This weekend we celebrate the Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time. In the first reading we hear Jeremiah as he expresses his faith in God’s care for him in the midst of deep personal crisis. In the second reading Paul reminds us of the realities of sin and death and of the great gift of grace that God has given us in Jesus. The Gospel reading reminds us of the faithfulness of God and of the need for our own faithfulness to the mission that Jesus has passed on to us.

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13

10 Yes, I hear the whisperings of many:
“Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!”
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine.
“Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail,
and take our vengeance on him.”

11 But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:
my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.
In their failure they will be put to utter shame,
to lasting, unforgettable confusion.

12 O LORD of hosts, you who test the just,
who probe mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.

13 Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the wicked!

NOTES on First Reading:

* 20:10 Jeremiah is in deep depression in this section and now this typically Jeremian outcry (20:3) is mockingly turned against the prophet in his moments of greatest crisis.

* 20:11-13 Here in the midst of a section full of depression the tone changes to one of deep confidence in God. This confidence is founded on Yahweh’s promise (1:8,19) which the prophet often recalls (15:20) in the face of strong contradictions in order to keep alive his own faith in Yahweh’s faithfulness.

* 20:13 Here the word, “poor” (‘ebyon) does not mean poor in a sociological sense but has taken on a religious tone and means essentially a “pious man.” The “clients of Yahweh” or the “poor of Yahweh” are often referred to in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms. See Psalms 22:23 and following verses; 35:9-10, 27-28; 109:30-31; and 140:13-14.

Second Reading: Romans 5:12-15

12 Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned — 13 for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law. 14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.

15 But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 5:12-21 This section presents Paul’s reflection on the sin of Adam (Genesis 3:1-13) in the light of the redemptive mystery of Christ. Use of the singular, “sin,” by Paul, refers to the power that has gripped humanity, which is now in revolt against the Creator and engaged in the exaltation of its own desires and interests. Although he traces this power back to Eden, Paul insists that no one has a right to say, “Adam made me do it,” for all are culpable (Romans 5:12). Gentiles are subject to the demands of the law written in their hearts (Romans 2:14-15), and Jews are subject to the Mosaic covenant. Unlike Wisdom 2:24, Paul does not ascribe the entry of death to the devil.

* 5:13 According to Paul the sinfulness of humanity that was operative from the beginning (Romans 5:13) was made more manifest by the Old Testament Law.

* 5:15-21 This section tells us that God’s act in Christ is in total contrast to the disastrous effects of sin that invaded humanity through Adam’s crime. Through a series of parallelisms using the terms, “one” and “many,” Paul stresses the abundance of grace provided by God in Christ and the surpassing influence of Jesus on humanity compared to the effects caused by Adam.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:26-33

26 “Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. 27 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. 30 Even all the hairs of your head are counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

NOTES on Gospel:

* 10:26 Knowledge of the concealed and secret coming of the kingdom has been given to the apostles so that it can be proclaimed by them, and fear must not be allowed to keep them from making that proclamation.

* 10:29 Sparrows were the cheapest life in the marketplace and are cited to show that even they are not beyond God’s care.

* 10:30-31 The comparison of a light matter to a very serious matter is a common rabbinic form of argument which is used here to encourage the disciple to have the courage to overcome fear and to trust in God.

* 10:32-33 In the Lucan parallel (Luke 12:8-9), which many scholars attribute to the theoretical source (known as Q), the Son of Man will acknowledge those who have acknowledged Jesus, and those who deny him will be denied (by the Son of Man) before the angels of God at the judgment. Here in Matthew’s statement, Jesus and the Son of Man are identified as being the same, and the acknowledgment or denial is said to be before His heavenly Father. Our reaction to Jesus and His coming will determine our future destiny with regard to salvation. The pattern of speech is reminiscent of God’s statement in 1 Sam 2:30.

Scripture text: New American Bible with revised New Testament copyright © 1986,1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Commentary Sources:
Vince Del Greco
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990) (Eds. Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy)