July 9, 2017 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Zec 9:9–10 2nd Reading: Rom 8:9, 11–13 Gospel: Mt 11:25–30
On one occasion Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.“Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.“Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is good and my burden is light.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
Jesus uses a familiar Jewish prayer formula of praise in his prayer to the Father. Pharisees also used this same formula. (See the Prayer of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:9-14). Jesus says, “I praise you, Father, lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people.” What is this revelation to simple people all about?
The revelation is about Jesus himself. This has profound Christological content and has even been used by some theologians as anchor of their Christology. As the absolute revelation of the Father no one will know the Father except through him and anyone (the simple, not the learned) to whom he wishes to reveal the Father. Jesus invites these simple people to come to him because his yoke is easy and his burden is light. With what heavy yoke were these simple people burdened?
The heavier yoke Jesus is referring to is the yoke of Torah (the yoke of the Law). The Torah is the Law of God revealed to Moses and is written in the first 5 Books of the Bible, namely the Books of Genesis, Leviticus, Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In English the Torah is also referred to as the Pentateuch. Understandably, because it came from God himself, the religious leaders were burning with zeal to see it implemented to the letter. To ensure perfect observance, strict legal interpretations that stretched the meaning of the Law beyond the meaning of its provisions evolved into “oral laws”. These rendered the Torah even heavier on the shoulders of simple people who did not have the cleverness to circumvent them for their convenience.
Jesus’ followers will still carry the yoke of the commandment of love. While this yoke is quantitatively lighter, it is qualitatively heavier because everything is already embraced therein. But God’s grace abounds, making the burden truly light. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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