Matthew 10:34-11:1

Isaiah 1:10-17

Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

Matthew 10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.

I have come to bring not peace but the sword.

For I have come to set

a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“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 righteous 

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 he is a disciple–

amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,

he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, it is hard to hear Jesus’ words today. He speaks about bringing a sword instead of peace, instigating familial strife, and the need to love him more than my own family. Soften the hardness of my heart to receive your Word and understand it so that it may bear abundant fruit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Tribulation and the End of the Exile: In the Gospel, we read the end of Jesus’ second great discourse in Matthew – the Missionary Discourse. After having appointed the twelve as Apostles, Jesus gave them instructions and prepared them to face persecution from their fellow countrymen, the Gentiles, and even their own families. As they proclaimed the kingdom of God, the disciples would experience trial and tribulation. These are events that signal the end of the exile of God’s people and the age of the Messiah. “The proclamation of the kingdom will cause division not because of the message itself but because of the way people receive it. Responses will vary from full reception to hostile rejection, and this will cause discord – even hostility – within families” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 148). Jesus’ disciples will share in the humiliation of the Cross. They will lose their old, earthly life of sin for the sake of Jesus, and, in turn, gain eternal life united to him. Empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit, they will produce good fruit for the kingdom. As laborers in God’s vineyard, they will produce sweet grapes; as workers in God’s field, they will produce a plentiful harvest; as fishers of men, they will haul in a great catch. Is there any strife in my extended family that I can address in charity and love?

2. Isaiah’s Message to Judah: Our First Reading is taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah. We have been reading during the last several weeks about Elijah and Elisha and have read from Amos and Hosea, who all prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Isaiah was called to prophesy to the Southern Kingdom of Judah and to Jerusalem in the eighth century B.C. during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. On Saturday, we read the story of Isaiah’s call during a vision in the Temple. Today, we read from the first chapter of his book, which compares Judah to the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Like the people of the northern Kingdom of Israel, who offered ritual sacrifices but oppressed the poor, the people of Judah have fallen into the same hypocrisy. God is not glorified and praised by vain offerings, but rather by pure hearts, just deeds, and service to the poor. God tells the people that even though their sins be like scarlet, they shall be made white as snow and wool (Isaiah 1:18). God will reward those who are obedient to his law and to his word. God promises to vent his wrath on his enemies and to redeem Zion.

3. The Message of Isaiah 2-5: Tomorrow, our First Reading will be taken from Isaiah 7. Since we skip chapters 2-5, it is beneficial to reflect briefly on the message of those chapters. Isaiah 2 speaks about God’s universal reign. The prophet foresees the day when all the nations shall come to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. The people of all nations will learn the ways of God: “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:1-3). This passage finds fulfillment on the day of Pentecost when the people from many nations gather in Jerusalem and receive the New Law from the Spirit-filled Apostles. Chapter Three communicates God's judgment upon sinful Judah and Jerusalem: “Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen” (Isaiah 3:8). Isaiah says that the speech and deeds of the people oppose God and defy his glorious presence. The people are indifferent to God, proclaim their sins like Sodom, and bring evil upon themselves. God judges the rulers of Judah for devouring the vineyard of the Lord and oppressing the poor; he judges the women of Jerusalem for their vanity. Chapter Four tells us what God will do for his people: he will wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleanse the bloodstains of Jerusalem. He will fill Zion with his holy presence, in a way similar to the journey of the people of Israel in the desert: he will overshadow Mount Zion as a cloud by day and as smoke and fire by night. Finally, Chapter Five uses the image of a vineyard to tell the people how much God has done for them: what more, God asks, could he have done for the house of Judah. Instead of yielding good grapes, Judah has produced sour, wild grapes. Because of this the walls of Jerusalem will be torn down and the people will be sent into exile (Isaiah 5:13). Isaiah, then, moves back and forth between the condemnation of sin and the promise of redemption. All nations, not just Judah, will worship God on his holy mountain. They will be purified from their sin and receive the law from God. God will protect his people and be present among them.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, the path to salvation passes through tribulation. I do not ask that you remove trial, temptation, and tribulation from my life. Rather, I humbly ask that you strengthen me, guide me, and protect me as I journey toward you.

Living the Word of God: What trials, temptations, and tribulations am I experiencing right now? How am I doing with them? Do I trust in myself to be victorious or do I see myself as fighting the good fight with Jesus by my side?