Matthew 22:15-22

This passage occurs in the RCL "Pentecost"/"Ordinary"/"Proper" Season, Year A, most recently October 2026.

Summary:  One does not find the Greek words for church and state in this passage, even though this passage is used to justify all sorts of behavior and relationships between church and state.  What is mentioned though is the word "εικον" meaning icon, or image.  The tempters of Jesus, forgetting Genesis 1, say that the coin bears the image of Caesar.  They answer the truth, but not the whole truth.  An image of a man is still an image of God.  Money, whether it says, "In God We Trust" or "Caesar" or anything, isn't exempt from God's creation.  It still has to do with humans and how we live in this creation, and thus it still belongs under God's dominion.

Freedom note:  I used this passage in 2017 to launch a Reformation 500 series on the Freedom of a Christian.  I picked this passage because Jesus discusses that even those of us free in Christ still have responsibilities before other people.

Key words: 
παγις ("hunter's trap", used as a verb, 22.15) The word for ensnare comes from the root for trap. What a cruel image of the pharisees trying with metal jaws, to trap Jesus. 

Interestingly, by possessing a coin with the image of Caesar on them, one could argue the Jewish leaders here are already worshiping an idol.  This is especially true given the cult of the Emperor and the fact he was viewed as a god.  They were carrying around images of a foreign god!!  Furthermore, they set up a bogus system whereby you had to trade you Roman money for Jewish money to buy sacrifices.  Thus the temple profited from this exchange.  Jesus traps them as he reveals their sin and their entanglement with the Emperor.  Herod was a puppet king of Rome...but even the Pharisees benefit from the Roman tyranny because so often they are in places of power.   So Jesus is showing that they play in the Emperor's sandbox all the time. They want to trap him and in the end, they lay a trap for themselves.  Hence why they are hypocrites (see below!)

αποστελλω ("send" 22.16).  The literal phrase here is that his enemies "apostled their disciples," a reminder that Jesus is not the only one with apostles and disciples...

υποκριτης ("actor/hypocrite", 22.18) The word for hypocrite means actor, or one who plays a part.  (He answered above the others from stage.)  This is not necessarily a negative word, but in the NT it is used exclusively that way.  Jesus isn't interested in actors, but real people with real sins that need real forgiveness.  (In fact, the sentence before Luther famously asserts 'sin boldly', he says, "God did not die for fictitious sinners.")

εικον ("image/icon", 22:20) The word here for "head" or "portrait" here is literally "eikon," (icon!) which means image. So the question is whose image? If it is a human head, the answer could just as easily have been "God." (See Genesis 1!)  As Christians we must always seek to serve the creator behind the created governments of this world...yet while still acknowledging the reality of human government and laws!

τα του θεου ("the things of God," 22:21).  The word 'things' is implied here, for it literally reads, "these of the God."  This is straight-forward Greek grammar for which we don't have a literal translation into English.  Typically this kind of construction is translated "the things of X" Grammatically, it is worth asking -- what is the connection between "these things" and "God"?  "God" (θεου) is in the genitive case and this opens up many possibilities.  Do we give God back the things that come from God? The things that belong to God?  The things in this world which are for God?  The grammatical possibilities seem endless, underlying the more theological question:  What belongs to God? 

The best answer it seems, is from the Psalms:

• The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it  Psalm 24:1

αποδιδημι ("render", 22:21)  This word is very common in Scripture, as it can also mean "give back."  Humans are often "giving back" or "returning" things to people throughout the Bible.  (Most comically, Paul commends husband and wives to "give it back" to each other.)  What about to God?  In 2023, I thought there may have been a pattern whereby this verb is used in conjunction with sacrifices of thanksgiving and confession of sin.  As it turns out, I don't think I was correct, but the verb is interesting nonetheless!

In the Psalms (and Ecclesiastes), we are called to pay back our vows to the Lord.  What is fascinating is the word underneath this verb payback is sh-l-m, which means to complete or make whole.  It literally is shalom.  This is fascinating to think about paying back as making complete or fulfill. What might it mean to fulfill what you owe to God?  

