Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last." Matthew 20:16
This has been a reading that has confounded me. As an employer, you pay people by the effort and work produced. Many are paid hourly. People today clamor for a fair wage, and many times rightly so. Today's gospel from Matthew finds Jesus telling the parable about the workers in the vineyard. Some were hired early in the day, worked all day and got a day's wage. Others were hired at noon or even toward the end of the day and got paid the same amount as those that were hired earlier. On the surface, this looks like a case of injustice. However, the parable is not about that. It's about living our lives and working for the Lord at all stages. Some might go through their entire lives away from God, but as the end of their life approaches they repent and turn to the Lord. God will give them the same reward as those that lived a good and holy life since early on. This is not to say we can coast through life living on our terms. No, we should always live courageously the words of the gospel, working in the vineyard of society, proclaiming the word, inviting others to Christ, and having that personal encounter with God. We need not measure ourselves to others by judging what they have, but instead working for the glory of God. That will be great payment indeed.
Question for Reflection
What do I to do proclaim God's mercy and love in the vineyard of our society?
Lord, give me the eyes and heart to encounter you daily so that I have the ability to always proclaim your word and invite others to do the same.
