Go Into My Vineyard

Today’s gospel has many layers for us. The first thing we need to note is that the Landowner went out to find the workers who were standing idle in the marketplace. This made me think that we must be still in order for Jesus to be able to come to us. When we wait on the Lord, He will come to us with the same invitation that the Landowner gave, “Go into my vineyard.” We have the opportunity to say yes or no to that invitation. If we are waiting for it, chances are we will say yes to it. 

The next thing to look at is that Jesus says, “And I will give you what is just.” Every other time I have read this gospel I could have sworn that he originally said I will pay you a day’s wage, but he clearly says here, “What is just.” We really need to wrap our hearts around God’s way of justice and not our own. We categorize people into various levels based on income, work ethic, neighborhood, education, physical ability, marital status, age, religion, etc. and we think it “fair” that people within these categories get what they “deserve.” God doesn’t even know how to categorize and sees us all as beloved and worthy of unconditional grace. The only way we can adopt this kind of thinking is to stay close to the source, “to go into my vineyard”, and get back on the vine. 

The Landowner goes back out at noon, three o’clock, and five o’clock and offers the same invitation to “go into my vineyard and I will give you what is just.” Obviously, the Landowner had more work that needed to be done and in order to complete the work; he needed to keep adding people to the payroll. We are all called at different times in our lives to come into the vineyard and each time we say yes to the invite, we say yes to the promise of eternal life. 

The next thing the Landowner does really shakes things up. It’s time to pay the workers and he pays the ones he hired last first and the ones he hired first last. He pays them all the same amount and of course, the ones who worked all day have something to say about it. According to the world’s standards this is totally unfair! Yep, that’s Jesus’ point; our standards are not God’s standards. Jesus is reiterating that God’s mercy is endless and His goodness is beyond our human standards (thank God). It is not for us to compare God’s generosity and to turn it into something that can be obtained if we work harder, follow more rules, or check more boxes off of our how to get to heaven list. God’s love, mercy, kindness, and goodness are meant for everyone and all we have to do is accept it. 

One of my sweet elderlies is currently close to death and wonderful hospice nurses/volunteers have been keeping vigil by her bedside. She and I have developed a friendship over the years and our conversations migrated from the superficial to the supernatural. She told me one day that she felt like she was losing her faith and asked me to tell her about mine. Our friendship then became one rooted in prayer and the spiritual. Since she has taken a turn, I try to stop in a few times daily to sing and pray over her. Most of the time she is not really coherent, but the minute I start singing, her body relaxes and a stillness descends. One time she just kept rubbing my arm as I played guitar. Two days ago she was awake and in a very labored voice, she told her nurse, “This is my friend.” As I sang she locked her gaze on me and received every note like a sponge. When I asked her if I could pray, she nodded, and a tear trickled down her cheek. I traced the sign of the cross on her forehead. She wanted to do the same for me, but she added a little something extra, as she proceeded to lick her thumb before tracing the sign of the cross on my head. It was my first wet willy blessing ever! It was all she had to give and I was humbled by the tenderness with which it was given. I know she questioned the veracity of her faith, but God’s persistence in today’s gospel broke through in her late hour and calls her to “Go into my vineyard.” Sometimes we need our friends to sing over us until we accept the invite, but God keeps pursuing us until the very end. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope
Lectionary: 421

Reading 1 JGS 9:6-15

All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together
and proceeded to make Abimelech king
by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem.

When this was reported to him,
Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there,
cried out to them in a loud voice:
"Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you!
Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'
But the olive tree answered them, 'Must I give up my rich oil,
whereby men and gods are honored,
and go to wave over the trees?'
Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come; you reign over us!'
But the fig tree answered them,
'Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit,
and go to wave over the trees?'
Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come you, and reign over us.'
But the vine answered them,
'Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men,
and go to wave over the trees?'
Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, 'Come; you reign over us!'
But the buckthorn replied to the trees,
'If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith,
come and take refuge in my shadow.
Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'"

Responsorial Psalm PS 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R.(2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart's desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him 
length of days forever and ever. 
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
You made him a blessing forever,
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

Alleluia HEB 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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."