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. 

 

 

 

 

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 to 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 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, "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 the 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 to 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 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 that be infancy, or youth, adulthood, maturity, or old age.  There is also a second meaning in the span of history:  it can refer to those who were called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  My study Bible says that God's generosity 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 (and we remember He teaches this parable in response to Peter's statement that the disciples have left all and followed Him, wondering about their reward -- see yesterday's reading, above).  To the latecomers, Christ teaches 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 adds that in the early Church, this message applied specifically to the Jews (the first-called) and the Gentiles (those called later).  In our time, we can think of it as applied to those raised in the Church and those who find the Church later in life, both of whom receive an equal reward.  The beautiful and renowned paschal sermon of St. John Chrysostom is based on this parable, in which he applied it to the preparations of each person in approaching the paschal Eucharist.  

What does it mean to us that all receive the same benefit, the same reward?  That it makes no difference when you came to this work or this labor, it makes no difference that others come earlier or even later.  It makes no difference how long one has labored, nor even how short.  What does this tell us about the rewards of discipleship, the rewards of the kingdom of heaven?  For one thing (and this is quite obvious from the surface meanings of the parable), we are to understand that the kingdom of heaven is nothing like an earthly kingdom.  There is no rational measure of lengths of time, no adding up or subtracting of hours of labor or time spent working on something.  There is just a fullness of the participation in the kingdom, which comes equally to those who were first and those who were last to enter.  Let us keep in mind that the whole discussion over the past week of readings began with the disciples desiring to know who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven (see last Thursday's reading).  In terms of discipleship, Jesus' parable indicates that the hierarchies of the world make no sense in this kingdom of God.  This begins right from the start with His response to the question regarding who would be greatest, when He began by speaking in terms of power:  "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."  To speak of the "little ones" in the Church is to dignify each with equal consideration, while those who are greatest are the humble.  He will also famously teach (again in response to a question about greatness from the disciples), "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:11-12).  Today's parable, and each of Christ's statements I've quoted, affirm that hierarchies in His kingdom are nothing like the hierarchies and measures of the world.  It is the same as when we consider the abundant love and mercy of God.  Jesus encourages us to think in these same terms as we seek to participate in this Kingdom, when He teaches, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).  Pressed down, shaken together, and running over are all images not of equal measure, but of tremendous generosity, much more than would be allotted through careful precise measure.  In short, we can assume that the depths and breadths and heights of this Kingdom are far greater and deeper and higher than we can imagine in a worldly sense:  our rewards greater than our effort, our sins forgiven beyond parsimonious measure, even a small time of participation rewarded with "life abundantly" (John 10:10).  We are reminded of the exchange in the final chapter of John's Gospel, in which Peter is repeated told by Christ what is his mission as disciple (see John 21:15-19).  But then Peter asks Jesus about John ("the disciple whom Jesus loved"), saying, "But Lord, what about this man?"  Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."  Each has his own work of discipleship, each reward is the same, each is called in the specific way the Lord calls.  In today's reading, Jesus says, "So the last will be first, and the first last.  For many are called, but few chosen."  To participate in this Kingdom, there is only our understanding through Christ, of the immeasurable love of God, the deep desire to save, and the depth of relatedness for each one who serves.  For the lives we have, for the service God asks of us, for the love we can experience through this participation, let us drop every other consideration and on this day be truly thankful for God's blessing.

 

 

And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

- Matthew 21:33-46

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

  "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  My study bible explains that in this parable, the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard is the people of God (or Israel).  The vinedressers are the religious leaders who are entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant who is sent by the owner represents an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  The son is Christ Himself.  When the son is cast out of the vineyard and killed, my study bible explains this is understood on two levels:  First, that Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem; and second, that He was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not those of His own vineyard.  The other vinedressers to whom the vineyard will later be leased are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  My study bible also points out that in their response, the religious leaders convict themselves, as they did in yesterday's reading (above) with the question about John the Baptist.

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:   'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing,  and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.   This stone is Christ Himself.  St. John Chrysostom is cited by my study bible as teaching that Jesus' saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  There is first those who fall on the stone:  these suffer the consequences of their sins while still in this life.  But those on whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer utter destruction in the final judgment.  We notice also the power of the crowds and how the religious rulers fear their faith that Jesus is a prophet.  It gives us an idea also of the still-powerful impact of the image of John the Baptist, another whom the crowds believe was a prophet.

