Intent: Justice
Grapes grow riper and sweeter in the autumn days leading up to harvest. Many factors impact great growth; air temperature, sun exposure, and the health of other grapes in the cluster. Even the best laborers cannot plan the perfect picking day. Vineyards need workers who are nimble, attentive, and eager to embrace the unexpected - both when it comes to picking grapes and as we see in today's Gospel, in matters of money.
I am sure many of us can remember what it was like to be “picked last.” As children, maybe, it was for the playground teams; as adults, it may have been an issue of promotion or missing out being on the short list after a job application. Today's parable is about the landowner 's generosity toward the last picked people. Much like the laborers that surround the local Home Depot each morning hoping for work, the scenario would also be familiar to first century Palestinian society: the hopeful gathering of the unemployed in the marketplace, anxious for the subsistent but average daily wage of one denarius, and then the process of hiring. Everything is done justly; the wages offered, which is neither over generous nor penny-pinching, and is accepted by the laborers. As the demands of the day's work unroll, more laborers are hired in the morning and early afternoon. At the 11th hour, about 5:00 PM, the landowner comes out for the last time and finds some men still hanging around. With the patient hope of the poor, the “not chosen” have stood there all day, worried that they would have to go home empty handed to their families.
Now comes the time for payment of the wages. The last three hired are the first paid, because the parable requires an audience for what is coming next. There are probably some raised eyebrows among those hired earlier because they have worked more hours in the vineyard and therefore thinking they will surely be paid more. Then comes the painful grumbling from the other workers, who, it turns out, are paid the same as the “eleventh hour” workers, who have done more work and longer in more grueling conditions in the heat of the day. The landowner reminds one of the workers that he has been given the just wage agreed on when they were hired; the denarius is the laborers right; generosity is the land owners right. But what earns an even stronger rebuke is the complaint that “you have made them equal to us.”
The first group of laborers in today's parable gets stuck in binary thinking at payment time: either you work a full day and get paid the usual wage, or you work part of the day and get paid part of the usual wage. But then they see the later hires get paid the full wage, and the first group makes an assumption: If those who work part of the day get the full wage, then those of us who work the full day will get the full wage plus a bonus. This thinking seems fair.
But the landowner rebukes this reasoning - and through his actions, Jesus shows us once again: God is far too creative for binaries. God is far too mysterious for assumptions. Our God is a God of infinite possibilities, whose ways are high above human ways to which we've grown accustomed. Our God cannot be tamed within the made-up constructs of in or out, worthy or unworthy, last or first. Our God is near to all who call upon the divine name in truth, no matter if we got to work at the crack of dawn or right before quitting time. Through the landowner, Jesus shows us a God eager to break down the binaries and assumptions which are often offered, and to build the dignity of every person.
A common reaction to this Gospel is to feel affronted: it really does seem unfair that all the laborers receive the same wage for unequal amounts of work. But Jesus is once again telling us that God's logic does not follow ours. Our sense of justice is too small. God's generosity is always bigger than what we had envisioned, and then is bigger again still. Part of the problem is that most of us identify with the early laborers in the story. We believe we have to put in the work and really deserve the good things God gives us and will give us. But none of us really deserves the gifts of God; his gifts are not something that can be earned but are by their nature free and gracious gifts. And God promises us the free and undeserved generosity that the late comers receive in this parable.
The parable ends with a reversal of expectations: “the last will be first and the first will be last.” We are in the territory of God's Kingdom where we realize that generosity of the landowner God reaches out to the last called as equally as to the first; that, in Jesus, God is present to the people who are poor, sick, disabled: that the tax collectors and the prostitutes all have equal access if they answer their call into the “vineyard,” the symbol of God's holy people. Even if someone lives a horribly sinful life, yet on their last breath asks for mercy – mercy will be given.
