1st Reading – Isaiah 55:6-9
Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
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.
Today’s first reading is a call to worship and conversion. Like our gospel reading, it challenges us to acknowledge the profound contrast between human understanding and divine wisdom.
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near.
We should actively and diligently seek God’s presence in our lives.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts;
The words “scoundrel” and “wicked” indicate people who are struggling with a pattern of grave sin, not isolated offenses. They have embarked on a “way” (derek) of life that has led them astray.
The mention of “thoughts” (mahăshābâ, also translated as “plans”) means that Isaiah is addressing more than just external behavior; the sinfulness resides in their hearts and minds.
Let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
The Hebrew word for “turn” (shûb) is the twelfth most frequently used verb in the Old Testament. Its primary meaning revolves around the concept of turning or returning, often with the implication of turning away from sin and toward God.
These exhortations are not merely suggestions; the verb forms are imperatives. The people are being summoned to worship and repentance.
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
Isaiah assures them God will be compassionate (rāham) toward them.
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.
The depth of God’s mercy and compassion are beyond our comprehension; he does not judge in the same way we do.
In fact, the differences between humanity and the divine are so profound that Isaiah compares it with the expanse between the heavens and the earth. The heavens are seen as far above and beyond the scope of the earth, symbolizing the incomprehensible nature of God’s wisdom — and an immeasurable gap between God’s ways and human ways.
2nd Reading – Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a
Brothers and sisters:
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.
This week we begin a four-week study of Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
Philippi is a city in present-day northeastern Greece, north of the Aegean Sea. It is named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. The church Saint Paul founded there around 51 AD was the first Christian church in all of Europe.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is filled with joy, gratitude, and encouragement. He wrote it while imprisoned in Ephesus, probably around 55 AD. Its central theme revolves around rejoicing in Christ regardless of circumstances.
We join the letter after Paul has shared that his experience in prison has actually served his evangelistic mission:
“My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear” (Philippians 1:12-14).
Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
Paul is commited to a singular goal: the exaltation of Christ. He is not focused on his own circumstances but on the greater purpose of magnifying Christ, regardless of whether he continues to live or faces death.
The phrase “in my body” (sōma) indicates he is talking about physical life and death and not speaking metaphorically.
This isn’t just an intellectual exercise on Paul’s part; he is in prison and the prospect of his imminent death is very real.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
Here we see Paul’s deep devotion, as his entire existence is centered on Christ. Living means continuing his work as an apostle of Christ; his martyrdom will also bear witness to Christ.
Paul’s contemplations of death are completely detached from any concerns about personal safety and comfort. He is not wishing for death as a way out of his misfortune and suffering.
“It seems that for him death would be profitable and life would be more a penalty. For this reason Paul says for me ‘life is Christ, and death is gain.’ The death of the body is nothing amid the spirit of life. So we too are ready to die with Christ that we may live with Him.” [Saint Ambrose of Milan (378 AD), The Death of His Brother Satyrus 2,40]
If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two.
Paul wrestles with a dilemma. Continuing to live would allow him to further his very successful ministry (“fruitful labor”); however, death would bring him into Christ’s presence.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.
The Greek verb Paul uses for “depart” is analýo, which means “to loosen” or “to break up.” It gives the sense of casting off, like a boat leaving the harbor, or pulling up stakes, like leaving a campsite.
Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
There is a profound tension between Paul’s personal desire to be with Christ and his sense of duty to both the Philippian community and his broader mission of spreading the gospel.
“How great was his affection for the believers, that he does not choose what he says would be much better for himself. Rather he wants what is more profitable to many, in the assurance that what conduces to the benefit of many will also please the Lord” [The Ambrosiaster (between 366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles Philippians 1:23].
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Paul transitions from his personal reflection to an exhortation to the Christians at Phillipi. He encourages them to live in a manner consistent with the gospel of Christ, regardless of the circumstances they face.
“A person can live honestly and uprightly, but this is not adequate to Paul’s meaning. Rather we are to conduct ourselves according to Christ’s gospel regardless of what happens and to do so in a worthy manner, living according to Christ’s precepts and doing what Christ wants.” [Marius Victorinus (ca. A.D. 355), Epistle to the Philippians 1,27]
Gospel – 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.”
Today’s gospel reading is the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, which teaches us how God’s graciousness can easily be mistaken for injustice. It serves as a stern warning for anyone who feels they have more of a right to membership in the kingdom of God than another.
It’s worth noting that this parable was shared in response to Peter’s question about what the disciples who had followed Jesus from the beginning would receive: Then Peter responded to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” (Matthew 19:27). He is essentially asking what their spiritual reward will be for their loyalty and dedication.
While many of the parables Jesus taught are quite surprising, this one in particular is shocking to our sensibilities.
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.
This hiring practice was and still is relatively common in agricultural and labor-intensive societies. Landowners or farmers would often go to the marketplace or gathering places to hire laborers for their fields, especially during planting and harvest seasons when additional help was needed.
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.
The landowner continues to hire workers throughout the day, even at the third, sixth, and ninth hours. Each time he promises to pay them “what is just.”
