Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
15th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Cycle C)
Readings:
Deuteronomy 30:10-14
Psalm 69:14-15, 17, 30-31, 33-34,
36, 37b or 19:8-11
Colossians 1:15-20
Luke 10:25-37
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: Obedience to God's
Commandments
Obedience to God's commands is the pathway to life in the Old
Testament and the New. The Old Testament Law was a tutor and a guide that
prepared the covenant people of God for the coming of the Redeemer-Messiah and
His Gospel message of salvation through living the Law of the love of God and
neighbor. The First Reading and the Gospel Reading focus on the necessity of remaining
faithful to God's commandments.
The First Reading is from Moses's last discourse to the children of Israel as they prepared to cross over the Jordan River to begin the conquest of the Promised Land. Moses impressed upon the people that to receive God's blessings, they must continue in obedience to the Law God set down for them in the Sinai Covenant. He encouraged them by saying that the Law was not difficult to understand, nor was obedience to the Law beyond their abilities to fulfill.
The Responsorial Psalm is one of the psalms of entreaty sung during the liturgy of worship in the Jerusalem Temple. It is a lament of suffering in which the faithful petitioned God for His help in times of distress. Despite the psalmist's suffering, he continues to praise God and be both thankful for God's blessings and hopeful for God's deliverance.
The Second Reading is from St. Paul's letter to the Christian community at Colossae. He warned them against false teachings that detract from the truth of the person and work of Christ Jesus for humanity's salvation. Writing concerning the reality of Christ, Paul gave them a moving poetic passage on the true identity and divine nature of Christ.
In the Gospel Reading, Jesus told the story of a good Samaritan traveler in which He expanded the Old Testament commandment to show God's love to one's neighbor beyond the members of the Israelite covenant family (Lev 19:18). For the Christian, the love of God was not complete without extending His love to our neighbors in the human family. In the last week of His ministry, Jesus would teach that our response to demonstrating love in action would determine our fate at the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46). The message for us is that we cannot please God without showing our love and compassion to others, regardless of whether or not we think they are deserving of an act of love.
The opening and alternate prayers for our liturgy of worship express all that we should ask of the Lord concerning fulfilling our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Lord, we pray that "the Gospel may be our rule of life. God our Father, your light of truth guides us to the way of Christ. May all who follow him reject what is contrary to the Gospel." And the alternate opening prayer concludes with the petition: "May your love make us what you have called us to be."
The First Reading Deuteronomy 30:10-14 ~ God's
Commandments are not Difficult
Moses said to the people: 10 If only you would heed the
voice of the LORD [YHWH], your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that
are written in this book of the Law, when you return to the LORD [YHWH], your
God, with all your heart and all your soul. 11 "For this command that I enjoin
on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. 12 It is not up in the
sky, that you should say, 'Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell
us of it, that we may carry it out?' 13 Nor is it across the sea, that you
should say, 'Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we
may carry it out?' 14 No, it is something very near to you, already in your
mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out."
LORD in all capital letters replaces the Divine Name in the original
Hebrew text.
This passage is from Moses's last discourse to the children of Israel in their camp on the plains of Moab on the east side of the Jordan River. It was the end of their forty-year journey since leaving Egypt. The new generation of Israelites stood ready to cross the Jordan River and conquer the land God promised the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses impressed upon the people that to receive God's blessings, they must continue in obedience to the Law God set down for them in the Sinai covenant. He encouraged them by saying that the Law was not difficult to understand, nor was obedience to the Law beyond their abilities to fulfill. He used two metaphorical examples in verses 12-13 to convince the people that adherence to the Law was not beyond their reach and the Law was both practical and realistic:
St. Paul would quote Deuteronomy 30:12-14 in Romans 10:6-8, adapting the quote to suit his purpose to illustrate the fundamental nature of the New Covenant by applying the verses to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He interpreted the "depths of the sea" as Sheol (the grave). Christ came up from the depths of the grave (see 1 Pt 4:6) to ascend to Heaven (Mk 16:19; Acts 1:9). After quoting Deuteronomy 30:14, Paul continued with a profession of faith. His words encouraged the Christians of Rome to whom he was writing and also continue to "lift up" Christians today: The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith, the faith which we preach, that if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved (Rom 10:8-9).
