First Reading - Ezekiel 34:1-11
Gospel - Matthew 20:1-16
We often measure life by comparison. We look at what others have received, what they have achieved, how much they are appreciated, and whether we have received what we think we deserve. Even in our relationship with God, we can sometimes think in terms of calculation: “I have done more, so I should receive more.” But today’s readings invite us to move from calculation to trust, from comparison to gratitude, and from entitlement to generosity.
In the first reading, Ezekiel strongly condemns the shepherds of Israel because they have failed to care for the flock entrusted to them. They have fed themselves instead of feeding the sheep. They have taken care of their own interests while neglecting those who were weak, sick, lost, or wounded. Therefore, God declares that he himself will search for his sheep and take care of them.
This reveals something important about God. God does not abandon those who have been neglected. When human shepherds fail, God himself becomes the shepherd. He searches for the lost, gathers the scattered, strengthens the weak, and cares for those who are vulnerable.
This image of God's generous care prepares us for the Gospel. Jesus tells the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Some are hired early in the morning, others at different times throughout the day, and some only at the last hour. Yet at the end of the day, they all receive the same wage.
Immediately, those who worked the whole day begin to complain. They feel that they deserve more because they have worked longer. From a human point of view, their complaint seems reasonable. But the landowner responds, “Are you envious because I am generous?”
This is the heart of the Gospel.
God does not operate according to our calculations. His generosity is not limited by our sense of deserving. The workers who came at the last hour did not earn the same amount of time in the vineyard, but they received the same generosity from the master.
The parable is not teaching us that our efforts do not matter. The people who worked from the beginning were genuinely called to serve, and their work was valuable. Rather, Jesus is challenging the attitude that says, “Because I have done more, I deserve more than others.”
Sometimes we can fall into this attitude even in the Church. We may think, “I have been serving for many years. I have sacrificed so much. Why should someone who came later receive the same welcome, the same responsibility, or the same blessing?” We can become like the workers who were angry not because they received too little, but because someone else received generously.
The Gospel asks us to rejoice when another person receives God's mercy.
This is especially important when someone returns to God after many years, when someone receives a second chance, or when someone who seemed far from the Church suddenly discovers faith. Instead of asking, “Why him? Why her?” we are invited to say, “Thank God that another person has found the way home.”
This connects beautifully with Ezekiel. God is not a shepherd who cares only for the strong and faithful. He searches for the lost. He goes after the scattered. He brings back those who have wandered away. God's heart is always moving toward those who need his mercy.
Perhaps today we need to examine our own hearts. Are we grateful for God's generosity, or do we constantly compare ourselves with others? Do we rejoice when others are blessed, or do we secretly feel that they do not deserve it? Do we welcome those who come late, or do we make them feel that they will always remain outsiders?
The Christian life is not a competition. We are not competing with one another for God's love. God's love is not a limited resource. If God blesses another person, our blessing does not become smaller.
The landowner's question is therefore also addressed to us: “Are you envious because I am generous?”
May the Lord free us from comparison, jealousy, and the desire to calculate what others deserve. May he give us the heart of a true shepherd—a heart that seeks the lost, welcomes the last, strengthens the weak, and rejoices in the blessings received by others.
For in God's kingdom, the last are not forgotten, the latecomers are not rejected, and the weak are not abandoned. God's generosity reaches farther than our calculations, and his mercy is always greater than what we think people deserve.
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