Month: July 2013

The scheme for July and August can be found here

Prov 15-16; Matt 15; Psalm 79

All too often the Pharisees reveal to us what we are. There desire to preserve the purity of Israel, a kingdom constantly under threat, means that they shut the door on so many with whom Jesus associates. We can I am sure think of many contemporary instances where desire to preserve that which we have excludes the other, from the personal to the national level.

Here it is there traditions. Of course we must be careful here. There are those who are against ‘traditions’ in the church, failing to recognise that ‘Love of neighbour’ is very much our tradition, as is observance of the Eucharist. There are traditions which are doors held open to Life, and then there are those that close the door to Life.

We have been thinking much about obedience to Christ these past weeks. We may I suggest see many readings of the gospel as ‘traditions designed to avoid concrete obedience to the will of God’. This is precisely what is going on here. The Pharisees have as it were added to the Law, but in so doing have negated it. To avoid the concrete call from God to honour father and mother – they create a ‘tradition’, a gospel if you like – which acts as a way out.

The scheme for July and August can be found here

Prov 12-14; Matt 14; Psalm 78 vs 32-end

Throughout Matthew there are examples of the life of the Beatitudes. Here in Chapter 14 we find the life of those who are persecuted for the sake of Righteousness. John the Baptist speaks truth to power and Herod has him jailed and then executed.

Thus he is numbered amongst those ‘prophets of old’ – making even more plain, ’twere it necessary – that he is that Elijah which is to come to prepare the way of the Lord.

The Way of Jesus is now more starkly revealed than ever. Upon hearing the news of the death of John he retires to a quiet place. But still the crowds come. Here in the most dramatic of all his Signs, as Moses had fed the multitude in Sinai, So the living bread from heaven is revealed amongst the children of Israel. The Disciples as the incipient new Israel are commanded out to be Light – to give them something to eat.

Yet still they doubt – this of course will be a common theme in Matthew to the end.