God’s ways are not our ways 

Twenty-fifth Sunday of the Year – Cycle A – September 20, 2020  

Readings: Isa 55:6-9; Phil 1:20-24, 27; Mt 20:1-16 

“My ways are not your ways — it is the Lord who speaks” (Isa 55:8) 

Prologue: We normally judge people with our own Manmade binaries of good-versus-bad; saint-over-sinner;  meritorious-against-unmeritorious; fair-versus-unfair. However, God is beyond all this and God’s generosity  and mercy are not only incomparable but also scarcely understandable by us, humans, who are so calculative,  conditional and condemnatory of others. The readings urge us to see and act as God, not Man, does.  

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. The Prophet (second-Isaiah) speaks words of comfort to his people in Exile sometime after  the middle of the 6th century BC on behalf of Yahweh: God. He tells them to “Seek the  Lord … and call upon him while he is near” (v.6). The “seeking” here refers to turning to  God with humility. Making them aware of their sinfulness and their straying away from  God, the prophet exhorts them to return to God with repentant hearts, for God “will  abundantly pardon” their sins (v.7). He then reminds them that, though they are created in  the image and likeness of God, there is an inestimable difference between the way God  views reality and acts and the way that human beings do. God reminds us: “My ways and  not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts!” (v.8). Truly, who can fathom God’s  mind and the manner in which God deals with us, God’s children? 

2. God’s mysterious yet marvelous way of dealing with human beings is seen in today’s  ‘parable of the generous landowner’ found only in Matthew’s gospel. It is narrated in the  context of Jesus’ promise of reward to his disciples — when Peter asks Jesus: “Look, we  have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” (19:27). In reply, Jesus  assures him that that they “will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life” (19:29)  but with a caveat: “many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (19:30).  Through this parable, then, he shows them how God’s ways are very different from ours.  Jesus’ disciples must have surely been aware of the pathetic plight of daily wage labourers  waiting to be hired, while facing the very real prospect of returning home unhired,  moneyless. These poor workers had no land of their own and thus depended on the largesse  of landlords to hire them and pay them enough to quite literally buy their ‘daily bread’. All  of these labourers—whether employed at the first, third, sixth, ninth or eleventh hour— were needy, since all were poor and had many mouths to feed. Moreover, all wanted to  work but couldn’t, since, in their own words, “no one has hired us” (v.7). A denarius was  a just wage for a day’s work, and would just about be enough to support a family’s basic  needs; anything less—and especially payment for a single hour—would have been totally  inadequate. Sensing their will to work and surmising their needs, the landowner not only  hires them, but also gives them what is, legally, a just wage: a denarius. Had he given  anything less, he would have been ‘just’ by worldly, calculative standards; but the workers  would never have been able to make both ends meet.  

3. Treating everyone as being equally in need and therefore paying everyone the same wage  without any consideration of how long they worked, is perceived by those who came first 

and worked longer as injustice. They grumble. The grumblers actually contest not the  landowner’s skewed sense of justice, but his astounding generosity. The landowner calls  these grumblers “friends,” and explains, “I’m not being unjust to you; did we not agree on  one denarius?” Indeed, he had honoured his part of the labour contract by paying them not  only what was agreed upon but also what was a just wage for their work of that day. Anyone  seeking work would have been happy to get a denarius. The parable isn’t simply about life,  but about the ‘kingdom of heaven’. God alone will decide who is to be honoured in heaven. The landowner coolly asks: “Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be jealous  because I’m generous?” With these challenging questions remaining unanswered, Jesus  ends the parable repeating the same punchline used earlier: “the last will be first, and the  first will be last” (v.16). Obviously, he narrates this parable in the context of the ‘early  workers’, the Pharisees, who were furious to see the ‘latecomers’—namely, the tax  collectors, harlots and sinners—repenting and regarded as heirs of heaven. In his ministry,  Jesus was giving his contemporaries a foretaste of the gratuitousness of God’s love.  

