Word to the Wise
Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - Tuesday in the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
[Exod 2:1-15a and Matt 11:20-24]When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son and called him Moses; for she said, "I drew him out of the water." [Exodus]
The first scripture for daily Eucharist over the next few days will be taken from the Book of Exodus which introduces us to the figure of Moses, truly one of the pivotal persons in the broad story of salvation. Today's passage picks up from yesterday's when Pharaoh orders newborn male Hebrew children to be killed because he is afraid the Hebrews are becoming too numerous. This story will be re-echoed in the Gospel According to Matthew in Herod's order to kill newborns in an effort to destroy Jesus. As I have mentioned here before, the Gospel According to Matthew presents Jesus, in part, as a "new Moses." The story of Moses being taken from the water finds an echo in the actual "exodus event" at the Reed Sea and then, symbolically in baptism.
It is important to remember that the early Christian community told the story of Jesus through the scriptures that they knew, which would have been the Law and the Prophets, and also what were called "the writings" - Psalms, Wisdom, etc. In order to understand what they preached, it would then be important for us to know the story of Moses. Tomorrow the story of Moses and the burning bush will appear - an amazing event which still has a tremendous theological import for us. I urge the Beloved Congregation to follow this story in its broad outline. It is part of our own faith story. AMEN