Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Cycle B)
Readings:
Wisdom 2:12, 17-20
Psalm 54:3-6, 8
James 3:16-4:3
Mark 9:30-37
Abbreviations: NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition), NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), RSVCE (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The words 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; therefore, we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Church's Universal Catechism teaches that our 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: Service and Suffering
Service and suffering are two sides of the same coin of the
Christian experience in the earthly Kingdom of the Church. The Church is the
sinless Bride of Christ, but the irony is that she is full of sinners in need
of repentance and salvation. The faith community can be a loving family, but simultaneously,
it is subject to human failings like jealousy, gossip, pride, ambition, and
other hurtful behavior. We expect opposition and strife from those outside the
faith community, but we feel betrayed when we experience hurtful behavior from our
covenant brothers and sisters within the Church. Jesus experienced suffering
and betrayal from many of His brethren, including one of His Apostles, Judas
Iscariot.
In the First Reading, the inspired writer of the Book of Wisdom addresses the malice of the wicked in subjecting the righteous to persecution. The early Church Fathers applied this passage to Jesus and His rejection by the Jewish religious authorities who arranged to have Him condemned to death out of their jealousy. Thus, the reading from the Book of Wisdom introduces us to the theme of the Gospel reading, which is service and suffering as part of the Christian life.
In the Responsorial Psalm, despite his hardships and the betrayal of his countrymen, David, God's anointed, calls upon the "name" of the Lord God, pleading for salvation from his enemies. David has confidence that God will save his life, and therefore, in gratitude, he offers sacrifice and praise to the Lord. David's descendant, Jesus of Nazareth, was also betrayed by His friend, the Apostle Judas Iscariot, who handed Him over to the Judean religious authorities. And, even though He suffered, Jesus trusted God to preserve His life by raising Him from the bonds of death to divine glory.
In the Second Reading, St. James addresses the disorder within faith communities generated by false pride, jealousy, and selfish ambition instead of humility, love, and peace. James identifies the struggles that begin as the petty jealousies and rivalries some Christians feel within themselves, which can erupt into conflicts within the community. These battles are initiated by those who lack "poverty of spirit" (see Mt 5:2) and exhibit pride, meanness of spirit, and a lack of self-sacrificial love. Obtaining the reward of eternal life should be our goal, not worldly desires and ambitions, nor are we to be consumed with earthly worries. When those desires bring strife to the Church and suffering to other Christians, what was a wrong-directed ambition becomes a sin against individual brothers and sisters in the covenant family and, ultimately, a sin against Christ's Bride, the Church.
In the Gospel Reading, Jesus gave the disciples the second prophecy of His Passion, as He warned them of His coming betrayal. Then, He taught them about humility and service, using a young child as an example of the childlike faith and trust required of a faithful servant of God.
Each of the readings should remind us that when we find disappointments within the Church caused by human failings, we should not blame God or His Church, just as we should not blame Jesus for Judas's betrayal. Instead, we should blame sin, and we should try to restore harmony and peace by praying for those in error, praying for the unity of the Church, and praying for ourselves as the psalmist prayed in today's Responsorial Psalm: "For the haughty have raised up against me ... Behold, God is my helper."
The First Reading Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 ~ Persecution of the
Righteous
The wicked say: 12 Let us beset the just one because he
is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for
transgressions of the law, and charges us with violations of our training. [...].
17 Let us see whether his words are true; let us find out what will happen to
him. 18 For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend him and deliver
him from the hand of his foes. 19 With revilement and torture, let us put the
just one to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his
patience. 20 Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for according to his own
words, God will take care of him.
In this passage, the inspired writer of the Book of Wisdom addresses what causes feelings of jealousy and acts of malice directed toward the righteous. From the Church's earliest years, the Church Fathers saw the fulfillment of this passage in the opposition and hostility to Jesus's ministry, which resulted in His Passion. Thus, Jesus's enemies (the Pharisees, scribes, chief priests, and the others who rejected Him) fulfilled each description of the actions of the wicked against "the just man":
Of all the men ever born, Jesus was the only truly "just/righteous man," as He told the rich young man when He said, "There is only One who is good," referring to God and His divine identity (Mt 19:17).
Responsorial Psalm 54:3-6, 8
Response: "The Lord upholds my life."
3 O God, by your name, save me, and by your might defend
my cause. 4 O God, hear my prayer; harken to the words of my mouth.
Response:
5 For the haughty have risen up against me; the ruthless
seek my life; they set not God before their eyes.
6 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord sustains my life. [...].
8 Freely will I offer you sacrifice; I will praise your name, O LORD [O Yahweh],
for its goodness.
