraid of the people who regarded John as a prophet from God. This leads them to realize that it better not to answer at all. Jesus responds by refusing to answer their question, since they have shown that they do not have the authority to ask it. Since they have not opted for John, they have not opted for Jesus.

While it is true that a person will not know the answer to all questions and “I do not know” is an accepted and legitimate response because of the fragmentary nature of human knowledge, we must be careful in using “I do not know” when we really mean that we do not want to know or do not want to say. We may not want to know because the knowledge that we profess to have will demand a response from us.  We may not be ready for this response and, thus, hide our closed minds under the words “I do not know”. We may not want to say because we are afraid of the consequences that our views will have, on us and, on others.  We may prefer to let things be as they are rather than rock the boat and topple over ourselves.

ALL THE WORDS ARE FOUND IN THE READINGS FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. CLICK BELOW FOR THE TEXTS

Unscramble each of the clue words.
Copy the letters in the numbered cells to other cells with the same number.
Click HERE for the texts.

Sunday, December 15, 2013 - Third Sunday in Advent - Expectation fulfilled?

To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 35:1-6,10; Jas 5:7-10;Mt 11:2-11

The text from Isaiah is a prophetic announcement of salvation and portrays eschatological hope even in the midst of a seemingly dire situation. The central theme of the proclamation is the renewal of creation and human salvation. These are kept together as the common goal of God’s promises. Thus God’s power will be seen not only in the fact that the desert will bring forth flowers and will rejoice and sing like humans would do, but also in the fact that the exiles who are afraid, tired and have lost hope are called to a renewed hope and courage because the Lord is indeed coming to save. All kinds of brokenness will be turned to wholeness. The blind, the deaf, the lame and the dumb will receive healing and become whole again. The return to Zion will be with joy. Sorrow will be a thing of the past.

In the last chapter of his letter and in the verses which form the text of today, James continues the theme of Isaiah in offering hope and advocating patience. In order to make his point he uses an agricultural analogy. As the farmer waits patiently, so must Christians. However, this waiting must be an active waiting which will show itself in acceptance of each other which would result in building community rather than complaints against each other which would result in breaks in community and unity. The Parousia (literally “presence” but also “the second coming of the Lord”) must be the motivating factor in this striving for unity.

The question of John the Baptist through his disciples which begins the Gospel text for today “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” seems to reflect a problem that John may have faced. His view of the Messiah was of one who would come with the winnowing fork to clear his threshing floor and separate the wheat from the chaff (Mt 3,12), but Jesus seemed to be behaving quite contrary to these predictions. In his reply to the disciples of John the Matthean Jesus quotes Isa 35:5-6 and 61:1, of which the former is clearly about signs which will accompany the coming of God himself and the latter seems to clinch the identity of Jesus as the Messiah. The prophetic vision which Isaiah expounded of a transformed society is realized in the ministry of Jesus. The questions that Jesus asks the people about John seem to be in order to make clear that John was not merely a prophet but more than a prophet. He is the one who goes before the Messiah to prepare his way as promised in Malachi. However, what is also implied is that since John went before Jesus, he (Jesus) is the Messiah.

When we look around us and notice the overwhelming poverty, injustice and corruption. When we see how nature is being destroyed and the ecological balance wantonly disturbed. When we read about how the marginalized are becoming even more so with each passing day. When we experience the brokenness that seems to be so permanent, we might be tempted like John to ask if the Messiah has indeed come and if he has then why he has not destroyed the destroyers. A further reflection reveals, however, that it is not as simple and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in his book The Gulag Archipelago puts it very succinctly, “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” This means in other words that if good was black in colour and evil was white, every one of us would be grey. This has two implications. On the one hand it means that each one of us is broken and so a combination of good and evil and on the other hand that each one of us is responsible for the brokenness that we experience around us. Sin is within.

Once we realize this then we will be able to first understand and then adopt the attitude of Jesus who was adamant against sin but so tolerant towards sinners. This is the approach that he takes when he reaches out to make whole the blind, the lame, lepers and the deaf. This approach of making whole connects us to the prophetic vision expressed by Isaiah in the first reading of today, but in the case of Jesus it was not so much a future event as a present happening. He brought the kingdom not with a pitchfork and fire but with compassion and healing and through his cross. This connects also with the exhortation of James who tells his readers to strive for that unity and wholeness within the community through patience and understanding rather than through strife.

Saturday, December 14, 2013 - Are you still waiting for the Messiah? How will you show that he is present in your midst today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Sir 48:1-4,9-11; Mt 17:10-13

The text of today is immediately after the Transfiguration and concerns the question that the disciples ask about the coming of Elijah. This question is extremely important because it concerns the authenticity of the Messiah. There are three views regarding the “WHY” of the disciples’ question. The first is: If the scribes say that Elijah must come before the Messiah comes, and if Elijah has not yet come, then can Jesus be the Messiah? The second view is that the disciples’ question was prompted by their assumption that Elijah’s appearance at the Transfiguration was itself his coming again, as prophesied by the prophet Malachi, and so the question of the disciples’ is: Why did Jesus (if he is the Messiah) appear before Elijah did, when the scribes say the order should be reversed. The third view is that Elijah was expected to come again and restore justice and teach people the meaning of true worship. If this is so, then how could the Messiah, who would come after this restoration by Elijah, be killed in the violent manner that Jesus had predicted?