In the parable of the stone which the builders rejected, but which nevertheless became the chief cornerstone, Jesus offers us two ways in which we might fall:  the first is to stumble on the stone, and so find that we have stumbled in life in some sense.  The second is to avoid the stumble, but to go through life oblivious to our failings and perhaps escaping any consequences for our failings.  But in this second case, the spiritual consequences can be far more dire as we are unprepared for Christ's judgment.  What is that judgment?  This is a question that has puzzled theologians and laypersons throughout the centuries, and continues to be a subject of great debate.  Jesus Himself has said that it is His very word that is the judgment itself (see John 12:44-50).   As His word is life, so our inability to hear or our decision not to heed that word is basically the judgment itself.  In this sense, it is like ignoring the laws of physics.  It's not the "laws" that are the problem, it is our decision to ignore or avoid the truth of what is real that renders us in a place that is unsustainable in the long view of things.  It is in this place of ignorance of spiritual power where we misstep and lose our place, missing out on the fullness of life itself (John 10:10).  It is this power of life that is in the stone of which Christ speaks, in the word of the Father who is the landowner, and which both the servants and the Son carry to the people to call them back to God.  But in the Son there is a deeper power which is entrusted to Him than the vinedressers understand; it is the word of the Father He carries, and in that word is the power of life indeed.  None of us is the judge, and Christ says even He judges no one; but if He does judge, His judgment is true for He is with the Father who sent Him (John 8:15-16).  And yet, despite myself and my lack of capacity for real judgment, it does seem as if I know some who ignore the word of God, who fail to love and practice mercy when they so very easily could do otherwise.  Do we know the hearts of others, or understand the things they might be capable of grasping?  Do we know what they ignore when they should not?  The world in which we live is surely one of injustice; the Passion and suffering of Christ tells us that.  But even in a world of injustice, He gives us a way to live in His justice nevertheless, to find the righteousness He asks of us.  We pray to Him, we ask His word, we do our best to follow.  In Christ there is the light that shines through love, and comes from love.  We don't have to be perfect to learn through this love, to have it touch us and give us its promises and its life.  We don't need the rest of the world to follow, either; of that we can be certain, for it is Christ Himself who will be condemned by these crowds who praise Him today.  What we can be certain of, even when it seems the world clearly heeds no mind, is that He is that stone that was rejected, the one over whom we're far better off stumbling in this life than ignoring into the next.  Far better to be broken with a chance to mend, than never to know our own flaws or shortcomings.  Let us place our faith in that rock, and continue on, as did He.   Remember that He is the chief cornerstone, the One who holds up the entire building, the foundation on which to build all of our lives -- even whatever has already been broken.

Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?

 "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 idle here 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, "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 and 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 idle here 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 entirety of human history.  The laborers are all the people in every nation.  Every hour can refer to varying times in a person's life, whether that indicates infancy, or youth, or adulthood, maturity, or old age.  My study bible adds that it also has a second meaning in the span of human history:  referring to those called during the covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and finally Christ.  Another aspect of this parable is the teaching that God's generosity provides equal reward for both early and late comers.  My study bible says about this that Jesus teaches that the former shouldn't be proud of their long service, nor resent those who are called at the eleventh hour.  For latecomers, the parable teaches that it is possible even in a short time, or at the end of life, to recover and inherit all.  In the early Church, this applied specifically to the Jews (the first-called), and the Gentiles (those who were called later).  At the present time, this can be applied to individuals who have been raised in the Church and those who find the Church later on in life.  Both receive an equal reward.  The paschal sermon of St. John Chrysostom (read in the Orthodox Church each Easter) is based on this parable, and applies it to each person's preparation through Lent in approaching the paschal Eucharist.

This parable illustrates yet another way that the "rules" of the kingdom of heaven do not work according to worldly rules, and in particular according to the rules of material life (or mammon, if you will).  Jesus illustrates this same principle when He tells His disciples at the Last Supper, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).  In today's parable, Jesus gives a clear illustration that "not as the world gives" does God give.  He is speaking to His earliest disciples, and therefore when Jesus tells them that "the last will be first, and the first last" (repeating this phrase which He also stated in yesterday's reading, above, and so giving it great emphasis), He is clearly referring to them in particular.  It is yet again -- for these immediate disciples at that time -- an emphasis on humility, particularly in response to the earlier question about who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven (see Wednesday's reading from last week).  There will be those who come after they who will also be "great in the kingdom of heaven."  In this parable there is a radical reckoning of equality in a spiritual sense.  It possibly emphasizes for us that in this kingdom there is no space and no time, even as at the Transfiguration Moses and Elijah both appeared speaking together with Christ, and each was immediately recognizable to Peter, James, and John.  In short, the "rules" of this kingdom are not the rules of the world.  We aren't rewarded according to worldly rules; there is a different standard involved.  And clearly, it is God who sets the standard.  Our expectations have to be subject to our faith and the perceptions that come from "work" in this kingdom, from participation in it.  On the surface, the parable seems like it is told to the disciples to enforce the message of humility:  that each will be called in a different way, and there is to be no comparison between one person's labor and another's, one person's reward and another's.  That also reinforces the lesson taken from St. Chrysostom's comment on the story of the rich man in Monday's reading, that for each follower the sacrifices asked will be different.  Above all, what is reinforced in today's reading is a galvanizing kind of equality within this kingdom of heaven, that we each have our own part to play:  we are not to look to one or the other nor to compare rewards.  Each is called according to his or her own life; each is called with the bargain being only between the landowner and themselves.  In the final chapter of John's Gospel, St. Peter is told three times by Jesus what his job is to be in this kingdom; Jesus tells him, "Feed my lambs."  But then Peter sees the disciple John, and asks what John must do.  Jesus replies, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me" (see John 21:15-25).  In other words, the things asked of each one apply only to that person.  Yet for all of us, the reward is the same.  As this applies to each one of us today, just as it did then, 2,000 years ago to the disciples, let us consider what Christ asks of us.  In the passage at the end of John's Gospel we've just cited, Jesus first asks Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?"  Let us ask for ourselves this question, and understand that Christ is always asking each one of us the same.  Let us turn to Him and offer ourselves, and leave ourselves open to what He asks.  Don't look around and assume everyone's gifts nor offering is the same; you might find it surprising what it is that God asks of you.  But humility is the key to accepting that answer, just as it was for St. Peter, and for all the rest.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes

 Annunciation.  Byzantine icon, 12th century.  St. Catherine's Monastery, Sinai, Egypt

"Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD'S doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

- Matthew 21:33-46

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  In this parable, told to the religious leaders in the temple, my study bible explains that the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people, called Israel.  The vinedressers are the religious leaders who were entrusted to care for the people.  Each servant sent by the landowner stands for an Old Testament prophet who comes to call people back to God.  The son is Christ.  When the son  is cast out of the vineyard and killed, the parable is understood on two levels.  First, Jesus was killed on Golgotha, which was outside the city walls at that time in Jerusalem.  Second, Jesus was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not those of His own vineyard.  The other vinedressers to whom the vineyard will be leased in the future are the Gentiles brought into the Church.  Let us note that by their own response to Jesus' parable, the religious leaders yet again convict themselves (as in yesterday's reading, above, and their response to  the parable of the Two Sons).

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD'S doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  This stone is Christ.  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who explains that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while they are still in this life.  But those upon whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer destruction in the final judgment.  Note that the leaders respond characteristically, with their fear of the crowds, similarly to their fear of replying in front of the crowd to Jesus' question about John the Baptist (whom the crowds also considered a prophet) in yesterday's reading, above.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.

In telling this parable, Jesus illustrates something that is found many times in the Bible.  It's illustrated, perhaps most eloquently, in Mary's song, at the time of the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel.  When Mary accepts the role that God has chosen for her, she sings:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."  (Luke 1:46-55)

This song of Mary encapsulates the action of God as always-surprising, turning over life to reveal changes that are monumental and magnificent.  Mary calls herself lowly, but in truth she is blessed, and all generations will call her so.  God's strength scatters those who are proud in the imagination of their hearts, puts down the mighty from their thrones, and exalts the lowly.  God fills the hungry with good things, while the rich are sent away empty.  This is Mary's understanding, and it echoes other songs of the Bible, other stories, other works of God which have been revealed and given to us.  But Jesus' parable today, of the vineyard that is owned by God, and that will be taken away from those who have mismanaged it and abused the people of God, is the greatest promise of change and transition from the strong arm of God, and which embraces those who fear God, know God's mercy, who are humble and lowly before God; that is, the poor in spirit.  Jesus illustrates His parable with the servants repeatedly sent, who suffer and die for the sake of the true landowner and the landowner's message, who call the vinedressers back to what is right and true, and who are rejected.  The son, of course, is Christ, and He will be cast out and killed, treated as the least of these, and like John the Baptist, the last and greatest of the prophets, they will "do to him whatever they wish" (17:12).  And yet, Jesus speaks of the stone rejected by the builders, which will not only be chosen and selected, but the chief cornerstone.  He is the stone which may be a stumbling block, and break some; but for those upon whom that stone falls, there is only oblivion, a blotting out of life.  It is a warning to them all of the power that truly rests with the One whom they plot against and reject, and we all should take these words seriously.  That power remains within our world, whether it is obviously seen or not.  There remains the reality of justice and truth -- even when ignored and abused.  There remains the reality of our souls and what is best for them, what feeds them when we are hungry for good things.  There is a kind of righteousness that compasses both mercy and justice, even if human beings do not choose that path.  In the long run, it is this stone that will have its rule and its say, that governs the length of our lives.  The wisdom that lives through the ages does not disappear, even if, when every generation comes of age, there is always that worldly sense of life that dictates that power and might and material gain rule the day.  But life does not really work that way:  not always in the short run and certainly not in the long view of things.  Those wisest and experienced among us may echo the words of St. John Chrysostom, that it is indeed a blessed thing to be broken and know it, because that gives us an opportunity to put things back into place and rectify our lives with the grace and help of a merciful and strong-armed God.  Let us consider our humility as we await this light of Christ's birth.  His is the stone that matters, and the long game is the one upon which we keep ourselves focused.  Mary sings at the announcement of His Nativity, and we continue to celebrate, despite "the world's" conviction that all that matters is material, and not the things we don't see simply with material sight.  We are reminded of Jesus' warnings about the blind who lead the blind.   Let us instead choose to be illumined by the light that we commemorate shortly.

