Memorial of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
“The kingdom of heaven is like . . .” Today Jesus presents to us another parable that helps us better understand the mystery of God’s kingdom. We are meant to identify and approach God in this story with deeper awe and wonder, and to locate ourselves in this narrative, as well. Who is God and who are we to be and become in light of our relationship with this God who created us, loves us, and calls us to become like him?
Catholic scholars differ on the main point of this parable. Some see it as a story about the final judgment, at which the positions of first and last will be reversed. For others, this parable summarizes salvation history, in which Israel as the people of God served the Lord for many generations, while the Gentiles are grafted in with the coming of Christ. Some focus on this parable as illustrating how conversion comes to individuals at many different stages of life – some early on and others midway or later in their earthly pilgrimage. As you read this parable carefully and meditatively, you might pause for a moment and consider which one, or perhaps all these interpretations speak most profoundly to you.
We find the vineyard/landowner motif throughout the Old Testament. It is a powerful image of the Lord God cultivating and caring for his people. It’s against this backdrop that we are invited to consider who God is in this story and where we find ourselves as laborers in God’s vineyard. This parable shines the light on the extravagant generosity of God. Let us consider our own hearts and minds and ask ourselves how we tend to respond to God’s abundant goodness.
Let’s imagine ourselves, for a moment, as the laborers hired first at dawn. The typical Palestinian workday was roughly twelve hours, from sunrise to sunset. A laborer contracted with the landowner for the daily wage, which was paid out at the end of the day, according to the Torah (Deut. 24:14-15). When those hired first saw the treatment of those hired last, they were outraged. They mistook divine generosity for divine injustice. Imagine their thought-process: their expectation went unfulfilled – they should have received more than the latecomers, AND they perceived it unfair that the latecomers received an arguably better hourly rate. How would you feel if you were one of these laborers who worked all day? How would you interpret the behavior of the landowner?
Consider the issue of injustice in this story. The landowner was in no way unjust – he made a fair contract and fulfilled its terms completely. The demands of justice were fully satisfied with those hired at dawn. The real issue is whether the landowner was being unfair in paying a full day’s wage to those hired at 5PM. Shouldn’t they have received 1/12 the pay instead of a full share? The employer was not contractually obligated to pay them the wage agreed upon for twelve hours work, but he was free to do so! Justice is not violated by the employer’s generosity!
Now let’s imagine ourselves as ones hired at 5PM. We line up to receive our pay and are stunned to receive a full denarius, the agreed upon wage for a twelve-hour workday! We do not deserve this generosity – we did not earn it; we have not merited it. This was simply pure gift that the landowner was free to bestow out of his good pleasure and grace. Imagine running home and telling your family and friends all about this extravagant employer who blessed you beyond measure. Pause for a moment and allow the impact of this part of the story to settle into your heart and mind. As a current “laborer in God’s vineyard” do you feel deserving or undeserving? What might you say to God as you examine yourself in the light of his glory and goodness and as you consider his generosity toward you?
Let’s return for a moment to those hired first. We mustn’t ignore the moral message this parable contains, as well. The only injustice in this story lies with the grumbling laborers, who feel envious of the others! Envy is the sin of being upset at another’s good fortune. We might want to pause again to examine our hearts and minds and consider how we respond, even internally, when others receive blessings that we don’t think they deserve or when we feel resentful of others’ good fortune. May we be perfected in love such that we can rejoice at the goodness of God manifest in the lives of others, even those whom we might consider our enemies.
As we continue to reflect on this parable today, and find ourselves in the story, may we be receptive to whatever God wants to reveal to us about the condition of our hearts and may we respond to his gracious invitation to become more grateful and more Christlike. Thank you, God, for your extravagant goodness to us and to all your children!
I’ll see you in the Eucharist,
Elizabeth Wells