Come to my vineyard

 

 

Psalm 145:2-3,8-9,17-18

R(18a) The LORD is near to all who call upon him.

2 Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever.  
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.  
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  
9 The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.  
17 The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.  
18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

 

Sunday (9/18): "Do you begrudge my generosity?"

 

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.' 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12 saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first last."

 

-Reflection on the Gospel-

 

Years ago, when both my wife and I were still just a young and naive couple, we had to move several times from an apartment to another apartment before settling down finally in a house. Having become conscious about the increasing costs brought about by moving so much, I decided to look for an alternative to the moving company. Then one of my friends informed me that there were plenty of laborers who would work just for a day on inexpensive wage, on certain street corners of downtown in Los Angeles.

So, one early morning I drove my car to the street corner nearby the Olympic Boulevard and Normandie Avenue.

 

As I slowed down to approach on the street, I could see group of people standing or sitting on there. As soon as they noticed my car was passing by them slowly, they all turned to my direction and began to come forward. 

I rolled down the car window, sticking out my hand and raised two fingers to make victory sign, meaning I needed two helpers that day.

 

But it was obvious that there were many more than just two who were so willing to work for me. They swarmed on my vehicle and tried to open all doors. I thought I had even seen some people struggled to come in through the small window of Toyota Corolla station wagon.

 

I somehow managed to drive out of the place, and looked back to check the back seat. Four people were sitting squeezed in the back, all covered with sweat and dirt. Another uninvited passenger was sitting in front seat, on my side. I had to remind them that I needed only two helpers, and asked three people who got in the car late that they need get out. It was not a pleasant thing to see them getting off the car reluctantly.

 

That day, I learned how they tried to make a living just by waiting for someone to call and pick them up. one of the workers said if you are not selected, that means you go home hungry with hands empty. Oftentimes there are people who spend a whole day out in the street corner without having one meal for the day.

 

Waiting all day in a street corner, being exposed to the heat, cold and rain… and there are times nobody comes and takes you, until sun sets in. You are so unlucky if you are a loser. Can this be called a fair game?

 

God certainly knows that our life is hard. He seems to have no intention of honoring the rules of the market place, which is our world. What he thinks as fairness is different from human terms. He is the creator. Creating a living being means willing to allow the creature an opportunity to live happy life. Thus all living beings on earth are given the equal opportunity to enjoy fullness of life. 

That is why he keeps coming back to the market place, looking for people who are lost and isolated. He raises the fallen and gives strength to those who have given up hope. He comes and finds the abandoned. He commands the losers who were wandering without direction to move.

 

He initially invited everyone to his vineyard, offering meaningful work and promises satisfying wages. Life must become perfect in his land.

But as we are out in the marketplace, we become carried away by all the other illusive distractions of the world, which occupy our attentions. In such state one falls to believe it must be hard to enter the kingdom of heaven. 

 

But God still comes and calls us in the marketplace. Maybe we forgot to respond in the first place. Even the second time when he comes back to take us, we still may not feel ready. on the last hour of the day, God again comes down and look everywhere to search for those who remain to wander in the marketplace under the dimming sunlight.

 

It becomes clear that His vineyard is open for everyone. Those who came first worked hard. But those who are accepted at the last moment enjoy the same right and wages. Their joy in awareness of working in the vineyard is even greater because they know they were finally saved after endless, frustrating waiting. Their appreciation becomes greater than that of those who were chosen early. They can repent more deeply from their sin.

 

Don’t they deserve same wages with who settled early in the vineyard?

Jesus not only told this parable for today but also showed God’s way of inviting his people in the same way. As we know many who responded and followed him were saved.

 

When two young disciples asked him about where he was staying, Jesus invited them by simply saying “Come and see,” which changed their life.

He said “Come all who are laden with heavy burden. I will give you rest.”

 

When Peter emerged wet and cold from lake after swimming in lake to quickly get toward him, resurrected Jesus already prepared fire and warm meal. And he invited the disciple. Come, have breakfast with me.?

 

God always comes and calls us.

 

The kingdom of Heaven is not a place that excludes anyone. The kingdom sets the border on the infinite mercy.

 

I can turn to you to ask question:

On what hour of the day did you answer to God’s calling?

Was it the first time you heard his voice? Probably no.

But next time when you can hear again it will grow clearer and stronger.

Since God continuously calling us into his land, His invitation is effective always as now at present moment.

 

All we have to do is to open heart and gladly say yes to his saving grace.

Remember, the longer the waiting, the greater the joy of being called.

So don’t get disappointed even when we seem to have lost direction in the dark and confusion. If you feel like failure, know that it is temporary and will pass away in waiting. We need to persevere in the hope of being saved.

 

We are waiting for God who is coming back not to leave any one in darkness.

So do not hesitate any longer when you know hearing his voice.

Remember, the longer the waiting, the greater the joy of being called.

So be ready to answer God with all strength, "Lord, here I am."

 

- by Augustine Won