Sunday reflections

There’s a bloke at every barbecue who reckons he’s got God’s number sorted. Do the right thing, say your prayers, front up to Mass, and the Big Fella will give you good crops, healthy kids, and a Bunnings sausage that doesn’t fall out of the bread.

In this week’s gospel, Jesus chastises the Chosen People’s religious leaders of his day, putting a very sobering message before them.

This week’s Second Reading contains a very early Christian hymn and quotes from the prophet Isaiah, which proclaims that “all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld should bend the knee” to God (Is. 45:23). But St Paul instead writes: “at the name of Jesus.”

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.