Sunday, September 20
Matthew 20:1–16
At that time, Jesus told His disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them on a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out again in the middle of the morning, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace and said to them, ‘You too, go into my vineyard, and I will pay you what is fair.’ So they went.
He went out again around noon and in the middle of the afternoon and did the same.
Going out toward evening, he found others standing around and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too, go into my vineyard.’
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
Those who had been hired toward evening came and received a denarius each.
When those who had been hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but they too received a denarius each.
Then they began to complain against the landowner, saying, ‘These last workers have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Did you not agree with me on a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I wish to give this last worker the same as I give you.
Am I not free to do what I wish with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” The Gospel of the Lord.
Commentary
Matthew experienced God's compassion, and that is what he desires for us.
God calls people at different times in their lives. Some are called at an early age, while others are called in the later years of life. Some are called to great purity and holiness, while others are led along the path of conversion and humility.
This is the message of today's parable.
From the perspective of our human way of calculating things, the landowner's actions may seem strange. Yet he was not unjust. He paid exactly what he had promised.
This is not a matter of injustice, but of overflowing generosity.
We can also understand the parable within its historical context. Those hired at the beginning of the day represent those who considered themselves faithful to God, such as the Pharisees and scribes. Those hired at the last hour represent the tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners, and others who had turned back to God.
The envy of those who had worked all day becomes evident when they complain, “Why do you give these people the same as us?”
They were not prepared for a God who is so good and generous.
Questions for Discussion and Reflection
Do I rejoice in the good things God does for others?
Do I truly believe in God's boundless generosity?
Am I prepared for a God who is so good?
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