Be thankful instead of being envious

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THAT’S the lesson we can draw from that gospel parable about a landowner who hired laborers at different hours of the day to work in his vineyard. (cfr. Mt 20,1-16) The landowner promised to pay the usual daily wage to those he hired at the first hour. And to those he hired later, he promised to give what he considered to be just.

We know what happened. When the day was done and the time came for the laborers to be given their wages, each one received the same amount, the promised daily wage, which led those hired at the first hour to complain because they were given the same wage as those hired at the last hour.

That’s when the landowner clarified: “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? Am I not free to do as I wish with my money? Are you envious because I am generous?”

We have to be careful when we have the same reaction as that of those hired at the first hour. Such reaction can only show envy and is clearly a rash judgment against the landowner.

We have to be wary of our tendency to compare ourselves with others in such a way that think we are being treated unfairly. We forget that we actually have been given what we need to live our life with enough dignity as children of God.

Of course, we cannot deny that there are instances and even structures of injustice in our life here on earth. For these we should try our best to resolve the issues and problems involved. But these should not detract from the truth that God has given us everything that we need for to live as we ought.

What we have to do is first of all to be thankful for what God has given us, using them in the way God wants us to use them. We can draw this conclusion from the Parable of the Talents (cfr. Mt 25,14-30) where a wealthy master entrusts his property to his servants before going on a journey, giving each one a varying amount of money based on their abilities and telling them to do business with them.

As to the forms and structures of injustice that we obviously have in the world, let us just try our best to resolve them, always with charity and proper sense of justice, although it cannot be denied that given our wounded condition, these forms and structures of injustice will always be around. We should just be ready to suffer for them in the same way and the same reason Christ suffered the worst injustice inflicted on him.

But with what we already have, we should always be thankful to God and do our best to make these God-given endowments as fruitful and productive as possible. This should be the main thrust in our life, instead of wasting our time comparing ourselves with others that would simply lead us to envy, bitterness and the like.

Besides, it’s when we would be thankful first to God for all that he has given us that we would also be in a better position to resolve those issues of injustice in our present life. We would pursue this cause with a clearer mind and a better ability to blend the requirements of justice and charity.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com