Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 421
Lectionary: 421
The word of the
Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Gospel MT 20:1-16
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 for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘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 will be first, and the first will be last.”
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘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 will be first, and the first will be last.”
Meditation: "Do you begrudge my
generosity?"
What can work and wages, welfare and the unemployed tell us
about the kingdom of God? In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard we see
the extraordinary generosity and compassion of God (Matthew 20:1-16). There is
great tragedy in unemployment, the loss of work, and the inability to earn
enough to live and support oneself or one's family. In Jesus' times laborers
had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's
job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table. The laborers
who worked all day and received their payment complain that the master pays the
late afternoon laborers the same wage. The master, undoubtedly, hired them in
the late afternoon so they wouldn't go home payless and hungry.
God is generous and gives us work for his kingdom
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour. While the reward is the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for reward. They will only put in as much effort as they think they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour. While the reward is the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for reward. They will only put in as much effort as they think they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.
Empowered to serve with a joyful and generous spirit
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's kingdom (the fruit of peace, joy, righteousness, and love) and also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our neighbor as well. We labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory. And we labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's kingdom (the fruit of peace, joy, righteousness, and love) and also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our neighbor as well. We labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory. And we labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.
Paul the Apostle reminds us, "Whatever your task, work
heartily, as serving the Lord and not others, knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the inheritance as your reward - you are serving the Lord
Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24). Do you perform your daily tasks and
responsibilities with cheerfulness and diligence for the Lord's sake? And do
you give generously to others, especially to those in need of your care and
support?
"Lord Jesus,fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may serve
you joyfully and serve my neighbor willingly with a generous heart, not looking
for how much I can get, but rather looking for how much I can give."
 Working for God |
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August 20, 2014.Memorial of Saint Bernard, abbot and doctor of
the Church
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Matthew 20: 1-16
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 for the usual daily wage, he sent them
into his vineyard. Going out about nine o´clock, he saw others standing idle
in the marketplace, and he said to them, ´You too go into my vineyard, and I
will give you what is just.´ So they went off. And he went out again around
noon, and around three o´clock, and did likewise. Going out about five
o´clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ´Why do you stand
here idle all day?´ They answered, ´Because no one has hired us.´ He said to
them, ´You too go into my vineyard.´ When it was evening the owner of the
vineyard said to his foreman, ´Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.´ When those who had
started about five o´clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when
the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them
also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the
landowner, saying, ´These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made
them equal to us, who bore the day´s burden and the heat.´ He said to one of
them in reply, ´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 will be first,
and the first will be last."
Introductory Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe in you because you have revealed
your plan of love to the Church. I hope in you because you are more
interested in my happiness and salvation than I am. I love you because you
have loved me without my deserving your love.
Petition: Lord, help me to appreciate and be grateful for your
grace.
1. There Is Always an Opportunity: One of the worst
experiences is to accept that you have lost the last opportunity to do something
you have always wanted to do. This can occur in any human situation: job
opportunities, university acceptances, etc. In the spiritual life, on the
other hand, there is always the opportunity to live only for God, the
opportunity to be redeemed. There is always the possibility to start again.
Why is this? It is because God has granted us our time on earth to walk
towards him. Therefore, even if we fall, he continues to give us the strength
to get up. That is why the sacrament of reconciliation is so important. When
we lose grace, our spiritual strength, we can regain it in the sacraments,
especially in confession.
2. Expecting More Than You Deserve: Considered from a
merely human point of view, this Gospel’s situation is an unjust one. Whoever
works more should receive more than those who work less. We tend to forget,
however, that in terms of the spiritual, everything is a gift. There is
nothing in our nature that can demand grace. The demands of our faith are not
“favors” we do for God, but existential obligations. That is why Christ
reminds us, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ´We are
unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do´” (Luke
17:10).
3. The Generosity of God: God’s generosity is a manifestation of
his love for us. He knows each and every person intimately and personally. He
knows that the needs of some are bigger than those of others. To think that
God loves some people more than others is an injustice to God. We owe love
and respect to others because we are all human persons with the same dignity.
We owe adoration and love to God because he is our creator and provident
Father. But God owes nothing to his creatures. Everything he gives us is
gratuitous and a fruit of his infinite love. It’s too easy to treat God in a
human way, forgetting that he is God. The most beautiful gift he gives us is
his grace.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, I sometimes see things from
a very human and selfish point of view. Sometimes I find myself getting angry
because others may have more than I do. Help me understand that the most
important thing to be truly happy in my life is to be aware of the need I
have of your grace.
