The Rambler

  TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME  We’re hearing a selection from Matthew chapter 16—emphasis on the word “selection.”  As we leave off at verse twenty it sounds like Peter has found favor with the Master. But what happens if you read on, just a few more verses? Peter goes from progress to regress. By all appearances he goes from favor to disfavor. However, we should be careful about thinking in absolute terms. It’s not as if favor is actually being withdrawn from Peter. He’s not duplicating the fate of that Old Testament figure, Shebna. In the case of Shebna, favor is being completely withdrawn (see Isaiah 22:15-19). He vanishes. He’s no longer part of the picture.  Peter, as we will come to see, does remain a critical part of the picture. Therefore, the events of Matthew 16 need to be understood as remedial . Peter is not being banished. He’s not being dismissed. Rather, he’s being subjected to a form of remedial training. It’s not what he would prefer. It does...

  TWENTIETH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME  You will notice a prominent “Gentile theme” as you listen to the readings this weekend. The Isaiah prophecy makes a collective reference to the Gentile population (56:6-12). Meanwhile, we find Matthew zeroing in on the case of an individual Gentile (15:21-28). In each instance an uphill path is being charted. The Gentiles in Isaiah are being summoned to a mystical location, designated as God’s Holy Mountain. As for the Gentile featured in Matt. 15, she faces her own uphill challenge, looking to receive favor from a Messiah of Jewish origin.  Identified simply as a woman from the land of Canaan, she crosses an ethnic line and also a religious line by presenting her petition to Jesus. Her request will eventually be granted. But it’s not going to come easy. First, she will be ignored. Next, she will be characterized as an outsider. Finally, she will be compared to a dog. You might expect her to break it off at this point. Seemingly it wou...

  19TH SUNDAY, ORDINARY TIME Elijah has retreated to an isolated location. He doesn’t have to worry about distractions or background noise. This represents the ideal setting if you are looking to have an encounter with the Lord. And yet, even though the conditions are favorable, he still has to do his part by concentrating, by maintaining a proper focus. Being focused means having the ability to recognize when the Lord is speaking—and when he is not speaking. Elijah perceives that the Lord’s voice is not being channeled through the force of the wind. Nor is it being channeled through the tremor of the earthquake. Nor is it being channeled through the blaze of the raging fire. Instead, it would appear that the Lord has chosen to communicate through the expression of a delicate whisper (1st Kings 19:11-16).  Peter seems sufficiently focused, at least initially. But it’s not a firm sense of focus; it’s more fragile than firm. Suddenly, he’s no longer focusing on the person of Jes...

  FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION  Imagine that you are reading an Ian Flemming novel. The main character has walked into a trap, and now the situation appears to be hopeless. You can’t help wondering if this might be the end for Agent 007, a.k.a. James Bond. Still, you can see there are additional chapters that will follow this particular chapter. Your curiosity compels you to look ahead, to take a “sneak peek” at one of the later chapters. Sure enough, Bond is still at it. He’s continuing to pursue his mission. So now you can go back to where it was that you left off. You commit yourself to the task of reading on. Yes, it’s a distressing point in the story. But you have this newfound sense of reassurance. You know that it’s just one chapter within a wider story. Bond would seem to be finished. Yet by peeking ahead, you come to recognize that it would be a mistake to write off a protagonist like James Bond.  The disciples will begin to write off Jesus, when he undergoes his...