Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 19, 2026

The following message by Sister Barbara Metz, SNDdeN was provided by the SNDdeN Congregational Mission Office.

Matthew 20: 1-16a

This gospel parable can seem stranger to us every time we read it. There are other sections of scripture that seem to tell us what the exact opposite of the message is of this one. We are told elsewhere that God rewards everyone according to his/her works. We need to concentrate on the message of this story as a whole and not try to find applications for each detail. We can get distracted by questions like who is called at each hour, why the latecomers were paid first, etc. All the details are there to throw into relief the central message which is all that really matters. The parable is like a painting in which all the details highlight the major figure of the picture.

What is the message of this parable?

To understand it, we need to remember that, in the first place, the usual wage of a hired laborer was one denarius for a day’s work. The laborers were getting what was normal, accepted, and fair, to use our terminology for our social justice concerns.