Issue 9 / September / 2011

The Gospel of Matthew

e-Good News
We can use our month of September for harvesting some of the richness that the Gospel offers to each of us.

The next few Gospels that will be read in September commences with Matthews instruction for life in the Christian community.
It ends with the teaching of forgiveness and Jesus telling a parable to explore the generosity of forgiveness. We also read a couple of Gospels located in the vineyard. Jesus use of parables helped to communicate something unexpected, surprising and at times shocking to the listener. As we open our eyes and ears to seeing and hearing Jesus word we can use our month of September for harvesting some of the richness that the Gospel offers to each of us. In our parishes, communities of faith and at home let us build a kingdom that forgives and renews itself using the Gospel to spread the message of Jesus.

Read the Gospel either from your missal or from your Bible

Sunday 4th September - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 18:15-20

Sunday Reflection
A text similar to this, but much shorter and less repelling, may be found in Luke 17: 3-4: Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, I repent, you must forgive. The elaborate procedural instructions are unique to Matthew and seem to reflect the practice of the community for which he was writing.
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pointers for Prayer

At the time Matthew was writing his Gospel local church communities would have numbered no more than fifty people. They would be known to one another. Matthew presents the instructions of Jesus for dealing with people whose behaviour disrupted and harmed the community. Note the steps suggested. Simple directions but many of us do otherwise. We avoid difficult confrontations. We talk about the faults of others to everyone but themselves. We go over the head of someone who displeases us and make complaints. In your experience, which approach is life-giving for you and for others? While Jesus is referring to a group situation, the advice can be applied also to personal difficulties and problems with others. What lessons has life taught you about constructive ways of dealing with conflict? Jesus also recognizes that there are limits to what we can do in resolving conflicts. We may reach out, but if the other person does not respond the matter is out of our control. Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector suggests having nothing more to do with that person. But that is not the last word because Gentiles and tax collectors were precisely the kind of people to whom Jesus reached out. So while for the moment we may have nothing more to do with a person who has hurt us, we leave the door open for the future. As individuals and communities we have the power to bind and to loose, to exclude people from relationship, or to open up and include others in relationship. When have you found it important to acknowledge this power in your own life? There is great assurance in the promise of Jesus in v.19, but he seems to promise more than we experience. What has been your experience of praying with others for something you wanted God to grant? Jesus also promises to be with his followers when they gather together. What does that mean to you? How have you experienced the presence of Jesus in his followers gathered together?

A brother/sister can be understood as a fellow-believer. The sin is against you, that is, some break-down between the two of you. The first step is discreet between you and him/her alone. Naturally, it would take courage. This follows a well-recognised judicial practice from the Deuteronomy 17:6-7. The second step is also relatively confined. It is only at this stage that the whole business becomes public. Three times the brother/sister has been given the opportunity to be reconciled and only then is the drastic action of exclusion considered. Admitting or removing people into the community of salvation. Matthew says nothing about the likelihood of two or three agreeing! A justly famous verse, giving great comfort and consolation.

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Prayer
CONFIRM, O GOD, in unity and truth the Church you gather in Christ. Encourage the fervent, enlighten the doubtful, and bring back the wayward. Bind us together in mutual love, that our prayer in Christs name may be pleasing to you. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Read the Gospel either from your missal or from your Bible

Sunday 11th September - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time How often...?

Matthew 18:21-35

Sunday Reflection
This Gospel passage follows directly from last Sundays reading. In both cases, we are dealing with an evolved community discipline which does not seem to fit the time of Jesus own ministry. The text is made up of an introductory enquiry and a parable. The parable of the unmerciful servant is found only in Matthews Gospel (one of five parables special to this Gospel). It reflects issues and teachings found in the Gospel as a whole. A particular challenge for the reader is the tension between the God of mercy and the God of judgment.
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In a word judgment is pronounced on a church which does not practice forgiveness. The tension between grace and judgment is at its highest here. Forgiveness can be lost or the recipient rendered incapable of receiving it. This is the Gospel writers own view of the matter, building on v.34 and echoing 6:14-15.

