So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen

 

 "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 the 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 chosen."

 

- Matthew 20:1-16 

 

Yesterday, following His encounter with the rich young ruler,  Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

  "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 the 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 chosen."  My study Bible explains that in this parable, the vineyard is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life, and also to the whole of human history.  The laborers are all the people in every nation.  Each hour can refer to times in a person's life, whether infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  There is also a second meaning in the span of history, referring to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  Take note that God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  Jesus teaches here that the former should not be proud of their long service, nor should they resent those called at the eleventh hour.  My study Bible adds that to the latecomers, Jesus teaches that it is possible even in a short time, or at the end of one's life, to recover and inherit everything.  In the early Church, we're told, this message applied specifically to the Jews (the first-called) and the Gentiles (those called later).  In our time, it can apply to those who were raised in the Church and to those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  The renowned paschal sermon of St. John Chrysostom is based on this parable, applying it to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist. 

 

My husband is an economist, and when I asked him his opinion about this parable, he said that in an economics perspective, the same payment for different work (or work hours) means that each worker makes a unique contribution, and each contribution is necessary to the project.  The equal payment also teaches us about the equality in the Kingdom, that each soul is equally precious, and giving meaning to Jesus' words, "the last will be first, and the first last."  So, as in the paschal homily of St. Chrysostom, we are each reassured that God welcomes our contributions, and each is precious to the completion of the project of the kingdom of heaven, of Christ's mission for salvation in our world.  Indeed, we may assume that in the fullness of salvation, no souls are meant to be lost -- just as Jesus taught in the parable of the ninety-nine sheep and one stray (found in this reading).  Each is precious and necessary to God.  The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates this point eloquently (Luke 15:11-32).  As in our recent readings regarding the rich young ruler, we remind ourselves once again that Christ's life for us is the way of the Cross, and our "work" in faith -- our own cross to take up -- will be unique for each of us.  As we know from the lives of the saints, and countless others, including perhaps one's own life experience, there are differing amounts of time one may suffer with a particular cross.  Sometimes injustices last a lifetime; sometimes they do indeed take away our lifetime (as in the case of martyrs).  Some suffer seemingly lesser burdens than others.  But in all cases, the unique cross we each bear becomes, in some way paradoxically, the means of our salvation.  We find that exchanging our way of seeing and thinking about and even responding to that particular cross of ours for the meanings and efforts and work that Christ will give us is, in the end, the whole point.  So, for today, which is the day of Thanksgiving in my country, the United States of America, I invite my readers to consider giving thanks for just that, that cross that you bear in life.  For perhaps, through the grace of God, it is the very thing that blesses your life most profoundly, the very work in the vineyard that God has given you to do to contribute to God's kingdom, and for the life of the world. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen

 

 "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 then 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 the 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 chosen."

 

- Matthew 20:1-16 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was following up with His disciples regarding the rich young man who had come to Him seeking eternal life.  Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

"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 then 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 the 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 chosen."  My study Bible explains that in this parable, the vineyard is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life, and also to the whole of human history.  The laborers, it says, are the people in every nation.  Each hour in this sense can refer to times in a person's life -- whether infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  There is a second meaning considering the span of history perspective, and in that idea this parable may refer to those called during the various covenants we know from Scripture:  with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  My study Bible adds that God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  It notes that Jesus teaches that the former should not be proud of their long service nor resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  To the latecomers, then, Christ teaches that it is possible even in a short time or at the end of one's life to recover and inherit everything.  In the early Church, therefore, this message applied specifically to the Jews (who were the first-called) and the Gentiles (those who were called later).  In our time, this can be applied to those raised in the Church and also to those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  The renowned paschal sermon by St. John Chrysostom is based on this parable, as he applies it to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist.  

