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Catholic Sunday Scripture Study, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9/15/2011 9:56:49 PM
September 18, 2011
First Reading:
Isaiah 55:6-9
6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God,
for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalms 145:2-3,8-9,17-18
R. (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Second Reading:
Philippians 1:20c-24,27a
20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed,
but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body,
whether by life or by death.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether
I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit,
with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Gospel:
Matthew 20:1-16a
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the
morning
to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day,
he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place;
4 and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too,
and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing;
and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?'
7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them,
`You go into the vineyard too.'
8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward,
`Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'
9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came,
each of them received a denarius.
10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more;
but each of them also received a denarius.
11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder,
12 saying, `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.'
13 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong;
did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 Take what belongs to you, and go;
I choose to give to this last as I give to you.
15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?
Or do you begrudge my generosity?'
16 So the last will be first, and the first last."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Overview of the Gospel:
• Since the Gospel readings a couple of weeks ago, we have skipped over Matthew
chapter 19, in which Jesus discusses the indissolubility of marriage, the little children
and Jesus, and the story of the Rich Young Man.
• This Sunday’s reading contains the first of three parables in Matthew that concern
a vineyard (Matthew 21:28-32 and 21:33-44). The vineyard was a common
Old Testament image for the people of God (Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 5:10;
Ezekiel 19:10-14), usually in the context of their unfaithfulness to him.
• In this context, this parable is aimed at the unbelieving Jews of the time who resented
the fact that Gentiles (non-Jews) could be allowed into God’s kingdom on equal status
with the Jews (Matthew 21:45). By extension it also applies to Christians and their
attitudes toward late converts to the Faith.
• Jesus’ point is that both calls are not owed, but are an entirely free gift from
God to give to whom he chooses. The reward, which is the same for all, is his gift
alone to give.
Questions:
• How does the 1st Reading underscore the fact that God works in his own ways
beyond our ability to completely see or understand?
• In the 2nd Reading, does St. Paul presume to have God’s plans for his life figured out?
What is his overall attitude toward God’s will and providence in his life?
• Why are identical wages given to both early and late workers? Who is discontented
and why (verses 10-12)? Is the landowner’s practice unjust, generous, or both? Why?
• Who gets any less from God: the “five o’clock” converts (Gentiles)? Or those who
should have known God since “the first hour” (the Jews)?
• If you were one of the first workers hired, how would you have reacted to the
landowner?
• How do you feel about recent converts getting the same benefits as you in
the kingdom?
• Would you say you entered God’s kingdom early, in the middle, or late in the day?
Do you ever wish you had entered later in your life, or felt jealous of others who
waited until the “eleventh hour”?
First Reading:
Isaiah 55:6-9
6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God,
for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
says the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Responsorial Psalm:
Psalms 145:2-3,8-9,17-18
R. (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Second Reading:
Philippians 1:20c-24,27a
20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed,
but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body,
whether by life or by death.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether
I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit,
with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Gospel:
Matthew 20:1-16a
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the
morning
to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day,
he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place;
4 and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too,
and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing;
and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?'
7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them,
`You go into the vineyard too.'
8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward,
`Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'
9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came,
each of them received a denarius.
10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more;
but each of them also received a denarius.
11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder,
12 saying, `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.'
13 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong;
did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 Take what belongs to you, and go;
I choose to give to this last as I give to you.
15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?
Or do you begrudge my generosity?'
16 So the last will be first, and the first last."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Overview of the Gospel:
• Since the Gospel readings a couple of weeks ago, we have skipped over Matthew
chapter 19, in which Jesus discusses the indissolubility of marriage, the little children
and Jesus, and the story of the Rich Young Man.
• This Sunday’s reading contains the first of three parables in Matthew that concern
a vineyard (Matthew 21:28-32 and 21:33-44). The vineyard was a common
Old Testament image for the people of God (Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 5:10;
Ezekiel 19:10-14), usually in the context of their unfaithfulness to him.
• In this context, this parable is aimed at the unbelieving Jews of the time who resented
the fact that Gentiles (non-Jews) could be allowed into God’s kingdom on equal status
with the Jews (Matthew 21:45). By extension it also applies to Christians and their
attitudes toward late converts to the Faith.
