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Institute for Homiletics

A Collaboration of The Catholic Foundation and the University of Dallas

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Scripture Study for

In Exodus 19:6, God announces that Israel is being formed to be “a holy nation,” a people that shows to the rest of the earth the holiness of God by its way of life. Just so, the servant in the first reading is intended to take up Israel’s role and show forth God’s glory. The servant is first charged with a mission to bring back Israel (“Jacob”)  to God, that is, to gather Israel back into faithful relationship with God. The servant will then take up the role of Israel and act as a light to the nations, drawing them to God so that they, like Israel, may receive salvation. 

Paul’s greeting to the Corinthians signals a theme of the letter,  namely the Corinthians’ holiness. He first alludes to his authority as an apostle of Christ. He will rely on this authority to address problems in the church at Corinth, all of which relate in some way to a failure on the Corinthians’ part to appreciate the implications of their life in Christ, which is to be sanctified and sanctifying. Those who call on the name of Christ are of the church of God—and Paul will remind them of what this means for their conduct, especially with each other. 

John the Baptist identifies Jesus as both “Lamb of God” and “Son of God.” The former points toward Jesus’ death on the cross, which the Evangelist will associate with the sacrifice of the Passover lamb  (Jesus dies on the “preparation day” when the lambs are slaughtered and his legs are not broken, just as the bones of the Passover lamb are not to be broken [John 19:33, 36; Exodus 12:46]). This image is combined with that of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:5–7, who,  “like a lamb led to slaughter” will take on the sins of the people. The death of Jesus as the Lamb of God will be effective because Jesus is the Son of God, on whom now, as at his baptism, the Spirit rests.

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The Spirit Breaks In, Expanding Our Vision

Imagine that you are a seagull casually flying in from the  Mediterranean, hovering for a spell above the Jordan River. It is a beautifully hot day and the wind floats you aloft. All is good. All is peaceful. 

Suddenly the heavens open. Power fills the sky. You can feel the air vibrate. The Spirit breaks in. A dove descends. The God of glory  thunders, the voice of the Lord over the waters: “This is my beloved  Son, with whom I am well pleased.” 

You’re knocked off guard, for you haven’t seen pictures of a furry man pouring water over a guy with his head bowed, a little bird fluttering overhead; you haven’t heard this baptism of Jesus story before. This Spirit of God is not like any other dove that you have ever seen. This is not like any other day. What is going on? 

Below you, people walk with their heads bowed, trudging in the dirt, tired by their humdrum existence. You want to caw out,  “Looooook, loooook, looook, looook! Come and soar with me! The Spirit of God is here!” The voice of the Lord is power. The voice of the Lord is splendor. You are roused with courage, feeling that you could keep flying even through the worst of thunderstorms. 

Who are these two men? One stays by the water. The other turns toward the desert, where he will remain for forty days. The dove disappears to lead the man to the desert, that power remains with the man who walks away. Who could this be? Wherever he goes,  you want to go. Wherever he stops, you want to stop. Life is richer in his presence. The air still vibrates. The splendor has not gone away. Something just feels fitting and right and abundant. What was crooked is now straight. All is good. All is warm. God is here! 

Consider/Discuss 

  • How often do we take the story of the inbreaking of the Spirit at the baptism of the Lord for granted, as though we have seen it before?  How often do we take the inbreaking of the Spirit in our own lives for granted—a nice story, but not very real? 
  • The next time you hear a seagull crying or a bird calling, look up. Look around. The Spirit of God is here. The God of Glory Thunders. The God of splendor whispers. Do we have ears to hear? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

O Jesus, give us a heart for you. Spirit of God, fill us to the max!  Help us to soar and to dance above the humdrum of life, to be  empowered anew. You have done something fresh. Break into our  lives as well. Thank you for your glory!

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Scripture Study for

In the Isaian passage, God presents an unnamed servant: chosen,  upheld, and pleasing to God, who has endowed the servant with the divine spirit. This enables him to serve God faithfully. The nature of  his service is to bring forth justice, not just to Israel, as one might  expect, but also to the nations, establishing justice “on the earth.”  The Hebrew word for justice, mishpat, here refers to the restoration of God’s order. This “victory for justice” will not be accomplished through physical or military force. Instead the servant will bring the nations into covenantal relationship with God, opening up the path for God’s light and healing. 

Cornelius is a Roman centurion who, as a “devout and God-fearing” man (Acts 10:2), has always treated the Jews with respect.  Just before the present scene, Peter has received a vision in which he is commanded to eat “profane and unclean” food (10:9–16), which he interprets to mean that the mission of Christ is to be extended to the Gentiles. Thus, we hear him say today that God shows no partiality regarding nationality. While it is true that Jesus himself was sent to the Israelites, he is Lord of all, and thus the healing ministry begun in him is now extended beyond the bounds of ethnic  Israel to encompass all those who believe in him and accept the offer of forgiveness of sins (10:43). 

