Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Cycle C)
Readings
Isaiah 66:10-14c
Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20
Galatians 6:14-18
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
Abbreviations: NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), NABRE (New American Bible Revised St. Joseph Edition), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments, and we read and relive the events of salvation history contained in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: The Blessings of Salvation for
God's Reborn Servants Through Christ and His Church
In today's First Reading, the 8th century BC
Prophet Isaiah promised a new creation and a new world order in a poem about
the exaltation of Zion (the people of God) built around the metaphor of
motherhood. This promised rebirth and God's motherly care of His covenant
people would come to fulfillment in the New Covenant Kingdom of the Church: the
mother of all believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Through Mother
Church, all her children receive a regenerating spiritual renewal through the power
of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Christian Baptism. It would be a time
when Mother Zion/the Universal Church, filled with the LORD's servant-children
who possess His authority, continued to carry out Christ's works on earth until
He returned in glory.
Today's Responsorial Psalm is a hymn of thanksgiving sung in the liturgy of worship in the Jerusalem Temple. Not only, sings the psalmist, has God done great things for the covenant people as a whole, but He has done great things for us individually and for which we should be grateful.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul wrote that Jesus's crucifixion had freed him from the world's influence, having died to sin and resurrected to a new life in Christ Jesus. Paul assured the Christian communities of Galatia that, for the believer united to Christ, there was no longer any external law dictating outward rituals like circumcision that did not have the power to give salvation. Paul wrote that it was foolishness to boast about circumcision; the only boasting should concern one's submission to taking up the Cross of Jesus by renouncing the world and becoming a "new creation" through the Sacrament of Christian Baptism.
Jesus sent His disciples on their first missionary journey in the Gospel Reading. They were to go ahead of Him, visiting towns in Judea as Jesus's envoys and giving testimony of His coming. The disciples of Jesus Christ then and now are the servants of God who labor in the world to spread the Gospel of salvation. They serve Christ in bringing about the conversion of souls, setting those who receive Him on the path to eternal life, and announcing the "coming of Jesus Christ" in His promised return in glory. Christians are also called to be His envoys to the world, continuing Jesus's earthly ministry of justice, peace, love, and the hope of eternal salvation.
Justice, peace, and love are three of the foundation stones of Jesus's Kingdom of Heaven on earth, but we are unlikely always to experience the perfection of those ideals in service to the earthly Church. The paradox is that the sinless Bride of Christ (the Church) is full of sinners. It isn't that the Church has failed, but there are faithful and failed servants within the Church engaged in the constant battle against sin. However, no matter how hard the struggle, we must reconcile ourselves to the understanding that the fight to obtain justice, peace, and love on earth is not a lost cause. The day will come when Christ returns to claim His Bride. At that time, the good and faithful servants will receive their reward, and everything promised will be completed in perfect justice, peace, and love in Christ's eternal kingdom.
The First Reading Isaiah 66:10-14 ~ God's Motherly Care
of His Children
Thus says the Yahweh:10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be
glad because of her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in her joy, all you
who mourn over her! 11 So that you may nurse and be satisfied from her
consoling breasts; that you may drink with delight at her abundant breasts! 12 For
thus says the LORD: I will spread prosperity over her like a river, like an
overflowing torrent, the wealth of nations. 13 You shall nurse, carried in her
arms, cradled upon her knees; as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort
you; in Jerusalem, you shall find your comfort. 14 You will see, and your heart
shall rejoice, and your bodies shall flourish like the grass; the LORD's power
shall be known to his servants, but to his enemies, his wrath.
The 8th century BC prophet Isaiah warned the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah that God's divine judgment for their apostasy would result in the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and exile from the land of Israel (Is 64:9-11; 65:1-7). But He also told the people that the day would come when the righteous would be restored to the land of their fathers (Is 65:8-16). When the people returned in the late 6th century BC after seventy years of Babylonian captivity, their condition was far from perfect. They faced many hardships and struggles, and the people continued to live under pagan dominance: the Persians, followed by the Greeks, and then the Romans. Therefore, the renewed world the prophet foretold in Isaiah 65:17-66:14 is not the 6th century BC restoration from Babylonian exile but something far greater: the promise of a new world order and a new Creation. The passage in our reading is a part of a poem about the exaltation of Zion (the people of God) built around the metaphor of motherhood (see Is 66:7-14).
