Thursday, October 1, 2015

Be like a child in the simplicity of heart


October 2, 2015 



20"See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. 

21Be attentive to him and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sin. My authority resides in him.

22If you heed his voice and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

23"My angel will go before you and bring you to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites; and I will wipe them out.


1You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shade of the Almighty,  2Say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.”a 

3He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare, from the destroying plague, 4He will shelter you with His pinions, and under His wings you may take refuge;b His faithfulness is a protecting shield.

5You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,c  6Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon.d

10No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.f 11For He commands His angels with regard to you,g to guard you wherever you go.h


1At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2He called a child over, placed it in their midst, 3 and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,  you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

10"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.


Notes on the Gospel:

A). Verse 1- The initiative is taken not by Jesus as in the Marcan parallel  (Mark 9:33-34) but by the disciples.

Kingdom of heaven may mean the kingdom in its fullness, for example, after the parousia and the final judgment. But what follows about causes of sin, church discipline, and forgiveness, all dealing with the present age, suggests that the question has to do with rank also in the church, where the kingdom is discernible here and now, although only partly and by anticipation. See Matthew 3:2; Matthew 3:2Matthew 4:17  and its footnotes.

See Matthew 3:2  (and its footnote) concerning repentance wherein the Baptist calls for transformation of heart and behavior that is anchored on God’s will. The "Heaven" (literally, "the heavens") is a substitute for the name "God" that was evaded by pious Jews of the time out of reverence.

The expression "the kingdom of heaven" appears only in the gospel of Matthew which denotes the effective rule of God over His people. In its completeness it embraces not only human obedience to God's word, but the victory of God over physical evils, absolutely over death. In the expectation found in Jewish apocalyptic, the kingdom was to be accompanied by a judgment in which sinners would be denounced and perish, an expectation shared by the Baptist. This was amended in Christian comprehension where the kingdom was perceived as being instituted in phases, concluded with Jesus' parousia. 

See also Matthew 4:17  (and its footnote) which narrates that the beginning of His preaching, Jesus takes up the words of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2) although with a different meaning; in his ministry the kingdom of heaven has already started to be present (Matthew 12:28).

B). Verse 3 - Become like children: the child is taken as a model for the disciples not because of any supposed incorruptibility but because of their total reliance on their parents. So must the disciples be, in reverence to God.

C). Verse 5 - All who receive the disciples of Jesus receive Him, and God who sent Him, and will be recompensed fittingly. 

D). Verse 10- Their angels in heaven . . . my heavenly Father: for the Jewish belief in angels as guardians of nations and individuals, (Daniel 10:13; 20-21) , Tobit 5:4-7; 1 Qumran Hebrew 5:20-22; as intercessors who offer the prayers of people to God, (Tobit 13:12, 15). The high siginificance of the little ones is pointed out by their being represented before God by these heavenly creations. Please check Matthew 10:40 and its footnote.

For commentary, kindly check here.


Reference:  The New American Bible 

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Dear Humanity,

I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.

And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.

Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.