Christology: Three Questions

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This coming Sunday is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel according to Matthew accepts and uses the main Christological titles found already in the Gospel according to Mark, including Christ/Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man, Rabbi, and Teacher. But in contrast to Mark, Matthew adds several new titles and emphasizes certain aspects of Jesus’ identity. Matthew’s Gospel begins by identifying Jesus as “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (1:1), showing Jesus’ Davidic/royal and Abrahamic/Jewish heritage, respectively.  Throughout Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is presented as “the New Moses” for the people of Israel, and is given a variety of other titles, including Emmanuel, Savior, Prophet, and King of the Jews. It is in this light that our pericope asks its two questions. Continue reading →

They are All at Rest

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Yesterday I was invited to preside at an interment of one of our parishioners. Jack was a long-time parishioner, active in several ministries, and was a retired US Air Force Colonel. His burial was at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The tradition includes a procession of cars from the Administration Building (with very nice family waiting rooms) to a “transfer point” where we met the marching band and the honor guard. Continue reading →

Eye of the Needle

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In today’s gospel we have the famous expression: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God” It is a continuation of the encounter with the rich young man of yesterday’s gospel.   In other form, the expression also appears in the Jewish Talmud and in Qur’an 7:40: “Indeed, those who deny Our verses and are arrogant toward them – the gates of Heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle.” Continue reading →

Forming the Church

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This coming Sunday is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our reading is located in a section of Matthean narrative that portrays the formation of the church (13:53-17:27) in the midst of the continuing conflict with all levels of Jewish society that is leaning towards a growing rejection of Jesus as Messiah. This story forms the hinge of the section because after this Jesus will heighten his attention to the preparation of the disciples for their mission as a community once Jesus has died and resurrected from the dead.  It will be a community who perceives and professes his true identity. Continue reading →

Why a “young man”?

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In the gospel for today, I always wonder how much to make of the description of the one who questions Jesus as being “a young man.”  There are a number of things one could say about this passage that having nothing to do with the questioner’s age.  The question reveals a fundamental human concern: the pursuit of eternal life or spiritual salvation asked in earnest by someone who is genuinely seeking to understand the path to salvation. Perhaps his use of “gain” and his positive response about the commandments reflects a belief that righteous actions alone can secure eternal life. But these could be asked by someone of any age.  In any case, Jesus calls him to radical discipleship, challenging the man to go beyond rule-following and embrace a more profound, sacrificial commitment. The man “went away sad” as he realized that was a bridge too far. He lacked a  willingness to prioritize God above all else. Continue reading →

The three questions

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This coming Sunday is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle A. In this gospel a large part of the Matthean narrative is devoted to the tripartite question: (a) who is Jesus, (b) what does it mean to be his disciples in the light of his identity, and (c) what choices will you make because of his call.  In previous two Sunday gospels we have seen these questions addressed in the pericope of Peter walking upon the waters (Mt 14:22-33) and the encounter with the Canaanite woman (15:21-28) – and both episodes move Jesus to comment upon the faith of the disciple. These stories serve as the immediate context for our gospel about Peter’s confession and what it will mean for him in his on-going role of discipleship. Continue reading →

Crossing Over to the Light

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September 1965 should have been a great year.  I was a rising 8th grader at St James school in Orlando – you know, about to become king of the school.  That’s when geography dealt a cruel blow. Both my older sisters were going to Bishop Moore HS – which was the opposite direction from St James.  In a moment, my fate was sealed.  I had to transfer to St. Charles which shared a campus with the HS.  I was exiled from all my friends to attend a school filled with kids who thought they were too cool, who wore all the new clothes, who bought all the right albums, who won all the school championships. Continue reading →

Universal Salvation

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This coming Sunday is the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The careful reader of Matthew should be mindful that there have been persistent hints. From the beginning of the Gospel, Matthew begins to make it clear that the community of the Messiah is formed from unexpected sources. The mention of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (1:3, 5, 6), all evidently Gentiles with overtones of scandal in their backgrounds, prepares the reader for Jesus’ association with the sinners of his own day. Continue reading →