In the New Testament, the idea of paying back continues to have a sense of fulfilling or repaying someone what is owed or even deserved.  For example:

• Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her bin the cup she mixed. Rev. 18:6
• Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.  Rom. 13:7
• And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ (Matthew 20:8)

In the Old Testament sense, this verse means "fulfill your obligations to Caesar and fulfill your obligations to the Lord."  In the New Testament sense, this verse means "Pay to Caesar what you him; pay to God what you owe God."  Slightly different -- still mulling it over!

Translation/Grammar review:  Idioms

"The things of God" is not the only idiomatic construction in this passage!

Some things in a language are simply impossible to translate literally.  This week Jesus is told, "You do not look into the face of people."  This doesn't sound so nice.  It simply means, "You don't look at exterior things."  (Which is a positive assessment).  He is also told he doesn't care about nothing.  Missing from this idiom is the word "opinion."  Jesus doesn't care about the opinions of others, in the sense that he acts free from petty judgments of others.  You could take them literally, and perhaps derive some meaning; that said, with idioms, it is often best to let professional translators do the work...

Matthew 22:1-14

This passage occurs in both the Narrative Lectionary (Year 1) and the Revised Common Lectionary (Most recently October 11, 2026).

Summary:  In 2023, the challenge of this parable hit home.

I wrote:  I am having a hard time with this passage this year.   As I update this post, Israel is engaged retaliation against the brutal attacks and kidnappings by Hamas.  Jews witnessed their own people slaughtered, even when they thought they were safe.  The abysmally poor in Gaza Strip will suffer as well as countless others in poverty.  This is classic tribal war along ethnic and religious lines, the kind that somehow we thought we had outgrown as a world.  When I combine this with the war in Ukraine and the political dysfunction in my own country that seems - on its worst days - to be leading us to internal civil war along tribal lines, I can do little else but lament.  And then I encounter in this parable a God who seems intent on revenge, focused on marker of tribe (clothing) and comfortable with exclusion and even cruelty.  Very tough to stomach."

Is there a glimmer of hope here?  Hmm...  This might be a passage I need to wrestle with some more, but the response of the King to the indifference and cruelty of the word is the following

- Purge it of evil

- Throw a party for everyone willing to come, including the bad and marginalized

- Deny entry to the self-righteous (see note on clothing below)

That is a party I can get behind.  But I am really wrestling with it all!  For those who are not struck by this reality a more standard way I might approach it:

In America, we typically spend a lot of effort getting the busy people to come to our church: the family with three kids and at least one parent who has a great job; the recently retired executive or teacher with copious amount of energy (and likely savings).  How much time do we spend inviting those on the margins?  More deeply, are we inviting people to one more activity or something that is the balm for the wounds? 

Key Words/Grammar insights:

καλεω (kaleo, "call" or "invite"; 22:3, 4, 8, 9 (14 as adjective)).  The word here for invited is simply the perfect of καλεω which means to call/invite. This word is used in various forms throughout the passage.  Jesus calls us to invite those willing to come because many of those invited were not interested.  A reminder that in all Gospels, but truly in Matthew, Jesus cares for people the world does not; the b-list people, so to speak.  The b-list people, you know, the beatitudes people!

τεθυμενα (tethymena, perfect participle of θυω, "slaughter" or "kill", 22:4).  This word can mean sacrificed.  If one were to go this route, then this parable could be interpreted within the paradigm of the conflict between Jews and early Jewish converts to Christianity:  Jesus has died (been sacrificed); many early Jews are not accepting him.  The temple is destroyed and that nation has fallen, perhaps as punishment for lack of conversion. A few other items that support this reading:

διεξοδος (literally "dia-exodus", meaning "crossroads" or "fork", 22:9)  This usually referred to the point where the roads from the country converged to the city.  (Thayer Dictionary, accessed via Accordance).  In this way, this can be seen as the movement of the church outside of its walls and likely into gentile territory.  He offers "the phrase figuratively represents the territory of heathen nations, into which the apostles were about to go forth"

εφιμωθη (aorist passive form of φιμοω, phimo-oo, "silence"; 22:12) Jesus will silence the Sadducees later this chapter (22:34).  This parable is not intended simply as a myth, but as a description, I would suggest, of how Jesus' was and is being received.