 

Today's parable comes to us in context of readings with the theme of sacrifice; that is, what do we sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God?  The rich young man who came to Christ asking what he must do for eternal life was asked to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Christ -- then he would be "perfect."   Following this encounter, the disciples -- through Peter, who so frequently speaks for all -- said, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?" (see yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus replied, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  And Christ has followed this statement with the teaching of the parable in today's reading, about the laborers in the vineyard.  One thing He seems to make clear is that we should not expect a sort of worldly sense of work and reward  (or risk-reward, in modern investment terms) in equal measure.  In this economy of the Kingdom, all who labor, regardless of differing degrees of sacrifice and time, earn the same reward.  Jesus gives us a sense of this seemingly upside-down (by worldly standards) economy when He states flatly, "So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."  He also makes it plain that this reward system is purely up to the wisdom and discretion of the owner, the Lord, and not up to the laborers.  The landowner says, "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?"  The ultimate good is God, the Lord, the landowner.  Out of some sort of envy (is your eye evil?) comes the thinking that we know better, have a better idea how things should be run than God does.  But we, like the disciples, are to trust that all things are in the hands of God, and thus the ultimate good is in the judgment and discernment of God.  There may be things that are quire mysterious to us, like whether or not it is fair or just that those who sacrifice more receive the same ultimate reward or benefit of eternal life.  But the ultimate good is in the discernment of God -- and we who are called, in whatever way, need to understand that how we are called, and the "work" we are called to, is just that:  appropriate to us.  This is true even if we do not understand the why and the wherefore.  This parable reminds us that, after Job had his long-desired confrontation with the Lord, the Lord began to reply with these words:  "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements?  Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"  (Job 38:4-7).  The vineyard owner is the One who told Isaiah, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways" (Isaiah 55:8).  This is an important theme throughout the whole of the Bible, and is expressed even in the ending to John's Gospel, in which Peter was given personal and explicit instruction three times. "Feed my lambs," said the Lord.  But then Peter asked, referring to John, "But Lord, what about this man?"  Christ replied to Peter, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow Me" (see John 21:15-25).  Therefore let us understand that, as we take up our own crosses (just as in that same passage from St. John's Gospel, St. Peter was warned by Christ that he would follow Him to his own cross), each one's own "labor" may be entirely different from the others.  Truly we may recall that St. John Chrysostom's commentary on the command Christ gives to the rich young man, to sell all that he has and give to the poor, is actually easier than following Christ in all things.  Life often does not seem fair -- and indeed, it is not.  But if we pay attention to the ways God will ask us to go forward, the things we will be asked to work at and perhaps to sacrifice, we just might find that all that we do in faith is in fact the remedy to the injustice we perceive.  All will receive the equal reward in God's sight, but not all will perform the same labors in life, and not every life or person will be exactly the same -- nor should we wish it to be.  "So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen." 

 

 

 

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen

 

 "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 the 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 chosen."

 

- Matthew 20:1-16 

 

In Tuesday's reading, Jesus advised a rich young ruler who sought eternal life to sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and to follow Him.  But that young man went away dejected, as he had many possessions.  In yesterday's reading, we were told that Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

  "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 the 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 chosen."  My study Bible explains this parable as follows.  It says that the vineyard is life in this world.  The day is a reference both to the span of an individual person's life, and also to the whole of human history.  The laborers are all the people in each nation.  Every hour can refer to times in a person's life -- such as infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  There is a second meaning as well concerning the span of history.  This may refer to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  Interestingly, the hours at which people are called (third hour or 9:00 a.m.; sixth hour or noon; ninth hour or 3:00 p.m.) are all formal hours for prayer in the structure of traditional church services.  My study Bible adds that God's generosity provides an equal reward for both early and late comers.  Jesus is teaching that the former should not be proud of their long service nor resent those called at the eleventh hour.  To the latecomers, Jesus is teaching that it is possible within even a short time, or at the end of one's life, to recover and to inherit everything.  There is another framework in which we may read this parable as well.  In the early Church, my study Bible explains, this message applied specifically to the Jews (the first-called) and the Gentiles (those called later).  In our time, we can apply it to those raised in the Church and to those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  This parable is also the basis for St. John Chrysostom's renowned paschal sermon (read at the midnight Resurrection service in the Orthodox Church each year).  In that sermon, St. Chrysostom applied the parable to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist. 

