Oct 29, 2023: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

1st Reading – Exodus 22:20-26

Thus says the LORD:
“You shall not molest or oppress an alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.
If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry.
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

“If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people,
you shall not act like an extortioner toward him
by demanding interest from him.
If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,
you shall return it to him before sunset;
for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body.
What else has he to sleep in?
If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.”

Today’s first reading comes from a part of ancient Israel’s code of law that mandates compassion for those who are vulnerable or marginalized in society.

This passage perfectly underscores Jesus’ teaching in today’s gospel about the integral connection between love of God and love of neighbor.

(This passage appears as Exodus 22:21-27 in most translations, but the New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible have it as Exodus 22:20-26.)

Thus says the LORD: “You shall not molest or oppress an alien, 

The aliens (gēr, also translated as “strangers” or “sojourners”) referred to here are not merely foreigners passing through Israelite territory; they are people residing in a foreign land without the full rights or privileges of a citizen.

People in such circumstances were usually forced to leave their homes because of adverse conditions like war, disease, or famine.

for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.

The Israelites are reminded of their own experience as aliens in Egypt, which is the basis for their compassionate treatment of others. Jacob, the great Israelite patriarch, moved his entire family to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan (Genesis 45-46).

In fact, the hardships the Israelites experienced in Egypt led directly to the revelation of their God as the God of the dispossessed.

You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. 

Widows and orphans in Israel’s patriarchal society faced acute vulnerability due to the loss of male providers and protectors. Without a husband or father, widows and orphans often lacked economic security and legal rights, leaving them dependent on the goodwill of the community.

They were often reduced to begging, a life that was always dangerous, but particularly so for women and children.

If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. 

This verse underscores God shows divine concern for the oppressed and vulnerable. God promises to hear the cry of any mistreated aliens, widows, or orphans — a warning against injustice.

God will hear them just as he heard the cry of the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt (Exodus 3:7).

My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

Anyone who mistreats the vulnerable will face the wrath of God, and the punishment will be severe.

“If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him by demanding interest from him.

The law also takes into consideration the well-being of the poor, ensuring that their financial difficulties are not worsened by their fellow citizens. In cases where the poor need to borrow money to improve their lives, the Israelites are directed to offer these loans without charging interest.

The loans addressed here are not for commercial purposes, but for alleviating distress; charging interest in such situations would be exploiting someone else’s adversity.

If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset; for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body. What else has he to sleep in? 

Every attempt must be made to safeguard the dignity and well-being of a needy borrower.

One’s cloak often served as a blanket against the evening chill; to demand that cloak as collateral on a loan would deprive that person of warmth and protection.

If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.”

Once again God promises to hear the cries of the dispossessed. The reason God gives for his concern is: I am gracious (hannûn)!  He is concerned about those who are vulnerable.

God is the God of the oppressed.

2nd Reading – 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10

Brothers and sisters:
You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,
receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit,
so that you became a model for all the believers
in Macedonia and in Achaia.
For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth
not only in Macedonia and in Achaia,
but in every place your faith in God has gone forth,
so that we have no need to say anything.
For they themselves openly declare about us
what sort of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols
to serve the living and true God
and to await his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead,
Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

This week we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. Today’s reading emphasizes the impact of the Gospel message on the Thessalonian Christians and their subsequent faith and commitment to God.

It also highlights the Christian virtues of love and hope and the anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters: You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,

Paul and his companions conveyed the gospel to the Thessalonians through their way of living. (Francis of Assisi employed a similar approach, exhorting his followers: “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.”)

The community not only accepted the message but also modeled their lives after the example set by Paul, his coworkers, and, most importantly, Christ.

“To follow Christ — that is the secret. We must accompany him so closely that we come to live with him, like the first Twelve did; so closely, that we become identified with him. Soon we will be able to say, provided we have not put obstacles in the way of grace, that we have put on, have clothed ourselves with, our Lord Jesus Christ” (Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Friends of God, 299).

receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit,

As mentioned last week, the Thessalonians’ conversion occurred in the midst of adversity and persecution, yet it was accompanied by the joy and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Macedonia and Achaia were Roman provinces in the eastern part of Greece.

For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.

The Thessalonians’ faith and response to the gospel were so remarkable that they became a positive example to believers in neighboring regions. In fact, their reputation was so widely known that there was no need for Paul to elaborate on their story.

For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God 

Paul uses what may have been a creedal formula to describe how the Thessalonians had turned away from idolatry to worshipping and serving the one true God.

and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

To the monotheism of the living God, a rich christology is added in an impressive economy of words.

In commenting on this verse, Saint John Chrysostom noted that “in a single text, Saint Paul brings together several different mysteries concerning Jesus Christ: his glorious resurrection, his victorious ascension, his future coming, the judgment, the reward promised to the righteous, and the punishment reserved for evildoers” (Homilies on 1 Thessalonians).

In other words: Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again.

Paul encourages the Thessalonians in their anticipation of this second coming of Christ, reinforcing their hope amid the “great afflictions” he previously referenced.

Gospel – Matthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
He said to him,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

In last week’s reading, the Pharisees failed to trap Jesus with their question about paying taxes. In today’s reading, they decide to try again.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,

Between last week’s reading and today’s, the Sadducees challenged Jesus on the idea of resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33). Jesus successfully refuted their argument on their own terms, astounding the crowd.

they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking,

A scribe among the Pharisees steps forward to ask Jesus a question, not necessarily seeking genuine understanding but trying to test or challenge him.

For the Pharisees, obedience to the law was the core of one’s relationship with God, a mindset that led many of them to be legalists. They saw their righteousness as something they earned through obedience to the law. The Pharisees faulted Jesus for sometimes disobeying the law as he did when he plucked grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8) and healed on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-14).

While the Pharisees generally viewed themselves as righteous and obedient, Jesus saw them as proud, legalistic, and judgmental — all qualities that blinded them to the truths he was teaching.

(It’s important to note that not all Pharisees were the same. For example, Nicodemus, a Pharisee mentioned in John’s Gospel, actively sought to understand Jesus better.)

 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”