Scripture Scribbles: September 20, 2026
the Gospel
Matthew 20:1-16a
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o'clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o'clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
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?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."
the scribble
Would you rather be fair or be generous?
Fairness seems like an easier choice because when a person wants to avoid doing things that are unjust, such as cheating, the person can examine his conscience and resort to doing the right, the proper, and the expected thing. Giving to others what is due to them, this is fairness.
On the other hand, generosity means giving more, a lot more, than what is expected. For our Lord, this is not always so easy because often, if not always, people complain to Him and ask Him if He really loves us equally.
In the parable of today’s gospel, there are people who act like the laborers who started working far earlier than those who started at a later time. Those who worked at dawn complained about their wages, even though they agreed on their given salary before they were summoned to work. These people believed they deserved more payment or if not, at least those who worked for a shorter time, deserved less payment. Hence, the early bird workers felt deprived when the master gave all of the workers exactly the same wage.
There are times when we are like the said workers. We complain to God or ask Him why is so and so more blessed in life compared to us who are more faithful, more obedient, more prayerful, and so on and so forth. We tend to think that God is more generous to everyone we know, except to us. We want Him to treat us His children fairly, by OUR standards.
But why do we limit God’s kindness to our human definition of kindness? Whenever we do this, we fail to see how much God’s favor rests on us. I mean, the people we consider as more blessed than we are, how sure are we of this? For all we know, these same people might have already asked God why you and me are lovelier, richer, happier, more successful, more liked, etcetera, than they are, long before we asked God the same questions they did.
The thing is, God’s generosity is NOT the issue here at all. It is the COMPARISONS. When we start making comparisons, that is when we start looking at what others have and what we do not have. I am guilty of this too.
I just LOVE to look at what others have while sometimes overlooking my own beautiful blessings. Anyone who does this too? We consequently miss what we already have, which we genuinely need to be grateful for. In addition, we also need to be reminded that God’s time is His alone. We have to wait patiently for our turn, for our time, to receive whatever it is that we are asking from God, because He will give it in His own sweet time. If He does not, then that request is not meant for us.
Going back to the parable……If only the first set of workers did not say any words of protest to their master. If only they focused on their own wages. If only they just ignored what the landowner gave to those who worked less. So many if onlys…
In the end, the boss reprimanded those who complained.
I hope that this reprimand serves as a gentle and loving symbol of God’s voice talking to us. May it be a nudge that means we should NOT COMPARE ourselves to others and we should wait for OUR TURN. Above all, may we interpret this nudge as a tender message from our Father, telling us to focus on our own abundant BLESSINGS. Amen.
Today’s devotion was written by Edwina Yu
