Daily Readings - Sun Sep 20 2020
Isaiah
6"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;7let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Philippians
20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
Matthew
1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,4and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.'5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'7They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,12saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'13But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?14Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'16So the last will be first, and the first last."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s mercy, generosity, and the call to live with humility and trust in His plan. In the first reading, Isaiah urges us to seek the Lord while He is near, emphasizing that His ways and thoughts are far greater than ours. This is a call to repentance and trust, reminding us that God’s forgiveness is abundant and that His plans for us are beyond our comprehension. The second reading from Philippians expresses Paul’s deep hope and confidence in Christ, whether in life or in death. Paul’s words remind us that living for Christ is the ultimate goal, and that our actions should always reflect the Gospel, standing firm in faith and unity. The Gospel parable of the vineyard workers challenges us to embrace God’s generosity and fairness. The workers who labored for only an hour received the same pay as those who worked all day, teaching us that God’s grace is not limited by our efforts or timing but is instead a gift of His boundless love.
These readings are connected by the theme of trust in God’s plan and acceptance of His generosity. Isaiah reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and the Gospel parable illustrates this truth through the equal payment of wages, despite unequal labor. Paul’s letter encourages us to live in a way worthy of the Gospel, trusting that God’s plan is greater than our own. Together, the readings call us to humility, gratitude, and a willingness to let go of comparisons or expectations of reward. They remind us that our value and worth come not from our efforts but from God’s love and mercy.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to approach God with humility and trust, recognizing that His timing and ways are beyond our understanding. Let us not compare ourselves to others or question God’s fairness but instead embrace His generosity with gratitude. May we live in such a way that we reflect the Gospel, standing firm in faith and united in spirit, trusting that God’s plan for us is always greater than our own.