ενδυω/ενδυμα ("clothe" as verb; "clothing" as noun; 22:11, 12).  Matthew's Gospel talks about clothing a few times (more than any other Gospel, incidentally).  We learn that John the Baptist is clothed in Camel's hair (3:4); we learn not to worry about our clothing (6:25-28); we meet the angels wearing white (28:3).  Which leads to the question -- what should one wear to the heavenly banquet?

To get at this, I did a word search on ενδυω ("clothe/wear" to find examples of people wearing stuff in the New Testament, especially as it would relate to the heavenly banquet.  I've included them and underlined the word as the NRSV translates as ενδυω:

• 1 Corinthians 15:54 When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
• Romans 13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
• Luke 24:49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
• Matthew 27:31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
• Ephesians 4:24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
• Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
• Revelation 19:14 And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
• Galatians 3:27    As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

The only thing that can meet all of these criterion:  the gift of Jesus Christ in faith, love and righteousness, eternally pure and immortal yet also ready to die to the world, is our Baptism.  The question becomes, then, what might it mean to have the wrong clothing.  The text does not answer this question directly.  Perhaps it means to not be baptized?  Hmm.  I wonder if the wrong clothing means we come thinking that belong on our own and not in the clothing given to us by God.

What I also find interesting is that in the Gospels, we find out almost nothing about what Jesus wears.  We know his garments became white in the transfiguration.  Other than that we have to wait until the crucifixion to hear about his clothing...and then wait until Revelation for more. To put it another way, when it comes to Jesus, the only clothes that matter are his heavenly clothes!

υβριζω (hubrizoo (rough breathing over υ), meaning "mistreat"; 22:6)  The word for mistreat here is "hubriz-oo," literally, have hubris.

ὠργίσθη ("became angry", 22:8) God does have anger over human sin.

διακονοις (-ος, diakonos, meaning "attendant", 22:13)  I find it haunting that the "deacons" are sent into bind and cast out the wicked.  Typically we associate diaconal or deacon work with humble service to the poor.  Perhaps it is a reminder that purging the world of evil is a deacon's work too.  But very disturbing!

Grammar note with some theological reflection, verse 22:5
22:5 shows two ways that Greek can show possessive; 

εις τον ιδιον αργον   his field (literally, the field of his own)

επι την εμποριαν αυτου    and his business (genitive αυτου signifying 'his')

Both of which mean that that the people were into their own thing.  Quite a statement about why people don't engage with Christianity.

Matthew 21:33-46

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A; Most recently October 4, 2026.

Summary
The meaning of the parable is clear:  Ancient Israel rejected prophets of old; they will reject and kill Jesus.  Somehow God will rebuild on the rejected Jesus.  How do we find a Gospel message relevant for people's lives?  While there is some interesting stuff in verse 34 about sending and bearing fruit, I sense myself drawn to verse 42 and the proclamation that God will rebuild on the rejected stone.  This verse points toward the faithfulness of God, who rebuilds on Christ.  I think we can apply this to people's lives: even through we again and again reject God's commands and even love in our lives, God rebuilds us on Christ.

For 2023, I added a tangent on institutional vs servant church leadership.

Key Words in verse 34 -- which sets up the whole thing
ηγγισεν (from εγγιζω, meaning "approach", 21:34)  This word, meaning "approach" or "come near", appears at turning points in the Gospel:
3:2  John Baptizes Jesus (John the Baptist say the Kingdom of Heaven is approaching/near)
4:17 Jesus begins ministry (Jesus says the KoH is approaching/near)
10:7 Jesus sends disciples (He instructs them to proclaim KoH is approaching/near)
21:1 Jesus is approaching/near Jerusalem
26:45/46  Jesus is betrayed (The hour is near/approaching)

Broad point:  Each time the Kingdom of Heaven is approaching, there is movement of Jesus and arguably a movement of the Spirit.  

