If, in a dream, we were to find a magical lamp, and be given any number of wishes, the odds seem good that we would likely ask our genie for long life, wealth, and, perhaps, some come-uppance over our enemies. In today’s first reading, Solomon is asked such a question by God. Instead, Solomon asks for wisdom, so that he may govern the people well and help them honor the covenant they had made with God. In effect, Solomon forgoes earthly success for spiritual gain. Solomon’s wish is paralleled in the first two parables in today’s Gospel reading. Here we are instructed that, having found the kingdom of God, our proper response should be to pursue the kingdom of God relentlessly – selling all that we have. In all of these three episodes, God is readily available (God comes to Solomon, and the treasures have been found) and the individual proper response is to embrace God’s presence.

How, then, can we come to recognize the kingdom, in order that we might seek it? Today’s responsorial psalm provides the key to unlocking this challenge: “Lord, I love your commands.” It is God’s law, made known in the scriptures, and in the liturgy, that we find what is “more precious than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” “In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims… We eagerly await the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, until he, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with him in glory” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 8).

© 2008, OCP. All rights reserved.

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If one is prone to thinking about the final judgment, it can be tempting, after hearing the today’s first two readings and psalm, to emit a thankful sigh. Who can help but be relieved by hearing that their judge is “lenient to all,” “judge[s] with clemency,” and is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.” How much more grateful should we be, then, to discover that our judge is also our defense; God, the Spirit, is our advocate, bolstering our prayers. It appears that the odds are in our favor. The parable of the harvest, however, complicates things. Despite the mercy of our judge, there are still those “weeds” that will be punished.

The point of this parable is, at least, twofold. First, we must trust in God, believing that God seeks our salvation. We must repent and seek reconciliation, and accept that we are, ultimately, incapable of saving ourselves. We need the assistance that God readily provides. Second, however, we must also accept that it is God, and not ourselves, who is the final judge. It is frequently tempting to assume this role in our communities. But the parable of the harvest promotes tolerance: we are not equipped to distinguish between the weeds and the wheat, nor would we be able to remove the weeds without damage. We are, instead, to trust in God’s justice, lenient as it is. After all, it is solely on God’s merciful judgment that we rely for our own salvation.

Jesus’ instruction, “bring them here to me,” echoes the invitation in Isaiah: “All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk.” Everyone, regardless of status, is called to the feeding. Since the miracles foreshadow the Kingdom of God we can also say, echoing Romans 8, that since nothing can “separate us from the love of God in Christ,” everyone is called to the eternal banquet.

This reality is made more clear by the parallel between the feeding of the five thousand and the Last Supper: Jesus takes the bread, looks up to heaven, says the blessing, breaks the bread, and gives it to the disciples. This description also fits our Eucharistic liturgy. If we are to accept the Church’s description of the Eucharist provided in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, that it is taking “part in a foretaste of [the] heavenly liturgy” (SC, 8), then the relationship between today’s miracle and the Reign of God is made abundantly clear.

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One of the overriding themes of today’s three readings is the transformation of all of creation by the creative power of the word of God.

Isaiah is one of the more complex prophets because scholars have determined that it was written in 3 parts. Today’s selection comes from the end of part two, and is a call to the people to hear the word of God and be renewed by it. Calling on an image from nature of rain and snow nurturing the soil, the prophet assures all that God’s word will have a similar effect on their lives if they are open to the message.

Writing to the Romans, Paul calls forth the image of a “groaning creation” ready to be transformed in Christ. Composed at least 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, he is writing to a community that was still waiting for Jesus to return in glory, and he urged the people to be ready and open to more transformation even if they have received the “firstfruits” of the spirit. There was more “life” to come which would be the redemption of their bodies. He emphasizes that “all of creation” will be transformed at the end of time.

The parable of the sower, itself speaks of the challenges to preaching the word of God. It uses an image common to the time in which the seed would be sown before the ground was ploughed, thus some seed was always wasted on soil unsuitable for growing crops. The interpretation given by the evangelist to the parable points to the difficulty that would be (was being) encountered in proclaiming the word of God, especially, the word of God as it was known and preached by Jesus and carried forth by the apostles and community. Certainly, not everyone would listen to the message and put it into practice, yet, the apostles were told not to lose heart. Promise of the Word’s efficacy is emphasized from Isaiah, that the Word of God will be transformative just like the rain and snow make the earth hospitable to the crops of the field.

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Humble, servant leadership is the over all theme present in both the first reading and the Gospel.

In the selection from Zechariah, which scholars date as composed after the Babylonian exile, the prophet speaks of a “messianic” king who will come as a servant ruler. Weapons of war will be banished in lieu of a universal reign of peace. To the shattered community returning to Jerusalem following the exile, his words may have been a sharp contrast to the kind of “messiah” the people expected who would establish a new kingdom with sword and violence.

It is obvious that Matthew, the evangelist, knew of this prophetic writing in his depiction of Jesus, who comes “meek and humble of heart.” “Meek and humble of heart,” Jesus is presented by the evangelist as a servant leader who helps his followers to carry the burdens of discipleship. Jesus is presented not as dispensing with the law and the prophets but as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. The disciple is called to learn from him. For the Jewish people, the law was sometimes referred to as a “yoke” and Jesus’ use of that term certainly won a hearing with the disciples.

In the eighth chapter of Romans, Paul is reflecting on the difference between a person guided by the Spirit and one who is “in the flesh”. If a person does not have the Spirit of Christ, he or she is living in the flesh and will not participate in the divine life given in baptism. If the person is living in the Spirit, sin and death is conquered and the person will have (eternal) life in communion with God.

© 2008, OCP. All rights reserved.

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