Response:
The title of this psalm (verses 1-2) identifies it as relating to David's experience when he was an outlaw hiding from King Saul and sought refuge with the Ziphites who dwelled in the southern desert of the tribal lands of Judah (1 Sam 23:14-16). David went to them for protection because they were "kinsmen" as members of David's tribe of Judah, but they betrayed him to King Saul (1 Sam 23:19-24; 26:1).
In the psalm, David pleads for his salvation from his enemies (verses 3-5). Despite his hardships, David calls upon the "name" of the Lord God. The use of the divine name, Yahweh (verse 8), infers the intimacy of a relationship with the presence of God. David has confidence that God will save his life, and in gratitude, he intends to offer sacrifice to the Lord and praise His holy name.
David's descendant, Jesus, was also betrayed by His fellow citizens: His friend and Apostle, Judas Iscariot, from Jesus's tribe of Judah, handed Him over to His enemies, and other Judeans demanded His death at His trial with the Roman governor Pilate. And, even though He suffered, God preserved His life by raising Him from the bonds of death to divine glory, fulfilling the promise to David that his heir would sit on his throne forever (2 Sam 7:16; 23:5; 2 Chr 13:5; Ps 89:2-5; Sir 45:25; Lk 1:32).
The Second Reading James 3:16-4:3 ~ The Lack of
Godly Wisdom Sows Disunity
Beloved: 16 Where jealousy and selfish ambition
exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. 17 But the wisdom from above
is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good
fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. 18 And the fruit of righteousness
is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. 4:1 Where do the wars and where
do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make
war within your members? 2 You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy, but
you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. 3 You do not possess because you do
not ask. You ask but do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on
your passions.
The "wisdom that comes down from above" in verse 17 is probably a reference to the "spirit of the Lord" in Isaiah 11:2, "On him will rest the spirit of Yahweh, the spirit of wisdom and insight, the spirit of counsel and power, the spirit of knowledge and fear of Yahweh (NJB). In his commentary on this passage, St. Bede wrote: "The wisdom from above" is pure because it thinks only pure thoughts, and it is peaceable because it does not dissociate itself from others on account of its pride. The other virtues mentioned here are the common possessions of any wise person, and they will manifest themselves in a life full of mercy and other good works" (St. Bede, Concerning the Epistle of St. James).
For the third time, James used the Greek word anothen [an'-o-then] in his letter, which means "from above" or "again" (see James 1:17; 3:15 and 17) (also see Jn 3:3, 7). In verse 17, our "wisdom" coming "down from above," which is "something pure," recalls another use of the word anothen by Jesus in John 3:3-7. In that passage, Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus about the necessity of being re-born from "above," saying, "Amen, amen I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above (anothen)." Then He continued: "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Finally, Jesus concludes: "Do not be amazed that I told you, 'You must be born from above [anothen]'" (Jn 3:3, 5, 7). In the context of the use of the word "anothen" in the Gospel of John, and the passage concerning the gift of wisdom in Isaiah 11:1, James identifies "wisdom" as a gift of the Holy Spirit who came down from above (Heaven) to give new life to baptized believers (see CCC# 1831).
Perhaps James was thinking of the Beatitude in Matthew 5:8 when Jesus spoke of the necessity of possessing a "pure heart": Blessed are the clean (pure) of heart, for they will see God. As we strive for Godly wisdom manifested in our works of love, the Holy Spirit continues to move more deeply within our hearts, spiritually transforming us into the image of our Savior. This image calls for a pure and holy heart, as our Savior is pure and holy. In response to this call, we feel the need to empty ourselves of worldly attractions and concerns, and fill our entire being with the love of Jesus, our Savior, becoming an imitation of Christ in our lives and in a faith that generates works of compassion. Our cry becomes the cry of David in Psalm 51:12 (verse 10 in some translations): A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.
In his discourse On Nature and Grace, St. Augustine wrote about the wisdom from above that purifies the heart and controls our passions: "This is the wisdom which tames the tongue, descending from above, not springing from the human heart. Would anyone dare to snatch it away from the grace of God and, with overweening pride, place it in the power of man?"
Notice how James characterizes the purity of Godly wisdom as opposed to earthly wisdom in James 3:17-18, listing the seven attributes of being peaceable, kindly, considerate, full of mercy and good deeds, no partiality, and no hypocrisy. Finally, James gives his beautiful summary statement, 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.
That the peace sown by peacemakers brings a harvest of justice recalls Jesus's Beatitude concerning the peacemakers in Matthew 5:9 when He said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be recognized as children of God." As children of God our Father, we follow in His footsteps of peace. We become champions of justice and righteousness in the works of charity (love in action) that we offer in His name and in which we contribute to God's "harvest" in the conversion of souls (Mt 9:37-38; Rev 14:15).
