Wednesday of Week 20 Year 1

Most people like to be recognised or rewarded for the work they do. When they have completed a task or some projects, they hope to get a good job review and look forward to an increase in salary, perks or even a promotion. Few people in the world are content with remaining as they are, without any reward, remuneration or recognition. However, when the boss or superior begins to reward everyone equally, regardless of how much or how little a person has done, there are bound to be some who feel cheated or that the boss or superior has been unfair in the way the reward was distributed. Some people would begin to feel disillusioned or less motivated, and some may just leave the company in disgust, because in their mind, rewards should be given in proportion to the amount of effort done and results achieved.

In today's Gospel, we come across a landowner who hired workers at different hours of the day. Each worker was promised one denarius a day no matter how much or how little work he had done. When it came to paying the workers, the landowner had kept his end of the bargain or agreement. He paid each worker one denarius as what had been agreed. But this is where some workers began to grumble, as some of us may do so too. Those workers who had worked longer hours had expected to be paid more, but when they received one denarius too, they felt cheated and felt the landowner was being unfair. But if we recall, the landowner had made an agreement with the workers, and in that agreement, each worker would be paid one denarius a day, nothing more, nothing less, and that is exactly what the landowner had done.

Sometimes we come across a boss or a superior who is like that landowner. If the boss or superior is being kind and generous to all, do we have a right to complain? God is like that landowner, and He cares and loves all, regardless of how good or bad we have been. Do we have a right to complain? Instead, shouldn't we be grateful and thankful that we have a boss or superior who is generous to all? He or she could have easily rewarded only his or her favourites, but chose to reward all generously. In the same way, God could have cared for only those who have been holy or good, but He cares for all of us and is patient with us. Thus, let us give thanks to God for His generosity and providence, and continue to do all things for His greater glory.