27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2023
Isaiah 5:1-7 Philippians 4:6-9 Matthew 21:33-43
This is the third Sunday on which we have heard from Jesus a parable which is in a farm setting. The Jewish leaders to whom he addresses the parable were very involved in and interested in anything to do with property, tenants, ownership. They, in their own estimation, were very religious and considered that they were righteous and above criticism.
Jesus was treading on dangerous ground by telling a parable which pointed to their immoral ways and underlined the unjust way they treated their work hands. These people were beginning to think and act as if they were God! They claimed divine rights over people minds and lives, eventually claiming the right to kill others. Jesus was now getting close to the bone in his criticism. Of course, Jesus was also speaking in the presence of his faithful disciples, who must have been very apprehensive about the reaction to his words. Theirs must have been a real fear, fear for the Lord and for themselves as followers of his. Or had they already been assured by the words of Jesus that they should not worry or be anxious?
St Paul certainly was strong in his belief that God watches over his children at all times. His words in today’s 2nd Reading remind me of the words of a modern ‘rap’ song; ‘Don’t worry be Happy’. We all find ourselves advising others not to worry and then we fall into the trap ourselves. We are inveterate worriers. We worry about our families, our work, our health, finances, each other. And, to what avail? Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday! St Paul is addressing the Philippian community which is living in a hostile environment and could become victim to persecution at any time. And, St Paul, himself is writing this from prison where he knows not the day nor the hour when he will meet his end! Paul’s advice to the Philippians is put their trust in God even when they feel overwhelmed by their problems. He goes on to suggest that we link our worries to prayer. It doesn’t mean that we pretend that our worry is not there or that we deny our concerns, but that we send it up to God in prayer. St Paul is repeating what Jesus had said many times: ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me’ (John 14;1). Or ‘Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the wild flowers … will God not much more look after you, you of little faith’ (Matt 6;28-30)
Someone once went to the trouble of counting the number of times that the words ‘Do not worry’, ‘Be not afraid’, occur in the Bible – 365 times! –one for each day of the year. And still we fear and worry. ‘Be happy’ in the knowledge that God is watching over you.
“Fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise” (Phil 4:7-8) There won’t be space for worry or fear!!