• Jesus’ point is that both calls are not owed, but are an entirely free gift from
God to give to whom he chooses. The reward, which is the same for all, is his gift
alone to give.
Questions:
• How does the 1st Reading underscore the fact that God works in his own ways
beyond our ability to completely see or understand?
• In the 2nd Reading, does St. Paul presume to have God’s plans for his life figured out?
What is his overall attitude toward God’s will and providence in his life?
• Why are identical wages given to both early and late workers? Who is discontented
and why (verses 10-12)? Is the landowner’s practice unjust, generous, or both? Why?
• Who gets any less from God: the “five o’clock” converts (Gentiles)? Or those who
should have known God since “the first hour” (the Jews)?
• If you were one of the first workers hired, how would you have reacted to the
landowner?
• How do you feel about recent converts getting the same benefits as you in
the kingdom?
• Would you say you entered God’s kingdom early, in the middle, or late in the day?
Do you ever wish you had entered later in your life, or felt jealous of others who
waited until the “eleventh hour”?
9/17/2011 12:35:56 AM
Gospel:
Read more here.
EXPLANATION: Our Lord used many parables––-stories about everyday affairs, well-known to his hearers––-to illustrate or bring out a spiritual message. The spiritual truth our Lord wanted to teach all the Jews, but especially the Pharisees, was that the life of eternal happiness is a sheer gift of God's generosity. It cannot be earned by any man. The fact that the Jews were the Chosen People of God up to then was no guarantee that their future was assured, and the fact that other nations were heathens and sinners hitherto was no impediment to their entrance into heaven provided they turned to God and his Son.
early . . . to hire: It was customary for workers to assemble at daybreak in the squares of cities and towns, where farmers and vine-growers would hire them for a day's work. The hours of day mentioned in the story would equal 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. Work ended at 6 p.m.
agreed . . . laborers: He made a contract with the first men he hired at 6 a.m. to work the full day for a denarius. This was the standard wage at the time.
whatever is right: The workers who came at 9 a.m., 12, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. did not demand a contract (they could not, as part of the day was gone), but the hirer promised them a just wage.
beginning . . . last: The hirer told his steward to call the workers together and to pay first the ones who had worked only one hour. This was done so that the full-day workers would see those who had worked only one hour getting a full day's pay. Had they themselves been paid first they would have gone off and not noticed what happened.
us who . . . burden: They felt they should get twelve denarii if those who had worked only one hour got a denarius.
did you . . . me: The hirer shows there is no injustice. They got their full day's pay as agreed upon.
begrudge . . . generosity: If he gave a full day's pay to those who hadn't worked a full day, this simply was generosity on his part. The money was his to do with as he pleased. He was not unjust to those who grumbled.
so . . . first: Christ now applies the lesson: those who up to now had not been God's Chosen People were being called to that privilege, while the Jews (especially their leaders) would find themselves excluded because they rejected the Messiah whom God sent them. It was not God who excluded them, they excluded themselves.
APPLICATION: The call to the vineyard (to the Church), through God's gift of faith and the sacrament of baptism, is a gift for which we can never sufficiently thank God. If we remain in the vineyard and labor honestly, that is, if we cooperate with the actual graces God is continually giving us, we are assured of reaching heaven when our earthly days are ended. The work we have to do in God's vineyard is the fulfilling of the duties of our state in life. By carrying out these duties faithfully and honestly we are doing the will of God and earning heaven. The greater part of our day and indeed of our life, will be taken up with tasks of themselves worldly, but these tasks when done in the state of grace and with the intention of honoring God, have a supernatural value. For this we have to thank God for his goodness and generosity.
He could have made the attainment of heaven so much more difficult. He could have demanded extraordinary mortifications and renunciations and the reward (heaven) would still be exceedingly great. Instead he allows us to live our everyday life, to enjoy the love and friendship of our family and friends, to satisfy the natural desires of our bodies, within the commandments, and yet to merit a supernatural reward while so doing. As he tells us through St. Paul: "whether you eat or drink or whatever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor.10:31).
