THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH

There are times in life we desire to receive preferential treatment because we had probably contributed more to a given group and so, in our way of thinking, we deserve a remarkable reward. The liturgy of today calls us to reflect on the unimaginable ways and love of God. Have we in anyway, tried to subject God to human form that he does things in our own way? Do we place ourselves as superior over others, or better than others that we merit more reward than them? In God’s vineyard, he treats each one equally, and in his conception of justice, everyone is entitled to his unconditional love and generosity. What matters is our response to his invitation.

In the first reading, we see God’s invitation through the prophet Isaiah to, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thought…” (Is. 55:6-7).  When Isaiah said, ‘let the wicked man forsake his way,’ he expresses the need for repentance among God’s people, to turn from their evil way to God’s own way. Through the prophet, God expresses his love for his people, despite our unfaithfulness, he continues to search for us and desire that we return to his way. He said, “Let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (v.7). What a great promise!

Christ in the gospel tells his disciples a parable of the workers and the vineyard. This parable enables us to have a better understanding of the first reading of today, when God said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Is. 55:7). God does not think nor act like we do, his ways and thoughts are far from ours like the heaven is to the earth. However, in Jesus Christ, heaven has come down to earth, and when we conform our ways and thought to that of Christ’ teachings, we become transformed and be more like God. This is what the prophet meant, ‘to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near’ (v.6).

Still on the ways and thoughts of God, some of us may wonder why the householder who went out to hire labourers to work in his vineyard treated the first recruited ones this way. How could the labourers who worked for one hour be paid the same amount as those who worked for nine hours? The householder who went out ‘early in the morning to hire labourers,’ that is, as early as 6:00 a.m.; he went out about the third hour, about 9:00 a.m.; the sixth hour, 12 noon; the ninth hour, 3:00 p.m. and the eleventh hour, which is about 5:00 p.m. all were given a denarius, which is the payment for a day’s labour. Who will call such a thing justice? Despite the fact that there was initial agreement of the pay, Christ presents to us that the Justice of God is governed by his generosity and unconditional love for all.

Interestingly in the gospel is the imagery of the householder, which indicates how God employs everyone to his vineyard. We all have the invitation to work in God’s vineyard. There is enough work for us to do in the house of God, so why will anyone be idle? Christ has hired you and I as his workers and his payment is enormous, it is eternity, which closes the distance between heaven and earth that Isaiah indicates, or between man and God. All he demands in this work is true repentance by accepting his invitation. This unmerited invitation to God’s vineyard is extended to all of us and the wages remains the same. Eternity life! Some of us have been called earlier to his vineyard, which could be 10/25 years in the priesthood or religious life, or even as laity in the service of the house of God, while some others were recently called and some are yet to be called into the vineyard of God. What is most important is not the number of years we have been serving in God’s vineyard, but the diligence and faithfulness of our heart in serving him. Are we serving God with grudging minds, full of complains as the first labourers did to his generosity? Do we feel bitter and envious with the success and progress of others who have put in little efforts in their service? We cannot determine for God his generosity.

St. Paul made it clear to us in the second reading, the importance of serving in God’s vineyard when he said, “Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil 1:20). He had mixed feelings of being with Christ in his kingdom, which is the wages for his labour that he also considered to be much better when he said, “My desire is to be with Christ” (v.24) or to remain with his brother and children in faith because of the love he has shared with them. Above all, he urges us to conform our lives to be worthy of the gospel of Christ, which reduces the distance between heaven and earth and connect us more closely with God.  

Dear friends in Christ, the message of today is clear, the distance between heaven and earth is sin. So, sin becomes a distance between man and God, between human and divine. If the nature of man is to fall into sin, the nature of the divine is to redeem man from sin. This distance can be removed when we totally conform ourselves to Christ the redeemer, who reconciles us with the Father. Hence, like the prophet we can urge ourselves to seek the sacrament of penance while it may be found, for the Lord is generous and close to all who call him. This call also reflects in our works in God’s vineyard, with the hope of his Kingdom as our wages, and like St. Paul, let us desire to be with Christ in Eternity. May you O Lord have mercy on us, and grant us your salvation. Peace be with you.

Happy Sunday!

Fr. Ken Dogbo, OSJ