Year of the Bible
Matthew 21
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Commentary upon the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 21:
In the twenty-first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, the drama intensifies. The time of the Passover is at hand, and Jesus turns his attention to his final days. All of Jerusalem is excited as the feast draws near. It’s estimated that 2.5-million people from all over the ancient world made their way to the holy city to celebrate this greatest of Jewish religious festivals. At the time of Jesus, it had been 2,000 years since Abraham brought Isaac to Mount Moriah with the intention of following God’s instruction to sacrifice his son. Genesis 22:7–8 records that when Isaac asked his father: “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham had replied: “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” It turned out Abraham didn’t have to sacrifice Isaac, because in that instance God provided a ram for the sacrifice. Six-hundred years after the time of Abraham, the feast of Passover was instituted as a permanent memorial of the circumstances under which the descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel left Egypt. And a thousand years after the time of Abraham, King Solomon built the permanent Temple at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. Over time, the shepherds around Jerusalem began to raise “sacrificial flocks” to be sold to those traveling great distances for the Passover feast. On the tenth day of the month of Nisan, the sacrificial flock was brought into Jerusalem where the animals were to be inspected until the fourteenth day of Nisan. On that day, at twilight, the Passover lambs were sacrificed. Matthew’s Gospel focuses on Jesus, the Lamb of God, making his way into Jerusalem at the same time as the sacrificial flock.
The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 21:
Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem
1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12 And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant; 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
‘Out of the mouths of babies and infants
you have brought perfect praise’?”
17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and never doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. 30 And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
33 “Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
The Stone Which the Builders Rejected
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The very stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it. 44 And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.
Daily Lectio Divina Question:
“‘They will respect my son’” (v. 37). Lord, when you call forth fruit from me (v. 34), I sometimes respond with grumbling, telling myself a story that the fruit somehow belongs to me alone. Lord, why is it that with some things I don’t yet trust you fully.
Bible Commentary provided by Scott Hahn and Mark Shea, Gospel of Matthew, ed. Jennifer Phelps, Catholic Scripture Study (Charlotte, NC: Catholic Scripture Study International, 2007), 195.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further
Mateo 21
1 Al acercarse a Jerusalén y llegar a
Betfagé, junto al Monte de los Olivos,
Jesús envió a dos de sus discípulos, 2 diciéndoles:
–Id a la aldea que tenéis enfrente
y encontraréis enseguida un asna atada,
con un borrico al lado; desatadlos y
traédmelos. 3 Si alguien os dice algo, le
responderéis que el Señor los necesita y
que enseguida los devolverá.
4 Esto sucedió para que se cumpliera
lo dicho por medio del Profeta:
5 Decid a la hija de Sión:
Mira, tu Rey viene hacia ti
con mansedumbre, sentado sobre un
asna,
sobre un borrico, hijo de animal de
carga.
6 Los discípulos marcharon e hicieron
como Jesús les había ordenado.
7 Trajeron el asna y el borrico, pusieron
sobre ellos los mantos y él se montó encima.
8 Una gran multitud extendió sus
propios mantos por el camino; otros
cortaban ramas de árboles y las echaban
por el camino. 9 Las multitudes que
iban delante de él y las que seguían detrás
gritaban diciendo:
–¡Hosanna al Hijo de David!
¡Bendito el que viene en nombre del
Señor!
¡Hosanna en las alturas!
10 Al entrar en Jerusalén, se conmovió
toda la ciudad y se preguntaban:
–¿Quién es éste?
11 –Éste es el profeta Jesús, el de Nazaret
de Galilea –decía la multitud.
12 Entró Jesús en el Templo y expulsó
a todos los que vendían y compraban en
el Templo; volcó las mesas de los cambistas
y los puestos de los que vendían
palomas, 13 mientras les decía:
–Escrito está: Mi casa será llamada
casa de oración, pero vosotros la estáis
convirtiendo en una cueva de ladrones.
14 Mientras estaba en el Templo, se
acercaron a él ciegos y cojos y los curó.
15 Los príncipes de los sacerdotes y
los escribas, al ver los milagros que hacía
y a los niños que aclamaban en el
Templo y decían: «Hosanna al Hijo de
David, se indignaron 16 y le dijeron:
–¿Oyes lo que dicen éstos?
–Sí –les respondió Jesús–. ¿No habéis
leído nunca: De la boca de los pequeños
y de los niños de pecho te preparaste
la alabanza?