 

In today's parable, the vineyard owner asks, "'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 chosen."   These words are striking as they indicate the Lord's absolute sovereignty over the cosmos, and even over our lives.  The "rules" belong to God, the way salvation works and is decided also belongs to God, and so therefore, "The last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called but few chosen."  And clearly the Lord does the choosing.  Perhaps in the context of the parable, it's important to remember that Jesus is speaking to those who were the first called, the disciples, upon whose shoulders the rest of the Church and all those who would follow in faith would stand.  In that sense, their work began the earliest and was in some way possibly the heaviest or the hardest.  Their "heavy lifting" has stood us in good stead.  We and all who followed and will follow learn from them and have benefited from all that they established.  How could we read the Scriptures -- or even have Scriptures, for example, without the foundation laid by their work to begin with.  They did not have the resources we have available to us to begin their works of faith.  But of course, they had Christ, the vineyard owner, who directly called them.  But what of us, we who come later, even at the eleventh hour?  If we also become chosen for life in God's kingdom, we receive the same reward as do those first disciples.  And what of those who came before, such as Moses and Abraham?  It would seem that they were also called, and that somehow in the Lord's kingdom there is equal opportunity for the same reward.  We might not understand how the Lord's reckoning and judgment works, but we do understand that we are each -- no matter where we are, or who we are -- called to a purpose.  And this is not a purpose of our own choosing, but of God's choosing.  And therefore we each may receive the same reward.  For there is a job, an expectation, a potential for each of us, and it is the Lord who sets that bar, and who knows what that is.  It doesn't matter when we come into this activity, this work in the vineyard, but it does matter how we respond to what we're called, and when we're called.  In the end what matters is how the Lord calls us, and to what purpose, for God will do what God wishes with God's own things.  The landowner asks, "Or is your eye evil because I am good?"  An evil eye, we should understand, is one of malice born of envy.  This would seem to speak to the fallen angels, who could not accept the place God had for them, the humility to serve humankind, creatures made "a little lower than the angels" (Psalm 8:3-8).  It's a reminder to the disciples, and to us, of the humility we need to accept that perhaps we will do a different work than others, and yet receive the same reward for our own assignment; if necessary accepting that the last will be first, and the first last -- for many are called by the Lord, but few chosen.  For as Jesus says elsewhere, we are each called to take up our own cross (Luke 9:23).  An economist has commented on this parable that the equal payment to each one makes perfect economic sense for a project that requires different unique and complementary skills from each laborer, with each one's work essential for the ultimate product.  So let us accept and do our part, contributing to the whole of God's economy of salvation.  Let us find how we are called, and the humility to accept the way we might also be chosen. 

 

 

 

 

For many are called, but few chosen

 

 "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 the 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 chosen."

 

- Matthew 20:1-16 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples (after the encounter with the rich young ruler), "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 

  "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 the 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 chosen."  In this parable, my study Bible explains, the vineyard is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life and to the whole of human history.  The laborers are all the people in every nation.  Each hour can refer to the times in a person's life, whether infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  It also has a second meaning in the span of history, referring to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  According to my study Bible, Jesus teaches that the former should not be proud of their long service, nor should they resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  (No doubt this parable is the source of the expression "the eleventh hour.")  To the latecomers, He teaches that it is possible even in a short time, or at the end of one's life, to recover and inherit everything.  For the early Church, this message would have applied specifically to the Jews (who are the first-called) and the Gentiles (those called later).  Today, it can be applied to those raised in the Church and to those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  There is a famous paschal sermon by St. John Chrysostom, repeated every year at Easter/Pascha in the Orthodox Church, which is based on this parable, and applying its teachings to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist.  

