Red Vineyards at Arles, van Gogh 1888, Pushkin Museum, Moscow, Russia.

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[The landowner] said, “Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?”    Matthew 20:15.

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This year, 2023, the world has suffered through a rather terrifying glimpse of climatological things to come, especially with record heat in virtually all places. In France just a few days ago, six workers in the vineyards died from heat stroke, one of them 19 years old, Deus cum illis. I mention this as today’s gospel is all about workers in the vineyard toiling away, and dealing with a striking case of supreme generosity by the landowner. Those hired at 9AM received the same agreed wage as those he hired at 5PM. The workers hired at 9 thought they should get more than the ones who had worked for a very short time. The landowner then made the point that they had agreed to that wage at 9 in the morning, and that’s what they were going to get. Then he asked them, “are you upset because I am so generous?”

That put me in mind of the man crucified next to Jesus who asked to be remembered by the Lord when he entered his kingdom, and Jesus replied “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Here was a man who had totally messed up his life, was caught and condemned to the same ignominious death as the Lord, but in his case, with better reason (but still a monstrous punishment). He came to his senses in his last moments, and was received and forgiven by Jesus himself, and so, entered paradise. What about us poor souls, laboring for years trying to live a good life, and see that happening? Wouldn’t we be tempted to make the same point as the vineyard workers? Don’t we deserve more? And also remember the Prodigal Son’s brother addressing his father: “Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never even gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours [note the bitterness here, referring to his own brother] came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15:11-32). Such fury and anger, possibly the same as those exhausted vineyard laborers in today’s parable. And remember that the prodigal son had also come to his senses just as the repentant thief had, who died on the cross. How absolutely right that first reading today is, with Isaiah telling us, “Our God, who is generous in forgiving. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD'”. And again, “So high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” Amen to that. But it does cast light on today’s second reading, Paul’s deepest and most profound wish in his letter to the Christians in Phillipi, “I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better”. Who wouldn’t wish that, with a God so utterly generous, forgiving and welcoming? And also, this additional point: what extra could there possibly be if our reward is heaven itself, the presence of eternal happiness with a loving God? For once, our quest for “more” might actually be eternally satisfied!

And that, folks, is is what I believe is today’s message. We believe in a God so utterly selfless that his generosity can upset us! Just think about that. But then think of this. What if one of us makes a bad decision, some thoughtless piece of selfish nonsense that lands us in a disastrous situation with no-one but ourself to blame? We may still have a friend or two who  hasn’t vanished over the horizon, but they would now be, shall we say, a little more careful dealing with us. It is said that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Well today’s readings shout loud and clear that we have a friend in Jesus, a dedicated and generous and accepting and ever-loving friend willing even to die for us to show us how much he loves us. Here is unconditional complete love beyond even our imagining as Scripture says. And so, finally, shouldn’t we try to achieve such unselfish heights as he did? Aren’t we being asked to love as he loves? Aren’t we being asked to be true children of God, Jesus’ true sisters and brothers? Haven’t we seen unconditional love and unconditional generosity here today? They would seem to be the true hallmarks of the Christian. What goals for us!

Unconditional Love : A Spiritual State of Being, Lata Daswani, October 2021.

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