Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jan 15 2025

Scripture Study for

The prophecy of salvation that is read today includes a call to worship and a call to conversion. The prophet describes the sinfulness of the people. There is a pattern of sin here, not merely isolated offenses. Still, the prophet assures them that God will be compassionate toward them. On the one hand are wicked thoughts and the way of the scoundrel; on the other hand are compassion and forgiveness. This oracle both exhorts sinners to turn away from their evil lives and assures them that having turned away they will enjoy the salvation of God.

Paul shares his own inner struggle regarding life and death. Although the decision to live or die was probably not in his hands, it is his attitude toward these options that is of importance here. Paul does not consider death a way of escaping the misfortune that he may be suffering. Rather, he weighs the religious and ministerial advantages of both living and dying. At issue is the extent to which Christ will be glorified through Paul’s continued life or his death. Though he prefers dying and being with Christ, he can see advantages for himself either way. Still he is willing to postpone the joyful union with Christ for the sake of his ministry.

The parable read today is particularly startling. It does not seem fair to pay all of the laborers the same wage regardless of the amount of time they put into the work. Still, all received exactly the amount for which they had contracted. The paradox of the narrative is seen in the payment policy of the owner of the vineyard. The justice with which he pays the laborers is superseded by his generosity. What is almost scandalous here is the fact that he is most generous toward the workers who were unwanted by others. The parable shows that the reign of God is based on generosity, not merely on human standards of fairness.

Jan 12 2025

Expectations Turned Upside Down

In a tight job market, ideal candidates may be handpicked—those with the best grade point average or the most personable smile, those who carry themselves as though they came from money, those with perfect teeth. The others don’t even get called for an interview, as if implicitly sending the message, “Don’t bother; we’re not hiring your kind.”

Who got picked early in the morning in Jesus’ vineyard story? A savvy winegrower would probably have told his foreman to choose the younger men first: the tall, the sturdy, and the strong—that is who we want to work in our fields. Who waited all day and got picked last? Maybe it was the old. Maybe it was the one-armed or the crippled. Property owners who sought for success might suggest to these workers, “Don’t bother; we don’t need your kind.”

This parable reminds me of gym class. We used to pick teams. (Do schools still do that?) I hate to admit it, but as a super-athletic kid, it was a buzz to be selected first. Maybe these guys who had worked all day in the vineyard carried that same swagger: “I’m good, I’m tough, I was picked first to work. And who are these losers? And why are you paying them the same wage as me?”

Jesus flips our expectations of success upside down in this parable. When the Lord rewards his team, he values more than outer appearance. He prizes the heart. He is open-handed with the late-bloomers. Certainly God’s ways are not our ways. Imagine God saying, “You, you, and you—you are wanted. You, you, and you—you are chosen.” Can you hear it? “Who, me? You want me?” God says, “Yes, yes, and yes! Good salary. Great benefits. I do want your kind. Come!”

Consider/Discuss

When have you been picked last (or first) for something? What did that feel like? How did that affect how you saw yourself? How does that influence the way that you feel about the marginalized?
“God wants you. God has chosen you.” Does that statement land differently depending on the successes that life has dealt you? Do the privileges that have come your way or the hardships you have endured affect how you see God’s innermost desire for you?

Living and Praying with the Word

Jesus, you continually chose surprising friends. The broken, the outcast, the unwanted—they all found a home in you. Your way of seeing people turns our imagination upside down, for your ways of measuring are not what we are used to. When we are stuck in certain patterns of thinking about the values of success and power, change our hearts. Help us to be merciful as you are merciful.

Jan 12 2025

Scripture Study for

The reading from Isaiah suggests that even after the Babylonian exile had ended, Israel (or some of it) still struggled to be faithful to God. While there are no limits to the mercy of God, who is generous in forgiving, that forgiveness must be sought through repentance. God does respond to evil and one must not delay in repenting. Thus the insistence that one must “seek the Lord while he may be found” (Isaiah 55:6). Yet hope lies in the fact that God does not calculate forgiveness as we do. As merciful as sinful human beings are capable of being, God is more merciful. And in situations that human beings would find completely unforgivable, God’s forgiveness for those who repent is unbounded.

