In today’s Gospel, we hear the parable of the day workers hired by the landowner to help bring in his harvest. The surprising part is that the workers called at the end of the day, who work only 1 hour, receive the same wage as those who have worked for 12 hours in the heat of the day. It is a parable in which Jesus tries to teach us how God’s ways are often so different to our very earthly way of seeing things.

We naturally respect fairness and justice. And so does the landowner – he pays the men hired at the start of the day exactly the wage (one denarius) on which they agreed. But it is his choice to show generosity and kindness to those who start near the end of the day. Of course the parable is not only about farm labourers. In writing his Gospel, Matthew is thinking of those Jewish members of his young Christian community who feel resentful about welcoming Gentiles into the Church “at the eleventh hour” on an equal basis to their own race which had borne the heat of the day in long centuries of service and suffering. But think about it – we are all in this together, we are called to unite to bring in the harvest of God’s Kingdom and every time someone joins the team we should rejoice, not see them as a competitor!

It’s not like that nursery rhyme I remember from my childhood, “There were three in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over. So they all rolled over and one fell out…” We are not pushed out or pushed lower when someone else comes to know and believe in Jesus! For me as a priest, one of the greatest joys is when an adult, who has perhaps made a few wrong choices on the journey of life, comes to talk about their desire to really live their faith and be an active member of the Church. Thanks be to God! At the heart of our shared mission as Christians is the call to help others to know God. So may this parable help us to see that more clearly and become more ardent, generous and compassionate labourers in God’s vineyard.

With blessings & prayers from Fr Richard, Fr Ephrem & all the parish team
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