25th Sunday: "My thoughts are not your thoughts"

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like . . . "

Matthew 20: 1-16

The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092020.cfm

If you have ever felt you were treated unfairly, unjustly, taken advantage of, not appreciated for your work or opinion, ignored by others, you may easily empathize with the workers in the vineyard from our Gospel this Sunday. "Hey, wait a minute," you can hear them say. "This isn't fair! What about us?" Sadly, such human injustice takes place both in the work place and frankly, sometimes in the Church as well. The generosity of the landowner does, however, cause us to stop and reflect on God himself.

Isaiah this Sunday reminds us of that: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” Basically, we don’t understand the full intentions of God or his desire to win us over to him, or the existence of suffering in the face of a loving God any more than your dog or cat might understand why you’re taking them to the Vet.  God is totally “other.”

As our Gospel passage opens we hear: "The kingdom of heaven is like . . ." Therefore, we know that this story Jesus will tell is not about what appears on the surface but will reveal a new vision of who God is and what we must be like as citizens of that kingdom.

So, this Sunday Jesus shares a somewhat unsettling parable about laborers in the vineyard and a landowner who, in response to the grumbling of jealous workers, queries: “Are you envious because I am generous?” That’s an interesting question. Yet, the greater issue is our sense of justice as compared to that of God.

We don’t normally equate envy with generosity.  Yet, why would I be envious because you are a generous person?  I could easily be generous myself. I might be envious because you are rich and I am not.  Or jealous because you have a beautiful voice and I can barely carry a tune. You have outstanding athletic prowess and the ball never goes where I want it to in golf. You’re handsome or beautiful and I’m just an average Joe. You walk into a room and everyone is glad to see you.  I walk in and just blend silently into the crowd. These are the sorts of things we usually equate with envy.

The larger discussion about “Be grateful for what you have rather than sad about what you do not have” is valid here but why would I be envious of your generosity.  That’s a choice that any of us can make: to share or not to share; that is the question.

Our Gospel passage is another of the financial parables of Jesus. As last Sunday about forgiven debts maybe it was Matthew’s own background as a former tax collector, who understood the use of money, which attracted him to Jesus’ stories about ancient economies and work ethic so he placed them in his Gospel.

The grumbling of those hired, who labored all day in the hot sun, is about what they perceived as unjust payment for work done or not done rather than envy about a generous landowner.  Still, the point of the workers is a fair one. Why should those who were hired at the last hour of the working day receive the same wage as them?  It’s a no brainer as to why they were resentful of the generous vineyard landowner’s generosity. This parable does take up the question of what is just and fair; but we cannot understand it on our terms.  We must open our hearts to the mystery of God’s abundant, never ending grace.  God’s full intent is beyond our understanding.

So, the parable today is not about fair working practices but about what “The kingdom of heaven is like.” God operates in a different manner; on a higher plane than we limited humans. The kingdom of heaven is about a God who calls everyone to his vineyard (kingdom) and wants all to share in abundance regardless about when they were invited. 

In God’s kingdom, which we can imitate here on earth, enjoys a God who is generous and hospitable.  It is about a God who always has more where that came from and is never limited in his generosity. Pope Francis once reminded us that God never tires of forgiving it is we who tire of asking for it.  We may see this illustrated in what may be referred as a death bed conversion. 

We priests, often called by a generous Hospice volunteer, to come anoint and hear the confession of a person who is in the final stages of the dying process.  We discover this is a Catholic who may not have darkened the door of a Church for 30 years, yet now, as they prepare to meet the Lord, they seek his final mercy and the grace of sacraments enjoyed by many throughout their active faith lives.  This eleventh hour opportunity and pouring out of grace is given to them, regardless of their lukewarm practice of the faith.  Mercy is shared from the mysterious abundance of God.

Think also of other parables Jesus told which emphasize this truth: the prodigal son, the merciful Master who forgave enormous debts, the Good Shepherd in search of the lost sheep, etc.

All of these parables can bring before us a different vantage point. The workers who labored all day most likely readily stood in the front of the line to receive what they felt would be generous pay – more than they had agreed upon.  The elder son confronted his father and may have pushed his way into the party revelers to make a beeline for his Dad. As I stand in front no one else behind me matters. It’s all for me – or so I may assume and expect.  “I’m entitled to this!”

Yet, God’s mercy, forgiveness and generosity are available to everyone no matter where I stand.  God’s generosity, mercy, forgiveness and love are not a buffet line or potluck dinner – when it’s gone its gone. There will be just enough for me by the time I reach the front.  With God, there is always more.

It certainly creates a different perspective of how I view my fellow human being.  No matter what language I speak or my economic level or the home I live in or color of my skin or my past wayward life all that come to the Lord with sincerity and seek his will share in his abundance.

The more we see others ahead of us receiving what God gives the more we may see our own shortcoming and imitate the mercy which God himself shows. As Isaiah reminds us today when the Lord speaks: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts . . .”

This is the point of the parable for us.  The reception of the Holy Eucharist during each Mass is to receive this person who is lavishly generous.  As the crowd walks forward do you think about who it is who is giving himself to you? About who and what you will receive?  How can we be envious of that?  What a gift; what a generous God and what a call to personal conversion.

Father in heaven,

the perfection of justice is found in your love

and all mankind is in need of your law. 

Help us to find this love in each other

that justice may be attained

through obedience to your law.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

(Collect from previous Sacramentary)