What is it to be too late?  What does it mean to be too late in the context of the parable?  There is a saying that the only unforgiven sin is the one that remains unrepented.  The image of the workers who want to work and the One who calls them is an image of the will, somehow.  What is our desire?  What is our calling?  This is related directly to the final statement by Jesus here, that many are called but few chosen.  There are those who desire the work, and many are called to it -- but it is the ones chosen who have the true desire to serve.  Let us remember that today's parable comes on the tails of the encounter with the rich young ruler, whom Christ loved, and desired to know what he must do to find eternal life.  Christ told him he had done all things well (followed the commandments), but that if he wanted to be perfect, he should sell all that he had and give to the poor, and then follow Christ.  This is a radical teaching about changing one's life, starting from zero, and allowing Christ to build up our lives.  And so we can see a similar pattern in the parable which is given to Christ's disciples:  the usual rules of accumulation and reward do not apply in this Kingdom.  It is all about serving, and it is God who sets the terms.  One is not greater than the other; what is important is simply to answer the call -- and it is even more rare to be chosen, to be one of those who can accept the way of God, whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9).   For we all have our assumptions about the ways that life should work, what is good and what is not good.  But, as we read in Isaiah, God proclaims, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." In a modern time, there are those who seek their way to God, and may change churches and even religions throughout their lives.  But ours is not to judge.  God always calls, and our choice is simply to answer and hope to be chosen.  For to be chosen means accepting God's way for us and dwelling in His Kingdom, learning God's ways.  The Lord justly gives to all "their single denarius," notes St. Cyril of Alexandria, meaning the grace of the Spirit, perfecting the saints in conformity with God, impressing the heavenly stamp on their souls and leading them to life and immortality.  When we find ourselves wondering why life is one way and not another, let us turn to the parable and consider that we are being shaped for God's work and God's image for us, something far beyond our own capacity to decide alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever is right I will give you

Grape harvest detail,  mosaic.  Nave of Santa Costanza (4th century), Rome

"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 the 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 chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

Yesterday we read that, after his encounter with the rich man who desired eternal life (Tuesday's reading),  Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

"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 the 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 chosen."   My study bible tells us that in this parable, the vineyard represents life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life and to the whole of human history.  The laborers are everybody -- all the people in every nation.  Every hour can refer to the varied times in a person's life -- possibly infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  There is also a second meaning noted in which this references the entire span of history, those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  God's generosity, my study bible says, provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  Jesus teaches that the former should not be proud of their long service nor resent those called at the eleventh hour.  To the latecomers, the parable tells us that it is possible even in a short time or at the end of one's life to recover and inherit everything.  My study bible also adds that in the early Church, this message applied specifically to the Jews (who were the first-called) and the Gentiles (those who were called later).  Today, we can apply this to those raised in the Church and those who find the Church later in life, both of whom get an equal reward.  The renowned paschal sermon of St. John Chrysostom is based on this parable, in which he applies the preparations of each person in approaching the midnight paschal Eucharist.