Linking the Psalm and the 2nd Reading to the Theme: The responsorial psalm proclaims, “The  Lord is good to all” (Ps 145:9) and “The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings” (v.17). God is truly a generous Parent to all people. However, just as a family specially cares for its handicapped members, so does God apply a ‘principle of difference’ in dealing with the  disadvantaged and dispossessed of the kingdom. Paul’s words to the Christians at Philippi are  written from prison in the midst of manifold suffering. He does not view his possible, imminent  death in a morbid way but as an occasion to be totally united with God. However, should God  want him to continue working—i.e., to “remain in the flesh” (v.22)—he would gladly obey God’s  will, for Christ was the be all and the end all of his life.  

Two Contextual Challenges: 

The Last will be First Challenge: While Jesus’ “last will be first and first will be last” axiom sounds  logical and acceptable in theory, many so-called ‘original’ Christians are unhappy about  so-called ‘converted’ Christians being given church benefits equal to what they receive. 

The Communist Challenge: The Marxian maxim: “From each according to his ability, to each  according to his needs,” seems similar to Jesus’ logic in the parable. Could it be possible  that many Communists/Marxists practise Christ’s gospels more radically than I do? 

In Lighter Vein: A holier-than-thou self-righteous priest, Fr. Pious, reached the Pearly Gates after  death and was surprised to see—according to him—his most unworthy parishioners: drunkards,  womanizers, atheists and sinners of all hues. Heaven seemed overcrowded with the scum of  society; hell, by contrast, seemed quite empty. Irked by God’s leniency, Fr. Pious protested. To  pacify him, God told St Peter to reexamine all those already admitted into heaven, whereupon  Peter read the Ten Commandments aloud, saying: “Those who have broken these commandments  shall dissociate themselves from this celestial company and descend to hell!” As Peter read the  commandments, one by one, people confessed their guilt and disappeared. When the fifth  commandment was read, few were left, and after the sixth, everyone went to hell except Fr. Pious.  Feeling lonely, God said, “Tell them all to come back!” Pious grumbled, “O God, that’s unfair!  Why didn’t you tell me this before?” God reminds us: “Are you jealous because I’m generous? My ways are not your ways.” Thank God! 

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God’s fore-giving love 

Twenty-fourth Sunday of the Year – Cycle A – September 13, 2020 

Readings: Sir 27:30–28:7; Rom 14:7-9; Mt 18:21-35 

“Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray” (Sirach 28:2) 

Prologue: Today’s readings may be summarized in a form of a syllogism — (a) God’s fore-giving love is incredible and boundless, (b) and God fore-gives Divine Mercy and Pardon no matter how grievous our sins; (c) therefore, we, God’s children, ought to forgive one another unconditionally. 

Three Scriptural Signposts: 

1. The first reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus also called the ‘Book of Sirach’ since it was written by a pious Jew, Jesus ben Sirach, around 180 B.C. He made a thorough study of God’s Law and the religious practices of his people, and drew up a collection of wise sayings and practical instructions to help his people live a life pleasing to God and their neighbours. Since his writing is so close in time to the drawing up of the books of the Second Testament, his trend of thought coincides with Jesus’ sayings—especially about revenge, forgiveness and the Lord’s prayer. Today’s passage contains teachings against vengeance and about forgiveness like: “He that takes vengeance will suffer vengeance from the Lord” (28:1) and, “Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray” (28:2). The origin and wellspring of mercy and forgiveness is always God, who becomes a model for each of us. Although Sirach, like his fellow Jews, had no clear idea of a future afterlife, he stresses the importance of having one’s conscience clear at the end of one’s lifespan: “Remember the end of your life, and cease from enmity, remember destruction and death, and be true to the commandments” (28:6). In sum, Sirach’s thinking and ethics lies very much within the framework of the Decalogue (ten commandments) and traditional Jewish religion. 

