[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, January 25, 2026, the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.
[00:00:23] This week's episode is entitled: Fishers of Men, and in these readings, we are reminded - as Jesus begin his public ministry in the small town of Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee - that each of us is called to follow him… not the capricious voices of our world, but Jesus!
[00:00:46] As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
Jesus announces to the crowds that the kingdom of heaven is at hand… Saint Paul reminds us that the Christian community should be united in mind and purpose and that there should be no dissensions or quarrels among us… but that's not the case, is it? So how do we change that?
Let's begin in prayer:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of Sacred Scripture. Let it penetrate deeply into our minds and hearts so that, united in purpose, we can bring your light to the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:40] Our Gospel this week is from Matthew 4: 12-23.
[00:01:47] There is both a shorter and longer version of our Gospel for this week… the shorter version omits the last six verses of this passage, and I will call attention to that when we reach that point in the Gospel.
[00:02:03] “[W]hen [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Caper’na-um by the sea, in the territory of Zeb’ulun and Naph’tali, that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
‘The land of Zeb’ulun and the land of Naph’tali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.’
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
[00:02:49] That is the end of the shorter version of the Gospel. I really hope your home parish doesn't choose to use that shorter option, because in the remainder of this passage we hear Jesus calling his first disciples.
[00:03:04] “As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net in into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zeb’edee and John his brother, in the boat with Zeb’edee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. And he went all about Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.”
[00:03:59] As I've said a number of times, we are in Scripture Cycle A for this Liturgical Year, where the Gospel will primarily be from Matthew and - although we heard from John last week - we're back to Matthew this week. As we join the narrative in chapter 4 of Matthew, Jesus has come directly from his 40 days in the desert only to learn that John the Baptist has been arrested. You may recall that I said, back on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, that John was arrested because he made Herod angry… and this is not Herod the Great we're talking about but his son, Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas fell in love with his brother's wife, a woman named - interestingly enough - Herodias. Now, Jewish law permitted a man to divorce his wife but did not permit a wife to divorce her husband. Nevertheless, both Herod and Herodias divorced their respective spouses so that they could marry each other. And as if that isn't scandalous enough - Herod Philip, the man Herodias divorced - was her uncle… meaning that her new husband, Herod Antipas - the brother of her former husband, Herod Philip - was also her uncle! Talk about a messed-up family!
[00:05:36] John the Baptist condemned both Herod Antipas and Herodias - publicly - for their unlawful actions, thus incurring Herod's wrath and earning John a prison sentence. It's also worth noting that Matthew doesn't provide any details regarding John's arrest - just the fact that it occurred. Most theologians agree Matthew did that very deliberately in order to shift attention from the preparatory role of John the Baptist to focus instead on the public ministry of Jesus.
[00:06:16] So, let's listen to what Matthew has to say to us this week…
[00:06:20] “[W]hen [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee;”
Matthew is saying that Jesus went further north in the region of Galilee.
“and leaving Nazareth he went and dwelt in Caper’na-um by the sea,”
[00:06:38] Nazareth and Capernaum are both in the region of Galilee, but they are about 20 miles apart. Nazareth is in the southwest portion of Galilee, roughly midway between the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea coast, while Capernaum is on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. I'll post a map on Instagram this week so you can see what Matthew is talking about geographically. I also have pictures of our time in Israel when we visited Capernaum and I'll include some of those as well.
“in the territory of Zeb’ulun and Naph’tali,”
Zebulun and Naphtali were two of Jacob's sons - their names became the names of two of the twelve tribes of Israel. After the Exodus, each tribe (except the tribe of Levi) was assigned a portion of land in Israel which they were to occupy after the Chosen People took possession of the Promised Land. Zebulun and Naphtali were both assigned portions of land in what came to be known as the region of Galilee.
“that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:”
The quote that follows comes from 1st Isaiah and it will be part of our First Reading for this week.