Paul is writing to the Philippians from prison, stating that his imprisonment and suffering have “turned out rather to advance the gospel” (1:12). His fervent hope is that no matter what happens, Christ will continue to be glorified in him. He would like to die, so that he can be with Christ (and end his suffering). On the other hand, if he lives he will be able to spread the gospel, teach, and support other Christians. He has learned to be content either way. The exhortation to conduct themselves in a way worthy of the gospel leads into the next section of the letter, in which he will address some divisions within the community.

Contemporary audiences of the parable of the workers sometimes fail to notice that those who did not work until the end of the day had not deliberately avoided labor; no one had hired them. All of the workers in this parable lead a precarious existence, not knowing from day to day if they will make any money to feed their families. The owner of the vineyard, in paying all of the workers a day’s wage, is paying them not according to how much they have worked, but according to how much they need. The parable emphasizes the generosity of God’s kingdom, in which everyone’s needs are met, regardless of their ability or good fortune. God cares more about mercy than fairness.

Jan 06 2025

The Bottom Line

The word “mammon” is Aramaic and means property, not only money, but also any possession. More than twenty-five years ago, Fr. John Haughey, S.J. wrote a thoughtful book entitled The Holy Use of Money: Personal Finances in the Light of the Christian Faith. He described the condition of “mammon sickness” as having three interrelated aspects: running after things, a numbness in our relationships, and a divided consciousness regarding God.

Today’s readings invite us to take our spiritual temperatures to see if we are suffering from a low-grade, or even a more severe, case of “mammon sickness.” The prophet Amos rails not simply against dishonest business practices in buying and selling, but more importantly how pursuing wealth can diminish honoring God on the Sabbath and lead to “trampling upon the needy and destroying the poor of the land.” The prophetic voice shouts out to proclaim God’s love and care for the poor; wealth can exclude such love and care from our daily lives.

The parable Jesus tells and the sayings that follow call for more consideration than space allows, but note that the master’s seeming admiration is for his steward’s “prudence” or “shrewdness” in using money to make friends. Jesus then contrasts how the children of this world deal with their own kind more astutely than the children of the light. Succinctly put, use mammon to help others. There can be a holy use of money, to care for those most in need, thereby giving glory to God.

Consider/Discuss

Do you see mammon/money as seducer or sacrament?
God or mammon—whom do you serve? How do you know?

Responding to the Word

God of justice, you are our true wealth and you have entrusted us with the goods of all creation. May we use them wisely and work to see that all have a just share in them. Form us into just and generous stewards, modeled after the image of your Son.

Jan 06 2025

Scripture Study for

Amos denounces the unscrupulous merchants for their false piety, their avarice, their dishonest business practices, and their exploitation of the poor and defenseless. The judgment of God is passed on these unrighteous individuals in the form of an irrevocable oath. Amos prophesied to the northern kingdom, referred to here as Jacob. As this oracle shows, the people of privilege frequently took advantage of the vulnerable poor. God swears an oath against such pride, showing that the evil perpetrated by it will not be forgotten; it will be avenged. This is truly an oracle of judgment.

The major point of Paul’s instruction to Timothy seems to be the all-inclusive scope of Christian prayer. Twice Paul states that prayers should be offered for all people. Special attention is given to civic leaders. Thus, Christianity was not fundamentally inimical toward those who wielded worldly power. Besides, if all power comes from God, as Christians believed, then rightful leaders govern by God’s authority, and this authority should be respected. Paul is urging prayer for the conversion of these leaders. If they are converted, they will recognize and accept the teachings of the gospel, and all will be able to live tranquil lives.

Jesus tells a story of a manager who rewrote the debts of his employer in order to ensure a financial future for himself as he faced dismissal. The story has raised many questions, because Jesus seems to commend unscrupulous behavior. Actually, Jesus uses this particular incident to make a religious point. He states that the children of this age (children of the world) have more practical wisdom than do children of light. The real point of the story is found in the last verse. Though shrewd in the ways of the world, the steward chose to serve his own financial needs rather than the economic interests of his employer. Rather than choose to serve the master of the household (God), he chose his own personal interests (mammon).