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pointers for Prayer

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Member of the church is inclusive language for brother, which means not just any human being but precisely a member of the community. These two verses are also in Q but Matthew has re-written the tradition substantially. Seven is not a limiting expression but rather the number of perfection (cf. Leviticus 16:9). Is perfect forgiveness expected of me? would reflect the symbolism. Yes would be a challenge; Jesus answer calls for even more perfection. This fundamental principle takes little account of context and circumstances which can make its fulfilment a challenge! See also 18:15-18between these two text lives the Christian. A regular image which would suggest immediately that God is the king. Slave or servant was also used of Christians. Ten thousand talents would mean billions today; so in effect, an impossible sum. Selling the whole family and their property would be some return. Falling on his knees can be understood as a very humble prostration. The promise to repay all is hyperbole: all the protagonists know that this is unreal. The significant verb to be moved with pity is used here (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 6:34; 8:2; 9:22; Luke 7:13; 10:33; 15:20). This is a special Gospel attribute of God or Jesus or symbolic figures in parables. The second scene opens with the deliberately absurd contrast in amounts. Even a poor farmer could scrape together that much in a year or so. The repaying is in itself not unreasonable. But the context and the violent actions take us to the heart of the matter. A deliberate repetition, without the exaggeration of the previous. The idea of imprisoning debtors was that the family and friends would club together and pay for the release of the prisoner. The final scene of judgment opens with the distress of the fellow slaves. The address reveals what is coming: you wicked servant, an expression found again in Matthew 25:26. The heart of the parable: notice the change of vocabulary to to have mercy, an echo of one of the Beatitudes (5:7). This should be read in conjunction with the addition to the Lords Prayer, 6:14-15 above. In a word: Gods forgiveness finds a home in the human heart only if the receiver also forgives. It is not so much that God cannot forgive those who do themselves forgive but rather the believer cannot receive the gift.

Jesus surprised Peter by telling him he needed to forgive seventyseven times. Perhaps you have known the truth of this when something reminds you of a past hurt and you find you need in your heart to forgive again the person who hurt you. What was this like for you? How has a capacity to have a forgiving heart helped you? Sometimes we need to forgive ourselves for things we regret about past behaviour. What happens to you when you cannot do this? How has your ability to forgive yourself for past mistakes influenced your attitude towards yourself now? Are there people whose ability to forgive has inspired you? Recall them and the forgiveness they showed and give thanks for their example.

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Prayer
O GOD most high, you are slow to anger and rich in compassion. Keep alive in us the memory of your mercy, that our angers may be calmed and our resentments dispelled. May we discover the forgiveness promised to those who forgive and become a people rich in mercy. Amen.

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Read the Gospel either from your missal or from your Bible

Sunday 18th September - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time The parable of the landowner
Matthew 20:1-16

Sunday Reflection
This parable is found only in Matthews Gospel, giving a window into the social and religious world at the time of the writing of this Gospel. It is meant to shock and surprise because it seems to undermine much that is in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. It is probable that the parable is dealing again with a situation in Matthews community.
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POINTERS FOR PRAYER

I was there first. Envy easily comes to the surface when faced with the good fortune of others, especially when compared to what seems less favorable treatment of us. Can you recall that feeling in yourself and what it did to you? Can you also recall times when you were content with your lot, even though it seemed others had greater gifts, better opportunities. A parent or teacher who gives a lot of time to a difficult child does not love the others less, but if we are one of those other children we may not see that. Recall a Jesus person in your life who helped you to overcome feelings of envy and helped you appreciate that the apparently more favorable treatment of another did not mean a lessening of love for you. Generosity can make us uncomfortable. We feel more comfortable when we see ourselves as having done something to deserve the generosity. But perhaps you can recall a moment of great need, when you were at the receiving end of someones generosity, a time when you recognized you had done nothing to deserve that response, a time when all you could do was to say thanks? This leads us to the core message of this parable, namely, that Gods love is a free gift and not earned. Recall moments when you were particularly conscious of the gift that Gods love is to you. It is too late now are words sometimes uttered to justify doing nothing about a situation. This parable tells us that where love is involved, it is never too late. Can you recall times when you got a positive response after taking action when you thought it was too late?