2. The gospel ‘parable of the unforgiving servant’ or the ‘heartless servant’ takes ben Sirach’s thinking deeper with practical implications for the early church-community. This parable is found only in Matthew’s gospel and forms the conclusion of his ‘community discourse’. Though in last Sunday’s reading Matthew does not rule out the possibility of an errant and unrepentant brother/sister being excluded or excommunicated from the faith-community (18:17), he wishes to ensure that community life be firmly founded upon mercy and forgiveness. Moreover, while evangelist Luke also gives a saying about forgiving someone who sins “seven times” and “turns back seven times” (17:4), Matthew attaches greater importance to this by putting the question of forgiveness in the mouth of Peter, the ‘rock’- leader of the community, by increasing the number of times from ‘seven’—already the perfect number signifying ‘any number of times’—to “seven-seven times” or “seventy times seven” (v.22): countless times! Jesus impresses upon his hearers that there is no limit to forgiveness because God’s love is a fore-given love. The disparity between the two sums mentioned in the parable and the attitudes of the king and the unforgiving servant is gigantic. It shows how unimaginably largehearted and forgiving the king is when compared to the hardheartedness and lack of forgiveness of the servant. 

3. The circumstances of the parable are pagan, for, in Jewish law sale of an Israelite for debt was forbidden. The sums of money involved are meant not to be realistic but to stagger by their difference and by the size of the first. “Ten thousand talents” would be equal to what one would earn after working for 60,000,000 days—in cash, approximately 3.48 billion dollars; while “a hundred denarii” would work out to just four months casual labour. The plea for forgiveness by the second debtor is the same as the first; thus, couldn’t he have applied the same logic and limits of forgiveness that he received? Couldn’t he have thought in his mind and felt in his heart: “This fellow-servant is me before I was forgiven” or “I’ve been forgiven so much, let me also be equally generous in forgiving”? The unforgiving servant is truly ‘heart-less’. All he thinks about in his mind is his money—that makes him shamelessly ‘mercy-less’. Thus, Jesus ends the parable saying: “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart” (v.35). Notice that the heart—the spiritual centre of a person—is where the discernment and decision must flow from. With his heart closed, the dangerous phrase of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ becomes self-condemnatory: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Mt 6:12) and the principle: “the measure you give will be the measure you get” (Mt 7:2) becomes operative. 

Linking the Psalm and the Second Reading to the Theme of God’s fore-given love: Today’s responsorial refrain (Ps 103) summarizes God’s fore-given love: “The Lord is compassion and love, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Moreover, “It is he who forgives all your guilt, who heals every one of your ills.” 

In the second reading Paul writes: “The life and death of each of us has its’ influence on others.” Couldn’t we add: The vengeance wrought, or forgiveness given, of each of us has its’ influence on others? Indeed, we’re so closely knit in community that if one either refuses to forgive or one seeks vengeance, the ‘circuit of love’ breaks. Beware! We could condemn ourselves praying, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” God’s pardon is fore-given; so must ours be. 

Pope Francis on Forgiveness: “God forgets the terrible stories of so many sinners, of our sins. He forgives us and keeps going. He asks only this, ‘Do the same: learn to forgive, do not carry this cross of hatred, rancor, of ‘you are going to pay for this’.” These words are neither Christian nor human.” 

In Lighter Vein: A sinner once prayed, “Remember not my sins, O Lord!” God replied, “What sins? I forgot them ages ago!” 

Perugini, an Italian painter of the Middle Ages, stopped going for confession because he felt that people stayed away from the sacrament hoping to confess just before they died as a kind of ticket to heaven. Perugini considered it sacrilegious to go to confession if, out of fear, he was seeking to save his skin and gain entry into heaven. Not knowing his inner disposition, his wife inquired whether he was not afraid of dying unconfessed. Perugini replied, “Darling, my job is to paint and I’ve excelled as a painter. God’s profession is to forgive and if God is good at his job as I’ve been at mine, I’ve no reason to be afraid!” 

