NINTH SUNDAY IN Ordinary time: A. Jun 1, 2008

Deut 11:18, 26‑-28, 32 Psalm: 31 Rom 3:21‑-25, 28 Matthew 7:21‑-27

1. I was teaching catechism to a group of seven year olds. I told them heaven was beyond anything they could imagine. So as usual their imaginations ran wild with the most outrageous dreams. There were loads of peanut butter and ice-cream and chocolates to mention just a few items. I concluded, heaven was better than even that; and who would like to go to heaven. All put their hands up except Justin. "Why Justin, don't you want to go to heaven?" Oh, no. My mother told me to come home straight after school!

As a postscript, that was 20 years ago, I met Justin, now 27, and he still does not want to go to heaven. He has just fallen in love. Heaven can wait !

2. The people of Israel in our first reading, did not have a concept of life after death or eternal life. Their heaven or hell was right here on earth. They could choose either blessings or curses. God had shown himself to be full of mercy and compassion. Yet their image of God was not far from the Greek Zeus who sat in the heavens with lightning and thunderbolts at his side, ready to hurl them at any one who broke the commandments. In our own times, even after the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are not far from thinking in the same manner. How often do we hear people say, "What did I do wrong, that God should punish me like _____ and they name a sickness or financial problems, or unruly children.

Moses would urge his people to keep the commandments of God. Moses would tell them to write them on strips of cloth which they could bind to their foreheads and wrists in order that they might remember God's commandments. Through the ages, the purpose of these bands were forgotten. They were used as status symbols and Jesus would speak of the Pharisees wearing broad phylacteries and tassels as signs of hypocrisy rather than fidelity. So Moses advised his people, the choice was theirs: a life of blessing or a life of curses. It was a matter of what choice they made. It was not a guessing game like the "Price is right" and what is behind door 1,2 or 3.

3. We rarely pay attention to the Psalm. But today it is a fitting conclusion of the first reading and introduction to Paul in the second reading. Psalm 31 is an individual thanksgiving, praising God in the temple for deliverance from sickness and trouble. Today's selection combines several verses that speak of God as the source of security and refuge.

4. In the second reading, Paul gives us the other side of the coin.

Paul proposes a new theological outlook in Romans. In the first three chapters of the letter Paul has established that "all have sinned." whether Jew or Greek, godly or ungodly.

The Pagans have no excuse from sin. They are aware of sin on two accounts.

• God's law is written in nature.
• God's law is written on their heart, - their conscience.

• The Jews have even less of an excuse since (besides the above)

• they were given the Law through Moses and secondly
• they were warned by their Judges, Priests and Prophets.

So far Salvation has been for the Chosen people. Paul now broadens the horizon. Salvation is for all Jew and Gentile, slave and free. This is offered to us because ALL require salvation. Everyone is a sinner.

5. Paul's definition of the gospel is that it is the revelation of God's righteousness. "Righteousness" here is not a moral quality. It is God's saving act. It is the story of our redemption.

And so the choice according to Paul is to believe. We cannot be saved by just observing the law, because it is beyond man's limited powers to make propitiation or expiation for our sins. Hence it will be faith and not the keeping of the law that will prepare them to receive this gift of Salvation from God.

This gift is salvation which Jesus won for us through his death and resurrection. He made "Expiation" for our sins. (See appendix)

6. Jesus will pick up the same theme in the Gospel of Matthew. It is not outward signs and symbols, it will not be shouting "Lord , Lord" that will get them eternal life. Matthew was writing at a time when two groups were vying for superiority. One was the Judaic community who had a certain smugness. They belonged to the "chosen race". They were stressing strict Jewish correctness trying to build themselves up again after the fall of Jerusalem.

The second group were the charismatic enthusiasts, (not the type we have today) -

who wished to show the effects of the Death and Resurrection in wonders and miracles and loud acclamations of faith: Lord, Lord. Matthew would stress that the effects of Christ's presence would be seen in his classic Ch.25, it would be seen in works of love and kindness and caring. "Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit those in prison." Keeping rabbinic laws and regulations, shouting loud acclamations would be like the foolish man who built his house on sand.

Like the people of Israel in the first reading, and like the hearers of Jesus in the Gospel, we too have the CHOICE.

APPENDIX

Scripture scholar Reginald Fuller has the following to say about Expiation

"Expiation" (Greek: hilasterion) is one of the most controversial words in the New Testament. Three meanings have been held:

(1) the traditional interpretation—propitiation. A person must do something to satisfy God and appease his wrath. Since human beings are unable to do this. Christ would propitiate the Father.

(2) A modern view—expiation. Here God is the subject, and the object is sin. God, in Christ, undertook to wipe away human sin.

(3) Expiation is the place where atonement is wrought.

Paul would favours the third meaning, though one cannot discard the other two since emotionally we tend to think and live as if sin might just have excited God's anger.