18th August 2021
LORD, IN YOUR STRENGTH THE KING IS GLAD
Judges 9: 6-15
Psalm 21: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Matthew 20: 1-16
The persons most often emotionally hurt when dealing with their relationship to God are those who expect something different than what God desires for them.
In the First Reading, the Israelites look around at the neighbouring tribes and nations and see that the surrounding peoples have kings ruling over them. They want to keep up with the Joneses (or Canaanites) and have a king also. Although this is not what God wants for them, the people of Shechem and Beth-millo choose Abimelech to be their king. A judge named Jotham climbs up a mountain (Mount Gerizim) where he can look down at the town of Shechem. From there Jotham tells the parable of the trees looking for another tree to be the king of the trees. Those trees which are doing what they should (the olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine) continue to produce what they are called to do. They are grateful that they can bring joy and happiness to others by doing what God intends them to do – producing fruit. They do not seek to wave over the other trees. The buckthorn, a prickly bush, agrees to rule over the trees and inflicts harsh times upon the other trees. Jotham is forecasting hard times for the people for their choosing to have a king which is not according to the plan of God.
Building on the last lines of yesterday’s Gospel (“The last shall be first and the first shall be last”), today’s Gospel is Jesus’ parable about the vineyard owner who seeks day labourers to work in the vineyard. At 6:00 in the evening, the owner tells the foreman to pay the workers beginning with those who worked only one hour. They receive a full day’s pay. Those who had worked all day under the scorching sun and for twelve hours expect to be paid more. Yet, everyone is paid a day’s wage. The first hired day laborers complain to the owner about his unfair dealings. The owner said he did not cheat anyone because he gave everyone a day’s pay. He was just generous to those who worked less.
As I reflect on the readings, I realize that I often expect God to act in the way which I want God to act. I am not that much different than the people of the First Reading who decide they want a king and expect God to bless the king, even though God does not want the people to be ruled by a king at this point in their history. I also complain when I don’t think God is fair in the way God treats people, especially me, when I feel like I am on the losing end of a proposition. God does not seem to be unjust, but at times God seems to be more just to some than to others. I see people who seem to be late comers in their walk of faith. They receive blessings that I would like to have. Not that God has not been generous to me, but I envy what others have. “Why do some people get more ‘breaks’ than I get?” I ask.
God can never be accused of being unjust. Yet, the kindness and generosity of God sometimes astounds me. I am reminded of the line in Animal Farm which states, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” It seems that way with God. God seems to treat some people more equally than me. But who am I to complain about God’s generosity? I have received from God much more than I deserve. God has blessed me with life, with faith, with forgiveness, and with love. I don’t deserve any of those. I can’t earn those gifts because of what I do. Instead, I should rejoice that God has gifted others. I do not know, nor might I ever know, why God acts the way God acts. Yet, I am not in the position from which I can judge God. I am challenged to reflect on the gifts and blessing God has given me and praise and thank God for those gifts and also rejoice at the way God blesses others and gifts them.
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