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Seek Wisdom for God’s Kingdom 

Seventeenth Sunday – Year A – July 26, 2020 

Readings: 1 Kings 3:5,7-12; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52 

Prologue: Today’s gospel passage is a continuation of last Sunday’s with Jesus moving from the parables of growth—i.e., weeds and wheat, mustard seed and leaven—to the parables that demand wise discernment, decision and devotion. The kingdom of heaven is both a gift and a task, with the true disciple always opting for the kingdom, despite the difficulties faced and the price to be paid. 

Three Signposts from Scripture: 

1. Wisdom and Discernment for the Kingdom: From the first reading one can guess the origins of the simile ‘as wise as Solomon’. Son of King David by Bathsheba, Solomon succeeded David as king in Jerusalem in the year 970 BC. During his reign of thirty-eight years, he built a temple for Yahweh and a palace for himself. Gibeon—meaning ‘hill’ or ‘elevated place’ in Hebrew—was a hotspot of ritual activity about six miles northwest of Jerusalem. The tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of burnt offerings were at Gibeon (see 1 Chron 16:39, 21:29; 2 Chron 1:3, 1:13). Therefore, Solomon offered “a thousand burnt offerings on that altar” (1 Kings 3:4), which is the setting of the dream-darshan that he has when God says: “Ask what I should give you!” (v.5). Solomon could have asked for a palace, power, prestige, property and popularity; rather, he replies: “Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this, your great people?” (v.9). Solomon pleads for wisdom – “an understanding mind” for ruling “able to discern between good and evil”. We’re told, “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this” (v.10). Consequently, he was granted wisdom and everything else unasked for: “riches and honour all your life; no other king shall compare with you.” Doesn’t that remind you of what Jesus promises us: “Strive first for the kingdom of God ... and all these things will be given to you as well”? (Mt 6:33) 

2. Decisions for the Kingdom: The gospel passage has three parables, two of which are similar and drive home a message: though the kingdom of heaven is a gift, it is also a task. Apart from wisely weighing the pros and cons, one must additionally take a leap and make a bold decision in favour of the kingdom. Imagine the two situations in Palestine of Jesus’ time. At a time when there were no lockers and banks, for fear of robbers or invaders from neighbouring territories, one would often bury all the gold and other treasures that one had, with the hope of retrieval at a future, safer date. However, often the owner would die, leaving the treasures buried. It’s clear that the one digging in the field was working for someone else; thus, he was overjoyed to stumble upon a treasure of such immense value. Similarly, the merchant in search of pearls is overwhelmed at finding a pearl of such great worth that both these men make a bold decision to dispose of all they have in order to own the field and the pearl, respectively. To others who knew not what they had found, their decisions must’ve seemed rash, hasty and foolish. But they alone knew how very vital it was to decide there-and-then for something of immeasurable and unsurpassable value. Aren’t these two joyful squanderers very different from the rich young man who “became sad” when Jesus asked him to dispose of all he had in order to follow him? (Mt 19:22). 

3. ‘Net-working’ for the Kingdom: The parable of the dragnet would have been easily understood by Jesus’ closest disciples—most of whom were fisherfolk. They would have so often dragged nets ashore with all kinds of fish trapped therein. Once ashore, they would separate the small from the big, the good from the bad, the cheap from the costly. The point that Jesus makes here is a follow-up and fulfillment of the former two points. Indeed, one must be wise and discerning, as well as bold in deciding and doing... But all this discerning and decision-making must be continued in a patient and persevering manner. Jesus’ “follow me and I will make you fish for people” offer (Mk 1:17) was not only directed towards making them leave behind their nets, but also to follow him to the very end. This would mean taking his command to ‘go forth’ seriously, in order to network with all kinds of people, so to say, to use terminology of our day. They were to be ready for ups and down, successes and failures, joys and sorrows, minister to the good and the bad—and, to the extent that they would fulfill this, their mission, to that extent they would finally be counted as either good or bad, faithful or faithless, sheep or goats..... A choice for the kingdom involves lifelong commitment. 

