TWO SONS - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Homily for the 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)

Based on Mt 21:28-32 (Gospel), Ez 18:25-28 (First Reading) and Ph 2:1-11 (Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

TWO SONS

“My boy, go and work in the vineyard today” (Mt 21:28)

The Gospel for this  26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A) is taken from Mt 21:28-32

Verses 28, 29 and 30 say: ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today”. He answered, “I will not go”, but afterwards though better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir”, but did not go.

Parallel text of verse 28 is Si 3:8 that says: Respect your father in deed as well as word, so that blessing may come on you from him…

Verse 31 says: Which of the two did the father’s will?” “The first” they said. Jesus said to them, “I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you.

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Lk 7:29-30 - All the people who heard him, and the tax collectors too, acknowledged God’s plan by accepting baptism from John (v. 29); but by refusing baptism from him the Pharisees and the lawyers had thwarted what God had in mind for them (v. 30).

2.       Lk 18:9-14 - He spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else (v. 9), “Two people went up to the Temple to pray; one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector (v. 10). The Pharisee stood and said this prayer to himself, ‘I thank you  God that I am not  grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here (v. 11). I fast twice a week,  I pay tithes on all I get (v. 12).’ The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring to raise his eyes to heaven; but  he beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner (v. 13).’ This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted (v. 14).

Verse 32 says: For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness,^f but you did not believe him; and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him. Footnote  ^f says “Lit. ‘in the way of righteousness’. Biblical expression: John practiced and preached that conformity with the divine will which makes a man ‘righteous’.”

Parallel text of verse is that says:

1.       Mt 3:6 - And as they were baptized by him in the river of Jordan they confessed their sins.^d Footnote ^d says “The rite of immersion, symbol of purification or of renewal, was familiar to the ancient religions and to Judaism (baptism of proselytes, Essence purification (3:2,6,8,11; Lk 3:10-14); it takes place once only and for this reason appears as a ceremony of initiation; it has an eschatological value in so far as it enrolls its recipients among the number of those who professedly and actively prepare  themselves for the imminent messianic community in anticipation (3:2,11: Jn 1:19-34). It produces a real effect upon the soul but this effect is nor produced sacramentally since it depends on something that has not yet taken place: this future event is God’s Judgment embodied in the coming Messiah whose ‘fire’ will purify or consume according to the good or bad dispositions it meets with; he alone, and not John, will baptize ‘in the Holy Spirit’ (3:7m10-12). John’s baptism continued to be administered by the disciples of Jesus (Jn 4:1-2) until it was absorbed by the new rite which he had instituted (Mt. 28:19; Ac 1:5+; Rm 6:4+).”

2.       Mt 8:10 - When Jesus heard this, he was astonished  and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith^b like this. Footnote ^b says “The faith that Jesus asks for from the outset of public life (Mk. 1:15) and throughout his subsequent career, is that act of trust and self-abandonment by which people no longer rely on their own strength and policies but commit themselves to the power and guiding word of him in whom they believe (Lk. 1:20,45; Mt. 21:25p,32). Christ asks for this faith especially when he works his miracles (8:13; 9:2p; 22p, 28-29; 15:28; Mk 5:36p;10:52p; Lk 17:19) which are not so much acts of mercy as signs attesting his mission and witnessing to the kingdom (8:3+; cf. Jn 2:11+), hence he cannot work miracles               unless he finds the faith without which the miracle lose their true significance (13:58p; 12;38-39; 16:1-4). Since the faith demands the sacrifice of the whole man, mind and heart, it is not an easy act of humility to perform; many decline it, particularly in Israel (8:10p; 15:28; 27:42p; Lk 18;8), or are half-hearted (Mk 9;24; Lk 8;13). Even the disciples are slow to believe (8:26p; 14;31; 18;8; 17:20p) and are still reluctant after the resurrection (28;17; Mk 16:11-14; Lk 24;11,25,41). The most generous faith of all, of the ‘Rock’ (16:16-18), the disciples leader, was destined to the shaken by the outrage of the Passion (26:69-75p) though it was to triumph in the end (Lk 22:32). When faith is strong it works wonders (17:20p; 21:21p; Mk 16:17) and its appeal is never refused (21:22p; Mk 9:23) especially when it asks for forgiveness of sin (9:2p; Lk 7:50) and for that salvation of which it is the necessary condition (Lk 8;12; Mk 16:16, cf. Ac 3:16+).”

