BIBLE STUDY #138
ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
June 16, 2013
READING 1
2 SAMUEL 12:7-10, 13
Nathan said to David:
“Thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘I anointed you king of Israel.
I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own.
I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.
And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more.
Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight?
You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword;
you took his wife as your own,
and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites.
Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house,
because you have despised me
and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’
Then David said to Nathan,
“I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan answered David:
“The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin:
you shall not die.”
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
GALATIANS 2:16, 19-21
Brothers and sisters:
We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law no one will be justified.
For through the law I died to the law,
that I might live for God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if justification comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 7:36—8:3
A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,
and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table.
Now there was a sinful woman in the city
who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.
Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,
she stood behind him at his feet weeping
and began to bathe his feet with her tears.
Then she wiped them with her hair,
kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,
“If this man were a prophet,
he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Simon, I have something to say to you.”
“Tell me, teacher, ” he said.
“Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;
one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty.
Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.
Which of them will love him more?”
Simon said in reply,
“The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,
“Do you see this woman?
When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,
but she has bathed them with her tears
and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss,
but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.
You did not anoint my head with oil,
but she anointed my feet with ointment.
So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven
because she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The others at table said to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But he said to the woman,
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another,
preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
Accompanying him were the Twelve
and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza,
Susanna, and many others who provided for them
out of their resources.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
Whenever I read this Gospel passage, I am always reminded of the people I know who are just like this Pharisee: self satisfied, arrogant, and judgmental. They are sure of their righteousness and look down on others they think are inferior to them.
On the other hand, a woman comes into the Pharisee’s house full of remorse for her sins. She wept, bathed his feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with ointment. We don’t know what her sins were. We assume she was a prostitute, but the text is silent on this matter. Her actions show her sorrow and her need for forgiveness.
The Pharisee would not offer forgiveness to this woman, but would rather that Jesus stay away from her because she is a sinner. He is judgmental, but not forgiving. He thinks he is a better person than her and looks down on her.
Jesus tells a story about forgiveness. Two people were in debt to a creditor: one owed 500 days wages, and one owed 5o days wages. Since neither could repay him, he forgave the debts. Jesus asks, “Which of them will love him more?” the Pharisee responds. “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.”
Notice that Jesus says her many sins are forgiven. He doesn’t downplay her sins, doesn’t try to make them less than they are, doesn’t make any excuses for her sins. But God’s love is bigger than our sins. He is willing to forgive anything we are willing to confess. In my mind, the only unforgiveable sin in the one that’s not confessed.
Since she is forgiven a lot, she is willing to love a lot. It seems that the Pharisee is arrogant enough to not see the need for forgiveness. His sins may be less than the woman’s, but since he is forgiven little, he loves little. We see the relationship between forgiveness and love. We should be grateful for God’s forgiveness, and be willing to show that love and forgiveness to others. But, when we are unforgiving, it is hard to love. If we love than we practice forgiveness. That’s what loving people do. But if we are arrogant and judgmental, we find it hard to love.
We never condone sin: we don’t make excuses for it, we don’t say that everybody does it so it’s ok, we don’t say who are you hurting so forget about it. We need to acknowledge our sins before we can ask for forgiveness.
But we don’t condemn the sinner, either. The rule of thumb is to hate the sin but love the sinner. And if we’re to love the sinner, that means we are to forgive them because that’s what loving people do.
I find that those who are unwilling to forgive others are also unwilling to admit their own sins. When we are unwilling to ask for forgiveness, we eventually cut ourselves off from the avenues of God’s grace, and God becomes distant and not a part of our lives. And since we’re not forgiving people, we find it hard to love.
What an awful way to live, cut off from God’s grace and love. It’s a bleak existence practiced by too many people. We need to pray for these people that somehow God’s forgiveness becomes a part of their lives and opens them up to love God and others.
I think being accepting of everyone who comes to worship with us is a way to show our love to others. No matter whom you are or what has happened in the past, I hope everyone feels welcome at St. Joseph’s. I want our church to be a beacon of light and hope to all who enter. What better place to feel God’s love and forgiveness than in church? Why would we want to turn anyone away or make them feel unwelcome?
We are all sinners who need God’s forgiveness. Let’s be grateful for God’s love for us and show that to others.
Fr. Phil
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
BIBLE STUDY #137
TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
June 9, 2013
READING 1
1 KINGS 17:17-24
Elijah went to Zarephath of Sidon to the house of a widow.
The son of the mistress of the house fell sick,
and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.
So she said to Elijah,
“Why have you done this to me, O man of God?
Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt
and to kill my son?”
Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.”
Taking him from her lap, he carried the son to the upper room
where he was staying, and put him on his bed.
Elijah called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying
by killing her son?”
Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times
and called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
let the life breath return to the body of this child.”
The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah;
the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived.
Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house
from the upper room and gave him to his mother.
Elijah said to her, “See! Your son is alive.”
The woman replied to Elijah,
“Now indeed I know that you are a man of God.
The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.”
