20th Week, Ordinary Time, August 22, also Queenship of Mary

Scripture: Ezekiel 28:1-10. Deuteronomy 32:26-30,35-36. Matthew 19:23-30:

There are some catch words in the Gospels that have a whole depth of meaning behind them. One that is in the Gospel of Matthew today is the expression "The Kingdom of Heaven." This is the more Hebrew way of saying what Luke does who says, "The Kingdom of God." Matthew's Our Father continues with "who art in Heaven" whereas Luke just says, "Father", etc. Almost all of Matthew's parables contain the expression "The Kingdom of heaven is like..."; hence, his parables are called the parables of the kingdom. I see within this and other expression in Matthew a more Hebrew way of saying things about Jesus or what Jesus himself proclaims. Matthew is concerned about both the Gentile and the Jewish members of his community so he uses language that would help both Jew and Gentile to understand Jesus in their community. It seems that Mattew's community is just across the street from the synagogue.

Matthew also is concerned about the fulfillment of the Scriptures and the accomplishing of the Torah of the Law, that is, the first five books of the Hebrew scrolls. Jesus has come to fulfill the Law not to take away from it; not even one of the iotas or jots in the Hebrew text are to be tampered with according to Jesus in Matthew's Gospel. Thus in Matthew, Jesus seems to be a New Moses figure who sits on the Mountain and gives the Beatitudes in his great sermon or blueprint for the Christian followers. The Jewish Christians already have the fullness of the Law which is the basis for the sermon on the Mount.

In today's selection from Matthew, Jesus is explaining to his apostles that the kingdom of God is theirs to have because they have left everything to follow him. They are not blessed with riches which in those days was a sign of God's favor, but they do have treasure in the kingdom of heaven and the pearl of great price in Jesus himself, their friend and leader. They are to follow Jesus in his prayer, his fasting, his mission, and his generosity to others through healing them. So when Peter asks Jesus, what will we have for leaving everything and following you? Jesus answers and says you will be judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel. These apostoles, except for Judas, eventually do give their lives for Jesus. We know from the Acts of the Apostles that Peter too followed the prescriptions of the Jewish Law and that he went up to the Temple to pray. Peter's question was not a silly question. Maybe we have to ask it of ourselves, once we understand what Jesus is calling us to do. Amen.