A reflection on Matthew 9:16-17 and Isaiah 52:7
Saturday of the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
©️2022 by Gloria M. Chang
“No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Matthew 9:16-17
How beautiful upon the mountains
Isaiah 52:7
are the feet of the one bringing good news,
Announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
The Old Law
Images of old cloaks and wineskins, familiar to Jesus’ audience, elude moderns. Consider an analogy from our world—a pair of baby shoes for an adult.
The New Law
At the age of maturity, the Spirit writes the law upon human hearts, which guides them from within. All who are in Christ become God.
For the Son of God became man
St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation
so that we might become God.
Anointed Feet
Like new wine bursting old wineskins, the Gospel-bearing feet of the Savior outgrew the cramped shoes of the old Adam. Anointed by the Spirit on the mystic mountain, the feet of the Beloved carry the Lover’s message to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15).
How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
Song of Songs 7:1(2)
O noble daughter!
Cruise and Cross
The etymology of cruise is the Dutch kruisen, “to cross, sail to and fro,” from kruis, “cross,” from Middle Dutch cruce, from Latin crux, “cross,” the root of “crucify/be crucified.”
Thus, “cruise” captures Christ’s divinity and humanity at once: being borne aloft by the Spirit and crushed by the Passion.
Lo, Adam has outgrown his shoes;
Anointed feet o’er thorns will cruise.
Dear GMC, Thank you for the etymology of cruise. The way you define it I can ponder upon it for days. Thank you for the way you grow our faith, our imagination, and our desire for the Anointed feet. Tis no small feat!
Serendipitous surprises
Out of poetry arises.
🎁🐌🌼