恭讀聖瑪竇福音 20:1-16
那時,耶穌給門徒講了這個比喻:「天國好像一個家主,清晨出去為自己的葡萄園僱工人。他與工人議定一天一個「德納」,就派他們到葡萄園裏去了。約在第三時辰,他又出去,看見另有些人在街市上閒立著,就對他們說:你們也到我的葡萄園裏去吧!凡照公義該給的,我必給你們。他們就去了。約在第六和第九時辰,他又出去,也照樣作了。約在第十一時辰,他又出去,看見還有些人站在那裏,就對他們說:為什麼你們站在這裏整天閒著?他們對他說:因為沒有人僱我們。他對他們說:你們也到我的葡萄園裏去吧!到了晚上,葡萄園的主人對他的管事人說:你叫工人來,分給他們工資,由最後的開始,直至最先的。那些約在第十一時辰來的人,每人領了一個「德納」。那些最先僱的前來,心想自己必會多領;但他們也只領了一個「德納」。他們一領了,就抱怨家主,說:這些最後僱的人,不過工作了一個時辰,而你竟把他們與我們這整天受苦受熱的,同等看待。他答覆其中的一個說:朋友!我並沒有虧負你,你不是和我議定了一個「德納」嗎?拿你的走吧!我願意給這最後來的和給你的一樣。難道不許我拿我所有的財物,行我所願意的嗎?或是因為我好,你就眼紅嗎?這樣,最後的將成為最先的,最先的將成為最後的。」
—基督的福音。
(20th Week in Ordinary Time – Wednesday)
A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12 saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
—The Gospel of the Lord.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
小時候,爸媽說要帶我們出外走走,我們不論遠近也興高彩烈的穿好衣服等候出發,這機會少有,因為難得爸媽有空。但往往不知甚麼原因却突然取消了。每次心裡很氣憤,覺得大人言而無信﹐說話不算數! 那時年紀小,怎懂得體諒和包容?但這種要守諾言,說過要做就要盡力去做的態度却植根於心中! 不過,另一方面却不輕易相信人﹐怕他們隨時會變﹗
現今的世代,國家政要在爭取選票時什麼都答應,但上台後,就是另一套方針;掌權者講一套做却另一套已是司空見慣;更何況現今的人,開太多空頭支票,永不能兌現,也言而無信﹗
「朋友!我並沒有虧負你,你不是和我議定了一個『德納』嗎?」那個「議定」是指「講好了」﹗可惜,今天不但口講無憑,就連白紙黑字寫好了,也得反悔﹗人世間,仍有「承信」嗎﹖我們跟隨耶穌的人,是否對主對人都「靠得住」﹖
主,真的﹗唯有祢最信實,「唯主是依」﹗