Sunday reflections

Jesus takes his closest followers to Caesarea Philippi to have an important conversation. Two key things happen. Firstly, the disciples experience a moment of real insight in their understanding of Jesus.

Matthew’s community consisted of Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles), which contributed to tension and disharmony. The Jewish Christians still saw themselves as Jews. For them, they hadn’t changed their religion. Christianity was simply another reform-movement within Judaism. However, being Jewish was not solely about religion, it was also cultural; giving identity, meaning, understanding and depth to life.

In many ancient religions, mountaintops were thought to be the dwelling places of the gods, where sacred encounters might happen. One example of this is the encounter of Moses with God on a mountaintop when he received the ten commandments.

In many ancient religions, mountaintops were thought to be the dwelling places of the gods, where sacred encounters might happen. One example of this is the encounter of Moses with God on a mountaintop when he received the ten commandments.

Much like today, different gods and life philosophies were plentiful in the ancient Roman world. They were like different pearls, available for people to pick and choose which they liked and wanted to keep.

At first glance today’s gospel seems to draw a clear distinction between the wheat as the good crop and the darnel as the bad crop. The darnel was sown by the enemy while everybody was asleep. It was regarded as a toxic crop to be weeded out.

The Kingdom is a central theme of Matthew’s gospel. Today we begin a series of readings from Ch 13 in that gospel over three Sundays concerning Jesus’ teaching, in parables, about the coming of the Kingdom.

Failure, shame, regret, are just some of the burdens we’re all familiar with. ‘Speak with someone today’ says a website for women suffering from domestic violence and there’s a number to ring. Speak with someone, so that we don’t end up isolated, with no one to turn to.

When I was a young boy shopping with my mum, she would remind me when we entered a shop to look but not to touch. She would say, “Those things are expensive. They break easily.”

Our call to be “missionary disciples of Jesus” is based on the Exodus experience of the Jewish people. Yes, God enables the Jews to be liberated from slavery, but much more is at stake. God addresses Moses like an earthly king pledging to confer on Israel the dignity of a “priestly kingdom” and a “consecrated nation”. The Israelites, on their part, are called to pledge themselves to God’s law which is about to be given to them in the Ten Commandments.