In commenting on this passage, St. Bede urged Christians to sow the earth with the best seed to yield a fruitful harvest: "Everything we do in this life contains within it the seed of future regard. Paul says the same thing when he writes: 'Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.' Therefore it is rightly said that the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. For the fruit of righteousness is eternal life, which is the reward for good works, so that those who desire peace and implement it sow the earth with the best of seed there is, and by their daily actions gain an increase which entitles them to inherit the fruits of life in Heaven. The reprobates also reap what they sow because they will also receive their just reward at the judgment. But that reward will not be the fruits of eternal life, but corruption, because they will reap the eternal punishment due to the corruption in which they passed their lives on earth" (St. Bede, quoting St. Paul from Galatians 6:7; Concerning the Epistle of St. James, chapter 3).
Next, James contrasted the peace sown by peacemakers to the disharmony, disunity, and turmoil inflicted by others: Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? 2 You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy, but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. 3 You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (James 4:1-3).
James continued the discussion begun in 3:13-18 with a rhetorical question. He asked where the "wars" and "battles" within the community come from. The critical question is, who is James speaking to at this point? Is he only addressing Jewish Christians or a mixed audience of Jewish Christians and Old Covenant Jews? The reference to "the twelve tribes," to "your synagogue," and to "those who insult the honorable name (of Jesus)" in James 1:1; 2:2 and 2:7 seems to suggest the audience is a mix of Jews and Jewish-Christians who still attend the Jewish synagogue.
By using the words "wars" and "battles," James turns the discussion to the dissension and discord within faith communities generated by the sin of "envy/jealousy" that he introduced earlier in 3:14. Now he writes in 4:2, You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy, but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. In Romans 11:6, St. Paul called the Jewish Christians a holy "remnant, set aside by grace" from old Israel. And as to those Jews who "were blinded" concerning their jealousy in opposition to inviting the Gentiles into the New Covenant, Paul assures the Roman Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians that it is still possible to lead those dissenters to salvation: Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make them jealous. Now, if their transgression is enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number (Rom 11:11-12)? The discord James refers to could be the disunity and fighting between the Jewish communities torn apart over the acceptance or rejection of Jesus as the promised Redeemer-Messiah and His New Covenant Church that also admits Gentiles.
James made three statements identifying the cause of the disunity within some faith communities:
In James 4:2, James wrote that envy leads to wars and battles and leads to "killings." Bible scholars disagree about what James meant by accusing the troublemakers of being responsible for deaths. The word "kill" might be used as a hyperbole to illustrate the damage such divisions can cause to the immortal souls of those caught in such unrighteous bickering. Or, as other scholars suggest, if militant Jews caused rioting in the mixed Jewish and Christian communities, Christians may be dying due to the turmoil. St. Paul's preaching did cause some riots (i.e., Acts 16:19-22; 19:23-40). Even James was fearful that the controversy swirling around St. Paul would cause rioting when he visited Jerusalem in the spring of AD 58 in Acts 21:20-22. Violent Jewish anti-Christian reactions almost took Paul's life on several occasions, and the Book Acts records the martyrdom of the Apostle James Zebedee by the Jews (Acts 12:2). The post-resurrection, glorified Christ mentions the martyrdom of His servant Antipas in Revelation 2:13.
The vices that seem to be the leading cause of divisions within the community of God's people are pride, envy/jealousy, and the desire to control others. James identifies the struggles that begin with the petty jealousies and rivalries people feel within themselves that can erupt into conflicts within the community. These battles are initiated by those who lack "poverty of spirit" (Mt 5:2) and exhibit pride, the meanness of spirit, and a lack of self-sacrificial love. St. José Maria Escriva wrote that unchecked, these selfish passions can pull you away from the pull of God's grace: "Heaven pulls you upwards; you drag yourself downward. And don't seek excuses—that is what you are doing. If you go on like that, you will tear yourself apart" (St. José Maria Escriva, Furrow, 851).
St. James wrote that what causes the covenant believer who sows discord to indulge in his wrongly directed passions is that he does not pray, or when he does, he prays without wisdom: 3 You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. This verse recalls what James wrote in 1:5 ~ But if any of you who lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, he will be given it. Concerning such Christians, St. Bede wrote, "He asks wrongly who shows no regard for the Lord's commandments and yet seeks heavenly gifts. He also asks wrongly who, having lost his taste for heavenly things, seeks only earthly things; not for sustaining his human weakness but to enable him to indulge himself" (Concerning the Epistle of St. James).
Jesus warned believers: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil" (Mt 6:33-34). Obtaining the reward of eternal life should be our goal, not worldly desires and ambitions, nor are we to be consumed with earthly worries. Bad feelings can grow into actions that bring strife to the Church and suffering to other Christians. What began as a spiritually unhealthy feeling or desire should have been rejected or taken to the Sacrament of Reconciliation before it grew into a sin. Discord leading to disunity becomes a sin against individual brothers and sisters in the covenant family and sin against Christ's Bride, the Church as a whole.
