Jonah 3:10-4:11 Psalm 145:1-8
Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16
Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16
Our country is currently experiencing some labor union strikes. Worker want fair wages and benefits and there is justice in that.
The parable of Jesus that we have read for today presents an unfair wage situation to evoke an insight about what justice means in actual practice.
The workers of the parable who worked long hours got paid the very same as the workers who worked but a very short time. And so they naturally cried, "Unfair!"
The prophet Jonah believed that his people had an exclusive covenant contract with God, and when God called him to share the benefits of a covenant with God with the foreign people of Ninevah, he was angry. His behavior said to God, "It's not fair. We are God's favorites, and we have favored nation status with God. Why should I have to share news of God's favor to foreign people?"
God's grace and favor belonging to everyone, can seem to us in our presumption of specialness to be unfair.
We proclaim that all are made in the image of God and this means each person is blessed with the dignity of bearing God's image.
But we are not equal in our appearance, our DNA, skills, age, talent, health, social, political, and economic circumstances.
How does the equality of God function in the circumstances of vast differences of human conditions? This question is the spiritual, social, political, human, and Gospel question.
A young child might complain about the privileges of an older sibling. "Mom, why can't I stay up as late as my big brother?" It is apparent that there are conditions in life which require different treatment, seeming unequal treatment.
How do we treat people differently according to their circumstance but do it while affirming their equal dignity? This is the question of applied justice. Applied justice can seem unfair in actual treatment situations. Mom and dad have good reasons for have different bedtimes for their children, and yet they have equal love for all their children.
The God contract with everyone is the same. That is where we are all equal, equal in bearing the dignity of the image of God.
The probable conditions of freedom leave us in an ocean of differences among people. The great Gospel question is how can we honor the equal dignity of every person while honoring the very specifics of their life situations.
The wide array of differences in people's life situation makes the work of justice very difficult; it makes it a "feeling art," one based upon having empathy with others to know their situation and act in their best interest within their community of people.
The church was established by the early followers of Jesus to be a hybrid community of living the wisdom of applied justice for people with differences. And this is still our Gospel task today; to model applied justice with the people closest to us as a way to spread the divine dignity which is upon the lives of everyone.
Societies provide us laws of applied justice as well; but Gospel justice is based upon an enhanced meaning of the worth of each person in having the treasure of God's image upon them.
Our task as Gospel communities is for the release and the development of the treasure of God's image on each person in life. The task is not easy; it requires the persistent discernment of what is needed for each person to know dignity in their life situation. This means learning how to live with each other well.
Today, the Gospel invites us to the mission of learning, discerning, and practicing applied justice to the many different people in our lives. Amen.
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