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
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 extended the idea of covenant, the arrival of the Messiah in the person of Jesus, and the controversial opening passage of the longer reading of the gospel. In today’s post we consider how Jesus expects his disciples to act as representatives of the Kingdom. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time in Lectionary Cycle A. The gospel reading is from the discourse popularly known as the Sermon on the Mount. In yesterday’s post we tried to look at a “bigger picture” on this part of the Sermon addressed to the disciples about true fulfillment of the Law as part of attempting to answer what does it truly mean to be the people of God. In today’s post we explore that question with a refresher about the meaning of biblical covenants. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time in 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. There are two options for the proclamation of the gospel. One is quite long (Mt 5:17-37) while the shorter version extracts key verses (Mt 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37). A typical outline of the longer version suggests five blocks of teaching as Jesus continues to address his disciples. The blocks are teachings about the Law, anger, adultery, divorce and oaths. Each block within the longer reading offers examples to illustrate the point. The shorter version 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. It would be a good idea to pause from this post to read the whole of the gospel passage. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In yesterday’s post we considered the well known “salt of the earth” metaphor. Today we turn its parallel “light of the world” – You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Mt 5:14-16) Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In yesterday’s post we considered two verses that fall between the Sunday gospel readings that are a caution for any would-be disciple. Today, we consider the well known “salt of the earth” metaphor: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Mt 5:13)
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This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In yesterday’s post we explored the context of the section of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” that follows the Beatitudes of the previous Sunday’s gospel. Today we consider two verses that fall between the Sunday gospel readings: Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mt 5:11-12) Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In today’s post we continue to explore Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” which as we discover is more than the Beatitudes of the previous Sunday’s gospel. By paying attention to the text, in Matthew’s telling, we also discover that Jesus is speaking, not to a crowd, but to a select group of disciples. As well we will discover, Jesus is beginning to prepare them for the distinctiveness of Christian discipleship. Continue reading
Today’s first reading is from the Prophet Zephaniah. It is only three chapters long and it is filled with darkness, distress, destruction, death, doom, and despair. Yet, in the midst of all that – there is a message of hope, for a remnant of the people; people described as humble and lowly. People who take refuge in the Lord. People who remain faithful to God even as all around them crumbles and falls apart. A remnant who has already seen the Assyrian empire conquer most of the promise in the promised land. A remnant that can already see the Babylonian threat on the horizon. A remnant that even as they wonder how this all plays out in God’s plan, they are the faithful …. and hanging on. They recognize that they are blessed by God. It might be hard for us to see it, but they see it. And that challenges us just as the more famous beatitudes of today’s gospel also challenges us. Continue reading
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