Pentecost 16 A: Not About Deserving

Matthew 20:1-16 Dear Partner in Preaching, In reading this parable this week, I was reminded of the 1992 Academy Award-winning film Unforgiven, where Clint Eastwood plays a gun-slinging loner who rides into a Western town to settle some scores. Those of you familiar with Eastwood’s trademark westerns won’t be surprised that the film ends up in a violent confrontation, this time between his character and a wayward sheriff played by Gene Hackman. At the climax of the film, when Eastwood has bested the sheriff, Hackman’s character complains that he doesn’t deserve this. Yeah, maybe he’s a bit crooked, but for the most part...