Cycle A - Year I:  

24 September 2023: Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Isaiah 55:6-9

Second Reading:   Philippians 1:20-24, 27

Gospel:  Please read  Matthew 20:1-16 

Understanding God's boundless love!

Can we ever understand God's boundless love, especially towards sinners?  It is a big challenge. For the Lord says: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways." (Is 55:8) That is why our Lord Jesus Christ uses parables to help us understand the mystery of God.

The Gospel for this Sunday tells of a parable that may have relevance to the work place. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard has often puzzled many of us. Perhaps it is because what the landowner did in this story goes against what most of us would have done under similar circumstances in our present time.

A brief situational background: In Jesus' time laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table.

Also, today's Gospel presents a parable that is found only in Matthew's Gospel. It is not in other Gospels. Jesus is telling us a story about daily elements, daily things of the life of the people. He presents a picture of the social situation of His time, in which the listeners recognize themselves. So it was an effective way of catching their attention to what Jesus wanted to say.

The gist of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard: Though each started to work in the vineyard at a different hour, at the end of the day they all received the same pay. So the workers who worked longer hours were upset that those who worked only one hour received the same pay they did.

But Jesus is teaching us about God, and it isn't about fair and just business practices. Rather, Jesus uses this parable to help us better understand God's generous love, and that His justice is far, far different from our human standards. It is so different, in fact, that we are baffled by it, because we have difficulty understanding God's infinite love and generosity.  On the other hand, our inability to understand the full depth and breath of God's love is also an opportunity for FAITH, that is to say, our faith grows deeper and stronger because we cannot fully understand God.

So, this parable is telling us about our faith. It tells us that everyone comes to the vineyard at different point in our lives. Some people are lifelong disciples of Jesus, and some convert only toward the end of their lives. But in God's kingdom, both groups are welcome and treated with the same love and mercy. Now, by human standards, we perhaps might view this as "unjust". Yet, Jesus points out by this parable that the reward for this long hours of work (which is the kingdom of Heaven) is really fair. Because the only reason the others receive the same rewards, as in this parable, is because of the generosity of the vineyard owner (who is God). It is His (God's) to do as He pleases. And so long as we have not been treated unfairly (remember that all the workers in the parable receive the wages agreed upon), then we cannot complain that God is generous to others.

And yet, it is not surprising if we have some difficulty to understand what Jesus is trying to preach. Even during His time the people were shocked to hear of radical ideas in our Lord's teachings. Many had trouble accepting and comprehending this parable of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. Perhaps, Jesus really intended to shock His listeners so they think much deeper. What Jesus may be proposing to His listeners, then and now, is that God's love and generosity is the very foundation of the kingdom of God. In other words, God is generous in opening the door to His kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a lifetime and those who come at the last hour. But while the reward may be the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for rewards. They will only put as much effort as they expect they will get back in return. Others work out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and serve others. So what is our motive for working in the Lord's vineyard?

Our Lord Jesus calls His disciples to serve God and neighbors, both in our earthly environment and in His heavenly kingdom, with generosity and joy. We are the late comers in the Lord's vineyard. We are those who were asked to work at the end of day. We, therefore, must be overwhelmingly grateful of God's generosity and share the same generous love with others.

God's love and generosity is boundless to every person without exception if they open themselves  to His love and mercy. It does not matter whether that happens early or late in life as this love can never be earned by us, only accepted with joy and gratefulness.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!