September 20, 2020
25th Sunday Ordinary
The parable of the “Laborers in the Vineyard†creates lively debate in Bible Study groups and riles listeners at Mass. Many will have sympathy for those who “bore the day’s burden and heat.†It just does not sound fair to give the same amount of pay to workers who have labored longer.
It depends on what group we are in – whether we are among the grumblers or among those tipping their hats to the landowner. We can think of ourselves waiting at the end of the day for the “usual daily wage†promised by the vintner or landowner. If we are among those hired late in the day at 3 PM and 5 PM we will be delighted to receive the usual daily wage. If we are among those hired early in the day, at dawn, 9 AM and noon, we would expect more even though we receive “the usual daily wage†that we had agreed upon when we started to work.
But a case can be made for the landowner. The vintner goes out five times in one day to hire workers. The vintner does not offer a handout but offers a job. What he offers each laborer is the “usual daily wage†that will provide the means for the laborer and his/her family to eat, clothe themselves and have shelter. Today, in this pandemic, there is increased unemployment, and many are underemployed. Owners of businesses take risks and accept loses for keeping their workers employed. Government and the private sector (management and labor) have responsibility for protecting the rights and dignity of workers by ensuring a living wage that provides all the essentials for life including health care.
Are you ready? Jesus’ parable of the “Laborers in Vineyard†may not be about paying a fair or just wage! The landowner needs workers for the vineyard. It is harvest time. Jesus’ parable may be less about the economy and more about entry into the Kingdom. Jesus may well be speaking about the end time when there will be a sorting out, a time of judgment and salvation. Near the end of the parable, the vintner asks the disgruntled workers: “Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?†A better translation from the Greek text reads: “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?†Jesus is making a point! The disciple’s payment, no matter how long or short one serves, “consists of unique divine gifts and graces humans could never attain on their own, such as the constant caring companionship of the Lord. To those who disagree with how God distributes divine gifts Jesus gives a clear directive: “Take what is yours and go home.†(Elizabeth Nagel, Workbook for Lectors, page 253.)
My mom would say, when someone died, that “he or she would receive his or her reward.†It was never intended or understood as something monetary or negative but as a blessing as God’s gift of heaven, eternal life in Christ.
Previous:
24th Sunday Ordinary
Next:
27th Sunday Ordinary