Resolution: I will thank Christ for his grace and love and will try
to imitate him by being generous to others.
By Father José LaBoy, LC
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, MATTHEW 20:1-16
(Ezekiel 34:1-11; Psalm 23)
(Ezekiel 34:1-11; Psalm 23)
KEY VERSE: "Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last" (v 16).
READING: Jesus told his disciples a parable about divine justice for all who labored in God's service. God was compared to a landowner who called forth workers for his vineyard. The first to respond were promised the expected day's wages. Those who came later were only promised what was 'just.' When it was time to pay the workers, the owner began with the last and paid them a full day's wages. When those who worked all day were paid the same as those who only worked a few hours, they complained that they were being treated unfairly. The vineyard owner told them that he had done them no injustice by paying them equally. Whether a person responds first or last to God's call, the reward is identical. It is freely given and not merited by the laborer in God's service.
REFLECTING: Do I work for justice in the marketplace?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to follow your example of generosity toward all.
Memorial of Bernard, abbot and doctor of the
Church
In the year 1111, at the age of 20, Bernard left his home to join the monastic community of Citeaux. His five brothers, two uncles and some 30 young friends followed him into the monastery. A Benedictine, he founded and led the monastery at Clairvaux, with Bernard as abbot. His ability as arbitrator and counselor became widely known, and the valley was soon renamed Clairvaux, the valley of light. Bernard attended the Second Lateran Council, fought the heresy Albigensianism, and helped end the schism of the anti-Pope Anacletus II. Rome prevailed on Bernard to preach the Second Crusade throughout Europe. His eloquence was so overwhelming that a great army was assembled and the success of the crusade seemed assured, but the project ended as a complete military and moral disaster. Bernard felt responsible in some way for the degenerative effects of the crusade. This heavy burden possibly hastened his death, which came August 20, 1153. He was the first Cistercian monk placed on the calendar of saints. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius VIII.
NOTE: Albigensianism was a Christian heresy prevalent in western Europe, particularly in southern France and northern Italy, during the 12th and 13th centuries. The Albigenses followed Manichaean sect, which sought purification from bodily and material things, in its attempt to solve the problem of evil. They asserted the co-existence of two ultimate principles, a good deity (the God of the New Testament) who created Spirit and Light, and a bad deity (the God of the Old Testament) who created Matter and Darkness. Accordingly, they condemned marriage and the procreation of children as demoniac. Yet concubinage was tolerated as less permanent than matrimony; and desertion of husband or wife was called praiseworthy.
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want
The reassurance of justified compensation for those first hard-working vineyard labourers was utterly spoilt by the preferential treatment given the inexperienced, unmotivated, less- worthy workers who had been loitering in the marketplace all day. Slackers who spent barely an hour in the vineyard and yet earned the same daily wage! Outrage! And the master’s response? ‘It’s none of your business what I do with my money!’ This caution is hard to hear for those of us who work hard and never step out of line. Our efforts are admirable, but when we query the apparent leniency afforded so-called ‘undeserving’ others, we might reflect on the lesson of ‘minding our own business’. As we criticise others from our lofty heights, let us recall that God’s invitation is extended wholeheartedly to all who seek him. Latecomers are most welcome!
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Preaching Jesus
One of the things that we need to remember is that we’re preaching
Jesus, not the institutional Church. It’s easy to get caught up in the rules
and regulations of the institution and forget that we are saved not by the
Church but by the person of Jesus or the Church as the body of Christ.
August
20
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
(1091-1153)
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
(1091-1153)
Man of the century! Woman of the century! You see such terms
applied to so many today—“golfer of the century,” “composer of the century,”
“right tackle of the century”—that the line no longer has any punch. But
Western Europe's “man of the twelfth century,” without doubt or
controversy, has to be Bernard of Clairvaux. Adviser of popes, preacher of the
Second Crusade, defender of the faith, healer of a schism, reformer of a
monastic Order, Scripture scholar, theologian and eloquent preacher: any one of
these titles would distinguish an ordinary man. Yet Bernard was all of
these—and he still retained a burning desire to return to the hidden monastic
life of his younger days.
In the
year 1111, at the age of 20, Bernard left his home to join the monastic
community of Citeaux. His five brothers, two uncles and some 30 young friends
followed him into the monastery. Within four years a dying community had
recovered enough vitality to establish a new house in the nearby valley of
Wormwoods, with Bernard as abbot. The zealous young man was quite demanding,
though more on himself than others. A slight breakdown of health taught him to
be more patient and understanding. The valley was soon renamed Clairvaux, the
valley of light.
