I’m sure many of you know the feeling of sweating over a hot stove for an hour to create a dish that a small, picky eater will push away, lips curled with disgust.

I’ve always thought the Parable of the Tenants could be a storyline on one of those “world’s dumbest criminals” shows. It’s easy to dismiss the tenants as paranoid.

I wonder what was so important. The man gave both his sons the same order: go out and work in the vineyard today. One son said yes, and yet one son refused.

Sometimes, the Gospel takes everything you think you know about Jesus, throws it in a box, dumps it on the floor, looks you in the eye and says: “Clean it up.”

I had called the hospital system’s financial services department to set up a payment plan on a balance I owed after having some unexpected scans and tests.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives instructions for ministering to those persisting in error. Here’s the CliffsNotes version: “treat him like a tax collector.”

Carry the cross? Absolutely. I’m happy to! Hand it over. Here’s the thing: I just might … set it down for a second, from time to time. That’s okay, right? What?

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus entrust Peter and his heirs with the stewardship of the kingdom here on earth, creating an unbroken line of authority.