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 explored the meaning of biblical covenants as a way to frame the question: what does it mean to truly be God’s people? In today’s post we extend 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: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” (Mt 5:17-18) As we proceed we need to remember that these verses follow upon the earlier passage wherein Jesus is teaching the disciples about discipleship in the kingdom of heaven (5:1-2) – something that is here and yet not fully here. 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
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