Scripture Study for

Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time

Understanding the Word

By Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Wisdom is personified as a woman and she is praised as a priceless treasure  beyond compare. The speaker is depicted as a king who prayed for wisdom that  would enable him to rule judiciously. He proclaims that he prefers her to riches,  to health, to beauty, to everything that women and men normally cherish. Of all  the wonders that life has to offer, in his eyes Wisdom is the most precious treasure. In fact, in comparison with her, other riches are of little value. Though he has  spurned riches, in the end he received them along with the wisdom he sought. The word of God is extolled in the Letter to the Hebrews for both its creative  and its juridical force. It is living and effective, because it is the expression of the  God who is living and effective. As performative speech, it accomplishes what  it describes; as juridical speech, it passes judgment on what it discovers. God’s  word is incisive and probing, sharper than a sword that cuts both ways. It can  pierce the inner recesses of a person, cutting cleanly amid soul and spirit and  body, and penetrating the most secret thoughts of the heart. God’s word has both  a comprehensive and a profound effect; nothing can escape it. The initial exchange between Jesus and the rich man raises an important theological question: Can one gain eternal life, or is it a gift from God? The man’s question implies that he believes that he can do something to deserve eternal life.  Jesus argues that it is a gift. However, a particular way of living is indeed called forth  for those who desire eternal life. The man is not putting Jesus to the test; he has  approached him with great respect. This is an honest and upright man, one who  has been observant from his youth, but who realizes that there is still something  missing in his life. Jesus recognizes his goodness, and he loves him.

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