(Jn 8:1-11)

John 8:1 Jesus then set out for the Mount of Olives.

John 8:2 But at dawn he went into the temple again, and all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.

John 8:3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery, and placed her in the midst,

John 8:4 they say to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in flagrante adultery.

John 8:5 Now Moses, in the Law, commanded us to stone women like this one. What sayest thou?"

John 8:6 This they said to test him and to have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down and began to write with his finger on the ground.

John 8:7 And when they persisted in questioning him, he lifted up his head and said to them, "Whoever of you is without sin, let him cast the stone at her first.

John 8:8 And bowing down again, he wrote on the ground.

John 8:9 But when they heard this, they went away one by one, beginning from the eldest to the last.

Only Jesus remained with the woman there in the midst.

John 8:10 Then rising up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

John 8:11 And she answered, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and henceforth sin no more."

Significant is the verb that John uses to indicate that Jesus goes to the temple: "paraginomai". The verb is composed of the preposition "para", meaning "near, towards" and the verb "gignomai", meaning "to become". Jesus' going to the temple therefore is a becoming near and becoming more and more that temple which is not only the house of his Father, but also the figure of his new body, in which a new worship pleasing to God will be celebrated.

The context in which the story is set is that of the temple and more precisely, as v. 20 emphasises with extreme precision, the "place of treasure" which was also called the women's courtyard, because it marked the boundary beyond which women could not enter. So when the scribes and Pharisees lead the woman caught in the act of adultery by Jesus, he was teaching in the women's hall or treasury. The story of the adulteress therefore fits within the teaching activity of Jesus, and in some way is part of it.

The scribes and Pharisees lead a woman to Jesus. She is placed in the middle. It is not said exactly where, but the idea is that she is placed between the two sides, between Jesus and the religious authorities. So we find ourselves between two opposing sides in the middle of which the object of contention is placed, not so much the woman, stripped of all identity and dignity, but what she represents: a case of Torah violation. The issue therefore immediately shifts from the woman to the Mosaic Law, which condemns her to stoning. A comparison that becomes more evident in v. 5 where Moses is opposed to Jesus: 'Moses commanded us... What sayest thou?

"This they said to test him and to have something to accuse him of". On trial, therefore, is not only the woman, but with her also Jesus, who is faced with an aut aut aut: to go against Moses, upholding his critical position towards the way of understanding the Torah; or to agree with Moses, denying his position. But Jesus finds a third way: twice, in v. 6 and v. 8, it is pointed out that Jesus "began to write with his finger on the ground". John, therefore, seems to want to draw attention to Jesus' bizarre behaviour. People have wondered what Jesus was writing on the ground with his finger, and rivers of ink have been spilled in the most disparate hypotheses, which, when all is said and done, have remained so. But here the problem is not the content, that is, what Jesus was writing, but Jesus' writing itself; it is this gesture that the evangelist points out to his reader and not what Jesus wrote: "stooping down, he began to write with his finger on the ground". Moreover, it should not be forgotten, Jesus was writing on the floor of the women's hall, which was made of stone. What he wrote with his finger therefore could not remain imprinted and therefore could not even be read. 

In order to understand Jesus' behaviour, it is necessary to read carefully: "bowed down"; it is the attitude of one who approaches from the top down, almost as if to meet something or someone, who is lower than oneself. At this point Jesus "began to write with his finger on the ground". Here is what counts: "writing with his finger" on the earth, which we know, however, to be "stone". Jesus therefore bent down and wrote with his finger on the stone. To reinforce this concept there is the same verb to write which, unlike the one in v. 8, is here rendered with a particular verbal form: "katégraphen", whose primary meaning is not to write, but to engrave, to scratch, emphasising more the action of a stonemason than that of a scribe. And this is exactly what Ex 31:18 says: "When the Lord had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the testimony, TABLES OF STONE, WRITTEN BY GOD'S FINGER". God too therefore went down to Mount Sinai and there with his finger wrote his Law on stone. Jesus' behaviour therefore exactly reproduces that of God at Sinai. Jesus is therefore here rewriting the Mosaic Law with the very authority of God, reproducing its behaviour, thus declaring outdated not so much the Torah, but the way of approaching it and understanding it, according to the logic of the letter, stifling the spirit it carried.

Judaism could not transcend the physicality of the Law expressed in the letter. In fact, his adversaries "persisted in questioning him" (v. 7). Thus, Jesus challenges them, turning the accusation levelled at the adulteress against them: 'Let him who is without sin among you cast the stone at her first'. To their insistence Jesus, therefore, responds by inviting them to reflect on their common condition as sinners, since no one before God can in any way consider himself righteous and holy. The Torah must therefore be reread and recomposed from God's perspective and not man's; this is why Jesus is rewriting the Torah according to God's logic and feeling and has all the authority and power to do so.

V. 9 notes how they all went away, thus denouncing their inability to judge, because one sinner cannot stand as judge towards another sinner. Judaism with its world of the letter that accuses and condemns has disappeared, making way for a new reality, that of the Father's love that has given itself to man in the Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God in Jesus is therefore rewriting his Law according to the logic no longer of the letter, but of the spirit that vivifies it. The judgement therefore is to be carried out in forgiveness and mercy.

The account of the adulteress closes with a statement: no verdict has been passed; no judgement has been accomplished. The trial that had been established against Jesus and the woman has dissolved, for this is the time of mercy and salvation and not of judgement. The Mosaic Law loses its harsh face as a judge that condemns without appeal to flow into the economy of love and grace. That is why the representatives and supporters of the Law have disappeared and only Jesus remains, the new Moses who is rewriting with the finger of God a new law, one founded on the spirit that gives life and does not take it away.

V.11 closes with the exhortation to resume and continue that journey of regeneration that began with the encounter with Jesus expressed with that "from now on" that marks a clear break between the before and the after; a new journey begins: "from now on sin no more". In our normal understanding, not sinning means not committing sins, that is, not committing violations, whereby sinning is a doing or not doing what the divine Law commands us to do. But the expression in question goes far beyond this reductive view. In fact, the verb 'amartánō' (to sin) in the first instance does not mean to sin, but to deviate, to take a wrong turn, to stray from the truth, to fall short of the goal, to fail; hence, in the second instance, also to sin, the meaning of which, however, must be understood within those meanings from which it derives. Consequently, Jesus' invitation "not to sin" is not an invitation not to violate the Mosaic Law any more, but rather to take note of how the woman, from her encounter with Jesus, has been generated to a new life ("from now on") and in this newness of life must beware of deviating and abandoning her, not so much because someone might condemn her again, but because "from now on" abandoning her already contains in itself the sense of failing that ultimate goal towards which one has set out: God, in whose life we have already been made partakers in Christ.

