Talk about your basic horrible decisions. What were the vineyard tenants thinking? When the owner of vineyard sends his servants to collect what is rightfully his, the tenants beat one, kill another and stone the third. When the next set of servants arrive, they continue with the basic trajectory of decisions that they somehow think will turn out well. When the landowner’s son arrives, they murder him. How is it they think this is going to work out for them? As I said, talk about your basic horrible decisions.Jesus is speaking to the chief priest, elders and scribes about horrible decisions they are making as they are not reflective about what folks like the prophet Isaiah have warned them about. Their predecessors corrupted true worship, thought they were the owners of the vineyard and became obsessed with their position, privilege and powers – forgetting they were just the current stewards of the covenant between God and the people. They killed the messengers the prophets who warned them and the covenant people ended up exiled in Babylon, Jerusalem destroyed. Talk about your basic horrible decisions.
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“So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner.” If we are honest about it, we empathize with those folks who worked hard all day. At one level we agree that they received what they were promised, but…there is that voice within that says, “it isn’t fair.” The workers’ notion of what is fair gets challenged pretty quickly when the landowner asks them: “Are you envious because I am generous?” 
How do you offer forgiveness? I suspect that the most common offer consists of “I forgive you” or “Don’t worry about” “Don’t give it a second thought” or “It’s nothing.” And that all might be true, but sometimes it is only the socially-expected response. It is what we do because we are Christian and we are called to forgive 70 times 7 – or about 490 times…and maybe, just maybe, some of us keep track. But, are we really at peace with our response? 
And the conversation begins: I have something to tell you! Who knows exactly what is coming, but it might well be interesting and fun?
“Who do you say that I am?” It seems like one of those “fish-or-cut-bait” moments, doesn’t it? Peter and the disciples have been with Jesus several years now. They have heard the sermons, listened to Jesus open up the deeper meaning of the Commandments, witnessed the miracles large and small, seen all the people healed, restored, and heard the amazing words of forgiveness and love. Wouldn’t it seem as though they have had enough time to know Jesus in a deep, intimate, and personal way? 
These days there are lots of ways in which we get our news – the classics: the evening news and the daily newsprint. The more modern 24-hour television and radio news – and even that gives way to the online, instant news that is a click away, a pop-up notification or just a swipe away. While the modality changes, these days what is common is that each is a venue in our hunger for good news. Perhaps “hunger” does not describe our condition. These days we are starving for good news as we are offered an unending buffet of devastating headlines about the pandemic, the economy, Beirut, civil war, the rise of intolerance, … all fueled by rumor, innuendo, and the well-placed lie …. I could go on. 
Several years ago, I was fortunate to have the time and opportunity to go to Israel on pilgrimage. I remember when I first caught sight of the Sea of Galilee…. I thought it would be bigger. Trust me it is big, but not “Lake Michigan” big. The Sea of Galilee is 8 miles across at it widest and 13 miles in length. So it’s big… I just thought it would be bigger. 
Deacon Ray is preaching this weekend at the Mass I am celebrating, so here is one from a past 17th Sunday, Year A.
It’s your first baby. It has been great. Sure, it has been hard work, but what a bundle of joy. And tomorrow is the last day of maternity leave. You have a great job and love the people you work with. Maybe you should stay home longer? Maybe the family can get by on one salary? But there is a great day care center near work. Maybe we could nanny-share with a neighbor? But the big project that you really want to be part of is coming up…. Such is the circumstance of ambivalence. 
friarmusings 