The first reading for this Sunday is from Isaiah 5
and begins:
"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near." And then "Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord...."
The parable that Jesus tells us in the Gospel (Matthew 20: 1-16) has the landowner going out at dawn to hire for the usual daily wage. Then he goes out again at 9:00 and hires more workers; he goes out again at noon, at 3:00, and at 5:00 and hires more. When evening came, he told his foreman to begin with the last hired to give them their pay. Each received the usual daily wage so when those who had worked all day came, they thought they would receive more and grumbled against the landowner when they also received the usual daily wage. Then the landowner said to one in reply: "My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous? ..."
This Gospel always makes me think of how generous the Lord is and how my thoughts are not his thoughts. Let us pray to have the generosity that Jesus shows us.
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