Reading 1
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Gospel
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Fr. Anthony Dinh Minh Tien, O.P.
I. THEME: The good shepherds
The duty of leaders is to care for all people under their leadership; not only the talented, the good, the young and the healthy; but also the untalented, the bad, the old and the sick. Today readings show the differences between the good shepherds with the impostors through what they do for their sheep.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves!”
In Israel, the owner hires shepherds to care for his sheep. The duty of a shepherd is to care for his sheep and to be responsible before the owner. If the sheep are good and healthy, he shall be praised and deservedly awarded. If the sheep are bad and skinny, he shall be condemned. The owner can take the sheep back and give to the one who knows how to better care for them. Similarly, the leaders of religion as also as of society must care for those who are under their leadership; and they must be responsible before God who gives them power and people who are under their guidance.
The counterfeit pastors are those who only care for themselves as Ezekiel said in today passage, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep? You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; my sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with no one to look after them or to search for them.”
The result of their irresponsible acts is that they shall be correspondingly punished. He shall take away their sheep and give in the hand of those who know how to care for them. As the time of Ezekiel, good shepherds were so lacking that God declared: “Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep have been given over to pillage, and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast, for lack of a shepherd; because my shepherds did not look after my sheep, but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep; because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God: I swear I am coming against these shepherds. I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture themselves.”
Since God can’t find good shepherds in Israel, so the Lord God shall be the One who care for them, “I will save my sheep that they may no longer be food for their mouths. For thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheep.”
The Good Shepherd in the New Testament is Christ himself when he declared, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me” (Jn 10:14). The outstanding character of the good shepherd is that “A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11). Jesus trained his disciples to be the good shepherds according to his way and sent them out to care for God’s sheep.
2/ Gospel: The good shepherd cares for all of his sheep.
The main point in today parable isn’t about social justice or injustice, that is: if you work a little, you shall eat a little or if you work hard, you shall eat more; but about everyone has enough to eat. The good leader is the one who knows how to arrange works so that everyone has a job to earn a living worthy of their dignity. The passage begins with Jesus’ introduction to the parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.”
The Gospel didn’t give us reasons for those who worked late; but there are many unexpected things can happen in life. Instead of spending our effort to find out why they didn’t go to work as those who worked from the beginning, we can group them as those who don’t have many opportunities (untalented, diseased, even lazy ones). A good leader can find opportunities for these kinds of people.
Jesus continued his parable, “Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’”
To the last kind of people, we know the reason why they stood around. These people worked only one hour since at the end of the sixth hour is the end of a working day.
The compensation for a working day in Palestine at this time was one denarius, and the owner made a contract with them from the beginning. The owner didn’t unfairly treat any group so they had no reason to rebuke him. When the evening came, “the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.”
Jealousy is one of people’s bad habit; people don’t want those who worked less hours than them to have the same money as them. So, on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.”
Why did the landowner do such a thing? His answer showed he is a good shepherd; he had both justice and mercy. He arranged so that all could have works and money for their living. He answered to those who grumbled against him, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?”
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– God gives to each of us one, two, or many sheep to care for depending on our ability and position, such as: parents, teacher, pastor, religious or social leader. We need to fulfill our duty.
– When God gives us authority, He also gives us resbonsibilities. We must be responsible before God for those under our care.
– A good shepherd knows his sheep’s abilities to care them in a way that is proper for each sheep. We must know the way to overcome jealousy of other sheep and are always merciful to all of them.
– We need to imitate God to have compassion to those who have not opportunities like we have. Don’t be jealous with them.
OTHER READINGS
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