Today's Gospel - Master Hiring Laborers for His Vineyard

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PeteZaHut

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What are we supposed to get from this?

Jesus compares heaven to a landowner who hires laborers for his vineyard for the day. He hired laborers at the start of the day, and they agree to the usual daily wage. He also hires laborers later in the day and some near the end of the day. At the end of the day, the landowner pays all the laborers the same amount. The workers who worked all day are upset because they worked longer than the others, but received the same amount. The landowner responds that they haven’t been cheated becase they were paid what they agreed upon. Why should they be upset that he was generous to the other workers?

I can easily sympathize with the laborers who worked all day. I had a summer job this summer. I found out that there were some employees in lower positions than I, and they were receiving hirer wages. I thought of this Bible passage and realized that I wasn’t technically being cheated; I was still receiving the wage that I agreed to. But, I still couldn’t help but be angry. If I knew that my subordinates would be paid more than me, I wouldn’t have agreed to that wage in the first place. I felt like I was taken advantage of.

Then, I realized, this is a parable, and there must be a deeper meaning.

Like others I know, it’s hard for me to understand how people could truly deserve eternity in hell as a just punishment for the sins they commit on earth (obviously there are exception, vicious murderers, etc.). I know the church teaches that a mortal sin turns you away from God. I do not deny that teaching, so I am not trying to say anything contrary to the church. It’s just one of those parts of the faith that I don’t completely understand.

Anyway, it led me to think this about today’s Gospel. Is Christ perhaps saying that we should not be jealous of God’s mercy to others? Since God lets big sinners and small sinners into heaven, is this saying that the more saintly shouldn’t be jealous that God saves those big sinners too?
 
Yes, you’re right. But the other point is that the folks who don’t come to God until the eleventh hour shouldn’t be afraid that God won’t be merciful to them; because he is still hiring every taker, right up until the last moment, and the pay is good!

Considering that most of us have our times of being the worker who’s been there all day, and other times of being the desperate last-moment guy, this sort of parable with two sides is very useful and consoling.
 
Yes, this is one that always makes me stop and think. 🙂
Here’s one take on it:

Commentary:

1-16. This parable is addressed to the Jewish people, whom God called at an
early hour, centuries ago. Now the Gentiles are also being called – with an equal
right to form part of the new people of God, the Church. In both cases it is a mat-
ter of a gratuitous, unmerited, invitation; therefore, those who were the “first” to
receive the call have no grounds for complaining when God calls the “last” and
gives them the same reward – membership of His people. At first sight the labo-
rers of the first hour seem to have a genuine grievance–because they do not rea-
lize that to have a job in the Lord’s vineyard is a divine gift. Jesus leaves us in
no doubt that although He calls us to follow different ways, all receive the same
reward – Heaven. ~ The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries ~
 
This parable is very much like the parable of the prodigal son. The elder brother who had done everything right was very jealous when his father showered mercy and thankgiving on the prodigal son. In the same way the workers who had worked all day were very jealous of the same pay that the workers received who had hardly worked at all. We should never be jealous of God’s mercy toward others. God wants all of us to come to him and receive his salvation.
 
I always wonder where were those late hires when he was looking for workers earlier?
 
An interpretation which may be of interest:

This passage of scripture can have a particular interpretation and/or message to any of us who may be discerning a call to the priesthood later in life .

Although , in the US at least, there is some evidence that younger men may be becoming priests now , God still calls some men later in life.

The considerations for someone discerning a late vocation are a little different from those of younger candidates. Some men actually wonder if they still have what it takes to go through some of the rigors and complete their studies; and then, whether they might have what it takes to serve in whatever capacity they may be assigned to , once ordained. Certain seminaries provide for specialized needs a little more in this domain than others.

So , for someone discerning a call later in life, but not so sure if they might be able to see it all the way through should they commit , this passage from scripture can provide a *whole lotta * encouragement . A labourer being called last, then being called first on payday to receive the same wage as those who have toiled the entire day in that line of work , could be God’s way of saying:

“I still need you - my sheep still need you”, and, “A priest is a priest.”

I agree 100% with the OP that
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PeteZaHut:
“… we should not be jealous of God’s mercy to others.”
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. 👍

The parable of the prodigal son expresses a similar sentiment as it is concluding.
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I always wonder where were those late hires when he was looking for workers earlier?
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Israel had been laboring throughout salvation history. Gentiles, on the other hand, were not equal members of God’s people until they were included in the New Covenant.
 
