I do not know anyone who likes today's parable of the laborers in the vineyard. This is probably because it comes a bit too close to the truth. The truth which underlies today's parable is that life is unfair. There is no general principle that can be applied to insure that each person receives what they deserve. Some people, like those who were hired last in the parable, receive much more than they deserve. Other people receive much less.
We see this in all areas of life. In a work situation it is easy to look at someone who has the higher position than you do and say, “It's unfair. She is no smarter than I am. My work is a good as hers. So, why does she get the bigger office and the higher salary?” The same perspective applies in relationships. We can say, “It's not fair. I love my friends as much as he does, perhaps even more. Then why is it that they choose to be with him and accept me only in second place?” It applies in families. We can say, “I love my children as much as those people love their children. I spend as much time with my children as they do. Then why is it that their children are brighter, better behaved, make friends easier, make wise decisions over foolish ones?”
Life is unfair. All of us know of stories about families that have never been able to recover after reading their parents' will. Either they all received the same when some children expected to receive more, or some children received more when others thought they should receive the same.
Life does not always fall into categories that we think are just. We perceive such injustice immediately. It is the first thing we notice. Just listen to the workers who were hired first in today's parable. They say to the landowner, “These last have worked only one hour and yet you have chosen to make them equal to us who have borne the work of the day and the scorching heat.” These workers immediately recognize the unfairness of the situation.
But today's parable is not about what the worker see but what they do not see. What they do not see is the generosity of the landowner. More specifically, they do not see the generosity of the landowner to them. They recognize that the landowner has chosen to be generous to those who were hired last, and they resent it.
We see this in all areas of life. In a work situation it is easy to look at someone who has the higher position than you do and say, “It's unfair. She is no smarter than I am. My work is a good as hers. So, why does she get the bigger office and the higher salary?” The same perspective applies in relationships. We can say, “It's not fair. I love my friends as much as he does, perhaps even more. Then why is it that they choose to be with him and accept me only in second place?” It applies in families. We can say, “I love my children as much as those people love their children. I spend as much time with my children as they do. Then why is it that their children are brighter, better behaved, make friends easier, make wise decisions over foolish ones?”
Life is unfair. All of us know of stories about families that have never been able to recover after reading their parents' will. Either they all received the same when some children expected to receive more, or some children received more when others thought they should receive the same.
Life does not always fall into categories that we think are just. We perceive such injustice immediately. It is the first thing we notice. Just listen to the workers who were hired first in today's parable. They say to the landowner, “These last have worked only one hour and yet you have chosen to make them equal to us who have borne the work of the day and the scorching heat.” These workers immediately recognize the unfairness of the situation.
But today's parable is not about what the worker see but what they do not see. What they do not see is the generosity of the landowner. More specifically, they do not see the generosity of the landowner to them. They recognize that the landowner has chosen to be generous to those who were hired last, and they resent it.
This is a parable and it is not so much about us and what we deserve, as it is about God! It’s about the reign of God and that means the accounting system is like nothing we have every experienced in our hard-working lives. This parable and others, is about a big and welcoming God, who doesn’t make us feel like 2nd class or inferior servants. We have heard enough parables to draw a conclusion about God: our God takes outsiders and makes them insiders; our God doesn’t treat us according to our standards, but according to God’s. And the measuring rod God uses is spelled out in today’s parable – Generosity.
Each of us needs forgiveness and it is generously given us; whether we thought we deserved it or not. Some of us need, at this point in our lives, courage, perseverance or relief. We feel in need, but may conclude we don’t deserve a lot from God. But, as we hear today, the One in charge wants to be generous, beyond what we think we should receive. We may not feel we have done enough for God to earn a favorable hearing; that we don’t deserve God’s attention. That’s what we might say, but God says, "Nonsense, come right in, you are welcome. I am feeling generous!"
For this is not all about remuneration. This is not all about what one has to be rightfully receiving or meriting on account of one’s work. This is not all about the ways of this world that goes by definite standards of calculation and quantification and rightful compensation. If it were so, I would say, the workers who just came in – the Johnny-come-latelies who pitched in almost nothing to the enterprise of the landowner deserved nothing in return for their little work.
But this parable is not about all of the above. This parable has something otherworldly. For it has to do not with compensation per se. It is not an employee manual or a how-to-remunerate-your-worker manual kind of thing. It is not about paying work here. It is about DOING SOME WORK FOR GOD. In other words, this parable has to do not with us getting what we deserve from God, but about getting much, much more than we really deserve.
This is not remuneration. This is generosity that comes from the nature of a God who makes His sun shine on the good and bad alike. This is the largesse of a God whose standards do not fit in the ordinary earthly mould of hours and weeks and months and years of service which are then to be given corresponding equivalents. This is the management style of a God whose priority is not our capability, our talent, and our efficiency – nor our productivity. This is the all-inclusive nature of a God who does not discriminate for any reason. All He looks for is willingness, availability, and readiness to do His will – yes, including accepting outcasts – those who would generally not be accepted and those who would most likely be ignored. This brings us back to the Gospel of the 20th Sunday which spoke of the Canaanite woman. Although a Gentile, an outcast – a foreigner – she received healing from the Lord who saw through her great faith and tenacity in prayer.
We are back to the nature of God as one who loves unconditionally, one who welcomes with no ifs and buts, with no prior requirements.
If God judged us by the standards we set for others – we would all be in trouble. None of us would have a chance. The truth is that we all have been in the position of the laborers who were hired last but got as much pay as everybody else.
The truth is we all continue to depend on God’s gracious love for our salvation.There’s a story of a man who lived a wild life – until he gave his life to God. He finally attended Seminary – and upon graduation was ready to begin his ministry. He went to visit the county jail and talked about God’s love for sinners and how – in his ministry – he wanted to share God’s love with all people. Finally – someone asked him if he thought everyone would be saved. He replied: “I don’t know if God will save everyone. But I do know he saved me when everybody else had given up on me – and if he could do that, he could save just about anybody.”
This is actually a very strong message from God today. Perhaps we are those by-standers or people out there who feel that they have been away from church for so long and feel unworthy to even say that they are Catholics or believers. Perhaps you are stuck with your sinfulness or got stuck with affairs in the family, business or community events that you have forgotten the affairs of God. Go back to the parable. You may be one of those being called. Others may been called earlier and your time is now. Don’t think about timing, just go. god has called you now, at this time, at this hour. Perhaps you are in the last batch. But who cares. God is calling you. Always think about this; Salvation is an art of starting over again and again and again. What God counts is not how many times you stumbled down but how many times you stood up on your feet and started over again.
Yea – I thank God that God is God – and we are not. God has freely forgiven us.It’s not up to us to judge who else God will love – or forgive – or show His grace and mercy to – He’s God. That’s His job. Our job is to follow Him and show His love – His compassion – His grace – His mercy – to the world – to all people.No – it may not be that way we would do it if we were God. That’s why I thank God that God is God – and we are not.
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