Looking back on our past life, how many years have we really given to God since we came to the use of reason? Those school years, the time spent learning a trade or profession, the weeks, months, years working in an office or factory or farm, the hours among the pots and pans in the kitchen––-have we earned some credit in heaven for all of this, or is it all crossed off our pay-sheet through lack of right intention or through sin?
If so, those years are lost to us. We were "idle" all that time. Today's parable, however, should give us new hope and courage. It may be the sixth or the ninth or even the eleventh hour of our life but we can still earn heaven if we listen to God's call and set to work diligently in his vineyard. If we put our conscience right with God today and resolve to be loyal to him from now on he will be as generous to us, as the parable promises.
early . . . to hire: It was customary for workers to assemble at daybreak in the squares of cities and towns, where farmers and vine-growers would hire them for a day's work. The hours of day mentioned in the story would equal 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. Work ended at 6 p.m.
agreed . . . laborers: He made a contract with the first men he hired at 6 a.m. to work the full day for a denarius. This was the standard wage at the time.
whatever is right: The workers who came at 9 a.m., 12, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. did not demand a contract (they could not, as part of the day was gone), but the hirer promised them a just wage.
beginning . . . last: The hirer told his steward to call the workers together and to pay first the ones who had worked only one hour. This was done so that the full-day workers would see those who had worked only one hour getting a full day's pay. Had they themselves been paid first they would have gone off and not noticed what happened.
us who . . . burden: They felt they should get twelve denarii if those who had worked only one hour got a denarius.
did you . . . me: The hirer shows there is no injustice. They got their full day's pay as agreed upon.
begrudge . . . generosity: If he gave a full day's pay to those who hadn't worked a full day, this simply was generosity on his part. The money was his to do with as he pleased. He was not unjust to those who grumbled.
so . . . first: Christ now applies the lesson: those who up to now had not been God's Chosen People were being called to that privilege, while the Jews (especially their leaders) would find themselves excluded because they rejected the Messiah whom God sent them. It was not God who excluded them, they excluded themselves.
APPLICATION: The call to the vineyard (to the Church), through God's gift of faith and the sacrament of baptism, is a gift for which we can never sufficiently thank God. If we remain in the vineyard and labor honestly, that is, if we cooperate with the actual graces God is continually giving us, we are assured of reaching heaven when our earthly days are ended. The work we have to do in God's vineyard is the fulfilling of the duties of our state in life. By carrying out these duties faithfully and honestly we are doing the will of God and earning heaven. The greater part of our day and indeed of our life, will be taken up with tasks of themselves worldly, but these tasks when done in the state of grace and with the intention of honoring God, have a supernatural value. For this we have to thank God for his goodness and generosity.
He could have made the attainment of heaven so much more difficult. He could have demanded extraordinary mortifications and renunciations and the reward (heaven) would still be exceedingly great. Instead he allows us to live our everyday life, to enjoy the love and friendship of our family and friends, to satisfy the natural desires of our bodies, within the commandments, and yet to merit a supernatural reward while so doing. As he tells us through St. Paul: "whether you eat or drink or whatever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor.10:31).
Looking back on our past life, how many years have we really given to God since we came to the use of reason? Those school years, the time spent learning a trade or profession, the weeks, months, years working in an office or factory or farm, the hours among the pots and pans in the kitchen––-have we earned some credit in heaven for all of this, or is it all crossed off our pay-sheet through lack of right intention or through sin?
If so, those years are lost to us. We were "idle" all that time. Today's parable, however, should give us new hope and courage. It may be the sixth or the ninth or even the eleventh hour of our life but we can still earn heaven if we listen to God's call and set to work diligently in his vineyard. If we put our conscience right with God today and resolve to be loyal to him from now on he will be as generous to us, as the parable promises.
Read more here.
9/17/2011 12:37:33 AM
One Bread, One Body
LIFE MEANS...
"For, to me, 'life' means Christ." —Philippians 1:21
What does life mean to you? Some of us would answer: "Life" means family, friends, and work. Life means church on Sunday, Thanksgiving dinners, a new car, or a wedding in the family.
Paul doesn't talk like this. He bluntly asserts: "Life" means Christ. Paul had "come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge" of his Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:8). For Jesus' sake, he "accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be" his Wealth (Phil 3:8).