[00:08:05] “The land of Zeb’ulun and the land of Naph’tali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—"
[00:08:14] This comes, as I said, from 1st Isaiah - chapter 9, to be exact. And, as we will hear shortly, Matthew's quote is a bit different from the original text. But Matthew says “Galilee of the Gentiles” for a specific reason… not to indicate the mission to the Gentiles just yet - although that will come.
[00:08:39] But remember, Matthew wrote his Gospel for Jewish Christians and he uses this quote to indicate in a very particular way the lost sheep of Israel… those who were carried off into exile by the Assyrians in the 8th century BC - two centuries before the Babylonian exile. Those are the people that Matthew is talking about.
[00:09:08] “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”
There's the rest of that quote from 1st Isaiah and Matthew uses that to emphasize that it was in the region of Galilee - the land of Zebulun and Naphtali - that the Messiah appeared. Christians see Jesus as the fulfillment of that prophecy… as the great light that dawned in Galilee and was seen by those who dwelt in darkness… and remember, Matthew is all about the fulfillment of prophecies!
[00:09:51] “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
[00:09:59] Thus begins Jesus' public ministry in Capernaum… and it seems as if John the Baptist's arrest propels Jesus into a new phase of activity. John's arrest was by no means the only factor, it was just one of many, but certainly not an insignificant one. And if we think back a few weeks, the words Jesus says here are the very same words spoken by John the Baptist when he preached his baptism of repentance at the Jordan River. Matthew uses those words to both link the ministries of John and Jesus, while at the same time shifting attention away from John to focus on Jesus. This is also, as I said, the end of the shorter version of this Gospel passage.
[00:11:00] Now let's listen as Jesus calls his first disciples…
[00:11:06] “As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.”
Simon Peter will hold primacy among all the disciples - just as the successors of Peter, the Popes have held primacy in the Church down through the ages.
[00:11:34] “And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”
[00:11:42] That exact turn of phrase is found only in Matthew.
[00:11:47] “Immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
[00:11:51] That behavior would have been shocking and troubling to the community of Capernaum - these men were professional fishermen, businessmen with responsibilities, property, very likely employees, and probably wives and families (we don't know if Andrew was married, but we do know that Peter was). Simply walking away from all of that would have been unheard of!
[00:12:22] That invites us to consider what exactly would have prompted them to do such a thing. What was it about Jesus that drew them - without hesitation - to leave everything behind and follow him?
[00:12:42] We're not told WHY they did it, just the fact THAT they did it. I've often wondered what they thought and felt… and if, perhaps, their experience was so deeply personal and so intimate that they could never find sufficient words to capture the experience and, in turn, relate it to others.
[00:13:09] I offer that simply as food for thought, but also perhaps as something we should call to mind when we are tempted to make someONE or someTHING in this world more important to us than Jesus.
[00:13:27] “And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zeb’edee and John his brother, in the boat with Zeb’edee, their father, mending their nets.”
These men were doing what any fishermen would be doing in the normal course of events after a night spent fishing on the Sea of Galilee… examining their fishing nets and repairing any damage that may have occurred.
[00:13:54] “and [Jesus] called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.”
[00:14:04] If there were any lingering doubts about exactly what was abandoned when these men were called by Jesus, those words make it abundantly clear that families were also left behind.
[00:14:19] And notice, Jesus' Inner Circle is now complete! Peter, James, and John WILL BECOME Jesus' Inner Circle… men that will see and experience things the other disciples simply will not.
[00:14:39] “And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom”
This is lowercase “g” gospel, meaning the good news… meaning the teachings and parables we will hear in the uppercase “G” Gospel accounts that will be written for our benefit and which unfold for us as we make our way through the season of Ordinary Time.
“and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.”
[00:15:18] As Christians, we simply don't have the framework to understand the radical nature of what Jesus is doing! In biblical times, rabbis didn't choose their students, students chose the rabbi… which proves that Jesus is establishing something new and different.
[00:15:45] And from the call of these first disciples, Jesus is teaching his followers - all of his followers - that commitment to him and to his words and actions comes before everything else - before family, profession, responsibility, property… everything!
[00:16:13] And the call of these men and their unhesitating response to that call is no everyday occurrence… something supernatural is clearly at work.
[00:16:27] The word of Jesus goes forth with power and grace… and the response of these four men changes everything!
[00:16:40] Because their actions, their testimony, in turn, has given every Christian, down through the ages, the knowledge and the opportunity to respond to God's call - a response that changes lives… forever.
[00:16:59] Unfortunately, God's voice is being drowned out by the capricious, cruel, and erratic voices in our society today.
[00:17:12] I unfortunately encountered a prime example of that in a social media post recently which said outright that all Catholics are traitors to the United States of America.
[00:17:27] My husband and I have family members that served with distinction in both World Wars and several other armed conflicts and they would all disagree that vehemently with that sentiment, along with every other Catholic man or woman who has ever put on a military uniform and served this country.
[00:17:50] I say that not to aggrandize our families in particular, but to acknowledge their service and the service of so many Catholics who have fought and died to preserve the freedom that allows someone to make false and hate-filled comments.
[00:18:10] And while I acknowledge that people have the right to make such statements because freedom of speech IS guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, that also means that I have the right to speak up and set the record straight!
And if you remember back to the beginning of this episode, I said that Saint Paul reminded the Christian community that it should be united in purpose, without dissension or quarreling - that means all Christians, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, we're all Christians - but that is clearly not the case in today's world.
[00:18:49] So how do we change that? Not by arguing with each other… that only makes things worse. But hopefully by calmly and patiently sharing our experiences, our feelings, and our love of Jesus - who is the Savior of us all - and by doing what he teaches us to do.
[00:19:15] That takes us to our First Reading, which is from Isaiah 9: 1b-4.
“In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zeb’ulun and the land of Naph’tali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who have dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Mid’ian.”
For anyone that might be referencing either the Catholic Lectionary or an NAB translation, I need to point out that the citation for this passage is slightly different there than the one I listed. In the NAB translation, the citation is Isaiah 8:23 – 9:3. The reason the numbering is different in the two translations has to do with the source text used to prepare those different translations. The NAB follows the Hebrew numbering system found in the Jewish Bible, while the RSV follows the numbering system found in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Hopefully that will alleviate any potential confusion.
[00:21:10] And as I said earlier, this passage is from 1st Isaiah (which is chapters 1-39), and this is the real historical prophet.
[00:21:22] Isaiah is sometimes called the prophet of holiness because he speaks frequently about the power of God, referring to him as the Lord of Hosts, and reminding the people of the importance of fidelity to the Covenant. For Isaiah, the people AND the king owe their allegiance to God alone and, further, the king's trust in God determines the
well-being of the people.
[00:21:52] If the king trusts fully in God, the nation will be just, peaceful, and stable. If, however, the king does not place his trust completely in God, the whole nation will suffer… there will be no justice, no stability, and no peace.
[00:22:15] Throughout the Old Testament, Israel's relationship with God fluctuates between disobedience and judgment on the one hand, and fidelity and salvation on the other. In this passage, Isaiah sees beyond the present difficulties that the Southern Kingdom of Judah are experiencing to an ideal future.
[00:22:40] So, let's hear what Isaiah has to say…
[00:22:44] “In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zeb’ulun and the land of Naph’tali,”
By “former time” Isaiah means an event that took place earlier in history. And he is referring specifically to when the Northern Kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians in the 8th century BC - that's what he means by “brought into contempt.”
[00:23:13] Remember in the Gospel, we said that the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were assigned territories in the northern part of the Promised Land when the Chosen People took possession of it after the Exodus. And it was those territories that were overrun by the Assyrians.
[00:23:33] “but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.”
[00:23:43] Isaiah is comparing that event, the conquest by the Assyrians, to a future time when those who were carried off into exile were returned to their homeland. That's what he means by “making glorious” the land of Galilee. And in our Gospel, Matthew uses slightly different words than Isaiah does.
[00:24:07] Isaiah says “Galilee of the nations” while Matthew says “Galilee of the Gentiles” and that is partly because of the 10 lost tribes, the lost sheep of Israel, that were carried off into exile in Assyria - those who Jews in the Southern Kingdom felt had lost their true identity as faithful Jews and had their worship contaminated by pagan beliefs as a consequence of their captivity.
[00:24:44] However, it also refers to Gentile immigrants that settled in the region of Galilee in the wake of the Assyrian conquest… because the northernmost portion of that territory was still inhabited by pagans who then simply migrated south a bit.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light:’
Those who have been trapped in the darkness of sin, infidelity, and captivity have seen the light of freedom and return to their ancestral homeland and the light of the long-awaited Messiah.
“those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.”
[00:25:33] Isaiah's words mean that the first Israelites who experienced the darkness of exile in Assyria will also be the first to experience the light of the Messiah.
[00:25:50] Matthew's text has - in essence - the same meaning although it sounds a bit different, but his purpose is specifically to indicate that the light that shines on those in darkness is the light of the Messiah.
“You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy:”
The NAB says “you have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing” - again, different words that express essentially the same sentiment. Isaiah is talking about a literal increase in population in addition to the great joy that results when God returns the exiles from Assyria.
“they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.”
Isaiah is mixing his metaphors here… first he talks about farmers celebrating a plentiful harvest. then he talks about soldiers celebrating and dividing the spoils of war. They are two very different metaphors, both having to do with people experiencing a time of abundance, and both of which would have been very familiar to his audience.
“For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor,”
I say this quite often because it is, unfortunately, all too true, but modern Christians are woefully ignorant of many of the details that would have been readily understood by the Jewish audience to which these passages were addressed. So, let's go through these images that Isaiah has just rattled off… all of the things Isaiah mentions were farming implements that were, unfortunately, used for a much more nefarious purpose.
[00:27:52] A yoke was used to bind together two animals so that they could pull a heavy load more easily, but yokes were also used to bind together captured slaves so they could help each other on a long, forced march.
[00:28:11] The staff for a person's shoulder would have been a type of carrying pole used to distribute heavy weight thereby making a burden easier to transport… however, certain particularly strong captives were sometimes forced to carry items plundered by their captors or on their own shoulders as they were driven into captivity.
[00:28:39] A rod was a short, heavy implement used to drive livestock whenever they slowed or stopped… by saying the rod of his oppressor, Isaiah is indicating that such an implement was also used to drive captives when they grew tired and slowed down or stopped.
I have images of all of these things that I will include on my Instagram post this week.
[00:29:08] Isaiah goes on to say that all of those implements of oppression…
“you have broken as on the day of Mid’ian.”
Jews would have made that connection immediately, but again we just don't necessarily understand the reference… so let me explain.
[00:29:30] The Day of Midian comes to us from the Book of Judges… and you may remember that the Time of the Judges was a period when local authorities, who were called Judges, dispensed justice and judgment to the people in the time before kings ruled Israel.
[00:29:50] This particular story refers to the time when Gideon (who was one of the Judges) led a small hand-picked army to defeat the Midianites who had conquered the Israelites and subjugated them for a period of seven years.
[00:30:09] Gideon used a VERY small band of men and a LOT of trickery to defeat the Midianites - many fled, some were killed - but the Israelites, led by Gideon, defeated the Midianite army. That is the story Isaiah wants his listeners to call to mind.
Meaning that huge numbers aren't necessarily needed for a victory… that doing God's will is more important than what we think we should do. Now, Christians see that entire quote as referring to Christ's victory on Calvary.
[00:30:55] Remember, Jesus was imprisoned, flogged, and tortured… he carried his own cross to the place of his execution, and defeated the ultimate oppression of sin and death by his own Passion, Death, and Resurrection… that is the ultimate victory of one man doing God's will.
[00:31:23] We are called, amid the darkness of our world, to follow Jesus and be a light to the world… to bring hope, encouragement, unity, and love to others.
[00:31:41] That's not always what we do… but we can change that. Jesus didn't fight back against those who persecuted him… he prayed for them.
[00:31:54] We need to follow his example and shine his light in the world.
[00:32:00] That takes us to our Responsorial Psalm, which is Psalm 27, and the refrain is:
“The LORD is my light and my salvation.”
And here are the verses:
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.”
“I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD!”
[00:32:50] This Psalm is an Individual Prayer of Confidence in God. The Psalmist expresses his absolute faith and trust in God AND his delight that God is always present in the temple… the house of the Lord.
[00:33:09] In the first stanza, the Psalmist tells of his strong relationship with God, which enables him to face hardships with courage AND professes his firm belief that no earthly power is mightier than God, meaning that there is never any reason for fear.
[00:33:29] In the second stanza, the Psalmist states his desire to always be in God's presence. God gives mankind that opportunity because he is present in the temple, making him accessible to all who seek him.
[00:33:45] Then in the third stanza, we hear that God bestows his goodness upon his people in this life - that's what the Psalmist means by “in the land of the living” - and then he issues a challenge of sorts… he says “wait for the Lord” - those words, however, are not a call to inaction. They are rather a call for people to be patient, hopefully, and prayerful. And we see that in the Psalmist words “be strong” and “take courage.”
[00:34:27] Those words are meant to inspire people… they are meant to inspire US to help others, to reach out to others, to encourage others, and most of all to love others.
[00:34:47] Because by doing all of that, we love God as well.
[00:34:53] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is again from
1 Corinthians 1: 10-13, 17.
[00:35:03] “I appeal to you, [brothers and sisters], by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chlo’e's people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apol’los,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
[00:36:02] This is the second of five passages we will hear from 1 Corinthians in this short section of Ordinary time… this time between Christmas and Lent.
[00:36:14] In this passage, Paul, writing from Ephesus, addresses the first of many issues that were troubling the Christian community in Corinth - this particular problem has to do with the dissension that is growing in the community based on the allegiance of certain members to one individual or another.
[00:36:36] In other words, factions were developing based on the identity of different teachers who preached the message of Jesus.
[00:36:49] Paul says, that's not right! That's not the Christian way - that's not the way Christians should behave!
[00:36:59] The Christian way is based on unity of mind and purpose, unity IN Christ.
[00:37:07] We need to hear this message in our world today - especially when so many who CALL themselves Christians are allowing dissensions to arise based on allegiances to WORLDLY authorities.
[00:37:25] Our identity - our unity - as Christians is in and through Christ, and that MUST supersede any and every other allegiance.
[00:37:41] So, let's listen to what Paul has to say to the Corinthians, and to us, this week…
“I appeal to you, [brothers and sisters], by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
Through the gift of faith that has been given to us we believe in God our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ his Son, our Savior and Lord… we give thanks for the gifts of grace and salvation he has chosen to offer to us… through our Baptisms we are united in the Mystical Body of Christ - the Church - and have become adopted sons and daughters of the Father… all of that means that there is no power on earth - no person, no teaching, no organization on earth - to which we owe a greater level of loyalty, fidelity, and allegiance than that which we owe to God the Father and Jesus his Son.
That is the true purpose of Paul's appeal - to remind the Corinthian community, and us in our dysfunctional world today - that we must all be united in Christ and not allow any division or dissension to arise within us.
[00:39:21] “For it has been reported to me by Chlo’e's people”
[00:39:25] We know nothing about the person of Chloe other than what is said here in this letter - that she reported to Paul the growing disunity within the community – and, we can surmise from his words, that she was influential enough to capture his attention. So, what did Chloe report to Paul?
[00:39:51] “that there is quarreling among you, my brethren.”
[00:39:54] Much later in this letter, Paul will talk about the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, saying that that we are all parts of that Body and that Christ himself is the Head. He doesn't get to that until chapter 12, but when he does, he reminds the Corinthians that God himself arranged the Mystical Body according to his choice and his plan… that it's not up to them - or to us - to argue or disagree with God's plan OR allow discord to develop within our midst! But that is exactly what is happening… it's what was happening in 55 AD in Corinth, and it's what is happening in Christianity today! Paul goes on…
“What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apol’los,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’”
[00:41:10] Paul established the Church in Corinth but then left to continue spreading the good news of Jesus during the remainder of his Third Missionary Journey. Apollos, a Christian from Alexandria, supported and nurtured the fledgling Christian community after Paul's departure.
[00:41:33] Cephas, of course, is Peter, who had primacy in the early Church, just as he had primacy among the apostles. So, his Word was always to be respected. Yet his word was not more important than the teachings of Jesus, just as the words of Pope Leo today are not MORE important than the words of Sacred Scripture.
Every one of those authorities Paul mentions was a representative of Jesus and his teachings, but none of them WERE Jesus. The only statement of belonging that is accurate and true in that entire sentence is: “I belong to Christ” - because we all do!
[00:42:27] Every Christian belongs to Christ!
[00:42:30] Then Paul asks a series of disturbing questions…
[00:42:36] “Is Christ divided?”
[00:42:39] From a distance of two thousand years, we can say unequivocally that the answer to that question is NO! But that is precisely what the Corinthian community was attempting to do by declaring that their fidelity, their loyalty, belonged to one or another of Christ's representatives… rather than to Christ alone.
[00:43:04] And unfortunately, the same is happening in our world today whenever people form an allegiance to any earthly authority that supersedes their allegiance to God. Paul goes on…
“Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”
The answer to both of those questions is also an unequivocal NO! Jesus is the Crucified One! We are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
[00:43:49] That is the Great Commission that Jesus gave to his Apostles at the end of Matthew's Gospel: “go and make disciples of all nations” and baptize them using that exact Trinitarian formula.
“For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,”
[00:44:14] That statement sounds strange to us, and it's important that we understand Paul is not trivializing Baptism… Baptism unites us to Christ, it makes us members of Christ's Church, his Mystical Body, it makes us adopted sons and daughters of God.
And we know that Paul writes time and again about the importance of Baptism… but Paul is expressing that his primary duty is to preach the good news of Jesus - his life, his teachings, his Passion and Death, and his Resurrection. We read in Acts 9 - that Paul was Jesus' chosen instrument to carry his name before the Gentiles.
[00:45:11] So, Paul felt that if people accepted the good news and were Baptized, that was a great victory… but that wasn't always what happened and Paul couldn't allow himself to be discouraged by that. Paul didn't measure his success by the number of people he Baptized, but by the number of Churches he established. The responsibility of Baptizing those who accepted Paul's message often fell to others, while Paul continued on his mission of evangelization. And Paul says he preached…
“not with eloquent wisdom,”
Paul's mission was to preach Christ crucified in clear, simple language, not to impress anyone with his own eloquence. He relied on the message of Jesus because, after all, it's the message that is important, NOT the messenger!
“lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
[00:46:27] Many people were crucified - criminals, revolutionaries, radicals, thieves - basically anyone that might have presented a threat to Caesar and the Roman occupation of Palestine.
[00:46:42] Christ's crucifixion was different - it didn't end with death; it brought new life… life that Paul himself encountered on the road to Damascus when he encountered the Risen Jesus. That was integral to the message Paul preached - not HOW he said things, but WHO he talked about.
[00:47:14] Jesus may have begun his public ministry in a tiny, insignificant town on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he may have started small with just a few followers, but those followers now comprise almost 30% of the population of the entire world.
[00:47:37] Unfortunately, there is way too much dissension, too many divisions, too much quarreling, too many disagreements among those who call themselves Christian today.
Saint Paul reminds us that we all belong to Christ and that the Christian community should be united in mind and purpose.
[00:48:04] We know that's not always the case… but we also know that's not what Jesus intended.
[00:48:10] The Gospel tells us that whenever someone challenged Jesus or the message he preached, he responded with kindness, compassion, tolerance, empathy, love, and truth… always truth… God's truth.
That is what we need to do to change our world…
[00:48:41] We need to reach out with kindness and compassion to re-establish unity among Christians so that we can spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus…
We need to reach out with tolerance and empathy to be light in this world… the light that silences hatred and division.
We need to reach out with God's truth to bring God's love to all people.
If we do that, we just might change the world!
[00:49:25] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you - safe and secure - in the palms of his hand.
From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
