Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tent makers by trade.
I find a grave irony in today's first reading. It describes a tragedy and a sin which the Church has recently owned and for which the Church must atone. I speak of our relationship with Jews.
Saint Luke tells us that the married couple Pontus and Priscilla moved to the Greek city of Corinth when the Emperor Claudius ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Apparently, the edict was not very successful for later, both Peter and Paul settled in the Eternal City and shared the Good News with its Jewish population. But this couple departed because, at that time, Rome did not recognize any distinction between Christians and Jews. Pontus and his wife might have been more troublesome to the authorities for proclaiming the Gospel.
In any case, as adopted children of Abraham, Christians should always expect to share the fate of the Jews. Where they are suspected of deviousness and despised, we should be hated. For we love the same God and speak his name with the same reverence; and the world hates our God. If they don't hate Christians when they're persecuting Jews, we're obviously failing to prove our holiness.
Today's eight verses from Acts 18 are ironic for they describe the initial separation of Christians from Jews, and Paul's outrageous words, "Your blood be on your heads!" The expression is echoed in Matthew 27:25 -- "And the whole people said in reply, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.”
But, more importantly -- and this is often overlooked -- its origin is found in Exodus 24:6-8
Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, “All that the LORD has said, we will hear and do.” Then he took the blood and splashed it on the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.”
In this passage the altar represents God, and the blood which is poured upon the altar and the people effects their communion with God. They are united by the liquid life spilled over them.
Ironically, the curse the enraged mob calls upon themselves, is a blessing! They want to share in the communion which Jesus will restore between God and his beloved people.
I hope there is a theologian who can correct me if I am wrong, but it seems the Jewish-Christian dialogue has often overlooked Matthew's intentional irony. (Powerful people often have little sense of humor and irony goes right past them.) I do not find any reference to the Exodus passage in the Wikipedia article about the "Blood Curse."
As Catholics renew our devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament, we must ponder this dark mystery. We must join the mob in Jerusalem and invite his Precious Blood upon ourselves and our children. We do that when we eat his flesh and drink his blood. Adopted into the family of Abraham, we should be, like our Jewish brethren and sistren, despised because we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.