the usual daily wage, and sent them to his vineyard. He went out again, at about nine in the
morning, and, seeing others idle in the town square, he said to them, ‘You also, go to my
vineyard, and I will pay you what is just.’ So they went. The owner went out at midday, and,
again, at three in the afternoon, and he made the same offer. Again he went out, at the last
working hour—the eleventh—and he saw others standing around. So he said to them, ‘Why
do you stand idle the whole day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ The master
said, ‘Go, and work in my vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his
manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wage, beginning with the last and ending with
the first.’ Those who had gone to work at the eleventh hour came up, and were each given a
silver coin. When it was the turn of the first, they thought they would receive more. But they,
too, received one silver coin. On receiving it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
They said, ‘These last, hardly worked an hour; yet, you have treated them the same as us,
who have endured the heavy work of the day and the heat.’ The owner said to one of them,
‘Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on one silver coin per day? So,
take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last the same as I give to you.

Don’t I have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Why are you envious when
I am kind?’ So will it be: the last will be first, the first will be last.”

READ: Isaiah reminds his hearers that God’s ways are beyond our
understanding. We cannot grasp God’s unconditional love for all his children.
This point is amplified in the Gospel where the generosity of the vineyard
owner, who represents God, confuses and troubles the workers. Paul tells
the Philippians of his struggle to decide whether he would rather continue
his ministry among them or face martyrdom so as to be with Christ.

REFLECT: As I get closer to the date I have chosen for retirement I empathize
more and more with Paul’s position. I see the good things I accomplish in my
work and I want to keep doing them. They bring meaning and satisfaction
to my life. At the same time, I am looking forward to beginning the next
phase of my journey.
Unlike my retirement date, the date that we will die and return to God is
unknown. We don’t know how many days we have left to serve God on
earth. We should use every day to the best of our ability, preaching the Good
News through our words and deeds, so that when God calls us to himself,
we will be eager to go to him.

PRAY: Lord, I long to be with you.

ACT: Ask God for the grace of a happy death.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2023