For many are called

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

In yesterday's reading, Jesus spoke to his disciples about the difficulty of attaining the kingdom of God with attachment to riches. (See With God all things are possible.) They discussed the sacrifices the disciples themselves had made, and what their reward will be. Jesus ended yesterday's reading with the statement, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." And today, he continues to elaborate on the rewards of the kingdom for the faithful - those who are with him as his disciples, and those who will come. We begin with a parable for today's reading, in which Jesus further illustrates the nature of the kingdom in this particular respect of reward.

My study bible has a long note on this entire passage which I will report here: "Jesus describes a startling reversal of positions (v. 16; 19:30). In this parable: (1) the vineyard is the life God gives us in the world; (2) the day is the time of laboring, the here and now; (3) the laborers are those he calls to fulfill his commandments; (4) early in the morning and the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours refer to the different ages of those who draw near to God: those who from earliest youth, from mature age, or from very old age hold to virtue. God's generosity provides equal access to and enjoyment of rewards in the life of the Kingdom for both early and late comers. Jesus teaches the former they should neither be proud of their long service, nor question those called at the eleventh hour -- lest they themselves lose all. To the latter, he teaches it is possible even in a short time to recover everything. In Jesus' ministry this parable applies to the Pharisees and sinners, while in the early Church it applies to Jews and Gentiles. St. John Chrysostom's famous Easter sermon is based on this parable; for him the reward is the Lord's rich banquet of the Easter eucharist."

Let us take the parable piece by piece: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard." We recall that parables are "word pictures" intended to vividly represent ideas and concepts through images to us. Jesus repeatedly uses these word-pictures to give us aspects of the kingdom he wishes to illustrate. Today, we are focused on the notion of service and reward - and he starts with a landowner who owns a vineyard, and hires laborers to work at a particular price per day. He starts out early in the morning. One thing that is interesting to note in this parable is the fact of the times of day Jesus indicates that new laborers come. These correspond to the different hours of the day in which prayers are traditionally offered. However, in this parable, we can liken these "times" to a number of different types of time.

"And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' " We know of the traditional prayer "hours" in the Church that correspond to these times. This vineyard owner calls all to work. Whomever he finds idle, he calls to work. This is how Christ approaches us. As my study bible indicated, it really doesn't matter at what time in our lives we are called, all are called equally here. Some hear the call at one time in their lives, others hear it at other times. And we all receive a promise for our labor, our service in this vineyard.

"So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.' And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good? So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen." It strikes me most significantly that we are all given equal wages for a very important reason. First of all, there is the whole issue of time, which is very interesting as a spiritual concept. The Lord, of course, and his Kingdom, dwell in an eternal time. The moments of time we have in our lives - as the clock ticks, so to speak - are all opportunities for choices. We have time in order to make choices - we can choose to be laborers for this kingdom at any time. The call is always there. But the Kingdom is in an eternal time: all of us who are called will receive the same reward. We make choices when we make choices - when we, too, decide that we are to be laborers for hire in this kingdom. The apostles and disciples, of course, were first. In yesterday's reading, we learned that they will sit in judgment - a high honor indeed. But for those of us who have come afterward, we all have our moments of choice, too, and we, too, will receive our reward.

There is another aspect to this parable that suggests itself as well, and that is the aspect that teaches us once again how dearly God wants each of us. It doesn't matter "what time" we say yes, when in our lives we respond to this call. The opportunity is always there. The caller in the marketplace will always come to appeal to those who are idle, to ask them if they want to be a part of this project, to labor in this vineyard for something. And their reward will be there. It is the same as Jesus' teaching on the "lost sheep" in this respect. The caller returns to the marketplace to collect those who are still idle, just as the shepherd rejoices over the return of one lost sheep. We are always called.

So, what will your response be? God so loves every one of us that the opportunities are there for us all -- we are given time. There is not only the time of our lives in this world, but also the time of the world. The judgment of the Age has not come - and the gospel still goes out to the world. So, in the time of your life, what will it be? What is there to labor for - and where is the reward for you? In the previous readings most recently, we have encountered a discussion on humility, and on detachment, and the spiritual need for the cultivation of both. In order to receive the reward, the riches of the "treasure in heaven," we must respond. We ask for a life with the Spirit, and the rewards we find for service in that vineyard. But without our "yes," we will never realize the joy of that work - the reward of richness to our lives that makes it worthwhile and gives sustenance and spiritual food. When do you make your choice? To work in that vineyard is to experience the beauty of its service - but the call will be there for everyone who has not yet chosen this path.