Matthew 20: 1-16
By Jerome Sabatowich
Because people in biblical times built walls around their city for protection from hostile invaders, the only way anyone could get in or out was through the city gate. The area just inside the gate was a busy place because that was where the elders met to settle the disputes of the city’s residents, traders sold their goods, and men gathered looking for work.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner who went to the city gate at daybreak, midmorning, noon, midafternoon and late afternoon to hire men to help with the harvest. The younger and stronger workers undoubtedly got jobs first. Those who were still around later in the day were the men who could not work as fast or do as much because of old age or poor health. These men were unemployed simply because no one hired them.
When it was time for the vineyard owner to pay the workers, he gave each of them a full day’s wage; those hired first felt cheated because they worked longer and harder than those hired later in the day. Naturally, the laborers who worked all day thought the vineyard owner should have paid them more than the ones who did less work. We can sympathize with these men, but we should also consider the predicament of the others.
A man needed at least a full day’s wage to feed himself and his family for one day. If a man did not find a job, his wife and children would have to go without food, and his neighbors would ridicule him because he wasn’t able to provide for his household. Therefore, the owner of the vineyard showed compassion for those he hired last by paying them more than they deserved.
The moral of the parable is clear. The owner of the vineyard is God and we are his workers. Because our God is compassionate, we can expect him to give us our daily bread. He will provide for all people, even for those who are lowly and not wanted. All we need to do is put our trust in him.
For Reflection: Take a few minutes today to thank God for his generosity. Thank him especially for necessities such as a roof over your head, food on your table, or clothes on your back, because many people in the world today do not have these things.