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It is heartening to know that God’s way is not our mere
way, and that God defies our wildest ideas and dreams
(Isaiah 55:6-9). Really astounding is the fact that God
loves us all, even the least and the last (Matthew
20:1-17).
Promise
of redemption
The
first reading is taken from the second division of
Deutero-Isaiah (Chapters 49-57) which is striking in its
description of upcoming redemption couched in broad
terms away from the earlier concrete language that
reflects the situation of the Babylonian exiles. The
divine promise to David that his descendants would rule
Israel forever as an enduring royal dynasty is here
being extended by the prophet to the nation as a whole
(55:3). The old Davidic covenant is so-to-say
democratized and all humanity benefits from it, as
people can now recognize the one true God as a result of
Israel’s redemption.
The
prophet’s call to his hearers is to approach God and to
worship Him. In a manner that can apply to any human
being, this oracle to salvation is first an exhortation
to all to seek Him “while he can be found,” and to call
to Him “while he is near.” The opportune time is now, to
come to terms with God and enter into a covenant with
Him.
Call to
repentance
The
primary focus of the text is the call to conversion. It
entails forsaking wicked ways and sinful thoughts. It
means (re)turning to God. To “(re)turn” to God is the
twelfth most frequently used verb in the Hebrew Bible,
not as mere suggestion but as imperative. To turn from
evil and to (re)turn toward the good is on the
supposition that those who sinned were once in rightful
relationship with God. They have embarked on a way of
life opposed to the law of God, devising plans contrary
to God’s designs and in betrayal of God.
Despite
wicked plans and evil ways, God will pardon sinners and
will still have compassion toward them. The difference
between the two dispositions—God’s compassion and
forgiveness, on the one hand, and man’s wicked thoughts
and ways on the other, is incalculable like the vast
expanse between the heavens and the earth. Truly, God’s
ways are not our ways.
A room
for all
The
gospel parable underscores the shocking strangeness of
God’s graciousness. It may even be misconstrued as
injustice or unfair labor practice. It seems unfair to
pay all of the laborers the same amount regardless of
the time they put into the work, although all received
the exact amount for which they had contracted. There
was work enough for the labor force, which explains why
workers were being hired even at the very last hour
before the close of the working day. But these late
hires were the unwanted ones, the laborers who, for one
reason or another, were earlier passed over by those
hiring.
Those
earlier blessed and first hired preferred the principles
of retributive justice: payment according to work done.
They were expecting more because they had done more
work, when they saw those last hired who worked the
least received the amount for which they themselves
agreed to work for the day. But the generosity of the
owner of the vineyard toward these last hired superceded
his justice in paying the agreed upon wage to the
disgruntled laborers. These were scandalized that the
owner was most generous with latecomers unwanted by
others. The owner pointedly challenged them to examine
themselves, are their “eyes evil” (mainit ang mata)
out of envy at his goodness?
Alálaong
bagá,
for us human beings, justice and grace do not always
seem to fit well together. The reign of God is based on
the latter, not the former. We cannot mix our version of
human justice, where we demand that the good we do be
adequately rewarded and evil done by others be properly
punished, with the divine mercy which speaks of God’s
love for all, sinners included. The first reading
exhorts sinners to repentance and to amendment of life.
This is because God is merciful to all. And we want to
be recipients ourselves of the divine mercy. But we
grumble at the mercy extended to others. We feel cheated
of the special treatment we deem due us; we want God to
apportion mercy to others according to merit. As we
expect generosity to ourselves but strict retribution to
others, we feel frustrated and resentful of God in His
strange love for all, of putting those who are last
first.
We know
we are freed of our pettiness and envy when we begin to
pray for divine mercy for all and rejoice when others
experience it. As disciples of the reign of God, we
proclaim the good news of divine forgiveness and mercy.
This becomes concrete as we ourselves extend mercy to
others rather than exact retribution from them. It is to
God that judgment belongs, and He always exercises it
with compassion to us all.
For more of my reflections and works, visit my blogsite:
http://alalaongbaga.multiply.com. |
