The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time
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Overview and Connections
What does salvation look like? All three readings indicate that we might be surprised by the answer. They challenge what we think we know. Isaiah and Luke both paint a picture of universality and inclusion of unexpected people. The author of Hebrews suggests that suffering is an integral part of it.
Isaiah 66:18-21
Last week’s readings were about how the choices we are called to make can cause division in our relationships. That was pretty disheartening. But this week leaves us with a more positive vision – a reconciliation at the End.
Men and women have been gathered into the community of the saved because others have been sent out to get them. Every Sunday, we are given the same commission and command at the end of Mass as, after the blessing, the presider dismisses the people. In fact, the dismissal gives the liturgy its name. The word “Mass” comes from the Latin word “missa.” The Latin words of dismissal are “Ite, missa est” (literally meaning “Go, she—meaning you, the Church—has been sent”). The word “missa” is related to the word “missio,” which is the root of the English word “mission.” The liturgy does not simply come to an end. Those assembled are sent forth to bring the fruits of the community gathering to the world. “Go forth, the Mass is ended.” Others will hear of the fame and see the glory of God only through us.
Today’s reading closes out the third part of Isaiah, and envisions a future where God’s people are collected and re-established in Jerusalem, on the holy mountain. Men and women are gathered into the community of the saved because others have been sent out to get them.
There are so many surprises in this reading! God brings the most unlikely into the kingdom. Some of these are sent on missionary journeys to help bring others into the kingdom. These foreigners join the Israelites in the temple. The Israelites have brought an offering prescribed by their law, but the foreigners themselves come as an offering. From these foreigners, God will even make some to be priests, a role previously reserved for those of the correct Jewish descent.
Themes in this reading:
- A salvation that is radically universal. Increasingly in the Biblical narrative, there have been hints that God’s chosen people will ultimately not be limited to the nation of Israel. Today’s passage gives a clear image of the possibilities.
- God’s people are to be on mission. This was not something the Israelites did. If people came to them, they would be educated in the Jewish way of life and might be eventually incorporated into the community. But Jews never overtly proselytized.
- The priesthood is open to those without the “correct” qualifications. According to the Law, a priest was someone of Jewish ethnicity. Now that role is open to foreigners, those who can’t possibly fit the criteria.
- There is an important transformation going on. The Temple was the center of Jewish worship. In this new vision, it still exists, but it is radically different. The old structures and forms are not abolished, but changed.
In v19, a list of nations is given, the diversity of which would have surprised the original listeners. They were all nations known for their prowess and exploits in war and trade. Tarshish was a Phoenician colony in southern Spain (Isaiah 60:9). Put is modern-day Libya, and Lud is most likely in modern-day Turkey (Ezekiel 27:30, 30:5, Gen 10:6,13). Meshech and Rosh are uncertain locations (but see Ezekiel 38:2, 39:1) while Tubal is near the Black Sea. Javan was a Greek colony in the Ionian islands (Ezekiel 27:13, 19).
V20 sounds like a call to missionary work with a beautiful image of bringing others to Christ with the same level of care that we bring our sacred offerings to God. Many modes of transportation are listed in order to emphasize the comprehensiveness of this undertaking.
This missionary mandate touches us personally: I am a mission, always; you are a mission, always; every baptized man and woman is a mission. People in love never stand still: they are drawn out of themselves; they are attracted and attract others in turn; they give themselves to others and build relationships that are life-giving. As far as God’s love is concerned, no one is useless or insignificant. Each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God’s love. Even if parents can betray their love by lies, hatred, and infidelity, God never takes back his gift of life. From eternity he has destined each of his children to share in his divine and eternal life
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2019
What is your unique mission in the world?
Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Chapter 11 is sort of the “faith hall of fame.” The beginning of chapter 12 encourages us to draw on the strength of our forebears in faith to inform our own life of faith.
We as Christians are ever confronted with the problem of suffering. The first step is consoling a suffering person, but then what? How do you help someone make sense of tragedy? In the cultural context of the audience of this writing, suffering was equated to divine retribution. If God loved you, then you prospered; otherwise, you suffered. The author of Hebrews reframes the cause and purpose of suffering from punishment into a metaphor of schooling. This breaks the association of suffering and punishment. While it does not provide a neat and tidy explanation of why we suffer, it does suggest an attitude to make the suffering valuable.
The passage begins with the author reminding the congregation of something in its own tradition, taken from Proverbs 3:11-12. Even though the traditional understanding was that suffering is God’s punishment, this preacher reached deeper than traditional interpretation and found something to bolster his own experience otherwise.
It is curious indeed that the lectionary leaves out vv8-10. Does the church feel that talk of illegitimacy is not appropriate? Or do they think the verses might confuse the faithful? I have no good answer!
