Workers in the vineyard:(Is 55:6-9;Ps 145:2-3.8-9.17-18;Phi 11:20-24.27:Mtt 20:1-16

DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Is 55:6-9;Ps 145:2-3.8-9.17-18;Phi 11:20-24.27:Mtt 20:1-16 25th Sunday of Year A)

The actual meaning of the parable of the workers in the vineyard is to be deduced from Jesus’ concluding phrase: Thus, the last will be the first and the first, the last. The parable, however lends itself to other nuances of interpretations. With this parable,Jesus was chiding the Pharisees, the scribes, and those Jewish people who prided themselves as the first to be called to salvation .They were pretty certain to enter into God’s kingdom and considered those they regard as sinners and the publicans to be far from the kingdom of heaven, if at all they were to be admitted. Jesus was in effect saying: 

• (i) All the people who are called to work in the vineyard of the Lord, that is, called to salvation, have all the same reward. 
• (ii) And what is more, among those who are called, the last shall be the first in the kingdom of God. Indeed, while sinners like Zaccheus, the thief who was crucified with Jesus, the Roman Centurion who was at Calvary during the crucifixion of Jesus, and then later on, the pagan nations welcomed the gift of salvation brought by Jesus Christ, with enthusiasm and ardent faith,while the Jews (who considered themselves as the first to be called) especially their leaders were giving stiff opposition to Jesus. They even handed him over to be put to death by crucifixion, persecuted his disciples, thereby incurring the risk of being excluded in the kingdom of heaven, as Jesus enunciated through another parable in the Gospel.
  
   

This parable of the workers in the vineyard, however, can be applied profitably at any give time; it has perennial  and universal application/value. It can be applied to the context of today’s Christianity.

•  (a) The kingdom of God, whose nature is being illustrated in the parable, is salvation being offered to people through our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is in and through the Church that God realises his own plan of salvation, kingdom and rulership to the world. This salvation is, finally, the eternal life in which God shall be all in all. 
• (b) The call to salvation and membership in the Church through faith and baptism is a gratuitous gift of God and unmerited grace. In the parable, it is the owner of the field who took the initiative to engage the workers in the field. 
• (c) The call is also a call to work, to discharge one’s duties. The workers have to work in the vineyard of the master and not lazy about. Work and duty mean living up to the expectations and responsibilities of the call, realising one’s personal sanctification, co-operating for the growth and development of the Christian community to which one belongs, spreading the salvific message of Christ and expanding his kingdom in the world. 
• (d) The owner of the vineyard engages the workers at different times of the day: early morning, at nine, noon, three and five and even in the evening. The call to salvation and membership of the Church comes at different phases of life. Some are called early in life, in their childhood, some in their youthful days, others as matured people and even some at the sunset of their lives. It is not important at what phase one is called, what is rather important is to answer the call effectively and also react well to the grace of God who calls. Indeed, it means working with alacrity and cheerfully in the vineyard of the Lord, who calls. 
• (e) The payment will be the same for all who answer the call and work in the vineyard from whenever they were called. In the parable, those who were called first protested the seeming injustice. God was not unjust to any of the workers, nor did He injure anyone. He wanted not only to be just to some people, but went beyond justice to show mercy, generosity and magnanimity. There was no need to be envious, rather it behoves the workers in the vineyard and us to appreciate God’s generous comportment. Even when one reflects on the situation very well, there is no atom of reason to be angry and envious because the payments were equal for all. And, what is more,   the ultimate wage is God himself, the perfect communion of life with him and when one has God there is the fullness and perfection of happiness, there should be no room for envy and jealousy.

The second reading offers us perfect model of a worker who is completely dedicated to his duty in the Lord’s vineyard. Paul, the apostle for him, to live is Christ, for Christ was his only reason of life. Equally, for him, to die would be gain because he would then be beside the Lord for ever. But if he had the option to choose between uniting with Christ in death and continuing working and suffering for the Church of Christ, he would willingly take the second option. This is Paul! What of us? Do we work seriously in the vineyard of the Lord, which is our souls that has been sanctified and redeemed by the blood of Christ? Do we really make progress, or are we passive and slothful? Do we work for the good of the Church, the Christian community in which we live or do we live there inactive and passive? We, who were called at the early phase of our lives should realise that we have been particularly favoured by the divine providence, because we have been enjoying God’s nearness in our lives; we have gone into several dangers and we have always been saved from so  many shameful and sad adventures.  All these should fill our our hearts with sentiments of gratitude to the Lord and stimulate us to respond to God’s call with more seriousness in  carrying out our Christian duties and persevering in doing good.  May we therefore ask the almighty God, during the Sunday Eucharistic celebration, to grant us the grace to be hard working in the vineyard He has called us to, by  cooperating with His graces towards realising in our lives the  effects of the salvation, which Jesus Christ has wrought with his life, death and resurrection.Happy Sunday!

 +John I. Okoye

(Images and graphics by blogger)