Welcome back to the Sunday Mass notes for 7-3-2016. This week we learn something about how to find peace and comfort from God during hard times by resting upon His future promises of peace and prosperity in the closing chapter of Isaiah. We learn about the value of humility and how God calls us to reflect upon His works and not our own. In the Gospel reading we see God’s early missionary force sent out before His crucifixion in order to spread the word of the kingdom being ushered in through the Messiah Jesus and about coming judgment for those who ignored His promises.

Introduction to the First Reading:

The context of the message from the last chapter of the Book of Isaiah is God’s closing message to Judah concerning the ultimate future restoration of Jerusalem, the city of God’s own choosing given to the people of his choosing – the Nation of Israel. Chapter 66 provides important insights to the contemporary audience who were facing threats from the Assyrian Empire who soon took over the Northern Kingdom and also the Babylonians who later took over Judah itself.

First Reading:

Isaiah 66:10-14 NAS95 10 “Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her, 11 That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom. 12 For thus says the LORD, “Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad, And your bones will flourish like the new grass; And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, But He will be indignant toward His enemies.

In the opening verses God taught Isaiah how Jerusalem was as a holy mother to God’s people, a place of safe dwelling and nourishment full of bounty (vv. 10 – 11). Jerusalem, which was at that time still standing and had yet to face the utter destruction promised to it (Isaiah 22:1-14), had been since the conquering of the Jebusites and the placing of the temple there been a beacon of God’s glory to the world. The city in which God dwelled served to reveal Himself to the Hebrew nation as well as the surrounding Gentiles. It is no coincidence that the name Jerusalem itself means “city of peace” since it was (and will be in some future age) the representation of God’s presence and rule on earth. In verse 12 we see this aspect of the City of Peace extolled, where God says, “Behold, I extend peace to her like a river.” The next part of this verse reveals the future, universal significance of the City of God not just to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. God says that He will bring the glory of the nations into Jerusalem, with the coming of the nations is shown by Him to be a good thing. These would have been strange words to Isaiah’s contemporary audience since they would have viewed anything from the Gentiles as unclean and dangerous. This was especially in light of the fact that the Gentile Assyrian army was posed ready to strike down the Jewish Northern Kingdom very shortly. The reading concludes by continuing the expression of God’s peace and comfort to His people (vv. 13 – 15). God said their hearts would be glad (14a), that they would flourish physically like “new grass” (14b), and that He would conquer their enemies (14c). 

This message of hope given by Isaiah the Prophet of Judah would have been very comforting to the people who had only to look to God for their ultimate deliverance from their enemies and future peace.  Little did they know that the ultimate peace would not come until after they had killed their promised Messiah and waited while God fulfilled His divine plan by bringing the Gentiles to faith in Him through the mystery of the church (Ephesians 5:32). In our day we can look to Isaiah’s message and find a similar application. We can trust that in the end God will vanquish our enemies, bring eternal peace to us as spiritual prosperity and ultimately will fulfil all of the prophetic promises that He has made to us. When we read about the “nations” in the Old Testament passages such as we saw in Isiah, we can trust that God has a plan for us and that we are a people grafted into the nation of his choosing, Israel. As in-grafted believers we share not only in the responsibilities of God’s people, but also in the current and promised blessings.

The Scriptures teach us about the importance of focusing upon God both in the good times and the bad. I remember once a few years back while I was windsurfing on the eastern coast of Florida when the boom which held the sail to the mast suddenly broke in two and I was forced to swim a long distance back to the shore. My readers may recognize that many of the illustrations I include are often drawn from my experiences windsurfing! As I made my way back towards shore with a side-stroke while grasping onto my board and broken rig and kept my focus upon the distant shoreline. I found it helpful to focus upon my goal as I made progress towards it at a snail’s pace. It is during these times when keeping the goal in sight is helpful and how promises never to leave us or forsake us. During the easy times it’s easy to place our beliefs on a shelf and not retrieve them again until the next hard thing comes along. But during our difficult struggles God becomes paramount in our minds. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because we do indeed turn more closely to God when hard times come rather than to fall away and feel that God has left us during our challenges. As I continued my long swim that day as I got closer to the shore the lifeguard who earlier been blowing his whistle at me for being too close to the guarded area began watching me through binoculars to see if I needed any help. With the whistle blowing exercise fresh in my mind I happily scurried onto the grassy shoreline of the public park quickly rather than waiting around for him to question me. I thought, how dare I break down in the guarded area where windsurfing was prohibited, and there was nothing that the lifeguard could do about it!  These lessons have taught me reliance upon God and the value of focusing upon Him during the good times and the bad.

