Ordinary Time Week 16

Psalm: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 or Psalm 25:1-9 

Old Testament: Exodus 17:1-7 or Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 

Gospel: Matthew 21:23-32 

Epistle: Philippians 2:1-13

Philippians 2:1-13 has become one of these key passages for me that helps me to understand who Jesus Christ is, and since Jesus reveals God’s nature, it helps me to understand who God is as well. These verses, particularly vs. 5-11, have been discussed on this blog numerous times and I even used them to interpret the events of Good Friday earlier this year. To summarize, I see in these verses the whole life story of Christ from his Temptation all the way to the Cross-- how he continually stepped lower and lower in obedience to the Father and was thus able to be glorified above all else. So, this week I want to discuss the 4 verses that lead into this great Christological hymn.

Ordinary Time week 15

Psalm: Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 or Psalm 145:1-8 

Old Testament: Exodus 16:2-15 or Jonah 3:10-4:11 

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16 

Epistle: Philippians 1:21-30

The parable of the “Laborers in the Vineyard” from Matthew 20 is a striking tale, both to its original hearers and really in any time period. As humans, we generally have an innate sense of what justice and fairness is. When one person works 11 hours and another works only 1, yet they get the same pay, we perceive that to be unfair. Thus, the workers in the parable that worked 11 hours grumble to the landowner that they received an unfair wage. The first thing to note is that they all received a denarius, a normal day’s wage. The landowner isn’t being stingy or unfair to any of the workers; he is giving them each an honest day’s wage. We can all think of how this situation might work out in our society today. First, it can happen exactly like the parable when people hire contractors to work for them. But, it can also happen when we perceive or judge others at our work sites that may do less work, yet still get paid the same or get promoted over others.

Ordinary Time Week 14

Psalm: Psalm 114 or Psalm 103:1-7, 8-13 

Old Testament: Exodus 14:19-31
or Genesis 50:15-21 

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35 

Epistle: Romans 14:1-12

This week, our theme is about forgiveness, something we have discussed before on this blog. Last year, during the season of Lent, we discussed Jesus’ first word from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” In fact, we used this very parable to help us explore this idea. Forgiveness is central to the Christian story because of the forgiveness we have received in Christ. This is the thrust of the parable in Matthew 18. There is the contrast between the servant who has a debt of between $2-3 billion forgiven, and his actions of not even allowing his debtor extra time to pay off a debt of less than $6,000. We, who have been forgiven so much by God, cannot then withhold forgiveness from those who wrong us. This concept is pretty straightforward, actually, and we can all agree rationally that we should forgive. However, when it comes to us being wrong and really feeling hurt, forgiveness is a difficult thing. I discussed in my previous post how we need to develop the fruits of the Spirits, and our relationship with Christ, so when those hard times come, forgiveness and grace is easier to extend. 

Ordinary Time Week 13

Psalm: Psalm 149 or Psalm 119:33-40 

Old Testament: Exodus 12:1-14 or Ezekiel 33:7-11 

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20 

Epistle: Romans 13:8-14

Paul has some interesting words for us this week concerning the concept of love. He follows Jesus’ own words in saying that “he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” He quotes Leviticus 19:18, as does Jesus, which reads, “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” The reason this fulfills the law is kind of self-explanatory, but Paul makes it clear: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” Perhaps it is the message which leads Jesus to say that he has not come to nullify the law, but to fulfill it. If love of God and others is the defining feature of one’s life, then all the other precepts of the law will fall into place. I find it interesting that Paul quotes 4 of the 10 commandments, basically summarizing them, and then adds the line about “loving your neighbor as yourself” and places them on the same level. It reveals to me that the “Law” as defined in the Old Testament is seen on the same level and interconnected. Jesus and Paul both take this one line from Leviticus, and place it on equal ground with the Shema, the great statement of faith in Deut. 6, and the 10 commandments respectively. They are then able to read the rest of the Law through the key interpretive lens of love of God and neighbor.