From the city-states of ancient Greece to the tribes of the Amazon rainforest, cultures everywhere have preserved similar stories about heroes slaying monsters, talking animals playing tricks on each other, and jealous siblings fighting to the death. Especially common in world mythologies are stories about world-ending floods and the chosen individuals that managed to survive them, like the biblical Noah. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In yesterday’s post we considered the verse containing “an eye for an eye” in terms of legal proceedings and the search for God’s justice. Today the examples continue as we move beyond retribution and retaliation” But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. Continue reading
In the first reading for today we encounter the well-known account of Noah as he is commissioned by God to gather all living creatures that would survive the Flood. (Just for the record, please note that Noah collected seven pairs of every clean animal and one pair of unclean animals.) But the reading begins ominously: “When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how no desire that his heart conceived was ever anything but evil, he regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was grieved.” (Gen 6:5-7) Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In yesterday’s post we established a large context and noted the continuity with the posts of last week noting that the lessons continue to make clear the personal responsibility of freely entering into the covenant relationship with God – and to answer the question, what does it mean to truly be God’s people? In today’s post we consider the fifth example used by Jesus as it is one that perhaps most goes “against the grain” of our human reaction. Continue reading
The first reading today is from Genesis 4 and tells the well-known story of Cain and Abel. Did you notice that the whole idea of bringing an offering to God is Cain’s idea; Abel just follows along. Nonetheless, God’s reaction to Cain is unexpected, unexplained and negative: “The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not.” The most popular reason for God’s reaction is that Cain, even though he brought gifts first, brought just some of his harvest, whereas Abel “brought one of the best firstlings of his flock.” Given that other places in the Bible have expressions for bringing the best of the harvest, the assumption is that Cain held the best back for himself. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time for Lectionary Cycle A. The gospel reading is from the discourse popularly known as the Sermon on the Mount which we began on the 4th Sunday. Last week we considered a number of preceding verses that were marked by “…you have heard it said…But I say to you…” Our gospel continues with the teaching under the same instruction framework which offers a succinct comparison of the current Jewish teaching (You have heard it said…) with a more complete understanding of what God intended (but I say to you…) as offered by Jesus. As we covered last week, the lesson is to make clear the personal responsibility of freely entering into the covenant relationship with God. To answer the question, what does it mean to truly be God’s people?
There are some commentators who would group vv.33-37 with our gospel reading:
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’34 But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;35 nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.36 Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.37 Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.
The reason for this is that these verses represent a transition from situations anticipated in the Law – e.g. murder, adultery, and divorce – to actions and locations not discussed in the OT. There is no precedent in the OT for the absolute prohibition of oaths. The Misnah has entire tractates on oaths (Shebuoth) and vows (Nedarim). Yet Jesus had provided a vision of discipleship and life that abolishes the distinction between words that must be true (oaths) and words that must be performed (vows). All speech is to be truthful. All promised action to be performed, not just the ones associated with oaths and vows.
Image credit: Cosimo Rosselli Sermone della Montagna, 1481, Sistine Chapel, Public Domain
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22). Everyone here has experienced anger and is liable to judgment. We have experienced anger in so many times and places, with so many people, and with people we love. Maybe we think, “Well, it’s not like anyone has died,” but even as we think that, we know that real damage has occurred. And sadly the response of anger has become habitual for many of us. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The gospel reading is from the discourse popularly known as the Sermon on the Mount. In yesterday’s post we will consider how that framework offers a path towards a great righteousness found in covenantal relationship with God. In today’s post we look into one of the five blocks (teachings about the Law, anger, adultery, divorce and oaths) Jesus uses in the Sermon. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The gospel reading is from the discourse popularly known as the Sermon on the Mount. In yesterday’s post we considered how Jesus expects his disciples to act as representatives of the Kingdom, offering a framework for understanding. In today’s post we will consider how that framework offers a path towards a great righteousness found in covenantal relationship with God. Continue reading
Apparently today is National Pizza Day – “Now, that’s not to be confused with National Cheese Pizza Day (September 5), National Pepperoni Pizza Day (September 20), National Pizza Month (October) and National Sausage Pizza Day (October 11).” When first scanning this news, I retrieved a question I had always had about pizza. Where/why the name Margherita pizza? Continue reading
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