At this point no one, neither the Law nor God, will condemn us any longer, because we would condemn ourselves and God can no longer do anything, because, paraphrasing St Augustine, that God who created us without us, cannot save us without us. In other words, salvation is now a gift that has been placed in our hands; it is up to us to adhere to it existentially or not. And here it is not a matter of observing some commandment or not, a banal as well as deceptive way of feeling right with God, but of keeping our existential orientation towards Him, which only the Word can nourish and sustain, preventing us from sinning, that is, from failing our first and last objective: God! And this goes far beyond the observance or non-observance of some precept.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul - Romans 9-11

(Buyable on Amazon)

(2Cor 5,17-21)

4th Sunday in Lent (year C)

2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away, behold new things have come into being.

2Corinthians 5:18 But all this comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation.

2Corinthians 5:19 For it was God who reconciled the world to himself in Christ, not imputing their trespasses to men, and entrusting to us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 We therefore act as ambassadors for Christ, as if God were exhorting through us. We beseech you in the name of Christ: be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He who knew no sin, God dealt with him as sin on our behalf, that we might become through him the righteousness of God.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold new things are born." Paul gives an essay of his view according to faith. Literally from the Greek it is: 'If one in Christ a new creation', without a verb. He does not say: 'If one believes in Christ...', but says 'If one in Christ'; he does not use the verb to be. If one is placed in Christ, that is, if there is this identification with Christ, then one is another reality, a new creature. What has come into being with Christ's resurrection is a new reality.

Faith makes us one with Christ, because it makes us one body in Christ. Christ is the newness of God. Christ is the new man who came to make all things new. If we are in Christ, we share in his newness of love and truth. What is the consequence of this newness? The abandonment of old things. Old, for Paul, is all the past lived without Christ or in expectation of him.

Another consequence is this: the old things in Christ no longer exist; if we make them exist, then we are no longer vitally united to Christ; we are in Christ by reason of our baptism, but we are not in Christ as a participation in his grace and truth.

This is another great principle of Pauline anthropology, which is then Christian anthropology. Having become new creatures in Christ obliges us to live as such. It obliges us to live in newness of life, and the newness of life for Paul is only one: to reproduce the life of Christ in our members, because we are his body.

The Church not only has the obligation to proclaim Christ, it also has the obligation to help each member of Christ to develop all the newness that Christ has created in him through his holy Spirit. The Church must be a teacher and guide so that each of her children manifests Christ in deeds and thoughts. That is why, in addition to being missionary, she must also be the formator of those who already believe in Christ. Without this work of formation, the mission itself vanishes. The Christian mission cannot be carried out except by those who live of Christ, in Christ and for Christ. It is the Church's task to commit all her energy so that God's people may grow in truth, grace, holiness and spirituality.

The Church will not be able to do this if it loses sight of being light in the midst of men. A light that fades is no longer seen by anyone; whereas a light that grows and grows ever larger can attract men from far and wide. This is the way of the Church: the spiritual, doctrinal, sapiential formation of her children.

"All this, however, comes from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation". Here we come to the great theme of reconciliation. Why is Paul writing this letter? To reconcile with the Corinthians. So he arrives at the summit by emphasising the love of Christ who gave himself; this is the cause that reconciles, that brings back together. Reconciliation is through Christ, but on this the disagreements begin, or rather the falsehoods begin. Everyone affirms redemption through Christ, but not redemption at the creation in us of the newness that is Christ. One cannot affirm that man has been made a new creature in Christ without affirming that he is called to live this new life.

A redemption conceived only as final salvation, without the newness that Christ has produced in us, is a Protestant redemption, it is not biblical redemption, it is not Catholic redemption, because this is not the redemption that Jesus Christ came to work in our midst.

"For it was God who reconciled the world to himself in Christ". Paul now explains what reconciliation consists in. By sin, man has contracted a guilt before Him. This guilt deserves a penalty, which is man's eternal death. God, by Christ's sacrifice offered on the cross, by His obedience unto death and death on a cross, no longer imputes this guilt. So the important action was done by Christ and he entrusted the apostles with the ministry of reconciliation. There is a quarrel, between God and man; it is evident that God is right and man is wrong. At this point, to achieve reconciliation, what is to be done? In the world he who is wrong pays! There is the penalty and there are the costs of the trial: the one who is wrong pays; after that one gets right and is reconciled. Here, on the other hand, reconciliation takes place by not making the wrongdoer pay, and this announcement of reconciliation without payment of the penalty and costs is entrusted to the apostles.

It should be pointed out that Christian reconciliation is not only the non-charging of the sins committed. This is only one part of reconciliation. Christian reconciliation on the one hand confesses the forgiveness of sins, on the other hand it is incorporation into Christ, it is being made new creatures in Christ. All these aspects of reconciliation are essential and must be taught, otherwise reconciliation can also be reduced to a purely legal fact. The Lord does not impute sin to us, but we remain as we are. This is not the Christian truth of reconciliation, but is Calvinist doctrine.

"We therefore act as ambassadors for Christ, as if God were exhorting through us. We beseech you in the name of Christ: be reconciled to God." The teaching now turns into a heartfelt invitation to accept God's gift. It is not enough that God has reconciled the world in Christ: it is urgent that each one of us allow ourselves to be reconciled in Christ by God, and allow ourselves to be reconciled by accepting the word of the gospel, the truth of Christ, into our hearts. Letting oneself be reconciled with God, inviting every man to welcome the word of salvation, is the ever new invitation that the Church must make to every man. This is the way of salvation. Others do not exist.

