1st Reading – Numbers 11:25-29
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
“Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp,”
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said,
“Moses, my lord, stop them.”
But Moses answered him,
“Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!”
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch, narrating the journey of the Israelites from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land, covering their 40 years in the wilderness. It records their struggles with faith and their evolving relationship with God.
The name of the book comes from the two censuses of the Israelites that occur in it, one at the beginning and another near the end of the book. In Hebrew, the book is called Bamidbar (“In the Wilderness”), which reflects the central theme of their desert wanderings and the lessons learned along the way.
Today’s reading is an unusual story about the bestowal of the spirit of prophecy.
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
This event is a theophany: a visible manifestation of God.
The Israelites have been complaining and Moses does not feel able to respond to their needs, and he has cried out to God (Numbers 11:11-14). In response, God says to Moses:
“Assemble for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be elders and authorities among the people, and bring them to the tent of meeting. When they are in place beside you, I will come down and speak with you there. I will also take some of the spirit that is on you and will confer it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you. You will then not have to bear it by yourself.” —Numbers 11:16-17
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, he bestowed it on the seventy elders;
God follows through on his promise and shares the Spirit that had empowered Moses, distributing it to the elders. In doing so, he provides the help that Moses needs.
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.
The elders experience a deep and intense encounter with the Holy Spirit as it comes to rest on them. Overwhelmed by God’s presence, they are given divine insight and speak God’s word.
This is understood as a confirmation of the elders’ new role in assisting Moses with leadership; it does not imply that they were given the formal, permanent office of prophet, like figures such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel.
Commenting on this passage of Numbers, Saint Cyril of Jerusalem wrote, “There is a hint here of what happened at Pentecost among us” (Catechesis ad illuminandos 16, 26).
The New Testament describes this happening at other times in the early Church, as in Acts 2:6-11 and 1 Corinthians 14.
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp.
Two of the designated elders missed the gathering, but they still received the gift. They prophesied within the camp, apart from the others.
God’s Spirit is not confined by formal procedures or human structures.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp,” Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said, “Moses, my lord, stop them.”
Joshua’s concern seems to stem from a desire to defend Moses’ authority. He likely saw the absence of Eldad and Medad from the gathering as a disqualification for the office.
However, God himself is the source of the spirit and he can give it to whomever he chooses, irrespective of human qualifications.
But Moses answered him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!”
Moses’ response is striking and humble. Rather than being protective of his authority, he expresses a profound desire for inclusivity in God’s work.
He has no desire to monopolize or control the spirit. He seeks only the people’s welfare and is delighted to see signs of the spirit in others; indeed, he would like all the Israelites to have it.
Moses overflows with gratitude that the Lord has answered his prayer.
2nd Reading – James 5:1-6
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.
This week is the last installment of our study of the Epistle of James.
In this reading, the author denounces the unjust rich, who have accumulated their wealth by grinding down the poor.
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
James opens with a prophetic warning, pointing to future judgment (“impending miseries”).
The call to lamentation is a demand for repentance.
Luke 6:24: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
Earthly wealth is precarious and does not endure.
In ancient times, fine clothing was a valuable commodity that signaled wealth and status. Notably, it is only eaten by moths when it is not worn.
The wealth of the unjust is not just rotting but rotting in a moral sense — reflecting selfishness, greed, and failure to share their abundance with those who are without.
Matthew 6:19: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.”
your gold and silver have corroded,
Precious metals don’t actually corrode, making this a powerful image. The unjust rich are so profoundly corrupt that even their gold and silver are rendered worthless, symbolizing the moral decay that accompanies their greed and exploitation.
As with their fine clothing, they have been busy accruing money rather than sharing it with the poor.
Sirach 29:10: “Spend your money for brother and friend, and hide it not under a stone to perish.”
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire.
Instead of assuring the rich a comfortable future, their wealth will assure them of judgment. Their selfishness and greed will be a testimony against them.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
“Last days” probably refers to the final judgment, when both their foolishness in storing up treasures and their greed for not sharing their wealth will condemn them.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
The unjust rich James is addressing have clearly gained their wealth at the expense of their employees.
