Though it was near a notable place, Ramah, where one of the matriarchs of Israel, Rachel, had died, “Ephrathah” was, as scripture tells us, virtually “too small” to be noticed. Yet, the prophet Micah says it would be the place of a new king in the line of King David.

In the gospel, John the Baptist repeats Isaiah’s prophecy about a time to come when ground will be made level and paths straight. In biblical terms these words are metaphors for the change that needs to happen in one’s personal life.

In the parable of the sower told earlier in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus spoke of the “the seed that fell among thorns,” which are like “the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit.”

If you want to know one of the places where we get the traditional image of God the Father—aged and with flowing white hair, such as we see in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescos—look no further than the “Ancient One” holding heavenly court in the reading from the Book of Revelation.

Jesus uses the fig tree to show how his return is as inevitable as the turning of the seasons. If he says something is going to happen, it will, in time, happen. Jesus keeps his promises.

Think of a time when someone did something for you that was totally unexpected. It’s a wonderful feeling to get help when you really need it or to have someone do a huge favor for you. To receive assistance from another person also involves giving up control and depending on another.

One of the consistent messages of the gospel is the need for your actions to match your true intentions. What you do reveals who you really are, and if you’re a person of faith, how you live should reflect that reality. It’s easy to hide behind words; they can conceal your motivations and make you appear to be someone you’re not. Hence the gospels’ deemphasizing of outer ritual and emphasizing of inner faith.

Running through the readings this week is a sense of call. We hear of the Israelites’ joy when God called them back from exile. The Letter to the Hebrews makes it clear that only God calls the high priest. In the gospel the blind Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus, and Jesus to him.

We hear of Jesus’ enthronement in the readings for this Sunday, but we hear as well of his suffering. Interestingly, the two go together. It may be hard to grasp when you really think about it: God became a human being—took a human body—and was like us in every way except giving into the temptation to sin, which is almost unavoidable for people at one time or another.

Rules have their place. As Alice Camille said in PrepareTheWord’s “Exploring the Word” for September 2, “External rules are clearly intended to impress on minds and hearts what hands are doing.” Get in the habit of giving, for example, and in time that will help make you a more generous person.