IS GOD UNJUST?
Is God unjust? For many of us, life seems unfair or unjust. Covertly, we can even blame God for being unjust with us. I used to think the same way. Until recently when I see things differently. Life is not unfair or unjust, neither is God unjust or unfair with me or with you. I am uniquely blessed by God in a single and particular way from every human being on earth. The same way you are too.
Often, we quarrel un-contentedly with God when we live our lives with a sense of comparing or competing with others. So our hearts or eyes see God´s generosity to others with evil, envious or jealous intent. Forgetting how blessed we are too different from others.
VIRTUE OF GRATITUDE AND VICE OF INGRATITUDE
In actual sense, I am or you are the one who is unfair and ungrateful for life´s blessings and God´s infinite generosity to me or you. Every privilege, every opportunity, and every given moment of my life and yours is an unmerited blessing many others would love they had. If you see life from this point of view then you cannot but have a grateful heart and contentment spirit towards God, others and life in general.
OUR THEMES
The readings for this Sunday focus on this important and crucial point of our collaborative ministry with God in different capacities in God´s vineyard. One deadly and divisive element in Christianity today is envy and jealous. This is not only among Christians but among pastors, priests and pastoral agents in community or church. Sadly, we don’t envy or compete among each other for winning souls to God´s vineyard. No. We are envious each other for fame, power, authority, control, or material possessions. What a shame!
FIRST READING: Isaiah 55:6-9
Prophet Isaiah invites the wayward nation of Israel to repentance through humility and prayer. Especially from his adulterous ways for comparing herself enviously or jealously with other nations. That always leads to her unfaithfulness to God.
He makes them understand that God´s ways and thoughts are like theirs. Hence, his manner of doing things appear to be unjust to them. The same can be our fate when we live our lives through the eyes of comparing or competing with others. There are many ungodly Christian minds or attitudes in the Christian community today. On the issues of spiritual gifts, human capabilities and blessings that make Christians or pastors see each other as rivals instead of complimentary blessings in God´s vineyard.
Psalm 144 reminds us of God´s closeness to the humble and grateful hearts.
SECOND READING: PHILIPPIANS 1:20-24, 27
St. Paul writing to his most beloved Christian community of Philippi remind them of the essentials of life in Christ. For him, living is Christ and dying is gain in Christ too. However, while living we must witness in boldness. We must live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. A Christian life of firmness, striving and faithfulness to the gospel spirit.
THE GOSPEL: MATTHEW 20:1-16
Matthew who was a tax collector presents us another parable of Jesus with monetary value. The gospel text of today, on the parable of the workers in God´s vineyard, is one of the most important of Jesus’ parables. It is meant to teach us of gratitude and contended spirit with other co-workers in God´s vineyard. It challenges us not to live envious or jealous lives with others. As well as not to live in comparison or competition with others. We should also be happy for God´s blessings, spiritual gifts and endowments on others. Above all, we should not begrudge or whine about God´s generosity on others.
WORKERS IN THE VINEYARDS
The most important message of the gospel is that there two kinds of workers in the Lord´s vineyard. Those who work for money, fame, power and other interests in the Church. And those who are disposed to work without any calculated gain. They are satisfied with the just, fair and assured rewards from God´s generosity.
The first of set workers fall within the category of those who work for gain. They had to strike a bargain before working. No wonder they begrudge the generosity of their employer. While the rest of the workers went to work not on bargain wage but with willingness and gladness. Hence, they received surprise blessings from God.
MONEY THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
Today if there are bitterness, disgruntlement, envy, jealousy, fighting, or scrambling among Christians and pastors, it all bore down to money, power and material possessions. Sadly, these have led to deep-seated insincerity, corruptions, fraudulent, or lack of transparency in the management of church money or resources by many pastors. It has also led to a lot of in-fighting with bitterness, deformation and backbiting among so-called men of God. If money is the determinant factor of all you do for God or humanity, then you the most unfortunate soul in God´s vineyard. You will always be miserable, insecure and insatiable.
When our service to God and fellow human beings are motivated by our monetary gain we are hired-men not pastors of souls. We are no different from politicians and corporate entities which are profit-driven.
LESSONS OF THE GOSPEL OF TODAY
- The labourers were not lazy or idle men but simple, ready and eager men to earn their daily bread.
- It is in one sense a warning to the disciples. It is as if Jesus said to them, you have the privilege to work in God´s vineyard. Later, others will come after you, do not claim any special honour or special place because you were a disciple before them. With God, it does not matter when one begins work for the kingdom.
- Many Christians or pastors think they have been in the Church for long and as such, they must dictate how things should be in the Church. They despise or resent the newest comers into the church. Especially, when they come with different plans or ways of doing things. That challenge their relevance changes and their clinging fist to outdated methods of doing things.
IT IS NOT HOW LONG BUT HOW WELL
- Seniority in the Church is not a yardstick of honour or special privilege. All workers both old and new are precious to God and fit in perfectly into God´s divine plan.
- It is also a warning to the Jewish people. The chosen people of God´s salvation who hold on to this special privilege. While looking down on the Gentiles as inferiors and despised them. In the economy of salvation, there are no superior race or nation.
- No matter when a person enters the Kingdom, late or soon, in the first flush of youth, in the strength of the midday, or when the shadows are lengthening, he or she is equally dear to God.
THE GOD OF EMPATHY TO UNEMPLOYMENT
- The infinite compassion of God is display in an empathetic tenderness that is not calculative on work and just wage. But that sees far beyond the desperation, miseries, pains and tragedies of talented men wallowing in idleness and poverty. Men who will have to return to a worried wife and hungry children.
- The generosity of God, all God gives is of grace. How is God unjust to us amidst many blessings. We do not deserve or can we earn what God gives. What God gives us is given out of the goodness of his heart. Indeed, what God gives is not pay, but a gift; not a reward, but a grace.
- Working for God´s disposable blessing is far enriching than a selfish calculative interest in gain, money or material possessions.
DIGNITY OF LABOUR AND LIVING WAGE
- The two most undeniable truths in the parable today are the right of every man to work and the right of every man to a living wage for his work.
- The social justice of the parable is clear, sometimes just wages are not enough. For many workers in the Church, a rationalized or excusable wage when the priests live affluence is completely evil. It is also against the generosity of God to a living wage and not just wage in the gospel of today
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you invite us to receive freely and give freely. As well as to trust in the fact, that a labourer always deserves his or her wage. May our Christian services, priestly and missionary endeavours never be profit-orientated for personal gains. But a pure act of self-giving and a gracious spirit and appreciative heart for your blessings and grace the midst of abundance or even scarcity. Amen
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