Sunday reflections

In the gospel parable we might wonder is this the way God acts? It doesn’t seem fair to pay everyone the same wage, whether they have worked the entire day or for an hour, even if it was agreed to by the workers at the beginning.

Living and working in a community – be it large or small – is not always easy. We all know that. It is “par for the course” that tensions, disagreements, and challenges arise and need to be handled for the sake of community well-being.

Living and working in a community – be it large or small – is not always easy. We all know that. It is “par for the course” that tensions, disagreements, and challenges arise and need to be handled for the sake of community well-being.

Boundaries – geographical, cultural, religious and gender – are crossed in today’s gospel. In fact, it’s one of the few stories in Matthew’s Gospel that takes place outside Jewish territory. Matthew understands the ministry of Jesus being directed firstly to the house of Israel. Only when the good news of the Kingdom of God has been offered to them, will it be offered to “all nations”. (Matt 28:19)

Throughout history the question of who shall rule tribe, people or nation has been highly contested. It remains an issue today even in so-called democratic countries where people vote for their leaders and representatives.

Boundaries – geographical, cultural, religious and gender – are crossed in today’s gospel. In fact, it’s one of the few stories in Matthew’s Gospel that takes place outside Jewish territory. Matthew understands the ministry of Jesus being directed firstly to the house of Israel. Only when the good news of the Kingdom of God has been offered to them, will it be offered to “all nations”. (Matt 28:19)

In June 2018, twelve boys and their coach found themselves trapped in a cave in northern Thailand. The flood waters were rising, and the water-filled tunnels of the cave were narrow and pitch dark.

The widely acclaimed Jesuit Scripture scholar, Nicholas King, has produced a wonderful translation of the scriptures, striving to present the message in a form of colloquial English, designed to reflect the way the authors would have spoken in their own time.

Much like today, different gods and life philosophies were plentiful in the ancient Roman world. They were like different pearls, available for people to pick and choose which they liked and wanted to keep.

Jesus is a strange and disconcerting figure. His words are biting and odd. They are elusive and obscure. At the same time, they command attention and demand a response. His actions are similar. He’s not what is expected. He’s dangerous. He’s impossible to ignore. The religious and political leaders of his day understood this. That’s why they crucified him.