Twenty-fifth Ordinary

Matthew 20: 13 – 16

“He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’ Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first”.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that things happen by God’s Rolex not my Timex”. Those words were shared at a reunion between two co workers long after they both gave up trying to set the course of their lives on a timetable. They had spent a lot of time over the years on the “pity pot,” as one of them called it, measuring, calculating, and weighing. And no matter how they figured it, God was short-changing them. It just wasn’t fair.

Then, at a certain point, tired of listening to their own and the other’s whines, they both realised that perhaps they were going about their situations all wrong. They started talking about powerlessness, acceptance, and God’s will.

They coached and counselled one another whenever the other was down. They weren’t always sure of the truth of what they were saying, but they knew it was better than feeling sorry for themselves. They tried to live as if they really believed God was taking care of them and had their best interests at heart.

Gradually their lives got better, or so it seemed to them. Despite all sorts of losses and illnesses, they remained grateful for their many blessings. Some would call this change of heart extraordinary. Others know this is just a day in the life of a practicing Christian.