Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!
Join us every week for background on the Sunday readings.
Our mission is simple: We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass. Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.
Today’s theme = The yoke. “My yoke is easy and my burden, light.”
Fun Fact about Reading 1:
Today we are in Zechariah, one of the minor prophets. For a refresher on the concept of The Divided Kingdom – a key event in understanding the bible – check out the beginning of these posts from January 2016 and March 2017.
Fun Fact about Reading 2:
Paul talks to the Romans about the concept of “flesh” and “spirit.” We can improve our understanding if we know what a gnostic is. Gnosticism was a heresy from the early church. They did not believe Christ was ever fully human. Instead they believed:
All matter (our bodies, things “of the flesh”) = EVIL
Relating to the spirit (of God) = GOOD
ZEC 9:9-10
(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)
Zechariah spoke to the Israelites after the kingdom divided and before the Exile. Today we have his most famous prophesy (in bold):
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion,
shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king shall come to you;
a just savior is he,
meek, and riding on an ass,
on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem;
the warrior’s bow shall be banished,
and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.
His dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
This gets to be more fun now because we can link this verse to the New Testament words of Matthew 21: 4-5 which says of Jesus:
This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
“Say to daughter Zion, ‘Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”
We clearly see Zechariah’s prophecy fulfilled when Jesus – the Just Savior – enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday riding on an ass.
PS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)
“I will praise your name forever, my King and my God.”
A fitting song that offers verse after verse of praise, thanksgiving, and reminders of God’s faithfulness to his people – both then and now.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
ROM 8:9, 11-13
(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).
As you listen to Paul’s words, remember that we are to be predominantly Spirit, not Flesh:
Brothers and sisters:
You are not in the flesh;
on the contrary, you are in the spirit,
if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
the one who raised Christ from the dead
will give life to your mortal bodies also,
through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers and sisters,
we are not debtors to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die,
but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.
He tells us if we live in the flesh we will die, whereas if we live in the Spirit (of Christ) we will live with Him forever.
- How do we live according to the flesh in our own lives? How does this keep us farther from God?
- How can we live in the Spirit a little more this week? What small step toward Christ can we take this week? Maybe it’s a prayer before getting out of bed. Time in adoration. A kindness toward another.
Let us live in the spirit this week!
MT 11:25-30
(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.)
A little context helps here…Let’s back up a few verses.
Before Jesus says the words of today’s gospel, he warned the towns and speaks in a corrective tone: “He began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon,* they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.'”
He then speaks words of praise for God the Father and their oneness. Jesus speaks words of judgment for the sake of restoration.
This is a major and key theme of the entire bible:
From Judgment to Restoration.
Many prophets spoke words of judgment for the sake of restoration. God’s actions in the Old Testament were actions of judgment for the sake of restoration. Before the words of today’s gospel, Jesus spoke words of judgment. Now let’s listen to his words of restoration:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
The reference here to a yoke usually connotes slavery of persons or animals:
Jesus flips this image on its head. HIS yoke is a tool that unites us to Him.
We WANT to be tied to him and lead by Him. HIS yoke, unlike those attached to animals or slaves, is light…even easy. We are called to unite with Jesus and embrace his yoke willingly.
Reflect: Are we more often yoked to Christ, or are we yoked to sin? It’s probably a mixture of both. The key is that we desire to tip the balance so that we are more often yoked to Christ during our days, and less often yoked to sin.
May God bless your week!
Banquet of the Word 