September’s readings summon a community learning to reckon with each other honestly: sin confronted so the lost can be found, debts forgiven past all reasonable limit, wages paid by need rather than merit, and lives measured not by profession but by fruit.
6 September – Pentecost 15
Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20
Throughout Matthew 18, Jesus teaches on the nature of the community of faith. In 18:15–20 he says that if your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault in private; if they listen, you’ve regained them.
What if the offender doesn’t listen? Jesus instructs successive confrontations until, if the person refuses to listen even to the correction of the whole assembly, they should be treated as a “gentile or tax collector.”
At first, this seems rather harsh. But the placement of Jesus’ teaching immediately after the parable of the lost sheep suggests that, just maybe, this offender is a lost sheep. Perhaps Jesus’ teaching here acts as an illustration of how God finds lost sheep.
This would mean the emphasis here is on reconciliation, not exclusion.
Treating someone as a gentile or tax collector doesn’t mean hating them. Remember, Jesus loves gentiles and tax collectors, just as God loves the lost sheep. Maybe the lost sheep, the one who has wandered from the fold, is meant to find their way back through the loving, truthful, reconciling work of the community of faith.
13 September – Pentecost 16
Exodus 14:19-31; Psalm 114 Or Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35
In Matthew 18:21-35, Peter asks Jesus how often to forgive. “As many as seven times?” His smugness radiates off the page. Jesus retorts that forgiveness ought to be repeated seventy-seven times. He both challenges Peter’s pride and commands limitless forgiveness.
Jesus then tells a parable about a slave indebted to a king by sixty million days’ wages. Having been forgiven this unimaginable debt, he comes upon another slave who owes him three months’ wages. Rather than echo the king’s mercy, the first slave has the second thrown in debtor’s prison. The king condemns his wickedness. The point is obvious: our willingness to forgive ought to reflect God’s inconceivably generous forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a kind of “letting go” of debt or offence or wrongdoing. It’s difficult, as we know from experience. And wisdom is required so forgiveness doesn’t enable injustice. But without forgiveness, we resign ourselves to a never-ending onslaught of resentments and enmities. Indeed, forgiveness is a power that makes relationships and societies possible.
20 September – Pentecost 17
Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16
God’s justice isn’t fair.
In Matthew 20:1–16, Jesus tells of a landowner seeking labourers. He hires some at 6:00am but, needing more, he returns to the marketplace three hours later. Again, he hires more six hours later, then nine hours later, and even eleven hours later.
Why are there still labourers available at 5:00pm? Why weren’t they hired? Maybe they’re lazy. But maybe they’re undesirable labourers: old or sick or disabled. Yet the landowner hires them, promising to pay “whatever is dikaios,” a word meaning “righteous,” “equitable,” or “just.”
When time for payment arrives, we can imagine the first labourers’ excitement when they see a full day’s pay given to those who worked only an hour. “What will we get?”
To their dismay, they also receive a day’s pay. Regardless of the amount worked, they all receive the same, what they need for the day. This is what the kingdom is like (20:1).
Apparently God’s economy works differently to human economies. Everybody is given what they need, no more, no less, regardless of how much they’ve contributed.
God’s justice isn’t fair.
27 September – Pentecost 18
Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32
In Matthew 21:23–32, Jesus tells of two sons asked to work their father’s vineyard. The first refuses but eventually does the work. The second agrees but doesn’t follow through.
It’s the fruit of our lives that reveals the measure of a person. You can seem impressive, but if your actions don’t bear fruit, it’s all playacting.
In Matthew, the chief priests and elders use the right words but miss the signs of God’s presence among them. In contrast, the tax collectors and prostitutes seem disappointing but discern God in their midst. They believe, bearing the fruit of the kingdom. It’s not impressive appearances but faithfulness that fulfils the will of God.
This is the way of Christ. He didn’t come in some impressive guise, but rather in the form of a slave (Philippians 2). Though in the form of God, he assumed our likeness, humbling himself to the point of death on a cross. Because of his faithfulness, God exalted him (Phil 2:9). This is our pattern to follow (Phil 2:5).
These Lectionary Reflections were prepared by Dr. Matthew Anslow