3.       Lk 7:37-50 - The woman who was a sinner^g…a woman^h came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of ointment (v. 37). She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears began fell on his feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with kisses and anointed them with the ointment (v. 38). When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman that is touching him and what a bad names he has(v. 39).”Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you. ’‘Speak, Master,’ was his reply (v.40). ‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty (v.41). They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more? (v. 42)’  ‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon.” Jesus said, ‘You are right (v.43)’.Then he turned to the woman. ‘Simon,’ he said “you see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them with her hair (v.44). You gave me no kiss, but she has been coveringmy feet with kissing ever since I came inⁱ (v.45).You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment (v.46) For this reason I tell you that her many sins, must have been forgiven her; or she would not have shown such great love.^j It is the man whois forgiven little who shows littlelove (v. 47).” Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven (v. 48).” Thosewho were with him at table began to say to themselves, “Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?”’ (v. 49). But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace (v. 51). Footnote ^g says “Lk only. This episode is not the same as the same as the anointing at Bethany.”; Footnote ^h says “Most probably not Mary of Magdala, 8:2, and still less, Mary, sister of Martha, 10:39; Jn 11:1,2,5; 12:2-3.”; Footnote ^I says “Var. ‘ever since she came.’”; and Footnote ^j says “Not, as is usually translated, ‘her many sins are forgiven her because she has shown such great love’. The context demands the reverse: she shows so much affection because she had so many sins forgiven.”

4.       Lk 19:1-10 - He entered Jericho and was going through the town (v. 1), when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance;  he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man (v. 2). He was anxious to see what kind of a man Jesus was; but he  was short and could not see him for the crowd (v. 3); so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way (v. 4). When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and spoke to him: “Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today (v. 5).” And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully (v. 6). They all complained when they saw what was happening. “He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house” they said (v. 7). But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, “Look, sir, I am going to give  half of my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount (v. 8).”^a And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a son of Abraham (v. 9); ^b For the Son of Man has come to seek out and to save what was lost (v. 10).” Footnote ^a says “Fourfold restitution was imposed by the Jewish law (Ex 21:37) for one case only; Roman law demanded it of all convicted thieves. Zaccheus goes further: he acknowledges the obligation in the case of any injustice he may have been responsible for”.; and Footnote ^b says “Notwithstanding his despised profession. No social rank excludes ‘salvation’, cf. 3:12-14. All the Jewish privileges follow from ‘sonship of Abraham,’ cf. 3:8; Rm 4:11f; Ga 3:7f.”

The First Reading is taken from Ez 18:25-28 that says: But you object, ‘What the Lord does is unjust”. Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.

The Second Reading is taken from Ph 2:1-11.

Verse 1 says: If your life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all,^a or the Spirit^b that we have I common, or any tenderness or sympathy. Footnote  ^a says “Lit. ‘If there is any exhortation in Christ, if there I s any incentive in love’; this is a very friendly but a very powerful appeal, in the name of all that is holiest.”; and  Footnote ^b says “Almost certainly meant to be taken as a Trinitarian reference: in this case ‘love’ is appropriated to the Father, cf. 2 Co 13:13+.

Parallel texts  are:

1.       2 Co 10:1 - This is a personal matter; this is Paul himself appealing to you by the gentleness and patience of Christ-I, the man who is so humble when he is facing you, but bullies you when he is at a distance.^a Footnote ^a says “Allusion to the sarcastic remarks of Apostle Paul’s opponents, cf. v. 10.”

2.       2 Co 13:13 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.^e Footnote ^e says “The Trinitarian formula probably derived from liturgical usage, cf also Mt. 28:19, is echoed in many passages of the epistles where the several functions of the three Persons are referred to as the various contexts suggests: Rm 1:4+; 15:16,30+; 1 Co 2:10-16; 6:11,14, 15, 19; 12:4-6; Tt 3:5f; Heb 9:14; 1 P 1:2; 3:18; 1 Jn 4:2; Rv 1:4f; 22:1; cf Ac 10:38; 20:28; Jn 14:16,18,23. Note in 1 Co 6:11; Ep 4:4-6 the triple formulation emphasizing the Trinitarian thought. Cf also the trio of the theological virtues in 1 Co 133+.”

3.       Ga 5:10 - I feel sure that, united in the Lord, you^d will agree with me, and anybody who troubles you in future will be condemned, no matter who he is. Footnote   ^d says “Or else ‘I have confidence in the Lord that you’.”

