No Discrimination In Heaven

𝐀𝐔𝐆. 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐓. 𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐃, 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐉𝐠𝐬 𝟗:𝟔-𝟏𝟓

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟐𝟏:𝟐-𝟒, 𝟔-𝟕 “𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟐𝟎:𝟏-𝟏𝟔

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑺𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕,” (𝒗.16) 

         If you are familiar with the Gospels you will note that there is a certain progression in the way the liturgical readings are arranged and the same pattern can be seen in the manner Jesus has been preaching to his disciples and the people during his time and the writers of the Synoptic Gospels ably captured the intent of Jesus to impart as much lessons as he possibly could in the short span of time that he has left on earth.

         His use of parables most of which were recorded by Matthew also belies his intention to move his listeners to keep in their hearts all that he has said in that short period since these set of parables are actual scenarios in the lives of the Jews of which the people are all too familiar with.

         Take the case of this Gospel reading for today in 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝟐𝟎:𝟏-𝟏𝟔. It tells of an actual situation at the time of the grape harvest. The scene was a familiar one with workers using the marketplace as their office where vineyard or farm owners can come and haggle for the price of their labor as was the case in this parable where the vineyard owner agreed to pay the normal daily wage of the initial batch of workers he hired.

         But then the vineyard owner needed more workers and so he hired more workers up to late in the day just so they could complete the harvest before the day is over. But when everything was done with, the first batch of workers hired complained about receiving the same daily wage for the longer hours they worked against the workers hired late in the day and received the same pay.

         We all know the story and we have heard about this many times but there are instances when we still miss the nuggets of wisdom that are strewn all over the place because we didn’t see it shine the first time we passed by.

         Besides the generosity of God as represented by the vineyard owner, which is the focal point of this parable, there are also two lessons that we can pick up from Matthew’s account of this parable which are right down our alleys in the church or community where we belong.

         Like the first batch of workers who were hired who complained of the last batch of workers receiving the same pay, Jesus used this situation to caution his disciples that not because they have been with him from the beginning that they should consider themselves as entitled over the new disciples who may come at a later time.

         This also serves as a message for us who have been in the church or community for quite some time and have a tendency to think we own the ministry where we belong and that we can dictate the manner by which the church or community should move. At times, we even resent the entry of new blood into the community, especially when we find they will be a threat to our position.

         In the long years that I’ve been in the renewal, I have practically met all kinds of people from the humble who just work with no fanfare and without drawing attention to himself and it is a joy and a privilege to work with them. There are those who equate service to God with just building missions regardless of whether these mission fields thrive or not. And there are also those who impress upon others that the church/ community to which they belong will not survive without them. But the worst kind are those who perpetuate lies to manipulate situations in their favor.

         We should not forget that spiritual communities move through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit thus seniority does not necessarily mean honor and privilege because God doesn’t look at who comes into the church’s ministry first and who went in last. God doesn’t work that way because his love will be the same love for those who came in last as for those who went in first.

         The other lesson is what I’ve said many times in the past about the difference between working "𝐟𝐨𝐫" God and "𝐢𝐧" or "𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡" God. This time around, it’s not just working in God and or with God but working with joy in our hearts.

         As we read in this Gospel, the service given by the vineyard workers were all given similar values by the vineyard owner which simply means that God alone knows the value of the service that we give to him in the church or community regardless of the yardstick with which our service is measured by others in the church. We may not know the logic behind it, but God is always fair and, many times we do not appreciate God’s goodness and we tend to complain.

         What is important to God is not the amount of service that we give but the love that we put into our service that matters. As in the vineyard, we also see in the community two existing groups of workers. One who works because he expects to be rewarded for his effort. These workers tithe but they expect a return.

          But there are also those, like the last batch of workers, who came and worked but gave the vineyard owner the prerogative to determine how much they are to be paid. These members are those who shepherd, join mission activities, regularly attend the Prayer Meetings and Word Sharing Circles because they find joy in doing it.

         Some of us will serve because it is our duty as members of a ministry while some of us will serve because we love to serve even if it is inconvenient for us. This is the same with our faith conversion and or our transformation. Some will have been converted and transformed the moment they heard the Word of God and were filled by the Holy Spirit.  

          Others will take much longer before they start to believe and yield their life to Jesus Christ. What we also see in this gospel passage is the jealousy harbored by those who worked first against those hired last.

          A disciple serves God through the church or community out of pure joy never expecting any recompense but leaving to God the right to determine his reward. This is what Jesus meant when he said the first will be last and the last will be first.

         In the same way, there are times when we are also envious of others who move up the ladder in the office or church ministry. What we don't realize is that this is all about the amount of heart that we put in. The one who gives up everything including his comfort to serve will certainly gain favor than the one who just goes through the motions of serving.

       In the end, everything is grace. We do not earn what God will give to us since we don't really deserve it. Whatever God gives us is on account of His goodness and abounding love for all of us. This unmerited grace is given in the way that God chooses. It could be more, or it could be less. It will all depend on how open our hearts to receive His grace. Peter asked in the preceding gospel: “𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒕?” As Christian disciples we answer the call to serve in the vineyard without any thought of a reward, but we toil out of our excitement to have been called.

         There are many in this world who have been richly rewarded in terms of material wealth, professional titles, academic and career accolades, personal ambition and vain glory and they will find themselves on equal footing with the poor, the simple, those who have less in life but who just went about his way serving the church and the community with only his love for serving God and others as his primary motivation.

         While the Kingdom of Heaven is for everyone, those who have labored out of love and pure joy are those who will be exalted for love is the one thing that will lead us to God. “𝑩𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.” (𝑱𝒏 13:35)        

         Let me end with this short prayer: 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰, 𝘪𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴’ 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦…𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘯! (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘈𝘶𝘨. 20, 2025)