Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sept. 21, 2014

The Calling of St. Matthew, from the Altarpiece of St. Matthew and Scenes from his Life, c.1367-70

Consistent with the messages in the Psalm excerpt and Second Reading that follow, this little gem of wisdom literature gently encourages God’s people to follow God’s teaching and commandments. Follow these rules well – “wear them round your neck” – and God and your neighbors alike will think highly of you.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

This, the longest of all the Psalms, devotes its 176 verses to an extended celebration of love for God’s teaching, the Torah. The Psalmist calls us to be humble and generous, turning from selfish gain and“vanities” to follow God’s ways through life-giving righteousness. God teaches us to be just in our dealings with God and our neighbors. This simple rule stands at the center of both testaments.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

One of the short “pastoral epistles” written in Paul’s name by a later follower, offers an early Christian view of the same idea that we hear addressed in the first two readings: Scripture, the sacred writings that we learn from childhood, provides a solid core for us to learn to live in righteousness.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-19

Jesus had a bad reputation for hanging out with sinners, outcasts and people the authorities considered mighty suspicious: Prostitutes, drunks and lepers; women, foreigners, and maybe worst of all, tax collectors, those despised collaborators who extracted the Roman empire’s taxes from their neighbors. People like Matthew, who despite his outcast status as tax collecter hurried to follow Jesus … and invited him home for dinner. Jesus shows us how to love our neighbors – all of our neighbors – not just the ones who look and think like us.