As we listen to this parable as a Eucharistic community, we are powerfully reminded of the equality and solidarity of all God's laboring disciples who receive the same food at the same table. Yet are there people about whose presence we are judgmental? And outside of Mass, is our vision of our brothers and sisters darkened by envy, and even by an unexpressed suspicion of open grumbling about God who seems to be unfair with his generosity - especially to me? Does making comparisons override being in communion? God does not, either, pay attention to any of today’s conspiracy theories. Nothing is hidden from God and so, he already knows the truth, and yet still give mercy.
Occasionally, we even think that our own efforts deserve more reward than the work of others. In quantifying God's generosity, we contain God within our own human terms rather than experience God within God's infinitely different ways.
The Gospel invites us to think a different way, by instead thinking of justice for all. We are called to turn our attention to the poor and to care for their well-being, just as we are called to review our priorities and to educate ourselves on the root causes of poverty. We should each take some time this week to think of the structural barriers that perpetuate poverty in our country.
The landowner in the parable is exceptionally just, making sure that all are compensated fairly, just as we receive from God more than what is justifiable. Human nature foolishly compares, complains, and holds on to preconceived notions of fairness and equality. Rather than cultivating a spirit of gratitude, our way of thinking devolves into a spirit of entitlement. May we find ourselves always open to accept God's abundant love freely and generously and share that same love with others.
Let us pray.
In today’s gospel, Jesus makes it clear that it is never too late to reform our lives and to come to God. We pray that all men and women recognize that we have a loving God who will treat us generously no matter how late in our lives we come to Him. We pray to the Lord.
We pray that we ourselves be inspired to show true Christian love and generosity to all men and women and particularly to the hungry, the homeless, the refugee, the sick and the outcasts of our society. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for employers that they may be fair and just towards all who work for them. We pray to the Lord.
On today, World Day of Migrants and Refugees, we pray for all those who flee war, hunger and poverty that they may be received generously by those who are blessed with peace, prosperity and a better life. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for those who have suffered the trauma of abuse. May they experience healing in their lives, and grow in self-esteem and confidence in others. We pray to the Lord.
We pray particularly for those who have been abused in our Church that the wrongs inflicted on them do not serve as a barrier to their relationship with their loving Father in Heaven. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for those with the responsibility of protecting our children and vulnerable adults. We pray that they have the full support of government, church and community in their most important mission. We pray to the Lord.
For generous benefactors who can help our tiny parish with needed repairs and better fiscal foundation. We pray to the Lord.
For those on our parish prayer list, that they may receive swift answers to their needs and that they may find consolation through Christ’s healing presence. We pray to the Lord.
We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers (pause). We pray to the Lord.
Father God, you call us to think outside of our binaries so that we love others, even those we classify as less worthy, all in the same way. You call us to be generous as you are generous. Your generosity does not see others within the constraints of our judgmentalism. We thank you for this, fore if this were not true, many of us would be left with nothing and hungry.
Your love, O God, goes beyond monetary values and goes even further granting your grace in so many ways to all equally. We ask, O God, that you help us to love in the radical way of Jesus. His love too is over-powering. His love was for those who lived pious lives, while equally loving the sinner. We come to you this day wanting to learn this love; wanting to learn this generosity. Fill us with your generosity so that we can go about giving out this generosity equally to those have worked hard as well as those who have worked only a short time. We ask all these things through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
God Love You.
The Most Rev. Robert Winzens
Pastor – St. Francis Chapel
San Diego, CA.
As a small parish, we come to you all as beggars! All non-profits compete for your support, and many serve the community’s great needs, and we do not ask you to stop giving to them. But maybe one week or month, we ask that you consider a small donation to our humble parish. Your generous support also allows us to continue these important projects that fuel the movement of progressive Christianity. God will look on your donation grant you his grace in abundance! Thank you and God bless you! +++
+ The Most Rev. Robert Winzens DD, STL, CPC Liberal Catholic Church Presiding Bishop Archbishop – Province of the United States and Diocese of the West
Chancellor - St. Clement Theological Seminary Pastor - St. Francis Chapel 741 Cerro Gordo Ave. San Diego, Ca. 92102 (619)871-8002
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