Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 20, 2026
Matthew 20: 1-16a
Isaiah has good advice for us today: “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near.” We would not argue with this saying. But where can the Lord be found, and when is he near? He is nearest to us when we are most open to him. And when do we call while he is near?
The answer is when we are most in need of his compassionate love and mercy. The examples we might first think of if this is true, are the parable of the Prodigal son, or when the one sheep is lost and alone, or when the woman is caught in adultery or the former sinner bathing Jesus’ feet. It is easy to see how God is near and within earshot in these cases, and in similar ones in our lives. God is nearest at those points when we are most open to him and need his presence in our trials. But these are not sure things; we also have the rich young man who went away sad.
But there are other times when we are in God’s presence and can call to him. These are the times when we are most open to bringing his kingdom into being. Today’s gospel is an excellent example of this.
This parable seems unjust and unfair to those who have been working in the heat all day long, as compared to those who were there only an hour. Today, we would bring that landowner to court, and probably win. I have to admit that both Walter Kasper and Gerhard Lohfink have shed more light on this situation for me. The point is not something so simple as the generosity and compassion of God, though that is certainly present. Rather the emphasis is not on only a few individuals, but on all of us. This parable is really about the Father’s Kingdom.
The daily wage mentioned was not a large amount. It was just enough to provide the average family with enough money for food for a day. In short the daily wage meant the difference between a meager meal or none at all. So what would have been the help of being paid for only an hour or two of work.
The point Jesus is making, is that the kingdom will be present when the lowest, most marginalized member of society will be provided with what is adequate for the necessities of life, even if that member cannot earn it. At that point, too, God is near and within earshot. That point is the place where God is the only one who can bring about such generosity.
There’s a play by Timothy Thompson based on this parable in which he depicts two brothers vying for work. John is strong and capable; Philip is just as willing but has lost a hand in an accident. When the landowner comes, John is taken in the first wave of workers, and as he labors in the field, he looks up the lane for some sign of Philip. Other workers are brought to the field, but Philip is not among them. John is grateful to have the work but feels empty knowing that Philip is just as needful as he. Finally, the last group of workers arrive, and Philip is among them. John is relieved to know that Philip will get to work at least one hour. But, as the drama unfolds, and those who came last get paid a full days’ wages, John rejoices, knowing that Philip, his brother, will have the money necessary to feed his family. When it comes his turn to stand before the landowner and receive his pay, instead of complaining as the others, John throws out his hand and says with tears in his eyes, “Thank you, my Lord, for what you’ve done for us today!” — God’s justice arises out of a sense of community in which we see the “eleventh hour” workers as our brothers and sisters whose needs are every bit as important as our own.
But God can be present in us who are his body, hands, feet and mouth. The kingdom of God is in our hands now that Jesus is with his Father. We are part of God’s generous compassion, and loving mercy. If we have felt the Father’s mercy and love, we are called to share it in many ways. Those ways include personal acts where we share material and spiritual things, but also in how we take part in the life of our parish, diocese, as well as, in our town and country. The also include the situations where we, ourselves, generously receive the ministry and kindness of others. God is near and within earshot in our personal encounter with him, and in our presentation of him in our world as well. In these case of giving or receiving, we are part of the loving presence of God. We are part of where God can be found.
Fr. John Tran