Br. John R. Barker, OFM

Dec 12 2024

Scripture Study for

John’s apocalyptic vision of the opening of the seven seals presents a series of disasters brought upon the earth in the final days, as God brings judgment on human and superhuman forces of evil and vindication for the servants of God. These visions are intended to give courage and hope to those undergoing persecution and even dying for their faith in Christ. Those who have been marked with the seal of the living God (as opposed to one of the seven seals) will be spared the disasters befalling the natural and human world. The number 144,000—not to be taken literally—is symbolic of the fullness of the number of servants. All will be saved. This number is indeed beyond counting and its diversity demonstrates the success of spreading the gospel and extending God’s reign on earth. All the saved join together with the angelic host to give praise and thanks to God in the heavenly liturgy.

Up to the point of today’s reading, the First Letter of John has been developing the theme of “fellowship with God,” which means a sharing in God’s eternal life (through Christ). This fellowship is manifested in loving others, repentance, and avoiding sin. To be in fellowship with God means to be a child of God. This places us in the light, in truth and goodness, not in the darkness of moral depravity. The relationship is in place, and is safe, as long as we remain in fellowship with Christ. Those who have hope in the future glory that they will share with Christ ensure that they are pure, avoiding turning away from Christ and his commandment, which in the Johannine literature is summed up in the phrase “Love one another.”

The royal road to eternal life, the kingdom of God, and “blessedness,” happiness, and joy in this life is material and spiritual renunciation. Those who would be disciples of Jesus must lose their own lives (which means not just their physical lives, if necessary, but especially their own wills, preferences, and “rights”) to gain life. This is what “poverty of spirit” means. Meekness, mercy, and peacemaking often go against our desire to strike back or get even, natural tendencies when we feel we have been violated. Purity of heart, hunger and thirst for righteousness above everything else mean setting aside absolutely everything and everyone who separates us from God or draws us away from God’s will. Persecution and insult lead to physical and social pain for the sake of Christ and communion with him. Those who are able to give up absolutely everything for Christ find joy and blessedness in this life and in the life to come.

Dec 12 2024

Scripture Study for

The reading from Wisdom comes from a larger section that rehearses God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt as a demonstration of God’s power and providence (11:2 — 12:27). The notable feature of that deliverance is God’s control of natural forces, which is not surprising considering that God’s “almighty hand . . . had fashioned the universe from formless matter” (11:17). God is indeed master of the entire created world, which is almost nothing when compared to its Creator. Yet this same omnipotent God looks with mercy on all that has been created, giving them time to repent of their sins. Since God is the source of all that is, and nothing exists without God’s constant consent, it stands to reason that there is nothing and no one who exists unless God desires their existence. From this we can see that God hates no creature, in the sense of desiring or being indifferent to their destruction.

In his Second Letter to the Thessalonians, Paul urges them to stand fast in the face of deep social disapproval. The Christian faith does not bring prestige, but mockery, and this can lead to a sense of “unworthiness.” Paul assures his audience that in their steadfast adherence to the faith, they are proving themselves worthy of the call they received from God. This is what they must keep foremost in mind as they struggle to live out their faith. In doing so, the “name of Jesus” is glorified, in the sense that they publicly acknowledge him through words and deeds. They in turn are “glorified” in the truest sense, acknowledged and rewarded by Christ, whose estimation matters infinitely more than society’s. The second part of the reading alludes to some disturbance and confusion in the community that has been caused by a prophetic utterance or perhaps a forged letter from Paul that claims that the parousia has already occurred.

As a chief tax collector, Zacchaeus stood to make a lot of money by contracting with the Romans to collect a certain amount in taxes. He then employed many others to collect the taxes, keeping for himself whatever he received beyond what he owed the Romans. The system was tailor-made for corruption and abuse. This is the main reason tax collectors were “sinners”: they abused others economically and gained whatever wealth they had unjustly. His encounter with Jesus exemplifies why Jesus “welcomes sinners and eats with them,” not because he condoned their behavior but as a way to offer them the opportunity to repent and “be found” (15:1–7). Indeed he does seek and find Zacchaeus, and his self-invitation to stay with him—once again the cause of grumbling—leads precisely to the happy outcome of another sinner no longer lost but found.

Dec 12 2024

Scripture Study for

This passage from Sirach comes from a larger section on true worship of God, which consists not merely in offering acceptable physical sacrifices at the altar, but above all in following God’s will by keeping the commandments and avoiding injustice (34:21 — 35:22). Because God is inherently just, God does not favor one person over another because one is rich or poor, for example. Although God has a special care for the weak and vulnerable, they do not “get a pass” for sin or injustice. While God’s ear is particularly attentive to the weak, who often have no one to rely on but God, all those who seek to be faithful to God will be heard. These are the lowly, those who submit to the divine will and seek to live it. Their prayer, especially for justice, will always be graciously received.

Paul concludes his Second Letter to Timothy by reminding him, once again, that he must stay firm in his teaching of sound doctrine, “for the time will come when people will not tolerate” it, but “will stop listening to the truth.” So Timothy must be prepared to continue to put up with hardship to fulfill his ministry (4:3–5). Paul himself, who is in prison, has done this, pouring himself out like a libation, that is, like an offering to God. As he looks back on his work, he is satisfied that whatever struggles and failures he might have had, he has been faithful and thus is “crossing the finish line,” the reward for which will be presented by Christ himself. This same Christ has stood by Paul from the beginning, even when he has been abandoned by others, so that Paul too may fulfill his ministry.

