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Exegesis
August 20, 2006 Twentieth Sunday of the Year (B) Rev. Timothy P. Schehr Proverbs 9:1-6 X Ephesians 5:15-20 X John 6:51-58
We probably have an invitation or two sitting around the house. They may be in a special place on a desk or on the dining room table; they may be stuck to the refrigerator. Why? Because we value them. We mark our calendars; we buy new clothes, we change our plans to make room for invitations.
So what would we do with the wonderful invitation extended to us in the first reading this Sunday? We are invited to dine with Lady Wisdom. The setting alone is impressive—a large house fronted by seven columns! This number seven is surely more than a coincidence. Seven often represents perfection in the literature of the Bible.
And that’s not all! Lady Wisdom is not merely showing off her beautiful house. She also invites her guests to sit down and enjoy the finest of banquets. There’s plenty of food and the finest wines. At Wisdom’s house we will not go hungry. There is plenty to nourish us to life. And when Lady Wisdom talks about life she means more than a beating heart; she means life spelled in capital letters, the gift of life that comes from God.
But wait, there’s still more! Lady Wisdom offers her guests the opportunity to advance in understanding. This, of course, is her specialty. Wisdom’s house is the place to find a wisdom that is superior to any other wisdom. And that should come as no surprise because the beginning of this kind of wisdom is fear and respect for the things of God.
This first reading belongs to the introduction to the Book of Proverbs. Its purpose is to alert the reader to all the wonderful treasures to lie within the chapters that follow. Of course, every culture has its proverbs. But hat makes the proverbs of Israel special is their invitation to live in the service of God. A life lived in this way will prove more satisfying than limiting one’s pursuits to the passing things of this world.
The first reading is a fine lead-in to the gospel for this Sunday. Once again we pick up with the Bread of Life discourse in John. Like Wisdom, Jesus invites his listeners to a banquet. But there is a big difference. The food at this banquet is Jesus himself.
Some of those listening to Jesus misunderstand what Jesus says and try to grasp it merely in earthly terms, wondering how he could offer his flesh for food. They have yet to understand that Jesus is challenging them to something more. He goes on to speak of the flesh and blood of the Son of Man.
This title should have brought mind the scene in Daniel’s vision in which one like the Son of Man received dominion from God over all the nations of the world. It might help the Lord’s listeners to shift their thinking to a deeper level. The food Jesus speaks of is real and it is also from heaven. If they are wise enough to seek nourishment from this bread from heaven they will have life through the Risen Lord.
Wisdom’s invitation to life surfaces again in the second reading where Paul urges his readers to live wisely. What he means is that he wants them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They will demonstrate this by living lives of gratitude to God for the gift of salvation. Paul would have them address each other in hymns and psalms. He seems to be thinking less of musical notes and more about the gracious words that are so much a part of the lyrics of the psalms.
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