Introduction to the Second Reading:

The second reading picks up where we left off last week in Galatians. Here Paul continues his explanation of salvation by faith alone and not through the works of the Law. Earlier, Paul had just finished explaining the danger of the believers falling into the trap of conforming to religious Jewish practices for the sake of preventing persecution for their faith. Paul said, “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12). Some in the church were urging conformance to religious practices including circumcision and the boasting about it as though they were the religious police, judge, and jury (v. 13). Paul’s opposition to their boasting is the subject of today’s reading.

Second Reading:

Galatians 6:14-18 NAS95 14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

In this short message, Saint Paul extolled the value of boasting only in the finished work of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us rather than in anything that we do, even if it be of great religious or spiritual value. God promises the peace will fall upon those that walk humbly in light of this admonition although they may endure persecution for Him (v. 17, the “brand marks of Jesus”). Paul closes the reading and the entire Book of Galatians with a closing blessing in which he calls for God’s blessing while affirming the brotherhood of those whom he had addressed so sternly throughout his message.

Paul’s words from the reading reminds us of the Prophet Micah’s message from God to the people of his era. Near the end of his Book he wrapped up the entirety of the calling God was placing upon the people in one short sentence: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). As we saw in the first reading God calls us to focus upon His works and promises and through this we find comfort through our difficult times. In today’s second reading Paul added to this by reminding his readers the value of walking in humility and boasting only in what God has done for them rather in what they have done for Him.

Introduction to the Gospel Reading:

The context of the Gospel reading from Luke is Jesus’ sending of the seventy, an early missionary group who went out across the land in pairs to present the message that “the kingdom of God [had] come near to [them” (v. 9). This group was given spiritual power for healing along with this message which also included an admonition for those who turned against God’s provisions of the kingdom.

Gospel Reading:

Luke 10:1-12 NAS95 1 Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2 And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I say to you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.”

Luke 10:17-20 NAS95 17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

God sent the seventy in pairs with very specific instructions, the first of which was to discern the receptiveness of the house in which they were preparing to enter. Jesus had earlier warned His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount about “not casting their pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6), meaning not to attempt to preach godly things to those persisting in ungodliness and unwilling to listen. Jesus expanded upon this admonition by promising to His missionary force that those who don’t listen will be subject to severe and eternal discipline. Jesus told them that the destruction of those who reject the message would be worse than the destruction experienced by the unrepentant sinners in Sodom which the Lord destroyed by divine fire from heaven (v. 12). This missionary force returned after the conclusion of their assignment with the astounding news of divine power over Satanic forces (v. 17). Jesus then told them about how He had already seen Satan fall from his exalted position and how He had given them this divine authority which they experienced during their journey (v. 19). In closing, Jesus pointed them to His higher purpose. They were not to boast about the power that He had given them for their missionary responsibilities but rather to rejoice in the fact that, unlike Satan and the nonbelievers, their names were written in Book of Life in heaven (v. 20).

By application, the power to which Jesus extended to His first ministry force of seventy people extends to us in a certain extent today. As missionaries of Jesus we are called to use discernment in gaging the receptiveness of our audience. We are also to recognize that like the seventy we too possess divine power that comes from God according to the spiritual gift which is given to us (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28). We are also reminded to keep in mind the urgency of this message because nonbelievers will be judged with a worse fate than those at Sodom. And like we saw in the second reading we need to walk humbly before the Lord and exalt in His works rather than our own. We are to “rejoice that [our] names are recorded in heaven” (v. 20) while using the example of the seventy as guidance in how we are to approach that that may be highly resistant to the Gospel.

