Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something which is not meant to be understood literally. This is definitely true with the readings for this day. In the first reading from Judges we hear a parable which alludes to the people of God as wanting a king. In today’s gospel we hear the parable of the landowner who system of paying employees is far from what we might call capitalism. The metaphor of Judges comes to us through the imagery of trees or plants. Each plant grows and has a variety of gifts with varying degrees of value. Each plant is asked to be in charge and most of them respond by naming their gift and deciding that if they become the leader they will lose their primary purpose in life. All the plants, except one, turn down the opportunity to be the leader. The tree that takes the leadership position agrees to do it, yet states its control will be brutal. The Lord wanted no king for the people especially a brutal king one, yet the people kept asking. It shows that if we ask a question enough times and in sufficient ways we will get the answer we are looking for; although it may not be the answer God is trying to give us.

The people in the gospel ask the question which they think will get them the answer they want. Unfortunately for the people in the parable, the owner of the vineyard is trying to accomplish something else by paying all equally. What is the message of Jesus’ metaphorical story? Perhaps, it is that God wants none of us to be idle workers. Indeed God wants all of us to be engaged in the process of laboring to make God’s “Kingdom come”. Perhaps, the message is that the wage for laborers is the same no matter how long they were employed because the payment is eternal life. The great thing about metaphors is that many possible interpretations can be drawn and all might be correct.

The metaphors that teach us God’s truths are not limited to Scripture, in fact, they are all around us. In seeing new a bird we have never scene we could recognize the diversity that is God’s creation. In eating dinner as a family we might notice in the praying, sharing and eating, that the meal is Eucharistic. As you go about your day today be aware of the subtle metaphors around you that are messages from God.

“Creator of all that exists, the whole universe is a metaphor that will lead us back to You. Give us heart’s that desire only You as our King; So that we would be glad in this life and forever blessed with You in the next. Amen.”

Michael Montgomery