17 Y los dejó, salió fuera de la ciudad,
a Betania, y allí pasó la noche.
18 Muy de mañana, cuando volvía a la
ciudad, sintió hambre. 19 Viendo una
higuera junto al camino, se acercó, pero no
encontró en ella nada más que hojas. Y le
dijo:
–Que nunca jamás brote de ti fruto
alguno.
Y al instante se secó la higuera. 20 Al
ver esto los discípulos se maravillaron y
dijeron:
–¿Cómo tan de repente se ha secado
la higuera?
21 Jesús les dijo:
–En verdad os digo que si tenéis fe
y no dudáis, no sólo haréis lo de la higuera,
sino que incluso si le decís a este
monte: Arráncate y échate al mar, se
hará. 22 Y todo cuanto pidáis con fe en la
oración lo recibiréis.
23 Llegó al Templo, y mientras estaba
enseñando se le acercaron los príncipes
de los sacerdotes y los ancianos del pueblo,
y le preguntaron:
–¿Con qué potestad haces estas cosas?
¿Y quién te ha dado tal potestad?
24 Jesús les respondió:
–También yo os voy a hacer una pregunta;
si me la contestáis, entonces yo
os diré con qué potestad hago estas cosas.
25 El bautismo de Juan ¿de dónde
era?, ¿del cielo o de los hombres?
Ellos deliberaban entre sí: Si decimos
que del cielo, nos replicará: “¿Por
qué, pues, no le creísteis?” 26 Si decimos
que de los hombres, tememos a la gente;
pues todos tienen a Juan por profeta.
27 Y respondieron a Jesús:
–No lo sabemos.
Entonces él les dijo:
–Pues tampoco yo os digo con qué
potestad hago estas cosas.
28 ¿Qué os parece? Un hombre tenía
dos hijos; dirigiéndose al primero,
le mandó: Hijo, vete hoy a trabajar en
la viña. 29 Pero él le contestó: No quiero.
Sin embargo se arrepintió después
y fue. 30 Se dirigió entonces al segundo
y le dijo lo mismo. Éste le respondió:
Voy, señor; pero no fue. 31 ¿Cuál de los
dos hizo la voluntad del padre?
–El primero –dijeron ellos.
Jesús prosiguió:
–En verdad os digo que los publicanos
y las meretrices van a estar por delante
de vosotros en el Reino de Dios.
32 Porque vino Juan a vosotros con un
camino de justicia y no le creísteis; en
cambio, los publicanos y las meretrices
le creyeron. Pero vosotros, ni siquiera
viendo esto os arrepentisteis después
para poder creerle.
33 Escuchad otra parábola:
–Había un hombre, dueño de una
propiedad, que plantó una viña, la rodeó
de una cerca y cavó en ella un lagar, edificó
una torre, la arrendó a unos labradores
y se marchó lejos de allí. 34 Cuando
se acercó el tiempo de los frutos, envió
a sus siervos a los labradores para
recibir sus frutos. 35 Pero los labradores
agarraron a los siervos y a uno lo golpearon,
a otro lo mataron y a otro lo lapidaron.
36 De nuevo envió a otros siervos,
más numerosos que los primeros,
pero les hicieron lo mismo. 37 Por último
les envió a su hijo, pensando: A mi hijo
lo respetarán. 38 Pero los labradores, al
ver al hijo, se dijeron: Éste es el heredero.
Vamos, lo mataremos y nos quedaremos
con su heredad. 39 Y lo agarraron,
lo sacaron fuera de la viña y lo mataron.
40 Cuando venga el amo de la viña, ¿qué
hará con aquellos labradores?
41 Le contestaron:
–A esos malvados les dará una mala
muerte, y arrendará la viña a otros labradores
que le entreguen los frutos a
su tiempo.
42 Jesús les dijo:
–¿Acaso no habéis leído en las Escrituras:
La piedra que rechazaron los constructores,
ésta ha llegado a ser la piedra angular.
Es el Señor quien ha hecho esto
y es admirable a nuestros ojos?
43 Por esto os digo que se os quitará el
Reino de Dios y se entregará a un pueblo
que rinda sus frutos. 44 Y quien caiga
sobre esta piedra se despedazará, y al
que le caiga encima lo aplastará.
45 Al oír los príncipes de los sacerdotes
y los fariseos sus parábolas, comprendieron
que se refería a ellos.
46 Y aunque querían prenderlo, tuvieron
miedo a la multitud, porque lo
tenían como profeta.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina para el día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).