The missionary action of the Church begins with a strong invitation to conversion. The invitation to conversion, to reconciliation must be explicit, clear, evident. It cannot be assumed, nor made by half sentences or allusions. This is not the method of Jesus Christ, it is not the style of Paul, it is not the way of the saints.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

(Buyable on Amazon)

(1Cor 10,1-6.10-12)

3rd Sunday in Lent (year C)

1Corinthians 10:1 For I do not want you to be ignorant, O brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, all crossed the sea,

1Corinthians 10:2 all were baptized in relation to Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

Paul, in this passage, refers us to the history of the past, to the lesson of history. He reminds us of the deeper meaning of history, which is the history of salvation. It is said that history is a teacher of life, but the pupils learn nothing. Paul instead says that from the history of Israel one must learn. The history of Israel is not just any history, but it is a way in which divine revelation was historically manifested. Revelation, in fact, was not manifested through the explanation of concepts, but through certain historical facts that are then also read and interpreted. The history of Israel is an exemplary history, so it is right and proper, if one wants to understand Jesus Christ, to see all the sacred history that prepares him. Among other things, this also accustoms us to reading our own little personal history, which is also salvation history because the Lord walks with us.

"For I do not want you to be ignorant": The Corinthians were supposed to know the facts narrated here, but the apostle wants them to know the typological significance that these facts have, and which is not to be ignored. Jesus Christ is the end result of a long journey, and we must know the journey that preceded it. Paul is very respectful of Israel's history and feels he must tell it. He refers us to these examples from the past that are extraordinary events, but they are also events of sin, and yet always instructive because they show what God's way is.

"Our fathers". Christians can consider the ancient Israelites as their fathers, because the Church succeeded the synagogue, and they are the true heirs and children of Abraham.

"They were all": Three times Paul repeats this expression. As if to say that salvation had been given to all. For all were led by the cloud, that is, by the presence of God, and all crossed the sea. All gained freedom from slavery and all were guided by God on the way to the promised land. Hence, on God's part, no exclusion, no preference towards some at the expense of others. He brought all his people out of Egypt, for all he parted the sea, for all he willed the cloud. All were in the condition of grace and truth that would enable them to conquer the promised land and possess it forever.

This universality of grace and truth for Paul is akin to a baptism. There is an immersion also of the children of Israel, even though their baptism is merely a figure of that instituted by Jesus Christ. However, there is a true immersion of the Israelites in the sea and in the 'cloud' and this immersion for them is true salvation, true deliverance.

Israel lived under the cloud, that mysterious cloud that guided the Israelites through the desert and sheltered them from the sun: signifying the presence of God, the Shekinah. To be under the cloud is to be under God's protection. They crossed the sea and were baptised: the passage from the land of slavery, which is Egypt, to the promised land, takes place through the crossing of the Red Sea, and this is a baptism because it signifies the detachment from the slavery of Egypt, liberation and purification, and the journey to the promised land.

"To be of Moses". Moses, the mediator of the old covenant, was a figure of Jesus Christ, and the Israelites led by him to the promised land were a figure of the Christians led by Jesus Christ to heaven. Now, just as Christians through baptism are incorporated into Jesus Christ and made subject to him as their Lord, whose laws they are bound to observe, so for the Israelites the mysterious cloud and the crossing of the Red Sea were a kind of baptism, whereby they remained subject to Moses and obliged to observe his laws. From that moment on, the people were separated from Egypt forever and belonged to the God who liberated them and to the prophet-mediator whom God gave them as their leader.

The mysterious cloud, a perceptible sign of God's presence, and of the favour He bestowed on His people, was a figure of the Holy Spirit, who is given in the baptism of Jesus Christ, and similarly the dry-foot passage through the Red Sea and the consequent deliverance from the bondage of Pharaoh, were figures of our deliverance from the bondage of sin through the waters of baptism.

Having stated this truth, Paul reminds us that it is not enough to come out of Egypt to have the promised land. The going out is one thing, the conquest and possession of the land is another. Between going out and conquering the land, there is a whole desert to cross. For the Israelites, the desert lasted for forty years; for Christians it lasts their whole life.

With baptism we come out of the slavery of sin, with a life of perseverance striving to conquer the kingdom of heaven we walk towards the glorious resurrection that will take place on the last day.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

(Buyable on Amazon) 

(Gen 15:5-12.17-18)

Genesis 15:5 Then he led him out and said to him, "Look into the sky and count the stars, if you can count them," and he added, "Such shall be your offspring."

Genesis 15:6 And he believed the LORD, who credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:7 And he said to him, 'I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees to give you possession of this land.

"Then he led him out and said to him, Look into the sky and count the stars, if you can count them, and he added, Such shall be your offspring." God leads Abraham out of the human way of seeing. Earthly eyes do not see so much. But when they rise up to contemplate the infinite, God's promise takes on its full value and scope. The foundation is laid for a salvation that concerns man and is infinitely above created reality. 

"He believed the Lord, who credited it to him as righteousness". There are three components of Abraham's faith:

(a) Abraham believes (in Hebrew, the verb believe is "'āman" the same one that gives rise to the amen with which we conclude our prayers and means "to lean on...", "to trust in...". The patriarch trusts God and consigns himself and his future to him.

b) God "credited" this to him. The verb "accredit" is "ḥāšav", it is used in the Bible to indicate validly performed sacrifices. The new, true sacrifice to be offered to God is therefore the inner act of faith. It is no longer by grace that the Lord will give Abraham a numerous offspring. He will give it to him out of righteousness. God does not only give out of grace, he also gives out of righteousness.

c) "...as justice": Abraham becomes "righteous", that is, faithful to the covenant commitment that binds him to his God: faithful and righteous.

In what did Abraham believe? Not in a lineage limited and finite in time, but in an eternal lineage. And with that, the promise of a descendants becomes in itself the promise of salvation. In time, the figure of this salvation, which in reality will be a Saviour, will become more and more clearly delineated and manifested.

The act by virtue of which Abraham believed is the emblem and model of faith pleasing to God. Henceforth Abraham will live only by this divine promise, beyond and above all human appearances. It is not enough to come out of a world of perdition to find oneself immediately in a world of salvation. There is a time of patient waiting, of obedience, of perseverance, without which the journey stops halfway.

"And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee possession of this land". God tells Abraham that he was brought out of Ur of the Chaldees precisely to possess the land of Canaan. The first step of faith, which is that of coming out, seems to be attributable solely to the work of God. Abraham was brought out of Ur. It is not imputed to him in justice that he came out of the old life, but that he entered into the new one, which is faith in God's promise, faith in the future coming of a Saviour.