Linking the Second Reading to the Theme: While Matthew’s parables speak of the disciples choosing for Jesus and his kingdom of heaven, in the second reading, Paul speaks of God choosing us. God chooses, God calls, God justifies, God glorifies. While God’s calling and choosing is a matter of grace—a totally unmerited gift; the ‘chosen ones’ have the responsibility of wisely discerning, freely deciding and wholeheartedly dedicating their entire lives to respond to the God who calls, chooses and consecrates in order that these “be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus” (v.29). And, if you and I are truly grateful and generous, is there any price too high for serving God? Is there any sacrifice—even to the point of giving one’s whole life—not worth making? ... Don’t “we know that all things work together for the good for those who love God”? (v.28) 

Three Wise Disciples Worth Emulating: St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556): whose feast we celebrate this week (July 31) is well known for his views on ‘Discernment’ and the ‘Magis’: the ‘more’. Wise and devoted disciples must ceaselessly ask: What ‘more’ can I do for Christ and for God’s people? Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a Lutheran pastor who resisted Hitler and the Nazi genocide. He declared: “The church must not simply bandage the victims under the wheel, but jam a spoke in the wheel itself.” His book, “The Cost of Discipleship” shows how much wise discernment, bold decision and 100% dedication to the kingdom can cost a disciple. The Nazis hanged him. He gladly and gratefully bore the cost of discipleship. St Alphonsa: (1910-1946) bore untold sufferings in a spirit of surrender and trust in God. She said, “I am ready to suffer not only physical ailments—which she had in plenty—but anything. Let the Lord do with me as He wills, trampling over, wounding or piercing me, a humble sacrificial offering.” Her feast, too, comes this week (July 28). 

Point to ponder: After an astounding performance, a fan of the famous violinist, Fritz Kreisler, said, “Maestro Kreisler, I’d sacrifice my whole life to play the violin as beautifully as you do!” Kreisler replied, “I’ve already done that!” Jesus doesn’t ask for much from us; He asks for all! 

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God works from within 

Sixteenth Sunday – Year A – July 19, 2020

Readings: Wis 12:13, 16-19; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43 (or 24-30) 

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” (Mt 13:37) 

Prologue: Today’s gospel contains the ‘growth parables’ referring to sowing and growing, wheat and weeds, seeds and trees, yeast and dough. The focal point of all these parables is the ‘kingdom of heaven’ with its element of the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet’. The process of the kingdom growing into its fullness depends totally on God who sows, allows everything to grow, and is the final reaper. 

Three Signposts from Scripture: 

1. Growth of the good with the bad: The parable of the ‘weeds among the wheat’ appears only in Matthew’s gospel, taking the place of ‘the seed growing secretly’ in Mark’s (4:26-29). Jesus is, quite literally, a ‘son of the soil’ who conveys heavenly messages about God’s reign in down-to-earth idiom. The householder or sower—referring to God, really—sows good seeds. However, “while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.” (v.25). The poisonous weeds—‘darnel’ or lolium temulentum—grow widely and wildly in Palestine. However, until the ears appear, the most experienced eye would hardly manage to distinguish its blades from those of wheat. Thus, there was the early possibility of mistakenly weeding out wheat instead of darnel. Nonetheless, after a while, harvesting would be quite simple, for wheat grows higher than darnel; so, could easily be cut first. Knowing this, the sower allows the good to grow with the bad, just as God tolerates villains to thrive with the virtuous. However, in God’s time (not ours!) there will be a day of reckoning and judgement. This parable has a focus on eschatology (the ‘last things’) when distinctions like good/bad, virtuous/villainous and godly/godless will be crystal clear. Thus, much to the wrath of the Pharisees, while Jesus showed how sinners were part and parcel of the kingdom on earth, the evangelists showed how this would be resolved in the final fulfillment of the kingdom of God. The “virtuous shining like the sun” is a metaphor familiar in Jewish literature drawn from Judg 5:31 and Dan 12:3. 

