20211213 SUBMISSION TO DIVINE AUTHORITY
13 December, 2021, Monday, 3rd Week of Advent
First reading |
Numbers 24:2-7,15-17 © |
The oracles of Balaam
Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel, encamped by tribes; the spirit of God came on him and he declaimed his poem. He said:
‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes,
the oracle of one who hears the word of God.
He sees what Shaddai makes him see,
receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.
How fair are your tents, O Jacob!
How fair your dwellings, Israel!
Like valleys that stretch afar,
like gardens by the banks of a river,
like aloes planted by the Lord,
like cedars beside the waters!
A hero arises from their stock,
he reigns over countless peoples.
His king is greater than Agag,
his majesty is exalted.’
Then Balaam declaimed his poem again. He said:
‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes,
the oracle of one who hears the word of God,
of one who knows the knowledge of the Most High.
He sees what Shaddai makes him see,
receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.
I see him – but not in the present,
I behold him – but not close at hand:
a star from Jacob takes the leadership,
a sceptre arises from Israel.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 24(25):4-6,7a-9 © |
Lord, make me know your ways.
Lord, make me know your ways.
Lord, teach me your paths.
Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:
for you are God my saviour.
Lord, make me know your ways.
In you I hope all day long
because of your goodness, O Lord.
Remember your mercy, Lord,
and the love you have shown from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth.
In your love remember me.
Lord, make me know your ways.
The Lord is good and upright.
He shows the path to those who stray,
He guides the humble in the right path,
He teaches his way to the poor.
Lord, make me know your ways.
Gospel Acclamation |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord will come, go out to meet him.
Great is his beginning and his reign will have no end.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ps84:8 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy
and give us your saving help.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 21:23-27 © |
'I will not tell you my authority for acting like this'
Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?’ ‘And I’ replied Jesus ‘will ask you a question, only one; if you tell me the answer to it, I will then tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?’ And they argued it out this way among themselves, ‘If we say from heaven, he will retort, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?”; but if we say from man, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And he retorted, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’
SUBMISSION TO DIVINE AUTHORITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [NUM 24:2-7,15-17; PS 25:4-6,7-9; MT 21:23-27 ]
King Balak of Moab sent messengers to Balaam, summoning him to curse Israel as she had become a threat to his kingdom. Bringing with them the fees for divination, they came to Balaam but he refused to go with them. Refusing a ‘no’ answer, the king was insistent and he sent more distinguished officials to meet him, promising him silver and gold. Eventually, he succumbed to their request. But the Lord forbade him to curse Israel. Instead, the Lord commanded Balaam to bless Israel. The Lord spoke through the donkey that carried him to Moab. The donkey’s path was blocked by the angel of God. (Num 22:1-35) He was told to speak only what the Lord tells him.
Recognizing God as the greater power, he gave up his divination and opened his ears to receive the Word of God and his eyes to see how God saw Israel. “Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel, encamped by tribes; the spirit of God came on him and he declaimed his poem. He said: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of the man with far-seeing eyes, the oracle of one who hears the word of God. He sees what Shaddai makes him see, receives the divine answer, and his eyes are opened.'” Balaam knew that Israel’s God was greater. He could only speak what the Lord had instructed Him.
As a consequence, he blessed Israel, the land and the people. “How fair are your tents, O Jacob! How fair your dwellings, Israel! Like valleys that stretch afar, like gardens by the banks of a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters! A hero arises from their stock, he reigns over countless peoples. His king is greater than Agag, his majesty is exalted.” And not only did he bless the people of Israel, he made a very significant prophecy that was to be fulfilled centuries later. He said, “I see him – but not in the present, I behold him – but not at close hand: a star from Jacob takes the leadership, a sceptre arises from Israel.” By so doing, Balaam was prophesying that Israel would be a great kingdom and from the family of Jacob, a king would arise. This prophecy reminds us of the dream of Joseph when he said, “Look, I have had another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” (Gn 37:9) We know that eventually, King David was that star who held the sceptre of Israel.
In contrast, we have the religious leaders who refused to submit to divine authority. Understandably, they had concerns about Jesus, not just because of His unconventional teaching but also what He did to purify the Temple. Who gave Him the authority to do what He did? On the other hand, Jesus was careful not to reveal His divine authority just yet because there was still much to do and He needed to form His apostles and disciples first. Otherwise, He would suffer the same fate as His cousin, John the Baptist, who was put in prison by King Herod who feared that he could be instrumental in causing a rebellion against the Romans, as some people thought He could be the Messiah. Arousing the suspicions of the political authority would cut short the mission and ministry of Jesus prematurely. He would reveal His true identity in due course, when the time was opportune.
Jesus knew their true motive because even if He were to reveal His identity, they would not accept Him since they could not even admit that John the Baptist was a prophet of God. Hence, He posed to them this question: “John’s baptism: where did it come from: heaven or man?’ And they argued it out this way among themselves, ‘If we say from heaven, he will retort, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?”; but if we say from man, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.'” It was not because they did not know the answer. They knew clearly that John the Baptist was a prophet sent by God. Even the ordinary people perceived him to be a prophet. One did not need to be theologically trained or be an intellectual to perceive the truth of what John the Baptist was preaching. This was why even dignitaries and soldiers came to seek him. But to give recognition to John the Baptist would compromise their interests, their position and standing in the eyes of the people because the priests were cheating the people by being in cahoots with the merchants.
Hence, they took the easy way out by evading the issue instead of submitting to the authority of God. They were not ready to face the truth about themselves. They were not truthful before God and His people. They knew what was the right thing to do but they claimed ignorance. This pragmatic approach to truth and falsehood is how people live their lives today. Instead of doing and saying the right thing, we twist and turn just to protect our selfish interests by evasion or being ambiguous. We are so afraid to speak the truth or pass judgment on issues and hence, we use politically correct language when taking a moral position. Positively it means only to use vocabulary that is inclusive, non-judgmental or seen to be non-discriminating. Negatively, it means all kinds of lifestyles are acceptable and to be tolerated.
Today, we are called to act like Balaam, to be obedient to the Word of God. We must seek direction from the Lord by paying attention to His word. The responsorial psalm exhorts us, “Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, teach me your paths. Make me walk in your truth, and teach me: for you are God my saviour. The Lord is good and upright. He shows the path to those who stray. He guides the humble in the right path, He teaches his way to the poor.” We should only speak what we have heard from the Lord and seen what the Lord has done for us. This was what the apostles said to the Sanhedrin when they were forbidden to speak about the resurrection. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19)
Jesus is the Word of God for us today. The star that Balaam spoke about refers to Jesus. The magi saw the star, followed it and came to find Jesus in the manger. The book of Revelation says, “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (Rev 22:16) They came to Herod and asked, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” (Lk 2:2) Indeed, Jesus, the morning star, is the One who would give hope not just to Israel but to humanity. He is the beginning of the dawn for us who live in darkness and confusion.
Indeed, Balaam and Balak are often compared to the Magi and King Herod. Just like Balak, King Herod was afraid of the Star of David. He pretended to want to find the King of Israel. In a deceitful way, he said to the Magi, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” (Mt 2:8) In contrast, the Magi, the wise men symbolizing the pagan prophet Balaam, were willing to risk everything they had to find the Star of David. When they found Him, “they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.” (Mt 2:11f) They were willing to surrender their gold and treasures to the King of Kings. Unfortunately, Balaam did not go all the way. Unlike the Magi who took a different route, Balaam went back to Midian. He died in a battle eventually. (Num 31:8) St Peter used him as an example of going astray. “They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of doing wrong, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” (2 Pt 2:15f) What about us?
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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