Scripture Reflections for June 23, 24...Ordinary weekday Lectionary # 372, 373
110:33,34,35, 35,37,40. Matthew 7:15-20. Lectionary # 373:
In a recent Christian-Jewish Dialogue, one of the esteemed members, a
minister, suggested we think of our aging dialogue group as having reached
a "turning point." This became a key toward planning who we are to be for
the future. Today in the first reading we see a great turning point in the
kingdom of Judah as King Josiah, Shaphan, and Hilkiah converge to restore
the covenant with the people and God. Hulda, a prophetess is also part of
this great event which consisted in discovering the book of the law in the
Temple treasury chest. Josiah was fervent in restoring the Temple and
reparing its ruins. The Book of the Law is probably the book of
Deuteronomy or possibly the entire Torah. It had been lost and forgotten
for some seventy years! Josiah is central to this chapter and this turning
point. He reigned from 640-609 B.C. and is described by the author of I
and II Kings in this manner: "And he did that which was right in the sight
of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not
aside to the right hand or to the left." As a cosequence of having found
the book of the Law, he carried through a great religious reformation for
the kingdom. We learn from this chapter that a king, a prophetess, a
scribe, and a high priest were cooperating in carrying out what was to be
one of the greatest reforms of that time. If the book is Deuteronomy then
we know that they were totally convinced that they had to turn back to the
Lord and the covenant that had been made with Moses. The king then made
sure that the stipulations and commandments were to be lived out by
everyone. Thus this turning point became a conversion experience for the
whole nation because of good leadership. The leaders returned to the
Exodus experience of liberation and freedom and obeyed God.
The sentiments of the persons involved with King Josiah are easily
seen in the Psalm that is chosen for today's liturgy, Psalm 119. It is the
longest psalm in the Scriptures and is all about the stipulations,
commandments, words, statutes, and ethical understanding of the Torah. It
goes through the entire alphabet in stanzas dedicated to the Law built upon
the sequence of letters in the alphabet; it is an acrostic psalm of wisdom.
Thus we too can enter into the feelings and spirit of what priest, king,
prophetess, and scribe experienced by praying this psalm.
Jesus' words can also help us tor realize that we recognize a tree by
its fruits; here the fruits are good and nurture the whole life of the
community. The tree of Josiah the King made this possible because of his
own integrity and righteousness. We continue then to thank and praise God
for such models of reform and say, "Teach us the ways of your decrees, O
Lord. In your justice give us life." Amen.
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Scripture: June 24, ordinary readings of the day not those of Birth of John
Baptist. II Kings 19:9-11.14-21.31.35.36. Psalm 48:2-3, 3-4,10-11. Matthew
7:6.12-14. Lectionary # 372:
In the readings for today and tomorrow we see that good things happen
when the King and his court work together with the prophet who is in the
kingdom. One of the holiest and greatest kings after King David is the one
featured today, King Herzekiah (715-687 B.C.). We see him at prayer and
also consulting the noble prophet Isaiah. There is the threat of Jerusalem
being attacked by Sennacharib, an Assyrian around the year 701 B.C.
We know that Hezekiah was considered as a righteous and holy king.
In II Kings 18 we read that "...he did that which was right in the sight of
the Lord, according to all that David his father had done." (II Kings
18:3). Three chapters are given to Hezekiah's reign and there is a parallel
to II Kings in Isaiah 36-39 as well II Chronicles 29-32.
God will deliver his people and there will always be a remnant that
is faithful to the Lord. We read these beautiful words in II Kings
19:31:"For out of Jerusalem shall come a remnant and from Mount Zion
survivors. The zeal of the Lord shall do this." In Isaiah we read early
the following verses that show the protection of God and even the call of
other nations to come up peacefully to the city of peace, Jerusalem: "And
many peoples shall go and say: 'Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain
of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; And he will teach us his
ways, and we will walk in his paths.' FOR OUT OF ZION SHALL GO FORTH THE
LAW, AND THE WORD OF THE LORD FROM JERUSALEM....AND THEY SHALL BEAT THEIR
SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES, AND THEIR SPEARS INTO PRUNING HOOKS; NATION SHALL
NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION, NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANY MORE."
(Isaiah 2:3-4).
We are coming to the end of the Sermon on the Mount and the "Golden
Rule" is a fitting way in which Jesus brings it to a close. The rule is so
true, reasonable, and good that we can listen to one who taught and lived
it, namely, Rabbi Hillel who tells one of his learners, "The rest is
commentary, now go and study." Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 9:08 AM
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