'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?'- Matt 20:13b-15
Friends, God is good, all the time.
Our society-families, friends, educators, and organizations-motivates people to exert themselves and work towards achieving their dreams by letting them know that they will win if they are go-getters. And so indeed, there is nothing awkward about being go-getters. However, God's motivation for us is not about being go-getters at all. Instead, He motivates us to be go-givers.
The idea of being go-givers is reinforced heavily in the super story in the gospel about the landowner and the hired laborers. As Jesus narrates the story, we notice that his words are more revealing than work and pay issues. It is about God and us. It relates to the special times that God has reached out seeking and forming a sacred relationship with humanity-you and me.
First, God called and revealed himself to Abraham to be his God, and Abraham's descendants will become his people. Second, God called Moses and gave the commandments and the priesthood to reinforce his sacred relationship. Third, God gave the prophets to bolster the ties, calling the people to religious obedience. Four, God gave Solomon's temple to create a sacred spatial presence of God where people can go to seek him. Finally, God presented Jesus as the ultimate and the free moments to pursue all of humanity. This remains the best moment; it is a time of favor and grace.
Now, the reason the last group in the story were paid first and got the same amount with the earlier workers reveals how God places our relationship with Jesus as the utmost in line when it comes to salvation and blessings. For we also know that Jesus is before Abraham( Cf. Jn 8:58); he is more significant than Moses in deeds, and "as Moses lifted the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life" Jn 3:14-15); he is the Law(Cf. Jn 1:1); He is the super "high priest of the good things that are now already here"( Cf Heb 9:11); the temple(cf. Mark 14:58); the super prophet( Jn 4:19). He is the Eucharist and our eternal life; for he says, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day" (Jn 6:54). Thus, in Jesus, we have everything.
Consequently, there is another side to the story, which is revealed by Isaiah that if God is seeking us, we must also seek him while he is available. Isaiah said, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near"(55:6). We have all the opportunity to seek and find him in the church. God is seeking us, and I know that he will find every one of us. We can let him live inside us in the Eucharist. Many Catholic Christians keep seeking the Lord. And each weekend, as we come to our parish church to attend the Mass, Christ becomes available to us. I have great joy in my heart when I see my parishioners in their numbers joyfully worshipping together. There, Jesus is truly present in the Word, the Eucharist, and the assembly. We receive him, and we go and give Him to others. We are go-givers.
Prayer blessings: Lord, lift your people in glory and let our lips praise; our lives proclaim your goodness, and our work give you honor. Amen.