From: Deuteronomy 10:12-22
A Further Call to Faithfulness
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Commentary:
10:12-16. With divine teaching skill, the sacred writer emphasizes the
special love the Lord is showing Israel: the Lord of heaven and earth has
“set his heart in love” on them (v. 15; cf. 7:7). It would be difficult to
express more tenderly God’s love for his people (cf. the note on 7:7-16).
An uncircumcised heart (v. 16) is a hard heart, insensitive to God’s calls
because it is closed in on itself. This is an image often used in both Old
and New Testaments (cf. e.g., 30:6; Jer 4:4; Acts 7:51; Rom 2:29). Christian
tradition sees circumcision of the heart as a figure of Baptism: “Now those
whose hearts are circumcised live and are circumcised by the new Jordan,
which is the baptism forgiveness of sins. [...] Jesus our Savior worked this
circumcision a second time through circumcision of heart of all those who
believe in Him and are cleansed in baptism. [...] Joshua, the son of Nun,
led the people into the promised land; Jesus, our Savior, promised the land
of life to all those who were ready to cross the true Jordan, who believed
and who allowed the foreskin of their heart to be circumcised” (Aphraates,
“Demonstrationes”, 11).
10:17-22. It is easy to appreciate the beauty and majesty of this passage;
it is filled with profound respect for the greatness of God and with tenderness
towards the needy. Deuteronomy makes many appeals (e.g., 14:29; 16:11, 14)
on behalf of orphans, widows and strangers (vv. 18-19). This concern for the
weak is a recurring theme in Holy Scripture (cf., e.g., Mal 3:5; Jas 1:26-27).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 17:22-27
Second Prophecy of the Passion; the Temple Tax
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[22] As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is
to be delivered into the hands of men, [23] and they will kill Him, and He will be
raised on the third day. And they were greatly distressed.
[24] When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went
up to Peter and said, Does not your Teacher pay the tax? 25] He said, Yes.
And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, What do you think,
Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons
or from others? [26] And when he said, From others, Jesus said to him,
Then the sons are free. [27] However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea
and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its
mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give to them for Me and for yourself.
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Commentary:
24-27. Half-shekel, or didrachma: a coin equal in value to the annual contribu-
tion every Jew had to make for the upkeep of the templea days wage of a labo-
rer. The shekel or stater which our Lord refers to in verse 27 was a Greek coin
worth two didrachmas.
Jesus uses things great and small to get His teaching across to His disciples.
Peter, who is to be the rock on which He will found His Church (Matthew 16:18-
19), He prepares by letting him see His dramatic Transfiguration (17:1-8); now
He gives Peter another inkling of His divinity through an apparently unimportant
miracle. We should take note of Jesus teaching method: after His second an-
nouncement of His passion, His disciples are downhearted (Matthew 17:22-23);
here He lifts Peters spirits with this friendly little miracle.
26. This shows how conscientiously our Lord fulfilled His civic duties. Although
the half-shekel tax had to do with religion, given the theocratic structure of Israel
at the time, payment of this tax also constituted a civic obligation.
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Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.