Father Pacwa gave a good homily on this last week at EWTN. The parable refers to those called to be followers of Christ. Some start following early in their lives. Some later (like me, hence my nickname here). Those who start earlier should not be jealous of those who start later. As Father Pacwa said, you are in heaven, why do you care about others that have entered. You are in heaven. He said we don’t need to worry about others, we just need to focus on “our task at hand,” what God has given us to do in our lives. Of course, I don’t think he meant that we don’t literally need to worry about others. We need to worry about others in a charitable way, helping them to join us in Christ, but we don’t need to worry about them in a jealous or covetous manner, i.e., “look they have labored less than I.” Thus, we joyfully celebrate all who become followers of Christ, no matter when.

Edit: I think that all of Fr. Pacwa’s homilies are good! 🙂
 
Slowlearner said:
Father Pacwa gave a good homily on this last week at EWTN. The parable refers to those called to be followers of Christ. Some start following early in their lives. Some later (like me, hence my nickname here). Those who start earlier should not be jealous of those who start later. . . .
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This reminds me of when Jesus says to Peter, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21)

We should mind our own business. 😃
 
ryanoneil said:
Israel had been laboring throughout salvation history. Gentiles, on the other hand, were not equal members of God’s people until they were included in the New Covenant.
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I think this is an extremely important point.

All through the epistles, Jewish converts to Christianity are insisting that the Gentiles need to obey the mosaic law in order to be saved. That’s what the whole of Paul’s letter to the Romans is about.

Jewish belief at the time of Jesus was that those who obey the mosaic law were helping the messiah to come and those who were disobeying the mosaic law were actually inhibiting the messiah. Jewish children were inculcated in this belief at a very early age the belief pervaded every aspect of Jewish culture. We have to recognize how abhorrent it would have been for many Jewish converts to accept Gentiles who did not obey the mosaic law not only as equals, but as brothers whom they are to love and even give their lives for. Paul even had to lecture Peter, who in spite of his revelation from God about dietary laws, Cornelius, and his personally bestowing the Holy Spirit on Gentiles, still seperated himself from Gentiles when he found it expedient to do so.

25 centuries under the heavy yoke of the mosaic law and all of a sudden the pagan, Baal worshipping, child sacrificing, prostitute pork-eaters are let in for free??? What the… ???

That would have been their reaction.

-Tim-
 
Hi,
Looking backward it may refer to those in limbo awaiting the coming of the Messiah to obtain
the vision. Some waited centuries, and the good thief waited maybe hours. Limbo was opened
for all the saints at Jesus’ death.

It could also be applied to purgatory. Some may be there till the end of the world. So some
would be there longer than others depending on the amount of time from the end.

Maybe it refers to the time in a person’s life that conversion was made, some young,
some middle aged, and some old, and some on their deathbed.

But one thing for sure, it wan’t about social justice or fair labor laws.
 
TimothyH said:
I think this is an extremely important point.

All through the epistles, Jewish converts to Christianity are insisting that the Gentiles need to obey the mosaic law in order to be saved. That’s what the whole of Paul’s letter to the Romans is about.

Jewish belief at the time of Jesus was that those who obey the mosaic law were helping the messiah to come and those who were disobeying the mosaic law were actually inhibiting the messiah. Jewish children were inculcated in this belief at a very early age the belief pervaded every aspect of Jewish culture. We have to recognize how abhorrent it would have been for many Jewish converts to accept Gentiles who did not obey the mosaic law not only as equals, but as brothers whom they are to love and even give their lives for. Paul even had to lecture Peter, who in spite of his revelation from God about dietary laws, Cornelius, and his personally bestowing the Holy Spirit on Gentiles, still seperated himself from Gentiles when he found it expedient to do so.

25 centuries under the heavy yoke of the mosaic law and all of a sudden the pagan, Baal worshipping, child sacrificing, prostitute pork-eaters are let in for free??? What the… ???

That would have been their reaction.

-Tim-
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Agreed!

Therefore, remember that at one time you, Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by those called the circumcision, which is done in the flesh by human hands, were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person* in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it. (Eph 2:11-16)
 
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