The Collect
O LORD, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
The Epistle (1 Corinthians ix. 24)
KNOW ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
The Gospel (St. Matthew xx. 1)
THE kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Septuagesima - Message in a Minute
Today's gospel is one of Jesus' parables in which he teaches us what the kingdom of God is like and strangely we learn that things in the kingdom of God are not exactly fair. If someone works twelve hours performing the same task at which another person works one hour, it seems only fair that he should get twelve times as much pay. But everybody in the story gets exactly the same amount of money at the end of the day no matter how many hours he worked.
The parable of the workers in the vineyard is not about labour economics, it is about salvation. At the most obvious level the parable means everybody's reward from God is the same no matter when he lets God into his life. You can't have more or less heaven, or more or less forgiveness, or more or less reconciliation to God.
In the parable, the people who worked the longest should have been glad, rather than resentful. They represent the people who have a relationship to God throughout their whole lives. If we really think friendship with God is a good thing, we shall want to have it as long as we can -- we won't think we are being victimized just because it is possible to get into heaven through a death-bed conversion.
So what should we conclude?
During the Season of Septuagesima let us try to get ourselves straight with God so His blessings will flow in our lives. Let us not be resentful toward other people who seem to have things easier than we may. Finally, let us take Christian discipline seriously for the long haul, committed to the kingdom of God and the salvation promised when we die.
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