The Collect for the Sunday Called Septuagesima
(The Third Sunday Before Lent)
O Lord we beseech Thee favourably to hear the Prayers of Thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by Thy goodness, for the for the glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end Amen
The Epistle - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
The Holy Gospel of St Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last, for many are called, but few chosen”
Bishop Ian’s Thoughts
Today’s Epistle Reading is taken from the First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 9, Verses 24-27.
In this portion of his Epistle the Apostle Paul likens all Christians to athletes preparing for, and competing in an athletic tournament. St Paul urges the Corinthian Christians to prepare and run their race so as to win the fist prize:
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
The Greeks in Corinth would be thoroughly familiar with athletic training, and participation in a games tournament.
The Isthmian Games, which was second only, in glory and prestige, to the Olympic Games, was held in Corinth every three years, and drew immense crowds.
St Paul urges the Corinthian Christians to undertakes strict training to secure the fist prize,
St Paul notes that earthly games prizes will not last, as metal objects will tarnish and those prizes made of flowers and leaves will decompose in time.
A Christian’s prize is everlasting life in the joyous Kingdom of the Lord Jesus:
“25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
St Paul also urges the Corinthian Christians to show purpose in the running of their race in life. They are urged not to run aimlessly around, not knowing the purpose of their training, and not knowing where the finishing post is.
They are not to train as a boxer punching the air shadow boxing, but to make their blows count in destroying the works of Satan:
“6 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”
St Paul concludes this portion of his Epistle by urging the Corinthian Christians to keep focused on winning the Heavenly Prizes that God will award for excellence in living their lives so to please the Lord Jesus and to exalt His Holy Name, lest they loose sight of the prize and stumble along, believing but not acting, and so running without displaying zeal.
“27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
May God give us the strength to train hard, and to run our race striving to win the first prize and so glorify the Lord Jesus by always proclaiming the Holy Gospel and showing forth our faith in the promises of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
Today’s Holy Gospel Reading is taken from the Holy Gospel of St Matthew, Chapter 20, Verses 1-16.
In this portion of his Holy Gospel St Matthew uses the example of a land owner who hires labourers to work in his vineyards to educate His Apostles, and other followers on how God will the distribute rewards to His followers.
In the time of Jesus, the labourees would gather in the market place, from early morning and would negotiate with landowners and merchant who required manpower for their businesses.
In our Holy Gospel reading the landowner hires a gang of labourers, at nine o”clock, for the day’s work:
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[ for the day and sent them into his vineyard.”
The labouers proceed to the vineyard and commence work.
A few hours later the landowner again went into the market place and found other labourers standing idle and hired them to also work in the vineyard:
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
Another three times the landowner went into the market place:
“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered”
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.”
At the end of the day’s work the landowner called his steward and told him to settle up with the labourers for their day’s work, beginning with those who were hired last and then moving onto those who were hired first.
The labourers who were hired first were paid a denarius and so on up to those who were hired last also receiving a denarius;:
9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.”
Immediately grumbling started amongst those labourers hired first, as they thought that they would receive more having worked longer ans borne the heat of the day. They expected to receive more for their greater effort:
11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’
The landowner quickly rebukes the grumbling labourers. and points out that have have been paid what they agreed to in the early morning, and that the landowner is within his rights to pay whatever he wishes, and to whom he wishes:
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
The landowner tells the labourers to take their pay and go.
This parable shows that God will give the same reward, of Eternal Life, to those who have been believers in the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus for many years, as He will give to those who have recently believed in the Lord Jesus.
I have met a number of so called Christians who have resented new believers, as they believe that they have given more over many more years than new believers.
True faithful Christians should rejoice that every new believer has received Eternal Life and will share the Good Things that God has prepared for them that Love Him.
Let us all rejoice together in the Gift of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus, no matter when we, or others, received this Greatest of God’s Gifts. Amen.
Bishop Ian