XXV Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A – September 20, 2020 God’s grace: Key to the fullness of Justice & Mercy Readings: Isaiah 55: 6-9 / Psalm 145 / Philippians 1: 20c-24, 27a / Matthew 20: 1-16
During our community night 2 weeks ago, we saw the movie, “Just Mercy.” For me, it was the second time watching it and was just as impactful as the first time. I’m struck by the combination of the terms which compose the title, Just and Mercy. Both the movie and today’s reading from the twentieth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew – the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard – show that the two terms belong together.
In the film, it seems that one inmate on death row, the main character, needs justice while the other one, who was executed, needs mercy. But in truth, both needed justice and both needed mercy. The parable teaches that these two principles reach their fullest potential and meaning when joined by God’s grace.
I have often struggled with the parable in today’s reading. At first glance, it does not seem to be fair and we might think it rewards those who work less. However, parables like this one as well as all lessons given by Jesus teach us about God, who he is and what he is like. So, when certain parables and teachings are hard to accept, who has to give?
Biblical scholars characterize it as a “reversal” parable which turns the tables on established practices and how we often view things. The turn becomes noticeable mid-parable with how the employer orders that the late workers be paid first. The sense of reversal is set immediately prior this at the end of chapter 19 when Jesus exclaims, “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Still, do we think there is a conflict between justice and mercy? Do we see conflict or tension when and where God seeks to bring together and restore balance and harmony? The first reading adds light to these questions when the Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8-9).
The parable challenges us to put aside any preconceived ideas of justice by understanding that God recognizes more of what is at stake in any given situation than our minds perceive. In our push for fairness or a sense of justice that focuses too much on merit or accomplishment, it can be easy to miss that mercy and grace are often how the scales of justice are brought into balance.
Justice serves to stabilize and clarify relationships and put them on solid ground. It sets the framework. We observe justice at work in how the laborers and the landowner clearly agree to the usual daily wage. It is a simple and transparent agreement, a just transaction.
Mercy comes along a little later in that the landowner continues to seek workers even as the day wears on and is almost over. The landowner keeps returning to the market and when he sees the idle workers, he is obviously concerned. He provides them work; he also provides them dignity. A strict sense of justice would not have thought of that.
The old saying rings true, “Justice without mercy leads to tyranny; mercy without justice becomes sentimentalism.” Both are needed.
The apparent reversal begins when the workers are paid in opposite order, the last are paid first. The greatest sting of the reversal is felt when not only are the last treated as the first, but they are paid the same amount as well. This is too much, the first workers thought. Where’s the justice now?
A lack of mercy is the greatest obstacle to the fullness and truth of justice. Mercy prevails because of grace. It has nothing to do with prevailing socio-economic conventions or even a common-sense sort of understanding of right and wrong. Rather, the outcome is pure, unmerited and unexpected generosity. That is to say, grace. You could also appreciate it as a second chance.
There are many examples of such unexpected generosity throughout the Gospels. That should tell us something …about God. You might recall an observation I made concerning the parable of the wicked and unforgiving servant that we heard last Sunday from the 18th chapter of Matthew. After being forgiven the huge debt by the merciful and generous king, that servant went out and refused to pardon the debt which another servant owed him.
In that situation there was justice, both servants owed debts, but it cleared the way for true mercy. Mercy, given freely – grace - was the way to bring about reconciliation and restore the relationships. While forgiveness of debts was not logical, justice and mercy were not in conflict.
Unfortunately, the wicked servant took advantage of the king’s mercy and was not grateful for the forgiveness he received. He viewed such mercy as his good luck or fortune. Such a lack of gratitude, the refusal to acknowledge grace, led to a lack of mercy. As a result, justice for that wicked and ungrateful servant was hard, but just.
The theme of reversal I mentioned earlier comes into play because God is not always pleased with the way things are. In the Virgin Mary’s Magnificat prayer in chapter 1 of the Gospel according to St. Luke, she exclaims, “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly” (1:52). Systems can be out of balance and not just and serve to perpetuate a lack of justice. Mercy is needed, and generously, to restore right relationship.
The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard highlights the supremacy of grace, the mercy of God given freely not due to merit, but as the fruit of the boundless love of God who knows that reconciliation occurs when through justice we build relationships on the solid ground of truth and through mercy we recognize others as brothers and sisters in Christ.