Better Late than Never: Matthew 20:1–16 Gospel Reflection through the Lens of Alcoholism
For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. To them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’
When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’ When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius. When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household, saying, ‘These last have spent only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’
But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you. Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.
This parable is a spiritual curveball.
The workers who clocked in late get the same reward as those who started at dawn. It’s not about fairness. It’s about grace. God’s mercy isn’t earned. It’s given. And that’s good news for alcoholics—especially long-term ones like me.
The “Better Late Than Never” Doctrine
This passage gives me confidence. Confidence to pursue grace folded into purposeful mission. Confidence to follow my interpretation of God’s will for me—now, not someday. Because once an alcoholic has a spiritual awakening, you can’t help but reflect on the years spent worshipping a liquid. The rituals. The logic. The loyalty to a false god. And yet—here I am. Sober. Spiritually awake. Motivated to follow God’s will at age 55. And honestly? I suspect I’m more motivated now than I would’ve been if I’d never been an alcoholic. Because without the fall, I might’ve become complacent. Without the wreckage, I might’ve coasted. So yes—this is a gift from God. Not the addiction. But the grace that followed. The mission that emerged. The clarity that came with it.
The Jealousy Rebuttal
This parable raises the question of jealousy. Why should the latecomers get the same reward? But I’ve never felt jealous. It’s a pointless emotion to me. We’re all 100% unique in this universe. So why would I get jealous of someone who isn’t me? And I’m not retrofitting this logic to make myself sound enlightened. I’m the same guy who thought drinking 20 drinks a day for 30 years made sense. Sometimes my spiritual logic was cracklingly good. Sometimes it was disastrous. But frankly—it’s all irrelevant.
The Final Whistle
Here I am now. Sober. Spiritually awake. Comfortable in life. Pursuing the mission I believe God has laid out for me. Because it’s not too late. The vineyard is still open. The reward is still offered. I’ve just got to get moving—before the final whistle blows.
This article is a chapter from Jason Bresnehan's book A Catholic Gospel Journey Through the Lens of Alcohol Recovery — Jason Bresnehan.
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