His
ability as arbitrator and counselor became widely known. More and more he was
lured away from the monastery to settle long-standing disputes. On several of
these occasions he apparently stepped on some sensitive toes in Rome. Bernard
was completely dedicated to the primacy of the Roman See. But to a letter of
warning from Rome, he replied that the good fathers in Rome had enough to do to
keep the Church in one piece. If any matters arose that warranted their interest,
he would be the first to let them know.
Shortly
thereafter it was Bernard who intervened in a full-blown schism and settled it
in favor of the Roman pontiff against the antipope.
The Holy
See prevailed on Bernard to preach the Second Crusade throughout Europe. His
eloquence was so overwhelming that a great army was assembled and the success
of the crusade seemed assured. The ideals of the men and their leaders,
however, were not those of Abbot Bernard, and the project ended as a complete
military and moral disaster.
Bernard
felt responsible in some way for the degenerative effects of the crusade. This
heavy burden possibly hastened his death, which came August 20, 1153.
Comment:
Bernard’s life in the Church was more active than we can imagine possible today. His efforts produced far-reaching results. But he knew that they would have availed little without the many hours of prayer and contemplation that brought him strength and heavenly direction. His life was characterized by a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. His sermons and books about Mary are still the standard of Marian theology.
Bernard’s life in the Church was more active than we can imagine possible today. His efforts produced far-reaching results. But he knew that they would have availed little without the many hours of prayer and contemplation that brought him strength and heavenly direction. His life was characterized by a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. His sermons and books about Mary are still the standard of Marian theology.
Quote:
“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal” (St. Bernard).
“In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal” (St. Bernard).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 20,1-16A
Lectio:
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 20,1-16a
Jesus said to his disciples: 'Now the kingdom of Heaven is like
a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an
agreement with the workers for one denarius a day and sent them to his
vineyard.
Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage." So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing around, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one has hired us," they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too."
In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first." So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner saying, "The men who came last have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day's work in all the heat."
He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?"
Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.'
Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage." So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing around, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one has hired us," they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too."
In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first." So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner saying, "The men who came last have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day's work in all the heat."
He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?"
Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.'
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents a parable which is found only in
Matthew’s Gospel. It is not in the other Gospels. Like in all parables, Jesus
tells a story about daily elements, daily things of the life of the people. He
presents a picture of the social situation of his time, in which the auditors
recognize themselves. But, at the same time, in the story of this parable,
there are things which never take place in the reality of the life of the
people. And this, because speaking about the master, Jesus thinks about God,
about his Father. And this is why in the story of the parable; the master does
things which are surprising which never take place in the daily life of the
auditors. But, in this strange attitude of the master, it is necessary to find
the key to understand the message of the parable.
• Matthew 20, 1-7: The five times that the landowner goes out to look for labourers. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day and sent them to his vineyard”. This is how the story begins and it speaks for itself and does not need too many comments. In what follows, the landowner goes out four times to call other workers to go and work in his vineyard. Jesus refers to the terrible lack of work at that time. Now some details of the story: (a) the landowner himself goes out personally five times to contract workers. (b) When he contracts the workers, he fixes the salary only for the first group: one denarius a day. To those of nine o’clock in the morning he says: I will give you what is just, fair. With the others, he does not fix anything. He contracted them only to work in the vineyard. (c) At the end of the day, when it was the time to pay the workers, the landowners orders the administrator to carry out this service.
• Matthew 20, 8-10: The strange way of fixing the accounts at the end of the day. When it was evening, the landowner of the vineyard told his administrator: Call the workers and pay them, beginning from the last ones to the first ones. Here, at the time of drawing the accounts, something strange takes place, which does not happen in normal life. It seems that things are inverted. The administrator begins to pay those who were contracted just an hour before. The salary is the same for all: one denarius as it was agreed with the first ones who were contracted at the beginning of the day. When the first came, they expected to get more but they too received one denarius each. Why does the landowner act like that? Would you do the same? It is precisely in this surprising gesture of the landowner that the key of understanding this parable is hidden.
• Matthew 20, 11-12: The normal reaction of the workers before the strange attitude of the landowner. The last ones also receive their salary as those who were contracted first. The story says that these began to grumble against the landowner and said: “The men who came last have done only one hour and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat”. This is the normal reaction of a good sense. I think that all of us would have had the same reaction and would have said the same thing to the landowner. Would we have not?