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.’
With one hour left in the workday, the landowner finds more workers still standing idle in the marketplace.
The text notes that these workers had been there all day. Why didn’t the landowner hire them earlier? There was certainly demand for their labor because the landowner kept going out throughout the day to hire more people.
Perhaps they were known to be incompetent. Whatever the case, they were either unwanted or overlooked. This is very important to the story.
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.
It now becomes clear that Jesus is using this parable to expound on a statement he made just prior to this reading, in Matthew 19:27-30: “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
The landowner instructs his steward to pay the workers, beginning with those who were hired just before the end of the workday. Surprisingly, those hired last receive a denarius, the same wage promised to those hired at dawn.
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.’
The early workers were initially content with receiving the standard daily wage, unaware of what others were being paid. However, their expectations rose when they realized that those who had worked far less were receiving the same pay. They expected more because they worked more.
There are two details worth calling out here:
- The landowner is the most generous with the workers who were unwanted by others.
- Notice the exact nature of the early workers’ complaint: They weren’t dissatisfied with what they received, but with what others received.
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.
This is the classic definition of justice: render to each his due.
Note the landowner’s dismissiveness: “Take what is yours and go.” He is asserting his authority over the situation as the owner of the vineyard and reminding this grumbling laborer who is in control.
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?
By giving to one, the landowner has not taken away from another.
Are you envious because I am generous?’
At first glance, the laborers of the first hour seem to have a legitimate grievance. However, we must recognize that in all cases, the hiring of each worker was an unmerited invitation: to have a job in the Lord’s vineyard is a divine gift.
What the laborers mistake for injustice is in reality a classic case of envy. Their primary concern is comparing themselves to others and desiring more than what had been agreed upon.
All sins have contrary virtues for which they’re sometimes mistaken: love and lust, prudence and avarice, self-respect and pride, righteous indignation and anger, caution and sloth. The contrary virtue of envy is justice.
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The phenomenon of envy amongst believers has been present since the beginning of Christianity:
- The Pharisees resented Jesus’ idea that the common people had the same status as theirs in the kingdom of God (see Luke 18:9-14).
- In the early Church, Jewish Christians complained about equal treatment accorded the Gentiles coming into the Church. Why should Gentiles be accepted as equal members of the kingdom when the Jews had been involved in this covenant relationship for two thousand years?
- Today, established parishioners often think are entitled to more rights than newcomers, and many lifelong Christians resent “deathbed conversions.”
God owes us nothing; everything we have in this life is a gratuitous, unmerited gift. Those who called earlier than others have no grounds to complain when God calls the “last” and gives them the same unearned gift: membership in his family.
God’s gifts to those who are last should not bring envy, but loving joy.
When we embrace those who join the vineyard long after we did and share in its rewards, we transform envy into its opposite: generosity of spirit.
Connections and Themes
In the liturgical calendar, the last several weeks of Ordinary Time gradually shift focus from the responsibilities of discipleship to reflections on the end times and the final coming of Christ.
When themes of christology and discipleship appear, they do so within the context of the eschatological age of fulfillment.
Final justice. As we begin today to consider the end of time, we are invited to look closely at the character of God’s judgment. We sometimes waver between the idea of divine justice, which requires that good be adequately rewarded and evil be appropriately punished, and the idea of the mercy of God, which we hope will be generously extended to us.
Today’s readings call attention to the fact that God’s justice doesn’t conform to our human standards. God’s justice lies beyond our full understanding because it’s ultimately rooted in mercy. This implies that God considers human circumstances and frailties and doesn’t insist on strict and exact retribution.
However, there’s a requirement. The first reading calls sinners to repent and change their ways, while the second reading exhorts believers to conduct their lives in a way that is worthy of the gospel.
Lives in Christ. We all find comfort in this perspective on divine judgment because we all know we need God’s mercy. Yet, we can feel cheated when others experience this same mercy. It’s as if we believe God should distribute mercy based on merit, and we are the ones who set the standards. Those who persist in this line of thinking often end up frustrated with God and bitter toward those they think receive more than they deserve.
As disciples of Christ, it’s inconsistent of us to proclaim God’s mercy and then be filled with resentment when others experience it. That same divine mercy can work within our hearts to replace pettiness and indignation with generosity. It can even transform us so that we can extend mercy rather than demand retribution.
Judgment belongs to God alone, and he exercises it mercifully. As members of his kingdom, we are called to embody the same generosity, love, and mercy — the way Saint Paul did.
God’s generosity. One of the most striking things about the parable in the gospel reading is the landowner’s relentlessness in pursuing laborers, his willingness to hire the ones that others overlooked or didn’t want, and his payment of a full day’s wage.
Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like this landowner. God takes the initiative in seeking us out. God takes the initiative to seek us, choosing us despite our unworthiness and generously giving himself to us.
To love God’s kingdom is to love God and his ways, even though, as we heard in the first reading, God’s ways are not our ways. It’s tempting to measure our lives by what we imagine we deserve, but in reality, God is always giving us far more than we deserve, even in calling us to labor in his kingdom!
Sunday Readings 