1. Welcome to our Bible Study
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time A
24 August 2014
In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy
In aid of focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

2. 1st reading: Isaiah 22:19-23
 19 I will thrust you from your office and pull you
down from your station. 20 On that day I will
summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; 21
I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him
with your sash, and give over to him your
authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 I
will place the key of the House of David on his
shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut,
when he shuts, no one shall open. 23 I will fix
him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of
honor for his family.
The focus is on authority.

3. 1st reading: Isaiah 22:19-23
 19 I will thrust you from
your office and pull you
down from your station.
20 On that day I will
summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah; 21
I will clothe him with your
robe, and gird him with
your sash, and give over
to him your authority. He
shall be a father to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
22 I will place the key of
the House of David on his
shoulder; when he opens,
no one shall shut, when he
shuts, no one shall open.
23 I will fix him like a peg
in a sure spot, to be a
place of honor for his
family.
Commentary
 In v.19, God talks to Shebna (master of
the palace).
 God is removing him from office. He
says it in parallel form: I will thrust you //
will pull you down.
 In his place, he will call on Eliakim. V.20
 Vv.21-23 enumerate what God will do to
Eliakim.
 V.21 talks about the investiture of the
new authority.
 I will clothe him with your robe
 I will gird him with your sash
 In parallel form, v.21b indicates
Eliakim’s role: the father of inhabitants
of Jerusalem // to the house of Judah.
 In v.22, Eliakim will receive the symbolic
key of authority.
 No one will go against him.
 V.23 indicates his tenure (fixed).

4. Eliakim: also referred to in Isaiah 36:3; he is described as loyal
to God.
Refer to vv. 15-18
•For hewing a tomb for himself up high
•For carving a room for himself in the
rock. Parallelism again.
He is a self-serving
servant.
Shebna is stripped off of his authority. His paraphernalia is taken
away from him and transferred to Eliakim.

5. Reflections on the 1st reading
 God does not allow his servants to serve
themselves.
 God abhors servants, who use their entrusted
authority for their selfish interests.
 God seeks their immediate replacement.
 Never forget the one who gave you authority
or you will be humiliated.
 To the loyal servant of God, he gives
permanent authority.

6. Resp. Ps. 138:1-2. 2-3. 6. 8
 R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work
of your hands.
 1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
2 in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
 2 I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
3 When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
 6 The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
8 Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.

7. Resp. Ps. 138:1-2. 2-3. 6. 8
 R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal;
do not forsake the work of your
hands.
 1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my
mouth;
2 in the presence of the angels I will
sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
 2 I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your
truth:
3 When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
 6 The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly
he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
8 Your kindness, O LORD, endures
forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
Commentary
 The psalm is a psalm of
thanksgiving.
 In vv.1 and 2, the psalmist
expresses his joy and thanksgiving.
 The reason: God has heard his
prayers.
 He will give thanks in different ways:
 I will give thanks
 I will sing your praise
 I will worship at your Temple
 V.2 repeats v.1.
 The psalmist is happy to experience
God’s kindness.
 V.3 repeats the reason in v.1:
 God has answered his prayers.
 In v.6, the psalmist sees God as
high above, yet, looks at the lowly.
 V.8 adds more information on God’s
kindness:
 It endures forever

8. Reflections on the Psalm
 Like the psalmist, we must be thankful
to God.
 God is ever kind to us.
 He listens to our prayers.
 We must express our thanksgiving to
him, not just in silent prayer.
 We sing, we participate, we lead in the
liturgy.

9. 2nd reading: Romans 11:33-36
 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and
knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his
judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord or
who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has
given him anything that he may be repaid?" 36
For from him and through him and for him are
all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
The focus is on God’s mind.

10. Second Reading: Rom 11:33-36
Paul’s hymn to God’s mercy and wisdom
Deep amazement: Interjections
 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and
knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments
and how unsearchable his ways!
Questionings !!!
 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has
been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given him anything
that he may be repaid?“
Doxology
 36 For from him and through him and for him are all
things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
A simple outline!

11. Second Reading: Romans 11:33-36
Deep amazement:
Interjections
 33 Oh, the depth of the
riches and wisdom and
knowledge of God! How
inscrutable are his
judgments and how
unsearchable his ways!
Questionings !!!
 34 "For who has known
the mind of the Lord or
who has been his
counselor?" 35 "Or who
has given him anything
that he may be repaid?“
Doxology
 36 For from him and
through him and for him
are all things. To him be
glory forever. Amen.
Commentary
 In v.33, Paul expresses his feelings about
God’s
 Riches (very rich)
 Wisdom (very deep)
 Knowledge (very deep)
 Judgments (flawless)
 Ways (mysterious, untraceable)
 In vv.34-35, Paul expresses his
amazement, too, on God’s brilliance,
integrity, and self-sufficiency, in the form
of questionings.
 No one can know the mind (the reasoning)
of the Lord.
 No one can give him advice.
 No one can pay him back for his
goodness.
 V.36 is the highest outburst of Paul’s
sense of awe and wonder of God, who is
unfathomable.
 Here, Paul is like a psalmist.

12. Reflections on the 2nd reading
 We cannot measure the wisdom of God.
 His way of dealing with us is deep.
 We cannot understand why God allows things
to happen and not to happen.
 We, who experience his greatness, cannot but
glorify him.
 Do you glorify God in the midst of your
questionings?

13. Gospel reading: Matt 16:13-20
 13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea
Philippi 2 he asked his disciples, "Who do people say
that the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say
John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or
one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do
you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter said in reply, "You
are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus
said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of
Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but my heavenly Father. 18 And so I say to you, you
are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and
the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven." 20 Then he strictly ordered his disciples to
tell no one that he was the Messiah.
The focus is on the authority of Peter.

