Today’s Gospel Text: "For
the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning
to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the
laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the
third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, 'You
go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5 Going out again about the
sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And
about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to
them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They
said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the
vineyard too.' 8 And when evening came, the
owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them
their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those hired about
the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came,
they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a
denarius. 11 And on receiving it they
grumbled at the householder, 12 saying, 'These last worked
only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of
the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of
them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a
denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you,
and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do
what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' 16 So the last will be first,
and the first last." Matt
20:1-16
Reflection: One
of the powerful and joyful message that this parable communicates is this; the
householder does not just hire laborers to satisfy his personal need.
The
householder goes each hour to search for the idle laborer who is looking out
for a job, making himself available for hire and the householder hires these
very laborers in his vineyard.
The
important criterion is availability towards hire by being available in the
market place.
As
for the householder, his criterion seems compassion and love for the laborer
who looks out for a hirer for his daily bread. The householder has abundance to
give but he can’t give it to all, though available to all.
He
can only give those who are willing to be hired. At the same time at the end of
the day, the quality of the work, or the quantity does not matter to him, but the
sincerity to be hired and willingness to labor is important to the householder.
The
householder is the image of a God who cares and comes in search for individuals
who are willing to labor in his vineyard by waiting at the market place.
Since
the abundance of the householder exists, whatever the laborer receives is a
free gift, irrespective of his labor.
Christ
Jesus, has earned the abundance of the wealth to be bestowed on his beloved laborers
who are willing to labor in order to receive a reward, which is purely gratis.
As
for us it is enough to know and cling to the generosity of God to offer us from
his abundance a share in his kingdom and not to envy or be jealousy about other
laborers.
Finally,
the laborer who waits at the market place is the one who waits in the market
place of the mind in prayer, willing to be hired by his master. The Lord will come and
will not disappoint such a one.
Prayer: Lord,
as I seek you each day in prayer, I shall not loose hope now, because you will
come to me to comfort and hire me as your servant and laborer.
DD = Dedicated
Discipleship: Come grow
in the Lord with us
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