Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Taking the Gospel to Prayer

Today's text is an explanation of Saturday's story. I want to draw our attention to the footnote for the opening line:

* [13:36] Dismissing the crowds: the return of Jesus to the house marks a break with the crowds, who represent unbelieving Israel. From now on his attention is directed more and more to his disciples and to their instruction. The rest of the discourse is addressed to them alone.

First read of this text could have us viewing the disciples as rather dense. They would appear to be missing the point that the ordinary folks in the crowd understood. This footnote, however, points us to a clarification of the textual style. We are at a bend in the telling of the whole story and Matthew will point more and more passages at the disciples.

As always, take your prayer where it needs to go. I offer two options to start:

• Continue to examine your life and cast aside the weeds in your field
• Be attentive to the times that the Lord is speaking directly to you today to clarify His message that He wants you to hear.

Lord Jesus, help me to grow closer to You today.