Dearest e-votees-
Our gospel lesson for this Sunday is one that really riles up our old Adam or our old Eve. "That's not fair! That's not right!" are the protestations.
To adapt C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe": "Fair?" said Mr. Beaver "Who said anything about fair? 'Course he isn't fair. But he's good. He's the king I tell you."
Peace,
Karl
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[Jesus speaking:] 1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Matthew 20:1-16, NRSV
Do you ever try to imagine this parable imported into modern times? I do.
A man has a major project on a tight timeline. He swings by Dunkin Donuts at daybreak for a coffee in his beat-up truck, gets a coffee, wipes the exhaustion out of his eyes and swings by Home Depot where the day laborers gather and picks up a load of folks willing to work for $100 for the day. He takes them to the work site and sets them to work. At 9:00 there is room for many more workers to he returns to Home Depot for another load of workers, another cup of coffee and makes the same pay arrangements. Midday the project is nowhere near completion so he swings back to Home Depot for another load with the same agreement. At 3:00 and 5:00 he makes two more runs. Come 6:00 it is quitting time. The man has his son-in-law and manager settle up. They line up the workers in order of when they started--5:00 p.m. back to 6:00 a.m. Each and every one of them is paid with a crisp, tax-free, off-the-books $100 bill. Grousing ensues.
On day two there are no laborers to be found until 5:00 p.m. The business collapses because an unsustainable employee compensation model but what a glorious lesson in grace for those with ears to hear and hearts to learn.
This story clearly isn't about good business practices. It is about how God gives us not what we deserve (what would be fair) but rather what reflects the gracious character of God (what would be grace). Think of the others stories in scripture that touch on these same themes: the grousing older brother while the wandering son has returned to be feted with fatted calf, robe and ring; the unforgiving slave who was pardoned of an unpayable debt only to throttle his colleague who was into him a few bills; the lavish response of one who knows how much she has truly been forgiven in the form of a footwashing and anointing. If we are able to realize how hungry, how unclean and how unworthy we are to receive a welcome into the banquet (and yet still think we are going) than how could we ever begrudge another who is no more unworthy than us?
The truth is that if we got what were fair we would not be safe. The hubris with which we demand our fair share is symptomatic of our illness. We are so full of ourselves and so empty of compassion to others. We need to look to the one who emptied himself on the cross and was full of compassion for others even for the ones who put him up on the cross. May we never look on the payment Christ made on our behalf with disdain and may we never regard our sisters and brothers with disdain as if they were no more or less in need of grace than we ourselves.
God, thank you for your grace. May we grow in our ability to share your grace with anyone and everyone we encounter. Amen.
Our gospel lesson for this Sunday is one that really riles up our old Adam or our old Eve. "That's not fair! That's not right!" are the protestations.
To adapt C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe": "Fair?" said Mr. Beaver "Who said anything about fair? 'Course he isn't fair. But he's good. He's the king I tell you."
Peace,
Karl
------------
[Jesus speaking:] 1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Do you ever try to imagine this parable imported into modern times? I do.
A man has a major project on a tight timeline. He swings by Dunkin Donuts at daybreak for a coffee in his beat-up truck, gets a coffee, wipes the exhaustion out of his eyes and swings by Home Depot where the day laborers gather and picks up a load of folks willing to work for $100 for the day. He takes them to the work site and sets them to work. At 9:00 there is room for many more workers to he returns to Home Depot for another load of workers, another cup of coffee and makes the same pay arrangements. Midday the project is nowhere near completion so he swings back to Home Depot for another load with the same agreement. At 3:00 and 5:00 he makes two more runs. Come 6:00 it is quitting time. The man has his son-in-law and manager settle up. They line up the workers in order of when they started--5:00 p.m. back to 6:00 a.m. Each and every one of them is paid with a crisp, tax-free, off-the-books $100 bill. Grousing ensues.
On day two there are no laborers to be found until 5:00 p.m. The business collapses because an unsustainable employee compensation model but what a glorious lesson in grace for those with ears to hear and hearts to learn.
This story clearly isn't about good business practices. It is about how God gives us not what we deserve (what would be fair) but rather what reflects the gracious character of God (what would be grace). Think of the others stories in scripture that touch on these same themes: the grousing older brother while the wandering son has returned to be feted with fatted calf, robe and ring; the unforgiving slave who was pardoned of an unpayable debt only to throttle his colleague who was into him a few bills; the lavish response of one who knows how much she has truly been forgiven in the form of a footwashing and anointing. If we are able to realize how hungry, how unclean and how unworthy we are to receive a welcome into the banquet (and yet still think we are going) than how could we ever begrudge another who is no more unworthy than us?
The truth is that if we got what were fair we would not be safe. The hubris with which we demand our fair share is symptomatic of our illness. We are so full of ourselves and so empty of compassion to others. We need to look to the one who emptied himself on the cross and was full of compassion for others even for the ones who put him up on the cross. May we never look on the payment Christ made on our behalf with disdain and may we never regard our sisters and brothers with disdain as if they were no more or less in need of grace than we ourselves.
God, thank you for your grace. May we grow in our ability to share your grace with anyone and everyone we encounter. Amen.
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