The chief priests and elders come to Jesus as he is teaching and question his authority – “By what authority are you doing these things . . ?” Instead of answering directly, Jesus asks them a similar question about John the Baptist. Feeling a trap any way they might have answered, the officials decline to answer. Sometimes, declining to answer is an answer in itself. By whose authority do we minister?

This may be among the most difficult of Jesus’ parables for us to accept because in our minds those who do more work should receive more pay. It’s only fair. That the laborers who have worked all day complain about compensation is not at all surprising to us. But Jesus frequently seeks to shock his listeners to a new way of thinking. What does this new idea of “fairness” say about our own relationship to God?

This parable seems straightforward, but what is puzzling is why the slave, whose immense debt was forgiven by the king, did not, in turn, forgive the debt of another slave. It is a truly loving God who forgives each of us and fully anticipates that we, too, will forgive everyone else.

At one point in this familiar burning bush account of his call, Moses asks God for more information, specifically for God’s name. God’s response is something rabbis and scholars have struggled with through the centuries. Truly, the “name” God gives is beyond human comprehension. It indicates that Moses doesn’t need to know the details, but simply to follow God’s call.

We all have experience with family, and we remember times when things were difficult. But in the end, we know how crucial family is for us. Paul’s message to the church at Rome is about that – there will be different perspectives and opinions, but they must remember that they are family. It is what we are called to be as a church, and as people of God, and as God’s creation. We are family.

In many ways the situation in this ancient and familiar narrative has repeated itself time and time again through history: A ruler fears “those people” and promotes that fear among his own, then oppresses “those people.” In this case, though, it is clear that God favors the oppressed and overcomes all odds through the unlikeliest of agents. God finds a way when there is no way.

Joseph's brothers hated him enough to want to kill him and ended up selling him into slavery. He had every reason to be bitter and to hate them in return. But in the end, after agonizing through weeping and wailing, he forgave them. It couldn't have been easy, but it is an example of what we, too, are called to do when faced with hate from our brothers and sisters.

When Peter gets out of the boat to walk on the water toward Jesus, it's risky business. His faith fails, and he begins to sink, finally rescued by Jesus. We are called to move outside our comfort zones, and that is risky business. Sometimes when we do venture out, our lack of faith makes us falter. But Jesus is there to hold out a hand and steady us. Can we take that next step?

From the womb, Jacob was a grabber, a grappler, a wrestler, and in today's reading Jacob wrestles with God. What does that tell us about our own relationship with God? How does God respond when we have doubts and anger?

Hearing another of the very familiar parables in Matthew 13, we remember how the tiny mustard seed is said to grow into a . . . shrub? Really, a shrub? How unimpressive is that?! What does that mean?