25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sept.

21, 2014
(Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:20c-24,27a; Matthew 20:1-16a)

Isaiah reminds us of how different we are from the Lord. Using
poetry (as high as the heavens above the earth, are my thoughts from
your thoughts, says the Lord) he demonstrates how vastly different
we are from the Lord. Yet the biggest difference involves the mercy
which the Lord so readily dispenses to the scoundrel and the wicked.
Our human reaction wants to avenge the evil-doer. We are easily
manipulated into demanding blood by movie directors and over-
zealous news reporters. In the Dirty Harry genre the bad guys are
painted in such evil tones, that only a cad would object to Harrys
antics. But the Lords thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are our ways
the way of the Lord. We live in a world which demands that good
triumph over evil. The Lords way is far beyond our ability to
understand, yet Isaiah invites us to seek the Lord and the Lords
forgiveness anyway.
The parable in Matthew is one of the longest parables found in
Matthew. It is unique to Matthew, meaning he has drawn upon his
own source in presenting this parable. It is magnificent because of the
reactions it can generate in listeners who hear this parable, especially
in capitalist countries like ours. Most of those reactions are negative,
as in Thats no way to run a business. They miss the point that the
parable is used to show what the kingdom of heaven is like, not
someones business. That makes for all kinds of table discussions even
among family members after they get home from Mass on Sunday. Or
it should! Everyone will have a different take on the parable, but it
remains a question whether we will ever plumb the parables depths.
The workers at dawn agreed to work for a denarius, which was the
common laborers wage for a days work (the usual daily wage).
The ones standing around the market place at nine in the morning
agreed to work for what is fair. The ones at noon and at three PM
made the same agreement. At five oclock (literally at the eleventh
hour) he finds still others standing idle whom he also hires. With that
the scene is set. Only the first group agreed to work for a set price and
that was for an entire days work. When it was time to pay, the
vineyard owner told his foreman to pay the last who worked first, who
received as much as the ones who had agreed to work at dawn.
And so the arguments begin. Its not fair! We worked all day and
youre paying those who only worked an hour or a few hours the
same. Its not fair! The owner objects I am not cheating you. You
agreed to the daily wage did you not? I can do whatever I want with
what is mine can I not? Then the even more puzzling line The last
will be first and the first last. This line also served as an introduction
to this parable because Mt.19:30 ends with the same verse, but in
reverse order (Many who are first will be last and the last will be
first).
People have argued for centuries about what it means. However, it
is unlikely that Jesus meant anything more than that God, like the
vineyard owner, is generous, especially with mercy, whether one
comes to it at the beginning of the day or at the eleventh hour.
Finally Paul muses whether to be with Christ through death is
better than living and preaching the Gospel. He is facing death in his
present circumstances (he is in jail). He prefers to be with Christ but it
is better for the Philippians if he stays alive.

Fr. Lawrence Hummer