The third view seems to fit the context best, since Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question confirms this. Elijah has indeed returned and he has returned in the person of John the Baptist. His attempt to restore all things was rejected by the majority. Indeed, he was killed violently. The Messiah, who has come in Jesus, (and who comes after John) will thus suffer the same fate. It is therefore not surprising that the Messiah will be treated shamefully, rejected by the people, and killed violently. Though Jesus had not explicitly identified John the Baptist with Elijah, the disciples understood that he was speaking of John the Baptist when he spoke of Elijah having come.

Preconceived notions that we may have prevent us from seeing things as they are. We often see things, not as they are, but as we are. This is why we miss out on so much that life has to offer. What is required, in order to be able to see, is an openness and receptivity which are gifts that God gives us, if we but ask. This openness and receptivity allows us a new vision, a new insight, and a new way of seeing.

ISAIAH ON OBEDIENCE

Friday, December 13, 2013 - Do you regard yourself as a contented person or are you a constant complainer?

To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 48:17-19; Mt 11:16-19

In the text of today, Jesus uses an analogy to show his view of the present generation. One group wants to play a happy game, a game of joy, a game of a wedding celebration, but the other group will not join. The first group then agrees to change the game to a game of mourning, a game of sorrow, a game of funerals, but even with this change, the other group will not participate.

The latter option corresponds to the gaunt and ascetic figure of John, whose message of coming judgement was too threatening, and whose life-style was too unworldly for the sophisticates of “this generation.” But when Jesus came in meekness, announcing the peaceable kingdom of unconditional love and forgiveness and celebrating the goodness of life with all, he was rejected as not “spiritual” enough. “This generation’s” description of Jesus as a glutton and a drunkard is reminiscent of Deut 21:20, suggesting more than merely an insult: Jesus is a rebellious Israelite worthy of stoning, one who should be executed in order to purge evil from the midst of the covenant community. For you, “the Baptist is a madman because he fasts, while you want to make merry; me you reproach because I eat with publicans, while you insist on strict separation from sinners”. You hate the preaching of repentance, and you hate the proclamation of the Gospel. The change of “all her children” found in Luke, to “her actions” in Matthew is probably because Matthew wants to identify Jesus as Wisdom incarnate and not merely as one of Wisdom’s messengers. Wisdom is proved right by her actions since they are the actions of Jesus himself.

The mother of a young boy of 10 was at her wits end when it came to dealing with him. Nothing she did would please him and he would always complain about something or other. If she fried an egg for him at breakfast, he would refuse to eat it and ask for a boiled one instead. If she boiled one the next day, he would ask for a fried egg. This went on and she had reached the end of her tether. One morning before breakfast, she thought she would be able to win and so fried one egg and boiled another. The boy came to the breakfast table, looked at both eggs, and said to his mother; “You fried the wrong one”.

WHO IS GREATER THAN JOHN?

Thursday, December 12, 2013 - What one action will you perform today to make Jesus known to someone who has not encountered him?

To read the texts click on the texts: Isa41:13-20; Mt 11:11-15

John the Baptist is clearly a precursor in the Synoptic Gospels. He is the one who goes before the Lord to prepare his way. In Matthew, John has a borderline role. John is the last and greatest of all prophets until the time of Jesus. He is indeed the one who, alone among the prophets of the Old Testament, was the forerunner of the Messiah and this is what makes him the greatest human being. 

Even so, John does not belong to the new era of God’s rule inaugurated by Jesus. While on the one hand, the content of his proclamation about the kingdom is the same as that of Jesus; on the other hand, even the least in the kingdom is greater than John. 

The “least” in the kingdom, who is greater than John, while it may refer to Jesus (who came after John and was “younger” than him), here seems to refer to the disciples. These are greater than John because they have the privilege of seeing the inauguration of the kingdom which John was not privileged to see. They are also the ones who recognize the Messiah and point to him more clearly than John could hope to do.

From the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the kingdom has been forcefully advancing. The Prophets and the Law prophesied until then and, implicitly, prophesied this new era. And from that time on, the fulfillment of the prophecy, the kingdom itself has been forcefully advancing. This advancement cannot be seen by those who have closed themselves to this kind of revelation and thus, the text ends with the invitation to hear.

The kingdom that Jesus inaugurated continues to advance today despite many setbacks. It is not a kingdom that advances by force or by any kind of pressure.  It is a kingdom that wins over opponents by that unconditional love with which Jesus began it. We in the present generation are the fortunate ones who have been privileged to witness the kingdom. Now, it is our responsibility to point to him and make him known to those who have not yet had the privilege of encountering him as we have done.