Responsorial Psalm 69:14-15, 17, 30-31, 33-34,
36, 37b ~ A Cry of Distress Calling for God's Help
The response is: "Turn to the Lord in your need, and you
will live."
14 I will pray to you, O LORD, for the time of your
favor, O God! In your great kindness answer me with your constant help. 15 Answer
me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness: in your great mercy turn toward me.
Response:
30 I am afflicted and in pain; let your saving help, O
God, protect me. 31 I will praise the name of God in song, and I will glorify
him with thanksgiving.
Response:
33 See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God,
may your hearts revive! 34 For the LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds
he spurns not.
Response:
36 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of
Judah. The descendants of his servants shall inherit it, 37b and those who love
his name shall inhabit it.
Response:
The word "LORD," all in capital letters, is a substitute word for the Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh). Psalms 69-72 are psalms of entreaty, focusing on hope. These four psalms are the last in the second of the five books of the Psalter. The faithful sang Psalm 69 in the liturgy of daily worship. It is a lament of suffering in which the psalter petitions God for His help. The psalm begins with an appeal to God by a person in great danger. He petitions God to answer his prayer by demonstrating His mercy in His unceasing aid to the petitioner (verse 14, 17). Despite the psalmist's suffering, he continues to praise God and is thankful for His protection. Verses 30-31 are another example that a humble and contrite heart's praise of God during difficult times is more pleasing to the Lord than the sacrifice of animals or other material sacrifices (see 1 Sam 15:22-23; Hos 6:6; Ps 51:17-18).
33 See, you lowly ones, and be glad; you who seek God,
may your hearts revive! 34 For the
LORD hears the poor, and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
The message of verses 33-34 is not to be discouraged in your
distress because God hears all who call upon Him, including the poor and those
in prison who suffer for His sake.
36 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of
Judah. The descendants of his servants shall inherit it, 37b and those who
love his name shall inhabit it.
"Zion" was the original name of the citadel of Jerusalem
conquered by King David (2 Sam 5:6-9). Later, the name was applied to the
entire mountain crest upon which Jerusalem was built (Ps 2:6) and even to the
city of Jerusalem itself (Ps 147:12 and Is 1:27). In the New Testament, it
became an allegorical term for the Kingdom of Heaven or a metaphorical reference
to the Church (Heb 12:22), the Gospel message (1 Pt 2:6), and the place of God's
dwelling (Rev 14:1). In this sense, the "descendants of his servants" who will
"inherit and inhabit" the heavenly Zion are the Christians who are the heirs of
the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (Titus 3:7).
Possible Alternate Psalm 19:8-11 ~ God's Glory Reflected
in the Law
The response is: "Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life."
8 The law of the LORD [Yahweh] is perfect, refreshing the
soul; the decree of the LORD [Yahweh] is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the
simple.
Response:
9 The precepts of the LORD [Yahweh] are right, rejoicing
the heart; the command of the LORD [Yahweh] is clear, enlightening the eye.
Response:
10 The fear of the LORD [Yahweh] is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD [Yahweh] are true, all of them just.
Response:
11 They are more precious than gold, than a heap of
purest gold; sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.
Response:
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise to Yahweh as the Creator of the heavens and as the divine author of the Law. Verses 8-14 repeat the Divine Name, YHWH, seven times in the Hebrew text.
The wisdom of God is made available to humankind through God's gift of the Law. Verses 8-11 use seven synonyms to describe God's revelation of the Law: perfect, refreshing the soul, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, and true. The "fear of the LORD [Yahweh]" mentioned in verse 10 refers to the spiritually healthy fear of offending God. Such a respectful "fear" helps one adhere faithfully to the precepts of the Law and fulfill it in the love of God and neighbor.
The Second Reading Colossians 1:15-20 ~ The Preeminence
of Christ: His Person and His Work
15 Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation. 16 For in him were created all things in heaven and
on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. 17 He
is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 17 He is the head of
the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in
all things he himself might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness was
pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making
peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in
heaven.
