St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Welland, Ontario, Canada

Attendance this date -> 21   –  Last year -> 16

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SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST September 20, 2026

Prayer of the Day
Almighty and eternal God, you show perpetual lovingkindness to us your servants. Because we cannot rely on our own abilities, grant us your merciful judgment, and train us to embody the generosity of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16
[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

“Good stuff that doesn’t always find its way into a sermon”

Recently we’ve been offering some reflections or insights that are helpful yet not always connected to “where the sermon is going” on a particular week. Today’s parable of the householder contains nuggets that might not get smelted into the homily yet are good to pay attention to. What’s life in God’s commonwealth (kingdom) like? We start with day labourers. Social science experts point to the system of honour and shame as having a feature where people are approached and asked to work rather than someone of “lower station” approaching someone in a higher social class to ask for work (Malina and Rohrbaugh Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels: 2003 Fortress Press, Minneapolis).

Day labourers were people without land, or homes with extended families. Day labourers were at the bottom of the social ladder. Now consider those day labourers who wait all day to be recruited to work—lower than low! It’s important to note here that there’s no evidence the eleventh hour workers are lazy—but for some reason they aren’t the first chosen—age? disability? not from ‘around here’? unskilled? The crux of the parable is how the householder treats the labourers. Social norms are adhered to when the householder approaches groups of people and they agree on terms for the workday. Seems fair.

The scandal of the parable comes when EVERYBODY gets equal treatment at the end of the day regardless of when they were recruited and how long they worked. Even day labourers know the system has tilted in some weird way. I think a fruitful spot to dwell and preach upon is that the realm of God puts everyone on equal footing—all are created in God’s image and are worthy of dignity and deserve a share of God’s abundance to meet their daily needs. For me, “heaven on earth” would be such provision for everyone without the grumbling from those who think they deserve better or more than their neighbour.

The householder asks those grumbling (the word choice is intentional and harks to Israel’s children wandering in the desert, grumbling when water or food aren’t plentiful) if “their eye is evil” because of his generosity.

The evil eye… Many cultures recognize the human gaze as potentially greedy— they eye as a window to the soul evidently takes in the world as much as it expresses one’s state of being. So ogling over shiny objects leads to desire and if the evil eye has its way, we scheme to take what is not ours and keep it for ourselves. Entire social and theological points of view are built around the idea that human suffering comes from the greed and scheming we do to get what others have (a google search of Girardism and memetic theory will lead to a lifetime of reading).

Pitfalls in interpreting the parable: Way back, preachers and teachers used to tell us the rich tend to “spiritualize the material in life” and the poor tend to “materialize the spiritual in life”. It’s not simple as that, really but for us to regard the parable as an allegory or as only a metaphor for God’s goodness leads to ignoring those who hunger and lack what they need for daily living.

Further down the path of misinterpretation is actual heresy (false teaching)—Some preachers even now have somehow gotten it into their noggins that Jesus came to replace Judaism with another religion or church. Wrong. Jesus did say he came to bring abundant life and his teaching is often a corrective designed to bring love and humanity back into religion (which we humans often turn into some form of self justification and control over others). The misinterpretation also seems to define the kingdom of God in ways outside of Jesus’ parables or sermons.

Things I’m thinking about Squeamishness and some snarky rhetoric pops up whenever we talk about reparations for people harmed or about housing for everyone. The political landscape is charged with such emotion about how resources are to be distributed. Some would say less fortunate folk are just looking for a handout. Others (I among them if you’re wondering) find the inequitable distribution of the world’s resources more problematic. Even now as artificial intelligence becomes prominent how many are asking questions beyond its inherent benefits or flaws; questions like who ‘gets’ to control and decide how this new technology will be allocated and used and for whose long term benefit? I think the parable gives us a glimpse into the common good (and our frequent impulse to object to it when ‘the last become first’).

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Attendance today -> 17 – Last year -> 13

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Altar Flowers in Memory of Charlene Bertrand-Hansen

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 13, 2026

Prayer of the Day
O Lord God, merciful judge, you are the inexhaustible fountain of forgiveness. Replace our hearts of stone with hearts that love and adore you, that we may delight in doing your will, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
21 Peter came and said to [Jesus,] “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, 25 and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Reflections…

If you think forgiving is costly and difficult, observe how today’s parable startles (scandalizes)us into calculating how much more costly “unforgiveness” can be. If we take the story seriously, vengeance and grudge-holding erode relationships and community life now and the toxins therein follow us into the next life. Now we recall (as Father Robert Capon reminds us) the person telling the story— Jesus— teaches about restoring relationships, going after lost sheep and at his own execution prays that God will forgive his tormentors. For us personally and for the church at large, Capon’s words about forgiveness put a very perplexing story into perspective,
Forgiveness “is a gift to the totally incompetent, not a reward for the suitably disposed”. Robert Capon, (1988) Parables of Grace. Eerdman’s Publishing page 40.

Remember Jesus saying that if someone won’t reconcile, let them be to you like an outcast or tax collector? His words. If you didn’t know better you’d think he was writing people off. But we do know what gets Jesus in the hottest water with the religious authorities: befriend outcasts and tax collectors.

Perhaps that’s enough scandal for today….and may the confounding mercy of God find you, bless you and empower you to be merciful when you can.

Attendance this date -> 10  –   Last year -> 14

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FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST- September 6, 2026

Prayer of the Day
O Lord God, enliven and preserve your church with your perpetual mercy. Without your help, we mortals will fail; remove far from us everything that is harmful, and lead us toward all that gives life and salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
[Jesus said to the disciples:] 15 “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Worship Guide for September 6, 2026

Attendance today -> 12   –    Last year -> 14

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Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 30, 2026

Prayer of the Day
O God, we thank you for your Son, who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world. Humble us by his example, point us to the path of obedience, and give us strength to follow your commands, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

Gospel:Matthew 16:21-28
21 From that time on, [after Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah,] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it proXit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

27 “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

A bit of commentary this week   Sometimes knowing details helps us focus in on the message that Jesus’ life has for the church (the entire Christian movement, that is).

21:”From that time on”—Many commentators identify Peter’s affirmation that Jesus is the Christ as the key turning point in Matthew’s Gospel (Jack Dean Kingsbury, being one such expert). After “this time” Jesus begins to show the disciples the events that await Jesus. One wonders if the words “and on the third day be raised” sunk in at all for disciples then. After all, can we truly get our heads around those words even now?

22 Peter is the disciple who is like a ‘stand in’ for all the others; saying what others are thinking and doing what they might hesitate to do. Traditional commentary also holds that Peter is a ‘stand in’ for disciples/the church in present day. Like it or not we have much in common with Peter and have much to learn from both his better moments and his disastrous failings.

Peter took him (Jesus) aside. The language is rather tame here. The words used for both Peter’s action and Jesus response paint a picture of a very highly charged emotional moment—likely with some lapel grabbing and shouting!

23 “Get behind me, Satan” The turn from “blessed are you, Peter” and on this rock I will build my church (lots of debate exists about whether the Rock is Peter or his profession that Jesus is God’s chosen Messiah) to “get behind me Satan” is jarring! The word Satan is derived from a word used to describe “throwing” as in accusations and even taunting. Another helpful synonym would be “adversary”. Peter’s agenda and Jesus’ are clearly opposed to each other in this heated exchange.

You might recall Jesus ordeal in the wilderness in which the “adversary” tries to get Jesus to sell out his identity and mission. “if you ARE the Son of God….” Peter’s objections remind us that there is plenty of resistance to the sort of Messiah Jesus is—historically, many expected a Messiah to be a military and political deliverer, dispatching occupying empires…such figures included the Macabeus brothers, whose revolt eventually failed.

24-Let them take up their cross suggests that following Jesus comes with a price. Our contemporary idiom about cross bearing (dealing with everyday struggle) really isn’t apt.

25-26 “Those who want to save their life will lose it”. There are multiple meanings for the word life and different words for the concept. Biology has borrowed one word (zô e—as in zoology) to describe life. Another word for life psyche describes the soul or self. So to lose one’s life might involve zoe (biological life) or psyche (our sense of self or integrity of who we truly are). The word Matthew uses is “psyche”.

27-28 Refers in part to the last judgement. What of those in Jesus own generation who see HIS glory? Matthew (and Mark more so) emphasize that the true mark of Jesus as Messiah is his suffering and rising on the third day. For a member of the violent opposition (the Roman executioner) to affirm Jesus as God’s begotten serves as buttress to the idea that Jesus’ glory culminates with his execution and resurrection.

Following a Messiah whose mission includes death (failure in the eyes of the political/military/religious establishment) and resurrection requires a rejection of the present empire and its false promises of endless prosperity and progress. Following such a Messiah involves living in hope of resurrection that God always gets the last life-giving word. For the here and now means living in God’s commonwealth (a rough quote of the pastor Josh Scott).

Consider religious groups claiming they know Jesus’ agenda—many of the claims are very ‘triumphalistic’ and couched in conquering and retribution language. Many pastors name Jesus as they seek to oppress women, people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQ people and anyone who disagrees with them.

The church’s true calling as it’s always been, is humility, service and loving God and neighbour. The church’s ‘fate’ or future is up to God; the one who now and again raises the dead.