Some might say: I believe in the existence of God, therefore I have faith in God. Believing that God exists does not necessarily entail a life of faith. Mere belief in the existence of God does not bring one into the life of God. True faith is more than mere mental assent to God's existence, it brings with it a radical change in how one stands before Him. Not to the God of my own thinking, but to the God who has historically manifested Himself. It is not enough to believe in a Creator God, we must believe in a God who is also Saviour.

And here the discourse of faith does not admit plurality of faiths. Faith, while presupposing the historical event of the death and resurrection of Christ, descendant of Abraham, Saviour of the world, necessarily entails the proclamation of this event, what we call by the name of Gospel. There can be no ecumenism unless we place before everyone the need for knowledge of the Gospel. One dialogues by announcing and one announces by dialoguing. Dialogue is not the search for a solution and a compromise that will please everyone, but to pass on the Word of God, the only one that saves, through the forms in which man can make it his own. Ecumenism must only deal with the form of the proclamation, it cannot and must not alter its substance.

There is only one door that leads to Paradise and that is the one opened by Christ and guarded by Peter. It is one thing to reflect on how the Gospel can be proclaimed to all, quite another to discuss salvation outside of Christ. One dialogues with those who do not believe for the purpose of proclaiming, one does not argue for failure to proclaim. There is no such thing as the good faith of those who do not believe; there is, and this is a fact, the bad faith of those who are deceived by Satan. Too many people believe in their own sincerity, goodness, to justify non-belief.

Why do we find the model of true faith in Abraham? Because listening to the Word of God in him overcomes and bypasses the ways of reason and the heart. Those who seek God must turn away and be wary of a faith other than that of Abraham. A precondition of faith is the willingness to come out of the old life (Ur of the Chaldees) and enter the new one (the promised land). He does not enter who has not gone out, and he has not gone out except he who is aware of sin. Having entered the faith in itself does not guarantee remaining in the faith. One can also fail and not be persevering to the end. 

For many Catholics, all it takes is Sunday Mass, confession once a year, a few good works, not killing, not stealing... and everything is done. What is missing is the idea that being a Christian means living for Christ and not for oneself. As far as the Protestant church is concerned, the affirmation of a salvation that is given solely and exclusively by faith in Christ, is resolved in the easy psychological type of faith, as the conviction that we are only asked to accept with our hearts and minds the salvation wrought by Jesus. And if we sin we can rest easy, because eternal life is already given by divine election. If salvation is already given and assured, we can also set aside the instruments and gifts of grace bestowed by Christ through his Church and Tradition, the only guarantees of a correct understanding and a true relationship with Revelation.

In Protestantism, it is enough to appeal to one's own conscience, on a path of self-confirmation and self-approval. All by oneself, on one's own, without effort, without being disturbed in one's convictions, in a maximum exaltation of that individualism that is increasingly asserting itself in the world as a sign of the dominion of the devil, prince of this world.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

(Buyable on Amazon)

(Rom 10:8-13)

Romans 10:8 What does it say then? Near you is the word, on your lips and in your heart: that is, the word of faith which we preach.

Romans 10:9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

"What sayest thou then? Near you is the word, on your mouth and in your heart: that is, the word of faith which we preach." As Moses said that the word, that is, the law of God, was easy to know and to keep, so Paul says the same of the gospel. If the law has Christ as its end, if everything from Christ begins and ends in Christ, if all the word of Scripture conceals Christ, all the word of Scripture conceals the gospel, to which every word of the Old Testament leads and guides. "The word of faith which we preach" are the gospel truths necessary to believe in order to attain salvation, which, through the preaching of the apostles, are within the reach of all, so that all can say that they have them in their mouths and in their hearts, and there is no need to make long journeys or to endure great hardship in order to learn them. Christ is present in the word of faith that is proclaimed by the Church.

There are three truths that we must grasp in this sentence of Paul. The first is this: the word of the gospel, which is the word of Christ, is not foreign to man, it is not distant from him, not in a spatial-temporal sense, but in an existential sense. Man's existence yearns for this word, he seeks it. After all, every human search is a search for truth. Because of sin, this search loses its essence, but it is still a search for one's own being. Man seeks himself, but he does not find himself, and he does not find himself because he cannot find himself in Christ. Only by finding Christ does man find himself, but to find Christ one must find the word of Christ.

The second truth is this: the word must be preached, announced, proclaimed, so that every man hears it and by hearing it adheres to it through faith. If preaching is lacking, then the word remains distant from man, and if the word remains distant, Christ also remains distant. When the Church has done this, it will have helped man in his search for Christ, it will have helped man to find himself, to be himself. The Church exists to give Christ. This is the purpose and mandate the Church has received. That is why preaching is the very essence of the Church. Christ gives himself through the word, and without the word, Christ does not give himself, and if he does not give himself, those who seek him seek him in vain. For this the Church is responsible. The true sin of the Church, the only one she must always repent of, is the failure to evangelise, the failure to proclaim, the failure to preach the word of Jesus.

The third truth directs us instead to 'the word of faith'. The word is of faith because it announces a mystery that only by faith can be accepted and only by faith can one adhere to it. Without faith, the word remains a mute word. Faith and word are an inseparable unity. There could be the word without faith, but faith does not reveal the mystery, because the mystery is not revealed by the word, but by the Spirit who reveals himself to the heart and only manifests himself if there is faith in the heart.

What do we see today? One observes that Christ is as if forgotten. Traces of him are being lost. The word of preaching is purged of all content inherent in Christ, his truth and grace. What prevails in many today is the proposition of an entirely human, earthly, sometimes even diabolical justice. If the preaching of faith is omitted, Christ is omitted, righteousness according to faith is omitted, grace and truth are omitted. What remains? Man and his sin remains. 

"For if thou shalt confess with thy mouth that Jesus is Lord, and shalt believe with thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." He who is professed in faith is Jesus Lord. Professing with one's mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in one's heart that God raised him from the dead is the way to salvation. This means not only admitting the historical fact of the resurrection, but also accepting, from the depths of the soul, the whole work of salvation accomplished by Christ.

