Reflection for 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Wouldn’t the labor unions have a field day with this Gospel? At a literal level, other than arguing from the viewpoint that the wage earners got what each agreed to, there doesn’t seem to be much justice done in this Gospel in terms of “equal work, equal pay.” We are used to a forty-hour work week and an eight-hour work day, punching in and out using time clocks, and contracts with agreed upon wages. If we think of ourselves as the laborers, then we are distressed by the inequity of the wagers. But I don’t think this parable is about work fairness and equality.

The Gospel story is a familiar one. The landowner in the parable pays all of his workers the same amount, even though they worked different hours. And when we hear this story, many of us think to ourselves, “Well, that doesn’t seem fair.” Of course, when we think like that, we’re putting ourselves in the place of the workers who worked the most. We might be wise to consider how we would feel if we were the ones on the receiving end of someone’s generosity. In one situation we’re resentful, and in the other we’re more than pleased and grateful.

God’s persistence is the key here and this is what characterizes the kingdom. God’s persistent call becomes the standard for our living. I think that the Gospel invites us to hear God’s call in the everyday fidelity of discipleship. Marriage fidelity, showing love and forgiveness, is hearing and answering God’s call. Being honest and hard-working at work is hearing and answering God’s call. Obeying your parents, doing your best in school, growing in good habits and Christian values, is hearing and responding to God’s call. Responding to the needs of others is hearing and answering God’s call. In these and countless other ways, each time we die to self for the sake of another we are answering God’s call to discipleship. In all of this, our focus is on God and others, not on ourselves.

Perhaps the story is really meant for those of us who find ourselves putting off embracing the new life Jesus won for us by his death and resurrection. He’s continually offering us a full day’s wage and we seem to want to stand idle in the marketplace. And that should give each of us a tremendous amount of hope, for it doesn’t matter how long we have been idle, how long we have neglected receiving the precious gift of new life. For some of us, perhaps we’ve been standing in the sidelines for our entire lives.

And you know what? That doesn‘t matter. God doesn’t care what came before or who we were yesterday. He only cares for who we want to be today and whether or not we will accept his invitation to journey out into the vineyard and receive our full day’s wage. That’s the God we have. And it’s not fair. That’s true. Actually, he’s much more than fair. He’s loving, generous and merciful. Hopefully, we can be the same.

If you have a brief faith reflection on today’s reading that you would like to share, please send it to me at deaconruss@holyspiritunoh.org.