Lectionary # 407 with alternate reading for Matthew. 18th Monday of Year 2, August 4, 2008

Scripture: 18th week, Monday, Aug. 4, 2008: Jeremiah 28:1-17. Psalm
119:29,43,79,80, 95, 102. Matthew 124:22-36 (alternate) Lectionary # 407:

Jeremiah is faithful to his call as a prophet despite the terrible
trials and sufferings this brings him. He will not prophesy unless God
actually speaks to him to do it. Hannaniah, on the other hand, tries to
persuade the people to trust in his words as prophetic, but he is assuring
them of a false peace. Jeremiah confronts him and gives us a good
principle for discerning what is truly prophetic: "But the prophet who
prophesies peace is recognized as truly sent by the Lord when his prophetic
prediction is fulfilled." Hannaniah's was not as we know from the history
of the Exile. We are now in the years 594-593 B.C. and Jeremiah proves
himself as the true prophet by not talking about peace but of the real
threat of war and woe. We ourselves need to be clear about reading the
signs of the times through discernment. The Holy Spirit is to be invoked
in prayer and we have to carefully listen to what the Lord is saying and
what reason is telling us.
In the sequence of the feeding of the multitude we now have a rather
dense pericope from Matthew that quickly gives us several episodes in the
life of Jesus jammed together. Jesus shows us the necessity of prayer by
retiring to the mountain alone. He is by his own prayer telling us that we
need time to commune with God alone. Next Jesus walks on the water and
comes toward the boat (the Church) where the apostles are scared to death
because of the raging waters and lofty waves rising above them. They think
him to be a ghost and contine to be more afraid. He tells them it is he
their teacher and that they are not to fear. Peter listens but in jumping
into the water soon sinks. He had a momentary trust in Jesus but not full
trust. Sounds like ourselves. Finally they are at peace and Jesus goes to
the shore in order to heal and preach to the people. "And as many as
touched the tassels of his cloak were healed." We too need to believe and
to carry out that belief through discernment, prayer, and reaching out to
the Lord hoping to touch the hem of his garment. Amen.