July 21, 2025
Monday of the Sixteenth Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 395
Reading 1
Exodus
14:5-18
When it was reported to the king of Egypt
that the people had fled,
Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them.
They exclaimed, "What have we done!
Why, we have released Israel from our service!"
So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers—
six hundred first-class chariots
and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh
that he pursued the children of Israel
even while they were marching away in triumph.
The Egyptians, then, pursued them;
Pharaoh's whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers,
caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea,
at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up
and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them.
In great fright they cried out to the LORD.
And they complained to Moses,
"Were there no burial places in Egypt
that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert?
Why did you do this to us?
Why did you bring us out of Egypt?
Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said,
'Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians'?
Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians
than to die in the desert."
But Moses answered the people,
"Fear not! Stand your ground,
and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.
These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.
The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still."
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,
that the children of Israel may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate
that they will go in after them.
Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD,
when I receive glory through Pharaoh
and his chariots and charioteers."
Responsorial Psalm
Exodus
15:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered
himself in glory.
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh's chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
Alleluia
Psalm
95:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew
12:38-42
Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."
He said to them in reply,
"An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072125.cfm
Commentary on Exodus
14:5-18
At the end of last week, we saw the Israelites setting out
on their escape journey out of Egypt. The story is interrupted by a number of
religious instructions for later generations arising out of the Exodus
experience, including regulations for the Passover, the consecration of the
first-born to the Lord, and the feast of the Unleavened Bread.
When the story of the departure is taken up again, we are
told that God instructed the people not to follow the shortest route through
the land of the Philistines along the shores of the Mediterranean to Canaan.
This was the objective of their journey, the Promised Land. Instead, they were
told to follow a more “roundabout way of the wilderness bordering the Red Sea.”
The reason given was that to go that shortest route would have involved a lot
of fighting with the local people. It will eventually take them 40 event-filled
years before they will reach their objective.
We are also told that on their journey:
The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by
day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them
light, so that they might travel by day and by night.
(Exod 13:21)
This is possibly one and the same preternatural phenomenon,
a central nucleus of fire surrounded by smoke; only at night was its luminous
nature visible.
Both cloud and fire are regularly symbols of God’s presence in
the Scriptures. We saw Moses talking with God in a burning bush. In the Gospel,
during the Transfiguration, God’s presence is shown by the cloud that comes
down on the three Apostles, and Jesus, at his ascension, is taken up into a
cloud. At Pentecost, God’s presence is indicated by the tongues of fire on each
one present.
The erratic route followed by the Israelites gave the
impression that they were lost in the wilderness, leading the Pharaoh to change
his mind and go in pursuit of them. But this was all part of God’s plan. It is
at this point we pick up today’s reading.
When the Pharaoh heard that the Hebrews had fled, he and his
officials changed their minds about letting them go. They suddenly realised
that they were going to lose a major work force for their construction
projects.
So the Egyptians set out in pursuit with the cream of their
armed forces. The Pharaoh:
…took six hundred elite chariots and all the other
chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
God had made the Pharaoh so obstinate that he went in
pursuit of the Hebrews who were marching away in triumph with their God behind
them. The Egyptian forces caught up with the Hebrews in their encampment by the
sea at Pi-hahiroth, facing Baal-Zephon. These places
have not been definitively identified and even their position related to each
is not clear. Perhaps the former was on the west shore of the sea, where the
Israelites were, and the latter was on the opposite shore.
Pharaoh was almost on top of them when the Hebrews became
aware of their presence. Filled with alarm, they cried out to their Lord for
help.
They then turned on their leader, Moses, as the scapegoat
for their problem, saying:
Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you
have taken us away to die in the wilderness?
They even begin saying that they did not want to leave Egypt
at all and were ready to keep working for the Egyptians. They cried:
…it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians
than to die in the wilderness.
It was typical of people who judge a situation only by what
they can see immediately in front of them. It was also one of the first of many
examples of their lack of trust in God and in his chosen messenger, Moses.
Moses then reassured them:
Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance
that the Lord will accomplish for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see
today you shall never see again.
