Salvation and Judgment (19th Sunday of Ordinary Time)

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The theme of our Old Testament reading is God’s justice, which is exemplified in the Passover story as recounted in Wisdom 18. The preceding verse to our first reading summarizes the story by using the slaughter of the Hebrew boys and the death of the Egyptian firstborn as bookends for the drama of God’s justice on behalf of His people:

When they had planned to kill the children of the holy people,
and one child had been abandoned and rescued,
for a rebuke, you removed a multitude of children from them
and destroyed them together in mighty water. (Wisdom 18:5)

The reading goes on to tell us that the Hebrews were forewarned of the impending plague, which is why they were able to plan accordingly by painting the blood the lambs on their doorposts (Exodus 12). And when their salvation came, they rejoiced at it.

It also highlights how God stays true to His promise to bless the Israelites, since it is through them that Christ would come. The Israelites believed in His promise, and demonstrated their faith by offering sacrifices and singing praises (verse 9), which is a reference to the first Passover meal. They thus demonstrate the same faith as Old Testament patriarchs such as Abraham, who is presented to us as a model of faith in the epistle reading (Hebrews 1:1-2, 8-19). Although they do not see the ultimate fulfillment of the promise in Christ, they see their lives as part of that drama of redemption, and accordingly live their lives in faith.

Although we live after the Christ came, we too must live by faith, since we are told in today’s Gospel that He will come again at a time we do not expect. When He comes, it will be infinitely more spectacular than what the Israelites experience. It will be a day of rejoicing for those who believe, but of judgment for those who disbelieved and chose to reject God. We must be ready for Judgment Day to come at any time, which we are constantly reminded of every time we recite the last line of the Creed: “We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

J. Luis Dizon