Pentecost: Sunday 31 May PentecostThe famous story of the descent of the Holy Spirit from heaven in the shape of wind and fire is told by Luke in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. We don’t find it in Matthew’s Gospel. Luke tells us how Saint Peter preached after having received the Holy Spirit. He showed how the Old Books foretold what happened at that very moment. He cited several texts from the Old Testament to illustrate that. At that feast of Pentecost the people were witnesses of a new beginning, but based upon old prophecies.In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus seems to give his disciples the mission to do exactly that. Matthew 13,5213:52 And he said to them, 'Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom new things as well as old.' ContextWith these words Jesus ends his speech about the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:1-52). In this speech he compared the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven with a sower who sows seed; with weed amongst the wheat; with mustard seed which will give the biggest tree; with yeast which will leaven all the bread; with a hidden treasure; with a precious pearl; with a catch of fish where the good ones are separated from the bad ones; and finally with the householder. All these parables want to explain what happens when Heaven (God) will become King; when God’s commandments are followed; when charity, forgiveness etc. are in practice the highest values in our lives. That will be a new world. Jesus uses old and new stories to illustrate that. InformationIt is surprising that Jesus uses the word ‘scribe’ here. In Matthew’s Gospel that word mostly has a negative connotation (e.g. 5:20; 7:29). But Jesus is speaking about a ‘scribe’ who becomes a ‘disciple’. Not a disciple of his, but a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven. A disciple of charity, forgiveness etc. As he will announce at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (28:19): ‘Make disciples of all nations and baptise them..., submerge them in the love of God: Father, Son and Spirit.’At the Feast of Pentecost these words of Jesus are about to be fulfilled. The word ‘householder’ occurs several times in Matthew’s Gospel. Always in the sayings of Jesus (13:27; 20:1.11; 21:33). In all these cases Jesus is talking about his Father, God. (An exception seems to be 24:43). So are Jesus’ words - to be like a householder - meant as an exhortation to be as God himself? Is it a reference to Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount (5:48): ‘You must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect’? Picture Meditation One third of the picture is taken up by Jesus (top left in red) and his audience. Two thirds is taken up by the parable Jesus is telling: the householder who brings out the storeroom old and new. Most of the people in the audience seem to have their eyes closed. They are listening? But some of them hold up their hands, as beggars: asking for food? Spiritual food? I imagine that I am one of these people: what should I ask Jesus? What kind of spiritual food am I desiring?Jesus’ gesture seems to say: ‘Go to my householder’. His hands form a connection between..., a transition from the people to the householder. Surprisingly, the artist pictures the householder as a woman. I look at the features on her face. What does it express?She has all kinds of food. On the table is a fish. I remember how the crowds were fed with fish during the multiplication of loaves (Matthew 14:17; 15:34). And how John tells in his Gospel that Jesus prepared fish for his disciples after the catch of the 153 fishes (21:9). Remarkable, there is no bread in the storeroom or on the table.I see a jar. What could be in that jar? Milk? Honey? Wine?There is cheese. I remember how Abraham prepared cheese for his three guests (Genesis 18, 8): ‘old and new’! In the ‘storeroom’ I see another bottle and another jar. There are eggs. The woman is just taking some fruit out of the larder. Didn’t Jesus say that we have to yield fruit (13:8.23)? I try to find out how this food and these drinks played a role in Biblical stories. I can try to do what the Bible often does: to give to each sort of food and drink a metaphorical meaning. What could each food, each drink mean for me personally? Finally I am looking back at my life. Did the Lord ever give me ‘food and drink’? Perhaps using concrete people? Were there moments that I myself was giving ‘food and drink’ to others. That I was that householder? I finish with a dialogue with one of the people top right, with the woman-householder, with Jesus... Meditation by Fr Dries van den Akker S.J The God Who Speaks in our Archdiocese Manage Cookie Preferences