25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Isaiah 55:6-9

Psalm 145

Philippians 1:20-24.27

Matthew 20:1-16

God: A Generous Landowner

Today’s liturgy presents us with beautiful readings, each of which is pregnant with insightful lessons. In the second reading, St Paul expresses his dilemma as he awaits his sentence in prison. He is eager to be with Christ in heaven in case he is sentenced to death, but at the same time, he wants to continue serving the course of the Gospel so as to bring people close to God.

In the gospel, the parable of the labourers of the last hour defies every human logic, especially in terms of fair wages in the work market. According to human reasoning, a landowner who hires workers at different hours of the day but gives them the same wage can hardly be said to be fair. But the main point in the parable is that God (the landowner) wants all to get “paid”, that is, to receive eternal life. He wants all to be saved, independently of the hour of their call.

This way, this parable illustrates how God’s grace and mercy work in our lives. God is just and generous. He calls us where we are and at different hours of the day. For instance, some of us have been baptized as infants, others as adults, and still others at their deathbed. But what is more important is that we are all welcomed by God: “For the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

In this perspective, God reminds us through the prophet Isaiah that his thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are our ways his ways. He is generous in forgiving. He wants the sinner and wicked man to forsake their evil ways and return to him. He is near to all who search for him. He excludes no one. God owes us nothing, and none of us has any claim to be treated differently from others. Everything comes to us as a generous gift from God. As such, it will be awkward on our part to get upset and envious when others share in God’s generosity. This was the mistake of the first hired labourers who complained because they had received the same wages as the last comers.

Instead of calculating the hours of our being believers, let us pray that all may receive Christ so that we may all have eternal life. May the Lord bless and keep all of us. 

Amen