Understand the Assignment: Interpreting the Sacred Word

If ever there was a richer set of readings to ponder or exegete than the set from today, I have yet to see it. The third Sunday in Ordinary Time is set aside by the church as Word of God Sunday. The day is meant to highlight the role and blessing of Scripture and to encourage more people to read Scripture as a devotional practice. As such, this Sunday’s first reading, psalm and Gospel emphasize the ceremonial practice of reading out loud from the sacred text and the need for interpretation. Each of today’s passages could be a commentary in itself. The unique historical context of Ezra-Nehemiah under Persian rule would be a topic of its own. In this Sunday’s Gospel, the passage is a splicing together of the inaugural prelude Luke used to introduce his work (Lk 1:1-4), which then skips to the inaugural public ministry of Jesus (Lk 4:14-21). Rarely do we find such a dramatic splicing of the Sunday Gospel, but this unusual jump is used by the church to introduce Jesus’ public ministry.  

Today’s set of readings brings our focus to public reading of Scripture out loud and the response this initiates. For example, a unique ceremonial ritual was described in today’s first reading. Ezra the Israelite priest gathers men, women and children who are “old enough to understand” the Torah. He begins to read to them in a public setting (Neh 8:2). This was Israel’s first public reading of Scripture since the Babylonian conquest nearly a century before. With this public ceremony, a new new national life began. “He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it; and, as he opened it, all the people rose” (Neh 8:5). The people are described as prostrating themselves, responding with “Amen, amen!” and then they collectively weep out loud after having the text read and interpreted for them. The dramatic effect of hearing Scripture and its interpretation demonstrates a reverence for the text. Israel’s dramatic reception of God’s word reveals the nation’s deep longing not just to hear the word of God, but to understand it and live it out. 

The setting and timing of this narrative are significant too. Ezra performs this ritual during the seventh month, a time when the Jewish calendar observes Yom Kippur and the Feast of Booths. Yom Kippur remains a time of sorrow and atonement even today, whereas the Feast of Booths is a celebration that ushers in the time of harvest. In this transitional moment, Ezra reminded the people in today’s passage: “Do not be sad, and do not weep,” Ezra instructed, “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks… for today is holy to our Lord” (Neh 8:9-10). The performative function of this scene highlights the correct public response during the seventh month to the Word of God as the core feature of Israel’s faith. Understanding the role Scripture holds for the community is for Ezra a moment worth rejoicing over: “Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord is your strength!” (Neh 8:10). 

Luke also captures a dramatic ritual through the public reading of Scripture out loud. In doing so, Jesus and his fellow synagogue-goers continued the tradition that Ezra initiated in the first reading. Jesus returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit” and taught in the synagogues (Lk 4:14-15). First, there was Jesus’ performative act of reading as he unrolled a scroll from the prophet Isaiah. This particular passage also revealed Jesus’ personal sense of mission. “The Spirit is upon me,” reads Jesus boldly, “because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor” (Lk 4:18; Is 61:1). Next comes Jesus’ interpretation of the sacred text: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21). This Sunday’s Gospel passage ends at Lk 4:21, but subsequent verses reveal that  the response of the hearers was astonishment followed quickly by fury. They became the first to attempt to take Jesus’ life. At all times, interpretation of Scripture is a serious business. Eventually, it will indeed cost Jesus his life.

On Word of God Sunday, the readings provide a deep dive into the ritual of publicly reading Scripture to a congregation. The act requires as a response communal faith and trusted interpretation. As Paul reminds us in the last line of this Sunday’s second reading, “Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all interpret?” (1 Cor 12:29-30). The answer is no. Be mindful of who interprets and how you interpret the written sacred text and the living Word of God today. Usually, a parish setting is the right place to look since all the elements are present: educated and intelligent interpreters of the text, a faithful congregation and the willingness of all to understand.