XXVI Sunday of the Year

THE ENDGAME MATTERS

Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11 or 2:1-5; Matthew 21:28-32

Readings for the XXVI Sunday of the Year

The 1984 French Open final. The legendary John McEnroe arrived on court that day amid a 42-match winning streak. He raced to a two-set lead with his usual aggressive style that seemed destined to turn the match into a rout. Then Lendl broke him in the sixth game of the third set and the match turned around. McEnroe’s last shot was a potentially easy volley that he tiredly knocked out of court; it seemed to symbolize the steady decay of his game.

McEnroe’s 42 prior wins did not matter; his amazing display till then counted for nothing. The endgame mattered, and he could not deliver.

What is true of sport is true of life and the spiritual life: the endgame matters. 

In the gospel parable of the two sons, Jesus compares “tax collectors and prostitutes” (whom the religious elders considered transgressors of the law) to the first son; they rebelled initially but heeded John’s exhortation and repented. Jesus is emphatic that they “are entering the kingdom of God”. The chief priests and elders are like the second son; they professed to do to do God’s will but did not. Jesus implies that they will be left out of the kingdom if they fail to repent.

This seems outrageous! But the first reading from Ezekiel emphasises that, for God, the end matters: A person may turn at any time from wickedness to righteousness and vice versa; s/he will be judged by the new life to which s/he has turned, not by his/her previous life. 

God has a very short memory! He is concerned about our present relationship with him. Further, no matter how far we have strayed from him, it is never too late to turn back to a no-questions-asked welcome. Remember the prodigal son, Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman, the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet, the thief crucified with Jesus! God’s kingdom is for those who answer his call today; yesterday does not count.

Like which son am I? Do my actions indicate my obedience to God’s will? Am I ready to change my attitudes and behaviour?

The challenge is to be like the third son, Jesus, who was always faithful. St Paul reminds us: “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus, who… humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death.”

XXV Sunday of the Year

IS GOD UNFAIR?

Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; Matthew 20:1-16

Readings for the XXV Sunday of the Year

Robert De Moor shares an incident from his childhood: “When the apples ripened, mom would sit all seven of us down… with pans and knives until the mountain of fruit was reduced to neat rows of filled canning jars. She never bothered keeping track of how many we did… When the job was done, the reward for everyone was the same: a large chocolate-dipped cone. A stickler might argue it wasn’t quite fair... but I can’t remember anyone complaining about it. A family understands it operates under a different set of norms than a courtroom.”

When we understand the kingdom of God as a family – with a different yardstick of fairness and equality – we will perhaps cease ‘complaining’ about owner of the vineyard!

The landowner does seem unfair. Human justice argues that those who work a full day should be paid more than those who work less. 

However, we must note that the landowner pays the full-day labourers the agreed-upon wage. He generously pays the ‘late comers’ what he considers just: a full-day’s wage – the average ‘daily wage’ was enough only for the ‘daily bread’ for a family; were the owner not to pay the late comers the full daily wage, their families would go hungry.

This parable is about God’s invitation to collaborate with him in the work of the kingdom. The kingdom cannot be earned through our effort. True, we must do all we can to receive it: sow the word, launch the boat and cast the net, love with all our strength. But we do not merit the kingdom.

This parable is not about labour laws or justice. It is about the gift of grace. Ralph Milton describe how grace works: “All we need to do is say ‘Yes,’ and God gives us the whole bundle.” God does not partition grace into different amounts for different people; he gifts his grace abundantly and equally to all regardless of the hour they accept his offer.

Unfair? The first reading reminds us: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” 

Will I begrudge God’s fairness to the late-comer forgetting that I am a late-comer, too, and do not merit his grace? Will I do my part of the kingdom work, and allow God’s grace to do the rest?

XXIV Sunday of the Year

REMEMBER GOD’S MERCY

Sirach 27:30—28:7; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35

Readings for the XXIV Sunday of the Year

Corrie ten Boom lost her whole family in the Nazi concentration camps. After the war, she travelled about Europe lecturing on forgiveness and reconciliation. After one such talk in Munich, a man came forward, talked to her, and put his hand out to shake hers. She recognized him as a guard at the Ravensbruck camp in which she was interred! Corrie froze. She felt a deep resentment and coldness. She, who had spoken about forgiveness, couldn’t forgive the man.

We can empathise with Corrie’s experience. Forgiveness is difficult. We think we have forgiven, but then we meet the person who hurt us and the feelings resurface. It is almost physical. 

It’s not surprising, therefore, that Peter asks Jesus in the gospel: “How often must I forgive my brother?” It was Rabbinic teaching that a man must forgive his brother thrice. Peter doubles the rabbinic three, adds one, and suggests that forgiving seven times is enough. 