Is Christ a part of your life, or your whole life? Does everything in your life have meaning only insofar as it is God's will? Is Christ it, all of it? Are you looking forward to death so you can be home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8) and see Him face to face? (1 Cor 13:12; 1 Jn 3:2) Are you attached to the things of the world, or have you counted them all as "rubbish so that Christ may" be your Wealth? (Phil 3:8) Have you chosen the better part, that is, sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to His words? (Lk 10:39, 42)
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All! You are the Way, the Truth, and the only Reason for living (Jn 14:6).
"For, to me, 'life' means Christ." —Philippians 1:21
What does life mean to you? Some of us would answer: "Life" means family, friends, and work. Life means church on Sunday, Thanksgiving dinners, a new car, or a wedding in the family.
Paul doesn't talk like this. He bluntly asserts: "Life" means Christ. Paul had "come to rate all as loss in the light of the surpassing knowledge" of his Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:8). For Jesus' sake, he "accounted all else rubbish so that Christ may be" his Wealth (Phil 3:8).
Is Christ a part of your life, or your whole life? Does everything in your life have meaning only insofar as it is God's will? Is Christ it, all of it? Are you looking forward to death so you can be home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8) and see Him face to face? (1 Cor 13:12; 1 Jn 3:2) Are you attached to the things of the world, or have you counted them all as "rubbish so that Christ may" be your Wealth? (Phil 3:8) Have you chosen the better part, that is, sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to His words? (Lk 10:39, 42)
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All! You are the Way, the Truth, and the only Reason for living (Jn 14:6).
9/17/2011 9:22:48 PM
• Who gets any less from God: the “five o’clock” converts (Gentiles)? Or those who
should have known God since “the first hour” (the Jews)?
should have known God since “the first hour” (the Jews)?
Interesting, isn't it? If one loves God with his whole mind, heart, soul, and energy (Jews' primo commandment) it is natural that they should feel fulfilled in serving God. Love of God and service to Him are first and foremost. What others receive from God's bounty should be irrelevant to the Jews.
But, with the introduction of the Gentiles sharing in the the receipt of God's free gifts of love, mercy, and grace, we can see earthly and more natural passions arise in the Jewish community. This is jealousy and envy by God's own "chosen people."
To me it's like today's union-shop rule where "seniority counts." The best position goes to the one with the longest seniority.
Nope. Not in God's kingdom. We all share equally as receivers of God's bounty.
We really can't fault the giver of gifts––God––for his supreme generosity.
Salomon Koninck, Dutch, 1650
9/17/2011 10:21:50 PM
The Generosity of God
by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio
Read the rest here.
by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio
“But that’s not fair!” Most parents have heard this phrase umpteen times. The notion of fairness also known as justice, is built into us. It makes us aware that each of us has certain rights that need to be respected.
But it also means that we each have duties. If others have the right to be paid for their work, those who benefit from that work have the duty to pay them. If others have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we have the duty not to let our pursuit of happiness infringe on their rights.
But we have to widen our perspective a bit. God, the creator of all, is responsible for all the blessings we enjoy. Life in this world was given to each of us as an undeserved, free gift. We have unequal physical talents, features, and abilities, plus diverse spiritual and intellectual gifts as well. They vary a lot from person to person, but what they all have in common is that they come as free gifts from God who didn’t have to create any of us.
But it also means that we each have duties. If others have the right to be paid for their work, those who benefit from that work have the duty to pay them. If others have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we have the duty not to let our pursuit of happiness infringe on their rights.
But we have to widen our perspective a bit. God, the creator of all, is responsible for all the blessings we enjoy. Life in this world was given to each of us as an undeserved, free gift. We have unequal physical talents, features, and abilities, plus diverse spiritual and intellectual gifts as well. They vary a lot from person to person, but what they all have in common is that they come as free gifts from God who didn’t have to create any of us.
Read the rest here.
