UNJUST GENEROSITY OF GOD?
It is not always easy to understand the unjust generosity of God because the ways of God in not yours. Why, He is so merciful and generous with his grace. A lavish giver without measure and skilful calculation.
For many of us, life seems unfair or unjust. Covertly, we can even blame God for being unjust to 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.
OUR THEME
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 jealousy. This is not only among Christians but among pastors, priests and pastoral agents in the community or church. Sadly, we don’t envy or compete with each other for winning souls to God´s vineyard. No. We are envious of 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 of 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 appears to be unjust to them.
God´s ways and thoughts are far different from ours because He loves unconditionally and gives generously without reservation or calculation of what He gets in return. Hence, Prophet Isaiah encourages the people of Israel in exile in Babylon to take advantage of his mercy and grace.
Psalm 144 reminds us of God´s closeness to humble and grateful hearts.
SECOND READING: PHILIPPIANS 1:20-24, 27
St. Paul’s writing to his most beloved Christian community of Philippi reminds 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 boldness. We must live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ. A Christian life of firmness, striving and faithfulness to the gospel spirit.
St. Paul, in the Second Reading, is caught in a dilemma. He too has difficulty in understanding God’s ways. He wants to be with Christ, but he also wishes to continue his work on earth. His measure is the Gospel and trusting in God’s will for him – whatever it may be.
THE GOSPEL: MATTHEW 20:1-16
Matthew who was a tax collector presents us with 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 gratitude and a 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 to others.
TWO TYPES OF WORKERS IN GOD’S VINEYARD
The most important message of the gospel is that there are 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 of God´s generosity.
The first of set workers falls 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 a bargain wage but with willingness and gladness. Hence, they received surprise blessings from God.
Obviously, today if there is bitterness, disgruntlement, envy, jealousy, fighting, or scrambling among Christians and pastors, it all boils down to money, power and material possessions. Sadly, these have led to deep-seated insincerity, corruption, fraud, or lack of transparency in the management of Church money or resources by many Christians and 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 are the most unfortunate soul in God´s vineyard. You will always be miserable, insecure and insatiable.
LESSONS OF THE GOSPEL OF TODAY
1. The labourers were not lazy or idle men but simple, ready and eager men to earn daily bread.
2. 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 to work for the kingdom.
3. There are many Christians or pastors who think they have been in the church for long. As such, they must dictate how things should be in the Church.
4. 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.
5. 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 despising them. In the economy of salvation, there are no superior races or nations.
6. 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.
7. The infinite compassion of God is displayed in an empathetic tenderness that is not calculative on work and just wage, but a living wage. God always sees through our desperations, 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.
8. The generosity of God, all God gives is of grace. We do not deserve or can we earn what God gives. What God gives us is passed out of the goodness of his heart. Indeed, what God gives is not pay, but a gift; not a reward, but grace.
9. Working for God´s disposable blessing is far more enriching than a selfish calculative interest in gain, money or material possessions.
10. 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.
11. The social justice of the parable is transparent, sometimes just wages are not enough. For many workers in the Church a rationalized or excusable wage in the name of God. When the priest or pastor lives in affluence is completely evil. It is also against the generosity of God to a living wage and not just a wage in the gospel of today.
THE CHALLENGE
The greatest Christian challenge is if we receive everything freely from God and we must learn to give all freely in his service to him and others. As well as to trust in the fact, that a labourer always deserves his or her wage even when they are unjustly denied by human beings.
However, we must not live our Christian services, priestly and missionary endeavours with a profit-orientated mindset for personal gains. This is the root cause of many disgruntled spirits in the priestly and religious ministry.
As Christ teaches seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you. A pure act of self-giving, a gracious spirit and an appreciative heart will bring us blessings and grace of God midst of abundance or even scarcity missionary endeavours.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, we have received an unparalleled grace to work in your vineyard but we are also in need of ongoing conversion be contented with what we merit and correspondent to us as your servants. Like the Palmist in Ps. 16:5-6, may we always have the courage to pray- ´My birthright, my cup is Yahweh; you alone, hold my lot secure. The measuring line marks out for me is my delightful place, my birthright is all I could wish. Amen
