The parable in today’s Gospel illustrates a dreadful casual labor condition during the Hellenistic-Roman world of the apostolic times which is no different than the labor condition in the Philippines at present — unemployed offered work for as meagre a pay as an employer could pay them. These laborers have to content themselves with that little because they could not get any other work. And the employer exploits this situation. The denarius, a coin, represents our own subsistence wages at the lowest level for a day much like the minimum wage which is hardly supportive of three meals needed by a family. If more laborers are needed, other unemployed standing by the plaza are taken in to work in the vineyeard. All laborers – those recruited first and those recruited later even near end of the day are all paid the same amount.
It seems that the allegorical meaning ascribed about unjust treatment of those hired first misses the whole point. The vineyard, the denarius, hours of the day when the men are hired, the reverse order of payment starting from the last hired down to the earliest hired – all this seems to point to the injustice of the employer. The dissatisfaction of those who grumbled seems reasonable to us; but the capitalist of the ancient world was master of his money.
The laborers are rebuked not for the dissatisfaction over what they received but because of dissatisfaction over that which others received and the employer insists on his freedom to be generous. He had decided that those who came late receive the same because he wanted to give them that free shared gift of what is over and above what really is due. Rights have something harsh and divisive about them, they are independent of feeling and inclination. "Justice alone can, if faithfully observed remove the causes of social conflict but can never bring about union of minds and hearts." Social peace and collaboration among men presupposes "a mutual bond of minds and hearts" which does not mean that charity can substitute for justice which is due as an obligation and is wrongfully denied."
(Quadragesimo Anno, 137). So the anomaly of an employer who keeps an employee underpaid or unpaid, exploits and treats the workers like he would a commodity or a machinery, then looks down on him as a poor beggar with hands always extended to his master so that he can get what is due him.
Thomas Aquinas coined the term "social love" (dilectio socialis, de caritate, a9). The expression is used today in close connection with social justice. Thus in the encyclical (Qundragesimo Anno) that social justice permeates state and social institutions, but that social love must be operative as the soul of this order. Social groups must "deeply feel themselves members of one great family and children of the same Heavenly Father; nay, that they are one body in Christ" (n.137). Here it is presupposed that man is able to fulfill the duties of social love out of the power of love of God and neighbor embracing it. Social love is prepared for selfless service to the common good and grants each one his or her social due. In all justice, we give the other his or her due in charity and charity gives freely as a gift even if it is not due as is the case with the laborers who came in later and were paid the same wages. Thus one cannot say he or she is practicing charity if the demands of justice are not first met; and social love incidentally clears the way for social justice and social law through its works and initiatives. "Today’s justice is yesterday’s love, today’s love is tomorrow’s justice" (M. Gillet, Justice et Charite, in Semaine Social de France, 132). Justice and charity has its order: "Based as it must be, on truth, tempered by justice, motivated by mutual love, and holding fast to the practice of freedom" (Pacem in Terris, 149). This is the whole point in the Gospel parable today. The recognition of human dignity presupposes, not indiscriminate leveling, but equality of value – the value both of justice and charity related to each other.
"So take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Am I not free to do as I wish… Are you envious because I am generous" (Mt. 20:14)? and referring to other matters of indiscriminate human leveling, Jesus warns, "So shall the last be first and the first last" (Mt. 20:60).
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 20:1-16.
Ephpheta Foundation for the Blind, Inc. is celebrating its 36th year founding anniversary on Sept. 21, 2005. We take care of one of the most helpless sectors in our society – the visually-impaired. Your financial help extended would be a prayer of faith and an act of justice which surely would have its counterpart of blessings as our blind call on God to reward you. Please call Malve 426-58-69 or Norie 439-86-69.