" Why, That's Not Fair!"

Children, especially young children, know the injustice of a double standard very well. Some may want to get away with telling a fib or fighting with a sister or brother, but they are never okay when one of their peers seem to get preferential treatment. If Sally gets three chocolate no bake cookies, and Johnny only gets two no bakes, then the highest of all unjust crimes has been committed. If there is only one Snickers bar, and mom cuts it in two parts, there is no way that she is going to get it satisfactorily equal for both children. No Way!

This Sunday's gospel parable is about a God with a double standard. Jesus illustrates His Father's Mercy and Love by telling His detractors about a workplace situation. Workers were hired by the farm owner at different times during the day to work on his farm. Some worked as many as twelve hours. Some worked only an hour or two. At the end of the day all were paid for a full days work whether or not they had worked the full day. This caused the workers who had worked the whole day to scream, "Unfair!" Why should the ones who worked a short time be paid the same as the ones who slaved for hours in the field? More importantly for those who seemed slighted, why shouldn't they have been paid more than the agreed upon amount? The landowner replies that he has not cheated them. He gave them a fair and agreed upon wage. He also reminds them that he is free to do what he wishes with his money. It is his choice to be as generous to the short timers as he is to those who have worked all day long.

This makes sense to us, I hope. We can understand it in our head very well. But have you ever been miffed that someone with a questionable reputation walks up the aisle and receives Communion ahead of you?  Or, the homosexual couple that seem to be perfectly okay with attending and participating in the Mass? Or, why do families that only come participate in the parish minimally while their children attend the parish school also get the same rate of tuition (or less), the same preference for when their children receive First Communion, etc. or the same "right" to play on the basketball team as your children who play by the rules and are parishioners even during the summer?

Yes, even we adults are shaken by double standards at times. Double standards in the Church and by God upset us all. Why do faithless people win the lottery? How come the guy that steps on peoples' backs got the envied job promotion? Why are the poor always poor, with little chance to improve? Does God show favorites?

When it comes to Mercy and Love God is exceedingly generous to all. When anyone sincerely asks for forgiveness, God is quick to forgive. God listens to the prayers of sinners and saints. God loves and knows every single human being personally and intimately. We are all made in the image and likeness of our God. God is also free to be generous to all.

When it comes to us, we are called to imitate God's Mercy and Love. Some of the problems we have with the Church is because She is trying to imitate God in those ways. Are we perfect as a Church? No Way! But we, as the Body of Christ on Earth, must always strive to imitate the Love and Mercy of God, especially as shown to us by His Son, Jesus Christ.

So, since God's ways are bigger than our ways, we may not know why some are at the Lord's Table that "shouldn't" be. Our role is to accept and welcome as God does. It is always safest to assume that God and the "Johnny come lately" Christians have had their issues worked out. (And we know what happens when we ASSUME otherwise.)

Imitating God's Mercy and Love are the most challenging parts of being Christ's disciples. We may never be perfect at it but our calling to Love and spread Mercy are always there. There is one sure thing about anything regarding our discipleship, however. We will never get any better at loving and being merciful as God is unless we start practicing it.

peace,
Fr. Chuck