Friday, March 5, 2026

 

 

https://pixabay.com/images/download/pexels-light-1866712_1920.jpg
 
 
 
On the Good Side

I am often awed with how human scripture sometimes is, and not always on the good side of humanity. The Genesis and Matthew verses are two such readings. The first, a story of Israel and his sons, (for who should be better than the namesakes of the Jewish nation and his forebears?), is rife with favouritism, enmity, jealousy, resentment, hatred, thoughts of murder, lying, saving face, manipulation, utter rejection, betrayal, and slavery.

And Jesus' parable and the Pharisees, in Matthew fare no better. The parable’s tenants beat, stone, and/or kill their owner’s slaves and son, keeping or stealing what wasn’t theirs. In this case, Jesus says they will face death and their opportunity will be given over to others who will work with the owner or “produces the fruit of the kingdom.” The Pharisees catch the drift that the parable is about them, so wish to arrest Jesus.

How do you and I respond when a family member is shown favouritism? Given something special? Is loved more than us? When someone points out our weaknesses, faults or sins? When you are told something of value to you will be given to others?

These are not easy questions to answer as they go to the heart of the human condition, and not the good side of humanity. We want and need love, gifts, care and things of personal value. We don’t like our weaknesses, faults or sins pointed out. It is just as easy (and sometimes likely) we would respond in enmity, jealousy, resentment, hatred, lying or trying to save face, manipulate, fight or shut them out or lock them up, then anything more admirable and honourable. In the worst of these situations, “self” rises up and wants to (like the wicked tenants) do what we want (where and how we want it), and oust anything that gets in the way.   

But in the Matthew verses, Jesus mentioned the “other tenants,” the “people that produce the fruits of the kingdom” “at the harvest time.”

Are we like these “other tenants” or David (for who should be better than the namesake of the forebear of Christ?), who could pray in the psalm from “lips free of deceit” and transgression, “test me, you will find no wickedness in me,” “I have avoided the ways of the violent” and “my steps have held fast to your paths.”

This is the David who was in many ways one of the most human, and not always on the good side of humanity, but knows where his “vindication” comes from.

So, I suppose if there was hope for him, there is hope for me.

Jonathan Legg
 
 

 
Hear Me Lord  Psalm 17   The Shiyr Poets 




 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Friday, February 27, 2026

Image
  Ezekiel 18:21-24, 30-32   But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die. . . .  Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? But when the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity and do the same abominable things that the wicked do, shall they live? None of the righteous deeds that they have done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which they are guilty and the sin they have committed, they shall die.   . . .   . . Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spi...
Read more

Ash Wednesday

Image
  The Conversion of St. Augustine by Fra Angelico   Daily Lectionary for Ash Wednesday The Lord remembers that we are dust . Psalm 103   “I didn’t know you were supposed to be mean for Lent.” So said one of my children around the age of ten after an Ash Wednesday service. They found my going around telling people that they were going to die, and quite literally rubbing it in, a little cruel. And to an age with childlike delusions of its own morality and immortality, the unvarnished, universal and personal conviction of sin and sentence of death in the marking of this day must seem mean. We would rather pretend otherwise.    “You are dust.” It reminds me of the contemporary idiom, “You’re toast.” But this dreadfully honest diagnosis is the first step in our healing. And I would commend healing to you as a new and ancient way of thinking about Lent. A 6th Century Office Hymn for Lent is titled Now is the Healing Time Decreed .   Ash Wednesday, Penitence, Len...
Read more

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Image
Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration As soon as I looked through the readings I was given for this reflection, I knew I would have to include the beautiful note my dad wrote to my mom in the front of the New Testament he gave to her on their wedding day in 1981. He quoted the verses I have chosen to reflect on today from the Gospel of Matthew: “Jesus then came up to them, touched them, and said, ‘Stand up, do not be afraid.’ And when they raised their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.” My dad included a note saying, “The last two words are the ones which will bring you peace.”  I don’t know if our world is actually any worse than it has ever been, or if it just seems that way because most of us live in relative comfort and have time to worry and dwell on the thousands of tragedies we are bombarded with through the 24 hour news cycle and social media. But things certainly do feel heavy a lot of the time. Even if we eliminate the news and the outside world, we will continue to en...
Read more