"Jerusalem" and "Zion" become symbols of the Church in the New Covenant Kingdom and her holy people. Before this passage (verses 7-9 that are not part of our reading), there are a series of rhetorical questions about the eschatological city that gives birth to an entire people in a miraculous way. "Zion" (a symbol of the Church) spiritually nurtures her children like a loving mother. The absence of labor in Zion's childbearing symbolizes the joyful birth of the new people of God. She is the "new Eve," the mother of all living (Gen 2:23), who gives birth painlessly because her sin has been taken away. It is a symbolic reference that also points to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the "new Eve" who gave birth to Jesus without losing her virginity (Rev 12:5; CCC 489, 494, 505). Our passage is from the end of the poem (verses 10-14), which is an analogy of God, as Mother Zion, comforting her children. The promise of this future birth and motherly care will be fulfilled in the regenerating spiritual birth in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit in Christian Baptism. It will be a time when Mother Zion/the Church, filled with the LORD's servant-children, will possess His authority to carry out His works (verse 14). However, this passage may also refer to the "new Jerusalem" of the one Church of Heaven and earth that comes down from heaven at the end of the Age of Man after Christ's glorious return (see Rev 21:1-4).
Responsorial Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20 ~ Prayer of Thanks to
God, His People's Deliver
The response is: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, 2 sing praise to
the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. 3 Say to God, "How
tremendous are your deeds!
Response:
4 Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you, sing
praise to your name!" 5 Come and see the works of God, the tremendous deeds
among the children of Adam.
Response:
6 He has changed the sea into dry land; through the river
they passed on foot; therefore, let us rejoice in him. 7 He rules by his might
forever.
Response:
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, while I declare
what he has done for me... 20 Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his
kindness!
Response:
Psalm 66 is a hymn of thanksgiving sung by the faithful in the liturgy of worship at the Jerusalem Temple. The psalm opens with an invitation to "all the earth" to proclaim the name of the Lord (verses 1-4) and then goes on to list the reasons why the faithful should praise Him (verses 5-7). In verse 6, the hymn praises God for His wondrous deeds on behalf of His covenant people. The psalmist refers to the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea/Sea of Reeds so the children of Israel could cross on dry ground in their exodus out of Egypt (Ex 14:21-22). Then, the hymn recalls a similar miracle forty years later in the parting of the Jordan River so the children of Israel could pass over into Canaan to begin their conquest of the Promised Land (Josh 3:14-17).
Notice that the "Come and see" in verse 5 is linked to "Come and hear" in verse 16. The psalmist sings that not only has God done great things for the covenant people, but he reminds us the Lord has done great things for us individually, for which we should be grateful. In verse 16, he invites the faithful to Come and hear, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me, and in verse 20, he joyfully cries out: 20 Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness!
The Second Reading Galatians 6:14-18 ~ The New Creation
in Christ
14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15 For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but
only a new creation. 16 Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to
the Israel of God. 17 From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear
the marks of Jesus on my body. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
This passage is from the conclusion of St. Paul's letter to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia and is a postscript written not by his secretary but in his own hand (Gal 6:11). Paul announced that the "world" (meaning secular, pagan culture) has no hold on him since Jesus's crucifixion freed him from the world's influence. Paul declares he has died to sin and was resurrected to a new life in Christ Jesus!
Whether or not Gentile Christians should become Jews first and submit to Jewish rituals like circumcision was an issue in the early Church. Some Jewish Christians were accusing Gentile Christians of not being "saved" because they had not submitted to the ritual of circumcision that was a sign of covenant commitment to Yahweh since the time of Abraham and continued into the Sinai Covenant (see Acts 15:1 and also Gen 17:9-14; Lev 12:3; Lk 1:59; 2:21). Paul probably wrote this letter on his way to attend the Council of Jerusalem as a representative of his faith community in Antioch, Syria, to present this serious issue to the Apostles (Acts 15:2). Paul argues that, for the believer united to Christ, there is no longer any external law dictating his outward behavior like circumcision. He wrote that it was foolishness to boast about circumcision; the only boasting should concern one's submission in taking up the Cross of Jesus in renouncing the world and becoming a "new creation" through the Sacrament of Christian Baptism as Jesus commanded before His Ascension (Mk 16:16).
The Gospel of Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
Luke 10:1-12 ~ The Mission of the Seventy/Seventy-two Disciples
1 After this [And after these things] the Lord appointed
seventy[-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit. 2 He said to them, "The
harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few, so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest. 3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending
you like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and
greet no one along the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace
to this household.' 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on
him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in the same house and eat and
drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move
about from one house to another. 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome
you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The
kingdom of God is at hand for you.' 10 Whatever town you enter and they do not
receive you, go out into the streets and say, 11 'The dust of your town that
clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the
kingdom of God is at hand. 12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom
on that day than for that town.
[...] = Interlinear Bible Greek-English, vol. IV, page 192.
1 After this [And after these things] the Lord
appointed seventy[-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town
and place he intended to visit.
The chapter begins with the Greek phrase "and after these things."
It is a transition statement Luke frequently uses to show movement to a new
focus or new event
(see Lk 5:27; 12:4; 17:8; 18:4;
Acts 7:7; 13:20; 15:16; 18:1).
