By Father Paul Nord
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-10; Responsorial: Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14; Second Reading: Romans 8:9, 11-13; Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
Chapters 1-8 of the prophecy of Zechariah are about the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple reconstruction began around 520 B.C. when Jerusalem was ruled by the Persian Empire. The prophets had foretold that the line of kings descended from David would be restored in their rule from Jerusalem. Despite these prophecies, foreign rule continued. Zechariah 9-14 anticipates the fulfillment of these “Messianic” prophecies — that God would send his “anointed one” (Messiah) to bring God’s kingdom of justice, ruled over by a descendant of King David.
Today’s reading announces the future arrival of the Messiah: “Rejoice heartily … O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you!” This “oracle of the Lord” begins with synonymous parallelism. Zion and Jerusalem are synonyms. “Mount Zion” is part of the land on which Jerusalem is located. Likewise “rejoice heartily” and “shout for joy” are synonymous commands in parallel phrases. This creates emphasis through repetition.
The king is described as “a just savior.” He will rule the people in righteousness. He will protect them from their enemies. But the future king will also be “meek.” This is demonstrated by his “riding on an ass.” It would be more triumphant for the king to ride a horse, which is much better suited for military use. Humility and righteousness are characteristics of a good king who keeps God’s law.
This imagery is cited by the Gospels of Matthew (21:5-9) and John (12:14-15) to demonstrate that Jesus fulfills this prophecy of Zechariah. When a new king took office, a public ceremony was typical. This future vision depicts the new king parading before the people while they shout with joy.
This future king shall banish the chariot, the horse and the warrior’s bow. These are all instruments of war. He shall banish them from Jerusalem and from Ephraim (the name of one of the northern tribes of Israel). After King Solomon, the northern 10 tribes formed a separate kingdom of Israel, but it was destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 B.C. Thus, Zechariah’s vision of peace and justice extends to all the tribes of Israel. The Messianic king will have a universal dominion — “from the River (i.e. the Jordan) to the ends of the earth.”
St. Paul writes to the Christians in Romans thus: “You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.” This is Romans 8, which describes “life in the Spirit.” By contrast, Romans 7 describes “life in the flesh.”
As Paul contrasts the flesh versus the Spirit, his key point is the last line: “if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” When Paul describes “life in the flesh” in Romans 7, Paul likewise emphasizes that the consequence of sin is death.
Christ conquered death on the cross. After his resurrection, Christ gave his disciples the gift of the Spirit — God’s presence dwelling in our hearts. Sin causes death because it alienates us from God, who is the source of all life. “Living by the Spirit” means uniting our will with God’s will. This means rejecting sin, by Christ’s grace.
Three times in this reading, Paul describes Life in the Spirit as when “the Spirit of God dwells in you.” This is a present reality. As Paul says, if the Spirit dwells in you, then God “will give life to your mortal bodies also.” This phrase demonstrates that Paul does not see our “mortal bodies” as inherently evil. This is not what Paul means by “life in the flesh.” Rather, Paul means a life of sin. “Life in the flesh” is the polar opposite of “life in the Spirit,” which is characterized by an intimate union of the human person with God.
In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus praises God the Father because “although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” Immediately before, Jesus rebuked the unrepentant cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, which had seen many of his miracles. These are “the wise and the learned.” They are blind to Jesus’ redemptive mission as the son of God.
Jesus continues: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father.” This explains Jesus’ meaning when he says: “you (God) have hidden these things.” In his will and in his works, Jesus is fully united with the father. God has entrusted the work of salvation to his son, who became incarnate as a man to redeem humanity.
“No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” To be in relationship with God, we must know him. And we can only know God if God chooses to reveal himself to us. In his divine majesty God is far beyond our human ability to perceive. Thus, God chose to reveal himself to humanity through the Incarnation of Christ his son. It is the son that reveals the father to humanity in a profound way, such that are enabled to become God’s sons and daughters. Knowing God through Christ, we are invited to participate in the inner life of God – loving God and neighbor as Christ has loved us.
Today’s Gospel is often read when a priest administers the sacrament of “Anointing of the Sick.” When we experience weakness of body or spirit, we hear Christ’s reassuring words: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Human suffering can be a heavy “yoke” to carry, but Christ promises to give us his yoke instead. He promises that he will give us rest if we receive his yoke. He tells us: “my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” To follow Christ in this way, we must learn to imitate him, who says “I am meek and humble of heart.”