Homily for 25th Sunday – What would you do?
Our good friends, Chip and Dale, had decided to celebrate the beginning of Fall by driving to a Fall Festival three hours away in the next state. Fall colors were spectacular and they wanted to enjoy the scenery on their way to the festival. After driving for an hour and a half in their new electric car, Chip noticed that the battery was getting low, and the car would need to be recharged as soon as possible. Of course, charging stations are not plentiful especially in the rural parts of the state; they needed to find a charging station soon. About fifty miles from their destination, they saw a gas station that did have charging stalls. So, Chip pulled in and began the charging. Dale’s sweet tooth beckoned him to go into the store and get a snack. When he got back to the car, he said to Chip, “Want to finish this cookie? It’s really good!” Chip said, “No, I’m not hungry yet.” Just then a shabbily dressed man in his late thirties approached the car. He knocked on the window, which Dale rolled down, and said “Nice car you have. Does it get good mileage?” Sensing what the man really wanted; Dale waited. Finally, the stranger asked for five dollars. The beggar expected to be told to take a hike; but Chip leaned over and handed the bum ten dollars. After the beggar left, Dale said to Chip, “Why did you give him so much? You know what he will do with the money!”
How much would you have given? Would you have given any money at all? Chip said to Dale, “You know, Dale, we make good money in our business. We could have afforded to give much more. Yes, we probably know what the bum will do with the money, but that is his decision, not ours. Generosity is a form of real love that is reflective of mercy. We need to be merciful and generous, especially to those who are poor.”
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples the parable about the landowner who hired day workers and paid each man the daily wage. The early morning workers were glad to be hired and looked forward to the pay at the end of the workday. However, the landowner found men standing around a few hours later and again in the middle of the afternoon and again a little before evening. Each time he told them the men to go into the vineyard. He would pay each one the daily wage. When evening came, the landowner told the foreman to pay each worker the daily wage. You know the story. Those who worked the whole day expected to be paid more than those who did not work as long, especially those who worked at the end of the day. They grumbled against the landowner. So, the landowner reminded them that they all agreed on the daily wage. He said, “Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?”
Normally, we focus on the day laborers in Jesus’s story thinking that his story is about justice for the workers. Consider the plight of the actors and entertainment workers on strike today for better pay. The automobile workers are also on strike. The workers who build the big and powerful engines needed to transport goods throughout the nation were successful in their quest for more pay. Certainly, the workers deserve justice. Nevertheless, this story about the kingdom of heaven is really about God identified in the parable as the landowner. What does Jesus teach us about God?
First, the prophet Isaiah says “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his ways and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy.” Yes, justice is important. We are sinners and deserve punishment for our wrongdoings. But God who is love wants us to turn to him for mercy because he is generous in forgiving. As a sinner, would you not want forgiveness and mercy knowing that justice deserves punishment? Isaiah tells us that the Lord says “my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” So, bless God for that!
Second, Isaiah tells us to seek the Lord while he may be found. In Jesus’s parable, the landowner, God, seeks you inviting you to work in his kingdom. You are not to be envious of others who seem to be better than you. God is generous with his love and mercy especially as he forgives those who turn to him.
Finally, Saint Paul in his letter to the Philippians says “Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. … I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. … conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.” We do this by becoming more like God who is generous in mercy and forgiveness. In my opening story Chip was generous, like God, in giving the bum the ten dollars rather than the five that was asked for and expected. What would you have done?
Life seems so unfair to us at times especially when so many are oppressed and repressed because of high inflation and poor economy. While civic leaders try to engender equality, in reality it will not happen. Jesus said at one time: The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do good to them, but you will not always have me. Until that day when justice is meted out by the Lord, remember that God is generous in his mercy and his forgiveness.
St. Francis de Sales in a conference on generosity given to the Sisters of the Visitation said: Humility believes that it can do nothing, considering its poverty and weakness as far as depends on ourselves; while, on the contrary, generosity make us say with St. Paul, ‘I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.’ Humility makes us distrust ourselves, generosity make us trust in God. These two virtues of humility and generosity are so closely joined and united to one another that they never are and never can be separated. … The humility which does not produce generosity is undoubtedly false, for, after it has said, ‘I can do nothing, I am only absolute nothingness,’ it suddenly gives place to generosity of spirit which says, ‘there is nothing and there can be nothing that I am unable to do, so long as I put all my confidence in God who can do all things.’
Ask God for help, knowing that his grace will show you what to do and how to respond with true love and charity. In humility, this dependence on God will enable you to generously show mercy to those who heed your help. Chip responded to the beggar with compassion and mercy. What will you do when confronted by someone in need?