{"id":1372,"date":"2017-08-23T13:09:42","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T13:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/?p=1372"},"modified":"2017-08-23T13:09:42","modified_gmt":"2017-08-23T13:09:42","slug":"the-21st-sunday-of-ordinary-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2017\/08\/23\/the-21st-sunday-of-ordinary-time\/","title":{"rendered":"The 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time – 27th August, 2017<\/p>\n

Lectionary readings: \u00a0Is 22:19-23; \u00a0\u00a0Ps 138:1-8; \u00a0\u00a0Rom 11:33-36 ; \u00a0Mt 16:13-20<\/p>\n

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\u201cWho do THEY say that I am?\u201d This week’s Gospel from Matthew poses this question from Jesus to his disciples. They reply with names of prophetic people who have preceded him. Then Jesus asks the question thatis for each one of us to answer throughout our lifetime: \u201cAnd you, who do YOU say that I am?\u201d Peter ‘s response is one that like us, he will slowly come to fully understand: You are the Christ, the firstborn of the living God. His response indicates a close relationship between Jesus and his Abba. Jesus calls Simon kepa meaning rock in Aramaic . He says you are kepa, Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. (It is only here and 18, 17(twice) that the word church is used in the Gospels.) Jesus is the long awaited messiah but not the one that they expected. He does not come to put down the Roman rule and oppression. Rather, Jesus brings to them a messaiahship of compassion, justice, love for the least, service, mercy and deep peace. It is only after the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus that his full identity is revealed to his followers.<\/p>\n

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The reading from Isaiah speaks of the indictment against an unjust steward, Shebna, in the court of King Hezekiah. Eliakim, son of the High Priest, Hilkiah, is given authority in the royal palace. This is seen as a divinely given authority and three images explain his new role: Eliakim is called \u201cfather\u201d of the people and will participate in governing the southern kingdom as part of the Davidic dynasty; he will be keeper of the key of the House of David which allows entrance and access to the palace and the king; and third, he will be like a tent peg: one who will see to the safekeeping of all those in his care. He has the honor of being a wise parent\/leader, a careful guardian, and a living symbol of stability. This passage prefigures the role of Peter who is given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. From ancient times we see here a connection for those in leadership positions today in church and in society. These values seem timeless.<\/p>\n

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Psalm 138 that follows the Isaiah reading brings a song of praise for the kindness and strength that God gives to the people in this time of relative security. God’s kindness endures forever, even in times of trouble and catastrophe. This is a reminder that we are \u201cthe face of God\u201d in our world today.<\/p>\n

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The letter of Paul to the Romans reflects his understanding that God’s salvation extends to ALL peoples of the earth. God’s love and care is totally inclusive. Paul struggles as we may also in attempting to understand the mystery of the wonders of God.<\/p>\n

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For reflection and discussion: It is said that St. Francis of Assisi prayed during the night: \u201cWho are you my God? And who am I?\u201d How we respond identifies us and our life as Christians. It shapes our own identity and our parish identity. It is a challenge to define who we are. The Spirit gives us all the gifts we need and is always with us. How do you respond at this time in your journey to \u201cand who do YOU say I am?\u201d Is your answer always the same or does it differ with your life experiences and deeper understandings of who God is for you?<\/p>\n

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This week\u2019s teaching commentary was prepared by<\/p>\n

Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, MAT in Religious Studies<\/p>\n

Hockessin DE USA<\/p>\n

Bat Kol \u00a0Alumna 2001<\/p>\n

Email: \u00a0chezcor@msn.com<\/p>\n

\u00a0[Copyright \u00a9 2017]<\/p>\n

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. \u00a0Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/p>\n

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~~1983-2017~~<\/p>\n

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem<\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

Website: www.batkol.info; \u00a0\u00a0gill@batkol.info<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time – 27th August, 2017 Lectionary readings: \u00a0Is 22:19-23; \u00a0\u00a0Ps 138:1-8; \u00a0\u00a0Rom 11:33-36 ; \u00a0Mt 16:13-20 \u00a0 Download \u00a0 \u201cWho do THEY say that I am?\u201d This week’s Gospel from Matthew poses this question from Jesus to his disciples. They reply with names of prophetic people who have preceded him.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":1365,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1372"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1372\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}