Matthew notes that Jesus went to John in the wilderness specifically to be baptized. In response to John’s question, Jesus does  not suggest that he needs to receive John’s baptism for repentance  (3:11), but “to fulfill all righteousness.” Righteousness here means doing God’s will, and it has been suggested that by being baptized,  Jesus is placing himself in solidarity with the sinners he will save.  In any case, the baptism is the occasion for a confirmation of his identity as God’s Son and the empowerment for his mission by the  Holy Spirit, who will immediately lead him into the wilderness.

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Underdogs Become Stars

In the movie Rudy, Rudy isn’t smart enough to get into Notre Dame. He’s too small to play football. Could he make a touchdown for the Fighting Irish in the final game of his senior year? There’s no way. Not a chance. In the story Hidden Figures, Katherine Johnson is a mathematical genius. She works at NASA as a “calculator.” Yet she is a black woman in the early 1960s. Could she do the mathematical calculations for John Glenn’s return from orbit? There’s no way. Not a chance. 

We love these underdog stories, don’t we? The one full of grit and determination, the one who was not supposed to be there—a light shines, someone cracks open a door. The hero(ine) pushes through and comes to victory. The elation! The joy! The success! 

Today’s readings give us other underdog stories. St. Paul didn’t walk with Jesus. He persecuted Christians. There’s no way. Not a chance. The magi—astrologers from the east, they were not of the  Chosen People. How could they ever see the Messiah? There’s no way. Not a chance.

Yet God opens a crack in the door. Light from heaven strikes Paul to the ground. The risen Lord draws him in. In turn, Paul opens the door for those other underdogs, the Gentiles. 

A star in the heavens directs the magi to the King of the Jews,  and by that light they are overjoyed to see that baby. The elation!  The thrill! The success! Unlikely heroes, we still sing their song, “We  Three Kings.” 

You and I, we are unlikely heroes, too. People of faith, in love with the Lord? No way. Not a chance. Yet a light has shone into our darkness, too—a glimmer, a taste of the Holy Spirit, and a touch of glory. Wow. Sing praise! 

Consider/Discuss 

  • What is your favorite underdog story? With whom do you identify most?  Who is it that shines the light, opens the door for the hero(ine)? At the conclusion, what causes you to feel elation and joy at their success? 
  • Sometimes we take our faith for granted. Yet glimpses of light have enlightened our darkness. God is faithful. The heavens have opened and we are allowed to enter. How has that door opened for us? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Lord Jesus, you came into this world as an underdog, born in a  small backwater of a vast empire. But when the magi saw you, they  knew that you truly reigned over all. Thank you for opening the  door for us. We are not worthy of you, but you have let us in, too.  Show us the elation—the joy—the unexpected successes that you  want for us in our own lives.

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Scripture Study for

The beginning of the book of Isaiah presents a vision in which, one day, Zion will attract “all nations” seeking to learn from the God of  Israel (Isaiah 2:1–4). Here too, toward the end of the book, we hear a similar proclamation in an oracle from the post-exilic period, during which the returnees from exile are slowly rebuilding Jerusalem and a new temple. The hopeful vision announces that because of God’s presence (“the glory of the Lord”), the city is filled with light shining forth over the whole earth, presently darkened (by ignorance or violence?). Once again, we hear that nations will be attracted to Jerusalem because of the God who dwells within, bringing with them tribute to God, whose sovereignty they acknowledge, whose praises they proclaim.

The reading from Ephesians explores the extension of God’s relationship with Israel to include, in Christ, Gentiles also. Here the emphasis is on God’s “outreach” to the nations. Paul has been entrusted with the message of God’s grace. The content of that grace is precisely that Gentiles are now called to join with Jews as heirs of God’s ancient promises. Like the original promises to the Jews,  this inheritance has not been earned, but is founded solely on the graciousness of God, whose benevolence is now extending beyond ethnic Israel to include all those who become members of the body of Christ. 

The magi, wise men and astrologers who were part of the priestly class in Persia, would have shared the cultural belief that the birth  of kings was “announced” through celestial phenomena, such as the “rising of a star.” Thus, they arrive, having ascertained the birth of a Jewish king. Herod, a Jewish client king of the Romans, is understandably threatened. Having determined exactly where such a newborn king might be found, he slyly sends the magi to search him out for him. The gifts of the magi are costly and appropriate for a king; they do not seem particularly dismayed to find the newborn king sleeping in a manger.

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