Commentary

Joel 2:21-27
The prophet of the L ORD announces that the L ORD God Almighty is coming to
the earth and there He will judge the entire creation. But those who are His own
will be set aside for blessings. Plants and animals will produce in abundance.
People will have more than they need.

Joel 2:21 Do not fear, O soil – All of creation knows that the L ORD is God. It
realizes also that judgement will come to all for what humanity has done.
the L ORD has done great things! – In this context, the L ORD has saved His
people and their possessions.

Joel 2:22 Do not fear, you animals of the field – To drive the point of the previous
sentence home, the author repeats its key ideas for the animals, the pastures,
the trees, and the vines. The L ORD will bless those He loves.

Joel 2:23 O children of Zion, be glad – This are the ones the L ORD has saved.
for he has given the early rain – For the chosen ones, the L ORD gives in
abundance.

Joel 2:24 The threshing-floors shall be full of grain – The people of God can see
the benefit of following the L ORD. These words of the prophet say that the
L ORD richly provides even in times of trial.

Joel 2:25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten – Just
like an insurance adjuster, God will reimburse His people for the damaged
caused by “natural disasters.”

Joel 2:26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied – No longer will the blessed live
in scarcity. Instead, the food will be more than can be consumed.
praise the name of the L ORD your God – The heaping portions, the abundant
rainfall, and the bountiful harvest are not the work of the people. They know
this and thank the L ORD for His work.

Joel 2:27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel – God promises to
the chosen ones that they will have the ability to recognize God’s presence
among them.

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Psalm 126
The psalmist compares the reversals of Zion to those immediate changes found in
dreams. No longer do the people cry. Now they rejoice. The gifts of God proved
to the world the L ORD is God. The psalmist then asks the L ORD to do this great
deed one more time. And in doing so, the sad will be happy.

Psalm 126:1 When the L ORD restored the fortunes of Zion we were like those
who dream – The news that God saves so surprised the people that they
could not believe it.

Psalm 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter – Immediately, attitudes
changed. People were happy rather than sad.
it was said among the nations – Other countries noticed the work of the
L ORD.

Psalm 126:3 The L ORD has done great things for us – The repetition of the
previous line with one slight modification reminds the people what God
does.

Psalm 126:4 Restore our fortunes, O L ORD – The psalmist turns his attention to
the L ORD. He and the other members of the community ask God to bless
them once again.

Psalm 126:5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. – Planting
and harvesting occur during different parts of the year. In other words, time
passes between putting the seed in the ground and taking the harvest home.
The author believes enough time has elapsed. The time of harvest should be
near.

Psalm 126:6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing – The same
concept is repeated in this verse. The time has come for joy.

1 Timothy 2:1-7
The author of the letter urges at the very least Timothy and possibly his entire
community to lift up in prayer the needs of everyone. This includes the powerful.
The hope is that they come to faith and that a quiet life may be had by all.

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 1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings should be made for everyone – The author of the letter,
generally not believed to be the Apostle Paul,1 urges Timothy to do the work
of a pastor. No one is to be left out of the prayers of the church.

1 Timothy 2:2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. – The prayers should
include all those individuals that rule. By asking God to bless those in
charge, the hope is that they do not see Christianity as a hostile force that
moves against them. There is a practical reason for this. As friends of the
state, they are less likely to be persecuted.

1 Timothy 2:3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour –
Without providing explicit support, the author reminds the audience that all
the world needs the prayers of the faithful.

1 Timothy 2:4 desires everyone to be saved – This echoes the universality of the
message found in texts such as John 3:16.

1 Timothy 2:5 there is one God – This starts a line of reasoning that explains
why only one savior is needed. The argument is that one God only needs
one person to argue our case before the court of the Lord. That One is Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:6 attested at the right time – The Lord has a plan and is acting on it.

1 Timothy 2:7 For this I was appointed – The author wants one to believe that
his assignment is part and parcel of God’s plan of salvation.

Matthew 6:25-33
This is part and parcel of a discussion on the lifestyle of Christians. Followers of
Christ, know what is given to them and they share their blessings with others.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you – This ties what comes next with verse 6:24
and provides a theological base.2
1
Charles B. Cousar; Idem, editor, The Letters of Paul, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1996),
Interpreting Biblical Texts, p. 18.
2
Daniel J. Harrington, S.J.; Idem, editor, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1, Sacra Pagina,
(Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1991), p. 102.

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 do not worry about your life – If you focus on what is happening around
you, what naturally occurs is that you remove your eye from God. Jesus
expounds on this concept in this verse and those following.
Ψυχῇ can also be translated as “your soul.” However, the Jewish under-
standing is that humanity cannot be divided into parts like mind, body, and
soul.3

Matthew 6:26 birds of the air – The Greek reads, “πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ” – birds
of heaven. This is different from the “crows” in Luke 12:24. Luke’s account
seems to say, even the unclean animals are fed by God. Matthew’s version
expands this idea to all birds.4 God helps them all.

Matthew 6:27 a single hour to your span of life – The Greek reads, “προσθεῖναι
ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα” (increase into the stature of you one
cubit). The unit of measure, πῆχυς is about 18 inches since it is from the
tip of the pointer finger to the elbow.5 The translation could refer to either
height or age.6

Matthew 6:28 the lilies – This could be a generic flower like the unspecified
birds in verse 6:26.7 The works of toiling and spinning are not normally
associated with flowers. Perhaps, lilies should be beasts.8

Matthew 6:29 Solomon in all his glory was not clothed – For a description of
Solomon’s wealth see 1 Kings 10:1-7 and 2 Chronicles 9:12-22. But the
texts do not say anything about his clothes.

Matthew 6:30 the grass of the field – For the short lifespan of grass see Isaiah
40:6-8.
you of little faith – The discussion of little faith always appears in con-
junction with the disciples: (ὀλιγόπιστος Matthew 6:30 ; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8;
(ὀλιγοπιστία) 17:20.
3
Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew, p. 102.
4
Ibid.
5
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.

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 Matthew 6:31 Therefore do not worry – The Lord provides to those who follow
Him. With all the hungry and thirsty in the world, are God’s children doing
their job?

Matthew 6:32 Gentiles – The ἔθνη are those people who are not Jews.

Matthew 6:33 his righteousness – The righteousness of God is shown in Christ’s

teaching: Matthew 5:6; 5:10; 5:20.9

References
Cousar, Charles B.; Idem, editor, The Letters of Paul, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon
Press, 1996), Interpreting Biblical Texts.

Harrington, S.J., Daniel J.; Idem, editor, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1, Sacra
Pagina, (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1991).

9
Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew, p. 102.