Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

The metaphor that Isaiah uses to characterize the love that God has for the people is extraordinary. It compares this love to the relationship between a mother and the nursing child of her womb. Such a metaphor could have been considered presumptuous had it not been placed by the prophet in the mouth of God. It is improbable, though possible, that a woman would forget the child of her flesh. However, God will never forget this people. Therefore, though Zion may feel abandoned and forgotten, it is only a feeling; it is not a fact. God’s attachment to the people will never be severed.

Paul speaks about ministerial accountability and judgment. Stewards were responsible for the goods of the household of another. Paul claims that as such a steward he is indeed trustworthy. He has committed himself wholeheartedly to the proclamation of the gospel, to the distribution of the mysteries of God, and he stands by this claim regardless of what others might think. Acknowledging that he is obliged to give an account of his stewardship, he insists that it is the Lord who will be his judge. Such judgment is bound to be much more demanding than mere human judgment. Human beings can be wrong, but the Lord knows the motives of the heart.

Jesus is not naive about the human need for food and clothing and shelter and material support. Nor does he advocate passivity or laziness in the face of hard work. He is talking about setting one’s priorities straight, appreciating humankind’s place in the natural world, trusting in the goodness and providence of God. He uses two examples from nature to demonstrate what he means: God’s care for birds and God’s artistry in clothing the lilies. The point of this teaching is confidence in God. People prone to anxiety need to be reminded that they are precious in God’s eyes and they must learn to trust in God’s providence.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

A life of holiness is patterned after the holiness of God. It requires integrity, honesty, and faithfulness. To be holy as God is holy, we must refrain from nursing hatred in our hearts; we must rebuke wrongdoers or we will share their guilt; we must not entertain vengeance; and we must love others as we love ourselves. These very demanding directives give us a glimpse into the holiness of God. Furthermore, they are all communal in nature. In other words, our likeness to God is determined by the way we relate to others.

For Paul, the temple is the collection of people who gather in God’s name. Just as the presence of God made the Jerusalem temple holy, so the Spirit’s presence in the people makes this new temple holy. Paul returns to an earlier discussion about the wisdom of this world (see last Sunday’s second reading). As valuable as human insight might be, it is nothing compared with God’s wisdom. Boasting refers to the false pride that the Corinthians took in identifying with various religious leaders. Such boasting is evidence of the wisdom of the world, a wisdom that threatened the unity of the Corinthian community.

Jesus addresses the way that disciples are to interact in any strained relationships. He instructs his disciples to offer no resistance when someone tries to take advantage of them. He employs Near Eastern exaggeration to make his point. The disciples are told to disarm others with their willingness to go beyond what is required of them. Jesus then reinterprets the law of love in a most radical manner, telling his disciples that they must love their enemies. He insists that the disciples’ love must be patterned after God’s love, which is given unquestioningly to the just and the unjust alike. The final exhortation succinctly sets the standard for life in the kingdom of heaven. “[B]e perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). It is this standard that makes Jesus’ interpretation of the law so radical.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

The legitimacy of the instruction from Sirach is grounded in the theology of retribution, which maintains that wise or righteous living will result in happiness or blessing, and foolish or depraved living will meet with misfortune or punishment. Today’s reading addresses human freedom and human choice. The eyes of God look on the righteous with pleasure, just as the righteous look to God in fidelity. Although it is God’s desire that all will live in conformity to the order established, God has predestined no one to sin or to blessedness. All have been given freedom of choice. It is up to us to use it wisely.

Paul contrasts the wisdom of the gospel with the wisdom of this age. The plan of God was hidden in the past, but is clearly revealed in the present. The mature are those who have entered into the dying and rising of Christ by accepting the wisdom of the gospel. Everything hinges on the essential mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul maintains that if the rulers of this world had known that the glory of God resided in the man Jesus, they would not have crucified him. However, they should have known, because Jesus did not keep this secret.

Although Jesus’ teaching was based on the common tradition of Israel, his interpretations were so unprecedented that some accused him of having rejected that tradition. Jesus insists that his interpretations really offer the fuller meaning of the tradition. The contrast that Jesus sets up is not between himself and the law, but between his interpretation of the law and that of the scribes and Pharisees. He criticizes them for insisting on the minutiae of the law at the expense of the righteousness that is at its heart. Jesus demands much more than mere external conformity. Whether it is harmony in the community, fidelity in marriage, or faithfulness to one’s word, Jesus calls for radical commitment.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

Today’s passage from Isaiah maps out the kind of behavior required if one is to enjoy the blessing of the covenant. It proclaims ethical mandates, not religious practices. Communion with God is dependent upon the fulfillment of social responsibility. The blessing that follows such a life is frequently described as some form of light. Light can be a symbol of deliverance, of prosperity, of truth, or of God’s favor. It is associated with life and all of the good things that come with it. Because its meaning here is not explicitly stated, the reference to life can include all of the richness of the symbol.

Paul reminds the Corinthians of their lowly status in society. This lowliness enabled the power and glory of God to shine forth unimpeded through them. He applies this to his own manner of ministry. He insists that there is nothing extraordinary about him, but that will not hamper the spread of the gospel. Quite the contrary; Paul’s ministerial approach was humble and unassuming because he did not want his manner of delivery to get in the way of the dynamism of the gospel. He wanted the faith of the community to be grounded in God and not in the cleverness of a preacher.

Jesus employs two metaphors to characterize the essence of discipleship. First, salt is both essential for life itself and valuable for preserving, seasoning, and purifying food. Its value is in its effect on something else. Applied to disciples, they too are valuable to the extent that they influence others. Second, the disciples are a light that shines forth in the darkness of ignorance or faithlessness, like a city on a mountain or a lamp on a stand in a house. They enlighten others not by words but by their manner of living, a manner of living that declares to the world that the reign of God has indeed been established in their midst, and the age of fulfillment has dawned.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

Zephaniah addresses the people with a threefold exhortation: Seek the Lord! Seek righteousness! Seek humility! Israel is told to seek the Lord after having violated the covenant; to seek righteousness after having turned to sin; to seek humility after having acted arrogantly. The second part of the reading provides a very different picture. This section is an oracle of salvation, loving words of God that offer assurance and hope. The path of righteousness followed by the remnant will be the consequence of their deliverance, not its cause. The blessings are not rewards for their fidelity. Rather, every good that comes to them is a gift from God.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that, judged by the standards of society, they are really nobodies. They have little about which they can boast. According to Paul, God chooses the nobodies of the world in order to shame those who think they are somebodies. Those who lack honor in the eyes of the world are highly honored by God by being chosen, while those whom the world honors are shamed by being overlooked by God. God acts this way so that no one can boast of her or his own accomplishments. Since every good thing is received because of Christ, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31).

The sermon on the mount was directed to Jesus’ close followers, not to the broader crowds. While his teachings are all in some way directed toward the establishment of the reign of God, the type of behavior or values that he advocates here is frequently the opposite of that espoused by society at large. This fact offers us a way to understand the challenges set before us in the Beatitudes.

One way to interpret them is to look first at the blessings promised. We may see that the behavior that Jesus is advocating is at odds with what society claims will guarantee the blessing that we seek.