Some ancient manuscripts read "70" and others "72." There is Biblical
precedence for the number 70 (although 70 may be a rounded number):
The number of 70/72 disciples sent to prepare the way for Christ and His Kingdom is possibly linked to the 70 kingdoms/nations listed as the descendants of Noah in Genesis Chapter 10. That list is theologically significant in stressing the unity of the human family. It is a unity that will become theologically important again in the New Covenant in the future evangelization of the Gentile nations when Christ's emissaries call all men and women across the face of the earth into the united family of Christ and His Church (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15-16, 20; Acts 1:8). In obedience to Jesus's command, 120 Jewish disciples gathered in the Upper Room in prayer after the Ascension (Acts 1:15). And ten days later, on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, Jews and Gentile converts and God-fearers who had come from across the Roman world to attend the pilgrim feast according to the Law of Moses (Dt 16:16) heard the Gospel preached to them in the many dialects of the Gentile nations in which they lived (Acts 2:5-6).
1b whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every
town and place he intended to visit.
Jesus sent His disciples ahead of Him (literally "before His
face") in pairs. Their mission was to visit towns as His envoys and testify of
His coming. Perhaps they were sent in pairs not only for emotional support but
in compliance with the Law of Moses that required the testimony of 2 or 3
witnesses in legal cases (see Dt 19:15). There may be support for the judicial
aspect in verses 10-11 and the warning (literally "testimony") in the earlier "sending
out" in Luke 9:5. Sending disciples in pairs to carry the Gospel of Jesus
Christ will become the standard practice; for example, Peter and John (Acts 8:14),
Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1),
and Paul and Silas (Acts 15:32).
2 He said to them, "The harvest is abundant, but the
laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his
harvest.
God is the Master of the harvest of the ingathering of souls
into the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples of Jesus Christ are the laborers who
sow the seeds of the Gospel of salvation in the field of the world, helping to
bring about the conversion of souls that are ready for entrance into the "storehouse"
of God's heavenly Kingdom. The work of Jesus and His disciples is under God's
providence, creating a new phase of salvation history, the response to which
will be judged (see verse 12).
In the Old Testament, the "harvest" symbolizes God's eschatological judgment (see, for example, Is 27:12-13 and Joel 4:1-3, 12-13). In this passage, "harvest" is a symbolic reference for the time when the preaching of the Gospel of salvation has produced the mature fruit of repentance and salvation. There is also a sense of urgency in His message. In harvesting grain or fruit, there is only a limited amount of time to gather the mature crop. In this sense, the time is then ripe for vast numbers of people who are ready to accept Jesus's Gospel message of salvation and be gathered into God's heavenly storehouse before the Last Judgment. Jesus's disciples are the laborers who prepare the field that is the world, but the "reapers/harvesters" are the angels (Mt 13:39, 41; Mk 13:27).
3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs
among wolves.
The image of Jesus's disciples now shifts from laborers to
lambs, and the contrast between lambs (disciples) and wolves (those who are
hostile to their message) is a warning of the dangers of their mission.
4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals ... and greet no
one along the way.
The instructions on what to take on their missionary journey
and how to conduct themselves in the towns they visit are similar to the
instructions given to the twelve Apostles in Luke 9:1-6. They are to rely entirely
on God to meet their needs. In 10:4, they are told not to wear sandals. It is
not the first time God's holy agents were told to remove their footwear. In Exodus 3:5 and Joshua 5:15, both Moses and Joshua were told to remove the
sandals from their feet while standing on holy ground in the presence of the
Divine. And since the Temple was also considered "holy ground," the priests and
Levites, when serving within the sacred precincts of the Temple, were forbidden
to wear sandals (Mishnah: Tamid, 1:1Q-1:2J; 5:3). This command may
suggest that with the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, His Church will
have authority over all earthly kingdoms (Dan 2:44; 7:27), and all the earth must
be considered God's "holy ground."
and greet no one along the way.
This command is probably a warning not to become distracted
but to remain focused on the mission and the necessity of the haste to bring in
the "harvest."
5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to
this household.'
"Peace to this household" is more than a greeting. The greeting
of the disciples carries a blessing that announces the peace of fellowship with
God that Jesus's Gospel message brings to the entire family who receives Him
through His disciples.
6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest
on him; but if not, it will return to you. The literal Greek is "son of
peace" (IBGE, vol. IV, page 192.
A "son/daughter of peace" is a person open to the Gospel
message. In the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the word shalom (peace)
is from the root slm meaning "completeness," "wholeness" in the sense of
the "comprehensive bounty of God's salvific presence and activity" (Fitzmyer, The
Gospel According to Luke, 848). But, Jesus tells them if a person rejects their
message, the blessing will return to them to dispense to a receptive heart.
7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is
offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from
one house to another.
These instructions are meant to avoid the problem of
jealousy with townspeople competing to give them hospitality. Jesus's statement
that "the laborer deserves his payment" means they can freely accept anything
offered to them without feeling obligated to make a payment. Service for the
Lord is their labor on behalf of the people.