Cheating workers of their earnings was severely condemned in the Old Testament (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14-15; Malachi 3:5) as one of the sins which “cries out to heaven” for immediate punishment. This is understandable, given that the event that shaped them into a people was their deliverance from indentured slavery in Egypt.
“Lord of hosts” is a common Old Testament title for God that emphasizes his power and justice (e.g., Isaiah 5:9). The term “hosts” refers to the celestial armies — angels and heavenly beings — implying that God is the supreme commander of the universe.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
The author paints a vivid image of the unjust rich foolishly enjoying their wealth and comfort within sight of those in dire need. They are oblivious that they are actually fattening themselves for slaughter, another reference to the final judgment.
You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.
The closing verse is a sharp indictment: the rich are accused of condemning and murdering “the righteous person.” This could be literal or metaphorical, referring to exploiting and oppressing the vulnerable to the point of death.
The fact that “he does not resist you” shows the defenselessness of the righteous, further highlighting the cruelty of the oppression.
To fail to love another human being is to fail to love Christ.
To abuse the poor and vulnerable is to abuse Christ.
Gospel – Mark 9:38-43,45,47-48
At that time, John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”
Today’s gospel reading is a collection of Jesus’ pronouncements on unity, humility, and radical commitment to avoiding sin. It follows immediately after the passage we heard last week in which Jesus taught the Twelve not to be concerned about who is greatest among them.
At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Despite Jesus’ warning from last week’s reading, the disciples have a lingering attitude of competition and exclusivity. They are still struggling to understand Jesus’ teaching on humility and service to others.
The parallels with our first reading are obvious. Like Joshua in the story from Numbers, John is concerned about controlling spiritual authority. Like Joshua, John will be met with a more inclusive and expansive view from his leader.
John also shows no consideration for the fact that someone was obviously helped through these exorcisms. He seems more interested in protecting the group’s authority than in the good being done in Jesus’ name.
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.
Jesus broadens their understanding of ministry. Instead of focusing on who belongs to their circle, he stresses that any good done in his name, even by others, contributes to the Kingdom.
“Some who are intent on severe disciplinary principles which admonish us to rebuke the restless, not to give what is holy to dogs (Matthew 7:6; 15:26; Mark 7:27), to consider a despiser of the Church as a heathen, to cut off from the unified structure of the body the member which causes scandal (Matthew 5:30; 18:8-9; Mark 9:42-48), so disturb the peace of the Church that they try to separate the wheat from the chaff before the proper time (Matthew 13:29-30). Blinded by this error, they are themselves separated instead from the unity of Christ” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (413 AD), Faith and Works, 4,6].
For whoever is not against us is for us.
A description of divine tolerance in proverb form.
The man casting out demons is not an enemy, and his actions do not undermine Jesus’ ministry — in fact, they align with its goals. Like Moses, Jesus points out that what is important is that the work of God be done; it is not important who does it.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
Great works like exorcisms are not required. Even the smallest acts of kindness done for Christ’s disciples, or in his name, are recognized and rewarded by God.
Our actions have profound consequences, for good or for bad.
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
“Little ones” may be meant literally, referring to children, or it may be a broader reference to believers who are vulnerable in their faith. Regardless, the warning is the same: those who cause others to sin will be severely punished.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.
Jesus continues with hyperbolic language, urging drastic measures to avoid sin. He suggests that it’s better to lose a part of your body than to continue sinning and face eternal punishment.
Gehenna is another name for the Valley of Hinnom, just outside the walls of Jerusalem where the early Canaanites once offered human sacrifice. The Israelites turned this sacrilegious site into a garbage heap where refuse was constantly being burned in huge fires; the resulting stench served as a constant reminder of corruption. Gehenna became the symbol of the unquenchable punishing fires of the afterlife.
Jesus is not advocating literal self-harm, but rather the seriousness with which sin should be addressed.