Specific point:  The Lord of the Vineyard is doing something new when he sent his prophets and now when he is sending Jesus.

καιρος (kairos, meaning "season", 21:34; 41)  This word means 'season' or 'ideal time.'  In this case, it describes the harvest season.  A reminder that in Jesus there is the fullness of time!

απεστειλεν (from αποστελλω, meaning "send", 21:34)  I am amazed at how many times in Jesus' parables in Matthew we see (the character in the parables representing) God sending out people.  I think we often think of this as a concept in John's Gospels, but it is really crucial to Jesus' ministry.  We are sent out, certainly if and when the Kingdom of Heaven is approaching!  This word is important because it reminds us that the Kingdom of Heaven, while principally about the movement of Jesus into this world and toward the cross (see discussion on ηγγισεν), involves our movement too.

καρπος ("fruit", 21:34)  Again, we find a word that appears throughout scripture to describe the impact of the Spirit and the Kingdom of Heaven in our life:  We bear fruit.  In this case, workers are sent to gather the fruit.  What a beautiful image of ministry -- gathering the fruit that God has already created.  As the word αυτου ("of him") remind us, the fruit belongs to God.

Other interesting words

οικοδεσποτης  (literally, oikos - despot, meaning "owner of the land", 21:33)  This is a fun word in Greek.  It is built on two smaller words that we can recognize: oikos and despot!  It is interesting that Jesus would refer to God as an οικοδεσποτης, which was unlikely a favorable comparison for working-class listeners.  It is a reminder that first, these are parables and not allegories; second, it all belongs to God.

αμπελωνα ("vineyard", 21:33)  Jesus tells three vineyard parables, almost right in a row.  This seems clearly the one built the most on Isaiah 5, in which the vineyard owner builds a tower, as this vineyard owner does here as well.  It is a sermon series by Jesus :-)  It shows us how good stories and metaphors work, they continue to unfold in new ways.  It reminds us of Jesus' creative genius to somehow use old wine skins!

ἀποκτείνω ("kill", 21:35) Just a reminder that life and death are at stake in the ministry of Jesus.  Sometimes in Matthew's Gospel the language seems too harsh for me, but Jesus reminds us here that the stuff that is most important is at stake.  The Kingdom of God is not a second tier matter.

υστερον (meaning "last," 21:37)  The word here for "last" is used 4 times in Matthew 21 and 22; and also in Matt 25 and 26, but rarely ever appears elsewhere in the NT...Matthew is starting to emphasize the final nature of things and of his Gospel.

εντραπησονται  (future passive of εντρεπω, "respect", 21:37)  The word for "respect" means more like embarrass...in short, they will be embarrassed enough to show respect.  In the rest of the New Testament, it is always used within a context of shame rather than respect.  Perhaps this is a reminder that within an honor/shame culture, 'respect' has a different meaning; perhaps it is a reminder that Jesus ends up shaming the pharisees and religious leaders.  Ironically their attempts at shaming Jesus (killing him outside of Jerusalem) only lead to his glory!

οικοδομεω (meaning "build" "erect" or even "rebuild", 21:33 and 21:42)  The word here for builder is the same as in vs. 33. God built something.  People messed it up.  God will rebuild.  God is always at work revising the mistakes of our bad construction, relaying the foundation of our lives on Christ that we may bear fruit!

εθνει (ethnos, meaning "gentiles", 21:43)  The word for "people" here is "Gentiles."  Interestingly, Paul will talk about how he has a harvest of Gentiles in Romans 1:13, a case where Scripture is fulfilling itself!

Institution vs Servant Church

In verse 45, the religious leaders recognize this parable is directed at them.  As tenants of the vineyard, they have killed the servants sent by God.  I see this parable as a reminder of the way in which the institution of the church has again and again chewed up prophets and the servants of God.  In this way the parable serves as a judgment on institutional Christianity as well and the ways in which we devour prophets among us.  Those who come with a servants heart, beware!  However, in the end of the parable, Jesus says that there will be new tenants.  There will always be an institutional church...that always abused the pure in heart and always needs reformation. 

