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~ the ramblings of a perambulent and often distracted sojourner

Wondering Pilgrim

Tag Archives: Gospel of Matthew

Praising our one talent hero!

12 Saturday Nov 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal

≈ 4 Comments

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Gospel of Matthew, Parable of the Talents, postaday2011

An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew ...

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I like the contention that the servant who buried his one talent and got shafted by the boss might just be the hero of the story – not the goody two shoes (x2) who doubled their much more generous offerings. The proposition catches us on the back foot (like a good parable is supposed to do). The centuries old Protestant work ethic favours the traditional view that hard work and prudent application is duly rewarded. The lazy lay-about who did nothing with what he was entrusted got his just desserts – and you will too if you don’t get on with it!

Peel back the accretion of time and historical circumstance, however, and imagine the story as it was before this puritanical setting. Imagine it before Matthew got hold of it, and even Luke (who could be seen to be giving greater weight to the tradition that this post explores). It seems the parable was passed around orally before Luke and Matthew put it in the context of their own communities and set it down in writing. Matthew’s burden appears to be keeping the fledgling second and third generation church alert and disciplined, living out the teachings of Jesus rather than hanging around waiting for an imminent return. Hence “get on with it!”

Luke seems to use the story, with some interesting variations,  to say, “This is the reality of how the world ticks.” It is unjust and unfair and if you are going to buck the system, be ready to meet the consequences. The third servant tosses in the towel and protests “I’m not playing this game any more!” knowing he will lose his position of privilege and be cast out among the tenant farmers who have been suffering the extortion of the landlords and their managers.  He could stand for the disciple who is prepared to travel the way of Jesus, in the world of those who live on the margins of powerlessness, and not of the world of corrupt privilege.

Well, it’s at least worth a thought – yes? The strange outcome is that regardless of whether you run with Matthew’s call to diligence or Luke’s veiled urging to courageous discipleship, the result is the same – a more focused and active disciple. Neat!

-31.911079 115.772731

Correcting the Teacher

14 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Personal

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Gospel of Matthew, postaday2011, Teacher

A black and white icon of a teacher in front o...

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We’ve all done it in our student days – or held our breath as others have been foolhardy enough to attempt it – correcting the teacher. We learned a lot from how the teacher responded, particularly when the student was actually right.

Adolescent joy abounded if the teacher blustered and blundered and obfuscated around his error. Power had momentarily transferred from the master to the great unwashed!

Respect and awe occurred when the teacher owned the mistake and thanked and praised the student for their astuteness. We gladly ceded deserved authority.

We see something like that happening on a deeper and broader scale in today’s lection from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus, seemingly beholden to his identity as Jewish Messiah with restricted scope, almost dismisses the Canaanite woman seeking his help.

She is persistent and bold – a real tiger mum (John Shea). Matthew means us to keep our attention focused on her as she turns out to be the real teacher in this instance. It seems that the end result is the expansion of Jesus’ own self awareness, expressed in his awed response at the wit and singlemindedness of the woman considered by all present to be an “outsider” who has claimed her place within.

The best teachers have always been those who are open to correction.

-31.911079 115.772731

Peter picked a permanent positive pistuous posture

07 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Spirituality, theology

≈ 3 Comments

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Gospel of Matthew, Peter, postaday2011, walking on water

Christ and Simon-Peter walking on water. Wall ...

Image via Wikipedia

A variant on Peter picked a pepper?

No – just some leftovers from this morning’s ruminations on the Gospel of Matthew’s account of Peter walking on the water and sinking.

I would never dare use such a pretentious alliterative phrase anywhere else but here. I reiterate the view, however, that Peter was not being typically stupid and impetuous in acting as he did. This story did the rounds of the early Christian communities for a reason – and it had nothing to do with tripping the light fantastic across the waves.

It is about ultimate trust. You can stay in the safety of the boat or clamber out and walk on the midnight terror that buffets your worst fears and anxieties. Peter tried the latter and found himself beginning to be overwhelmed. The fact that he refocused on the  “I am” in the person of Jesus vindicated his initial impulse, however.

The failure of Peter was not that he tried the impossible and sank. His failure was in reaching out to express a movement towards higher consciousness and discovering it requires even greater effort in trusting that which pulls one forward.

Maybe not a failure at all when you consider the alternative of remaining and cowering paralysed with fear in the boat!

One of many considerations to winkle out of this very evocative passage.

-31.911079 115.772731

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