The first reading today emphatically states that God is completely different from us humans. It says: “God’s ways are not our ways. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.” This is aptly expressed and illustrated in the parable that we have heard today, which is the “Parable of the of the Workers in the Vineyard.” I suppose that this story is Jesus’ way of defending himself from his adversaries who criticized Him for giving more preferential love to the outcast than to the virtuous. He teaches that God is full of mercy and compassion to the poor and outcast, and that His generosity is based on His nature which we humans cannot merit.

The whole of Matthew 18 teaches about “community life” and its intricacies about human relationships. Last Sunday, the Lord taught that we must correct our erring brother or sister because we responsible for each other and that we belong to one community, thus we are all brothers and sisters united under the Fatherhood of God. In correcting, our aim is to win over our erring brother or sister, devoid of judgement, embarrassment and humiliation.

This Sunday readings follow a theme: “As God’s people we belong to one community, therefore we are responsible for each other.” Our first reading (Ez 33:7-9) tells us about the role of a prophet or messenger which is to point out the error or mistake of the person and lead him to the truth. We have the responsibility to warn people for God.