Work in the vineyard and just wage for it are the main themes in today’s gospel. It was quite normal during the time of Jesus for a vineyard owner to pick up workers every morning, to agree with them a wage, to pay it in the evening, as it is narrated in the parable of today’s gospel. At that time there were many dailey wagers who could not find a job or whom none of the owners picked up for work. Some people had to Waite for many days to get picked up for work. They were very happy if someone had picked them up even for an hour for a less wage. In some countries this practice is existing even today.
The reason for the un-satisfaction and problem among the wagers in today’s parable of Jesus is the thinking from the part of the wagers that the owner was unjust in the payment of the wages. Those who worked more hours expected more wages than those who worked only a few hours or only an hour even. Those who worked only an hour got the same wage of those who worked morning till evening staying the whole day under the heating sun. But they got of course the agreed wage.
The conflict starts as those who worked the whole day expected more wage. If they had known the owners way of doing, some of them would have come only in the last hour to work because for the the wage was important not the work. In that respect Jesus gives the message that the work is not only to yearn wages but also service to the humanity. The service can not be measured with the wage one is getting; it is much more than that.
The wager who started to work in the last hour had said that nobody had picked them up. Therefore they were waiting the whole day in the hope of being picked up. They were thankful for being picked up for the work of an hour and a very small wage; but to get the whole days wage was a big donation for them which had made them very happy. Their patient waiting for the whole day has rewarded them. The patient waiting for the whole day is really painful for some one who is in need. But the patient waiting will have its merit and its advantage. To hope for fulfilment of the expectations and to work and waite for it is the message of it.
Jesus considers the handling of the owner just because every one got the agreed wage. Jesus would say that we are not supposed to compare with others on what recognition others get and that we should be generous towards our fellow humans. Every one becomes what it needs is the theme.
Jesus compares the vineyard with heaven and says with this parable that in heaven there is another order of justice.
To compare with others and to think that one is better or one performs more and thereby expects more reward or a better rank would lead to disappointment.
Vineyard is compared to the church. After his election as the Pope in the 2005 Pope Benedict said: “I am a simple worker in the vineyard of the Lord”. This sentence became world famous. If the church is compared to vineyard every diocese and every parish is a small vineyard. Not only the Pope or the bishop or the parish priest a worker in the vineyard of the Lord, every Christian is a worker in the vineyard of the Lord. But if someone begins to compare it’s performance with the performance of others and begins to demand more reward in accordance with the performance then there would begin problems. But the certitude that we are simple workers in the vineyard of the Lord will help us to work together to establish the kingdom of God.
If we consider the contribution of the church to the different areas of ministry church has contributed in all most all the areas of life.
The justice of God should influence us in our thinking, not the human concept of justice. As humans we are all equal before God. Therefore an equal wage is just in the eyes of God.
In history of Christianity the church has contributed for the welfare of the world as it needed support and help, for example in helping the refugees, the poor, disabled or the old. All these groups of people are considered equal to others. They need the same care and the same respect. In the justice of God it does not matter who got more or who deserve more but whether all got the needed and all got what was promised to him.
The keyword of the story is the words of owner that he did not do any injustice to those who worked from the morning till the evening and his question whether they had received the agreed wage. The theme is the generosity of God. God is loving caring and generous. We should be grateful for God‘s generosity. We are not supposed to be jealous of it. God gives a chance even to the weak, specially abled, to those who are late and even to those who were not behaving well.
We should be grateful to it.
“We are simple workers in the vineyard of the Lord.” Let us grateful to the Lord who hads picked us up.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS