The Workers in the Vineyard

 

September 20, 2020, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

The scripture I like the least is always trying to teach me the most!   

Imagine yourself going to work for the landowner first thing in the morning.  You work all day probably digging up the soil, and mud, cutting vines, and at the end of the day, you are tired, sweaty, and covered in dirt but happy to soon get your pay so you get in line to wait your turn.

Now you see the man who you know went to work at the last hour of the day and you see him collect his pay.  It’s a whole day's wage!!  Your thoughts go to when you collect your pay.  It will be at least 3 or 4 days' wage you think.  You imagine yourself going home and showing your spouse and how happy you will be.  This will help pay off a lot of debt! It turned out to be a great day indeed.  Now you get to the landowner and he gives you your pay.  A single day's wage!  What!!??  You worked from early morning until 6 pm through the heat of the day.  That first guy to get paid worked from 5 pm until 6 pm and received the SAME amount.  That first guy isn’t even sweaty!

If I was the last one to get paid from the landowner in today’s Gospel I would have been very angry!  Now I bring my thoughts back to today in time.  At work, I tend to get envious of that person who got that raise, or that promotion or that recognition.  Things I think I deserve as well!  Why didn’t I get noticed?  Why didn’t I get promoted?  What about me?  When I think about it, my mind is really having a bit of a two-year-old temper tantrum!  Suddenly, WHAM here comes today’s Gospel.  

The scripture I like the least is trying to teach me the most!

They agreed to work for a fair day's wage regardless of what time of day they started.  Nobody was cheated, it’s just that some received more than others based on an hourly wage.

In our own hearts, we often stand by our "rights" when they are not rights at all, grumbling enviously because someone else is more successful or fortunate than us.  I do that often and I need to stop it.  I need to rejoice in others' success instead of wallowing in my lack of recognition.

The first reading has some good advice to remember that:

my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.

If work isn’t allowing us that promotion, or transfer, or whatever it is it could be that God has something better than the way we want things to work out.  We have to trust that God will provide, maybe God won’t provide exactly what we want but God will provide something better, and by better it means it will help us attain Heaven.

We see Paul in his letter to the Philippian's state:

I am caught between the two.  I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.  Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.

Paul knows that even though he was once a grave sinner against the Church he will be with Christ in death so he desires even death.  Paul also knows he still has work to do on Earth so he must keep spreading the Gospel.

That must be our focus.  I’ve had a bad week at work this week.   Getting in early every day staying late.  One day I even started at 6 a.m. and ended up going back into the office and not getting home until after midnight, and my paycheck next month won’t be any bigger.  God was really trying to drive his message into me with a hammer!  In reflecting on today’s readings, especially the Gospel I realize working for money shouldn’t be as important to us as our work towards getting into Heaven.  That should be of utmost importance.  Sure, work and pay and supporting your family IS important, but should be secondary to your work in how you are trying to attain Heaven for you and your family.

We know the story of St. Dismas, the good thief on the cross who was crucified with Jesus.  He was a last hour workday repenter and his last moments on earth go something like this:

The other, (St. Dismas) however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

To this Jesus replied: 

“Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Let’s not wait to see if we will have that final moment to change, let's start that change now and remember the words of St. Niphon of Constantia:

God does not judge Christians because they sinned, but because they do not repent.