A few things to keep in mind regarding the reading are:

• There is a great need for missionaries in our world today.
• God places a great intrinsic value upon each person where He wishes that none would perish (2 Peter 3:9).
• The consequences of rejecting Jesus are real and eternal.
• Jesus demonstrated the value of community in accomplishing His missionary work by sending the missionaries in pairs. We don’t need to accomplish our “scary” ministry alone but rather we can follow Jesus’ example and work in teams to achieve the greater glory of God.
• There is a fantastic spiritual battle that is happening behind the scenes in the heavenly realm. As believers we enter the “second heaven” which is invisible domain but which is very real in terms of the spiritual battles being waged.
• Through all of these things we need to remember Jesus’ Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Bottom Line: Questions for Reflection

1.  In the Gospel reading we learned about Jesus’ first missionary force of seventy people sent out as “lambs in the midst of wolves (v. 3). In what ways do you feel as a lamb among wolves in the work that God has called for you to do today?

2. In what ways to God’s promises empower you to accomplish His work, including the Great Commission? How does gaining a better understanding of God’s promises help you? What are some ways in which you could learn more about God’s promises and create future reminders about what you have learned?

Note: For a listing of readings for the Roman Catholic Mass, visit this web site:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/070316.cfm    

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 102

Source(s):

Online Scripture verses for most Bible versions can be found at:  http://www.biblegateway.com/

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Welcome back to the Sunday Mass notes for 6-14-2015. This week we open with Ezekiel 17: 22-24.  The prophet uses a metaphor to show how God sets up kings and takes them down and will eventually establish a King who will reign over all. Then we move to St. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5: 6-10, encouraging the use of our earthly bodies for eternal purposes.  Finally we conclude with St. Mark 4: 26-34, as Jesus uses parables to teach about the kingdom of God.

Introduction to the First Reading:

When an F5 tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, 158 people died and countless others were injured.  Tornado warnings had been issued and the sirens activated, but many did not seek shelter soon enough.  One study found that only 10 percent of the population respond immediately when a tornado warning is given.  The others respond with what the researcher called, “denial.” *   Lives are lost when people don’t believe and heed the warnings.

Ezekiel was a prophet of God sent out to warn God’s people of impending destruction.  God had always been their shelter in a time of storm, but they had strayed far from Him. If they didn’t turn back to Him destruction would surely overtake them.  Ezekiel and many of the other prophets were sent to sound the alarm, but sadly, many did not heed the prophets’ warning. 

The people of God were composed of twelve tribes descended from Abraham’s grandson Jacob, (renamed Israel in Genesis 35:10).   These descendants and the land God gave them for a home were called Israel.  From them, the Messiah Jesus would come, and through the salvation He would bring, all the nations of the world would be blessed.

Despite their privileged position in God’s plan for the nations, Israel rebelled against God and went after the false gods of the surrounding nations.  They forgot the Lord’s commands and worshiped idols.  This was the fate of King Solomon when he ruled in Israel after his father David’s reign.  At first he followed God, and God gave him great wisdom to rule justly.  But when Solomon married foreign women, he began to follow after their gods.  Because of his idolatry, God would take ten of the tribes from his rule and leave his posterity the tribes of Benjamin and Judah only.  The ten tribes became known as the Northern Kingdom and were called Israel.   The remaining two tribes formed the Southern Kingdom and were called Judah.   It was to Judah that God sent Ezekiel with His warnings. 

God had already sent an invading army from Babylon to take Judah into captivity.   Ezekiel was with the first wave of captives taken to Babylon.    Some of God’s people, however, still remained in Jerusalem, Judah’s capital.  If they didn’t repent and turn back to God, they would face a similar fate as their brothers.   They ignored the warning, and instead of seeking God, they sought an alliance with Egypt.  That failed, and Babylon conquered Jerusalem taking most of the people who resided there into captivity.

