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By Father Garry Koch
Gospel reflection for Sept. 20, 2026, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
We like to celebrate milestones and to honor those who have worked for many years, or have been married for a long time, or in a particular way, those who have been ordained, or in religious vows for decades. These are great occasions and wonderful to celebrate. Not everyone gets those opportunities – perhaps their spouse died early, or they were married, or came to the Lord’s service late. This does not diminish their commitment nor the work that they did. Rather, like the workers in the parable, each receives the reward of their work in the vineyard, as the Lord celebrates not in years but in faithfulness to the Gospel.
The event immediately preceding this parable in Matthew’s Gospel is the encounter that Jesus had with a rich young man. When he asked Jesus what he needed to do on his path to discipleship, Jesus told him that he needed to sell all that he had and distribute it to the poor, and then come and follow him. This man was distressed and walked away because Jesus asked him to do that which he could not yet do. After Jesus taught that it is impossible for the rich to enter the heavenly kingdom, Jesus assured Peter and the others that their reward was great in the Kingdom of Heaven as they had already abandoned their way of life to follow Jesus.
Jesus concluded by saying that some who are first will be last and some who are last will be first in the Kingdom.
Then he told this parable about the workers in the vineyard.
Jesus spent a bit of time developing this parable, so as to set up his audience for the punchline. He built a strong case in the mind of his hearers for some adjustment to the compensation promised to the workers – either those who worked from dawn or those who were hired at five in the afternoon as there are four distinct groups of workers hired throughout the day who are all doing the same job.
He then further builds the case by first remunerating the last ones hired and giving them the usual daily wage. They were paid as though they had been there since dawn. Those who had toiled longer, especially those hired at dawn, expected more, perhaps even much more, than the others. But, alas, they all got paid the same wage.
When they objected – and in the minds of many hearers of this parable perhaps justly – the landowner stated that he paid them what they agreed to be paid; they were not being cheated nor had he taken advantage of them. Their greed got in the way, blinding them to the generosity of the landowner.
This parable is yet startling to the modern hearer, and certainly every HR director or union representative would freely challenge Jesus on the form of justice that this parable teaches.
Yet, the point is clear: God has made the same promise to each person who chooses to follow him. God does not call everyone at the same time, at the same point in their lives, nor in the same way.
No parent would suggest that their younger children do not deserve the same share of love or the benefits as the older ones. In the same way, God extends his love and mercy to his disciples uniformly, not related to how long they were disciples or of service in his kingdom.
There are no longevity pins or anniversaries of service in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Given the flow of events in the Gospel narrative, one has to hope that the juxtaposition of the conversation with the rich young man and the placement of this parable, that perhaps he was later on known to community as he found the fortitude to give all that he had to the poor and then followed Jesus, or was at least of service to the early church.
We do not control the circumstances or timing of our call as disciples, though we do have the exercise of free will in our response to the invitation to become a disciple, or to be of service to the work of the Gospel.
This inspires us, then, to continue our prayers for those who have yet to set worldly concerns aside in order to become faithful disciples. We also continue to pray for those who have abandoned their call to discipleship or service, so that they might discover their truest rest and peace in the Lord. The Kingdom of Heaven is the promise made to all the baptized, and we rejoice with those who have worked even only for one hour.
Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.