God’s notion of fairness is different from ours

Gospel: Matthew 20: 1–16
Are you envious because I am generous?

In the wake of the parable everybody loves to hate, (The Laborers in the Vineyard, remember?) there were a lot of discussions this week about the vineyard owner. Was he just? It depends, I guess, on how you define justice.

Forgiveness is not optional

Gospel: Matthew 18: 21–35
Lord,…How often must I forgive?

Today’s Gospel is about forgiveness. Peter, who is beginning to learn his Master’s ways, asks how many times he should forgive. Seven times? It sounds pretty generous. But it is not generous enough for Jesus…

Living together in Christ

Gospel: Matthew 18: 15–20
Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst of them.