There are perhaps few things so frightening to contemplate as the possibility that one has fundamentally misinterpreted one’s stance before God. The Pharisee represents the dangerous tendency in most of us to exalt ourselves at the expense of others. He is, in one sense, a good Jew; Jesus does not find fault with his fasting and tithing. But his words suggest that he does not consider himself a sinner, and in fact looks down on those who are. His “thanksgiving” is entirely self-congratulatory and he neither gives God praise nor asks God for anything. The tax collector, on the other hand, is a stereotypical sinner who, crucially, knows he is in need of mercy. He goes home justified because he asked for mercy and received it. The Pharisee did not go home justified because he did not ask for mercy; he did not think he needed it.

Dec 12 2024

Scripture Study for

As Israel travels to Mt. Sinai to meet their God and to enter into covenantal relationship with this God, they are attacked by the Amalekites. Although it is Moses’ arms that must remain raised during the battle, he is holding the staff that he held to part the Red Sea. Both the staff and Moses are thus instruments of God’s power. It is relevant that this scene takes place before Israel arrives at Sinai. As Israel prepares to enter into an exclusive relationship with God, they must be assured that this God can provide for all their needs, so that they can trust this God and not turn to other gods. Thus, in addition to providing water and food for them (Exodus 15:22 — 17:7), God shows them that God can protect them in battle. This battle scene, then, is not randomly placed here, but contributes to the overall theme of this section of Exodus, which is God’s providential care for Israel.

The pressure to abandon Christian teaching must have been considerable, for once again Paul exhorts Timothy to “remain faithful to what you have learned and believed.” Undoubtedly there were those who claimed that the Christian teachings were ignorant, ludicrous, or simply false. Paul thus reminds Timothy that they are based on Scripture, which is inspired by God and therefore cannot lie. These scriptures give wisdom for salvation, not worldly wisdom; (1 Corinthians 1:18–30), and Timothy should refer to them frequently and ground his teaching in them. No matter what opposition or clever arguments he faces, Timothy must patiently and persistently proclaim the word. This mandate comes ultimately not from Paul but from Christ himself, for only through proclaiming the word can God’s saving will for all be fulfilled (1 Timothy 2:1–8, 2 Timothy 2:10).

Jesus’ story of the widow and the judge reflects two fundamental realities of a life of Christian faith. The first, articulated frequently in the Psalms, is that God very often appears to be ignoring our prayers; things do not move fast enough or in the way we intend. The second is that the demands of discipleship are rigorous and require constant recourse to God for help to meet them. Thus the exhortation to pray always, even when God does not seem to be listening. Although the judge in some way represents God, obviously we are not intended to ascribe injustice to God because of this, which would be taking the metaphor too far. The point is the widow’s persistence until she gets what she deserves. Jesus wonders, though, if anyone will be able to be as persistent, as “faithful,” as the widow in the face of the internal and external trials disciples will face (17:22–37).

Dec 12 2024

Scripture Study for

Naaman is an army commander in Aram, a land just to the north of the northern kingdom of Israel, and its enemy. Naaman also has leprosy. When an Israelite girl, captured in war and now serving Naaman’s wife, tells her about Elisha the prophet, Naaman goes to see him. Expecting some dramatic healing ritual, he becomes angry when he is told simply to wash in the small and unimpressive Jordan (5:1–12). But when his servants prevail upon him to give it a try, he is miraculously cured. The healing of a foreigner demonstrates the scope of the power and mercy of the God of Israel, such that Naaman resolves to worship him when he returns home. The two carts of soil from the land of Israel will form a tiny, holy space in which Naaman will be able to offer sacrifice to Israel’s God.

Paul continues to encourage Timothy to stay firm in his teaching of the true Christian doctrine. He reminds him of the core—and probably most controversial—claim of that doctrine, which is the resurrection of Christ. This proclamation has brought suffering to Paul, just as it may to Timothy. Nevertheless, the suffering must be borne so that all those who have been “chosen” by God may hear the word of God and be saved. (“Chosen” is Paul’s frequent term for those who have accepted the gospel [Romans 8:33, Ephesians 1:11, Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:4]). To fail to teach the truth is to interfere with God’s saving will for others. Paul concludes with another “trustworthy” teaching, namely that those who persevere will be saved and live in glory with Christ. Those who publicly deny Christ by apostatizing, however, will be denied in turn. It is not clear what the distinction is between denying Christ and being unfaithful, but the final point is key. Christ is always faithful because this is his inherent nature.

Because of the fear of spreading leprosy and of ritual uncleanness, those infected were not permitted to mingle with others (Numbers 5:2–3), so the ten lepers run to Jesus before he can enter the village, which is presumably on the border between Galilee and Samaria. In response to their request, he has them fulfill the legal demand that they be certified by the priests as “clean” so that they can be reintegrated into society (Leviticus 14:1–32, Luke 5:12–14). All show some form of faith in Jesus’ words by leaving for the priests before they see evidence of having been healed. Yet only the one who returns to give thanks is told that his faith has saved him. This suggests that healing (physical or spiritual) is only one aspect of salvation; saving faith also means responding to God’s graciousness.