The Egyptians who are pursuing them now will soon never be
seen by them again, because:
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep
still.
The Lord himself now intervenes and asks why the people are
crying out to him. Do they not trust him and his promises? He then gives
his instructions. First, the Israelites are to continue going forward in the direction
of the sea. Second, Moses is to raise his staff over the sea and divide it in
two so that the Israelites can walk through it on dry land. Third, God will
make the Pharaoh and the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in
pursuit.
In today’s passage, we are not yet told exactly what is
going to happen to the Egyptians, but that God will receive glory through what
happens to Pharaoh, his army and all his chariots. The result will be that the
Egyptians will now realise that Yahweh is Lord.
The lesson all through is that God is with his people,
protecting and leading them. Even when they seem to be in deep trouble, he is
there. They sometimes can see no light at the end of the tunnel, but the light
is there and it is God.
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Commentary on
Matthew 12:38-42
Today’s passage follows two others, which we have not read.
In the first, Jesus is accused of doing what he does by the power of Satan.
This is an accusation which he easily shows is self-contradictory and makes no
sense. In the second, he says that a tree which is rotten inside cannot produce
good fruit. Goodness comes from a person’s interior. The words are directed at
his accusers whom he more than once accuses of being hypocrites—pious and
law-abiding on the outside and full of malice inside.
It is these same people who approach him today. It is
difficult to know their mood as they ask Jesus for a sign. Is it a genuine
request for Jesus to indicate the source of his authority and power, or is it a
hostile demand for Jesus to present his credentials?
In response, Jesus first says that:
An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no
sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Yes, “evil and adulterous”, because for anyone with an open
mind, Jesus has been giving nothing but signs ever since he began his public
life. The ordinary people have been full of praise and amazement at what Jesus
is doing and say:
A great prophet has risen among us!…God has visited his
people! (Luke 7:16)
But these leaders, blinded by their own prejudice, are even
saying that the teaching, exorcisms and healings of Jesus are the work of
Satan.
In addition to all this, they are going to get an
unmistakable sign of who Jesus really is. They will be given “the sign of the
prophet Jonah”:
For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the
belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man
will be in the heart of the earth.
This is a clear reference to Jesus’ resurrection—the
conclusive sign of his identity and power.
Mention of Jonah leads Jesus to say that:
…people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this
generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah,
and indeed something [i.e. Jesus] greater than Jonah is here!
Similarly:
The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with
this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to
listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and indeed something greater than Solomon is
here!
This of course also refers to Jesus, who is greater by far
than Solomon.
We, too, have the privilege of listening to Jesus and we
know the sign of his resurrection. Is it not possible that there are many
people around us who, not knowing Jesus, but following the guidance of their
consciences, will find themselves going before us into the Kingdom?
Complacency is probably one of our biggest temptations: “I
am good enough; I observe the basic requirements of my religion.” Is that all
that Jesus expects of me?
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Ordinary Time
Opening Prayer
Lord, be
merciful to Your people. Fill us with Your gifts and make us always eager to
serve You in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Gospel Reading - Matthew 12: 38-42
Some of the scribes and
Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” He said to
them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign
will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the
belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in
the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of
Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented
at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At
the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn
it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”
Reflection
Today’s Gospel presents to
us a discussion between Jesus and the religious authority of the time. This
time, the doctors of the law and the Pharisees are those who ask Jesus for a
sign. Jesus had given many signs: He had cured the leper (Mt 8: 1-4), the
servant of the centurion (Mt 8: 5-13), Peter’s mother-in-law (Mt 8: 14-15), the
sick and the possessed of the city (Mt 8: 16), He had calmed down the storm (Mt
8: 23-27), had cast out devils (Mt 8: 28-34) and had worked many other
miracles. The people seeing all these signs recognize in Jesus the Servant of
Yahweh (Mt 8: 17; 12: 17-21). But the doctors and the Pharisees are not able to
perceive the significance of so many signs which Jesus had given. They wanted
something different.
•
Matthew 12: 38: The request for a sign made by the
Pharisees and the doctors. The Pharisees arrived and said to Jesus, “Master, we
should like to see a sign from You.” They want Jesus to make a sign for them, a
miracle, and thus they will be able to verify and examine if Jesus is or is not
the one who is sent by God according to what they imagined and expected. They
wanted to be sure. They wanted to submit Jesus to their own criteria in such a
way as to be able to place Him into their own Messianic frame. There is no
openness in them for a possible conversation. They had understood nothing of
all that Jesus had done.
•
Mathew 12: 39: Jesus’ response: the sign of Jonah.
Jesus does not submit Himself to the request of the religious authority,
because it is not sincere: “An evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a
sign! The only sign that will be given them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.”
These words constitute a very strong judgment regarding the doctors and the
Pharisees. They evoke the oracle of Hosea who denounced the people, accusing
them of being an unfaithful and adulterous spouse (Hos 2:4). The Gospel of Mark
says that Jesus, upon hearing the request of the Pharisees, sighed profoundly
(Mk 8: 12), probably out of indignation and of sadness before such a great
blindness: because it is not worthwhile to place a beautiful picture before
people who do not want to open their eyes. Anyone who closes his eyes cannot
see! The only sign which will be given to them is the sign of Jonah.
•
Matthew 12: 41: There is something greater than Jonah
here. Jesus looks toward the future: “For as Jonah remained in the belly of the
sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the
heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” Therefore, the only sign
will be Jesus’ resurrection, which will be prolonged in the resurrection of His
followers. This is the sign which will be given to the doctors and the
Pharisees in the future. They will be placed before the fact that Jesus,
condemned to death by them and to death on the cross, will be raised from the
dead, and He will continue, in many ways, to raise those who believe in Him.
For example, He will raise them in the witness of the apostles, “persons
without instruction” who will have had the courage to face authority announcing
the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 4: 13). What converts is witness, not miracles:
“On Judgment Day the men of Nineveh will appear against this generation and
they will be its condemnation, because when Jonah preached, they repented.” The
people of Nineveh converted because of the witness of the preaching of Jonah,
and they denounced the unbelief of the doctors and the Pharisees, because
“Look, there is something
greater than Jonah here.”
•
Matthew 12: 42: There is something greater than
Solomon here. The reference to the conversion of the people of Nineveh is
associated and makes one recall the episode of the Queen of the South. “On
Judgment Day the Queen of the South will appear against this generation and be
its condemnation, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the
wisdom of Solomon and look, there is something greater than Solomon here!” This
reminder of the episode of the Queen of the South, who recognizes the wisdom of
Solomon, indicates how the Bible was used at that time. By association, the
principal rule of interpretation was the following:
“The Bible is explained
through the Bible.” Even now, this is one of the more important norms for the
interpretation of the Bible, especially for the prayerful reading of the Word
of God.
Personal Questions
•
To be converted means to be completely changed
morally, but also to change one’s ideas and way of thinking. A moralist is one
who changes behavior but keeps his way of thinking unaltered. Which one am I?
•
In the on-going renewal of the Church today, am I a
Pharisee who asks for a sign or am I like the people who recognize that this is
the way wanted by God?
•
Certain religions today see God in a different light
and use it to justify killing and other injustices. Still others re-envision
God and His Church as anything they want. In what ways can we discern the truth
in terms of on-going renewal?
•
Today, we use several types of analysis to interpret
the bible, such as literary analysis, historical-criticism, contextual
analysis, etc. How familiar are you with these methods and how do you feel they
add to understanding the bible?
For Further Study
The encyclical of Pope Pius
XII, Divino Afflante Spiritu, talks
about methods of biblical interpretation in modern times and promotes biblical
studies. Take time to read this to begin an exploration of the diverse ways we
can learn from the bible. Papal documents are available at www.vatican.va
Concluding Prayer
Better Your faithful love
than life itself; my lips will praise You.
Thus I will
bless You all my life, in Your name lift up my hands. (Ps 63: 3-4)
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