August 9, 2010
Monday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Above the firmament over their heads something like a throne could be seen, looking like sapphire. Upon it was seated, up above, one who had the appearance of a man. Upward from what resembled his waist I saw what gleamed like electrum; downward from what resembled his waist I saw what looked like fire; he was surrounded with splendor. Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day was the splendor that surrounded him. Such was the vision of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. Ezekiel 1:25-28c
When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.” Matthew 17:25b-27
Piety
Praise the LORD from the heavens; give praise in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels; give praise, all you hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon; give praise, all shining stars.
Praise him, highest heavens, you waters above the heavens.
Let them all praise the LORD'S name; for the LORD commanded and they were created,
Assigned them duties forever, gave them tasks that will never change.
Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deep waters;
You lightning and hail, snow and clouds, storm winds that fulfill his command;
You mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;
You animals wild and tame, you creatures that crawl and fly;
You kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth;
Young men and women too, old and young alike.
Let them all praise the LORD'S name, for his name alone is exalted, majestic above earth and heaven. Psalm 148:1-13
Study
There is a lot going on in today’s readings about heaven and earth being filled with the glory of God.
First, Ezekiel has a vision of God taking on human form. This is a radical departure from the popular concept of the Lord handed down since Moses. In this tradition, not only could the name of God not be uttered, no mere human could even look upon the the face of God. “I will make all my beauty pass before you, and in your presence I will pronounce my name, 'LORD'; I who show favors to whom I will, I who grant mercy to whom I will. But my face you cannot see, for no man sees me and still lives." (Exodus 33:19-20)
Second, after becoming man, Jesus predicts his execution as he begins to prepare his disciples for a future without his physical presence. However, because they are filled with the joy of life with Jesus, they can not fathom life without Jesus, and especially not life without him if he is handed over to the authorities and killed.
Third, we have a discourse about the relationship between civil authorities and the Lord over the temple tax. The notes to the New American Bible for this passage point out that “before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 every male Jew above nineteen years of age was obliged to make an annual contribution to its upkeep. After the destruction the Romans imposed upon Jews the obligation of paying that tax for the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. There is disagreement about which period the story deals with.”
Thanks to a miraculous intervention, Jesus can sidestep the query about the temple tax so it does not become a distraction on the road to Calvary. This miracle resolves the temple tax question for Peter with the coin found in the mouth of a fish.
Now the fourth topic in today’s readings is that Peter also has to consider the question of whether followers of Jesus are citizens subject to local laws governing foreigners. On this point, Jesus teaches that they are not subject to the same laws that apply to foreigners. The notes to the NAB also are helpful for today’s reader. “Just as subjects are not bound by laws applying to foreigners, neither are Jesus and his disciples, who belong to the kingdom of heaven, bound by the duty of paying the temple tax imposed on those who are not of the kingdom. If the Greek is translated “sons,” the freedom of Jesus, the Son of God, and of his disciples, children (“sons”) of the kingdom is even more clear.”
However, Jesus wants to avoid offending them with such a teaching so the miraculous intervention sidesteps the temple tax question. Instead, we can be left with the facts of Psalm 148, a psalm repeated in the daily cadence of morning prayers in temples, monasteries, churches, homes and hearts. All creatures great and small in the heavens and on the earth are to give praise to God’s holy presence.
You kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth;
Young men and women too, old and young alike.
Let them all praise the LORD'S name, for his name alone is exalted, majestic above earth and heaven. Psalm 148:11-13
Action
The real issue in today’s Gospel is the prediction of Jesus’ death on the cross. A lot of other things are going on that might distract Peter and the rest from this truth.
There are many potential obstacles that could come up in the way toward fulfilling that prophecy. Jesus, however, does not want these to deter his followers from the bigger picture.
For me and for you, our minds, mouths and hearts must be filled with the praise of God. What issues sidetrack us from life in friendship with Jesus? How can we resolve these so we can begin/continue on our journey with Jesus?