In v5, the author relies heavily on Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
The word “discipline” is used only in Ephesians, 2 Timothy, and Hebrews. None of these is considered Pauline authorship, and all were written late in the first century. The current Oxford dictionary definition of this word is “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.” This is a very narrow concept of the word, and we must understand its cultural context for the original audience.
The word “discipline” in ancient Greco-Roman culture related to the raising of a child, and it referred to the sum total of a child’s education, how a child was educated in mind and morals. This was a comprehensive notion of education that went far beyond just academics and included morality and ethics. 2 Timothy uses it of adults as “instruction which aims at the increase of virtue.”
The Message version more accurately captures the essence of what this passage is trying to say: “God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children.”
In v11, the word “training” is the Greek word gymnazó, from the word which meant to practice naked for the ancient Greek athletic events. These were the pro athletes who trained rigorously. A dedication and intentionality are implied.
Think about your own sufferings. How have they been used as “discipline” to help you learn and grow?
Luke 13:22-30
Last Sunday – be prepared for division. Make a decision! This Sunday – be prepared for the consequences of making the wrong decision. Jesus takes a question from someone in the crowd about the salvation of others, and he turns it into concern for one’s own future. Indecision will become a decision in the end. Who will be saved? You might be surprised!
V23 presents the “eternal question:” who will be saved? The Greek word sozo means to deliver out of danger into safety. The tense is present participle, indicating a progressive action better translated as “being saved.”
The wider Judaism of the time believed in a relatively universal idea of salvation: that all Jews would be “saved” and enjoy eternity with God. But the Pharisees taught that only a remnant would be saved; that not everyone calling themselves a Jew would be saved. This man wants to know what side Jesus is on in this popular controversy. On one level, it’s easy to identify with this guy…. After everything Jesus has said about discipleship and the need to make a commitment, is it any wonder that he questions the size of the “saved” group?!
We might call this guy’s question “speculative theology.” This happens when thinkers set up a use case and explore it from every possible angle. The case is originally rooted in some sort of reality, but over time, both the question and the speculative answers lose touch with the world around them. In v24, we see that Jesus does not engage in such theological gymnastics. Rather, he brings it around to practical, pastoral concerns. This is not to say that there is no room for speculative theology. Very often, this type of thinking identifies dusty, dark corners holding questions that need to be brought to light and grappled with. But I think Jesus’ approach reminds us that theology should always be at the service of pastoral ministry.
The word “strive” in v24 is the Greek agónizomai. This is a word typically used of athletic contests. The journey of salvation is going to require some vigorous and perhaps agonizing work on our part!
We tend to assume that a narrow opening suggests exclusivity – that only some can enter. This is where we need to read in the wider context, because Luke tells us again and again about the inclusivity of the gospel. Instead, we might view the gate as suggesting effort and intentionality. It’s not something that we just breeze right through without a second thought. This is something to which we have to give thought and planning.
Matthew uses a word that always meant “gate.” Luke’s word can mean gate or door – any kind of entry portal. It’s a more general word. Some translations render it “gate” here because that is familiar. One argument in favor of translating it as “door” is that Luke uses the same word in v25, where it is generally translated as door.
In v25 we see that the master has “arisen.” Not only is the gate narrow, but it will not be left open indefinitely. “Risen up” is a primary verb that means generally to wake up, but the gospels also use this word when Jesus talks about “rising up” from the dead. So many people attend church week after week. Or they are part of the “right” groups. And they depend on that identity to get them through the narrow gate. Jesus is saying that these things are not the right sort of intentionality that the gate requires. They are not the right sort of relationships.
In v26, they try to invoke their heritage, but Jesus says genetics don’t guarantee entry. Jesus is the master of the house. Many people have followed him and listened to him, and they might use that to make a claim on him. But in the end, he will deny them. Jesus taught them, and they listened. But they didn’t take it to heart or put it into action. They didn’t make a decision. In the end, their indecision will be their decision.
Vv28-29 set up a pair of contrasts: those who have not fully entered into the relationship vs those who do. To share table fellowship is to implicitly enter into a relationship with someone. This is fulfilled in Acts 2:5-13. We also recall that, in Luke at least, the meal is always where the risen Lord is encountered (see 24:28-35, 36-43, and Acts 10:41).
“Is there a contradiction between the affirmation of a salvation open to all and the recollection of the demands that effectively limit or even close off access to it?” Always we must balance the loving and merciful God with the God who demands everything of those who are called. This is the paradox of exclusion and inclusion.
Are there any areas of life where you are depending on entry through a place that is wide and not very demanding? How might God be calling you deeper into a much narrower and demanding opening?
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© 2025 Kelly Sollinger