One thing that is striking when one reads this parable is that there is little doubt who is really in charge; that is, who is the boss.  It is the landowner.  He makes the deals, and the laborers agree to the wages, but he has the final say.  To those who come later than the earliest workers, even to those who are called latest, at the eleventh hour, he tells them, "whatever is right I will give you."   When those who began work the earliest complain, the landowner says, "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?"  On this day of Thanksgiving (in the United States, at any rate) it is a good idea to remember who the landowner is, and even to think about what the purposes of work are in our lives.  That is, what do we labor for?  Where does our highest effort go?  Of course we all have natural needs, and this extends to all those who are in our care and whom we care about.  In God's sight, and by the tradition of the Church, all of our community falls into this perspective.  In particular, we also seek to remember those who cannot do for themselves, and so our labor may be for an entire community, even those whom we do not know.  But the parable emphasizes that there is more than one side to this question of labor and payment, and the ultimate distinction rests within the hands of the landowner.  What is our reward?  Is the purpose of this work merely payment, or is there a different story to be heard in the way in which the landowner decides "whatever is right"?  In this story, there is a different sense of justice involved in "what is right" than is conventional or worldly.  The longest laborers do not get more.  This is not about evening up, or weighing on scales, or measuring time.  It's not even about measuring labor.  It is all about those who come into the work, those who show up and participate, who hear the call and who respond.  It is all about coming to the place where we understand who the landowner is, and what is worthy of our labor, where we participate.  We can work our whole lives for the expectations of others, for the "good" of the society, for our own goals and ambitions, for a great deal of possessions, or any number of infinite goals we might choose or find ourselves serving in life.  But ultimately, there is one landowner who gives according to a kind of justice that we don't necessarily see and know.  There is one landowner who knows something about the value of labor that we don't.  There is one landowner who both calls and chooses, and that is the One who has created the world and given us our lives, even our capacity for labor, our talent, our intelligence, and all things are ultimately in God's hands.  There is that heart-to-heart meeting of each laborer with the landowner when the landowner decides to give us "what is right."  This parable applies to everyone who ever lived and who ever will live in this world.  This landowner clearly is "above" time, with a different sense of time than we who dwell in the world understand.  In the parable, he doesn't see the laborers as the laborers see themselves, and neither does he view their labor as they see their labor.  He's got a different point of view about what's fair, and he wants all beings -- no matter how late they come into the project -- to be sure they know they have been called.  There is a kind of unity in the reward that speaks of communion, that teaches us that no matter what individual roles we might play, we are really all in this together.  Whatever our individual life experiences, whatever roles we play, however long it might take us to come to this harvest and our labor and participation in it, there is one reward and it is, in fact, an equal reward.  The only ones left out are those who choose not to respond to the call, for the landowner calls, and calls again, and calls again.  Some of us may have great obstacles to overcome to get there, others may have great labors they need to do, and some may just show up at the last minute.  But we're not supposed to pay attention to what the others need to do, our deal is with the landowner alone.  Let us be grateful to put our hands into this growth and harvest, to know what we are about, and put our trust in the One whom we serve.  For it is not a question of what we get, so much as it is the great endeavor in which we are all called to participate, and for which we may be chosen.  The work continues, the vineyard remains a work in progress, and we may choose to put our hands to the work at any time -- and join in with those who were first.  Let us be grateful for the call to this great work, and humble enough to accept the places chosen for us in it.

So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen

 "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.  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 the 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 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 chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."  See also Monday's reading for the story of the rich young man.

"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.  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 the 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 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 chosen."  This parable is called the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.  It is a description for the disciples of the nature of work for the Kingdom in the world.  My study bible says that the vineyard in the parable is life in this world.  The day refers both to the span of a single person's life and to the whole of human history.  The laborers are all the people in every nation of the world.  Each hour, it tells us, can refer to times in a person's life, whether that is infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  It also has a second meaning in the span of history -- it can refer to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  The generosity of God provides an equal reward both for early and late comers.  Jesus teaches that those like the apostles, who come early, should not be proud of their long service nor resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  To the latecomers, Jesus teaches that it is possible even in a short time or at the end of one's life to recover and inherit everything.  In the early Church, this message was understood to apply specifically to the Jews (who were the first-called) and the Gentiles (those called later).  But in our time, it can be applied to those raised in the Church and those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  There is a renowned paschal sermon by St. John Chrysostom, recited each year in the Eastern Church at the midnight service of Easter as the day breaks.  It is based on this parable, applying it to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist.

So what does it mean to be a worker in this vineyard?  It means several things, as indicated by my study bible's notes and its use and interpretation throughout history.  For Jesus' immediate disciples, it no doubt functioned to explain to them their own place in the grand scheme of working for the Kingdom in the world:  there would be many who followed them.  Moreover, they themselves "entered into others' labors," as stated by Jesus after their encounter with the woman at the well in Samaria.  What we learn from these teachings is that we are not alone in our faith, not by a long shot. Whatever we do, whatever we understand, we build and are building upon countless others whom we don't know, and we contribute to this process for yet others to come.  But each laborer is worthy of his or her hire.  The same is true of those in all other nations, as preparation for such labor may come in many forms.  For the Greek-speaking world of Christ's time, in which Greek was the language of commerce, of literature, of all the sciences and philosophy, the Hellenistic patrimony was indispensable in forming the theology that would shape the church.  All of it would come into service for Christ.  As Christ Himself is the Person who is Truth (John 14:6), so whatever is true or good or beautiful can be a part of the labor into which Christ's workers enter.  The Samaritan woman did not know the fullness of the revelation to the Jews, but nevertheless she was ready for faith, as were her fellow villagers.  Our Church is in truth a multi-layered and multi-faceted and ongoing work of God, working through all of us, through those whom we don't know, through uncountable workers who've come before us and contributed each in his or her own way, and many more as well to come.  This is the true image of the Kingdom in the world.  Christ's teaching to all of us is that each may contribute to the beauty of His house, but only with the humility that teaches us that we each have our part to do.  The reward is equal.  This sets us on a par in that our true job is simply to focus on our part in this work, and to bear the burdens we're given and the yoke that is for us (11:28-30).  Let us look to the Master to teach us our particular work, and rejoice in the fullness into which we enter.

