Sunday Lectionary: Oh that today you would listen to His voice…

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 29th January, 2012

In our First Reading, Moses promises that a prophet will come after him, someone who will guide Israel. In the light of the New Testament, we recognize this person to be Jesus Christ who, in this Sunday’s Gospel Reading, not only teaches with authority, but demonstrates that authority by casting out an unclean spirit.

The psalmist in this Sunday’s psalm sings “Oh, that today you would hear his voice…harden not your hearts”. That is our invitation this Sunday. We are invited to come and listen to the voice of the Lord. The word of God is powerful indeed. If we come to the Scriptures with open hearts they have the power to transform our lives….

Reading I – Deuteronomy 18:15-20

In this First Reading Moses speaks to the People of Israel. He promises them that after he is gone, God will raise up someone who will lead His people…

Moses spoke to all the people, saying:

“A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.’

And the LORD said to me, ‘This was well said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'”

Questions:

• How were Moses’ words fulfilled?
• In what way is Jesus “like” Moses?

Commentary:

Moses spoke to all the people, saying:

“A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen. 

The context here implies that there will be many prophets who will come after Moses, but it is also a Messianic text pointing to Jesus:

“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me” – John 5:46

After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world” – John 6:14

The phrase “from among your own kin” means that this prophet will come from the people of Israel. It also reminds me of the Incarnation, how God came and dwelt with His people in flesh and bone.

Here are some of the similarities between Jesus and Moses:

1. Pharaoh killed all the the male Hebrew babies, but Moses was saved (Exodus 1:22; 2:1-2).
Herod killed all the male babies in and around Bethlehem, but Jesus escaped (Matthew 2:16-18).

2. Moses fled from Egypt, but later returned (Exodus 2:15; 4:18)
Jesus fled to Egypt and later returned to Israel (Matthew 2:13-23)

3. Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law (Exodus 24:1-3)
Jesus delivered the New Law at the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-3)

4. Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant through the blood of young bulls (Exodus 24:8)
Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant through His own blood (Matthew 26:28)

5. Moses did not eat or drink for forty days and forty nights (Exodus 34:28)
Jesus did the same while being tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:2)

6. Moses delivers the first five books of the Bible (Genesis – Deuteronomy)
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives five extended sermons (Matthew 5-7, 10, 13, 18, 24-25)

7. Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9)
Jesus said that, in a similar way, He Himself would be “lifted up” (John 3:14).

It is for this reason that Jesus is often known as “The New Moses”. So there are many similarities, but it was worth emphasizing that Jesus is not simply “like” Moses, but someone even greater:

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ – John 1:17

Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself – Hebrews 3:3

Jesus is the prophet, but a whole lot more…

This is exactly what you requested of the LORD, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God, nor see this great fire any more, lest we die.’

This is a reference to an incident during the Exodus:

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, tey trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die’ – Exodus 20:18-19

And the LORD said to me, ‘This was well said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it. 

God promises someone who will speak His words and act with power.

But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die.'”

The price to pay for being a false prophet is high!

 

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9

This psalm is a call to worship. It was spoken by a priest or Levite to those who had gathered in the Temple. This psalm is prayed as the Invitatory of Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”

Questions:

• What are the three main invitations of this psalm?
• What relationship does the psalmist say exists between God and His people?
• What does it mean to “Harden not your hearts”?
• What happened at “Meribah” and “Massah”?

Commentary:

R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

The constant refrain of this psalm. It is a plea to trust in the Lord our Rock, rather than let our hearts become rock-like.  It is an appeal to listen for God’s voice and not to allow our hearts to become calloused and insensitive.

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD…

You hear that, Catholics? Sing. Joyfully. Enough said.

…let us acclaim the rock of our salvation. Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him.

God is our rock – dependable, stable, strong.

Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. 

God “made us” in the sense that He is the Creator, but also in the sense that He has gathered us together to be His people, firstly in the Kingdom of Israel and now in His Church.

For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.

We are called to humble ourselves before God our Good Shepherd:

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…” – John 10:14

Middle-eastern kings were often called shepherds. Therefore this psalm implies that God is not only Israel’s shepherd, but her king.

Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”

This is the heart of this psalm, to listen to the voice of the Lord. When speaking about the future Prophet, Moses said “to him you shall listen”. This is because that Prophet would speak the words of the Lord.

“Meribah” and “Massah” are references to Israel’s rebellion in the desert (Exodus 17:1-7). “Meribah” means “quarreling” and “Massah” means “testing”.

 

Reading II: 1 Cor 7:32-35

This week’s Second Reading picks up from last week. Paul has some (often unpopular) words to say to us about celibacy…

Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.

Questions:

• What is Paul’s main point in this extract?
• How do we see the outworking of this passage in the Catholic Church today?
• Here Paul exhorts celibacy. Does that mean that marriage is bad?

