25th Sunday of Year A

Isaiah 55:6-9
Philippians 1:20-24,27
Matthew 20:1-16

The way of Work-and-Wages versus the way of Grace-and-Growth.

What is my value system? My brothers and sisters, this week, we are invited to reflect: What motivates me? What do I pursue in life? These are important questions that many of us do not often think about. They are important because they all culminate to the question: Is my life leading me to joy?

In the Gospel this week, we read the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. In the parable, a landowner hired groups of workers at different hours – at nine o’clock, at three o’clock and at five o’clock. When the day came to an end at six o’clock, he paid each group the same amount – the full daily wage. In so doing, he was generous to the latecomers but not unjust to those who worked the full day. Despite this, those who worked longer hours grumbled, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” (verse 12) We could say the workers’ grumble was a justifiable one. This is when we apply the world’s way of Work-and-Wages.

There is nothing wrong per se about the way of Work-and-Wages. It is essential for the functioning of our country and our economy. At our workplaces, if we are more productive, we expect a greater reward than those who are less productive. However, on matters of the kingdom of God, through the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Jesus proposes another model in the Gospel this week. This is God’s way of Grace-and-Growth. The way of Work-and-Wages serves our finances and our careers well. The mistake many of us believers make is to apply the same principle on matters of faith. Consider St Paul in the Second Reading this week. He was torn between staying on earth to continue his ministry work and serve the people he loved; or succumbing to his persecutors and die so that he may be united with God. He wrote, “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.” (verse 22-24) St Paul realises he cannot apply the way of Work-and-Wages on his faith. The reason he considered staying on earth to continue to labour is not so that he may receive a greater reward in heaven, but simply because he loves the people. As Jesus says in the Gospel this week, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (verse 16)

Indeed, love is the basis of the way of Grace-and-Growth. Love cannot be reasoned in worldly terms. Applying the way of Work-and-Wages, the decisions we make based on love would be illogical – whether it is for the love of God, the love of others, or indeed the love of self. For example, let us consider:

• Do we raise our children so that they may reward us financially in our old age? What if our children make career choices that does not lead them to riches, making them less likely to be able to “reward” us financially? Do we object to their choices?
• Are we more reluctant to help the poor because, chances are, they are not likely to be able to repay us? But Jesus said, “love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great” (Lk 6:35). Do we help the poor so that God may reward us?
• When our business supports charitable causes, do we do so for financial rewards? For example, do we hope that by being seen as socially responsible, we would attract more sales and more contracts?

We all seek meaning and purpose in life. Even the most materialistic among us knows it intrinsically. The truth is, the Work-and-Wages philosophy leads us to becoming more materialistic, calculative and superficial. We see amply examples of how this can lead to discontentment and jealousy. If we operate purely to the way of Work-and-Wage, it blinds us to love. It does not lead to joy. It might even lead us to despair.

Some say, there is no great clarity than when a person dies. Think of the eulogies we hear at a person funeral. Eulogies are really testimonies of the person’s life. So, what do we hear? We do not hear about how much money the person made; how many sales the person closed in their lifetime or how much wealth the person accumulated. Instead, we hear stories of sacrifices and love – how the person sacrifices their time, gave up their career for their children; how the person gives themselves in service to others. Indeed, these are what matters in the end. In fact, Jesus taught us that the highest form of service is not to people close to us, but to any stranger who is seeking love. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” (Lk 6:32-35) In truth, the world knows the meaning of life. It is just that we are sometimes so consumed with the way of Work-and-Wages that we do not acknowledge the way of Grace-and-Growth until it is too late. If we want true joy and fulfilment in life, then the stories and testimonies we hear at eulogies point us to how we lead our lives.

God is love (1 Jn 4:8); and we are created in the likeness of God (Gen 1_26-27). Hence love is also our way. It is the way to finding fulfilment, contentment and ultimately, true joy in life. But through our sins, we rejected love and has often fallen away. In the First Reading, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (verse 8-9) This week, through Isaiah’s words and Jesus’ Parable of the Workers, God is telling us, come back to God’s way. It is the better way. Peace be with you.