It’s Just Not Fair!
Matthew 20:1-16 ESV
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house
who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After
agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his
vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle
in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too,
and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again
about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about
the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one
has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when
evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the
laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And
when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a
denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive
more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they
grumbled at the master of the house, 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.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend,
I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what
belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am
I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you
begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first
last.”
This is another one of those reflections after hearing the
sermon. OK, I must admit… I study the material through the week and write this
reflection, normally on the Saturday before the sermon that I hear on Sunday
morning. But, this week, an Applefest and a nerve-racking Ohio State Football
game absorbed all of my Saturday. Just the same, sometimes I enjoy putting all
of my listening and reading and thoughts together after it all. So here goes…
I think I’ll begin by just throwing out my week’s notes on
this and then go into my reflection. Make sure you read the Gospel lesson above,
or my notes will be meaningless.
·
Don’t compare each other
·
The owner wanted all the workers or he wouldn’t
have kept going back for more throughout the day --- he went back even for the
last few that would go into the vineyard
·
The grace of God is not according to what we
think we deserve as his disciples
·
At the last call, don’t presume your position
--- the promise of grace belongs to God – God’s grace is granted to us, not
because of anything we have done for God’s sake
·
In the Kingdom of God, we receive what we need
--- eternal life --- given by God --- none of us have a claim on God or God’s
grace more than anyone else
So, here’s my take on this Gospel. First and foremost. I’m
certainly with the last workers to go into the vineyard. I really believe we
all really fit this mold. I hold back on God and am lazy to the call. If I’m
really honest with myself, I’m a sinful couch potato disciple. If I think of
myself and compare myself, which is at the heart of this Parable; I’m a sinful
nothing and nobody. I don’t deserve to be even asked by God to serve in his
kingdom. But here is the thing…
There is this offensive scripture… at least offensive to all
the “Churchy People”
Romans 4:4-8 ESV
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted
as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work
but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted
as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to
whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Read that through a couple of times. You will be offended,
especially if you have been a church person all of your life. It’s not about
your works. Even the guy who doesn’t work… his faith is counted as righteousness.
What? Why? Well that no good couch potato is counted as righteous. And here I’ve
been this goody two shoes church guy all of my life!
This crummy couch potato guy who doesn’t serve in the
vineyard until the very last minute, receives as much as I think I deserve after
being this goody two shoes church guy all of my life! It’s just not fair!
When my kids would scream out to me about some decision made
that they didn’t like…
“It’s just not fair!”
I would tell them, teasing, “Life is not fair. Nothing is fair,
but the meadows and the woodlands.” (Perhaps some of y’all churchy goody two
shoes will get that)
But, like in the passage above, God’s grace is really free. God
is not unfair. God is only generous. Our relationship to the Kingdom of God isn’t
about any kind of payback. The only payback my potato couch self deserves is
eternal damnation for all of my sins and selfishness as I turn away from God
towards myself. I think that God owes me something. Well… no matter how many goody
two shoe churchy things I do for God… they won’t amount to a drop in the ocean
compared to what God freely offers to me.
So, I find out, as in the parable above. I’m one of the
last. I see what God has done for me. He calls me and enlightens me and gives
me all the gifts that I will ever need to get off the couch at the last minute
in eternal time to work in his vineyard.
That’s a privilege! That’s a gift! That’s a wonderful opportunity
to do something, not for me, or because I think I will get favor with God, but
because God calls me. Yes, God loves me so much, my lazy couch potato self,
that he wants me to serve in his Kingdom. It changes everything for me. My
interest is not now in the payment. No, my interest is in the serving. I desire
and love to do something because God’s love is way way way better than doing
something, anything, for a pay back.
And what does this late call do for me? God gives me faith
and I believe in God. Look at the Romans 4 passage above. It’s never been about
my works. It’s all about what God has done and given to me, that makes me
respond with a hearty, “I believe!”
“It’s just not fair!”
Nope! And thanks be to God it’s not fair.
Lord, as I turn to you in the midst of my sinful, selfish,
lazy, couch potato, goody-two shoes, churchy self; forgive me. For I know that
you are my Light and my salvation. You are the one that gives me this awesome
privilege to believe and serve in your eternal Kingdom. Your Kingdom here and
now… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God for the call! --- Amen
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