Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!
Join us every week for background on this Sunday readings.
Our mission is simple:
We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass.
Today’s themes:
1. When we make a place for God in our lives, He will reward us both in life and in Heaven.
2. Opposites and juxtapositions can be both confusing and clear.
2 KGS 4:8-11, 14-16A
(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)
Ever heard it said that God has a sense of humor? There’s some real irony in the scriptures when it comes to the 2 books of Kings. During one of my bible studies, someone asked,
“Why are these books even in scripture? So much of the content is just about a bunch of bad behaving, selfish, idol-worshiping kings! How did these books make the cut and end up in the bible, the Word of God?”
Great question. The simple answer is that God sometimes shows us what not to do, in order to teach us what to do. This is the case in the books of Kings.
We see kings who fight, worship idols, kill, scheme, cheat and lie. Scholars think this is so we can:
1) recognize that earthly kings were never God’s idea (the Israelites begged Samuel, “Give us a king to lead us!”) and
2) Earthly kings, whether they try to be good or don’t – are imperfect. God is the only true and perfect King.
Today, Elisha the prophet (he took Elijah’s place) travels to a town and a woman invites him in to serve him food and give him rest. Elisha comes to town often, so the woman makes a semi-permanent place for him. He can come whenever he’s there (think Mother-in-law suite).
Seeing this act of love and disposition toward the good, Elisha rewards her with the gift of her first child.
- In our lives, how do we make space for God? Do we have an “in-law suite” for Jesus and invite Him in on a daily basis?
- What does it look like, and how do we participate in that space? Maybe we have a special prayer chair, a corner of the dresser with a crucifix or rosary, perhaps we set aside time to read scripture or other literature. How can your space be “dusted off” this week?
One day Elisha came to Shunem,
where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof
and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,
so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?”
His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes!
She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”
Elisha said, “Call her.”
When the woman had been called and stood at the door,
Elisha promised, “This time next year
you will be fondling a baby son.”
Psalm 89: Forever I will Sing the Goodness of the Lord
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)
Listen to the psalm’s words today. Picture the woman in the first reading singing it to the Lord after, despite her late age, Elisha granted her the blessing of a son.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever;”
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
ROM 6:3-4, 8-11
(The 2nd reading is usually one of Paul’s letters.The 2nd reading speaks to how the early church built The Church after the, death and resurrection).
We’ll be in Paul’s letter to the Romans from now until mid-September! In the first portion (today), Paul reminds the people they are in desperate need of a Savior.
He tell them this with juxtapositions and opposites. Jesus will do this in the gospel, too. In order for us to RISE with Christ, we must first DIE with Christ. In order to enjoy Heaven, we must endure suffering. He continues, as you’ll hear.
This is not Paul just ranting. These are words we must consider deeply. Maybe our sufferings are the loss of a loved one. Cancer or terminal illness. Miscarriage. Difficult children. Fallen away family members. Marital strife. Financial peril. Depression. Joblessness. The list goes on.
As baptized Christians, are we ready and willing to unite ourselves to Christ’s glory and His suffering? That’s a serious question. Paul says in order to have newness of life with Christ, we must “be dead to sin” as He was.
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.
MT 10:37-42
(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)
Today’s gospel is a beauty. It’s full of opposites; thought provoking juxtapositions.
In the first line, we have to clear the air though. Jesus says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” This does not mean we shouldn’t love your mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter or friend!
Jesus is using hyperbole. He means that our love for these people should be a mere shadow compared to the love we have for Our God, Our Heavenly Father. That goes back to the question, do you have a mother-in-law suite for God?).
Here come the opposites:
- Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. - Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. - Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward (think back to Elisha the prophet in reading 1) - Whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. - Whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple—
Amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
What are we to do with these phrases? WE are supposed to be the “whoever” in these statements (except for the first one). Let’s go back and re-read those 5 bullets above. Now that “he” in the last line of the gospel? That’s “whoever.”
Some of us might not like being called “whoever,” but that’s who God calls us to be today. Whoever does those things in the bullets will “surely not lose his reward.”
Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
Banquet of the Word 