Verse 2 says: then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy^c Footnote  ^c says “The urgent plea for unity suggests that internal divisions threatened the peace of the Church of Philippi, cf. 1:27; 2:14; 4:2. Note how Paul keeps insisting that he is addressing all of them, 1:1,4,6,25; 2:17,26; 4:21.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Rm 15:5 - And may he who helps us when we refuse to give up, help you all to be tolerant with each other,^a following example of Christ Jesus… Footnote ^a says “i.e. to be thoughtful for each other. Others interpret ‘to live in good understanding of each other’, ‘to live in agreement with each other’”

2.       Ph 1:4…every  time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy,^b Footnote   ^b says “Joy is one of the chief characteristics of this letter; cf. 1:18,25; 2:2,17,28,29; 3:1; 4:1,4,10.”

Verse 3 says: There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself,

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ac 20:19…how I served the Lord with all humility, and with the sorrows and trials that came to me through of the plots of the Jews.

2.       Rm 12:3,10 - In the light  of the grace  I have received I want to urge each one of you not to exaggerate his real importance. Each of you must judge himself soberly by eth standard of the faith God has given him (v. 3). Love each other as brothers should; and have a profound respect for each other ^d (v. 10). Footnote   ^d says “Or ‘outdo each other in mutual esteem’.”

3.       1 Co 1:10f  - All the same, I do appeal to you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, to make the differences between you, and instead of disagreeing among yourselves, to be united again in your belief and practice.

4.       Ga 5:26 - We must stop being conceited, provocative and envious.

Verse 4 says: so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of the other people’s interests instead.

Parallel text of verse 4 is 1 Co 10:24 that says:  Nobody should be looking for his own advantage, but everybody for the other man’s.

Verse 5 says: In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:^d Footnote   ^d   says “Vv 6-11 are a hymn, though whether composed or only quoted by Paul is uncertain. Each stanza deals with one stage of the mystery of Christ: divine pre-existence, kenosis in the Incarnation, his further kenosis in death, his glorification, adoration by the cosmos, new title of Lord. This hymn is concerned solely with the historical Christ in whose personality godhead and manhood are not divided; Paul nowhere divorces the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, though he does distinguish his various stages of existence, cf. Col 1:13f.”

Parallel text is Jn 13:15 that says: I have given you an example to follow, so that you may copy  I have done to you.

Verse 6  says: His state was divine,^e  yet he did not cling to his equality with God^f …Footnote ^e says “Lit. ‘Who subsisting in the form of God’: here ‘form’ means all the attributes that express and reveal the essential ‘nature’ of God; Christ, being God, had all the divine prerogatives by right.”; Footnote ^f  says “Lit. ‘did not deem being on an equality with God as something to grasp’ or ‘hold on to’. This refers not to his equality by nature ‘subsisting in the form of God’, and which Christ could not have surrendered, but to his being publicly treated and honored as equal to God which was a thing that Jesus (unlike Adam, Gn 3:5,22, who wanted to be seen to be like God) could and did give up in his human life;”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Jn 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word,^a the Word was with God and the Word was God (v . 1). He was in the beginning with God (v.2). Footnote ^a- The O.T. speaks of the Word of God, and of his wisdom, present with God before the world was made, cf. Pr. 8:22+; Ws. 7:22+, by it all things were created, it is sent to earth to reveal the hidden designs of God; it returns to him with its work done, Is. 58:10-11, Pr. 8:22-36, Si. 24:3-22, Ws. 9:9-12.  On its creature role, cf. also Gn. 1:3,6 etc.: Is 40:8,26, 44:24-28; 48:13, Ps. 33:6, Jdt. 16:14, Si.42:15; on its mission, cf. Ws. 18:14-16, Ps.107:20; 147:15-18.  For John, too, 13:3, 16:28, the Word existed before the world in God, 1:1-2, 8:24+, 10:30+. It has come on earth, 1:9-14, 3:19, 12:46, cf. Mk 1:38+, being sent by the Father; 3:17,34,5:36, 43, 6:29, 7:29, 8:42, 9:7, 10:36, 11:42, 17:3,25,cf. Lk 4:43, to perform a task, 4:34+, namely, to deliver 3:11+, 8:21, 12:35, 13:3, 16:5, 17:11, 13, 20:17.  The incarnation enabled the N.T. and especially John, to see this separately and eternally existent Word-Wisdom as a person.

2.       Jn 17:5 - Now, Father, it is time to glorify me with the glory I had with you^f before ever the world was. Footnote ^f says “Var. ‘the glory which was with you’ or ‘the glory with which I was’ or ‘the glory with you’.”

