Breaking the Word

"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…

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."  (Mt 20:1-16)

Kingdom of heaven is not a place of rest. It is a place where one goes to work. The owner invites people to work. It is not a work for nothing. The work brings reward. Interesting factors are that one can be called to come for work at anytime. The kingdom is not controlled by time or talent. It is open to anyone. It is an inclusive place. It includes everyone and entry is free and at anytime.

In the kingdom also we find grumblers. People come in with secular (social) mind. Their thinking is controlled by social values and social systems. They expect to be treated as they would be in the society. They expect social stratifications. They expect rewards according to their work. They expect the rule ‘first come first served’ to be practiced and hoped that the first come to be well paid etc.

But the attitude of the owner is important. He does the things that are not in a society. They are in the kingdom. Kingdom is a place where there are no criteria for entry. There is no time limit. The owner is a generous person and he is a good person. His goodness causes envy among people. He continues to be what he is.

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable. "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." …(Lk 8:4-15)

Jesus always had a crowd behind him. The disciples and the crowd also listened to him willingly. He always spoke on the kingdom. He had different ways of explaining the kingdom. Jesus had only one purpose in life and that was to proclaim and preach the kingdom. He came to establish the kingdom and he went about doing that. He used parables to make the people understand the kingdom.

Here, in this passage, he used the parable of the sower and the seeds. In the explanation of the parable he stressed more on the seeds than the sower. Even with regard to the seeds he was not much bothered about the seed but rather he was discussing about the soil. His concern was not the sower or the seed but rather the soil.

The soil is of different types. All the soil receives the same word. The same word is given to the soil. The condition of the soil is what matters. Some receive the word but before they could respond that are lost. Others receive with joy but do not continue to maintain. Yet others receive and bear much fruit. So what matters is the mentality of the people who hear the word. There is always the profit.