By Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14; Response: Psalm 24:1-6; Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7; Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24
Ahaz was king in Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah. Shortly after Ahaz became king,
Judah was attacked by the kings of Damascus and of “Israel” — a kingdom consisting of the northern ten tribes of Israel. These tribes had separated themselves from Judah — the Israelite tribe of King David and his descendants. In response to this threat, King Ahaz chose to make an alliance with the King of Assyria. This is described in 2 Kings 16:7-9. After the King of Assyria defeated Damascus and Israel, King Ahaz of Judah was forced into a humiliating, subservient relationship with the Assyrians.
The prophetic message of Isaiah criticizes King Ahaz of Judah for trusting in a foreign alliance. Instead, the king should have trusted in God alone. If King Ahaz would have put his faith in the Lord God, then the Lord would have protected Jerusalem and Judah from the attack of Damascus and Israel. After Ahaz, the next king in Jerusalem was Hezekiah, who was seen as a faithful king who resisted the dominance of Assyria, and put his faith in the Lord God.
“The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: ‘Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God’” (Isaiah 7:10). King Ahaz is being invited to trust in God’s protection. God even offers Ahaz a sign as proof that he might believe. But Ahaz trusts in his alliance with Assyria, not in the Lord God. He does not want a sign from God, so he refuses: “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” King Ahaz is pretending to be pious. In reality, he does not want to put his faith in God. No sign will change his mind.
For this reason, Isaiah reprimands Ahaz, who belongs to the royal “house of David.” Isaiah says that despite King Ahaz’s unfaithfulness, “the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). The name “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.” The birth of this son is an indication of God’s presence among his people. We recognize that Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy in a wonderful way. In the Incarnation, the Son of God became man. He thus united divinity with humanity in his own person. This fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy — “God is with us” — in a stunning way which shows God’s immense love for humanity.
From St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, these verses are the beginning of Paul’s letter. Paul begins by introducing himself as “a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.” By calling himself a “slave,” Paul indicates that he seeks to do God’s will, not his own. Paul recognizes that God chose him to be “an apostle” with the mission of proclaiming Christ’s Gospel to the Gentiles.
Paul notes that Christ’s gospel was “promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures” — that is, in the Old Testament. Paul describes Jesus as both “descended from David according to the flesh” and also the “Son of God.” Paul proceeds to invoke the Holy Spirit, which enables Christians to share in God’s holiness. He also cites Christ’s resurrection from the dead, by which we are redeemed. Paul is reminding his readers of essential elements of Christ’s Gospel, which Paul proclaims as an apostle.
Through Christ, Paul has “received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith” — particularly “among all the Gentiles.” Paul is Jewish, but Christ called him to proclaim Christ’s Gospel to the nations of the world — far beyond his own Jewish people. For this reason, Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome — a community which included many Gentile Christians. The Christians in Rome are “beloved” by God, and they are “called to be holy” — as God is holy.
Paul concludes his greeting to Roman Christians: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is a standard greeting phrase which Paul also uses in the opening verses of his first and second letters to the Corinthians, his letter to the Galatians, his letter to Philemon, his letter to the Philippians and other letters.
Matthew’s Gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus (1:1-17), which includes many names and counts 42 generations — from Abraham to King David to the Babylonian Exile to Jesus the Messiah. Today’s gospel reading (1:18-24) follows, describing “how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.”
Mary is “found with child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Luke’s Gospel reports similar words from the angel Gabriel when he explains to Mary how she will bear a son: “The holy Spirit will come upon you” (Luke 1:35).
Joseph knows that he has not fathered the unborn child, and so he “decided to divorce her quietly.” In this way, Joseph intends to mercifully shield Mary from shame. But before Joseph can divorce Mary, “the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.”
Several things are notable about the angel’s message. First, the angel addresses him as “Joseph, son of David.” This calls to mind Messianic prophecies that God’s kingdom would come through a descendant of David. Second, Joseph is told that Mary’s pregnancy is due to the action of God’s Holy Spirit. Third, Joseph is told: “You are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua (Yeshua), which means “Yahweh saves.” Thus, Jesus’ name indicates his role in God’s plan — to be God’s agent of salvation. Fourth, the angel cites Isaiah 7:14: “the virgin shall … bear a son … (and) name him Emmauel.” See the commentary for today’s first reading.
When Joseph awakes, he is immediately obedient to what the angel told him in the dream. Joseph was earlier described as “a righteous man.” He is also a man ready to cooperate with God’s will. God reveals his plan to Joseph in a partial, mysterious way — and Joseph trusts.