By Father Paul Nord, Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32; Response: Psalm 138:1-3, 6-8; Second Reading: Colossians 2:12-14; Gospel: Luke 11:1-13
In Genesis 18:17-18, God says: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, now that he is to become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him?” The context is God’s intention to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sinfulness. Shortly before, God gave Abraham and his descendants a “vocation” (calling) to be a source of blessing for all humanity. Thus, Abraham feels an obligation to intercede with God for the well-being of Sodom and Gomorrah — although these cities’ residents do not belong to Abraham’s kin. God chooses to inform Abraham of his plans to impose condemnation on Sodom and Gomorrah.
So Abraham asks God: “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it?” Abraham expresses concern for any innocent people in Sodom. Abraham presumes that the Lord God always acts justly. Thus he calls on God to have mercy on the whole city of Sodom for the sake of a few innocent people who may be within it. God concedes Abraham’s point, agreeing that he will not destroy Sodom if fifty innocent people can be found there. But Abraham continues to call upon God’s mercy, again and again. Ultimately the Lord God agrees not to destroy Sodom if even ten innocent people can be found there. But in the end, God destroys Sodom for its terrible sinfulness (see Genesis 19).
In today’s Responsorial Psalm, the first stanza both begins and ends with: “I will give thanks to you [your name] [O LORD].” The psalmist gives thanks to the Lord in many ways: “with all my heart,” by “the words of my mouth,” “I will sing your praise,” and “I will worship at your holy temple.”
The second stanza begins: “Because of your kindness and your truth.” The fourth stanza says: “your kindness, O LORD, endures forever.” Repetition of “kindness” (Hebrew: hesed) shows the motivation for the psalmist’s praise — the Lord’s “kindness” —better translated as “steadfast love” — although
“hesed” is difficult to translate. It is traditionally translated as “mercy” in Greek and Latin.
The psalmist praises the Lord God for his steadfast love — expressed in action. First: “When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me.” Second: “Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me; against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.” Third: “Your right hand saves me.” Each of these actions is an example of God’s “kindness” (hesed: steadfast love).
Next is an excerpt from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, in which Paul uses the image of “burial” to describe baptism. Burial naturally follows death, so Paul’s point is that baptism in Christ is a kind of “death.” But Paul also describes baptism thus: “in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God.” Therefore, baptism also includes rising to new life through faith. We can be raised from the dead because first Christ was raised from the dead through the power of God.
Next Paul tells the readers that their former “transgressions” had caused them to previously be “dead,” but now Christ Jesus has “brought you to life along with him” because he has “forgiven us all our transgressions.” Paul then says that Christ has obliterated “the bond against us, with its legal claims.” Here “bond” translates the Greek word “cheirographon.” This was a handwritten document expressing an obligation to repay a debt.
The idea is that God has revealed the moral law to humanity. Therefore, every human person can distinguish right from wrong. Despite this, we sin — we break the moral law. This rightly requires God’s condemnation of our sin. We are thus “indebted” to God to remedy the injustice caused by our sin. But God has obliterated this “bond against us.” Recall that this “bond” was a handwritten document recording a debt obligation. Paul continues this image by saying that Christ “removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.” This handwritten debt bond represents the injustice resulting from human sin. When Paul states that our handwritten debt note has been nailed to the cross, he is indicating that Christ has cancelled the debt note of our sins by his death and resurrection.
Today’s Gospel begins with Luke’s version of the “the Lord’s Prayer” (“Our Father”). This differs from Matthew’s version, which we pray at Mass and other liturgies. Matthew’s version begins: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Luke’s version is shorter: “Father, hallowed be your name.” Matthew’s version continues: “Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Again, Luke’s version is briefer: “your kingdom come.” Matthew and Luke mostly agree on the rest of the prayer, although Luke 11:3 reads “Give us each day our daily bread” versus Matthew 6:11: “Give us today our daily bread.” Also, Luke 11:4 reads “forgive us our sins” versus Matthew 6:12: “forgive us our debts.” Finally, Matthew’s version adds at the end: “but deliver us from evil.” Luke lacks this final phrase.
After Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells a parable (Luke 11:5-8): “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.’” With this parable, Jesus indicates that persistence in prayer is essential. This theme of persistence in prayer continues in Luke 11:9-13 where Jesus tells his disciples: “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” We are reassured that God will hear and answer our prayers. To strengthen this point, human fatherhood is contrasted with God’s fatherhood. While human fathers regularly give good gifts to their children, God’s fatherhood is even more generous. In particular, God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, which provides all we truly need.
Benedictine Father Paul Nord is a monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey, and teaches at St. Meinrad Seminary. His Sunday Scripture columns are © Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.