"The Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. At nine he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. At noon and again at three he did the same. At five he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them 'Why haven’t you been working today?' They replied, 'Because no one hired us.' 'Then go out and join the others in my vineyard'".

"That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five were paid, each received a full day’s wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. They protested to the owner, 'Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.' He answered 'Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be angry because I am kind?'" (Mt 20:1-16).

It is often the case that Biblical stories reflect life in Guinea-Bissau today. On occasion we had to take doors and windows that our carpenter had made in the mission compound, down to the port for shipment to our work in the islands. As soon as our truck would arrived, loads of port workers would run across, surround it and, without a word being spoken, start to unload the items hoping we would hire their services. This really used to annoy me as we had brought our own workers with us. But on one occasion the Lord spoke to and told me to look at it from their point of view. Everything changed. Are they going to charge you an exorbitant amount? No. Are they poor and needy? Yes. Are you justified in getting all het up about this situation? No. Do you think that this might be an opportunity for you to demonstrate love to them and an understanding of their plight? Yes. Are they lazy and opportunistic? Not at all. Well then? After that I welcomed their help, smiled and chatted to them but made a very disturbing discovery. One of them said: "You see, I remember you. You spoke at the funeral of a very revered member of our society." Hundreds had been there in the town's cemetery. I felt so ashamed that my previous attitude had not been a demonstration of God's love.

See the heart of the Father in the above story. What took the landowner back to the market place so many times in the same day? He wanted as many as possible to earn enough money to be able to feed their families. He saw those he hired at five as those who had stood all day in the blazing heat of the market place hoping for work and dreading having to return home empty handed. He wanted to bless them and he always looks at the bigger picture. Do we? He doesn't want us to be like those who resented his generosity. They were focussed in on themselves and what they considered they deserved. This prevented them from rejoicing with those who benefitted. Our sinfulness deserves judgment, but the Father punished his Son in our place. Let's look for opportunities to express his compassion, generosity and loving kindness to all; especially to those in the most need.