3.       Col 1:15-20 - Christ is the head of all creation^e. He is the image of the unseen God, and the firstborn of all creation, for him were created all things in heaven and on earth: everything visible and everything invisible, Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers - all things were created through him and for him. Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity. Now the church is his body, he is the head,^f As he is the Beginning, he was first to be born from the dead, so that he should be first in every way. Because God wanted all perfection to be found in him^g,and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,^h everything in heaven and everything on earth,ⁱ when he made peace by his death on the cross. Footnote ^e says “In this poem Paul introduces two ways in which can claim to be the ‘head’ of everything that exists:1. He is the head of creation, of all that exists naturally, vv. 15-17; 2. He is head of the new creation and all that exists supernaturally through having been saved, vv. 18-20. The subject of the poem is the pre-existent Christ, but considered only in so far as he is manifest in the unique historic person that is the Son of God made man, cf. Ph 2:5+. It is as the incarnate God that Jesus is the ‘image of God’, i.e. his human nature was the visible manifestation of God who is invisible, cf.Rm 8:29+, and it is as such, in this concrete human nature, and as part of creation, that Jesus is called the ‘first born of creation’ - not in the temporal sense of having been born first, but in the sense of having been given the first place of honor.”; Footnote ^f says “On the church a Christ’s body, cf. 1 Co. 12:12f, he is called the ‘head’ of his own body both in a temporal sense (v. 18, i.e., he was the first to rise from the dead) and in a spiritual sense (v. 20, i.e. he is the leader of all the saved).”; Footnote ^g says “Lit. ‘because (God) wanted the pleroma to dwell in him”. The exact meaning of the word ‘pleroma’ (i.e. the thing that fills up a gap or hole, like a patch, cf. Mt. 9:16) is not certain here. Some writers have thought it must mean the same as in 2:9 (the fullness of divinity that filled Jesus) but since vv. 15-18 have already dealt with the divinity of Jesus, it seems likely that the reference here is to the biblical concept of the entire cosmos as filled with the creative presence of God, cf. Is. 6:3, Jr. 23:24, Ps. 24:1, 50:12, 72:19, Ws. 1:7, Sir. 43:27, etc. The concept was also widespread in the Graeco-Roman world. Paul teaches that the incarnation and resurrection make Christ head not only of the entire human race, but of the entire created universe (cosmos), so that everything that was involved in the fall is equally involved in salvation, cf. Rm. 8:19-23, 1 Co. 3:22f, 15:20-28, Ep. 1:10, 4:10, Ph. 2:10f., 3:2f, Heb. 2:5-8, Cf. 2:9+.”; Footnote ^h says “i.e. through and for  Christ, cf. the parallel ‘though him and for him’ of v. 16. Alternatively, it could read “God wanted everything…to be reconciled to himself, though him who made peace…’ cf. Rm 5:10; 2 Co 5:18f.”; and Footnote ⁱ says “This reconciliation of the whole universe (including angels as well as human beings) means not that every single individual will be saved, but that all who are saved will be saved by their collective return to the right order and peace of perfect submission to God. Any individual who do not join this new creation through grace will be forced to join it, cf. 2:15; 1 Co 15:24-25 (the heavenly spirits) and 2 Th 1:8-9; 1 Co 6:9-10; Ga. 5:21; Rm 2:8; Ep 5:5 (men).”

4.       Heb 1:3 - He is the radiant light of God’s glory and the perfect copy of his nature,^c sustaining the universe by his powerful command; and now that he has destroyed the defilement of sin, he has gone to take his place in heaven at the right hand of divine Majesty. Footnote ^c says “These two metaphors are borrowed from the Sophia and logos theologies of Alexandria, Ws 7:25-26; they express both the identity of nature between Father and Son, and the distinction of person. The Son is the brightness, the light shining from its source, which is the bright glory, cf. Ex. 24:16+, of the Father (‘Light from Light’). He is also the replica, cf. Col 1:15+, of the Father’s substance, like an exact impression made by a seal on clay or wax, cf. Jn 14:9.”