Church history reveals this too -- where the small and forgotten folks on the margins get forgotten, if not excluded.  They form a movement.  Which becomes a church.  Which gets too institutional.  Which then needs reform...or more likely kicks out the people that will grow the next generation of the church.

Philippians 3:3b-14

This passage occurs as a New Testament Lesson in the RCL "Pentecost"/"Ordinary"/"Proper" Season, Year A, most recently October 2026.

Summary:  In certain theological circles I often find that justification is the aim; yet for Paul in this passage justification has a purpose.  As the Greek indicates, it has a purpose, namely that we would know Christ, his resurrection and his suffering.  Rather than claim this is something other than good Lutheran doctrine, Luther and countless other Lutherans have seen justification has the key to the kingdom, but not the kingdom itself, which is Christ.

Key Words
σαρξ ("flesh" 3:4 and elsewhere)  Normally we think that Paul sees the flesh as an entirely evil entity.  In this case Paul talks about his righteousness in the law (and therefore the flesh).  He never says that his Jewish upbringing was evil.  In fact, Paul's whole take on flesh and law provides more a productive evangelical tact than the normal torpedo attack on human sinfulness.  Simply acknowledge that people have seen and accomplished great things, yet they still often sense a worthlessness about themselves and are haunted by a sense that something greater exists.  To reiterate, Paul is not claiming the flesh is evil, but he is clearly affirming its limits.

ζημια ("loss" or "damage"; found as noun and verb 3:7 and 3:8)  Interestingly, Paul calls his accomplishments a loss.  The Greek here is a bit stronger in that it can also mean "damage" or "penalty."  Paul here lays the groundwork for a later group of Lutheran orthodox thinkers who argued that good works are damaging to salvation.  While I don't like admitting this, I can see both Paul's and the orthodox thinker's point here that human achievement can cloud our vision from seeing Christ's blessings.
side note:  Paul here echoes back to 2:5 and 2:6 in the Christ hymn; Christ did not regard (ηγεομαι) equality with God as something to be exploited. Here Paul is saying he regards all of his benefits as loss through Christ.

συμμορφιζομενος ("together-shaped", 3:10; noun form in 3:21).  I believe this is a crucial word to understanding Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Paul writes that Jesus was in the shape (μορφη) as God, but chooses a different shape, one of a slave, for our sake.  However, for Paul this does not mean the Christian can avoid death  No, Paul believes that we to will be transformed by Christ, in that we will receive the same shape as him -- a crucified slave, so that ultimately, we might receive a resurrected body like his.  This is also found in Romans 3:17 - co-inheritors, co-sufferers, co-will be glorified-ers.  I would argue that chapter 3 of Paul's letter to the Philippians is applying the Christ him of suffering and glory to the Christian.  

διωκω ("pursue"; 3.6, 3.12 and 3.14):   Paul's bragging here has a double rhetorical effect -- he will return to the words "pursue" (διωκω) and "righteousness" (δικαιοσυνη) later in this section (3.9, 12 and 14).

σκυβαλα ("crap"; 3:8)  Rubbish is about as nice as you can translate this.  Paul wants a rhetorical effect here. 

καταλαμβανω ("receive, obtain, overcome"; 3:12,13)  This verb presents a problem in most cases for the translator because it has a broad array of meanings.  In this case, the challenge is in the tenses.  In verse 12 Paul claims that he has been obtained (aorist passive) by Christ; yet he also says in the aorist subjunctive that might obtain it; finally, in the perfect active he says he has not obtained it.  Here is Paul at his grammatical worst and perhaps theological best: The event of Christ's death and resurrection obtained Paul for Christ, but this process is not finished!

