Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16a
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.”
God
certainly does not think the way we think, nor does He make decisions based on
the way we make decisions. There are times when God’s decisions are not what we
would have wanted or expected. His ways may sometimes seem difficult for us to
understand. Nevertheless, we are called to follow and obey Him, even when we do
not fully understand His plans and ways.
In
the Gospel, the workers who had worked much earlier in the day complained to
the landowner because they received the same wage as those who had worked only
late in the afternoon. Why did they complain to the landowner?
They
complained because they thought there was an injustice in the way the landowner
paid them. But there was no injustice because all of them had agreed to receive
the usual daily wage. The landowner simply chose to be generous to everyone.
This
Gospel reminds us that God's generosity cannot always be measured according to
our human understanding of fairness. We may sometimes look at what happens
around us and think, “That is not fair.” We may compare our blessings with
those of others and wonder why some seem to receive more than we do, despite
what we believe we have done or deserved.
There
may also be events in our own lives when we are tempted to question God's
wisdom and His decisions. When our prayers seem unanswered, when our plans do
not unfold as we hoped, or when we see others receiving blessings that we have
long been praying for, we may find ourselves asking, “Lord, why?”
Yet,
who are we to question the infinite wisdom of God? Who are we to complain
before Him when we know that His understanding is far greater than ours? We see
only a small part of the picture, while God sees the whole of our lives.
Instead
of constantly questioning God, why not learn to trust Him more deeply? Why not
humble ourselves before Him and surrender our plans, expectations, and desires
to His loving will? We may not always understand His ways, but we can always
trust that He knows what is best for us.
Let
us therefore ask for the grace to rejoice not only in the blessings we receive
but also in the blessings given to others. Let us allow God to free our hearts
from comparison, envy, and resentment, and teach us to celebrate His generosity
wherever we see it.
When
God’s ways do not make sense to us, will we still have the humility to trust
Him, the faith to obey Him, and the love to rejoice in His generosity toward
others?— Marino J. Dasmarinas
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