This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinksto scriptural citations will take you to additional translations or collections of scriptures addressing similar principles. The other, italicized, hyperlinks will take you to explanations of the original Hebrew words. Text highlighted in yellow tells us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him. Text in green tells us about something God wants us to do. Text in red tells us about things God wants us to avoid. Commentary is in blue.
Hear what the LORD says: Arise, present your plea before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD, pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel.
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD, pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
justice, rectitude; proper, fitting; that which is just, lawful
kindness, faithfulness; kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity; benevolence; grace; piety
modest, lowly; submissive
As in today’s gospel, God requires right action; there it is repentance, here it is doing right and living out goodness
“walk[ing] humbly with your God” is the opposite of what the scribes and Pharisees did in today’s gospel.
We can humbly trust God because of his unbroken record of benevolence to His people
- We may, and likely will, go through tough stuff in the course of following His will (as did the Israelites, Moses, Aaron & Miriam), but God has a demonstrated record of faithfully turning those tough things to the good and getting us through them.
- That record is a far greater “sign” than any particular proof we arrogantly might ask of God.
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice; for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct youby drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right wayI will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Gather my faithful ones before me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his justice; for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct youby drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right wayI will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
The emphasis here, as in the first reading, is on actually living out God’s just, and inherently beneficial, ways.
This is the same dynamic set out in the scriptures collected at Wisdom Principles—True Piety
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdomof Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
We should approach Jesus with faith/belief/expectation, not skepticism
- We should seek Him out, just as the Queen of the South sought Solomon.
- And we should repent and change as He directs us
Seeking a sign does not just evince lack of faith, it demonstrates arrogance; the attitude that we are in a position to require proof from Jesus.
Parallel between Jesus & Jonah: both accomplished great, saving, things because they actively did God’s will/executed His mission, in spite of its difficulty/scariness.
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