God's justice is his generosity

Isaiah 55:6-9; Ps 145 The Lord is near to all who call upon him; Philippians 1:20-27; Mt 20:1-16

Just a few lines from the readings today:
Isaiah speaks the words of God, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord, aS high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts."

St. Paul, as he faces trial and possible execution, writes these words from prison, "Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."

The gospel parable, "Are you envious because I am generous."


The parable this Sunday is one that evokes many emotions, usually negative emotions. The landowner in the parable goes out and hires day laborers at various times of the day and then at the end of the day he pays those who work one hour the same wage as those who work 12 hours and there arise a bit of resentment in the hearts of those who worked all day. They feel slighted and perhaps abused. They also feel cheated.

Now in order to fully understand this parable, we must go back and read chapter 19. JEsus sets this parable up in 19. Only in full context does the parable begin to unfold its meaning for us.

Quick overview of 19.

In chapter 19, we encounter JEsus encountering a rich young man who asks him a pretty good question, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This question should be the primary question we ask on a daily basis. How do we get form here to there?

JEsus asks the young man to examine his life and see if he has obeyed the commandments. Young man responds with enthusiasm that from early on, when he was knee high, he has done so. JEsus praised him for his faithfulness and then adds the following, "If you wish to be perfect, then sell all you have, give to the poor, and follow me."

The young man was overwhelmed with the words of Jesus. The gospel tells us he went away sad because he had many possessions.


JEsus speaks of how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle. We are all familiar with this passage.

Upon hearing this, the disciples cry out, "then Lord who can be saved!"

JEsus responds with words of encouragement, "for men it is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

Then Peter speaks. This is important. Peter is often rash. There is no filter between his brain and his mouth. We know people like this. Sometimes, we are like this.

Peter ask the question to Jesus, "what about us learn, we have given up everything. What should we expect from it?"


Peter has a good point. His question is one of justice. He heard Jesus tell the rich young man that he should give up everything and follow him and Peter realizes that that is exactly what he and the other 11 have done.

He wants to know, what is it for them. What is their reward, their pay scale? He is seeking Justice. What is due to them who have given all.

We all have our system of justice. It primarily goes something like this: I give you something, and you give me something back.

Thinking about justice reminds me of a note that sits on the principal's desk in St. Rose of Lima school where i was last year.

When you sit at the principal's desk, and yes I sat at the desk several times last year. The first thing you see is this note that is on Fairness and equality. The note reads, "Fairness and Equality are not the same. Fairness means you get what you need (or what is due) and equality means every one gets the same things, and this is not always fair."

The principal has that note on her desk, because students, especially young students, will often cry foul, "that is not fair." So the notes is point of reference and conversation.

And for the most part we agree with the note.

BAck to the gospel. Jesus upon hearing Peter's quest for justice responds, "you who have followed me shall likewise take your places on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel..."

Now imagine Peter hearing this invitation to sit on thrones...I bet he got a little big headed. Perhaps, he felt some what privileged, or entitled, or special.

It is in this context, JEsus gives us this parable that is about God's justice and generosity. Jesus seeks to keep Peter grounded.

The landowner hires workers and as I mentioned above, regardless of the hours they put it, he pays them all the same wage.

Those who worked for twelve hours, as they approached the foreman, "thought they would receive more."

They felt entitled. They thought they deserved a "bonus" for simply doing what they said they would do. Part of the reason for this is they didn't think the other workers deserved the pay they got. Their sense of justice was alarmed.

Now think about for a moment. We have all been there. We have often looked around and have seen people experience abundance in their life and felt alarmed. We felt they didn't deserve it, at least not according to out standard of justice. Our hearts began to cry foul, "that is not fair."

How often have we gotten angry at God because His generosity and our sense of justice didn't quite match? How dare God "make us equal" as the workers proclaimed in the parable?

We have been faithful all of our life, we struggle to make ends meet, we think and here are those who are johnny come lately and all of a sudden everything seems to work for them. This is not fair and the wrestling match ensues between us and God and our hearts get embittered and we are cry out because of injustice to us.

Which reminds of a story. The greek writer Nicolas Kazantzakis, tells of his life as a young man growing up in Greece. He, has a young man, decided to spend some time with a monk who lived on top of Mount Athos. He wanted to know what wisdom he had gain in his life of solitude. Upon arriving on the top of the mount, Nicolas, asked the monk if he still wrestled with the devil. The monk replied, "I use to when I was young, but I have grown old and tired and the devil has grown old and tired with me." Nicolas then responded, "well, then your life must be easy, without struggle." The monk replied, "No! My life is more difficult. BEfore I struggled with the devil, but now I wrestle with God."

Nicolas, upon hearing this asked the monk, "You wrestle with God. And do you hope to win!"

The monk looked at Nicolas and sighed, "No, I wrestle with God and I hope to lose."

When it comes to our sense of injustice or justice in relation to God's justice and generosity and the wrestling match that ensues, we better hope like the monk, we lose.

God sees everything, we see almost nothing.

For in the end, I would much rather be judged by God's standard of justice then my own standard. For it is His justice that is already a gift of his generosity.

Besides, the gift of labor in the vineyard is far greater than having spent my life being idle in the market place. The reward is the work itself. Imagine the workers in the parable. WHo had a better day? Those who worked for twelve hours, knowing they were gong to get paid and thus were assured their families would be taken care of and they would have food or those who spent 3/4 of the day idle and unsure as to whether or not their family would be provided for?

The work in the vineyard,the kingdom of God, is already a reward for us who labor. By our faithfulness, we have assurances that bring peace and stability. Those who have no faith spend their life in anxiety and turmoil, which is no way to live.

We better hope we lose the wrestling match and that in deed God's justice and generosity win, for his justice is already very very merciful.

In the end, we will be all treated equally. There is not more or less there is only the fullness of God for eternity.