“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord . . . as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). The difference between the ways of God and the ways of humanity forms the basis of this Sunday’s Gospel teaching, the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. In this section of his Gospel, St. Matthew warns us that we must set aside some very ingrained human attitudes in order to see things the way that God sees them.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, the unfolding of God’s plan is seen in St. Peter’s increasing faith and in the mission of strengthening the faith of others that the Lord entrusts to him. Guided by divine inspiration, Peter’s faith developed rapidly from being so weak that he almost drowned when crossing the sea to meet Jesus to the point where his faith-filled insight was strong enough for him to proclaim boldly that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, St. Matthew focuses our attention on the central theme of all Jesus’ preaching – the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom (Reign) of God refers to God’s dynamic Lordship over all creation, that is, to God’s will being fully embraced and executed by all he has made.