First reading: Is. 55:6–9
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the LORD for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.
Second reading: Phil. 1:20–24,27a
Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Gospel: Mt. 20:1–16a
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
In other words
Fr. Bernard Espiritu, SVD (New Zealand)
The prophet Isaiah points out to the truth that God’s thoughts and ways are not ours. Jesus in the Gospel invites us to another truth—He invites us to participate in God’s thoughts and ways, becoming workers, His missionary disciples, to build God’s Kingdom. God calls us to labor in the divine vineyard.
One person can be passionately dedicated to one’s work. A scientist who researches a cure for cancer works hard and is content with current accomplishments, though completing one’s work may still be far off. One’s work is the recompense. A faithful missionary disciple of Jesus who believes that one shares in the work for the Kingdom is, likewise, already compensated.
In today’s Gospel story, the workers who were first hired focused only on wages. But the story also calls us to focus on the participation in the work of the owner and on the mind and thoughts of the owner. The conditions set in the Gospel story are: (1) The vineyard is vast and enormous. (2) The owner wants to bring to completion the demands of the vineyard. (3) The owner gets more workers. (4) The challenge to understand the generosity of the owner. (5) The working together of people invited to work at different times to accomplish the project demanded by the vineyard.
With these in mind, we also need to understand that the promise of a day’s wage to those called first is essential for one family to live dignifiedly for a day. Less amount would be inhumane. The owner’s generosity to those who were called last also aims to give that condition for one to live dignifiedly as a human person.
This may be better understood when one recalls another Gospel dictum, “The Father makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike and gives rain to those who do good” (Mt 5:45). God’s thoughts and actions demonstrate God’s care for people to have conditions that promote the dignity of the human person.
The Gospel invites the faithful to adopt the mind and ways of God as Jesus did. For example, helping those who are blind to their own goodness see how they affect others in many varied ways, lightening the burden of others by offering a lending hand, or pointing out the narrowness in one’s vision and rather acquiring the vision of Jesus. There is a wealth of God’s wisdom in our Gospel episode this Sunday if one keeps an open, creative mind while remaining faithful to his grace-filled inspirations and working together (synodality).