Proper 20a

Do You Do Well to be Angry? Jonah 4, Matthew 20:1-16

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Do You Do Well to be Angry_ Jonah 4, Matthew 20.1-16

When the early workers saw that the Master of the vineyard was paying them the same as the last hour workers, they were angry and jealous of the Master. When Jonah saw that God would relent because of the repentance of the Ninevites, he was angry. In both cases, anger was expressed because of generosity and mercy. Does your anger get the better of you when you see others get grace and mercy? Do you realize that if God didn’t extend grace and mercy to others, he would not extend it to you? Father Jeremiah explains this today and encourages us all to be thankful and rejoice at God’s grace and mercy in Jesus Christ for us all.

Image: Jonah Under His Gourd, Maarten van Heemskerck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Vineyards and Vocations, Matthew 20:1-16

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Vineyards and Vocations, Matthew 20.1-16

The Master of the vineyard is free to reward and give to his workers as he pleases. In his freedom to do that, the workers are freed to do their work with no fear of not receiving good things from the master. Likewise for us, we are free to work in our vocations because God has given us the Kingdom and made us partakers of it through Jesus Christ.

Image: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, by Meester Van Antwerpan. Public Domain. Image location: https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/YR0035483/Parable-of-the-workers-in-the-vineyard