25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Bullet Points (Matthew 20:1-16)

• The parable tells us of the workers who were hired in the morning but received the same wage as those hired late in the afternoon. For them, the landowner acted unjustly. But all workers and the landowner agreed on a wage of one denarius. So, legally, the landowner has done no injustice at all. If the landowner was generous to the latecomers, it was his own business.
• The workers seemed right to criticize their employer. They worked hard for longer hours and thus deserved more pay than the latecomers. But the parable deals here more about our Father’s love, generosity, and compassion. The parable shows us that God, like the landowner, is not only just but lavishly generous and compassionate.
• We can be like the early workers in the parable. We complain and grumble because God has been more generous to others. We consider our own actions to deserve more reward, more of God’s compassion, than the actions of others
• Instead of being envious, the parable invites us to rejoice and celebrate the success of others. A truly great person is one who is not envious of other’s success.