By Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:8-,16 NIV,
Parables are never as simple as they appear on the surface. They always carry a deeper meaning which is beyond applicable to daily living. On first hearing this parable we sense an injustice committed. Our picture of God is influenced to some extent by our ordinary way of looking at things and that is why, as we listen to this gospel we are tempted to react and share the grumble of the workers who have labored since early morning. This parable is about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a landowner who seeks workers at harvest time. Even today, this parable offends those who are sensitive to equity among workers and those who believe we earn what we get. “Life is not fair” is a phrase we often hear, but most of us want to make life as fair as possible. In the kingdom of heaven, however, God is in charge of justice and gives what we need, not always what we think we deserve.
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The general idea of the parable is that everyone comes to the vineyard (faith) at different points in their lives. Some people are lifelong disciples of Jesus, and some people convert only toward the end of their lives. In the kingdom of God, both groups are treated the same. Through this parable, Jesus demonstrates how all who enter the covenant path and endure to the end in following Him will be blessed with exaltation and eternal life as the Lord has agreed. This story is not dealing with equal rights for all, or an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Its main thrust is to show the generosity of God in throwing the doors of the kingdom of heaven to Gentiles and sinners on equal footing with the Jews.
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The Parable of the Vineyard reveals our tendency toward envy, discontent, and comparison.
We see it in the workers hired at the first hour of the day. Their expectation of more compensation grew when they saw that the last-minute hired workers received a day’s wage for an hour of work. We can hear it when they grumble about equality as they remind the landowner of the burden they bore. It’s easy to compare our sufferings with anther’s lack of suffering. Or we grow envious because someone else’s prayers are answered, and we’re left wondering if God even cares. In our advertisement-driven society, gadgets and gizmos parade before us promising to fulfill our wants and desires, yet leave us wanting more, more, and more. We can counter this tendency by remembering that God’s ways are not our own. His thoughts are higher than ours and his infiniteness we cannot fathom with our finite minds. It’s in these moments where we can repent of our selfish thoughts. When it comes time to receive the wage of eternal life, we can rejoice that God’s kindness surrounds those who have served him for decades and those who have served him for one year. Both receive the gift of eternal life.
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The begrudging and selfish attitude toward the salvation of sinners is found among people who would regard themselves as devout Christians, yet make comments about eleventh hour and deathbed conversions which are anything but charitable. These people cannot accept that after struggling all their lives in the service of God, giving time to prayer, Mass and other sacraments they end up no better off than those who don’t bother with religion out turn to to God at the last moment. A theologian observes that apart from the fact that nobody can judge how any person stands before God, such an attitude betrays a complete lack of understanding of the Christian mission on earth, which is to bring salvation to all people. Entry into heaven sooner or later, regardless of the date and time, makes no difference because it is given to all who do the will of God the Father. All should not express displeasure when God’s favor is shown to others.
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This gospel fills us with an inspiring image of a generous, gracious and forgiving God whose love for us has no bounds and whose mercy extends both to those who have labored all their lives in his service and to those who have broken faith but turn to him in their dying hour. Before the Almighty we all stand like beggars and can never boast that we have earned our salvation. Everything we have is a free gift of his love and mercy. We cannot explain his generosity, but one thing is certain – God’s ways are not our ways.
Jesus stresses the importance that the first will be last and the last will be first. Does this mean we should wait till the last moments of our life to serve God? Absolutely not. It does mean that we should seek to serve him with our whole heart every day of our lives and to be in relationship with him.
As we walk with the Lord and spend time in his vineyard, we mature in him, we reveal his glory, and we learn to be faithful when the days get long and the burdens get heavy. We do this by keeping our eyes fixed on the prize—eternity with him. As workers in the vineyard, we can choose faithfulness to the task at hand, whether we’re in the workplace, marketplace, or in our home life. We can fix our minds on him and do our work through the strength he gives us—his strength in us. We can love him with all our heart, mind, and strength and trust him for whatever he has for us at the end of the day.
Let us pray.
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 20 Collect, BCP)**
