Readings for Saturday of the First Week of Lent[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Deuteronomy 26:16-19
This reading from Deuteronomy is the final agreement in Moses’ Covenant. In it the Israelites are told that for their part they must always follow God’s commandments and statutes. For his part, the Lord has made them his special possession, favored above the other nations he has made.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
An acrostic poem; each of the eight verses of the first strophe (aleph) begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; each verse of the second strophe (beth) begins with the second letter; and so on for all 22 letters of the alphabet.
The entire work is in praise of the Law, and the joys to be found in keeping it. It is not "legalism" but a love and desire for the word of God in Israel's Law, which is the expression of the Lord's revelation of himself and his will for man.
Gospel Matthew 5:43-48
This reading continues what was started yesterday. Jesus takes the commandment to love thy neighbor and gives it a deeper meaning. He goes further and strengthens this commandment including ones enemies in that list of those to be prayed for and loved.
Reflection:
It is amazing how many things Jesus changed when he came. If we think about it, God, Yahweh, had had not only a relationship established with the Hebrew peoples, but a covenant (several actually) for thousands of years. A national identity had developed around that relationship. The Old Testament is all about the racial experience of God. We see it established in the first reading from Deuteronomy with the conclusion of the covenant of Moses.
The Hebrews viewed Yahweh as "God of Justice". If something bad happened to a person, a group, or even the whole of the nation, it was because they had failed to live up to God's expectations. They recognized God's omnipotence but failed to see the underlying purpose for his outreach. This developed over years and is chronicled through the books of the Law (of which Deuteronomy is one), the Prophets, and the rabbinical writings that reflected on the scripture.
Now comes Jesus, at a time when the Hebrew race had been conquered, again, and were under the rule of the greatest empire since Alexander. Into this rebellious time comes the Son of God proclaiming the Kingdom of God. More astonishing still, he preaches a message of peace and love. He tells his followers that not only do they need to follow the Law of Moses, but they must understand that the relationship with God, his father, was one of heart, not just rules. He told them (and us) that it was His will that the letter of the law be seen in the new light of compassion ("But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father")
This was not the "God of Justice" the Hebrews had come to know. They had missed something fundamental in the characteristics of their God (our God). He loves us. He loves us so much he revealed himself to us in his only Son. Talk about epiphany.
Is it any wonder then, with Jesus redefining our relationship with God and the Laws he passed on to us through the Prophets, that the religious rulers of the Jews did not like him? How much easier is it to follow the laws of the Old Testament than the Laws of the New Covenant? How much easier is it to love just our friends and families than it is to love our enemies as Christ tells us? It is the difference between having a father who loves you and one who treats you like property.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Christ” by El Greco, 1590-95
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Deuteronomy 26:16-19
This reading from Deuteronomy is the final agreement in Moses’ Covenant. In it the Israelites are told that for their part they must always follow God’s commandments and statutes. For his part, the Lord has made them his special possession, favored above the other nations he has made.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
An acrostic poem; each of the eight verses of the first strophe (aleph) begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; each verse of the second strophe (beth) begins with the second letter; and so on for all 22 letters of the alphabet.
The entire work is in praise of the Law, and the joys to be found in keeping it. It is not "legalism" but a love and desire for the word of God in Israel's Law, which is the expression of the Lord's revelation of himself and his will for man.
Gospel Matthew 5:43-48
This reading continues what was started yesterday. Jesus takes the commandment to love thy neighbor and gives it a deeper meaning. He goes further and strengthens this commandment including ones enemies in that list of those to be prayed for and loved.
Reflection:
It is amazing how many things Jesus changed when he came. If we think about it, God, Yahweh, had had not only a relationship established with the Hebrew peoples, but a covenant (several actually) for thousands of years. A national identity had developed around that relationship. The Old Testament is all about the racial experience of God. We see it established in the first reading from Deuteronomy with the conclusion of the covenant of Moses.
The Hebrews viewed Yahweh as "God of Justice". If something bad happened to a person, a group, or even the whole of the nation, it was because they had failed to live up to God's expectations. They recognized God's omnipotence but failed to see the underlying purpose for his outreach. This developed over years and is chronicled through the books of the Law (of which Deuteronomy is one), the Prophets, and the rabbinical writings that reflected on the scripture.
Now comes Jesus, at a time when the Hebrew race had been conquered, again, and were under the rule of the greatest empire since Alexander. Into this rebellious time comes the Son of God proclaiming the Kingdom of God. More astonishing still, he preaches a message of peace and love. He tells his followers that not only do they need to follow the Law of Moses, but they must understand that the relationship with God, his father, was one of heart, not just rules. He told them (and us) that it was His will that the letter of the law be seen in the new light of compassion ("But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father")
This was not the "God of Justice" the Hebrews had come to know. They had missed something fundamental in the characteristics of their God (our God). He loves us. He loves us so much he revealed himself to us in his only Son. Talk about epiphany.
Is it any wonder then, with Jesus redefining our relationship with God and the Laws he passed on to us through the Prophets, that the religious rulers of the Jews did not like him? How much easier is it to follow the laws of the Old Testament than the Laws of the New Covenant? How much easier is it to love just our friends and families than it is to love our enemies as Christ tells us? It is the difference between having a father who loves you and one who treats you like property.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Christ” by El Greco, 1590-95
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