Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1: Wis 9:13-18b
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14-17
Reading 2: Phmn 9-10, 12-17
Gospel: Lk 14:25-33
Our first reading this week is from the Book of Wisdom which is one of those seven Old Testament books not recognized in the Jewish canon or by Protestants as sacred. We have touched on this point before but, the ancient Jews had four criteria to determine if a writing was to be considered sacred: First, it had to have been originally written in Hebrew; Second, it had to have been originally written in the Holy Land; Third, it had to have been written before the time of Ezra (5th century B.C.); and Fourth; it could contain nothing that was inconsistent with the books of the Torah. Wisdom was probably written in the 2nd century B.C. and was originally written in Greek and composed in Alexandria, Egypt by an unknown member of the post-exilic Jewish community in Alexandria. Therefore, the Book of Wisdom failed on three of those criteria.
The unknown author often speaks in the person of Solomon who, in Hebrew tradition was thought to be the wisest of kings, thereby giving more authority to the author’s writings. Our reading this week comes from chapter 9 which is entitled “Solomon’s Prayer” wherein Solomon (who probably died around 900 B.C.) prays for wisdom that he may judge the people justly and be worthy of his father’s (David) throne.
The major themes of the Book of Wisdom are the splendor of God’s wisdom and the futility of human wisdom in relation to divine wisdom; and the splendor of the law that was given to God’s people through the events of the Exodus. Our reading certainly follows the theme of God’s wisdom: “Who can know God’s counsel;” “the deliberations of mortals are timid;” scarcely do we understand the “things on earth” and of the things of heaven, “who can search them out?” It would seem that man has no hope of understanding the things of God until we get to the last line of our reading: “except that you had given wisdom and sent your Holy Spirit from on high and thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.” The wisdom that God imparts to those on earth comes through the Holy Spirit, but only to those who will accept the Spirit and gain the wisdom the Spirit imparts. Those in Old Testament times who accepted the Spirit and gained wisdom were those who followed God’s law and the traditions of the Jewish community centered on that law. In New Testament times we would expand that by saying those who accepted the Spirit and gained wisdom were those who were disciples of Christ and followed his teachings.
Our second reading from the Letter to Philemon also follows the theme of discipleship. Onesimus was a runaway slave who was probably the property of Philemon but had been converted to Christianity by St. Paul. Paul was sending him back to Philemon with this letter asking that Philemon accept Onesimus back, not as a slave but as a brother in Christ, a fellow disciple.
Our gospel reading begins with what we would consider a very harsh statement: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother…he cannot be my disciple.” Most commentaries will tell us that “hating” in the biblical sense simply means “loving less.” In other words, this passage encourages the reader to order one’s priorities. The first priority is total devotion to God; and if one is totally devoted to God then all other priorities will follow a natural progression. A disciple is not expected to hate his family (in the normal sense of the word) but a disciple’s family must take second place to the absolute dedication involved in discipleship.
In his examples of building a tower without the resources to complete it or waging a war without sufficient troops to ensure victory, Jesus is telling us to be prepared for the cost of discipleship. There will be persecution, there will be divisions within Christianity and we will be hated by non-believers. These are trials and tribulations that a disciple must bear in imitation of Christ, and if we are not prepared to accept these, we are not fit for discipleship. It is a harsh reminder for us today that there are Christians in other parts of the world who are being killed simply because they are Christian. And terrorism is never far from our front door, waged against us by those who hate us. But those who have accepted the Holy Spirit have gained the wisdom to know that this life is transitory, and if we remain steadfast in our discipleship, there is something far greater awaiting us.
The golden thread of these passages this week is discipleship. We cannot “conceive what the Lord intends” for our deliberations are timid. But if we accept the role of disciple and trust fully in God’s wisdom and his plan, then we will receive the wisdom necessary to understand that plan through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then, the paths of those on earth will be made straight.
Reference: Artwork ©LPi
