Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

 


FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A]


It could be understood as a mandate: Your circumstances have improved; now the time has come for your conduct to improve. That’s what we hear the Lord saying in Isaiah chapter 58: I’ve blessed you with favorable circumstances; you are liberated; you’re being allowed to resettle within the boundaries of your homeland. As your circumstances have taken a turn for the better, let’s see if your conduct can take a turn for the better (Is. 58:6-10). We’ll call this “mandate number one.”  


Mandate number two appears within a wider message, something referred to as The Sermon On The Mount. You’ll note that the symbol of light figures prominently in both the Isaiah passage and in this selection from the Gospel of Matthew. The world will benefit, you will benefit, and as a result, God will be glorified in the process (Matt. 5:15-16). In other words, you will begin to literally “shine” as you fulfill this prescribed mandate. 


Then again, it’s possible that we might not care for the term “mandate.”  We know from experience that mandates can be oppressive, even sinister. Adolph Hitler’s “Final Solution” mandate made the world a significantly darker place. But we’re being told that the Lord’s mandate will make the world a much brighter place. That’s what comes through in the Book of Isaiah and in the Gospel of St. Matthew. All we have to do is: put these words into practice. And that’s easier said than done. 


We are intimidated by the Isaiah reading because it sounds like an expectation: I expect you to behave in a particular way. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, then be thankful that the Old Testament only constitutes one part of a much larger picture. Expectations characterize each section of the Old Testament. Then in the New Testament, we make a pleasant discovery: He’s more than just a God of Expectations. He’s ready, willing, and able to apply himself. St. Paul makes that point when he writes to the community in Corinth. 


How does the Lord apply himself? Paul chooses to focus upon the Cross of Calvary (1st Cor. 2:2). And yet, we should recall that the Lord initially applies himself by descending into our world, pitching his tent among us (see John 1:14). Next he applies himself by dying a sacrificial death. And all the while, he continues to apply himself as Emmanuel. We need to appreciate the fact that he is with us, accompanying us every step of the way. What does this mean for us and our response to the mandates? 


Essentially, it means that the Lord’s objective has to do with more than just the issuing of rugged expectations. He’s prepared to assist us directly, so that we can actually live out those seemingly daunting expectations. Just allow him to enter into your life—to pitch his tent in your midst. By doing so, you will find that the mandates are becoming much more manageable. And, as it turns out, the world is developing into a much brighter place. And furthermore, you’re beginning to recognize that this represents a better [superior] way of being alive. 

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