• Matthew 20, 13-16: The surprising explanation of the landowner who gives the key of the parable. The response of the landowner is the following: “My friend, I am not being unjust to you. Did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you; have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?” These words give the key which explains the attitude of the landowner and indicates the message which Jesus wants to communicate to us: (a) The landowner was not unjust, because he acts according to what he had agreed with the first group of workers: one denarius a day. (b) It is the sovereign decision of the landowner to give to the last ones the same amount that he had agreed upon with those of the first hour. These do not have the right to complain and claim anything. (c) Acting with justice, the landowner has the right to do the good that he wants with the things that belong to him. The worker, on his part has this same right. (d) The last question touches on the central point: Why should you be envious because I am generous? God is different and his thoughts are not our thoughts (Is 55, 8-9).
• The background of the parable is the circumstance of the time, for Jesus as well as for Matthew. The workers of the first hour are the Jewish People, called by God to work in his vineyard. They bear the weight of the day, from Abraham to Moses, for over one thousand years. Now at the eleventh hour, Jesus calls the pagans, the gentiles to work in his vineyard and they succeed in having the preference in the heart of God. “Thus the first ones will be last and the last will be first”.
• Matthew 20, 1-7: The five times that the landowner goes out to look for labourers. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day and sent them to his vineyard”. This is how the story begins and it speaks for itself and does not need too many comments. In what follows, the landowner goes out four times to call other workers to go and work in his vineyard. Jesus refers to the terrible lack of work at that time. Now some details of the story: (a) the landowner himself goes out personally five times to contract workers. (b) When he contracts the workers, he fixes the salary only for the first group: one denarius a day. To those of nine o’clock in the morning he says: I will give you what is just, fair. With the others, he does not fix anything. He contracted them only to work in the vineyard. (c) At the end of the day, when it was the time to pay the workers, the landowners orders the administrator to carry out this service.
• Matthew 20, 8-10: The strange way of fixing the accounts at the end of the day. When it was evening, the landowner of the vineyard told his administrator: Call the workers and pay them, beginning from the last ones to the first ones. Here, at the time of drawing the accounts, something strange takes place, which does not happen in normal life. It seems that things are inverted. The administrator begins to pay those who were contracted just an hour before. The salary is the same for all: one denarius as it was agreed with the first ones who were contracted at the beginning of the day. When the first came, they expected to get more but they too received one denarius each. Why does the landowner act like that? Would you do the same? It is precisely in this surprising gesture of the landowner that the key of understanding this parable is hidden.
• Matthew 20, 11-12: The normal reaction of the workers before the strange attitude of the landowner. The last ones also receive their salary as those who were contracted first. The story says that these began to grumble against the landowner and said: “The men who came last have done only one hour and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat”. This is the normal reaction of a good sense. I think that all of us would have had the same reaction and would have said the same thing to the landowner. Would we have not?
• Matthew 20, 13-16: The surprising explanation of the landowner who gives the key of the parable. The response of the landowner is the following: “My friend, I am not being unjust to you. Did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you; have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?” These words give the key which explains the attitude of the landowner and indicates the message which Jesus wants to communicate to us: (a) The landowner was not unjust, because he acts according to what he had agreed with the first group of workers: one denarius a day. (b) It is the sovereign decision of the landowner to give to the last ones the same amount that he had agreed upon with those of the first hour. These do not have the right to complain and claim anything. (c) Acting with justice, the landowner has the right to do the good that he wants with the things that belong to him. The worker, on his part has this same right. (d) The last question touches on the central point: Why should you be envious because I am generous? God is different and his thoughts are not our thoughts (Is 55, 8-9).
• The background of the parable is the circumstance of the time, for Jesus as well as for Matthew. The workers of the first hour are the Jewish People, called by God to work in his vineyard. They bear the weight of the day, from Abraham to Moses, for over one thousand years. Now at the eleventh hour, Jesus calls the pagans, the gentiles to work in his vineyard and they succeed in having the preference in the heart of God. “Thus the first ones will be last and the last will be first”.
4) Personal questions
• Those of the eleventh hour arrive, they have advantages and
receive priority in regard to entrance into the Kingdom of God. When you wait
in line for two hours, and a person arrives, and without saying anything she
places herself before you. Would you accept this? Can these two situations be
compared?
• God’s action surpasses our calculations and our human way of acting. He surprises us and some times is uncomfortable. Has this happened to you in your life? What lessons have you drawn from this?
• God’s action surpasses our calculations and our human way of acting. He surprises us and some times is uncomfortable. Has this happened to you in your life? What lessons have you drawn from this?
5) Concluding Prayer
Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come. (Ps 23,6)
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come. (Ps 23,6)
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