Verse 7 says: but emptied himself^g to assume the condition of a slave,^h and became as men areⁱ;  Footnote ^g says ‘He emptied himself’; this is not so much a reference to the fact of the incarnation, as to the way it took place. What Jesus freely gave up was not his divine nature, but the glory to which his divine nature entitled him, and which had been his before the incarnation, Jn 17:5, and, which ‘normally’ speaking would have been observable in his human body (cf. the transfiguration, Mt 17:1-8). He voluntarily deprived himself of this so that it could be returned to him by the Father, cf. Jn 8:50,54, after his sacrifice, vv.9-11.”; Footnote ^h says ‘slave’ as opposed to ‘Kyrios’ v. 11, cf. Ga 4:1; Col 3:22f. Christ as man led a life of submission and humble obedience, v. 8. This is probably a reference to the ‘servant’ of Is 52:13-53:12, cf. Is 42:1”; Footnote ⁱ says “Not just ‘a human being’ but a human being ‘like others’; sharing all the weaknesses of the human condition apart from sin’.

Parallel texts are:

1.       2 Co 8:9 - Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was:^b he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. Footnote ^b says “Lit. ‘the generosity (or perhaps ‘grace’) of the Lord Jesus’.”

2.       Rv 5:12…shouting, ‘The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches,ⁱ  wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.’ Footnote ⁱ says “Vulg. ‘divinity.’”

3.       Mt 20:28…just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom^g for many.^h’ Footnote  ^g says  “By sin man incurs, as a debt to the divine justice, the punishment of death demanded by the Law, cf. 1 Co. 15:56; 2 Co. 3:7,9; Ga. 3:13; Rm. 8:3-4, with notes. To ransom them from this slavery of sin and death, Rm. 3:24+. Christ is to pay the ransom and discharge the debt with the price of his blood, 1 Co. 6:20; 7:23; Ga. 3:13; 4:5, with notes, By thus dying in place of the guilty, he fulfills the prophesied function of the ‘servant of Yahweh’ (Is. 53). The Hebr. word translated ‘many’, Is. 53:11f, contrast the enormous crowd of the redeemed with the one Redeemer: it does not imply that the number of redeemed is limited, Rm. 5:6-21. Cf. Mt. 26:28+.”;  Footnote ^h says “At this point some authorities insert the following passage, derived probably from some apocryphal gospel ‘But as for you, from littleness you seek to grow great and from greatness you make yourselves small. When you are invited to a banquet do not take one of the places of honor, because someone more important than you may arrive and then the steward will have to say, “Move down lower”, and you would be covered with confusion. Take the lowest place, and then if someone less important than you comes in, the steward will say to you, “Move up higher”, and that will be to your advantage.’ Cf. Lk. 14:8-10.”

4.       Rm 8:3 - God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. ^c God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body^d God condemned sin. Footnote  ^c says “The mosaic Law, imposed from without, could not be an inward principle of salvation, 7:7+. Christ alone, who by his death destroyed our unspiritual nature (lit. ‘flesh’) in his own person, could destroy sin whose domain the ‘flesh’ was. Man formerly carnal is now, though union with Christ, spiritual.”;  and Footnote ^d says “Lit. ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh and in that flesh…’

5.       Ga 4:4 - But when the appointed time^c came, God sent his son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law. Footnote ^c - Lit. ‘fullness of time’; the phrase indicates how when the messianic age comes it will fill a need felt for centuries, rather like filling up a jug. Cf. Ac 1:7+ and Mk 1:15; 1 Co 10:11; Ep 1:10; Heb 1”2; 9:26; 1 P 1:20.

6.       Heb 2:17 - It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers so  that he could be a compassionate  and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins.

Verse 8 says: and being as all men are,^j  he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross.

Footnote ^j says  “Lit. ‘And in fashion found as man’.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Is 49:4 - While I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing, and all the while my cause was with Yahweh, my reward with my God.

2.       1 P 5:6 - Bow down, then before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day;^g Footnote ^g says “Add (Vulg.) ‘of the coming;’, cf. 2:12.”

3.       Mt 26:39 - And going on a little further he fell on his face and prayed. ‘My Father,’ he said ‘if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as you, not I, would have it’ⁿ Footnote ⁿ says “Jesus feels the full ‘force of the human fear of death; he feels the instinctive urge to escape, gives expression to it and then stifles it by his acceptance of the Father’s will.”

4.       Rm 5:19 - As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.^m Footnote ^m says “Not only at the Last Judgment (for Paul regards justification as a present condition, cf. 5:1, etc.)’ but progressively as each individual becomes reborn in Christ.”

5.       Heb 5:8 - Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering.

6.       Heb12:2 - Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection: for the sake of the joy which was still in the future, he endured the cross, disregarding the shamefulness of it, and from now on has taken his place at the right hand of God’s throne.

