Twenty Pieces of Silver: How Cheaply We Trade Our Conscience Today
First Reading: Genesis 37:3-4,12-13,17-28
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 104(105):16-21
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43,45-46
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In our everyday Nigerian experience, we are often confronted with situations where people compromise what they know is right in exchange for temporary gain. A student pays to pass an exam, knowing it is wrong. A civil servant inflates figures to syphon public funds. A market woman lies about the quality of her goods to make quick sales. A young man joins internet fraud, popularly called “Yahoo Yahoo,” because he cannot wait for a slow but honest hustle. A father accepts a bribe that will cost lives, and a politician manipulates election results for personal gain. In each case, something deep within us whispers against the act, but we silence that voice for the sake of convenience, money, influence, or approval. This is the reality behind today’s reflection: “Twenty Pieces of Silver: How Cheaply We Trade Our Conscience Today.” It is not just about ancient betrayal; it is about modern-day decisions where we abandon integrity for something far less valuable. Our conscience, that sacred space where God speaks, is often exchanged for fleeting benefit. The value of silver in biblical times was symbolic of commercial transactions, but the tragedy is in the “cheapness” of what is exchanged – betrayal of trust, dignity, and sometimes God Himself.
The first reading from Genesis 37 presents the heartbreaking story of Joseph, a young man with dreams given by God, betrayed by his own brothers. The “sitz im leben” (life setting) of this text reflects a family driven by envy, favouritism, and selfishness. The brothers conspired to kill him but later opted to sell him to Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. The root word for silver in Hebrew is kesef, which also means “desire” or “longing.” Ironically, their desire was not only for the money but also to rid themselves of someone who reminded them of their own insecurity and lack of favour. This betrayal was not merely a transaction; it was the death of brotherhood, the suppression of conscience. The same brothers would later suffer the burden of guilt and divine irony when they unknowingly stood before Joseph in Egypt, now elevated by the very God they tried to silence. The lesson here is sobering: what we sell cheaply today may cost us dearly tomorrow.
The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 105) reflects on this same story from the vantage point of divine providence. It acknowledges that while Joseph was sold, it was ultimately God sending him ahead for a greater purpose. Yet it does not absolve the sin of his brothers. The psalm reveals how God works through human failure but also reminds us that divine purposes do not justify human wrongdoing. The betrayal still remains a moral failure, even if God repurposes it for good.
The gospel reading from Matthew 21:33–46 brings the theme into sharper focus. Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants who were entrusted with a vineyard but became greedy, abusive, and ultimately murderous. When the landowner sent servants and finally his son, they killed them all to seize what was not theirs. The “sitz im leben” of this gospel lies in Jesus addressing the religious leaders of His day who, like the brothers of Joseph, were envious of His spiritual authority and sought to eliminate Him. The Greek word for “price” or “worth” in similar contexts is timē (τιμή), often contrasted with betrayal (prodidōmi) – to hand over for a price. Here, too, the Son is handed over – not for lack of evidence or love, but because greed, jealousy, and a hardened conscience had taken over. Like Joseph, Jesus is sold and rejected by His own, not by strangers. The vineyard is the kingdom of God, and the wicked tenants represent those who, through their spiritual authority, were meant to nurture it but instead exploited it. Jesus warns that the kingdom will be taken from such people and given to those who will bear good fruit. This is a direct challenge not just to the leaders of Jesus’ time, but to anyone today who has received God’s trust and squandered it for cheap gains.
There are many take-home lessons here. First, every betrayal, whether of a sibling, friend, Church, or nation, begins with a little compromise of conscience. It may not be as dramatic as selling someone into slavery or killing a prophet, but it often begins with envy, bitterness, greed, or silence when truth should be spoken. Secondly, God sees beyond the betrayal; He brings good even out of evil. However, this doesn’t justify the evil, nor does it remove the responsibility of those who chose wrong. A guilty conscience, once sold, doesn’t come back easily. Thirdly, we must examine ourselves – how often do we sell our faith, integrity, or loved ones for “twenty pieces of silver”? For students, it may be cheating; for workers, it may be taking bribes; for Church leaders, it may be manipulating spiritual authority or Scripture for personal gain. In a country battling corruption, poverty, and moral confusion, we must protect our conscience as sacred.
Dear friends in Christ, as we continue our Lenten journey, this theme invites us to repent of every “sale” we’ve made, no matter how small, and to return to that voice within that calls us to truth, justice, and love. For in choosing our conscience, we choose Christ – and that is a choice that no silver can buy.
O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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Have you prayed your rosary today?
Thanks Father for another exposition and call to repentance. We have sinned and fallen short of glory, Lord have mercy.