(3) And in all this we see that God s justice is not a tit-for-tat thing that measures up one s particular contribution before payment is made.

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Kenneth Peters
5 years ago
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The Philippines is an amazing place. On the numerous occasions I have visited the country I have been deeply moved by the warmth and the vitality of the people.

1 The Philippines is an amazing place. On the numerous occasions I have visited the country I have been deeply moved by the warmth and the vitality of the people. Moreover, the thing that stands out for me is the deep spirituality of so many Filipinos as this predominantly Catholic country, in heart of Southeast Asia, practices its faith on a daily basis. My first visit to the Philippines took me to the southern island of Mindanao. This part of the country is often seen as the wild west as tensions continue between a significant Muslim minority and the large Christian population. The purpose of my visit focused on the plight of indigenous people who live in the mountains and whose livelihood was under threat due to the development of mining in their homelands. Known as the B laan people, this community was struggling with the presence of Western Mining Corporation who, at the time, was planning a massive development in the region of Koronadal City in the very south of Mindanao. So my first encounter with the Philippines involved the question of justice. The Philippines enjoys a bounty of natural resources yet, as we hear, the country experiences extensive, indeed, endemic poverty. This is largely due to the fact that people simply cannot access resources that are vigorously coveted and widely controlled by wealthy elites.

2 (2) The B laan are a case in point. Once living on the fertile plains of southern Mindanao they were forced into the mountains by newcomers from the north as plantation agriculture developed. Then the timber-getters arrived and the B laan were pushed even further into the hills. Now living in what is basically inaccessible land that is either too difficult to farm or to log, the B laan have taken sanctuary in the rainforests of Mindanao as they continue to live a very traditional life. But then the mining interests arrived. Identifying rich deposits of gold and copper ore on B laan land, negotiations began. The B laan were required to yield yet again as this rich mineral resource was to be exploited. Churches in the area came to the B laan s assistance as concerns were expressed and conversations took place with the purpose of protecting the rights of these vulnerable people. B laan communities, while living on what they considered to be ancestral land, have no formal legal entitlement to their land. They are a very traditional people practicing an ancient slash-and-burn agriculture in the shadow of one of the most sophisticated and well resourced corporations in the world. The whole scenario smacked of injustice. It just wasn t fair! Today, Matthew Gospel presents us with a parable that raises the whole question of what is fair and what is just. Here Jesus really touches a nerve. A landowner hires laborers for the day to work in his vineyard. This is all well and good. The usual daily wage is paid as more laborers are put on later in the day. Then towards the end of the day a further group is hired. When evening comes the laborers are called in and each one is paid the same daily wage - those who started early, those who came later and those who came very late in the day all receive the same payment. As one might expect, there is a raucous as those who have worked all day protest over the latecomers who receive the same wage. Isn t it a case of a fair day s pay for a fair day s work - those who started work at 5.00pm are surely not entitled to same payment as those who labored all day!

3 (3) But you see, it s not a case of being fair. Jesus makes the point that what matters most is that each laborer receives a share of the bounty. What s really important here is that each laborer receives a wage that meet the needs of himself and his family. And in all this we see that God s justice is not a tit-for-tat thing that measures up one s particular contribution before payment is made. Neither is God s justice a reciprocal thing where work hours are recorded and rewards are issued quid-pro-quo. Moreover, God s justice is not contingent on people having to demonstrate or prove their worth. In this sense, God s justice actually doesn t make a lot of sense to those who advocate impartiality. God s justice actually seems rather odd to those who focus wholly on equality. Indeed, for many people, the kind of justice we witness here in Jesus parable concerning the laborers in the vineyard borders on the scandalous. One could even suggest the parable is subversive in the way resources are finally distributed! So, what are we to make of all of this? What is Jesus really saying in this extraordinary parable?

4 (4) As I reflect on this question I cannot comprehend this story without reference to God s grace. For, like everything God does, God s justice is informed, God s justice is shaped and God s justice is practiced in the context of an absolute love for all people - a love that is unconditional. And that is grace! Here, there are no calculations. Here, there is no measurement of worth. The laborers do not have to clock-on or clock-off. They don t have to prove themselves. The landowner simply ensures resources are shared and the bounty is distributed. It s a no strings attached wildly generous approach! Now, this has real implications if we are to take Jesus seriously. For the operative thing here is not justice based on simply being fair. Rather, the critical thing here is this - justice is grounded in grace. In other words, the kind of justice God calls us to bear witness to is a justice that has no limits. It s a justice that can t be calculated. It s a justice that can t be measured or quantified. It s a justice that is immeasurably generous to the point of being lavish and incredibly extravagant! Now, I don t know about you, but this is a rather challenging call. For, to take on board such an understanding of justice requires us to be like that landowner. Think about it! Last Wednesday President Donald Trump addressed the US Congress. On this occasion the President called for a merit-based immigration system meaning, in his words, people seeking to enter a country should be able to support themselves financially. A merit-based system demands things from the recipient. In other words, people have to prove themselves or at least meet some kind of criteria before they can be received. Such a system effectively marginalizes, disenfranchises and deprives those who have little or nothing. This includes many people who are on the move around the world today, who because of war and persecution, have been displaced or forced out their homelands.

(5) Many of the world s displaced people those caught up in refugee camps and those seeking asylum - have little or no so-called merit. Does that mean they are to be stripped of justice?

5 (5) Many of the world s displaced people those caught up in refugee camps and those seeking asylum - have little or no so-called merit. Does that mean they are to be stripped of justice? Friends, if we listen to Jesus carefully we will see that God s justice has nothing to do with a merit-based system. Rather, God s justice is, in the eyes of the world, overwhelmingly (and even perhaps recklessly) generous. God s justice is, in terms of the power-brokers and the political elite, frighteningly lavish, bountiful and unabashedly free. God s justice is, for all of us, grounded in a radical love - one-for-the-other - that is purely and simply unconditional! As we gather today on this World Day of Prayer I am encouraged by our focus beyond. I am heartened by our concern for people and for nations across the world and specifically, today, I am delighted we are concentrating on the Philippines. For, God s justice declares we are all one family gathered together under the Lordship of Christ. God s justice affirms we are all part of a rich, treasured tapestry that is humanity - humanity that is created out of love and humanity that is made carefully and beautifully in the image of the God who gifts us all with grace. May we, as God s people - united as one here today listen to the voice of Jesus. May we as God s servants, seriously consider the challenges Jesus puts before us. And may we, as disciples Christ, embody God s radical, generous, noholds-barred justice in all that we do. Amen. John Barr

The Context of NCCP s Ministry The Philippines is a third world country rich in diverse natural resources. Majority of the people are poor while only

The Context of NCCP s Ministry The Philippines is a third world country rich in diverse natural resources. Majority of the people are poor while only NCC Philippines and Ecumenism Melinda Grace Aoanan 1 The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) is an ecumenical fellowship of 10 mainline Protestant churches and 9 church-related organizations.