Earning God's Love???

Homily for Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

The shepherds that are criticized in the oracle delivered by Ezekiel today can be described in one word – self-seeking. Instead of caring for the sheep, they look at them as creatures that can be exploited. To be sure, sheep are usually raised in order to provide wool for our clothing and flesh for our food. Consequently, to understand the words of Ezekiel, we must look beyond the usual reasons for raising sheep. In fact, the responsorial psalm for today immediately moves our imaginations away from a flock of animals to single member of the flock and to its relationship with the shepherd. Usually, a shepherd is concerned for the flock rather than for an individual sheep. Yet Psalm Twenty-three does not speak of a flock of sheep; it speaks of an individual and forces us to change our perspective. “The Lord is my shepherd. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.” Throughout the entire psalm the first-person pronoun is used exclusively and in almost every verse.

The Gospel text for today also forces us to change our perspective. If we look at this as simply a worker and his wages, we miss the point of the entire parable. However, if we look upon the wage as God’s love for us, we come to an understanding of this parable that reminds us that God’s love is given to us graciously, gratuitously. In fact, there is no way that we can earn God’s love. We work in the God’s vineyard because of our love for God and the desire to lead others to that love.

Just two days ago, we heard another story in which a young man asked Jesus, “What good must I do to enter the kingdom of God?” It is the wrong question. The young man needs another perspective on God’s love.

Jesus desires to have a relationship with us. Relationships are not something that we can earn. As one of my fellow teachers once commented, “There is no way for us to teach our students to love God.” Love is not earned. It is a gift. God’s generous love comes to us each day in the celebration of the Eucharist, a love that knows no bounds, a love that gives life, and the love that is more precious than gold.