Pastor's Corner

This Sunday’s Gospel is from chapter 20 of the Gospel of St. Matthew. This chapter follows Jesus as He makes His final journey to Jerusalem, the city where He will begin His Passion. He travels along the eastern side of the Jordan River and will not cross the river until He reaches Jericho. Sunday’s passage is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and is another parable of the Kingdom of heaven. Biblical scholars differ on their interpretation of this parable, which focuses on the positions of the first and the last in the Kingdom of heaven. Some believe that this is a parable of the Last Judgment. Others view it as a parable of Israel, with the background as the salvation history of Israel through the centuries of the Old Covenant, culminating in the salvation to the Gentiles in the New Covenant. Still others see it as a parable of the process of conversion, which can occur at earlier or later stages in life. Above all, this parable highlights God’s sovereign generosity. It is a stunning parable of the extravagance of divine grace. The setting of the parable alternates between a vineyard and a marketplace. The landowner is a traditional Old Testament image that depicts God cultivating and caring for His people. The vineyard is a traditional Old Testament image of Israel. The grape harvest is an Old Testament image of the end of the world. In this parable, God is seeking for those who will follow Him whole-heartedly. The landowner goes to the marketplace from dawn until sunset to hire additional workers to harvest his grapes. The early laborers begin at 6:00 AM, the next set of laborers begin at 9:00 AM, the next set of laborers begin at noon, the next set of laborers begin at 3:00 PM, and the last set of laborers begin at 5:00 PM, as Jewish law (Deuteronomy 24:14-15) required that workers receive their pay by 6:00 PM so that they could go to the market and purchase food for their families for the next day. One denarius was the minimum necessary to feed a family. Despite the complaints of those who have worked a full day in the sun for the same pay as those who have worked for only one hour, there is no violation of justice. All have earned the agreed-upon pay of one denarius, the standard daily wage for laborers. If the parable is viewed as a teaching on the Israelites and the Gentiles, God has not been unfair to the Israelites. He is simply extravagantly generous to the late-coming Gentiles, making them equal members in the Kingdom of heaven. Although the generosity of the landowner/God would not be a workable formula in the contemporary workplace, it does show that no one can earn God’s grace. God sovereignly offers His abundance and blessings to all. Nobody can claim special ‘goodies’ in the Kingdom of heaven, for all are equal in the sight of God. So what might your complaints against God be? Do you feel left out or unvalued? Take the time to see yourself as a beloved and valued laborer in His vineyard on this side of eternity, with a vocation only you can fulfill on behalf of God’s kingdom. Amen! 
                                                                                   
                                                                                      Fr. Eric