This confession must be an explicit testimony. Adherence to Christ can never be a private fact, lived intimately in one's own heart, in which it must still be rooted, but it must be publicly witnessed. One cannot be an anonymous Christian, a Christian of silence. The Christian is he who before the world confesses that Jesus is Lord, the Word, the only-begotten of the Father who became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and who in his humanity and not only in his divinity was constituted Lord of every man. The term Kyrios (Lord) was used in the LXX Bible to translate YHWH and what Paul is telling us is that the confession of faith consists in believing that Jesus is the Messiah and that he is 'one' with Yahweh.

This confession must be clear-cut. There can be no gaps. That is why it is necessary for the Christian to confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord, consubstantial with God by divine nature, consubstantial with man by human nature. If there is no right confession about the person of Jesus, one cannot be saved, because the Jesus we confess would no longer be the Jesus of God, but a Jesus modelled on human thoughts, and therefore an idol. Everything that man constructs with his mind is simply an idol, and the idol does not save. Instead, the Son of God who came in the flesh for the redemption of the world saves, and the Son of God who came in the flesh is the Lord of man.

It is not enough, however, to proclaim righteous faith with the mouth; the heart must also participate in it, and the heart participates in it by making the truth that is professed its own. From the profession of the mouth and the faith of the heart comes salvation for man. The salvation that Paul envisages is not simply deliverance from sin. Salvation is possessing the life of Christ and making this life the guiding principle of our life: actions, words, thoughts. This is why deliverance from sin alone is a very reductive concept of salvation.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books:

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

(Buyable on Amazon)

(1Cor 15,54-58)

8th Sunday O.T. (C)

1 Corinthians 15:54 When then this corruptible body is clothed with incorruption and this mortal body with immortality, the word of Scripture will be fulfilled:

Death has been swallowed up for victory.

1 Corinthians 15:55 Where, O death, is thy victory?

Where, O death, is thy sting?

1Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

1Corinthians 15:57 Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

1Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dearly beloved brethren, remain steadfast and immovable, always labouring in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Until the day of the final resurrection, death will reign over this earth and submerge every man. When, on the other hand, the Lord completes his last work, then death will be submerged forever in the victory of Christ. After that, death will no longer have power, it will be defeated forever, forever annulled. Man will enter his finality, and only then will we understand what Christ has truly done for us. Death, both physical and spiritual, only Christ has conquered it, only in Him will we conquer it today and on the last day. There are no other Messiahs, no other ways, no other faiths. The only Messiah is Jesus Christ, the only way is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the only faith is the Word of the Lord, his Holy Gospel. Let those who seek elsewhere know that they will find nothing, for nothing exists.

Death will be ousted, rendered powerless, submerged by the victory of Christ. It that thought it had a deadly sting, finds itself stung by the victorious sting of Jesus Christ. She who thought she was the absolute ruler over man, by the man Jesus was defeated. It was Christ who died that overcame it with his resurrection. This is the mockery of death. Where no man could have succeeded, because he too was a prisoner and slave by birth of death, Christ triumphed. The victory of Christ is the resurrection, the cross is the victory over sin. By becoming in Christ one body and one life, we too on the cross together with Him overcome sin, and by overcoming sin we are led to complete victory over death.

For although the victory is accomplished in Christ, in His body, yet Paul says that the victory is ours: "He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The victory is ours because it will be manifested in us. We are associated with Him who has made all things.

Now, from the heart of the Christian, our hymn of thanksgiving, praise and blessing must rise up to the Father. Thanksgiving is the highest form of worship. We can only give thanks if Christ's victory has already been made ours; we give thanks for a gift that we already possess, that has already transformed us.

He gives thanks to God for such a great gift whoever commits himself, works, toils, so that Christ's victory transforms his life entirely and he becomes in the world a visible image of Christ crucified and risen, of a spiritual man, who transmits through his life the path of hope to which every man is called. Thanksgiving is thus transformed into an obligation of holiness, to which we are called by the Father who has bestowed the victory of Christ on us and waits for us to live it totally in us.

«Therefore, my beloved brethren, remain steadfast and immovable, always labouring in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord». In this concluding verse, Paul reiterates certain truths that must constitute the life of believers. The first is this: remain steadfast and immovable. In what? In the truth of Christ's resurrection and ours on the last day. The resurrection of Christ is the truth that gives consistency to all the other truths of our faith. If Christ's resurrection is not confessed with certainty of heart and mind, everything will ultimately be in vain and useless.

It is not enough, however, to remain firm and unshakable in this truth. One must be dedicated to the Lord's work. What is the work of the Lord? The fulfilment of his death and resurrection in us. Since the work of Christ was his death and resurrection, the work of the Lord for the Christian is also the fulfilment of Christ's death and resurrection in him. Christ's death is accomplished in the Christian through obedience to God's will. The work of the Lord to be done is to transform the word of Christ into life, as Christ transformed the word of the Father into life. Paul wants us to be prodigal in this work. To lavish ourselves means to spare ourselves in nothing, it means to expend all our physical and spiritual energy for the accomplishment of Christ's work in us.The third truth that we must always have in our hearts is this: whoever does the work of the Lord does the only true work, the only just work, the only holy work, the only work that has eternal value. Each of us, in every work we do, must ask ourselves whether what we do is the work of God. Only God's work is not in vain, and in doing it we do not waste our time and expend our energy uselessly. The work that will make our labour precious is only one: the fulfilment of Christ's death in us, so that his glorious resurrection on the last day may be accomplished in us.

If one sees Christianity in this way, one gives it another imprint; one gives it the imprint of seeking God's will so that it may be fulfilled in our lives. If one observes the life of a Christian community according to this vision of faith, then one becomes aware of all the vanities that surround it. Everything is done, except to fulfil each one individually and all together, each according to his part and vocation, the work of Christ, which is our death in Him in the greatest obedience to our Father who is in heaven.

True faith heals, renews existence, changes it, transforms it. Today, this is what is required of Christian communities: to start from the proclamation of true faith so that each one may begin in his or her own body the fulfilment of the Lord's work, which is the work of Christ, begun in us on the day of our baptism.

Knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. This fervour in doing good must be kindled in us by the certainty of the prize. Our labour is not in vain, for it will make us worthy of the future resurrection, provided, however, that everything is done in the Lord, that is, in intimate union with Jesus Christ.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

(Buyable on Amazon)

Ps 17 (18)

This monumental ode, which the title attributes to David, is a Te Deum of the king of Israel, it is his hymn of thanksgiving to God because he has been delivered from all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. David acknowledges that God alone was his Deliverer, his Saviour.

David begins with a profession of love (v. 2). He shouts to the world his love for the Lord. The word he uses is 'rāḥam', meaning to love very tenderly, as in the case of a mother's love. The Lord is his strength. David is weak as a man. With God, who is his strength, he is strong. It is God's strength that makes him strong. This truth applies to every man. Every man is weak, and remains so unless God becomes his strength.

God for David is everything (v.3). The Lord for David is rock, fortress. He is his Deliverer. He is the rock in which he takes refuge. He is the shield that defends him from the enemy. The Lord is his mighty salvation and his bulwark. The Lord is simply his life, his protection, his defence. It is a true declaration of love and truth.

David's salvation is from the Lord (v. 4). It is not from his worthiness. The Lord is worthy of praise. God cannot but be praised. He does everything well. It is enough for David to call upon the Lord and he will be saved from his enemies. Always the Lord answers when David calls upon him. David's salvation is from his prayer, from his invocation.

Then David describes from what dangers the Lord delivered him. He was surrounded by billows of death, like a drowning man swept away by waves. He was overwhelmed by raging torrents. From these things no one can free himself. From these things only the Lord delivers and saves.

David's winning weapon is faith that is transformed into heartfelt prayer to be raised to the Lord, because only the Lord could help him, and it is to Him that David cries out in his distress. This is what David does: in his distress, he does not lose himself, he does not lose his faith, he remains whole. He turns his faith into prayer. He invokes the Lord. He cries out to Him. He asks Him for help and succour. God hears David's voice, hears it from his temple. His cry reaches him.

God becomes angry because He sees His elect in danger. The Lord's anger produces an upheaval of the whole earth. The earth trembles and shakes. The foundations of the mountains shake. It is as if a mighty earthquake turned the globe upside down. The spiritual fact is translated into such a profound upheaval of nature that one has the impression that creation itself is about to cease to exist. In this catastrophe that strikes terror, the righteous is rescued.

The Lord frees David because he loves him. Here is the secret of the answer to the prayer: the Lord loves David (v. 20). The Lord loves David because David loves the Lord. Prayer is a relationship of love between man and God. David invokes God's love. God's love responds and draws him to safety.

"Wholesome have I been with him, and I have guarded myself from guilt" (v. 24). David's conscience testifies for him. David prayed with an upright conscience, with a pure heart. This he says not only to God, but to every man. Everyone must know that the righteous is truly righteous. The world must know the integrity of God's children. We have a duty to confess it. It is on integrity that truly human relationships can be built. Without integrity, every relationship is tightened on falsehood and lies.

"The way of God is straight, the word of the Lord is tried by fire" (v. 31). What is the secret because God is with David? It is David's abiding in the Word of God. David has a certainty: the way indicated by the Word of God is straight. One only has to follow it. This certainty is lacking in the hearts of many today. Many do not believe in the purity of God's Word. Many think that it is now outdated. Modernity cannot stand under the Word of God.

"For who is God, if not the Lord? Or who is rock, if not our God?" Now David professes his faith in the Lord for all to know. Is there any other God but the Lord? God alone is the Lord. God alone is the rock of salvation. To seek another God is idolatry. This profession of faith must always be made aloud (remember the 'Creed'). Convinced people are needed. A faith hidden in the heart is dead. A seed placed in the ground springs up and reveals the nature of the tree. Faith that is in the heart must sprout up and reveal its nature of truth, holiness, righteousness, love and hope. A faith that does not reveal its nature is dead. It is a useless faith.

"He grants his king great victories; he shows himself faithful to his anointed, to David and his seed for ever" (v. 51). In this Psalm, David sees himself as the work of God's hands. That is why he blesses him, praises him, magnifies him. God's faithfulness and great favours for David do not end with David. God's faithfulness is for all his descendants. We know that David's descendants are Jesus Christ. With Jesus God is faithful for ever. With the other descendants, God will be faithful if they are faithful to Jesus Christ.

Here, then, the figure of David disappears to make way for that of the perfect king in whom the saving action that God offers the world is concentrated. In the light of this reinterpretation, the ode entered the Christian liturgy as a victory song of Christ, the 'son of David', over the forces of evil and as a hymn of the salvation he offered.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

(Buyable on Amazon) 

1Th 5:16-24

1Thessalonians 5:16 Be joyful always,

1Thessalonians 5:17 pray unceasingly,

1Tessalonians 5:18 in all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

1Thessalonians 5:19 quench not the Spirit,

"Be joyful always". The theme of joy is the spiritual climate of the Christian community. Christianity is joy, spiritual gladness, joy of the heart, serenity of the mind. 'Always' means in all circumstances. From an outward point of view, there was little for which believers in those days could rejoice. But joy is a fruit of the Spirit, not something the Christian can procure from his own resources.

The Christian is called to always be joyful. This quality of his new being is only possible on one condition: that there is such a strong faith in his heart that he thinks at all times that everything that happens, happens for a greater good for us. Whoever does not possess this faith is lost, because tribulation, without faith, does not generate hope, but disappointment, sadness, tears and every other kind of bitterness.

Gladness ripens only on the tree of faith, and he who falls from faith also falls from gladness and falls into sadness. Knowing that physical or moral evil permitted by God must generate sanctification in us, the Christian accepts it in faith and lives it in prayer.

In fact, the apostle adds: 'pray unceasingly'. In this very brief exhortation is hidden the secret of the Christian's life. Prayer must punctuate the life of the community and of individuals; a continuous attitude. It is not the little prayer done every now and then, but a regular prayer, done according to a constant rhythm. If we do this we can go even further, and that is to live in a spirit of prayer, aware of God's presence with us wherever we are.

The moment is lost that is without prayer. It is a moment entrusted only to our will, rationality, it is a moment lost because it is not done according to God's will but according to our own. Lost is that moment lived but not entrusted to God in prayer. Lost is that moment made by ourselves, but not made as a gift of God for us and for others. This is the truth of our life.

Because today we no longer pray, or we only pray for some personal interest, so much of our life is wasted, it is lost, it is not lived either for our own good or for the good of our brothers. Learning to pray is the most necessary thing for a man. Teaching how to do so is the primary work of the priest, or of those who lead the community.