The last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen

 "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.'   Again he went out about the sixth and the 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 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 use 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 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 chosen."

- Matthew 20:1-16

Yesterday we read that, after turning away the rich young ruler, Jesus taught His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"  But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You.  Therefore what shall we have?"  So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children of lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

 "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.'   Again he went out about the sixth and the 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 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 use 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 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 chosen."  Jesus illustrates work for the Kingdom with this parable.  The vineyard is life in this world.  The day may be both the span of a single person's life and also the whole of human history.   Laborers are those who are from every nation.  My study bible says that each hour could refer to times in a person's life, such as infancy, youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  There is also a second meaning in terms of spiritual history, referring to those called during the different covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.   This parable puts salvation history into perspective for the disciples, as it gives a picture of all those who labor for the Kingdom in the world.  There is equal reward for both the early and late comers.  The former should not be proud of their long service nor resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  For the latecomers, the parable teaches that it is possible even in a short time or at a very late stage in one's life to recover and inherit all.  This kingdom doesn't work as a worldly kingdom does, and time and space make no difference to it.  For the early Church, this was seen as an image applying to Jews (the first called) and the Gentiles (those called later).  Today, says my study bible, it can apply to those raised in the Church and those who find the Church later in life.  They will both receive an equal reward.  In his paschal sermon (read each Easter in the Orthodox church), St.  John Chrysostom applied this parable to the preparations of each person in approaching the Paschal Eucharist.

The standards that apply to the Kingdom aren't those of worldly life.  What we consider to be equal or fair isn't really the same kind of 'setting' for the Kingdom.  Those who labor their whole lives long in service to this King may receive exactly the same reward as one who comes to this work late in life, even at the end of life.  Those who were the early founders in this work, who came to it at a time in the world when faith really meant taking on an entirely different understanding of life and faith than that which existed in one's culture or time and place, share an equally essential role as those who've come long after and benefited from the establishment of the Church and all that has come before it.  Time and space matter little, as in the communion of saints all are not only united but in communication with one another.  And hierarchy matters very little at all:  the great saints are there and praying for all, and they may be called on for intercession, for all of us who are "the least of these" in terms of our spiritual understanding or development.  The Kingdom sets down its own standards for citizenship and participation, and there is really only one King, only one Teacher, who lays down what is what and sets the tone and circumstances for all of us.  This defines the "good."  (When the landowner in the parable asks, "Is your eye evil because I am good?" we understand that the 'evil eye' refers to envy.)  And that's where we start, with the one truly essential relationship that sets down standards of love and what is "good" for all the rest.  This is a kind of equality that takes into consideration not just "how much" but "how deep."  It measures us in every dimension, but it is the heart where all resides and that determines everything else.  It is truly the "kingdom within us," because it is the reality of the heart.  The heart is where one will find the kingdom of heaven (and also, sadly, and paradoxically, hell -- the place without God).  In its immediate telling, this parable may be a teaching for the apostles, those who come first in the Church as its pillars in the world.  Jesus is preparing to make His way to Jerusalem, and He has been teaching the about life in His Church.  That the 'first may be last and the last may be first' is a teaching of the greatest humility, and also gives them the perspective on their places in the Kingdom.  Our usual understanding of wealth and accumulation just doesn't apply.  This is a reality that permeates the places within us where time and space are simply relative terms, where a long deceased loved one still is present, for example, or where we meet Christ or are given the Holy Spirit's promptings.  This is a place where love declares its reasons, and wisdom its paradoxical truths -- where we are not measured by the standards of the world and its measurements, but by something much deeper and more profound in its understanding.