First Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9
Reflection:
This Sunday’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah is a call to repentance while the opportunity still presents itself. God is “generous in forgiving.” He is merciful and will even grant forgiveness to someone who has a deathbed conversion, repenting from a lifetime of sin. But we need to seek him and call out to him. God desires our hearts. He wants us to turn to him, accepting his invitation to come work in His vineyard (as we will hear in this Sunday’s Gospel). Have you ever heard the saying “better late than never”? That’s true of repentance and conversion. It’s much better to turn to God late in life than never at all. Yet, another saying would apply here too: “better now than later.” For we never know when it will be too late. God calls us to turn to Him now. Living for God is not something we should think, I’ll have time for that later, or, I’ll take my faith more seriously when I get older. Rather, we should respond to God’s invitation now, turning from sin in our lives through repentance in order to live for God. God’s ways are far above our ways. He knows what is best. If we follow Him and live for Him, He will not lead us astray. God knows what He is doing and we should trust Him, allowing Him to lead our lives where He wants us to go. Let us, therefore, be faithful workers in God’s vineyard.
Second Reading: Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a
Reflection:
Here the Apostle Paul gives us a great example of going “all in” for Jesus Christ. He sees His life as entirely about following Christ in order for Christ to be “magnified” in him. When Paul was writing this letter to the Philippians he was in prison. This imprisonment was likely in Rome and Paul knew it would likely end with his execution. But Paul did not see death as an end, but a beginning. In fact, he said, “death is gain.” Why would Paul see death as a benefit or gain? Because he believed death in Christ results in union with Christ for eternity. Paul knew that the sufferings of this earthly life are temporary but for those of us who believe in Christ and live for Him we can experience eternity in heaven in the presence of God. Paul desired heaven. At the same time, he desired to continue serving Christ on earth. He knew he was called to minister to people. If his execution was delayed, he could continue to minister in Christ’s name and this would be beneficial. But if he were to be killed, then he himself would experience something even more beneficial–transition from this life to heaven where he would be in the very presence of the One he was serving: Jesus Christ. Paul, therefore, serves as a great example of submitting himself completely to the will of God.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 20:1-16a
Reflection:
At first glance, this parable seems unjust. How could those who only worked one hour get paid as much as those who worked all day? In order to understand the meaning of this parable, we must first recognize who the characters in the story represent. Here the vineyard represents the kingdom of heaven. The landowner is God. The workers then are God’s people. The first workers represent the Israelites, for they were chosen first and given God’s initial covenants. The workers hired later represent the Gentiles (or “other nations”) who were later invited into the kingdom. Even though the Gentiles were welcomed into the kingdom at a later time than the Israelites, their reward would be no less. The landowner gives a just payment to those who worked all day. He did not short-change them nor reduce their pay because of the workers who came later. They received what they were promised. In a similar way, God will not shortchange the Israelites. They were given promises and chosen first to be God’s people. He will remain faithful to His promises to them. But He also has the right and authority to invite others in. The kingdom is not only for the Israelites. It is also for the Gentiles. In fact, it is for all nations. By paying the later workers the same wage as the earlier workers, God is not being unfair but is showing that all are equal in His eyes within His kingdom. Rather than reading the parable as unjust, we see God’s tremendous generosity evidenced here.
Application:
- Have you ever thought something like, I’ll take my faith more seriously later in life? Life gets busy and there is often the temptation to put off what is really important: our relationship with God. We often think we’ll make that a priority later. This Sunday’s readings remind us to take action now. Reflect on what steps you can take today to turn to God and be a faithful worker in His vineyard. Are you willing to go “all in” like the Apostle Paul and live for God?
