Great peace in guidance

The theme of the great gifts of God for the people who are identified in the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today as set aside or chosen by God is both welcome and disturbing. The Book of Deuteronomy is dated to the seventh century BCE. Friar Jude Winkler comments, with others, that the Jewish people at this time were moving from belief which was henotheist, there are many gods but Israel has chosen the True God, to monotheism, there is One God. The text recalls how God has chosen them to be delivered to the Promised Land by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. This power play for one group of Chosen at the expense of the other by “³⁸driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves” is one difficulty with the text. The scholars ofDeuteronomy note the great commandment of Love of God and Neighbour which is central to living in relationship with God who has destroyed anxiety about the Divine nature. The text from the Hebrew bible is matched with Jesus description to His Disciples in the Gospel of Matthew that those who follow Him will need to deny themselves and lose their lives if they desire to keep their Life in Eternal Relationship with Him. The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus, the King of the Jews and the descendant of David. The journey that Moses prepares the Israelites to begin across the Jordan in the Promised Land is continued as the Jewish audience of Jesus is invited to follow Him, the Son of Man coming into His kingdom which will bring intimacy with the Divine now and for eternity through the self giving which commands the Chosen to be the Love of God to all.