Friday 10 March 2023
Day of penance
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28. Remember the marvels the Lord has done – Psalm 104(105):16-21. Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46.
Platforms for access, equity and justice
The readings today are gruesome – plotting to kill another for self-serving purposes. Many of us will remember the story of Joseph and his coat, his jealous brothers and the sanity of Reuben who placated the others and saved Joseph’s life by selling him into servitude. Jealousy can be a difficult emotion to manage, it is overcome by having a big heart and embracing the love that is on offer. By removing comparisons and creating self-confidence, jealousy can be diminished and harm prevented. We know that Joseph went on to great things in Egypt, so the Kingdom of God may have had a hand in his destiny too, proving the jealous act pointless. The Gospel parable is more challenging, could a line be drawn with today’s wealth locked up in the housing market – with a landlord obtaining the value of the property from the tenant’s labour? The tenant defends their occupancy, do they have anywhere else to go, to be safe? To challenge the inequity in access to housing for our vulnerable would be precarious, just as Jesus’ popularity was threatening to the authorities of his time. However, we know that creating platforms for access, equity and justice brings about the kingdom of God – it is worth taking up the challenge.
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