Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Matthew 9: 9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
    I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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He said to him, “Follow me.”

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Saint Matthew had little idea who Jesus was. Certainly, this wasn’t the first time Matthew heard about him; talk was circulating throughout the town that there was a miracle worker among them.

It seems almost natural that when Jesus invited Matthew to follow him, he’d jump at the idea. He must’ve felt special; chosen.

But Matthew had no idea that day that he would help to change the world. He had no idea his heart would be transformed; no idea of the risk that lay ahead; no idea of the highs nor the lows.

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All he knew was this: Jesus of Nazareth chose him by name. 

It’s all Matthew needed to know.

It’s all we need to know.

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I’m sure looking back over our lives, there were times when we would’ve leapt for joy if we knew our future, and others when we would’ve shrieked in fear.

The same may be true if we knew what was in store for us tomorrow or the day after.

But God asks one thing of us: to focus on the present. 

As Jesus tells us pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

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Regardless of what lies ahead, rest assured the Lord is with us. As it’s written in the Psalms, “The Lord watches over the footsteps of his faithful ones.”

Saint Matthew, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) GGUSocial.com (2) Calling of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio (3) On Wings of Eagles

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Gospel: Matthew 9:1-8:

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Take courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

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As nice as that sounds – the forgiveness of sins – the scribes don’t seem to care. All they see is a man paralyzed, lying on a stretcher! 

If Jesus is the miracle worker he claims to be, then why not heal his body? 

The scribes see what many do – only that which is physical.

Jesus, however, always sees more.

The day will come when this man’s body – although miraculously healed today – is planted into the earth.

But his soul – freshly purified by Christ – will live forever.

That’s what matters.

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While it’s a good thing to be physically healthy – to honor our bodies – how much effort do we spend honoring our spiritual lives?

Is there any part of us that is paralyzed – by fear, doubt, or uncertainty?

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“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

May the same Lord who purified the paralytic, purify us today.

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Image credits: (1) The Messy Middle (2) Jesus Heals the Paralytic, Christian Art (3) Walking in the Spirit, WordPress

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Gospel: Matthew 8: 28-34

When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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From a Jewish perspective, this might be the most ritually impure scene in all of the Gospels.

There are demons, dead bodies, and pigs, all of which unfolds in enemy territory, the land of the Gentiles. 

Why would Jesus lead his followers into such a dark and filthy place?

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By entering Gentile territory, Jesus reveals the universality of God.

The Jews had a very exclusive understanding of God; he only belonged to the ritually pure. But Jesus reveals something greater – God is the Good Shepherd, who seeks out his lost sheep, even those possessed by demons.

No one is beyond his reach.

Secondly, Jesus reveals the depths of his power.

He not only has power over gusty winds and leprosy; he also has power over evil. “If you drive us out,” the demons say to him today, “then send us into the herd of swine.”

“And he said to them, ‘Go then!’”

So, off they went.

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What does this mean for us?

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Jesus wants access to every part of our lives, those places that are pure, and equally, those that are impure. 

Unlike the villagers in the Gospel, who begged the Lord to leave, may we embrace his presence, allowing him to change us and set us free.

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Image credits: (1) Smithsonian Magazine (2) Brooklyn Museum (3) Mercy for the Outcast, Millennial