St. Paul addressed his letter to the faith community at Colossae in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor, east of the city of Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey). Paul was not the first minister of Christ to establish this community, and at the time he wrote this letter, he had not yet visited there, as the letter relates in 1:4 and 2:1. Paul was writing to them because Epaphras, their teacher who may have founded the community (Col 1:7; 4:12; Phlm 23), arrived from Colossae with disturbing news. Problems had arisen through teachers who emphasized Christ's relationship to the mysteries of the universe (cosmos). Their teachings had strayed into connections with cosmic powers, cultic practices, and rules concerning food and drink and ascetical disciplines. In response to the allegations, Paul sends a warning against false teachings, which he tells the community detracts from the person and work of Christ Jesus for humanity's salvation. He also includes instructions on the demands of the Christian life and a magnificent poetic passage on the reality of Christ in verses 15-20, which is our reading.
Some Bible scholars think this poem may have become an early Christian hymn. The subject of the poem/hymn is the pre-existence and preeminence of Christ. The "Wisdom literature" of the Old Testament personifies Wisdom and represents it as an agent through whom God created the universe and continued to preserve it (see, for example, Wis 6:12-16). In St. Paul's letter to the church in Colossus, he presents God's Wisdom incarnated in Jesus Christ. He writes that God revealing Himself and acting in Jesus is the same God who created and preserved the earth and the entire universe. Jesus is the mediator of creation (verses 15-18a) and redemption (18b-20).
15 Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of all creation.
This verse does not suggest that Jesus was the first thing God
created. Jesus is not a created being; He is begotten (monogenes), not made
like the creatures of God's creation (Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18;
Heb 11:17; 1 Jn 4:9).
God created the first man and woman in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26),
but Christ, as the true image of God, now shares a new, restored nature with
those redeemed by the Sacrament of Christian Baptism (see Col 3:10-11). Christ
was preeminent and supreme as God's agent in the first Creation, and He now
holds the same power and authority in a new Creation event for the baptized
citizens of His Kingdom of the Church.
Notice the parallelism between "firstborn of all creation" in verse 15 and "firstborn from the dead" in verse 18. When God resurrected Jesus as "firstborn from the dead" (Rev 1:5), He received permanence over the Kingdom of the Church that He brought into being as the Head of the Body that is His Church. He is the "head" of His own body in a temporal sense in that He was the first to rise from the dead (verse 18) and also spiritually by His preeminent/principal role in the order of salvation (verse 20) in that He is also the crown or foremost of the entire new creation and over "all things."
The universe God created was good (repeated seven times in Gen 1:4, 10, 13, 18, 21, 25, and 31) but became corrupted by sin in the fall of Adam. It was Jesus's mission to restore, "to reconcile all things for him," and become the head of everything that exists:
In the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and the Baptism of Christians, God restores the goodness of His original design, and we are reconciled with God "by the blood of his [Jesus'] cross."
The Gospel of Luke 10:25-37 ~ The Greatest Commandment
and the Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test
Jesus and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 Jesus
said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" 27 He said in
reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your
being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as
yourself." 28 He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you
will live." 29 But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And
who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went
down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off, leaving
him half-dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw
him, he passed by on the opposite side. 32 Likewise, a Levite came to the
place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 33 But a Samaritan
traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. 34 He
approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then
he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. 35 The
next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the
instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I
shall repay you on my way back.' 36 Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor
to the robber's victim?" 37 He answered, 'The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus
said to him, "Go and do likewise."
In Luke 10:21, Jesus contrasted the disciples as "children/childlike" as opposed to the "wise and learned" who opposed His teaching and proclamation of the Kingdom. In 1 Corinthians 1:25-30, St. Paul wrote about those considered "wise and learned" according to the world and warned that God does not measure wisdom and strength by human standards. The Lord chose those (the Apostles and disciples of Jesus) who were not considered wise, learned, or influential by worldly standards to shame those who arrogantly believed they were superior in their understanding of God and the Law of Moses.
In the Gospel reading, one of the "wise and learned," a scholar of the Law, stepped forward to test Jesus's understanding of the Torah (the Law of Moses). He asked Jesus: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" to which Jesus countered the scholar's question with one of His own, asking, "what is written in the Law" and how did he interpret it (Lk 10:26). The scholar answered by quoting two commandments from the Torah. The first was from the collection of verses in the Shema (the Old Covenant profession of faith) in Deuteronomy 6:7, and the second was from the Holiness Code (Lev chapters 17-26) in Leviticus 19:18. The first quote the scholar gave is from Deuteronomy 6:7 and was a command concerning one's relationship with God and the depth of that commitment. He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind," meaning one must give God one's undivided love and loyalty, which encompasses one's entire being. The command includes giving God:
The scholar listed the second law that leads to eternal life from Leviticus 19:18: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments summarize the Ten Commandments: the first three addressed man's relationship with God, and the other seven addressed man's relationship with his fellow man. Jesus approved of the scholar's answer and told him that if he followed his understanding of the Law, he would find eternal life.