In the First Reading, Ezekiel uses trees as a metaphor for rulers God sets up and takes down.  When kings abandoned God and led the people far away from Him, God sent prophets like Ezekiel to call them back to God and warn them of impending destruction.  When the king and his people persisted in their rebellion, God sent conquerors to come and take them captive.

Ezekiel looked forward to the time when God will set up another king.  God will take a twig from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it on the mountain of Israel, and it will bear fruit and birds of all kinds will come and prosper there.  This tree is a reference to Jesus who will be established in Israel and will bring salvation to all who come to Him.  And someday He will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in a heavenly kingdom that has no end.

Another prophet sounds the warning for us.  St. John tells us:

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.      (Gospel of St. John 3: 16-18)

Those who believe in Jesus have eternal life.  Those that don’t, stand judged already.  Are you going to heed the warning and believe?

* http://www.mprnews.org/story/2012/05/09/storm-ready-human-reaction#gallery accessed 5/18/15

First Reading:

Ezekiel 17:22-24 NAS95 22 Thus says the Lord GOD, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 “On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. 24 “All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”

Introduction to the Second Reading:

1 and 2 Corinthians were written by St. Paul the Apostle to the church in Corinth.  There were sin issues in the church, and Paul had addressed them frankly in 1 Corinthians.  Now in his second letter, he wanted to reassure the Corinthians that he did this, not out of anger, but out of love. In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul encourages the Corinthian church to forgive and restore the one who had caused the problems.  He goes on to discuss practical matters of Christian living such as financial giving and caution regarding relationships with unbelievers.  But often his thoughts turn from earthly matters to eternal blessings.

In the proclamation of the gospel, St. Paul had undergone extreme persecution which he recounts in 2 Corinthians 4.  He testified, ^“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁹ persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”  Encouragement came from knowing that these “light troubles,” as he called them, were producing eternal results—people were hearing about and believing in Jesus.  His focus was not on the temporary suffering but on eternal rewards.  He continued this focus in chapter 5.

In the first five verses, St. Paul compares our bodies with an earthly tent.  Tents are fragile and temporary and subject to destruction.   So are our earthly bodies.  While we are in this “tent” we groan and are burdened, Paul tells us.  We long for a heavenly body, which is like an eternal house not a fragile tent.

In the Second Reading (v. 6-10), Paul acknowledges that it would be much better to be away from this body and home with the Lord in heaven.  But until then, Paul tells us to do what is pleasing to the Lord.   God has ministry for us to do, and it would be pointless to waste this time by wishing we were in heaven.  But on the other hand, knowing that we are going to heaven someday will give us courage and perseverance when we face persecution and hardship in this life.

In addition, St. Paul reminds us we will someday have to give an account to Christ for what we have done in this life as Christians.   Did we serve Him well?  Did we tell others about Christ? Will He someday be able to say to you and me, “Well done, good and faithful servant”?  He will if we faithfully use these earthly bodies to accomplish his eternal purposes.

Second Reading:

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 NAS95 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord– 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight– 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Introduction to the Gospel Reading:

Wherever Jesus went, a crowd of the curious gathered.  Often He spoke to them in parables.  A parable is a simple, everyday story that represents a spiritual truth or moral principle.  It usually compares a spiritual concept with an earthly object or event.

 In the Gospel Reading, two parables are given.  The first one begins, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil.”  Stories like these are often told to illustrate or illuminate a truth.  But Jesus spoke in parables not to clarify the truth but to obscure it.  It was a judgment on those whose hearts were hard.  To the unbelieving, the parables were incomprehensible riddles, but to those who wanted to understand the truth, Jesus would give them understanding.  He said to His disciples and His true followers, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, ¹² so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand….”*

In the first parable, the kingdom of God is compared to a man who plants seeds.  While he goes about his daily routine and without any further help from the man, the seed sprouts and matures.  So it is with us.  We plant the seed of the gospel in people’s hearts when we teach or preach or proclaim the truth of the Bible to our friends, neighbors, and relatives.  Then God causes the implanted truth to take root and grow.  A mature Christian is the result.

