Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
August 18, 2021
Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 421
Reading I
All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together
and proceeded to make Abimelech king
by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem.
When this was reported to him,
Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there,
cried out to them in a loud voice:
“Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you!
Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’
But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil,
whereby men and gods are honored,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’
But the fig tree answered them,
‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’
But the vine answered them,
‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men,
and go to wave over the trees?’
Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’
But the buckthorn replied to the trees,
‘If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith,
come and take refuge in my shadow.
Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”
Responsorial Psalm
- (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
You made him a blessing forever,
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
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.”
Reflection: THE MAGNANIMITY OF THE LORD
This parable is found only in the gospel of Matthew and sometimes called the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. However, the focus is not so much on the workers, but the owner. The master has kept to the terms of the agreement. Hence no injustice has been done. It is the master who decides that the last must be treated in the same way as the first. Here we see God's graciousness. Though the last did not deserve what they got, they were given it because of the graciousness of the master. Only in the realm of grace is the equal treatment of all the workers possible. The parable teaches us that God's grace is granted also to those who come last. The eleventh-hour people were the sinners and the Gentiles. Those who were working all day were the Jews. The vineyard was the Kingdom of God. So what Jesus was saying is that God is offering the Kingdom to sinners and Gentiles on equal terms with the Jews. The Jews objected. They did not think it was fair. They thought they deserved preferential treatment since they did the Lord's work all their lives. They felt they were superior to others. They did not want this kind of generosity as it equalled everything. They assumed that God worked on a merit system. According to this system, you earn your graces by hard work and God will give you a fitting reward. Work little and you will get little. But Jesus makes it plain that God does not work on this reward system. He is our heavenly Father who is over generous. His generosity is extended to everybody, even sinners and Gentiles. We should not limit God. The truth is that we are all eleventh-hour workers. Therefore, we stand to benefit from God's extraordinary goodness. Finally, it is not the length of service that matters but the amount of love we put into it. It is a privilege to work all day in the Lord's vineyard rather than hanging around the whole day. But if God takes pity on those who hang around and treats them with kindness and compassion, we should not be jealous. It is his vineyard and he can be generous to whomsoever he wishes.