General
The Abundant Mercy Of God
Isn’t the love of God great!? Isn’t the mercy of God awesome!? God is indeed infinitely generous, infinitely merciful, and infinitely loving, and it comes out very clearly in this weekend’s gospel. Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. He tells us it is like a landowner who goes out at the break of dawn and started hiring labourers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them the usual daily wage then sent them to his vineyard. Some hours later, the landowner saw some more men standing idle in the marketplace and told them to go to his vineyard as well and work and he will pay them what is just. And they too went to the vineyard. Much later on in the day, he did the same, sending men who weren’t doing anything, to work in his vineyard, agreeing to pay them what is just.
Then when the workday was almost done, he again went out at about five o’clock, and again he saw men who were standing idle, so he asked them, “Why have you been idly standing by whole day?” And they answered him, “sir it’s because no one has hired us.” So he sent them too into his vineyard to work. Well, we know how the rest of the story goes – at the end of the work day, the landowner goes about paying all his workers, starting with the ones who came in last and worked his way up to those who were hired first. But much to the surprise of all, they all received the same wage!
This passage can be challenging for many to understand and has caused many to say that God is not fair. How can he give the person who worked only one hour or so the same reward as the ones who worked for the entire day!? That is not fair! That cannot be fair! Many do not understand why God would reward the person who has loved and served him for a long time with the same reward as someone who has turned to God on their dying bed. There are even some cynics who think that if that is the case, what sense does it make trying to follow Jesus? The truth of it all is that God Is Mercy, and His desire is not that we should perish but rather have everlasting life. We are the ones who would want to see others punished for the wrong they have done. God on the other hand just wants to see them converted. The further we turn away from God the greater the mercy God shows to us. This truth about God is very evident in Luke Ch 15, where Jesus speaks about a shepherd having one hundred sheep and one goes astray. Jesus challenges his audience by asking “would you not leave the ninety-nine and go in search of the one?” Then again He said, “what woman with ten drachmas would not, if she lost one, light a lamp and sweep out the house and search thoroughly till she found it?” Jesus here emphasizes the importance of the ‘one’ and not wanting to lose any to the kingdom of darkness. His desire is that all should be saved and come to the fullness of God’s love and mercy.
When we enter into relationship with God, we will begin to understand how much He loves us and how much He desires that we all should be saved. We begin to understand the mercy of God and how we all are in need of it. God’s concern is always with the ‘one’, the one that has gone astray, and His desire is that the ‘one’ be saved. Does this mean that God is unjust? No it does not! 1 John 1: 9 tells us that if we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
A story was told recently about a priest who was passing by one day, and as he passed by, a beggar who was on route, begged from him saying, “Forgive me sir, but I have not eaten for some time. Please give me some money so that I can get something to eat.” So the priest dug into a pouch he was carrying, took out a gem and gave it to the beggar. The beggar hurried to the marketplace to find out how much the gem was worth. A few days later, the beggar again encountered the priest. He walked towards him took the priest’s hand and placed the gem in his hand saying, “Sir, I would like to have some of what you have in you that caused you to so freely give away a priceless gem such as this to someone you did not know.” This is how our God is with His mercy towards us. While we are busy thinking that the Kingdom of Heaven is all about judgement and God’s punishment, God freely pours out his mercy on all who seek it.
Let us pray that we too may be more like our Heavenly Father who is abounding in mercy.
Gospel Reading :- Matthew 20: 1 – 16
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,
the landowner 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,
the landowner 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.”