Faith

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Spiritual fruit or religious nuts? – Wednesday, 12th week in ordinary time – Mt 7:15-20

 We are now at what is the conclusion of the first of Matthew’s five discourses found in the gospel. Until now, Jesus has been preaching the Sermon on the Mount to the disciples; to His inner circle. Now towards the end we hear that large crowds are listening to Him and are ‘astounded at His teachings.’ As He winds down His discourse, Jesus warns His hearers to be cautious, not only of the ‘hypocrites’ within Judaism, but also those within His following.

When Matthew was piecing together the Sermon on the Mount, his community of followers faced excommunication from the Jews, as well as a threat from false teachers within the community. These ‘false prophets,’ whom he makes reference to again in 7:22; 24:5, 24 are perhaps apostate Christian leaders who have great charismatic gifts of prophecy; a gift that was perhaps being used to mislead people.  It is these charismatic leaders that this passage is aimed at. 

To erroneously assume that the gospel of Matthew is anti-charismatic (not to be confused with the renewal) would do the gospel great injustice. Matthew simply wants to regulate the abuse of prophecy by some leaders. This is applicable even today to those who have gifts, and in particular, the gift of prophecy. This abuse stands even more condemnable when those who don’t have such gifts, claim it for financial or personal gain.

So what’s the test? How do we know if someone is truly prophesying? Jesus does not want us to be caught up by mere flashes in the pan. It would be foolish on our part if we look with awe to those who have spectacular gifts; which unfortunately is the case.  It is not the gift of healing or prophecy or speaking in tongues, but rather the ‘fruit’ or the manner of life that matters. The true test is seen in lived faith and ethical conduct.

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Receivers become distributors- Tuesday, 12th Week in ordinary time – Mt 7:6, 12-14

The teachings of today are several smaller teachings strung together to form part of St Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount and to draw the sermon to a conclusion (verses 13-27).

The sense of “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot and turn and tear you to pieces,” is unclear. The word “holy” or hágios translates from the Greek as different or unlike others. In the Old Testament it also refers to sacrificial meat (Exodus 29: 33).

 In the NT, hágios (“holy”) has a “technical” meaning indicating that one is “different from the world”. Hence in this case it means, do not take the message of God which is different from the world and give it to dogs.  The Jews contemptuously also called the Gentiles “dogs” and the Jews abhorred the pig. The message of Jesus is not to be misunderstood as some racial slur but within the context of the Gospel of Matthew which had as its focus a Jewish audience. Hence, the message of the kingdom of God, meant for the “chosen ones” should be treasured like pearls, which for the people of the orient were far precious than diamonds or jewels ( remember the parable of the pearl of great price)

In this lies a message for all of us. The word of God is holy, its message is different from secular ideology and yet it lies dusty on our shelves while we foolishly devour secular teaching with a greater appetite than we do with the Word of God.

Matthew also strings together another great teaching known as the ‘golden rule’; “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you”. From a literary point of view this is the end of the Sermon on the Mount, a summary of its contents (JBC) and hence can be read as the pinnacle of the Sermon on the Mount.

While several other religious and cultural traditions including the Hellenists and Sophists held a similar view, this teaching was always presented in the negative. The great Jewish Rabbi, Hillel said, “Don’t do that”, Confucius said “don’t do to others what you don’t wish done to you”. The Stoics held that “what you don’t want done to you, don’t do to anyone else” All these were always presented in the negative.

Jesus gave this teaching a new perspective, a positive perspective; “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” Unfortunately a masochist may wreak havoc with this rule, hence one must see this ethic as a balance of ones obligations; as one controlled by the notion of good (JBC) As receivers of God’s blessings, we should be distributors of it.  

 

Fr Warner D’Souza

 

 

 

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Eye know – Monday, 12th Week in ordinary time – Mt 7:1-5

 So this one too, we can get horribly wrong, should we read the text out of its context.  We are in the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and Jesus’ ministry to His disciples is most clearly, purpose driven. He does not want them to end up like the Scribes and Pharisees. The disciple is called to righteousness not self- righteousness, and it is this that Jesus systematically attacks when He talks of the Scribes and Pharisees.

There had been no prophecy to the Jews for four hundred years before Christ. In this period, there arose groups of men who took it upon themselves to interpret the law; they came to be known as the Pharisees and Scribes.  In doing this, they became judges over what was permissible and what was not.  However, their judgments were no longer founded on the Law, as much as they were influenced by human traditions.

It is humanly impossible for anyone not to judge at all, and that was not the intention of Jesus when He said, ‘judge not and you will not be judged’.  Jesus is principally addressing the Pharisees who had usurped the right to be everyone’s conscience and censor. In doing so, He is also reminding the disciples of what they could become should they stray off the path of discipleship. “The definitive judgment of God belongs to Him alone, for only He sees the heart” (JBC).

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You can’t write a cheque in heaven- Friday, 11th Week in ordinary time – Mt 6:19-23

Sometime ago I read an interesting comparison between the grave of King Tutankhamun and Jesus. Tutankhamun was only nine years old when he became king of Egypt during the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom (c. 1332–1323 B.C.E.)  At age 18, when he died, his sarcophagus (a box-like stone container) held not one but three coffins.

The outer two coffins were crafted in wood and covered in solid gold along with many semiprecious stones, such as lapis lazuli and turquoise.   Five thousand three hundred and ninety eight items were found in the tomb, including a gold face mask, thrones, archery bows, trumpets, a lotus chalice, food, wine, sandals, and fresh linen underwear.

Jesus died at the age of 33. His body had been placed in a hewn rock. When the disciples discovered His tomb it was empty, there was no body, just some linen cloths.  King Tut had entered eternal life without his treasure; he had to leave them all behind. Jesus on the other hand came to give us eternal life by giving us His very life.

The Sermon on the Mount continues to instruct us as to how we should love God with all our heart, strength and mind.  Today’s Gospel examines the issue of how the love of wealth can distract our gaze away from God’s love to our earthly treasures. Make no mistake; there is absolutely no condemnation in the Bible of wealth per se. As I have often said, we should never make a virtue of poverty. Poverty is an evil, plain and simple and every effort must be made to eradicate it from society. The Bible does not condemn the possession of wealth but certainly condemns the love of it.

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Discovering the Lord of the prayer- Tuesday, 1st week in Lent – Mt 6:7-15

 Rattling the Lord’s Prayer has become second nature to most of us.  Jesus gave us this prayer in the context of how we ought not to pray and rattling it was certainly not on His mind.  Empty phrases do not please Our God and so Jesus gave us this simple prayer of dependence before Our God. Our rediscovery of this prayer may help us to understand the gift given to us in this precious prayer.

This prayer of Jesus emanated from His heart, yet in more ways than one it was revolutionary. Addressing God as ‘Abba’, Father, was unheard of.  The name of Yahweh itself was never uttered I the Old Testament.  In giving us the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus brings in a dimension of intimacy and trust between the believer and God. God is no longer that distant vengeful God but a loving Father.

The prayer has a strong communitarian dimension.   It may be said by a disciple or by a community of disciples but it is always said keeping the petitions of all in mind. The prayer begins with the word ‘our’ and this word is scattered all through the prayer. This fifty eight word prayer has the words ‘our’ and ‘us’, seven times and at least each time in every petition.

Pope Benedict XVI, commenting on the Lord’s Prayer said, “The Christian does not say “My Father” but “Our Father”, even in the secrecy of a closed room, because he knows that in every place, on every occasion, he is a member of one and the same body.”

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