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.

Whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder

 "Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."  Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD's doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes'?

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

- Matthew 21:33-46

Yesterday we read that when came into the temple (after He had cleansed the temple), the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things?  And who gave You this authority?"  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:  The baptism of John -- where was it from?  From heaven or from men?"  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'  But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."  So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."  And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think?  A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'  He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise.  And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.  Which if the two did the will of his father?"  They said to Him, "The first."  Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

"Hear another parable:  There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"  They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."    My study bible says of this parable that the landowner represents God the Father, and the vineyard refers to God's people.  The vinedressers to whom the vineyard is leased are the leaders who are entrusted to care for the people.  The servants sent by the owner are the Old Testament prophets, who come to call people back to God.   The landowner's son is Christ Himself.  That they took the Son and cast Him out of the vineyard and killed Him, is understood on two levels:  (10)  Jesus was killed outside of Jerusalem; and (2) He was crucified by foreign soldiers, and not by those of his own vineyard.  The other vinedressers to whom the vineyard is later leased are the Gentiles who are brought into the Church.  As in the events of yesterday's reading, when Jesus posed a question about John the Baptist in response to the demands of the leadership regarding His authority, the leaders convict themselves by their answer.

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:  'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the LORD's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?  Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.    He refers to Himself as this stone.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that this saying illustrates the two ways of destruction.  Those who fall on the stone are people who suffer the consequences of their sins while yet in this life, therefore having the capacity to learn from mistakes.  Those on whom the stone falls are the unrepentant who suffer utter destruction in the final judgment.

Jesus refers us to the consequences of being told the truth, a spiritual truth that we are meant to hear.  He describes Himself as the Son in the parable, the One who follows all the prophets and their messages which call the people (especially the leadership of the people) back to God.  How we respond to that message of truth seems to be all-important, and it certainly is true for the leadership.  This may seem incredibly harsh, but we have to consider that this message is for those who've already been prepared for it.  It is given to those steeped in Scripture, who understand fully the calls of the prophets who have appeared in Jewish spiritual history all along.  This is not a message given for condemnation, but for salvation.  It is given to those considered fully prepared and ready and equipped to hear it and understand it.  Jesus' warnings come to the deliberately blind.  But what is important to consider are the "two ways" of destruction mentioned by Chrysostom.  There are times when we don't pay attention to what we know or perhaps ought to know, and we take some kind of fall in our lives. We stumble.  Often we may find this is the one and only way we become aware of personal flaws, our weak points.  We fall flat on our faces, we blindly walk into complete disaster.  One may have heard the expression, first attributed to Alexander Pope, that "fools rush in where angels fear to tread."  If you have had the experiences I have, you know by personal difficulty the meaning of this expression.  But those of us who are given something upon which to stumble may be grateful for the opportunity to learn from our mistakes, and to make corrections.  This is a spiritual viewpoint that is wise.  It views correction from Christ as something for which we are to be grateful, something which is helpful and loving to us.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus rebukes those whom He loves deeply, such as Peter, for instance, in this passage.  Peter learns from Jesus' rebukes, and becomes the leader of the apostles whom we know.  But those in truly deep circumstances are the ones who refuse to learn from a rebuke, or a pitfall, or a stumbling block.  It is they upon whom this stone will fall.  We have a lifelong learning curve, a journey of faith.   In yesterday's reading, Jesus took the leadership to task for failure to practice repentance at the message of John the Baptist, when harlots and tax collectors did listen and repent.  He spoke of judgment, of such notorious and repentant sinners standing in judgment against the failed leadership.  In today's reading, He gives a dire warning about the consequences of the failure to repent or to reconsider.  This is a failure to heed warnings, to listen to spiritual truth -- in particular to those who know better but prefer place and position to the humility of our place before God, and before the kingdom of heaven which is at hand.  Where do we fall on this scale?  Do we consider the importance of repentance?  Do we take seriously the power of the stone which Jesus likens to Himself?  Do we take note of the numerous times we've stumbled, or do we fail to notice?  Let us be grateful for stumbling, even grateful for the times we've been "broken," in Jesus' language.  In Jesus' telling, it is a way to know ourselves, to correct ourselves, to gain wisdom and spiritual insight.