However, still wishing to test Jesus, the scholar asked for Jesus's definition of "neighbor" (Lk 10:29). According to the Law in Leviticus 19:17-18, "neighbor" was defined as one's countryman, but Leviticus 19:33-34 commanded the ethical treatment of foreigners living in the land of Israel. Jesus answered the scholar of the Law by telling a story about an unfortunate man who was robbed and beaten on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. The contrast in this story is between the "righteous" Jews and the "heretic" Samaritan.
In Jesus's story, two Jews considered "righteous" saw an injured man along the side of the road but passed by without rendering aid. One man was a chief priest, and the other a Levitical minister. Both men served God in the Temple and taught the people about the Law's commands and prohibitions. The priest was a descendant of Aaron from the tribe of Levi, the first high priest, and was, therefore, an ordained minister of God's Sanctuary (Ex 28:1; Num 3:10). The Levite was a descendant of the tribe of Levi who was not related to Aaron but served the Aaronic priesthood as a lesser minister (Num 3:5, 9). The Jews despised Samaritans, the descendants of five pagan tribes, as either heretics or half-breeds (2 Kng 17:24-41). For Jesus to use a Samaritan as a model of compassion and virtue would have been received with shock and disbelief by the scholar and the Jewish crowd listening to Jesus's story.
In Jesus's story, the Samaritan rendered aid in five different ways by offering his resources:
Some commentators suggest that the priest and Levite may not have stopped to help the man because of the ritual probations of the Law. To touch a dead or bloody body would have rendered them ritually unclean, and they would have had to spend a week becoming purified (see Lev 5:3; 21:1-3; Num 5:2; 6:6-8; 19:2-3). It was the case for any Jew, but in their case, such ritual impurity would prevent them from serving in the Temple until purity was restored. However, this excuse does not work for them since they were traveling away from the Jerusalem Temple on their way to Jericho; they certainly did not have an urgent need to remain ritually pure.
In Luke 10:36-37, Jesus asked the scholar: Which of these
three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robber's victim?" He answered, 'The
one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Jesus's question to the scholar in verse 36 changed the
nature of the man's original question. The scholar was at first hostile to
Jesus, wishing to test Him and find Him in error, but now he appears to be
responsive to Jesus's teaching and answered correctly that the Samaritan
demonstrated mercy and compassion. Jesus advised him with the warning to put
his words into practice.
The Priests and Levites enjoyed a privileged status in Jewish society. They were committed to maintaining ritual purity as a symbol of their internal condition of holiness in serving God and His people. But once again, Jesus taught that the Law was not meant to be inflexible and rigid in cases where mercy was more important than the letter of the Law. It was the same teaching He gave when challenged by the Pharisees and scribes for allowing His hungry disciples to pick grain on the Jewish Sabbath and when He healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath (see Lk 6:1-10). For the Christian, the love of God is not complete without extending His love to our neighbors in the human family. See Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:9; and James 2:8, where the inspired writers taught that love of one's neighbor was the completion of Old Testament Law. The message for us is that we cannot please our Lord without demonstrating love and compassion to the other men, women, and children He created, regardless of whether or not we think they are deserving of an act of love.
Catechism References (* indicates Scripture is quoted
or paraphrased in the citation):
Colossians 1:15-20 (CCC 2641*);
1:15 (CCC 241, 299, 381, 1701);
1:16-17 (CCC 291);
1:16 (CCC 331);
1:18-20 (CCC 624*);
1:18 (CCC 504*, 658, 753*, 792);
1:20 (CCC 2305*)
Luke 10:25-37 (CCC 2822*); 10:27-37 (CCC 1825*); 10:27 (CCC 2083*); 10:34 (CCC 1293*)
Man is created in the image of God (CCC 299*, 381*)
Viewing neighbor as another self (CCC 1931, 1932*, 1933*)
Corpoal works of mercy (CCC 2447*)
The priest as Good Samaritan in the Sacrament of Penance (CCC 1465)
The Word and creation, visible and invisible (CCC 203, 291*, 331*, 703*)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2013; revised 2022 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.