Today Jesus gives us a warning. "The last will be first, and the first will be last."
Christ tells this parable right after Peter asked him what the twelve Apostles will get in return for having given up everything to follow Jesus.
The parable itself most obviously applies to the Jewish nation in general. The Jews were God's Chosen People, the first nation on earth to receive God's revelation.
They are the workers who were hired at daylight. But when the eternal Kingdom appears in all its fullness at the end of history, the Jews may find others honored by God more than themselves, just as the first workers found that the latecomers were treated with extra generosity - the last will be first.
The parable is also a warning to the Apostles. They too were given a special role in the history of salvation. They were chosen to be the visible foundation of the Church, but in the end, others will achieve greatness in Christ's name as well - the first will be last.
God has plans that we do not always understand. As the First Reading put it, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways."
Why does Jesus issue this warning? Because he wants us to have interior peace. Nothing disturbs our minds more than the thirst for recognition and esteem.
When we are always comparing ourselves to others, we are filled with worries, envy, stress, anger, and uncertainty. And this can occur even within our own Christian communities!
But if we simply try to give our best in life for Christ, thinking more of the glory of God than of self, and recognizing the abundant generosity of God's love, then our trust in him will grow, those selfish motives will shrink, and we will begin to experience the unshakable peace and security that only Christ can give.