επιλανθανομαι ("forget"; in participle form in 3:13).  Most important is not the participle form, but the present tense.  Both verbs in the second half (forgetting and looking ahead) in the present tense, suggesting this is an on-going process of doing this. We cannot simply forget once, but must continually forget.

Grammar review & theological commentary on verses 3:9-10
Infinitive purpose clauses  In Greek, the infinitive can be used to express purpose, especially when it is an "articular infinitive."  (ie, article + infinitive)  In verse 9 Paul discusses justification by faith.  He begins verse 10 (which the Greek scribes connect with a comma to the previous verse, not a period) with the "articular infinitive":  του γνωναι (the knowing).  Paul's use of an infinitive here suggests that justification's purpose is to know God, the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of suffering. In other words, 9 and 10 are linguistically linked by Paul and a strong possible reading is purpose...vs 9 (justification) is for the purpose of vs 10 (resurrection).  To build on last's weeks passage about μορφη (shape), justification leads to transformation as our "morph" becomes like Christ.

Philippians 2:1-13

This passage occurs as a New Testament Lesson in the RCL "Pentecost"/"Ordinary"/"Proper" Season, Year A, most recently September 2026.  It also occurs at other points in the Lectionary, including Palm Sunday.

A separate post looking at Philippians 2:5-11 is here. 

Summary:
This is a very rich passage. By itself it stands as one the most powerful description of Christ and his work.  Worth pointing out though is that Paul continues to build off the imagery the rest of his letter to discuss not simply Christ's work on the cross, but also Christ's work on us.  He changed his shape (μορφη) into humility but will co-shape (συμμορφος) ours into glory, not simply through his suffering, but even our own.

Key words:

μορφη ("shape" or "form"; 7, 8)  If you look up this word, you will find it appears twice in Philippians, once in verse 7 and once in verse 8.  Jesus had the form/shape of God; took the form/shape of a human.  Sounds good.  However, later on in Philippians, Paul comes back to this word, but using it with the prefix συν (the -n becomes a -m...see note below) .  First, in verse 3:10 where he says that he is being συμμορφιζομαι-ed into Christ's death and later when he is  being συμμορφος with Christ's resurrected body (3:28).  Paul moves from talking about the form of Christ to the co-formation of the believer, both into suffering, death and then resurrection.  I think the word μορφη can be used to guide one's reflections on the whole letter:  The transformation of Jesus creates the transformation of the believer.  To put it another way, I see Philippians as Paul's personal exposition on his line in Romans 8:17:  If children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ -- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

εκενωσεν and κενοδοξια ("emptied" from κενω, 7; conceit, 3)  Much is made from κενω, which means to empty.  I find it interesting that Paul gives warning just a bit earlier about conceit, literally false glory.  The only way to true glory, for Christ and for us, is through suffering and death.

κατεργαζομαι ("work out", 2:12; from kata (intensifier) and erg-oo (to work))  One possible meaning for this verb is simply "achieve" but another one is "to work up," i.e., to make use of; for example, fields are worked on to make them ready for harvest.  Perhaps our job is to make ourselves ready for harvest!! 

This verse can be problematic in that it makes it sound like our salvation is our responsibility.  However, Paul's next verse, 2:13, makes it clear that God is the author of our salvation.  Perhaps we can understand it this way:  Paul uses salvation (σωτηρια) to describe our entire relationship with God in Jesus Christ, specifically the process of dying and rising.  What is means for God to be our savior and for us to be a disciple must be assessed and lived each day.  It is worth noting that the verb here (and also for "co-form" (see above)) are in the present tense, suggesting this an on-going process.

A really geeky language point:
Grammar/translation:  The morphing "n"
When someone learns Hebrew, they learn verbs like n-t-n, which means to give.  They then try to read these in the Bible and discover it hardly ever exists in that form and most often the "n"s drop out in conjugation so that words like y-t-l-m mean he gives or something like this.  This is true in Greek; alas, the problem is not Hebrew, but the letter "n", which has a soft sound.  It tends to morph into other sounds.  This actually happens in Latin.  For example, con is the prefix for "with"  But notice how often that "n" disappears or morphs:  communication, cooperation, combat, comfort, command, corroborate.  This happens in Greek, especially when verbs add the prefix συν.  The weakness of the "n" sound is also shown in the fact that its moveable (ie not very necessary).