The second parable says that the kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed which grows into a large plant with branches capable of providing shade for birds of the air.  The church was small in the beginning–just a little band of disciples.  But when those men were empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of the Gospel to the whole world, the church grew rapidly.  Many have found comfort and salvation there.  If we plant the seed of the Word of God in people’s hearts, God will cause that seed to spout and the church to flourish.

*Information gleaned from a sermon by John MacArthur accessed 5/20/15. http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-464/the-purpose-for-parables

Gospel Reading:

The Gospel lesson is from Mark 4: 26-34:

Mark 4:26-34 NAS95 26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows–how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30 And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.” 33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

Bottom Line: Questions for Reflection

1.  What would you need to do differently in order to live your life for eternal purposes? List two areas in which you will write down on a card or in your personal journal.

2.   If we plant the seed of the Word of God in people’s hearts, God will cause it to grow.  What are some ways you can plant more “seeds” this week? Give at least two ways in which this could be done. 

Note: For a listing of readings for the Roman Catholic Mass visit this web site:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/061415.cfm  

First Reading  EZ 17:22-24

Second Reading 2 COR 5:6-10

Gospel Reading MK 4:26-34

Source(s):

Online Scripture verses for most Bible versions can be found at:  http://www.biblegateway.com/

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB

Keywords: tree, body, judgment, seeds, plant, kingdom, parable

Welcome back to the Sunday Mass notes for 7-27-2014. This week we open with the Old Testament reading that describes King Solomon’s prayer for wisdom. Our New Testament reading describes God’s vision for each follower to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. This is truly wise living.  In the Gospel lesson we continue with more of Jesus’ teaching on parables from last week.  He provides short stories of wise people who valued the Kingdom of Heaven above all else and inherited life eternal.

The context for this story is after the death of King David. Israel was in its “golden era” having subdued its enemies and established itself as a nation. Solomon was David’s son by Bathsheba and succeeded David on the throne. We catch a glimpse of his heart as he begins his reign over Israel.

5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish me to give you.” 6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 10 It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. (1 Kings 3:5-12)

These verses show us the beginning steps of King Solomon. Some important observations include:

• God came to Solomon in a dream
• God invited Solomon to ask Him for whatever he wished
• Solomon recognized God’s great loving-kindness (fiercely loyal love) before answering
• Solomon also recognized his finiteness and sense of inadequacy for the important role that he was being placed in
• Solomon asked for an understanding heart to judge the people of Israel and to discern between good and evil
• God granted this request and blessed him with wisdom

If you know the rest of the story, you may be confused with how a person could be granted a wise and discerning heart and yet end up being led astray by all of the women (700 of them) he was married to (1 Kings 11:3). I wonder if his great wisdom came through the school of hard knocks. For at the end of his life he confesses: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). No matter how much wealth, power and status, the wisest man on earth concludes that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).

You may not be a king, but we can all come to God and ask Him for wisdom. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” We all have roles in life that are challenging. We can follow Solomon’s lead and recognize God’s fiercely loyal love and our inadequacy. This should lead us with humility and desperation before the true King of kings as we ask our Heavenly Father for what we really need: wisdom.

The second reading is from the New Testament, Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, which is a continuation of what we read last week. Paul is in the middle of declaring the victory that believers have through Christ. But the victory comes through the back door of recognizing our weakness as humans. This echoes King Solomon’s prayer for wisdom in the earlier reading. For it is in our weakness that we find help from the Holy Spirit, who is interceding for us according to the will of God the Father (Romans 8:27).