8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what
is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God
is at hand for you.' 10 Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go
out into the streets and say, 11a 'The dust of your town that clings to our
feet, even that we shake off against you.'
The disciples' mission is to be public and not private. If
they receive no welcome, they are to shake the town's dust off their feet as
though the people were ritually "unclean" Gentiles unfit for worship. It was
the practice to shake the dust of Gentile lands off one's feet before crossing
over into the Holy Land of God.
11b Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. 12 I
tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
Whether they are well received or rejected, they are to keep
the focus of their mission on the fact that the Kingdom of God is coming. Then
in verse 12, Jesus declared a warning for those who reject the disciple's
message. As His emissaries, for anyone to dismiss His divinely spoken words through
His disciples was a rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.
Notice Jesus's reference to "Sodom" in verse 12 (see Gen chapter 19; Is 13:9; Jer 49:8; Lam 4:6; Amos 4:11; Jude 7; Rev 11:8 and 2 Thess 1:5-10). Sodom, a town located in the plain near the Dead Sea, was destroyed by an act of God for crimes against the innocent (Gen 18:20-21; 19:24-25). In the Bible, the fate of Sodom became a symbol of God's divine retribution on unrepentant sinners. In the climax of salvation history, the judgment on the townspeople who reject the coming Kingdom and Jesus's work of salvation will be worse than what happened to those who perished by fire in God's judgment on Sodom (as described in 2 Thess 1:5-10).
Luke 10:17-20 ~ The Return of the Seventy [-two] Disciples
17 The seventy [-two] returned rejoicing, and said,
"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." 18 Jesus said,
"I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky." 19 Behold, I have
given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full
force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice
because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are
written in heaven."
The joy of the disciples reflects their understanding of the success of their mission. The disciples report that they have been successful because they have ministered in Jesus's "name." The authentic use of Jesus's name enabled them to work the same kinds of miracles as Jesus.
18 Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning
from the sky.
In this passage, St. Luke uses the name "Satan" for the first
time in the Gospel of Luke. Previously in Luke's Gospel, Jesus referred to this
entity as the "devil" ("accuser" in Hebrew; see
Lk 4:2-13 and 8:12). Satan, from
the Hebrew satan, meaning "adversary," is the specific name for the
fallen angel who is humanity's archenemy (see Rev 12:9). He is called both the
"prince of devils" and the "prince of this world"
(Mt 9:34; 12:34;
Mk 3:12;
Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Since His success in bringing sin into the world, Satan's
mission is to challenge the faithfulness of God's servants and to continue leading
men and women into sin. He also stands in the heavenly court as humanity's
accuser (see Gen chapter 3; Rev 12:9;
Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7 and
Zec 3:1-2). It is
unclear what Jesus means in verse 18. Perhaps the disciples' success in spreading
Jesus's Gospel of salvation has weakened Satan's power and His ability to stand
as the prosecuting attorney in the heavenly court (Job 1:6-12); hence, his fall
from the sky.
19 Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon
serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy, and nothing will
harm you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are
subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
Verse 19 recalls God's promise of protection for the
righteous in Psalms 91:9-16, You have the LORD [Yahweh] for your refuge; you
have made the Most High your stronghold. No evil shall befall you, no
affliction come near your tent. For God commands the angels to guard you in
your ways. With their hands, they shall support you, lest you strike your foot
against a stone. You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and
the dragon.
Revelation 12:9 identifies the "dragon" as Satan, the great enemy of humankind. Jesus has protected the disciples from this enemy and his forces on their mission (verse 19). However, according to Jesus, despite their powers over the material and spiritual world, their control over demons should not be the cause for their rejoicing. They should rejoice because their names are in God's Book of Life, which lists the names of the redeemed destined for eternal salvation in the heavenly Sanctuary (see Ex 32:33; Ps 69:28-29; Dan 12:1; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; 20:11-12; 21:27). Are you striving to remain a faithful servant of Jesus Christ so one day your name will be found among the righteous in the heavenly Book of Life?
Catechism References (* indicates Scripture quoted or
paraphrased in the citation):
Isaiah 66:13 (CCC 239*, 370*)
Luke 10:1-2 (CCC 765*); 10:2 (CCC 2611*); 10:7 (CCC 2122*); 10:17-20 (CCC 787*)
The Kingdom of God is at hand (CCC 541*, 542*, 543*, 544*, 545*, 546*)
The Apostles united to the mission of Christ (CCC 787*, 858*, 859*)
The "laborer deserves his food" (CCC 2122*)
"Your kingdom come" (CCC 2816, 2817*, 2818*, 2819*, 2820, 2821*)
The Cross as the way to follow Christ (CCC 555*, 1816*, 2015*)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2016; revised 2022 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.