Mt 20:1-16
Today’s gospel from Matthew was just proclaimed a few weeks ago on Wednesday 23 August. A repeat gospel within a few weeks complicates life when preaching to the same congregation.
It would be easy enough to pull out the homily from a few weeks ago and rerun it, hoping that no one would notice. Changing the order of ideas or sentences might work
but would veer perilously close to sloth, one of the seven deadly sins defined as: habitual disinclination to exercise or laziness, or in this case a disinclination to thinking about and praying with the gospel.
One option would be not to give a homily which is an easy enough solution during the week when a homily is not required. One is required on Sundays. The final option is to reread and reconsider the narrative asking what else there is in the reading that could form the nucleus of a homily. Among other things, today’s gospel alludes to the sin of envy, which, along with sloth, is one of the seven deadly sins.
Many people see envy and jealousy as interchangeable or synonyms. They are not.
Envy and jealousy are related but they are not identical concepts. One may lead to the other, and the two can coexist. But they are not the same thing.
I was unaware of the distinction until a conference during psychiatry residency. The attending asked the difference between envy and jealousy. A few brave souls suggested that they were the same thing. The attending said they were not.
He explained: “Envy is wanting what another has. Jealousy is fear that another is going to take what you have.”
Envy may be beneficial if it encourages us to work harder to get what we envy. If a student envies a friend’s grades it may push him or her to put down the computer games and study harder so as to get the same grades. But, envy may be destructive
if it drives the individual to sabotage the efforts of a friend or neighbor.
Jealousy, the fear that another will take what I have, drives much interpersonal conflict. It is one of the triggers to war. Jealousy includes elements of suspicion, fear, anxiety, and hostility. As opposed to mere sabotage, which has the goal of hindering the others’ success, jealousy drives revenge with the goal of grievously harming the other.
Like all of Jesus’ parables there is no definite conclusion to the narrative. The parables never end with the equivalent of “and they lived happily ever after.” Jesus parables always end on a question mark. This makes us ask “and then what?”
What do you think happened after the workers had been paid? We know the first hired resented that the Johnny-come-latelies were paid the same as they were, some for working as little as one hour. Was there some pushing and shoving on the walk home?
Were cross words exchanged? Maybe a few swear words? What did the first hired
have to say about the land owner? What were the last ones hired saying about him?
Did someone contact the union rep?
The first reading describes God as generous and forgiving. The landowner asked the disgruntled workers if they were envious because he was generous. The answer was obvious.
Some time today, ask yourself, How would I respond to the same situation?
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I am a Penn State alumnus. It was the only university I wanted to attend as an undergrad. My dad graduated in 1927 and my niece in 1981. I finished in 1971 with an early acceptance to Temple Med and finally finished my bachelor's in 1996, just before entering the Society. I've taken hundreds of photos there. Alas, I haven't been in PA in over five years. One of these days.
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| Old Main the architectural symbol of Penn State. |
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| Back before Bud Light went woke. I don't drink light beer of any kind. Penn State alumni resonate with the order, "A BOX OF ROCKS." Definitely not Bud light |
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| The NIttany Lion at night, THE symbol of the University |
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| Pattee Library at night. One of my favorite buildings on campus. |
Fr. Jack, SJ, MD
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