Daily Readings - Wed Aug 23 2023
Judges
6And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.7When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, "Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you.8The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'9But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?'10And the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and reign over us.'11But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?'12And the trees said to the vine, 'You come and reign over us.'13But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?'14Then all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come and reign over us.'15And the bramble said to the trees, 'If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'
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 the nature of leadership, judgment, and God’s generosity. In the first reading from Judges, Jotham’s parable of the trees warns against the dangers of seeking power for selfish reasons. The trees, symbolizing different kinds of leaders, are reluctant to give up their gifts to serve others. Only the bramble, the least noble of the trees, accepts the role of king, but it does so with a warning: those who refuse to rest in its shadow will be consumed by fire. This parable reminds us that true leadership is not about personal gain but about serving others, and that those who lead must do so with humility and justice.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, challenging our human notions of fairness and merit. The workers who toil all day resent the generosity of the landowner, who pays the latecomers the same wage as those who bore the heat. This parable is not about economics but about the kingdom of heaven, where God’s grace is not limited by our efforts or timing. It teaches us to trust in God’s justice and to avoid envy or resentment toward others. The last shall be first, and the first shall be last, not because of their worthiness, but because God’s love is boundless and unpredictable.
These readings call us to examine our own attitudes toward leadership and grace. Do we lead with humility and generosity, or do we seek power for its own sake? Do we trust in God’s providence, even when it seems unfair by human standards? Let us ask for the grace to embrace humility, to serve others without expectation of reward, and to rejoice in the generosity of God, who calls everyone to His kingdom, regardless of when they respond.