This is why συμμορφος is spelled as it is, instead of συνμορφος!

Matthew 21:23-32

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, most recently September 27, 2026.

Summary:  (2008) The basic message remains clear in English:  The 'leaders' and 'righteous' aren't saying they love God, but their actions suggest otherwise.  Yet God still loves them and yes, they still have a place in the Kingdom, but they certainly aren't first in line.  

Here are some wrinkles that perhaps can spark a thought or two in you preaching meditations:

εξουσια (meaning "authority" 21:23, 24, 27)  The word authority - εξουσια - is rare in the LXX but incredibly common in the New Testament, including the Gospels.  Jesus speaks with authority (Matthew 7:29), has authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6) and even can confer authority to the disciples against evil spirits (Matthew 10:1).   At the end of the Gospel, Jesus declares that ALL authority has been given to him (28:1).  A few questions on authority:

1)  What makes someone have legitimate authority?  Is there a difference in official and unofficial power?  

2)  Do we give Jesus authority in our lives?  Can we give Jesus authority in our lives?  What would this look like?

3) Do we believe that Jesus has given authority in this world?  In what ways do we see or not see this authority working itself out?

4)  How has the church lost authority in the last two generations in our country?  Is this good or bad?

ιερον (meaning temple, 21:23)  This story taking place in the temple is significant -- Jesus had just ridden on a donkey into Jerusalem and then "cleansed" the temple by driving out the money changers.   Those actions reveal that Jesus believes himself to be the Messiah and the rightful Lord of the temple.  (Which he alluded to in Matthew 12:5).  What is at stake isn't simply some moot point of theology, but the question of Jesus being the Messiah.  

διδασκοντι (participle form of διδασκω, meaning "teach" 21:23)  Just a friendly reminder that Jesus' role as teacher was not in opposition to his role as savior. 

τεκνα (plural of τεκνον, 21:28)  Jesus knows that it is less than week until his death.  He is speaking to people who will either a) be directly involved in his death or b) chant for him to be crucified.  Yet he is still calling them children of God!

αμπελων(ι) (meaning "vineyard", 21:28)  This whole section of Matthew's Gospel should be called the vineyard discourses.

επιστευσατε (form of πιστευω, meaning "believe", 21:25, 32)  Just a reminder that believe isn't simply about stating something is true or not, it is about trusting, if not following.  

μετεμεληθητε (form of μεταμελομαι, meaning "repent" or "regret", 21:29, 32)  The typical word for repent isn't used here.  This word means to over-care.  Like to care-over, for a second or third time.  Again, this word is less common in the New Testament. 

βασιεαιν του θεου (kingdom of God, 21:31)  There are only two times Jesus uses the phrase Kingdom of God instead of Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew's Gospel; the others are 6:33 and 19:24.  I don't know why!

Lastly, a little tid bit:  In Greek, the phrase "in the way of righteousness" (as preached by John) literally reads "εν οδω δικαιοσυνης" which is literally "a way of righteousness."  This may be a reference to Proverbs 8:20 or 12:28.  It also connects with 2 Peter 2:21.  I sense that Jesus is offering there is another path of righteousness that John did not teach, namely, that of God's grace in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 20:1-16

This passage occurs in both the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary (most recently September 2026).

Summary:   Tough parable for us.  Most churches preach grace, but when exposed like this, grace just seems, well, unfair!  But grace it is.  And grace abounds.  I find grace in that God goes after the lazy (αργος); furthermore, even the envious (πονηρος, evil in fact) get into heaven.  We do not enter God's Kingdom based on our heart being perfect, but simply by God's grace.  I also find grace to be the hiring, not the pay-day; It is all by God's grace that we are hired in the first place and get to belong to God, to work in his vineyard.  I love that grace is so irresistible that even the grumpy don't get kicked out of God's vineyard!

