Daily Lectionary | Exodus 9 & Matthew 13:24-43
Exodus 9
Summary
In the fourth plague that initiates the second cycle, the flies come up from the water. In keeping with the pattern of judgment associated with water, land, and sky/atmosphere, the fifth plague in chapter 9 is against the land. The Lord strikes down the livestock of the Egyptians but spares those of the Hebrews.
In the sixth plague, boils come upon the Egyptians from the atmosphere. Moses takes soot from the kilns. The kilns earlier in Exodus are where the Hebrew slaves were forced to make bricks. Now there is judgment coming from the place of Egypt’s oppression. Moses takes soot from the kilns and throws it into the sky and it then becomes dust on the ground that transforms into a plague of boils. Man and beast of Egypt break out in these sores. The magicians now are defeated as they “could not stand before Moses” and received boils themselves.
Now we begin the third cycle with the plague of hail. Judgment intensifies in this last cycle and will now come down from above. The hail, associated with water, brings destruction on man and beast and every plant of the field; the hail/water, like a new flood, is destroying creation. Pharaoh starts to repent: “This time I have sinned; the LORD is right, and I and my people are in the wrong.” This is remarkable. At least for a moment Pharaoh seems to repent. But Moses knows this repentance is either short-lived or not genuine: Pharaoh does not ultimately fear the LORD, he just wants relief from judgment.
Reflection
St. Paul tells us that God’s loving-kindness leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). How might we see the plagues as a severe mercy meant to bring about repentance? Consider how judgment more generally might be a wake up call for us to repent and fear the LORD.
Matthew 13:24-42
Summary
In Psalm 78, the Psalmist teaches through parables, “dark sayings from old…” The parable in the Psalm becomes a lesson of Israel’s history. Jesus continues to speak in parables in Matthew 13, and Matthew makes the connection with Psalm 78.
The parable of the weeds, mustard seed and leaven, often are taken to be metaphors of the church throughout the ages. The church is a mixed community of wheat (true believers) and tares (hypocrites). The church is like leaven that works its way out into the world and a small mustard seed that grows up to become a tree giving shelter to the nations. This line of interpretation certainly has merit and is true; the church is indeed a mixed multitude and will increase in its influence into the world.
But as in the parable of the sower, Jesus is addressing first century Israel and making a point about Israel’s history in this parable (cf. Psalm 78). Jesus comes at the end of a line or prophets; he’s closing out the age of the Old Covenant and bringing in a harvest in the present. Israel was sown amidst the field of the world during exile. They are God’s wheat in the world, but right up next to them are tares which threaten to overwhelm them--the influence of the Babylonian, then Greco-Roman world. The Lord’s wheat field is being overrun. What will the Lord do? Jesus will bring in a harvest, which is already beginning in his ministry.
The mustard seed and leaven work in a similar way. Israel has been sown and scattered among the Gentiles. The nations should find refuge like birds to a tree in the kingdom of God. Israel is a seed, a smidgeon of leaven that is meant to grow and work its way out among the nations. And despite appearances, the seed and leaven of Israel will become influence and change the world.
Reflection
What do these parables teach us about the growth of Jesus’ kingdom? How can we trust God’s kingdom is advancing despite appearances?