Sunday November 6 Pentecost 22
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Psalm 93
A psalm of praise to God who is forever and who makes the world secure. “The waters lifted up their voice” means that although the raging sea (the original chaos) is threatening to drown everything, God’s voice is stronger. Appropriate for a Sunday when we celebrate God’s victory in the resurrection of Christ.
The raging sea can be circumstances in our lives, in our inner life, or in the life of the world.
Psalm 96
Praise to God who really will bring equity (equality) and righteousness (which is the old English translation of dignity and justice) to the whole of humanity.
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 51.13-22 What’s Ecclesiasticus about?
Since youth, the writer has always sought to know Wisdom and God has blessed him for that. This sums up the entire book—the writer encourages us also to seek Wisdom and receive God’s blessings.
Matthew 20.1-16 What’s Matthew about?
There is a double-edged sword in this parable, as in so many others. God, and by implication ourselves, has the character of extraordinary generosity, treating people who don’t deserve much as if they deserved a lot. So the last workers, who worked a single hour in the easiest conditions get paid twenty-five times what they were due (they were paid for twelve hours’ work, some of which were high stress, for working one low-stress hour).
But then comes the challenge. People don’t like others being treated with generosity. Those who worked all day could have rejoiced that their friends received such generosity, but no, their agenda is to be more important.
As always, Matthew is concerned about the quality of the early Christian community. Matthew may be pointing out that Christians are not to assume we are closer to God because of our faithfulness. Rather, to be true followers of Christ we are to rejoice when those who have not followed Christ are treated with extreme generosity.
This week’s collect:
Eternal God,
who caused all holy scriptures
to be written for our learning,
grant us so to hear them,
read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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