What do we read?

The tendency we have to read things into texts that support our point of view and our theories of how things are or should be can be uncovered as we meditate on the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today. The Book of Deuteronomy is described by Jewish scholars as presenting God’s choice of Israel, and the love and faithfulness which He has manifested toward it; from which are deduced the great practical duties of loyal and loving devotion to Him, an absolute and uncompromising repudiation of all false gods, a warm and spontaneous obedience to His will, and a large-hearted and generous attitude toward men. We often read privilege and distance into the concept of being chosen. This is not the “chosen” of Deuteronomy. Friar JudeWinkler picks up the chosen nature of the people of Israel who went down to Egypt and restates the obligation which Moses speaks to them to bring their experience of the Love of God to all people. The psalmist joins the chorus of praise of God for the great things which have been experience by Israel as a consequence of the choice of God. The Gospel of Matthew offers an understanding of Jesus as God who is embracing human life, showing it as the great gift of the Father, which He will surrender as testimony to the depth of His Love for humanity. The Temple tax which, according to some commentators, was imposed as an annual tax on all Jews from age 20 to 50 for the upkeep of the Temple, is identified in a rabbinical dialog as not applying to Jesus, Son of God, and Peter, his brother in the Kingdom, as the children of the king do not pay tax. However, the law must be respected and the fish from the Sea of Galilee, likely atilapia, serves to deliver the required money. What else do we read into this episode in Matthew? Some base the age of Jesus disciples on this passage. Friar Jude offers us the insight to understand Peter better as the leader in the group of disciples. Perhaps our appreciation of the need to respect civil and religious law is changed?