By Father Paul Nord
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13; Response: Psalm 146:6-10; Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12a
Zephaniah 1:1 says the prophet was active while Josiah was king in Jerusalem (640–609 B.C.). Before Josiah became king, Baal worship was permitted in Jerusalem. In the 12th year of his kingship, Josiah abolished the worship of foreign gods like Baal (2 Chronicles 34:3). Only the Lord God of Israel was to be worshipped.
It seems that Zephaniah’s words were written before King Josiah began reforming religious worship. The prophecy of Zephaniah begins with God’s judgment against wickedness: “I will eliminate the people from the face of the land — oracle of the LORD. I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; I will eliminate from this place the last vestige of Baal, the name of the idolatrous priests” (Zephaniah 1:3-4).
Today’s reading begins with Zephaniah 2:3: “Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who have observed his law.” The prophet advises the people to do this so that they might be protected “on the day of the LORD’s anger.” This is the day on which those who commit sins (such as idolatry) will suffer the Lord’s judgment.
Our reading skips forward in Zephaniah’s prophecy to 3:12: “But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly.” This describes a just “remnant of Israel” — those who avoid lies, deceit, and all kinds of sin. Verse 3:13 finishes with a peaceful image: “they shall pasture and couch (make lie down) their flocks with none to disturb them.” This contrasts with the preceding verses (2:5–3:11), which describe God’s judgment against those who sin. The prophet warns that they will lose their lands to foreign invasion.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul contrasts God’s wisdom with human wisdom in two logically connected sections: 1:18-25 and 1:26-31. In the first section (1:18-25), Paul describes the cross of Christ as God’s wisdom, but the world considers the cross to be “foolishness.” Paul says: “but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”
Today’s reading is the second section (1:26-31), in which Paul applies this teaching about Christ’s cross to the Corinthian’s own calling as Christ’s disciples: “Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.” Paul tells them: “Not many of you were wise by human standards (“according to the flesh”), not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” But God chose the Corinthians despite this — or rather, Paul suggests, because of this: “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong.”
Paul says: “God chose the foolish (things)… God chose the weak (things) … and God chose the lowly (things) and despised (things).” In each of these, Paul emphasizes “(things) of the world.” Paul is suggesting that the Corinthian Christians are foolish, weak, lowly, and despised — but only according to the standards of this world. Paul softens this message by using the “neuter plural” form. Paul literally says foolish things and weak things.
But Paul is primarily talking about how the world judges people — especially how the world judges believers in Christ Jesus. Paul continues: “so that no human being (“no flesh”) might boast before God. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus” (1:30). In this verse, Paul suddenly switches back to directly addressing the Corinthians — “you” — even using the emphatic personal pronoun. This clarifies that Paul was talking about the Corinthians all along.
Paul concludes our reading (1:31) by quoting Jeremiah 9:23: “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.” This is a repeated theme in Paul’s first and second letters to the Corinthians. Paul quotes the same Jeremiah verse again in 2 Corinthians 10:17. As Christ’s disciples, we should not boast “according to the flesh” — that is, not boast according to worldly wisdom or standards of importance. To be a disciple of Christ is to boast in Christ’s cross, and to boast in our own weakness and suffering by which we, as disciples, can participate in Christ’s cross.
In Matthew’s Gospel, chapters five to seven are widely called, “The Sermon on the Mount.” Matthew 5:1 notes that: “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain.” Likewise, Matthew 8:1 says: “When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.”
At Mount Sinai, Moses received the Torah (Law) from God, with instructions to announce it to the people (Exodus 19–40). By giving them the law, God formed a covenant with the people of Israel. When Jesus teaches from the mountain in Matthew 5–7, Jesus gives a new Law for a new Covenant. Jesus is shown to be like Moses, but far greater. In Christ Jesus, the new covenant far surpasses the old covenant given through Moses.
Today’s reading is the beginning of Jesus’ teaching discourse, in which he gives his new law. This first section is commonly called “the Beatitudes.” This name comes from nine teachings that begin: “Blessed are (they).” Other good translations would be “happy are (they)” or “fortunate are (they).”
The ninth “beatitude” is actually an explanation of the eighth beatitude: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This eighth beatitude makes a nice endpoint to match the first beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” These mirrored phrases show that the focus of all the eight (or nine) beatitudes is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus is implicitly answering this question: “Who will inherit the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus’ answer is: “the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek and those who hunger for righteousness” — they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. So also “the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness” — they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. To inherit the kingdom of heaven is to be “comforted” “satisfied,” “shown mercy,” and “called children of God.”
Benedictine Father Paul Nord is a monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey, and he teaches at St. Meinrad Seminary. His Sunday Scripture columns are © Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.