Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time Yr 1 2025
Ordinary Time • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 9 viewsTwo themes under the heading of providence. First, Jesus presents himself as the new Temple/bridegroom whose presence made the customs of fasting with respect to the old Temple unnecessary. Rather Christians will fast, but as preparation for the return of Christ. Thus in a change of the ages, such as we are in, we may have to drop some of the customs of Christendom for a new forward looking response. Second, Rebekah and Jacob teach us that trying to take control of providence may seem to work out, but it may involve us in sin and come with lots of losses. God will work out his providence his way and our response is to be faithfulness and trust.
Notes
Transcript
Title
Title
God’s Control of History and Our Response
Outline
Outline
We have two different themes today
We have two different themes today
The gospel is Jesus’ responding to the traditional fasting
The gospel is Jesus’ responding to the traditional fasting
This was due to the destruction of the Temple in 586 and its desecration in 189. No, the new, the fulfillment is come, the new Temple is me here as bridegroom and the old traditions no longer fit. But when I am gone then there will be a new fast. Jesus does not point out that it will be a preparation for his return. This is good to remember both in its literal meaning and in what is says about responding to the changes of the ages. From C. S. Lewis to Fulton Sheen to newer voices it has been made clear that Christendom is gone and we now live in more apostolic times, that is in a secular age. What customs might need changing so we are pointed forward rather than backward?
The first reading is a study in providence.
The first reading is a study in providence.
Rebekah (and presumably Isaac) had heard from the Lord in ch 25 that their elder son would serve the younger. Perhaps they knew that Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob, which would be a partial fulfillment. But now Isaac is nearing death and he wants to give the firstborn’s blessing to Esau. Rebekah takes providence into her own hands and connives that an unwilling Jacob gets the blessing from a deceived Isaac. And with that he has all his father can give him, as Esau will discover. It seems to have worked.
But there are negative effects. Rebekah must lie to Isaac so that he sends Jacob to Haran where he indeed gets a wife, in fact four, but she never sends for Jacob for she seems to have died before he felt a need to flee from Haran (during which flight his favorite wife deceived him) and still has to confront Esau, who in truth has forgiven him.
Along the way there are two encounters with God , one before and one after his being in Haran, that indicate that God is protecting and blessing him; it has nothing to do with his or his mother’s conniving.
God fulfills his providential care, but if we try to take control of providence, he will still do it, but we may suffer immense pain as a result.
So let us learn two lessons
So let us learn two lessons
Jesus calls us to look forward and not backward, to discern what customs, not divine laws, of the past need changing in light of the new age that has come.
Rebekah (and Jacob) teaches us that we receive providence we do not produce it. Taking it into our hands without divine direction will take us into sin and cause us pain while God will remain true to his plan, even if he works it out differently than he first wished.
