Always be ready because ….

A Gospel Enquiry

Jesus is a master storyteller and his stories are powerful expressions of divine justice and mercy. The Gospel reading for Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, provides us with a timely opportunity to test the truth of this assertion. 

Jesus said to his disciples, “So always be ready, because you don’t know the day your Lord will come. Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time of night a thief was coming, the owner would watch and not let the thief break in. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at a time you don’t expect him.

“Who is the wise and loyal servant that the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time? When the master comes and finds the servant doing his work, the servant will be blessed. I tell you the truth, the master will choose that servant to take care of everything he owns. But suppose that evil servant thinks to himself, ‘My master will not come back soon,’ and he begins to beat the other servants and eat and get drunk with others like him? The master will come when that servant is not ready and is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the hypocrites, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain. (Matthew 24:42-51 - New Century Version)

SEE

• Jesus uses this parable to teach his disciples about justice. What are the facts of his story? Can you find a parallel to this story in the world as you experience it?

• What does Jesus tell us about the motivations of people who either accept or reject the responsibility given them by their master? To what extent are these motivations seen in the world in which you live? 

• What are the consequences of the actions of the characters in Jesus’ story? How relevant is Jesus’ story to what you experience in the world today?

JUDGE 

• What do you think of the story that Jesus told his disciples? Who is the “master” in Jesus’ story? How does his view of the world fit with your view of the world? 

• What does your faith tell you about how to live responsibly in the world? Which values does Jesus highlight through telling his story? How important are these values in your life?

• Ideally, how should people be behaving towards our world, its environment and its multicultural character? 

ACT 

• What needs to change in our world so that people can live in peace and develop their talents and skills for the good of society? 

• What action can you take over the next week to bring about the change you want to make?  

• Who can you involve in your action and how can they help to bring about the change you desire?

Author: Pat Branson

Image source: https://claretwestng.org/thursday-of-21st-week-of-the-year-august-27-2020/