25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran
Generosity is the attitude of sharing whatever we have. God is Just as well as generous. When God created the world, He created everything by His words. When He created human beings, “God created man in His image, in the divine image He created him, male and female He created them.” (Gen 1: 27) God so loved the world, that he gave His only son to redeem the world. God expresses Justice and generosity, through His creation and redemption of the world.
In the first reading, we see another generous act of God: He invites His people to forsake their wicked ways and return to Him. They should not have any fear because God is very generous and forgiving, and he will forgive the sins of repentant sinners. God is always near His people as a loving Father.
Today’s parable of the landowner is also a good reminder of God’s generosity. The landowner hired laborers for his vineyard at different times of the day. However, at the end of the day, everyone received the same, daily wage. Those who were hired first complained, but the landowner proved himself just and generous. From the beginning, the landowner was clear: he agreed with those who were hired first regarding the wages. At the end of the day, he gave them the promised wage. While the first ones worked longer hours compared to the others, they were given a just wage. To the others, the landowner chose to be generous.
The context of today’s gospel is that St. Matthew was writing to the Jewish Christian community, who saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the Jewish prophecies. Some of them thought that salvation was only for the Jewish people. The truth Jesus gives to the Jewish community is this: God’s gift of salvation is offered to everyone. God will give all his children the same gift of salvation. Jesus said the prostitutes, murderers, and other sinners would be saved ahead of the religious leaders because they repented while the Pharisees and scribes continued to be hypocrites. One who repents would receive the fullness of salvation.
God has a perfect plan for your life. If others have more than you, it does not mean that God loves you less. God loves each one of us equally. In the parable, the landowner (representing God) says, “My Friend, I am not being unjust to you.” Jesus is our friend and He is not unjust to us. Think of parents and their children, parents have a different relationship with each child and special love and concern for the physically or mentally challenged. God is greater than any parent and shares His love and concern with His people, especially sinners. It is our task to listen to Him when He invites us to the vineyard.
It is never too late. It is never too late to turn to the Lord. It is never too late to be welcomed by the Lord. It is never too late to leave sin and be welcomed by the mercy of Jesus. Jesus told the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard that we have just heard. The Lord continues to go out to the marketplace every hour to invite people to His vineyard.
Learn the simple lesson in today’s scripture readings. Allow God to be God in all things that happen in our lives. When things are not working as we planned, let God be God in that situation. Trust in God, and let Him do the rest. God is compassionate and generous to us. May we also learn to share our time, talent, and treasure in His vineyard.
Parishable Items 
Leave a comment