Daily Readings - Wed Aug 17 2022
Ezekiel
1The word of the LORD came to me:2"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?3You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.4You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.5So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals.6My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.7"'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:8As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock,9therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:10This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.11"'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.
Matthew
1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.3"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'5So they went.6"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'7"'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'9"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful lessons about leadership, justice, and God’s mercy. The first reading from Ezekiel is a prophetic rebuke to the shepherds of Israel who have failed to care for their flock. Ezekiel condemns those who prioritize their own interests over the well-being of the people, leaving the weak, the sick, and the lost to suffer. God promises to intervene, seeking out His scattered sheep and holding the shepherds accountable for their neglect. This passage reminds us that true leadership is about serving others, not exploiting them, and that God will not tolerate those who fail to act with compassion and responsibility.
The Gospel from Matthew presents a parable that challenges our understanding of fairness and generosity. The landowner hires workers at different times of the day but pays them all the same wage, much to the dismay of those who worked the longest. This story is not about human notions of fairness but about the boundless mercy of God. The landowner’s generosity to those who worked only an hour reflects God’s desire to include everyone in His kingdom, regardless of when they respond to His call. It invites us to trust in God’s justice, which is not limited by human standards but overflows with grace.
Both readings call us to reflect on our own roles as stewards and disciples. Are we like the shepherds in Ezekiel, neglecting those in our care, or are we like the landowner in Matthew, extending mercy and kindness without reserve? In our daily lives, we are called to lead with humility, care for the vulnerable, and trust in God’s plan, even when it challenges our expectations. Let us remember that God’s ways are not our ways, and His love is always greater than we can imagine.