2. Growth from the tiny to the tall: Presumably, the same sower who sowed the wheat could have planted tiny mustard seeds. With the mixing and the marriage of seed and soil, sun and rain, in the course of time, slowly and steadily, the seed dies in order to give birth and new life to a large tree which spreads its branches “so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (v.32). The sower initiates the process and the laws of nature take over and ensure that the mustard seed fulfills the purpose for which it was created. 

3. Growth of the small into the ‘All’: Jesus was a keen observer not only of all that was happening around him in nature, but also of what went on in normal Palestinian households of his time. He must have watched—and most probably even assisted—Mary his mother kneading the dough to be baked as bread. Most importantly, he observed how she “hid” (v.33) leaven in the dough, which caused the whole mass to rise. Small in quantity and invisibly working from ‘within’ the mass of flour, the leaven ensures that every bit of the dough rises up to be baked as finest bread—ready to be broken and shared. 

Linking the other two readings and the psalm to the theme: Today’s first reading is from the Book of Wisdom—written by a Greek-speaking Jew probably in the first half of the first century B.C. Being surrounded by the Egyptians, the Greeks and other peoples who worshipped so-called ‘pagan gods’, the author extols Yahweh-God, whom he describes as a wise judge who “never judged unjustly.” God’s justice is tempered by God’s mercy: “Your justice has its source in strength, your sovereignty makes you lenient to all.” This theme is more sharply expressed in today’s psalm (86): “You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all.” This thought is in line with the character of God who allows weeds to grow along with the wheat, but who knows everything, and will bring about justice in God’s time. 

The second reading: from Paul’s letter to the Romans encourages Christians to trust in God amidst trials and tribulations. Here, in keeping with the theme of letting God take charge of things, Paul tells believers that they have a companion, teacher and helper—the Holy Spirit, the Antarayami— who works from inside, within us, who “helps us in our weakness” and “intercedes for us”. Thus, there is no need to fear, but one must only trust in God. Isn’t this reassuring in times of Covid? 

Three Contextual Concerns: 

1. The fairness and justice of God concern: The current pandemic has caused both, good and evil to thrive. On the one hand, while we see hundreds of doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, support staff and public servants risking their lives for others, on the other hand, there are thousands of politicians, pharmaceutical companies, corporate giants and ‘sowers’ who are hoping to reap rich benefits from this crisis. Why does God not punish these evildoers? Where is God’s justice? Is God fair in allowing both good and evil to coexist side-by-side? Can we trust God, The Supreme Sower, to bring everything to final fulfillment in His time when “God will be all in all”? (1 Cor 15:28) 2. The ‘small’ mustard seed concern: God in Jesus becomes ‘small’ in the ‘little town’ of Bethlehem on the periphery of society. God’s word becomes flesh (Jn 1:14) in human history died, was buried, and rose from the dead. Jesus of Nazareth has more admirers and followers than any other person in human history; yet everything about Him, his family, his disciples, his teachings, his works, etc., teach us about bringing fullness from emptiness; richness from poorness; light from darkness; and life from death. 3. The leaven in the dough concern: Leaven ‘hides’ in the dough and catalyzes the whole mass to rise. Leaven does a silent ‘inside job’ of raising the mass and transforming it. Indian Christians are called to be ‘leaven’ and a ‘minority’ in the ‘mass’ and the ‘majority’ of Indians of other religions. Rather than be vociferous, visible, victorious and ‘winners’ in society, today, can we be Christian ‘losers’ ready to lose our lives, sacrifice all that is dear to us in order to work with Christ for a “new heaven and a new earth”? (Rev 21:1) 

Advice from Pope Francis: “We need to initiate processes and not just occupy spaces: God manifests Himself in historical revelation, in history. Time initiates processes and space crystalizes them. God is in history, in the processes. We must not focus on occupying the spaces where power is exercised, but rather on starting long-run historical processes. God manifests Himself in time and is present in the processes of history. This gives priority to actions that give birth to new historical dynamics. It requires patience, waiting.” 

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