First Reading Commentary
Biblically, the word “anointed” intimates
someone who is chosen for a great work.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, is the Anointed of all anointed.
Cyrus was chosen to conquer the empire of
Babylon which would result in freedom for God’s people. Cyrus, therefore, is a figure of Christ, a
deliverer of the people of God. Cyrus, who
is the king of Persia, and thus is not anointed in the literal sense but as
Saint Jerome explains: “He is styled thus, in allusion to the custom of the
Jewish kings.” This would also explain
God’s words, “though you knew Me not”.
And God’s call to Cyrus is prophetic of the call of the Gentiles to
Christianity. And through the graces
given to Cyrus the Gentiles would learn that there is no other god but the Lord
our God.
Second Reading Commentary
Saint Paul’s greeting “in God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ” shows his belief as well as his conviction to teach the
Thessalonians that the Father and the Son are equal. It was Paul’s custom in other letters to
refer to himself as an apostle. He did
not do this with either letter to the Thessalonians. Most likely, since he mentions Silvanus and
Timothy in both greetings to the Thessalonians, Paul didn’t want to exalt
himself and appear more important than the other two.
Paul thanks the Thessalonians for their faith
which moved them to good works and for their patience because of their hope in
the Lord. They did have to endure
suffering caused by their own countrymen who would not convert to the Christian
faith. Not everyone believes what we
believe; but since we have been chosen by God, we cannot allow ourselves to be
deterred from using the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. In Thessalonica, the power of the Holy Spirit
in Paul was demonstrated by his preaching as well as by the sincerity of
conversion on the part of many of the Thessalonians.
Gospel Commentary
An attempt at deception starts off this
Gospel. The Pharisees plotted against
Jesus; and once they came up with a plan, they weren’t even courageous enough
to carry it out themselves, but instead they sent their disciples to do their
dirty work. Their disciples were
students who had not yet become rabbis.
The plan starts off by complimenting Jesus
because He is truthful and teaches God’s ways.
Of course, trying to deceive God won’t get you very far.
The Herodians were a political group, not a
religious sect. They didn’t have much in
common with the Pharisees except their willingness to thwart any movements that
went against the status quo; and so, in their view, Jesus was a disturber of
the existing state of affairs. Both the
Pharisees and the Herodians were obsequious towards Rome; and so, in the
question they direct at Jesus, it would seem they were hoping for an anti-Rome answer
which would make Jesus appear to be a rebel or traitor. They would later have to fabricate what they
were hoping for here because our Lord’s response didn’t supply them with any
evidence.
Jesus does, however, call them hypocrites. Quite often the tendency for us is to focus
on the merciful and compassionate Jesus and would rather not think about the
Jesus Who is very direct, especially when we willfully step out of line. It is much better to be truly sorrowful for
sins now than later have to face a direct, no-nonsense Lord and God.
“This severe reprehension,” according to Saint
John Chrysostom, “shows that is better for man that God should chastise him
here in this life, than spare him to chastise him hereafter.”