The Gospel of Mark 9:30-37 ~ The Second Prediction
of the Passion and the Greatest in the Kingdom
30 They left from there and began a journey through
Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. 31 He was teaching his
disciples and telling them, "the Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and
they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise." 32 But they
did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. 33 They
came to Capernaum, and once inside the house, he began to ask them, "What were
you arguing about on the way?" 34 But they remained silent. They had been
discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. 35 Then he sat
down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he
shall be the last of all and the servant of all." 36 Taking a child, he placed
it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, 37 "Whoever
receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives
me, receives not me but the One who sent me."
As the time for His Passion drew closer, Jesus focused on preparing His disciples for the traumatic events and the test of faith they would experience. He also equipped them for their mission as His emissaries in carrying the Gospel of salvation to the world.
32 But they did not understand the saying, and
they were afraid to question him.
St. Mark's Roman audience would find it inconceivable that
someone divine could be killed by men, just as the Apostles and disciples found
Jesus's statement incredible. Perhaps it wasn't so much that they did not
understand, but they denied what they did not want to understand. We might
compare this lack of comprehension or unwillingness to understand to someone
who received the news that a loved one will die of a disease or died in an
accident. The Apostles have witnessed Jesus's acts of power in conquering the
force of storms and His authority over sickness and demons. It was
inconceivable to them that He would not exercise the same power and control
over mere men.
Mark 9:33-37 ~ The Greatest in the Kingdom
33 They came to Capernaum, and once inside the house, he
began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" 34 But they
remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was
the greatest. 35 Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If
anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of
all." 36 Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms
around it, he said to them, 37 "Whoever receives one child such as this in my
name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who
sent me."
"On the way" in verse 33 will become a repeated refrain in this section of Mark's Gospel but may not be translated literally in various translations; the phrase appears seven times in 8:37; 9:33, 34; 10:17, 32, and 52 twice. Jesus and the Apostles traveled to Peter's house in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee (verse 33). Perhaps the privilege of witnessing Jesus in His glory in the Transfiguration experience by Peter, James, and John made the others uneasy about where they stood in the Kingdom of the Messiah. Jesus knew what they were arguing about, but He wanted them to admit the nature of their dispute so He could provide a teaching moment for them. They probably did not answer in verse 34 because they were embarrassed and knew He would disapprove.
The secular world bases greatness on social rank, wealth, or unique ability. But Jesus teaches in this passage that those standards of distinction in the world do not count in His Kingdom. Jesus used the visible metaphor of a child from Peter's household as His teaching point. The Greek word in the text is paidion, which refers to a child under twelve (IBGE, Vol. IV, Luke 9:47-48). He used a child to illustrate His teaching point because adults are mostly self-sufficient, but little children are vulnerable and dependent on someone for their care, or they cannot survive. A little child has no rank or status concerns and only seeks to please his parent or caregiver. In Heaven, God measures greatness according to childlike humility, obedience, self-emptying, and total dependence on God. Whoever is more "childlike" in this way is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Humility was a teaching Jesus emphasized for His New Covenant Kingdom in His Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:20-26. He warned those who sought status instead of humility: Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way. And we should also remember St. Paul's warning and be prepared to share in His sufferings if we want to share in His glory (Rom 8:17).
The message in today's readings is that we should not be afraid of what is said about us so long as we demonstrate justice and righteousness in obedience to the teachings of Christ and His Church. The greatest harm to the Church comes not from her enemies outside the community of the faithful but arises from sinners within the Church who do not fear offending God. There will always be those who betray us, like Judas. Jesus called such persons "wolves in sheep's clothing" (Mt 7:15-16). When we suffer persecution for His sake resulting from our service in defending the dogmas (truths) of His Kingdom that is the Church, Jesus said we are to take up our cross of suffering and Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in Heaven. Thus, they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt 5:12). And when faced with betrayal from within by those who seek to wound the Body of Christ, do not leave Jesus because of the acts of those behaving like Judas. Respond as St. Peter did when Jesus asked him if he would leave because of a teaching that was difficult to accept. Peter responded, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn 6:68).
Catechism References (* indicates Scripture quoted or
paraphrased in the citation):
James 4:2-3 (CCC 2737*)
Mark 9:31-32 (CCC 557*); 9:31 (CCC 474*); 9:37 (CCC 1825*)
Christ, the obedient Servant of God (CCC 539*, 565, 600*, 601*, 602*, 603*, 605*, 713*)
To serve is to reign (CCC 786*)
Priestly ministry as service (CCC 1547, 1551*)
The sin of envy (CCC 2538*, 2539, 2540)
Safeguarding peace (CCC 2302*, 2303*, 2304, 2305*, 2306*)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2015; revised 2024 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.