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Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

Jeremiah’s indictment of the leaders of the people is terse and decisive. They  have not only neglected the people of God, they have actually misled them.  Because the shepherds had not cared for the flock, God would definitely care  for the punishment of these derelict leaders. They had scattered the sheep; God  would gather them up again. They had been false shepherds; God would be the  true shepherd. God promises to raise up a new royal shepherd, a righteous leader who will govern the nation wisely and justly. The coming king will reestablish  both Israel and Judah, and he will do it in the righteousness that comes from God. The reading from Ephesians speaks of the union, accomplished in Christ, of  two different groups of people. The author declares that a change has taken place  in the Ephesians. Previously they had been far off from faith, but now, through  the blood of Christ, they have been brought near to all those who believed in  Christ before they did. Christ is their peace; in Christ they are one people. The  passage ends with a Trinitarian proclamation of faith. Jesus has died and risen  from the dead and now lives in the Spirit. Through him, in the Spirit, all believers  have access to the Father. 

Either the apostles were quite successful in their mission, or the fame of Jesus  had spread abroad, or both, for the people were coming in such numbers that the  missionaries had to get away from the crowds. However, their departure did not  deter the crowds, who seemed to know where they were going and arrived there  before Jesus and the apostles did. Seeing them, Jesus was moved with pity, for  they were like sheep without a shepherd, searching for someone or something  that they could follow. Seeing that the people were bereft of strong and dependable leadership, Jesus began to teach them. 

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Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

Amos is told to leave the northern shrine of Bethel. The prophet defends his  call from God and, in doing so, his right and responsibility to prophesy in Israel.  He had not chosen to be a prophet, he had been chosen. He was not the kind  of prophet who enjoyed royal patronage, one who was connected with the court  or with a particular shrine, nor had he belonged to any prophetic guild. He was  a prophet of God, independent of any institution. He insists that he had been  summoned by God to be a prophet and then sent to the people of the northern kingdom. His coming to Bethel was due entirely to the command that he  received from God. 

The reading from Ephesians argues that salvation in Christ is not an after thought; it was in God’s plan from the beginning. Furthermore, the believers were  not chosen because they were holy and blameless, but that they might become holy  and blameless. Salvation is the cause and not the consequence of righteous ness. Through Christ, believers are chosen for adoption into the family of God.  Destined for adoption through Christ, we have been redeemed by his blood. Our  redemption exacted a ransom, for we were being redeemed from sin. The author  insists that all of this was done so that God’s plan would finally be brought to  fulfillment in Christ. 

Jesus prepares the Twelve for their first missionary venture. They are given the  power to drive out unclean spirits, but they can only do this through the authority  of Jesus. They must participate in this mission in a truly self-sacrificing manner.  Jesus prepares them for possible rejection and failure. If this happens they are  to shake the dust of the place from their sandals as a symbolic act of ridding  themselves of any unclean substance that might profane the land of Israel. They  are to preach repentance, drive out demons, and heal the sick. In this way, the  reign of God will be inaugurated.

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Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

Ezekiel has an official mission, with all of the authority that this entails. He is  to be the representative of God, sent by God to deliver a message from God.  The Israelites, to whom he is being sent, are a rebellious people, “hard of face  and obstinate of heart.” They have always been rebellious, from the time of their  ancestors to the prophet’s own day, and so there is little reason to think that  they will acquiesce to a message from God now. Still, whether they resist the  prophet or heed him, they will know that he is a prophet of God, because dire consequences of their rebelliousness will fall on them. 

Paul knows that it is foolish to allow himself to be overly elated or lifted up  because of any spiritual favors that he has received. Such self-aggrandizement  could easily develop into a personality cult. If he became the center of attention, it might be detrimental to the gospel that he had been sent to preach. Lest  this happen, he is stricken with a thorn in the flesh. The nature of this affliction  is not clear. Whatever its nature, it humbled him just at the time he might have  been exalted. Praying to be relieved of it, he is told: “Power is made perfect in  weakness.” 

The people of Nazareth were not ignorant of Jesus’ teaching and the marvelous works that he had accomplished. However, they challenged the source of  these wonders. Who did Jesus think he was? The point of the story is the rejection by those who knew Jesus the best, but apparently understood him the least.  It was a situation not uncommon for those who have been drawn out of the group  by God to speak God’s word to that group. The people here lacked the faith  required for the power of God to be effective in their midst. Though astonished  by Jesus, they were scandalized by him, and he was amazed at this. 

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Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

The claim that God did not make death calls to mind the story of the first sin,  which brought death into the world. The Wisdom author’s view of immortality is  influenced by both the Jewish idea of covenant bond and the Greek concept of  immortality. He claims that “justice is undying.” Since this immortal justice characterizes the covenantal relationship of human beings with the immortal God,  this relationship is undying as well. The author further argues that, though mortal  by nature, as images of God human beings were meant to be imperishable. 

Paul pleads with the Corinthian community to come to the assistance of less  fortunate Christians. He exhorts them to embrace this new venture with the same  enthusiasm that they have shown in other areas of Christian living. He then turns  to the example of Jesus, who willingly relinquished life itself for the sake of the  Corinthians. He is merely asking that they give out of their abundance, for this is  the basis of Christian sharing. Paul assures them that those with whom they are  generous have riches to share as well. These may not be material treasures, but  they are resources for which the Corinthians have need. 

The Gospel reading consists of two healing accounts. A distraught father  throws himself at the feet of Jesus and pleads for the life of his daughter. While  on his way to heal her, a woman suffering from a hemorrhage seeks a cure by  touching Jesus. Both stories demonstrate the faith in the power of God working  through Jesus. The healing of the woman, though performed in public, was really  a private affair. The raising of the girl, though accomplished in private, was in  danger of becoming widely known. At the heart of each of these stories is the  invitation to faith in Jesus and his power over sickness and death.

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Jan 30 2025

Scripture Study for

The servant of the Lord is commissioned to gather the dispersed people of  Israel. However, as important as this might be, it is really too narrow a responsibility. Therefore, the mission of the servant will be expanded to include all of the  nations. A mission that originally focused on the rebirth of one nation is broken  open to include the salvation of all. It is noteworthy that a people struggling with  its own survival after its defeat at the hands of a more powerful nation should envision its God as concerned with the salvation of all, presumably even the nation at  whose hands it suffered. Yet this is precisely what “light to the nations” suggests. 

Paul provides a brief summary of some of the stages in the unfolding of God’s  plan of salvation. It began with David, who, though originally overlooked, eventually established the royal dynasty from which came the Messiah. God continued to ready the world for the advent of this messiah through the preaching of  John the Baptist. Paul’s purpose in reminding his hearers of the roles played by  David and John was to place his own preaching squarely within this tradition.  Here Paul is speaking to people who would have appreciated his references to  David and who might even have had some acquaintance with John the Baptist. 

In Israelite society, circumcision was the boy’s initiation into the community  of the people of God. Here circumcision and naming have been combined. It is  clear that this was truly a chosen child, for his father Zechariah was given back  his speech when he confirmed that the child was to be named John. John had  indeed been set apart by God for a mission to the people of Israel. In preparation for this, he spent his days in the wilderness, the place that was traditionally  considered a testing ground. It was there that he was strengthened in spirit for  the task before him. 

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