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30)

This passage, in its context, casts an inspiring and hopeful vision for followers of Christ. For it declares that God uses all things for His good purposes. While not all things that happen in this life are good, God is able to use every circumstance (pleasurable and painful) to accomplish His predestined will: to conform us to image of His Son. He wants us to look like Christ. That’s what this life is all about. That is God’s vision for us as His followers. The question for us is, how badly do we want His vision for our lives? Are we willing to let God conform us to the image of His Son and work all things together for good, or are we wanting to just “get enough of God” in order to go to heaven when we die? There is a foundational condition for having all things work together for good: this comes to one who loves God and allows Him to work out His good purposes in his or her life. What this implies is trust and surrender to God’s bigger purposes. He knows what is best for us. Someday we will agree wholeheartedly with Him.

In the Gospel lesson this week we continue with Jesus’ teaching to His disciples through parables that we looked at the past two weeks.

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:44-52)

Jesus is away from the crowds (Matthew 13:36) and now teaches His disciples in parables, something which He previously did only when the crowds were present. The main subject is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus paints a few broad brush strokes to entice His followers to continue their costly pursuit of being a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a hidden treasure and a pearl of great price. In the parable of the hidden treasure the man isn’t searching for it, in contrast the man in the parable of the pearl is on an active search to locate valuable peals. Both parables, though, require a sacrifice on the part of the would-be owners of the precious goods. But the sacrifice is insignificant for the joy of obtaining the truly valuable treasure. Jesus is helping us to see that the Kingdom of Heaven is worth every seeming sacrifice that is made in order to walk with Him in this world. Jesus’ kingdom is only partially here, and these parables illustrate the great value of this down payment on the full kingdom, the mystery of life eternal. 

The apostle Paul understood clearly the surpassing value of a discipleship relationship to Jesus: “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” (Phil. 3:8).

The last illustration of the Kingdom of Heaven is very striking. It is that of a dragnet that is tossed out to catch fish. In the end of the age, the fish will be sorted out. The good will go to containers and the bad will be thrown out. Jesus gives the explanation clearly. The wicked will be sorted out from the righteous and will be thrown into the furnace of fire (referring to a literal Hell). The prospects of an eternity with weeping and gnashing of teeth is almost too much to fathom. But Jesus, in His kindness, gives us insight into eternity. In this life we have a lot of choices to make, but the most important one is where we will spend eternity. Based on our sin, we have only one label that we can claim: wicked. “There is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). We cannot claim the label “righteous,” no matter how good we try to be. But Jesus, who was righteous came to give us the label and identity of “righteous” by taking the punishment of our wickedness on the cross and giving us His righteousness. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). So while we don’t deserve the label of righteous, we can choose to have it, if we will receive God’s gift of eternal life. It’s a gift, though. It doesn’t count until you receive it. Have you placed your faith in God’s gift of eternal life through Christ? Are you counting on this for your salvation?

If so, you are a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus said that each one who is following Him into His Kingdom brings out treasures that are new and old. This means that we have a growing testimony of God’s valuable work in our lives. We can speak of the current work that He is doing and the past work that He has done. We are cooperating with His vision to conform us into the image of His Son, for we know that the Son is our most valuable treasure indeed.

Bottom Line: Questions for Reflection

1.  What does it mean to be a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven?

2.  What “sacrifices” have you made to be a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven? How do these parables help you to know that it is worth it?

3. How does the story of Solomon asking for wisdom illustrate the parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price? In what areas do you want God to help you become wise and discerning about your own life and pursuits? Spend some time in prayer, asking Him for His perspective and wisdom for your life. Let Him know that you want to surrender to His vision for conforming you to the image of His Son.

Note: For a listing of readings for the Roman Catholic Mass visit this web site: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/072714.cfm    

First Reading 1 KGS 3:5, 7-12 (plus skipped verses)

Second Reading ROM 8:28-30

Gospel Reading MT 13:44-52

Source(s):

Online Scripture verses for most Bible versions can be found at:  http://www.biblegateway.com/

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB