Daily Readings Reflection for 7/28/11

Scripture: Lectionary 404: Exodus 40:16-21,34-38. Psalm 84:3.4.5-6.8.11.
Matthew 13:47-53

Chapter thirteen is coming to a close with today's reading from the Gospel
of Matthew. It is the best collection of parables of the kingdom among the
four Gospels. Jesus is pressed to move on and bring the Good News to other
districts in Galilee. His ministry may last only one year if we follow the
Synoptic Gospels. There is not time to waste!

Realizing that we have assimilated much in this thirteenth chapter, he now
encourages us with some final words that may be directly applied to Matthew
himself-- a scribe who is so good that he brings out good things from the
past and new things for the future. We are given the same encouragement
for having followed Jesus in his teaching through the parables of the
Kingdom of Heaven. We are scribes or disciples who are learned in the
things Jesus has taught us about the Kingdom, the Church, and our own
discipleship. We keep what is living and good from our past traditions
both communal and personal and move on to the new Good News Jesus tells us
to live and to preach. The Church community itself is ever ancient and yet
ever new and renewed. We are one with the Church and are the Church. We
need to change too and as Cardinal Newman says to change is good and to
change often is most important in our striving to be true disciples of
Jesus.

From Exodus we learned that Moses was such a good and faithful scribe and
servant of the Lord. His preparing of a Dwelling Place for the Lord helps
the people to continue on the journey in the desert for the Tent will move
with them and stop when there is need for rest or to avoid dangers. The
cloud of God's glory and presence will lead the people to the Promised
Land. Their remembrances of the great things God has done for them may be
from the past but they can bring new motivation and renewed energy for the
rest of their journey toward the Holy Promised Land.

In following Matthew the scribe we are fortunate to follow his Gospel and
learn much about following Jesus. It would be good for us to read once
more the wonderful parable chapter thirteen in this Church Gospel. Jesus
has shown us the importance of the Scriptures and how he has fulfilled them
without changing one iota or cursive mark in the text he knew. That is
bringing good out of the old and leading us into the new through his
teachings about the kingdom in the parables we have read and heard this
past week. There are opportunities awaiting us this day to bring out good
things from our past and to develop new things for our journeying with the
Lord. We are called to be good and faithful scribes for the Kingdom of
God. Amen.