Jesus’ answer (seventy-seven times) reverses the old law of vengeance: “If Cain is to be avenged seven-fold, truly Lamech is to be avenged seventy and seven-fold” (Genesis 4:24). For the Jews there was no limit to hatred and vengeance; for Jesus’ disciples there can be no limit to love and forgiveness.

Jesus emphasises this through the parable of the two debtors. The contrast between the debts is staggering. The offences we suffer from other humans are nothing compared to our offences against God. and while God forgives all, we do not. 

We often hear and say “I can forgive but I can’t forget.” It is when we forget God’s forgiving love that we cannot forgive. 

Corrie ten Boom did forgive the ex-Nazi guard! She remembered God’s gracious forgiving love towards her, prayed, and woodenly thrust her hand into the man’s. Then a healing warmth seemed to flood her being, she grasped the man’s hands, and forgave him.

What unforgiven hurts still torture me? Is there anyone I have not forgiven? 

Let me remember God’s immense compassion towards me and pray for the grace to forgive that person from the heart.

XXIII Sunday of the Year

BUILD BRIDGES NOT BARRIERS

Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20

Readings for the XXIII Sunday of the Year

In “The Great Divorce”, C. S. Lewis writes that hell is like a vast city inhabited only at the periphery; it has rows and rows of empty houses in the middle – empty because the residents quarrelled with their neighbours and moved. Then, they quarrelled with their new neighbours and moved again. This process of quarrel-move-quarrel slowly left the old neighbourhoods empty. Hell has gotten so large because everyone chose distance instead of honest confrontation.

Lewis’ picture is as true as it’s stark! When someone hurts us, it’s either fight or – more often than not – flight! “Let it be” is the preferred course of action… with one problem: we do not “let it be”!

In today’s gospel, Jesus sets guidelines for conflict resolution. He challenges us to seek reconciliation by talking to the person instead of about the person! 

The first step is dialogue: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…” Dialogue is not a finger-pointing venture; it is an honest, specific communication of perspectives/feelings.

If/when dialogue fails, if the other refuses to see his/her fault or rebuffs the attempt at reconciliation, resort to step two – diplomacy: “If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you…”

If/when diplomacy also fails, move to step three: “Treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.” Is step three dissociation? That would be easy, but Jesus loved the Gentile and the tax collector, and never ceased to associate with them.

So, step three is perhaps deep love (this is not affection!). This is what Paul tells the Romans (second reading): “Owe no one anything except to love one another… love does no wrong to a neighbour.”

The underlying reason behind this strategy is hinted at in the First Reading. The Lord tells Ezekiel to speak to people when they are wrong. This is to help them back to the community.

This pericope ends with a reminder that attempts at carefrontation must be in a context of prayer.

We can’t always make peace with those who hurt us, but we can and must still love them… unless we want to live in hell.

Will I resolve hurts through dialogue, diplomacy, and deep love, and be reconciled with the people who have hurt me? Will I build barriers or build bridges? How will I restore my relationship with creation?

XXII Sunday of the Year

THE ‘BRAND HEART’ OF CHRISTIANITY

Jeremiah 20:7-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27

Readings for the XXII Sunday of the Year

Marketing experts point out that it is important for companies and organizations to develop a brand identity or the “face” that interacts with the world. But they are quick to caution: whatever you create should communicate who you are: the brand heart (purpose, vision-mission, values).

One may see this Sunday’s gospel as a landmark in Jesus spelling out his “brand heart”! 

Jesus has been schooling his disciples about who he is and through Peter’s confession of faith (which we heard last Sunday), they have recognized Jesus as the Christ.

But Jesus does not fit the popular conception of the Christ as a military conqueror. And so, he begins to show his disciples that he is the Christ who must suffer. He had challenged oppressive powers; he knew it was a decision which would have tragic consequences, but he accepted them.

But Peter cannot understand! There is no place for suffering in his understanding of the Christ. Peter the rock is a stumbling stone! Jesus tells him to take his place as a disciple: behind the Master. And makes it clear what getting behind him entails: taking up the cross and following him on his way to Jerusalem. 

The theme of a brand heart is found in the first reading too which depicts Jeremiah’s suffering as a prophet. He had to deliver an unpopular message, which the people heard as treason and tortured him. Jeremiah grew tired of the demands of authentic prophecy and tried voluntary retirement but had to speak regardless of the cost.

Like Jeremiah and Jesus, faithful disciples cannot avoid suffering. It is an integral part of discipleship, a necessary consequence of living by Gospel values, of confronting oppressive forces.

Each of us has a cross to carry. What are the crosses in my life? Am I willing to carry these and follow Jesus? Who are “the elders, chief priests and scribes” I must confront? Who is the “Peter” to whom I must say “get behind me”?

But discipleship is not only about the cross; there is also the crown. Jesus is convinced that God will vindicate him. He promises his disciples that if they carry their cross, they will find a life of union with God.

May we carry our crosses that we may also carry the crown of a life of communion with God.