(Note: Verses 44 and 46 do not appear in most translations of the Bible, because they are missing from some important ancient manuscripts and are considered scribal additions for purposes of symmetry. They simply repeat verse 48: “Where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”)
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
Jesus repeats the teaching a second and third time, emphasizing that it is better to be deprived of something important than to risk eternal damnation.
The idea of cutting off hands and feet or plucking out eyes causes a natural reaction of revulsion, as it should. Notice, however, that Jesus doesn’t say to take these drastic actions when our hands, feet, and eyes cause us to sin, but if they cause us to sin.
The disciples’ natural desire to defend themselves against the need for self-mutilation would lead them to argue that a body part could never actually cause them to sin, which is correct. Jesus has been teaching them all along that sin is not a matter of externals, it comes from within.
In recognizing that their bodies do not act independently and can only express their inner desires and intentions, the disciples begin to grasp the deeper spiritual truth of Jesus’ teaching: Sin is committed when one person fails to love another.
Sin is prevented not by self-mutilation, but by a conversion of heart.
where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
Jesus quotes Isaiah 66:24, where God’s enemies lie dead in Gehenna, their corpses piled with filth and refuse. In that prophetic image, worms feed on the unburied dead, and the carcasses are so great in number that the fire burns endlessly.
Jesus draws on this disturbing imagery to illustrate the fate of those who refuse to repent. The undying worm evokes a sense of guilt that never ceases, while the unquenchable fire points to an irreversible, eternal punishment.
By citing Isaiah, Jesus connects his teaching to the prophetic tradition and reinforces the seriousness of his message about moral accountability.
“This is no trivial subject of inquiry that we propose, but rather it concerns things most urgent, and about which many inquire: namely, whether hell fire has any end. For that it has no end Christ indeed declared when He said, ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched’. Yes, I know a chill comes over you on hearing these things. But what am I to do? For this is God’s own command. … Ordained as we have been to the ministry of the word, we must cause our hearers discomfort when it is necessary for them to hear. We do this not arbitrarily but under command” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. 392 AD), Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 9,1].
Connections and Themes
- Embracing God’s boundless mission. The first reading and the gospel are clearly connected, with the former prefiguring the latter. Both show the Spirit moving and acting freely through any person; it cannot be contained or controlled. Both readings also illustrate the human weaknesses of fanaticism and envy, dangers that must be avoided within a group of believers. Moses and Jesus remind us that those who serve in God’s name — regardless of their formal affiliation with the community — are integral to realizing God’s mission.
- Who has the right to minister in God’s name? There are two types of godly ministers: those authorized by the community and those called by the Spirit. The first reading shows that there has been tension between these two groups since the time of Moses. The Church holds the authority to authorize ministers (1 Corinthians 12:28), but scripture also affirms that God can call ministers directly. In the Old Testament, we see this with judges, prophets, and early kings. In the New Testament, the Spirit descends upon everyone at Pentecost: men and women, young and old, slave and free (Acts 2:17). Elsewhere in Acts, the Spirit moves uninhibited, bringing Philip to the Ethiopian (8:26-30), Peter to Cornelius (10:1-48), and Paul to the Gentile world (13:2).This uncontrolled movement of the Spirit raises a critical question: How do we discern between false ministers and those truly inspired? The gospel provides a key criterion: “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:16). Authentic ministers are recognized by their good works, while corrupted ministers are recognized by their corrupt works, as our second reading shows.
- Divine balance. As difficult as this discernment can be, the spontaneity of the Spirit is a blessing. It serves a kind of divine balance on the human authority within the Church. As humans, we tend to appoint ministers who only say what we want to hear. Sometimes it requires an outsider, or even a non-believer, to get our attention and call us closer to God. Jesus describes this with great clarity when he states that those who do his work, even without being followers, are “for him.”
- A call to justice. Our second reading and the gospel reading issue urgent warnings against sins that harm others. James highlights the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable, while Jesus cautions against those who lead others astray. Together, these readings are a powerful reminder that our choices yield consequences — whether positive or negative — and urge us to embody justice in our lives and interactions with others. Those who refuse to do so will face eternal condemnation.
Sunday Readings 