Verse 9 says: But God raised him high^k and gave him the name^l which is above all other names^m. Footnote ^k says “Lit ‘super-raised him’; by the resurrection and ascension”; Footnote ^l says “Named him ‘Lord’, v. 11; or, at a deeper level, gave him an ineffable and divine name which, through the triumph of the risen Christ, can now be expressed by the title Kyrios, Lord, cf. Ac 2:21; 3:16+; Footnote ^m says “Greater even than the angels, cf. Ef 1:21; Heb 1:4; 1 P 3:22”; 

Parallel texts are:

1.       Is 52:13 - See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.

2.       Mt 23:12 - Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.

3.       Jn 10:17 - The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.

4.       Ep 1:20-23…at work  in Christ when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven (v. 20), far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power or Dominion,^t or any other name that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come (v. 21) He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church (v. 22), which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation^u (v. 23). Footnote ^t says “Names traditional in Jewish literature for angelic hierarchies.”; Footnote ^u says “Lit. ‘fills all in all’. The Church, as the body of Christ, 1 Co. 12:12f, can be called the fullness (pleroma); cf. Infra 3:19, 4:13) in so far as it includes the whole new creation that shares (since it forms the setting of the human race) in the cosmic rebirth under Christ its ruler and head, cf. Col. 1:15-20f. The adverbial phrase ‘all in all’ is used to suggest something of limitless size, cf. 1 Co. 6, 15:28, Col. 3:11.”

Verse 10 says: so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and the underworld,ⁿ should bend the knee at the name of Jesus. Footnote ⁿ says “The three cosmic divisions that cover the entire creation, cf. Rv 5:3,13”; and Footnote ^o says “Var. ‘and every tongue shall acclaim’

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ep 4:10 - The one who rose higher than all the heavens to fill all things^g is not other than the one who descended. Footnote ^g says “By ascending through all the cosmic spheres and taking possession of them all one after another, Christ became the head of the whole pleroma or total cosmos, 1:10+, and makes the entire universe acknowledge him as ‘Lord’; cf 1:20-23; Col 1:19; Ph 2:8-11.”

2.       Is 45:23 - By my own self, I swear it; what comes from my mouth is truth, a word irrevocable: before me  every knee shall bend, by me every tongue shall swear.

3.       Rm 14:11 - For scripture says: By my life- it is the Lord who speaks- every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall praise God.”

Verse 11 says: and that every tongue should acclaim ^o Jesus Christ as Lord, ^p to the glory of God the Father. ^q   Footnote ^p says “Om. ‘Christ’. This proclamation is the essence of the Christian creed, Rm. 10:9, 1 Co. 12:3, cf. Col. 2:6. The use of Is. 45:23 (in which this homage is addressed to Yahweh himself) is a clear indication of the divine character that is meant to be understood by the title Kyrios, cf. Jn. 20:28, Ac. 2:36’; Footnote ^q says “Vulg. Interpretation is ‘proclaim that Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father’”.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ac 2:36 - For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.

2.       Rm 1:4 - It is about Jesus Christ our Lord who is the order of the spirit, the spirit of holiness that is in him, was proclaimed^c Son of God in all his power through his resurrection from the dead.^d Footnote ^c says “Vulg. ‘predestined’.”; and Footnote ^d says “For Paul Christ rose only because God raised him, 1 Th. 1:10; 1 Co. 6:14; 15:15; 2 Co. 4:14; Ga. 1:1; Rm. 4:24; 10:9; Ac. 2:24+; cf. 1 P. 1:21, thus displaying his ‘power’, 2 Cor. 13:4; Rm. 6:4; Ph. 3:10; Col. 2:12; Ep. 1:19f; Heb. 7:16;  and because God raised him to life through the Holy Spirit, Rm. 8:11. Christ is established in glory as Kyrios, Ph 2:9-11+; Ac 2:36; Rm 14:9, deserving anew, this time in virtue of his messianic work, the name he had from eternity, ‘son of God’, Ac 13:33, Heb 1:5; %:5. Cf. Rm 8:11+; 9:5+.”

3.       Rm10:9 - If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, ^e then you will be saved. Footnote ^e says “Profession of faith, such as is made at baptism, is the outward expression of the inward commitment of the ‘heart’.”

4.       1 Co 12:3 - It is for that reason that I want you to understand that on the one hand no one can be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit and say, ‘Curse Jesus’, and on the other hand, no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.