14. Gospel reading: Matt 16:13-20
Setting
 13 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
Jesus according to the people
 2 he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Jesus according to the apostles
 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter
said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus gives authority to Peter
 17 Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly
Father. 18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail
against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever
you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he strictly
ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.
A simple outline!

15. Gospel reading: Matt 16:13-20
Setting
 13 When Jesus went into
the region of Caesarea
Philippi
Jesus according to the
people
 he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that
the Son of Man is?" 14
They replied, "Some say
John the Baptist, others
Elijah, still others Jeremiah
or one of the prophets."
Jesus according to the
apostles
 15 He said to them, "But
who do you say that I
am?" 16 Simon Peter said
in reply, "You are the
Messiah, the Son of the
living God."
Commentary
 V.13 provides the setting of Jesus’
questioning.
 As they go into this region of
Caesarea Philippi, he asks his
disciples how they perceive him.
Vv. 13b-15
 How deep/shallow do the people
know him?
 How deep do the apostles know
him?
 At this point, it is important that
Jesus’ true identity must be
affirmed (for us or by us readers).
 The people did not get him right.
 The apostles did. V.16

16. Gospel reading: Matt 16:13-20
Jesus gives authority to
Peter
 17 Jesus said to him in
reply, "Blessed are you,
Simon son of Jonah. For
flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but
my heavenly Father. 18
And so I say to you, you
are Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the
netherworld shall not
prevail against it. 19 I will
give you the keys to the
kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in
heaven; and whatever you
loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven." 20
Then he strictly ordered
his disciples to tell no one
that he was the Messiah.
 In v.17, Jesus affirms Peter and the
source of his knowledge and
revelation. It comes from the
heavenly Father.
 In vv.18-19, Jesus reveals his plan
to build his church, with Peter as
the leader.
 The key is a symbol of authority.
 Peter’s authority is translated into
the binding and loosing of people
on earth.
 It recalls v.22 in the 1st reading,
when Eliakim is given authority.
 Peter’s authority will be respected
in heaven.
 V.20 closes with the Messianic
secret. No one should know it yet.

17. Reflections on the gospel reading
 Important for us, Christians, is to know who
Jesus really is.
 We cannot be true disciples if we don’t know
Christ.
 We cannot go on mission if we have a faint
knowledge of Christ like the ordinary people,
who mistakenly claim he is John the Baptist,
Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.
 Peter and the apostles can rightly go and
evangelize the world (they have authority)
because they have rightly identified Jesus. (They
fully know Jesus when they believe he is risen from the dead.)

18. Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm
 The first reading talks about being a loyal
servant.
 The psalm talks about being thankful to
God.
 The second reading talks about the
greatness of God.
 The gospel reading talks about authority of
Peter in the church.
Let us focus our homilies or sharing on being servants of God.

19. How to develop your homily / sharing
 Are you a church leader or a minister?
 The better title for you is servant-leader.
 These combined two words indicate your
vision and your responsibility to the
community (church).
 The readings describe what is to be a
servant-leader.

20.  The first reading says the servant-leader must
not serve himself, but others.
 He/she must not use his/her authority,
position, prestige, power and resources for
his/her own benefit or aggrandizement.
 What happens if he/she is self-serving?
 God comes and fires him/her like Shebna.
 He is going to assign a loyal servant like
Eliakim.
 We need Eliakims in our churches.

21.  The gospel reading talks about the servant leadership of
Peter.
 First, he knows whom he is following. “He is the Christ,
the son of God.” He also knows where he is going.
 His knowledge is God-given, a revelation from the Father.
 Second, because of his true knowledge of Jesus and his
focus, Peter is tasked to be the “rock” (foundation) upon
whom Jesus would build his church, a sturdy, durable and
invincible one.
 Third, Peter’s leadership consists in making correct
judgment on who should be in the church and out.
 We, Catholics, believe that the authority of Peter is transferred to
his successors, the Popes.

22.  In the second reading, St. Paul as a leader and
founder of Christian communities expresses, in
the form of interjections and rhetorical questions,
his amazement of the greatness of God.
 A leader should always be the first to lead the
people to give praise and to glorify God (through
our liturgies).
 A leader has a sense of awe and wonder over
God’s dealings with humanity, in spite of the
latter’s shortcomings and failures to respond
properly to God.

23.  What kind of leaders do we have in our
churches?
 Are they self-serving?
 Do they have correct judgment and wisdom
in building our communities?
 Do they lead us to praise and glorify God?

24.  The readings clearly tell us that those who are
entitled to lead our communities
 should be loyal to God, not manipulators, who
scramble for places of honor, preserving their names,
reserving their burial places (1st reading)
 should be well catechized and are familiar with the
word of God and the person of Jesus and respect
higher authority (gospel).
 should be community builders and are able to make
all the members praise and glorify God. (2nd reading)
 The readings are also addressed to government
officials, elected or appointed.

25.  In the eucharist, we pray that God may
send us good and competent servant-
leaders.
 The eucharist is the food and sacrament
of true and loyal leadership.
 The reception of the eucharist is the goal
of each Christian leadership and
servanthood.

26. Our Context of Sin and Grace
 False leaders
 False ministers
 Grandstanding in
meetings
 Divisive, unable to
animate members
 Unreliable, inefficient,
ineffective, no credibility
 Corrupt
 Unaccountable
 Self-serving
 Leaders with a vision.
 They are competent,
have the technical know-
how, have skills to
manage.
 Community organizers
 Good followers
 Informed, Formed,
Committed Leaders
 They have character
 They have conscience
 They seek the common
good.

27. Suggested Songs
 Bayang Tinawag
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhzcbwbfMe8
 You Are So Good
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spj_5sTiF5Y