
When God made up the rules- Wednesday, 20th week in ordinary time- Matthew 20: 1- 16
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard is unique to the Gospel of Matthew, found in no other Gospel. Matthew, who follows the narrative of the Gospel of St Mark, breaks the flow of St Mark to insert this parable. What then did Matthew want to communicate which the other Gospels did not seem to be too interested in?
We have to constantly place the Gospel of Matthew in its historical and social context. Written in approximately 80 to 90 AD, the Gospel is principally addressed to the Jewish Christian community who lived in some proximity to Jerusalem. However the Jewish Christians were not the only ones attracted to the message of Jesus.
Paul, by this time, had already criss-crossed the Roman world. He had evangelized in Antioch, Macedonia, Achaia, Asia Minor and finally in Rome. It is rather possible that by the time Matthew had written the Gospel, Paul was already martyred under Emperor Nero. From the Acts of the Apostles, we can safely surmise that the message of Christ found appeal in both Jewish Christians and even more among the Gentile Christians. Here in lies the problem
Central to the council of Jerusalem, which took place in about 49-51 AD (Gal 2:1-10; Acts 15), was the contentious issue of the Gentile converts as a result of Paul’s missionary activity. Some sections of the Jewish Christians felt that these converts needed to be catechised in the Jewish traditions of circumcision, ethics and dietary habits. The council however, swung in Paul’s favour, albeit with a couple of riders. The Church now began to open its doors to the Gentiles.
If he followed our measures of generosity, how poorer the world be……how beautiful…
He gives us bountifully and abundantly..but in the race to receive more, we simply overlook his abundant blessings!
Thank you for the reflection. I liked the following :
The parable focuses on a magnanimous God who is not to be evaluated by our levels of human pettiness. He is generous by His standards; for if He followed our measures of generosity, how poorer the world would be. Be thankful that God does not play by our rules.
‘Focuses on a magnanimous God who is not to be evaluated by our levels of human pettiness.’
It’s so true we often try to calculate according to our level….and here how beautifully the contrast is brought to make us accepts our ways are not His ways.. We need to accept and walk in ways…
Thank you …Father