"In everything give thanks" is the way to live in a joyful and prayerful atmosphere. We have the verb eucharistein ('to give thanks'). In every situation give thanks, because even in our difficulties and trials God teaches us valuable lessons. It is not easy to see the positive side of a trial, but if God is above all things, then He is sovereign even in the trial.

For thanksgiving to be made of everything, the heart must be clothed in humility. It is proper to humility to recognise what the Lord has done and is doing for us. But it is proper to prayer to raise to the Lord the hymn of thanksgiving, of blessing, of glorifying his name that is mighty on earth and in heaven.

He who does not give thanks is an idolater. He thinks that everything is from him, from his abilities, and therefore he attributes to himself what is simply and purely a gift from the Lord. An example of how one thanks the Lord, blesses Him, exalts and magnifies Him is the Virgin Mary. Her Magnificat is recited daily by the Church. It must not only be recited, but also imitated, prayed, made one's own life.

At the end of this triad of imperatives on the spiritual life, a motivation is given that encompasses all three exhortations: 'for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus towards you'. In this context, the expression 'will of God' implies a way of life that corresponds to the plan of salvation revealed in Jesus Christ. God's will is made known in Christ, and in Christ we are given the motivation and strength to do that will.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books

- Revelation - exegetical commentary

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

(Buyable on Amazon)                                                                          

1Ts 5,16-24

1Tessalonicesi 5:16 State sempre lieti,

1Tessalonicesi 5:17 pregate incessantemente,

1Tessalonicesi 5:18 in ogni cosa rendete grazie; questa è infatti la volontà di Dio in Cristo Gesù verso di voi.

1Tessalonicesi 5:19 Non spegnete lo Spirito,

«State sempre lieti». Il tema della gioia è il clima spirituale della comunità cristiana. Il cristianesimo è gioia, letizia spirituale, gaudio del cuore, serenità della mente. «Sempre» significa in ogni circostanza. Da un punto di vista esteriore c’era ben poco per cui i credenti a quei tempi potessero rallegrarsi. Ma la gioia è un frutto dello Spirito, non è qualcosa che il cristiano possa procurarsi traendola fuori dalle proprie risorse.

Il cristiano è chiamato ad essere sempre lieto. Questa qualità del suo nuovo essere è possibile ad una sola condizione: che vi sia nel cuore una fede così forte da pensare in ogni momento che tutto ciò che avviene, avviene per un bene più grande per noi. Chi non possiede questa fede, si perde, perché la tribolazione, senza la fede, non genera speranza, ma delusione, tristezza, lacrime e ogni altra sorta di amarezza.

La letizia matura solo sull’albero della fede e chi cade dalla fede cade anche dalla letizia e precipita nella tristezza. Sapendo che il male fisico o morale permesso da Dio deve generare in noi la santificazione, il cristiano lo accoglie nella fede e lo vive nella preghiera.

Infatti l'apostolo aggiunge: «pregate incessantemente». In questa brevissima esortazione è nascosto il segreto della vita del cristiano. La preghiera deve scandire la vita della comunità e dei singoli; un’attitudine continua. Non è la preghierina fatta ogni tanto, ma è una preghiera regolare, fatta secondo un ritmo costante. Se si fa questo possiamo andare anche oltre, e cioè vivere in uno spirito di preghiera, consci della presenza di Dio con noi ovunque siamo.

È perso quel momento che è senza preghiera. È un momento affidato solo alla nostra volontà, razionalità, è un momento perso perché non fatto secondo la volontà di Dio ma secondo la nostra. È perso quell’attimo vissuto, ma non affidato a Dio nella preghiera. È perso quel momento fatto da noi stessi, ma non fatto come un dono di Dio per noi e per gli altri. Questa è la verità della nostra vita.

Poiché oggi non si prega più, o si prega solo per alcuni interessi personali, tanta parte della nostra vita viene sciupata, è persa, non è vissuta né per il nostro bene, né per il bene dei nostri fratelli. Imparare a pregare è la cosa più necessaria per un uomo. Insegnare a farlo è l’opera primaria del sacerdote, o di chi guida la comunità.

«In ogni cosa rendete grazie», è il modo di vivere in un clima gioioso e orante. Abbiamo il verbo eucharistein («rendere grazie»). In ogni situazione rendere grazie, perché anche nelle nostre difficoltà e nelle nostre prove Dio ci insegna lezioni preziose. Non è facile vedere il lato positivo di una prova, ma se Dio è sopra ogni cosa, allora è sovrano anche nella prova.

Perché di tutto si faccia un rendimento di grazie, occorre che il cuore si rivesta di umiltà. È proprio dell’umiltà riconoscere quanto il Signore ha fatto e fa per noi. Ma è proprio della preghiera innalzare al Signore l’inno per il rendimento di grazie, per la benedizione, per la glorificazione del suo nome che è potente sulla terra e nei cieli.

Chi non rende grazie è un idolatra. Pensa che tutto sia da lui, dalle sue capacità, e quindi si attribuisce ciò che è semplicemente e puramente un dono del Signore. Esempio di come si ringrazi il Signore, lo si benedica, lo si esalti e lo si magnifichi è la Vergine Maria. Il suo Magnificat è quotidianamente recitato dalla Chiesa. Bisogna che non solo venga recitato, quanto imitato, pregato, fatto propria vita.

A chiusura di questa triade di imperativi sulla vita spirituale, si dà una motivazione che abbraccia tutte e tre le esortazioni: «questa è infatti la volontà di Dio in Cristo Gesù verso di voi». In questo contesto l’espressione «volontà di Dio» implica uno stile di vita corrispondente al progetto di salvezza rivelato in Gesù Cristo. La volontà di Dio viene fatta conoscere in Cristo, e in Cristo ci viene data la motivazione e la forza per cui ci è possibile fare quella volontà.

 Argentino Quintavalle, autore dei libri 

- Apocalisse – commento esegetico 

- L'Apostolo Paolo e i giudaizzanti – Legge o Vangelo?

• Gesù Cristo vero Dio e vero Uomo nel mistero trinitario
• Il discorso profetico di Gesù (Matteo 24-25)
• Tutte le generazioni mi chiameranno beata

(Acquistabili su Amazon)

Mc 1,1-8

Marco 1:1 Inizio del vangelo di Gesù Cristo, Figlio di Dio.

Marco 1:2 Come è scritto nel profeta Isaia:

Ecco, io mando il mio messaggero davanti a te,

egli ti preparerà la strada.

