The Lord Reveals His Salvation to All.If we were reading Matthew’s entire Gospel, we would have read about Jesus’ debate with the Pharisees about Jewish purity laws. Jesus argues that it is not what goes into us that makes us unclean; he is referring to the strict Jewish dietary rules. Instead our words and our…
Jesus Walks on Water, and the Disciples Acknowledge Him as the Son of GodToday’s Gospel directly follows last week’s account of Jesus feeding a crowd of more than 5,000people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. For the sake of the crowds, Jesus had postponed his time of solitude. Now, at last, Jesus…
Jesus is Transfigured on the Mountain in the Presence of Peter, James, and JohnToday’s liturgy invites us to celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The Transfigurationoccurs after Peter confesses his belief that Jesus is the Messiah and after Jesus predicts his Passion. Jesus takes three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—to a…
Jesus Teaches About the Kingdom of HeavenToday’s Gospel concludes three weeks of readings from the 13th Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel.Throughout these three weeks we have heard Jesus teaching crowds about the kingdom of heaven, and we have heard Jesus interpret some of his teachings for the disciples. In this week’s Gospel, concludeswith a curious statement…
Jesus Teaches in ParablesIn today’s Gospel, Jesus offers three parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. He also explains why he speaks to the crowds in parables and interprets the parable of the sower for the disciples. This reading is a continuation of Jesus’ discourse that we began reading last Sunday. All three parables use…
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a SeedToday’s Gospel marks the beginning of the third long discourse given by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Throughout this discourse, Jesus will offer several parables to illustrate for his listeners what he means by the kingdom of heaven. He begins with the parable of the sower, which…
Jesus Prays in Thanks to God, Who Has Revealed Himself to the LowlyToday’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel comes after a discourse in which Jesus reproaches people who have witnessed his mighty deeds yet still lack belief. In this context, today’s Gospel explains the reason or this unbelief and reveals what is necessary for faith. Today’s…
Jesus Outlines the Costs and Rewards of DiscipleshipToday’s Gospel is the conclusion of the instructions and consolations that we have heard Jesus offering to his disciples during the past few weeks. In this passage, Jesus summarizes both the costs of discipleship and its rewards. Once again our understanding of the Gospel is strengthened by considering…
God Cares About His PeopleWe read today’s Gospel in the context of last week’s Gospel in which Jesus sent the twelve disciples to proclaim the kingdom of heaven. In between last week’s reading and today’s reading Jesus has predicted that the disciples will face difficulties in their mission. Many people will not receive them well,…
In today’s Gospel, Jesus shares his mission to proclaim the kingdom of heaven with his disciples. The signs of the kingdom’s presence consist of the work that Jesus has already been doing: the sick are cured, lepers are cleansed, demons are driven out, and the dead are raised to life. The disciples are sent to…