Word to the Wise
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 - Wednesday in the 20th Week in Ordinary Time
[Judg 9:6-15 and Matt 20:1-16]"My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?" Thus, the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. [Matthew]
This parable is a direct challenge to our American notions of fair play and just wages. It is also a challenge to our tendency to project these notions onto God and expect God to behave according to those notions!
The first thing to note is that the first group to be called is promised the "usual daily wage." We should note also that the owner does not have to call any of them. The second group is promised "what is just." The third group is simply told: "You too go into my vineyard." Those are three very different promises! The last group has no guarantee at all!
Yet, the ones who complain at the end are the ones who had a guarantee! They got what they were promised. What they complain about is what the owner does for the other workers out of generosity. Hmmmm....do we find ourselves in that situation with that attitude? Do we fail to count our own blessings and instead count other people's blessings? The end of the parable is a reminder which appears more than once in the Gospel of Matthew: "Thus the last shall be first and the first shall be last." It seems to me that we should be happy to be included - period. God's generosity is not subject to our notions of other people's worthiness. AMEN