HOMILY FOR 25th SUNDAY IN OT--A

TODAY’S GOSPEL IS ONE OF THOSE CHALLENGING ONES.  IT’S ORIGINAL MEANING WAS AS A WARNING TO THE DISCIPLES NOT TO GET UPPITY SINCE THEY WERE THE FIRST TO FOLLOW CHRIST AND IT WAS ALSO A WARNING TO THE JEWISH CHRISTIANS NOT TO LOOK DOWN ON THE GENTILE CHRISTIANS.

BUT JESUS’ PARABLES CAN NEVER BE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD JUST ON ONE LEVEL.  THEY ARE TOO RICH IN MEANING.  TWO OF THOSE DEEPER LEVELS ARE WHAT THIS HOMILY WILL DEAL WITH.  THE FIRST IS A LESSON ABOUT GOD’S LOVE AND THE SECOND IS AN INSIGHT ABOUT OURSELVES.

THE LESSON ABOUT GOD’S LOVE IS THAT HE REALLY, REALLY WANTS TO LOVE US AND HAVE US LOVE HIM.  IN FACT, IT SEEMS GOD WILL HARDLY TAKE “NO” FOR AN ANSWER.  IN TODAY’S PARABLE, GOD’S GOES SEARCHING FOR WORKERS, OR IN OUR TERMS LOVERS, NOT ONCE, BUT FIVE TIMES: AT DAWN, 9, NOON, 3 AND 5.  AND WHEN HE FINDS THEM HE HIRES THEM, OR IN THE TERMS WE’RE USING, LOVES THEM.

THIS LESSON OF GOD’S NEVER CEASING SEARCH FOR LOVERS IS GOING TO HIT US AGAIN IN THREE WEEKS WHEN JESUS’ PARABLE TELLS US OF THE KING WHO INVITES MANY TO HIS SON’S WEDDING FEAST AND WHO WON’T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.  TIME AND AGAIN THE INVITATION IS ISSUED AND ISSUED YET AGAIN.

IN SHORT, JESUS MAKES IT CLEAR THAT WE NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOD’S LOVE FOR US.  OUR JOB IS TO RESPOND TO IT, BASK IN IT, AND LET IT TRANSFORM US.

BUT THAT IS A HARD JOB.  WE REMEMBER THINGS WE DONE, SINS WE COMMITTED, AND DON’T LIKE WHAT WE SEE INSIDE OF OURSELVES SOMETIMES.  WE WONDER HOW EVEN A GOD WHOSE CHARACTER IS TO LOVE CAN LOVE US AND THAT KEEPS US FROM RESPONDING TO HIS INVITATION.

BUT NOTICE THE PARABLES.  GOD DID NOT ASK FOR A RESUME FROM THOSE WORKERS.  GOD DID NOT DO A BACKGROUND CHECK WITH THE POLICE OR ASK THEM FOR REFERENCES FROM UPSTANDING CITIZENS.  GOD HIRED THEM, OR IN OUR TERMS LOVED THEM, JUST AS THEY ARE.

IF WE DO NOT EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE IT’S BECAUSE WE EITHER WON’T LET OURSELVES EXPERIENCE OR WE JUST IGNORE THE INVITATION.  ALL WE HAVE TO DO TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE IS TO DO WHAT JESUS TOLD US TO DO: REPENT.

THERE IS ALSO A SECOND LEVEL ON WHICH THIS PARABLE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD.  THIS IS A TROUBLING STORY SINCE IT SEEMS GOD IS NOT WHAT WE WOULD CALL FAIR.  EVERYONE GOT THE SAME WAGES NO MATTER HOW LONG THEY WORKED.  BUT MAYBE THAT FEELING OF UNFAIRNESS TELLS US MORE ABOUT OURSELVES THAN ABOUT GOD.

IF WE IDENTIFY WITH THE DESERVING WORKERS, THOSE WHO WORKED A FULL DAY, GOD DOESN’T SEEM FAIR.  IF WE IDENTIFY WITH THE UNDESERVING, THOSE WHO WERE CALLED LATER, GOD SEEMS FAIR AND GENEROUS.

WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS GOD’S LOVE CANNOT BE “DESERVED” AT ALL.  WE HAVE NO CLAIM ON IT.  IF WE THINK WE DO, WE ENGAGING IN A DANGEROUS BIT OF ARROGANCE BY THINKING WE CAN TELL GOD WHAT TO DO WITH HIS GENEROSITY AND LOVE.  IT’S GOD’S GENEROSITY, NOT OURS, AND AS GOD WARNS US IN TODAY’S PSALM: “I THINK DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU DO.”

A LOOK INTO OURSELVES COULD ALSO REVEAL SOME SELFISHNESS.  WE COULD FIND OURSELVES ACTING LIKE THE SMALL BOY WHO IS WORRIED THAT THE PARENTS LOVE A BROTHER OR SISTER MORE THAN THEY LOVE HIM.  WHEN WE DO THAT WE COMPLETELY MISREAD THE SITUATION.

WE ARE USED TO SCARCE AND LIMITED RESOURCES, THINGS THAT RUN OUT OR CAN BE EXHAUSTED.  LIKE WITH A JOB.  IF YOU GET IT, I WON’T.  BUT WITH GOD WE ARE OPERATING ON ANOTHER PLANE.  GOD CANNOT BE EXHAUSTED AND GOD’S LOVE IS NOT SCARCE OR LIMITED.  THERE IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE AND THE FACT THAT GOD LOVES SOMEONE ELSE JUST AS MUCH AS ME CANNOT DIMINISH HOW MUCH GOD LOVES ME.  WHEN I LET GOD LOVE ME, I WILL HAVE MORE LOVE THAN I CAN EVER HANDLE.  I DON’T NEED TO BEGRUDGE THE FACT THAT GOD LOVES SOMEONE ELSE.

IT’S CERTAINLY NOT THE CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO SELFISHLY WORRY ABOUT WHETHER SOMEONE ELSE HAS MORE OF GOD’S LOVE THAN I DO.  JESUS MAKES THAT CLEAR IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF TODAY’S GOSPEL: THE LAST WILL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST WILL BE LAST.  OUR FIRST CONCERN MUST BE SERVING GOD AND OTHERS AND NOT OURSELVES.

AGAIN AS THE PSALM WARNS US, GOD DOESN’T THINK LIKE WE DO.  GOD’S IDEA OF JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS ISN’T THE ONE WE HUMANS HAVE.  WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO TRY TO CREATE GOD IN OUR IMAGE, TO CREATE A GOD THAT THINKS LIKE WE DO.  THE ONE THAT’S ALREADY THERE MIGHT NOT APPRECIATE IT.