Wednesday of the 20th week in ordinary time year A
Judges 9:6-15 Mat. 20:1-16a
Theme: Be contented
In todays parable from the gospel passage, Jesus used the parable to throw light on the kingdom of heaven. In it we see the importance of contentment in our dealings with other people. Those who were employed first before others got angry because they were all paid one denarius, forgetting that was the agreement they had with the householder at the beginning. He did not do anything wrong to the people, he rather fulfilled his agreement with the labourers. They were impatient and ungrateful, who knows, the householder may have increased their pay. Their action also points out how jealousy can deny us the blessings of God. It is God that decides what to give to each one of us as a gift, knowing our capability and what is best for everyone. Why not be appreciative for what he has given to you and use it to the glory of God and for your own good. All these put into practice in our lives will help us not to get caught in the assertion of Jesus in today’s gospel.
The last sentence in the gospel reading is an assertion from Jesus, which says “So the last will be the first and the first the last”. We must learn never to take any gift or opportunity given to us by God for granted. Sometimes due to the length of time, we begin to take things less seriously and begin to make a lot of mistakes that will end up costing us so much. One example that readily comes to mind right now is what happens to us within the context of our faith. For instance, some of us that are born into the Catholic church, will usually continue as Catholics as we go to the church with our parents, and it continues.
Sometimes, our faith is not as strong as it should be, or even as strong as that of our parents. May be because we have been practicing the faith since we were kids, but one would expect that it would have helped our faith to be stronger. While on the other hand, those who are converts into the church are very strong in their faith, and they are ready to make sacrifices for the growth of the body of Christ. So, the assertion of Jesus today is a reminder to all of us, so that we don’t make a major mistake in our lives because of our own carelessness. The emphasis here is that we must persevere in following the teachings of Christ to the end and appreciate what he has done for us, we cannot stop on the way. May the Lord bless his words in our hearts in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.