The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present situations that invite serious reflection to peek into the mysteries of human behaviour that are illustrated.
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| Working for justice |
The reading from Judges is a parable proclaimed by Jotham about the poor choice of Abimelech as king.
* [9:13] Cheers gods: wine was part of a number of types of offerings in the Israelite cult (cf. Ex 29:40; Lv 23:13; Nm 15:7, 10), and it was also used widely in the worship of foreign gods (cf. Dt 32:37–38; Is 65:11).1
The first part of Psalm 21 is a thanksgiving (Ps 21:2–8).
* [Psalm 21] The first part of this royal Psalm is a thanksgiving (Ps 21:2–8), and the second is a promise that the king will triumph over his enemies (Ps 21:9–13). The king’s confident prayer (Ps 21:3–5) and trust in God (Ps 21:8) enable him to receive the divine gifts of vitality, peace, and military success. Ps 21:14 reprises Ps 21:2. When kings ceased in Israel after the sixth century B.C., the Psalm was sung of a future Davidic king.2
In the Gospel from Matthew, the Workers in the Vineyard parable continues to challenge our culture of entitlement.
* [20:14–15] The owner’s conduct involves no violation of justice (Mt 20:4, 13), and that all the workers receive the same wage is due only to his generosity to the latest arrivals; the resentment of the first comes from envy.3
Chas Kestermeier, S.J. finds that the justice of God is a generosity which goes beyond what is just and especially surpasses our little ideas of what justice is or should be.
Jesus shows us here only one aspect of that God that we believe in, and even in that generous love He is wrapped in mystery.4
Don Schwager comments that the master, undoubtedly, hired them in the late afternoon so they wouldn't go home payless and hungry.
What can work and wages, welfare and the unemployed tell us about the kingdom of God? In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard we see the extraordinary generosity and compassion of God (Matthew 20:1-16). There is great tragedy in unemployment, the loss of work, and the inability to earn enough to live and support oneself or one's family. In Jesus' times laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table. The laborers who worked all day and received their payment complain that the master pays the late afternoon laborers the same wage.5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Judges 9:6-15 notes that these foolish trees share something in common with the critical workers from Jesus’ parable—the ones who don’t like the generosity of the man who hired them. They too think they know better. The problem in both cases is that mistrust is really what “reigns.”
We can all fall into this “I know best” mentality at times. A higher-up’s decision at work makes us roll our eyes. In a conversation with our spouse or children, we push for our own plans with urgency, not pausing to think about other people’s ideas, let alone thank them. We can even do this in our relationship with God when we approach prayer by saying, “Please do this” or “Make this outcome happen.” While it’s not wrong to make our desires known to God, it might be good to do a “trust check” every once in a while. It could look something like this:
What is at the heart of my prayer? Do I believe in God’s perfect love and perfect judgment? Am I open to his will, even if it means letting things go on as they are for a bit longer? Do I believe that God is working, even now?6
Friar Jude Winkler identifies the exception in Judges to the choice of good charismatic leaders for Israel. Our reaction to who deserves heaven may lack an understanding of how they may be differently gifted. Friar Jude reminds us of the gift of heaven.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that one of the most hopeful signs of growth and evolution in Christianity today is the effort to reclaim nonviolence as fundamental to Jesus’ life and teaching. Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Peace in 2017 focused on this.
Jesus taught that the true battlefield, where violence and peace meet, is the human heart: for “it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come” (Mark 7:21). . . . Jesus marked out the path of nonviolence. He walked that path to the very end, to the cross . . . (Ephesians 2:14-16). Whoever accepts the Good News of Jesus is able to acknowledge the violence within and be healed by God’s mercy, becoming in turn an instrument of reconciliation. In the words of Saint Francis of Assisi: “As you announce peace with your mouth, make sure that you have greater peace in your hearts.” [2] . . .
As my predecessor Benedict XVI observed . . . : “For Christians, nonviolence is not merely tactical behavior but a person’s way of being, the attitude of one who is so convinced of God’s love and power that [they are] not afraid to tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone.” [3] The Gospel command to love your enemies (Luke 6:27) “is rightly considered the magna carta of Christian nonviolence.” [4] . . .7
Sound judgment, boundless generosity, and non violence are Christian aspirations that come to reality through our relationship with Jesus.
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