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
GALATIANS 1:11-19
I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when God, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 7:11-17
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, ”
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
From Harper’s Bible Dictionary, p.682, (copyright 1985, The Society of Biblical Literature): The city of Nain is “a village identified with modern Nein six miles southeast of Nazareth at the foot of Givat ha-Moreh in the valley of Jezreel (cf. Judg. 7:11). In later Jewish sources, the town was called Naim (Heb., “pleasant”). Here Jesus resuscitated the widow’s only son (Luke 7:11-17). Ruins of a medieval church remain the village, and to the southeast are ancient rock cut- tombs.”
This story is unique to Luke’s Gospel. It shows Luke’s penchant for women, the poor, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised.
When Jesus nears the city, he sees a man who had died being carried out. He was the only son of a widow. The widow would have been dependent on her son for survival and now would have no means of survival.
Notice that Jesus acted without being asked. Many times in the gospels, Jesus doesn’t do anything unless asked. This time, Jesus initiates the action.
Nor does he require faith from the widow, nor any promise of faith. He feels compassion for a woman in mourning and he takes action. This action is more than just compassion, however. According to Isaiah, this type of action is a time of restoration for the poor and when those who died would rise. It is the time of the Messiah. John subsequently sends people to Jesus to ask him if he is the messiah. Jesus response is to look at his deeds; this will tell you that he is the messiah.
The people are correct in thinking that a great prophet has arisen. God has visited them in Jesus, the Son of God.
The first reading from the first book of Kings is also about a healing. Elijah was a great prophet Who lived in the 9th century BC and who performed many works of great power.
The death of the son was blamed partly on Elijah who, as a prophet, brought God’s judgment on her. And his death was partly blamed on the widow because people thought that the sins of the mother had been visited on the son.
Elijah takes the body of the son and prays over it, asking God to restore life to him. God grants his request, showing us that God is one who heals and restores life, and does not take revenge on a child for the sins of the parents. This story shows us the goodness of God, attests to the importance of the prophet as a spokesperson for God, and affirms the truth that God’s word will always be revealed.
While Elijah is a great prophet, we see that Jesus is a greater prophet, the greatest prophet. Elijah needs to pray to God for healing, he can’t do it on his own. Jesus, on the other hands, heals by his own power because he is God.
Fr. Phil
TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
June 9, 2013
READING 1
1 KINGS 17:17-24
Elijah went to Zarephath of Sidon to the house of a widow.
The son of the mistress of the house fell sick,
and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.
So she said to Elijah,
“Why have you done this to me, O man of God?
Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt
and to kill my son?”
Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.”
Taking him from her lap, he carried the son to the upper room
where he was staying, and put him on his bed.
Elijah called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying
by killing her son?”
Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times
and called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
let the life breath return to the body of this child.”
The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah;
the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived.
Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house
from the upper room and gave him to his mother.
Elijah said to her, “See! Your son is alive.”
The woman replied to Elijah,
“Now indeed I know that you are a man of God.
The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.”
The Word of the Lord
READING 2
GALATIANS 1:11-19
I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when God, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
The Word of the Lord
GOSPEL
LUKE 7:11-17
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, ”
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection
From Harper’s Bible Dictionary, p.682, (copyright 1985, The Society of Biblical Literature): The city of Nain is “a village identified with modern Nein six miles southeast of Nazareth at the foot of Givat ha-Moreh in the valley of Jezreel (cf. Judg. 7:11). In later Jewish sources, the town was called Naim (Heb., “pleasant”). Here Jesus resuscitated the widow’s only son (Luke 7:11-17). Ruins of a medieval church remain the village, and to the southeast are ancient rock cut- tombs.”
This story is unique to Luke’s Gospel. It shows Luke’s penchant for women, the poor, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised.
When Jesus nears the city, he sees a man who had died being carried out. He was the only son of a widow. The widow would have been dependent on her son for survival and now would have no means of survival.
Notice that Jesus acted without being asked. Many times in the gospels, Jesus doesn’t do anything unless asked. This time, Jesus initiates the action.
Nor does he require faith from the widow, nor any promise of faith. He feels compassion for a woman in mourning and he takes action. This action is more than just compassion, however. According to Isaiah, this type of action is a time of restoration for the poor and when those who died would rise. It is the time of the Messiah. John subsequently sends people to Jesus to ask him if he is the messiah. Jesus response is to look at his deeds; this will tell you that he is the messiah.
The people are correct in thinking that a great prophet has arisen. God has visited them in Jesus, the Son of God.
The first reading from the first book of Kings is also about a healing. Elijah was a great prophet Who lived in the 9th century BC and who performed many works of great power.
The death of the son was blamed partly on Elijah who, as a prophet, brought God’s judgment on her. And his death was partly blamed on the widow because people thought that the sins of the mother had been visited on the son.
Elijah takes the body of the son and prays over it, asking God to restore life to him. God grants his request, showing us that God is one who heals and restores life, and does not take revenge on a child for the sins of the parents. This story shows us the goodness of God, attests to the importance of the prophet as a spokesperson for God, and affirms the truth that God’s word will always be revealed.
While Elijah is a great prophet, we see that Jesus is a greater prophet, the greatest prophet. Elijah needs to pray to God for healing, he can’t do it on his own. Jesus, on the other hands, heals by his own power because he is God.
Fr. Phil
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