Commentary:

Brothers and sisters: I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. 

Although a husband can give wonderful service to God through his marriage, he has practical concerns for his wife. Someone who is celibate does not have these concerns. This is one of the reasons why celibacy is held in high regard by the Church.

An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 

The same is true for women as well as men.

I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.

Paul isn’t telling us this to be mean or to say that marriage is bad.

 

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

This Sunday’s Gospel also picks right up from last week.

Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are?the Holy One of God!”

Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Questions:

• What was so special about Jesus’ teaching?
• How was Jesus’ authority validated?
• What spiritual lesson can we learn from the healing which follows?

Commentary:

Then they came to Capernaum…

Capernaum becomes Jesus’ base in the region of Galilee:

Jesus’ base of operations appears to have been Peter’s house:

“As soon as they left the synagogue they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew…A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home” – Mark 1:29; 2:1

A 5th Century basilica stands over what is thought to be this location, a short distance from a 4th Century synagogue…

…and on the sabbath… 

The Sabbath is Saturday, the seventh day of the week. Since the Jewish calendar counts days from sundown, the Sabbath begins Friday evening and ends Saturday evening. The Sabbath was to be a day set apart for rest:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. – Exodus 20:8-11

The Sabbath was a sign of God’s covenant love for creation and also for His deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. It is therefore significant that this Gospel event takes place on the Sabbath…

1. New Creation. What takes place in this Gospel Reading symbolizes a new creation. As God “rebuked” the waters at creation in order to form the world (Psalms 104:7), Jesus rebukes the demon in order to deliver the man from the demon’s chaos and return him to peace.

2. New Exodus. Jesus’ actions also symbolize and a new exodus. In the first exodus, Israel was set free from Egypt, but this time God’s people are set free from slavery to sin.  As God “rebuked” the waters of the Red Sea (Psalm 106:9) in order to save His people, Jesus rebukes the demon in order to save this man.

… Jesus entered the synagogue…

Sacrifice only took place in the Temple in Jerusalem. Synagogue were buildings set apart for prayer and instruction in the Scriptures.  A synagogue could only be established if there were ten married Jewish men in the town (“minyan”). The synagogue complemented the Temple worship since not all Jews lived in Jerusalem. Many lived outside of Jerusalem, only visiting the Holy City for the three prescribed festivals:

Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles… – Deuteronomy 16:16

Synagogues are not mentioned in the Old Testament and it is suggested that they began at the Levitical towns. Alternatively, they could have begun during or after the return from the Babylonian exile in the 6th Century BC.

…and taught…

It was a custom to invite visiting teachers to speak:

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” – Acts 13:15

This is a pattern we often see with Paul in the Acts of the Apostles.

The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. 

The scholars would begin by saying “It is written…”. Even prophets would say “Thus says the LORD…”. But Jesus didn’t do either of these, He spoke with the authority of God: “Truly, truly I say to you…”. 

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others…” – Mark 12:43

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” – Matthew 5:38-39

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” – Hebrews 1:1-2

As one of my favourite English Saints wrote:

The Scribes themselves taught the people what was written in Moses and the Prophets: but Jesus as the God and Lord of Moses himself, by the freedom of His own will, either added those things which appeared wanting in the Law, or altered things as He preached to the people; as we read in Matthew, ‘It was said to them of old time, but I say to you’ – St. Bede

Jesus’ authority was to be radically demonstrated in what happened next…

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!”

His confession that Jesus is the “Holy One of God” comes from fear rather than faith. He knows that Jesus has authority over him:

For it is evident in these words that there was in them knowledge, but there was not charity; and the reason was, that they fear their punishment from Him, and loved not the righteousness in Him…Faith is mighty, but without love it profits nothing. The devils confessed Christ, but lacking charity it availed nothing…they confessed a sort of  faith, but without love. Hence they were devils.” – St. Augustine

Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” 

Literally, “Be muzzled!”.

The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” 

Jesus is mighty in word and deed:

This plan of revelation is realized by deeds and words having an inner unity: the deeds wrought by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words, while the words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them – Dei Verbum 1:2

Again, from St. Bede:

But seeing the power of the miracle, they wonder at the newness of our Lord’s doctrine, and are roused to search into what they had heard by what they had seen… For before (as the Evangelist says) He was teaching them as one who had power, and now, as the crowd witnesses, with power He commands the evil spirits, and they obey Him – St. Bede

The crowd are amazed that with a simple word of command the demon leaves the man. Typical exorcisms of the day were much more elaborate affairs, including long incantations and burning of smelly plants.

His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

The Kingdom of God is indeed at hand! The King is here, exercising His dominion over this unclean spirit.

“Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out” – John 12:31

So those are my thoughts. Now it’s over to you. Anything to add?