Vineyard: a regular image of Israel. The story unfolds quickly: a boss is hiring for the day. This reversal is important for the last line. Israelites would have regarded themselves as the first. In the kingdom of heaven, grace is not calculated as a wage. This is the important verse: the owner is sovereign and God gives his gifts as he chooses. All are invited and all equally rewarded. The only loser is God who chooses to give his gifts to all without discrimination. The issue is the inclusion of prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners, and eventually, the inclusion of all Gentiles into the Christian movement and the kingdom. This self-standing aphorism doesnt quite fit the parable, because it is not true the first become last in the parable. It may, however, fit the experience of Matthews community.
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Prayer
GOD MOST HIGH, your ways are not our ways, for your kindness is lavished equally upon all. Teach us to welcome your mercy towards others, even as we hope to receive mercy ourselves. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Read the Gospel either from your missal or from your Bible

Sunday 25th September - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time A man had two sons...
Matthew 21:28-32

Sunday Reflection
This is another parable unique to Matthews Gospel. The context in the Gospel itself is important. The section begins with the high priests and elders questioning the authority of Jesus. In the background is the Entry into Jerusalem (21:1-11) and the Temple Actions (21:12-17). Jesus response to the leaders consists of three very sharp parables, all interconnected. The parable of the two children shares with the parable of the wicked tenants precisely the idea of a vineyard and the kingdom of God. The parable of the wicked tenants and that of the wedding feast having in common the mention of son, the sending of servants, the destruction of the perpetrators and the transfer to another group. The sting of these parables is found in the realisation recounted in 21:45-46.
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risky: we point out again the failings of others. But who has not experienced the gap between what we say and what we do, in many areas of life and particularly in faith? The words of Jesus are like a searchlight, illuminating the inner reaches of our own hearts and lives, and calling for a new integrity as discipleship, a new integration of word and deed, of the ideal and the real.

pointers for Prayer

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In this dialogue Jesus was faced with deep-seated prejudice in people who could not see the power of God at work through him or through John the Baptist. As a result their minds were closed. How have you experienced the effects of prejudice in yourself or in others? What difference did it make when you were able to leave prejudice aside? The parable tells us that it is by our actions that we please God and not through superficial observance or the semblance of dutiful obedience. Perhaps that also has parallels for us in our dealings with one another as well. What comes to mind for you? In another place Jesus says that our relationships should be marked by clear communication. Let your word be Yes, Yes or No, No. What difference does is make to your relationships when you know you can rely on the word of another, and she can rely on yours? The elders probably thought well of themselves in contrast to the tax collectors and sinners. Jesus suggests that God may look with favour on some we scorn. When have you been surprised by good you found in a person about whom you had preconceived and prejudiced opinions?

Biblical readers will recall that the two sons theme (especially prevalent in Genesis) serves to explain Gods election of the lesser son i.e. Israel over more powerful neighbours. Vineyard is easily read as Israel. No motive is given, so that we can concentrate on the apparent no leading to an eventual yes. Again, the lack of motive allows the contrast between word and action to stand out. This is hardly rocket science, as they say. At this point, the parable could have stopped and would have served as a wisdom parable calling disciples to confirm their faith by their deeds. 31b changes all that. It is very offensive to say that those excluded from Gods holy and pure people would enter the hoped-for kingdom of God ahead of the pious faithful. This is as challenging today as then. This concrete application is in response to the quest asked just a few verse earlier in the Gospel of Matthew: When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority? Jesus said to them, I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? And they argued with one another, If we say, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did you not believe him? But if we say, Of human origin, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet. So they answered Jesus, We do not know. And he said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. (Matthew 21:2327) The ministry of John is intimately connected to that of Jesus. Not only were their message substantially identical but John was pointing to a figure to come. The answer to the identity of John would have / ought to have led to the answer to the identity of Jesus. Change your mind in this instance is not the same as convert (metanoia): rather here is means to be moved to regret and repentance. The risk with this kind of Gospel is that we leave it firmly in the past. It tells an apparent Jesus story, in which he comprehensively crushes his opponents. Even in the editorial context of Matthew, we could still leave the story firmly and safely in the past. Perhaps at another time in church history, it might even have led to complacency. But read in the light of the failure of current leadership in significant areas, complacency is not an option for todays disciples. Even thinking along these lines is

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Prayer
O GOD, you alone judge rightly and search the depths of the heart. Make us swift to do your will and slow to judge our neighbour, that we may walk with those who follow the way of repentance and faith and so enter your heavenly kingdom. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

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Designed by www.designbankltd.com Reflections by Dr. Kieran J. OMahony OSA and community in Orlagh.