Episode 38: Year A – 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time
In this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word, we focus on four details found in this upcoming Sunday Mass readings. One detail comes from the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 9, verses 1-5. The other three come from the Gospel, which is taken from Matthew 14:22-33. The relevant apologetical topics for the three details in the Gospel are the Historical Reliability of the Gospels, Jesus’ Divinity, and the reality of Christ’s human nature. The detail in the second reading doesn’t have any relevance for apologetics. However, it does give rise to an important question: Can I desire to go Hell so that my loved one might be saved?
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Hey everyone,
Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings and pick out the details that are relevant for explaining and defending our Catholic faith.
I’m Karlo Broussard, staff apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers, and the host for this podcast.
In this episode, we’re going to focus on four details found in this upcoming Sunday Mass readings. One comes from the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 9, verses 1-5. The other three details come from the Gospel, which is taken from Matthew 14:22-33. The relevant apologetical topics for the three details in the Gospel are the Historical Reliability of the Gospels, Jesus’ Divinity, and the reality of Christ’s human nature. The detail in the second reading doesn’t have any relevance for apologetics. However, it does give rise to an important question: Can I desire to go Hell so that my loved one might be saved?
Let’s start with the detail from the second reading. Again, it’s taken from Romans 9:1-5. Paul writes,
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness 2 that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5 theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen
The detail that I want to focus on is Paul’s statement, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.” His “kin according to the flesh” refers to his fellow Israelites.
This raises the question: Are we permitted to desire to go to Hell so that our loved ones might go to Heaven? This is important because I’ve heard Catholics say that they would.
The answer to the question is no. It would seem, however, this is what Paul is saying. But that’s not the case. Paul is using hyperbole here. This is something Paul is fond of doing.
Consider, for example, how he says in 1 Corinthians 13:1 that even if he could speak in the tongue of angels he would be a resounding gong if he didn’t have love. Well, angels don’t speak a language. They are pure spirits. Paul is using hyperbole here to express the idea that charity is what’s most important, no matter what kind of extraordinary charisms you have.
Similarly, when Paul says that he would wish to be accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of his fellow Israelites, he’s using hyperbole to express the idea that he’s distraught over the fact that some of his fellow Israelites are not united to Christ and that he desires them to be so.
With that detail out the way, let’s now turn to the Gospel, which, again, is taken from Matthew 14:22-33. This is the story of Jesus walking on water and bidding Peter to do the same. Here’s Matthew’s report:
22 Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. 27 At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 After they got into the boat, the wind died down. 33 k Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God
The first detail that I want to focus on here is found in verse 23: “After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.”
The reason I highlight this verse is because some might challenge Matthew here and say that Matthew is contradicting what John says in his Gospel. St. Thomas Aquinas brings up this possible objection in his Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.
There are two ways that someone might pose a challenge. First, note that Matthew records Jesus doing this after he feeds the five thousand, which according to John was done “on a mountain” (John 6:3-5). Yet, Matthew says here that Jesus “went up on the mountain by himself.” How can Jesus go up on a mountain by himself when according to John they were already on a mountain? Matthew seems to conflict with John here.
Second, John says that Jesus fled after He fed the five thousand because they wanted to make him king (John 6:15). Matthew, however, says that Jesus went up on a mountain “to pray” (
Matt. 14:23). Which is it? Did Jesus go to get away or did he go to pray?
Concerning the first objection, Aquinas explains that Jesus “fed them on the mountain, and afterward went up onto a higher place on the mountain.” In other words, Jesus and the five thousand were on an elevated plane of a mountain and afterwards Jesus went up to a higher point. That makes sense of the text.
Another possible explanation is that after feeding the five thousand Jesus and the multitudes walk down from the mountain and then Jesus retreated back to the mountain from which they came. This fits with what John says in John 6:15: “Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.” The Greek word for again, palin, is used. So, Matthew’s mention of Jesus retreating to a mountain may be John’s mention of Jesus’ return to the mountain.
So, given the two plausible explanations above, there’s no conflict here.
Concerning the second challenge above—that Matthew conflicts with John as to the reason why Jesus goes to the mountain, whether to flee from the crowds (John’s version) or to pray (Matthew’s version)—Aquinas appeals to Augustine, who says that “the same thing can be the cause both of the fleeing and of the praying.” In other words, that the crowds wanted to take him away and make him king can be a single cause of two effects: Jesus’ fleeing and Jesus retreating to the mountain to be alone. So, the answer to the challenge is that it’s both-and—Jesus went to the mountain both to flee the crowds and to pray.
Again, no conflict here.
The second detail in the Gospel is the combination of Jesus’ statement “I am he” and his walking on water amid a storm. Matthew reports that the boat “was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it” (v.24). And then Matthew says Jesus approached the disciples in the boat “walking on the sea” (v.25) and saying, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid” (v.28).
The first thing to note is the Greek for Jesus’ statement “It is I”: ego eimi. This Greek phrase can be translated in two ways. First, it can be translated as “It is I” in the sense of “Hey guys, it’s me!” For example, in Luke 24:39, after the resurrection, the disciples don’t recognize Jesus so he says, “It is myself” (Greek egō eimi autos)—that’s to say, “Hey guys, it’s me.”
A second way to translate ego eimi is “I Am” in the sense of “I’m Yahweh—He Who Is!” It’s used in this divine sense in John 8:58 where Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I Am!”
Now, the use of ego eimi in our Gospel, at least on a literal historical level, seems to be in the first sense. Jesus is calming the fears of the apostles in the boat saying, “Hey guys, don’t worry it’s me! I’m not a ghost.”
However, a case can be made that that it’s being used to convey the idea that Jesus is God. And, perhaps, even if not on a primary level, for sure on a secondary level.
Consider how Jesus says egō eimi within the context of manifesting his power over the wind and sea. This is significant in two ways.
First, in the Old Testament God is the one with power over the wind and sea (see Job 26:11-12, Ps. 104:1-7; Ps. 106:8-9; Ps. 107:23-30). Second, Jesus’ use of “I Am” within the context of walking on water parallels God’s use of “I Am” when talking to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14-15. Both involve the display of power over nature.
So, a case can be made that Jesus meant to identify himself to the disciples as egō eimi—I am who am. He was telling them, “I’m God!”
Now, given the first reading for this upcoming Sunday from 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13, which speaks of how the Lord God will pass by the cave in which Elijah is dwelling, the Church seems to want us to take Jesus’ statement, “Ego eimi” in the divine sense. Just as a “strong and heavy wind” is said to be “rending the mountain” and Yahweh will pass by the cave, so too there is a strong wind rending the sea and Jesus is passing by the disciples. So, taking Jesus’ response to the disciples in the divine sense at least has liturgical confirmation.
There’s one last detail to focus on here for our purposes: Peter’s walking on water. Some in the past have argued that this proves Jesus didn’t have a real body. If Jesus were a real body, so it was argued, then Jesus would sink. Since he doesn’t, he must not have a real body.
Aquinas deals with this objection in his Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. His response? “If Christ did not have a true body, since he walked on water, then neither did Peter.” In other words, if Jesus’ walking on water were evidence that Jesus didn’t have a real body, then so too Peter’s walking on water would be evidence that he doesn’t have a real body, which is absurd.
So, the detail of Peter’s walking on water has apologetical value as well. Who knew?
Conclusion
Well, that does it for this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word. The readings for this upcoming 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A is not wanting when it comes to apologetical details. We reflected on 3 topics:
- The Historical Reliability of the Gospels,
- The Divinity of Jesus, and
- The Reality of Christ’s Human Nature, in particular His body
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I hope you have a blessed 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time.