Marco 1:3 Voce di uno che grida nel deserto:

preparate la strada del Signore,

raddrizzate i suoi sentieri,

Il racconto di Marco inizia in un modo insolito e apparentemente banale, dicendo al lettore che quello che sta leggendo è l'inizio del vangelo di Gesù. Un'affermazione questa che lascia perplessi, dato che tutti i libri cominciano dal loro inizio e non è il caso che si sprechi un versetto per dirlo. Ma evidentemente quel “archē” (inizio) assume per l'evangelista un significato del tutto particolare. L'inizio di cui si parla non è soltanto l'inizio di un racconto, ma un "arché", cioè un principio da cui tutto discende. Il termine greco "arché" ci riporta alle origini della creazione: "In principio Dio creò il cielo e la terra" (Gen 1,1) e fu proprio in questo principio, assoluto e unico, che risuonò la parola creatrice. Marco, quindi, vede in Gesù l'inizio di una nuova creazione.

L'inizio di cui si parla è quello di un "vangelo", cioè l'inizio di un lieto annuncio, il cui contenuto è Gesù stesso: «di Gesù Cristo, Figlio di Dio», cioè appartiene a Gesù e si origina da lui. Marco fin da subito mette in chiaro chi è l'eroe del suo racconto e, quindi, come va letta e compresa la sua figura e, di conseguenza, la sua missione. Il suo personaggio è innanzitutto chiamato Gesù, dichiarandone, in tal modo, la dimensione storico-umana: egli è un vero uomo, che si muove ed opera in mezzo agli uomini. Gesù, dunque, non è una realtà metafisica, piovuta dal cielo chissà in quale modo, ma ha profonde radici umane ed è, grazie alla sua umanità, incardinato nella storia, che condivide con il resto degli uomini. In ciò Gesù dimostra tutta la sua solidarietà con il genere umano. In tale nome, poi, è racchiuso il senso più vero e profondo della sua missione. In ebraico, infatti, il nome Gesù (Yeshua) significa "Dio salva"; il lettore, pertanto, è invitato a cogliere in questo uomo l'azione salvifica di Dio stesso.

Ed ecco, quindi, che accanto al nome Gesù compare subito l'attributo "Cristo". Il profeta Natan aveva promesso a Davide una discendenza, che avrebbe reso stabile il suo regno. Da quel momento il popolo ebreo attendeva questa "discendenza", questo "Unto del Signore", a lui consacrato. Nell'immaginario del popolo le attese erano rivolte ad una sorta di super uomo, politico, militare e religioso, che avrebbe dato lustro, splendore e stabilità ad Israele sopra tutti gli altri popoli, e che avrebbe fondato sulla terra il regno di Dio. Marco vede in Gesù il realizzarsi di questa antica profezia, che supera, però, le ristrette visioni storiche e terrene del popolo. Certo, Gesù è il vero Messia atteso, ma la sua messianicità non è così come è sempre stata pensata dagli uomini, ma è posta al servizio di Dio e si rivelerà gradualmente nel doloroso cammino verso la croce, che lascerà sbigottiti, increduli e riluttanti i suoi stessi discepoli. Marco, quindi, vede in Gesù l'Unto di Dio, l'uomo che Dio aveva promesso a Davide e che aveva pensato da sempre per il suo popolo e per l'intera umanità.

Capire, quindi, che Gesù è il Cristo atteso è il primo passo per poter accedere all'altra incredibile realtà, presente in lui: egli è anche Figlio di Dio. L'essere "figlio di Dio" era uno dei titoli attribuiti al Messia; era anche il titolo riconosciuto ai re. Ma Gesù nel corso della sua vita ha dimostrato che il suo essere "Figlio di Dio" aveva radici molto profonde, sconosciute fino ad allora, testimoniando una relazione unica, privilegiata ed esclusiva con Dio, che chiamava "Padre" in senso reale e non metaforico, denunciando, in tal modo la sua vera origine e natura.  

Il vangelo di Marco, quindi, diventa un cammino alla scoperta della vera natura e del vero essere di Gesù. Si parte dalla sua umanità, definita e contenuta nel nome Gesù, per accedere alla sua messianicità, condensata nel titolo di «Cristo», per giungere alla scoperta del titolo dei titoli: «Figlio di Dio» e, quindi, Dio lui stesso.

Il racconto di Marco continua poi con un solenne e autorevole “Come è scritto nel profeta Isaia...”. Alla base di tutto, dunque, ecco la Scrittura, la Parola creatrice di Dio, che trova nell'evento Gesù la sua incarnazione e la sua piena manifestazione. Gesù, dunque, è la Parola del Padre che si fa storia e diviene azione redentrice di Dio in mezzo agli uomini.

Il profeta Isaia esortava il popolo d'Israele, prigioniero a Babilonia, ad aprirsi alla speranza e a preparare la via del ritorno in patria come una sorta di secondo esodo, attraverso il deserto, dove il resto d'Israele, quello rimasto fedele a Dio, avrebbe visto la gloria del Signore.

Ed è proprio sulla spinta del profeta Isaia che il “maestro di Giustizia”, l'enigmatica figura della comunità di Qumran, creò la sua comunità in mezzo al deserto, in attesa della venuta del Messia. Una sorta di comunità monacale animata da forti tensioni escatologiche ed apocalittiche.

Il “deserto” è una parola emblematica e molto significativa nella storia di Israele, perché è da lì che è partita la sua storia della salvezza; lì ha ricevuto la sua identità diventando proprietà di Dio; ed è sempre lì, nel deserto, che Israele viene messo alla prova e trova il suo riscatto e la sua rigenerazione spirituale. In tal guisa, è ancora da qui, dal deserto, che parte ora la storia di un nuovo Israele, a cui Marco allude, richiamandosi ai testi profetici. Ecco perché Marco vede la sua opera come un “archē”, come un inizio.

 Argentino Quintavalle, autore dei libri 

- Apocalisse – commento esegetico 

- L'Apostolo Paolo e i giudaizzanti – Legge o Vangelo?

• Gesù Cristo vero Dio e vero Uomo nel mistero trinitario
• Il discorso profetico di Gesù (Matteo 24-25)
• Tutte le generazioni mi chiameranno beata

(Acquistabili su Amazon)