The Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 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.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Collect for September 24,2023 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.
The wilderness in the Exodus passage, Exodus 16:2-15, provides a perfect setting for God to be exactly what the people need with all the turmoil and the memories of the covid still fresh in their minds and the fear of another wave occurring. People complained against the guidelines set by our leaders. “Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.” Sound familiar, God tested us if to see if we are able to follow directions. He also provided us safety if we listen to Him. Remember he has given us the necessary tools to survive.
Now this leads right into the Matthew passage that God is providing to those who need help by giving them an opportunity to work to get enough wages to provide food for those dependent upon them. So, what can work and wages, welfare and the unemployed tell us about the kingdom of God? The gospel reminds us, the Kingdom of God doesn’t work in such a way that the first believers or followers of Christ will be more gratified, but all will receive the same grace from God. We have a generous God. He is equal to all despite all the circumstances or differences of the persons just like in the parable story. People thought they were discriminated against and judged not equally. God works in mysterious ways. We tend to compare ourselves with the people around us, but that kind of thinking should be eradicated for we should be grateful for the success of others. I pray that all people in the world should uplift one another instead of bringing each other down; just so we can value more from it. Now some who were first and got paid last were disappointed, thinking they worked the longest and compared to the last they should have gotten a bonus. Perhaps they all needed to stop and be still for a moment and recognize God as the source of all blessings received. We also need to stop and think about the blessings coming when we need them as it did for the workers in the vineyard. Most of us have been gifted with abundant blessings. Today may we give thanks for the gifts and graces that we have received and let us thank God for the many gifts we have been given! May we let go of judgment, envy, and jealousy. If we choose to do this, we will be happier and more peaceful. This parable unveils a truth that we need to hear. That truth is this: God calls us to give ourselves unreservedly to God’s service and to trust God for our reward. God is certain to be more generous than we deserve and probably more generous than we could even imagine. Many seem to live a life without Christ, without faith, without prayer and especially without hope. And in their last day’s they find Christ on their deathbed, so even though they are among the last God forgives their sins and welcomes them into the life of Christ. As we can see God sees everyone as equal, even the latecomers to the faith. Remember Jesus told the criminal on the cross telling him: “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” As we look at the parable of the vineyard, we can understand what Jesus was telling His disciples. That even if you come late in life to follow Jesus you will be welcomed. The Apostle Paul, originally, persecuted some of the early disciples of Jesus, came to be a disciple of Jesus later in his life. Paul is generally considered one of the more important figures of the time.
Let us pray: Faithful God, at the start of this new week, help us to be an example to others and show us the practical steps we need to take to develop consistency and integrity in all that we do in our lives. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen
Reflections by Bob 