Key words
απεστειλεν (aorist form of αποστελλω, apostello, meaning "send"; 20.2).  John's Gospel get a lot of publicity for the idea of sending (even within the Trinity), but Matthew uses the word αποστελλω 22 times! (Mark 20; Luke 25; John 27).  Here they are even sent into the...

αμπελων(α) (ampelon, meaning "vineyard"; 20:1,2,4 and 7).  First, it is interesting that Matthew and John have such a strong connection here, with vineyard and sending.  Another comparison worth exploring is between the parables in chapter 20 and 21, both about vineyards.

αργος (argos, meaning idle; 20.6)  I have no unique insights to add to this word.  I just want to point out:  God goes after the lazy, those not fit for work elsewhere, those who simply stand around.

αποδος (from αποδιδημι. meaning "pay/give back"; 20:8)  Matthew uses this word quite frequently in his Gospel:
Matthew 6:4  Give in secret, your father will reward/pay/give back in secret (see also 6:6, 6:18)
Matthew 12:36  On judgement day, we will have to "give back" an account of our life (see also 16.27)
Matthew 18 and the parable of the unforgiving servant -- lots of pay back in this story!
Matthew 22:21  Give/render to Caesar what is Caesar.
Matthew 27:58  Pilate gives the dead body back.
In the case of Matthew 20, the workers are paid/rendered/given back their wages.  The question is:  

However...

καυσων(α) (causon, like caustic in English; 20:12)  It is worth reminding ourselves that doing Christ's work is not always easy.  I wonder if the Gospel for this passage is found way back in Matthew 11:  Come to me, all your who are heavy laden..."

The easier read of this parable is this:  We can view our life of discipleship on earth as a wearying task for which we are rewarded.  Jesus reminds those of us that came to salvation earlier in life not to look down on those who didn't get around to "getting saved" until the end.

This is tough though, because as long as we view salvation as pay, there is likely little joy along the way and much frustration about the salvation state of our piers.  Furthermore this parable down plays the idea of relationship with the master

Is there another read?  What if we viewed it like this.  The master is actually called the master of the house (οἰκοδεσπότης).  What if we understood him as inviting people into his house.  Not as paid laborer but as one entrusted with work in the vineyard.  Only those who saw this as a contact were disappointed.  Everyone else simply trusted the master to provide for them -- they understood they were being invited into a relationship that moved beyond simply the exchange of work for money.  In this way, moving to the vineyard is moving into the family.  And again, only those who wanted it to be a contract were unhappy.

δίκαιος (just, 20:4)  What is telling is that the master of the house tells the people he will give them "just" or a "righteous" reward, never specifying what it is.  Maybe simply the dignity of work was also their pay.

τοις εμοις (dative with "the of me"; 20:15)  The Greek here is challenging to translate into good English, but the English reader can make sense of it.  When you have the word "the" without a noun it means more like "things", in this case, "the 'the' of me" or "the 'things' of me."  On the one hand, God could be referring to his property and money; but since the master of the house is God, one must wonder if the things of God are the people. 

πονηρος ("wicked" or "envious"; 20:15)  Even the wicked still get into the vineyard!!  God is really gracious.

ισους (isous, from isos, meaning the same, as in "iso-metric"; 20:15)  The problem (for some of the workers) is that the master is making people equal to each other.  This should call to mind Philippians, in that Jesus did not regard equality (same word) as something to be exploited, but humbled himself.  In this case, becoming like Christ is being willing to work in the vineyard and to rejoice over a repentant sinner instead of being frustrated they get the same "reward" as us!

Last bonus:  The evil eye in 20:15
The literal translation of 20:15 is "Or is your eye evil because I am good."  God does not describe himself as generous but as good. Ultimately goodness is tied into generosity.  Furthermore, those disgruntled are described as having an evil eye.  A reminder that a reward is given to those with jealousy and evil in their hearts, not just those pure in heart.  God is good.  He gives to humans. Regardless of how long they worked; regardless of how lazy they are; regardless of how good they are.