9/17/2011 10:25:00 PM
Commentary on the Gospel by Theophylact:
1-7. The kingdom of heaven is Christ, Who is likened to a man inasmuch as Christ took on our form. He is the householder, as He is Master of the house, that is, of the Church. This Christ, then, went out from the bosom of the Father and hired laborers into the vineyard, namely, into the study of the Scriptures and into the doing of the commandments. Or, He hired each one to labor in the vineyard which is his own soul. He hires one in the morning, that is, in his childhood; another, at the third hour, in his youth; others at the sixth and ninth hours, when they are twenty five or thirty years of age, or simply, in their manhood; and others at the eleventh hour, in their old age. For there are many who came to believe even as old men. Or, in another manner as well, the day is this present age, for in it we labor as if for one day. The Lord, then, called at the first hour those living at the time of Enoch and Noah; at the third hour, those living at the time of Abraham; at the sixth hour, those living at the time of Moses; at the ninth hour, those living at the time of the prophets; at the eleventh hour, namely, at the close of the age, the Gentiles, who had been idle from every good work. No one had hired them because no prophet had been sent to the Gentiles.
8-16. Evening means the end of the world. Therefore at the end each one receives his penny, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit re-fashioning man into the image of God and making him a sharer in the divine nature. Those who lived before Christ’s incarnation labored more, because death was not yet then destroyed, nor the devil crushed, but sin still had its full vitality. But we who by the grace of Christ have been made righteous through baptism receive power to conquer our opponent who has already been cast down and slain by Christ. Also, according to the first interpretation, those who believed in their youth have a greater labor than those who approached in old age, for the youth, warring with passions, must bear the burden of anger and the heat of desires, while the old man is in tranquility. Nevertheless, all are deemed worthy of the one gift of the Holy Spirit. The parable, then, teaches us that it is possible even in old age to repent and obtain the kingdom, for this is the eleventh hour. Surely the saints are not envious of those who receive the same reward? Far from it. But this shows here that the good things given to the righteous are so great as to even incite one to envy.
8-16. Evening means the end of the world. Therefore at the end each one receives his penny, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit re-fashioning man into the image of God and making him a sharer in the divine nature. Those who lived before Christ’s incarnation labored more, because death was not yet then destroyed, nor the devil crushed, but sin still had its full vitality. But we who by the grace of Christ have been made righteous through baptism receive power to conquer our opponent who has already been cast down and slain by Christ. Also, according to the first interpretation, those who believed in their youth have a greater labor than those who approached in old age, for the youth, warring with passions, must bear the burden of anger and the heat of desires, while the old man is in tranquility. Nevertheless, all are deemed worthy of the one gift of the Holy Spirit. The parable, then, teaches us that it is possible even in old age to repent and obtain the kingdom, for this is the eleventh hour. Surely the saints are not envious of those who receive the same reward? Far from it. But this shows here that the good things given to the righteous are so great as to even incite one to envy.
9/17/2011 10:46:33 PM
• If you were one of the first workers hired, how would you have reacted to the
landowner?
The knee-jerk reaction we all have in a situation like this is just like the first-hired workers,
isn't it? Hey, wait a minute - look at what I have done! Look at what I deserve.
Look at what I have earned! But this is a very childish and self-centered way of
looking at things. Me, me, me, it all revolves around me. And, boy, it can be hard to get
out of that line of thinking!!
It's not all about me, it's all about Him. And we have to remind ourselves of this every single day.
We are totally dependent on God for every single breath we take, each and every day. "Give us this
day our daily bread," we pray. This day. Just what we need for this day, and we trust that He will
take care of us tomorrow, too. But let's just work on today.
And if God says that he will generously give me a denarius, I will thank Him for it every day. And if he
says that my slacker, deadbeat of a neighbor will get one too, then He must know something I don't, huh?
landowner?
The knee-jerk reaction we all have in a situation like this is just like the first-hired workers,
isn't it? Hey, wait a minute - look at what I have done! Look at what I deserve.
Look at what I have earned! But this is a very childish and self-centered way of
looking at things. Me, me, me, it all revolves around me. And, boy, it can be hard to get
out of that line of thinking!!
It's not all about me, it's all about Him. And we have to remind ourselves of this every single day.
We are totally dependent on God for every single breath we take, each and every day. "Give us this
day our daily bread," we pray. This day. Just what we need for this day, and we trust that He will
take care of us tomorrow, too. But let's just work on today.
And if God says that he will generously give me a denarius, I will thank Him for it every day. And if he
says that my slacker, deadbeat of a neighbor will get one too, then He must know something I don't, huh?
