9-20-26 Matthew 20: 1-16

[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1 “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 a denarius for the day, 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 a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 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 a denarius? 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.”

Thank you, Lord, for the grace you bestow and inspire in us the willingness to show that same kind of graciousness.  Amen

I share these ideas that have come from an essay written by Barbara Brown Taylor, entitled “Beginning at the End”. Imagine that you’ve been working for a landscaper for five summers now. You’re going back to school in a few weeks, and you’ve asked for some extra hours. The boss assures you he will do what he can. Then one day a new guy shows up and starts work - and the chance for your extra hours disappear. “The guy’s wife just got laid off,” your boss explains, as he introduces him. “I’m trying to help him and his family by giving him a few hours a week.” Well, so much for your loyalty, you think.

The task of taking care of your elderly parent falls pretty much on you. Your siblings live a distance away. They call from time to time to see how Mom is doing and express their concern, but none of them can provide any necessary day-to-day help. “They all have problems of their own”, your mom says, “I just thank God for you.” Then she dies and they all show up, grieving as if they have been there all along. And of course, Mom’s estate is divided equally, for as she said, “I love all my children the same.” Yet it was your life that was turned upside down and you bore the cost of caring for her. Even though you don’t say it, you are seething: It’s not fair!  Of course you are right.

As you fill out the financial aid forms for your child’s college application, you discover that you’re eligible only for so much assistance because, you make too much money. You sigh, You’ve got to be kidding! You wonder how you missed those European vacations, the fine dining, and the new car that the form says you apparently could afford.

You’ve always played by the rules. You pay your bills. You go without so your family has what they need. Your taxes go to bail out those who mess up, and who can’t provide for their families because of their irresponsibility. Or you’ve been asked again to contribute to help that someone far away when there is real need right here. There always seems to be someone cutting in front of your place in life’s line. (Connections, Sept 2017)

Today’s story is about the way such things work. It explains how life is to work in the kingdom that God administers. You may find it to be hard to appreciate. The generosity that God offers may seem ‘unfair.’ While we pursue fairness, for ourselves, God is busy showing grace in generosity and offering second-chances, and unearned extravagance to the unworthy.  We may be like those workers in Jesus’ parable that labored all day for the usual daily wage and grumble and whine when we witness those late comers receiving the same wage, even though they did not put in the same work as we did.

We do admire generosity; we love to see people who give fully and whole-heartedly. It makes us feel good knowing that charities are being supported or the goal for that new community building has been reached. On the news the other night a young man kicked a field goal and received over a million dollars. He had promised before he made that kick that if he was able to do it - he would give 50% of his prize to a charity that was active in his community. He succeeded and they put him on the news because of his amazing generosity. Yet, we may have wanted that support to have been given to a different charity, or spread out over several. We might have wished we would have been given such an opportunity in our own life, so we could have shown such bigheartedness.

Scripture gives us examples of what God would have us to be and also explains that which humanity so often demonstrates which disappoint God. Remember Jonah and his whale of an adventure? Jonah was a prophet called by God, who showed over and again the self-centered and conceited side of humans. First Jonah didn’t want to go where God assigned him to go because those Ninevites were evil and not worthy of God’s attention. Then he provided the most minimal warning possible in a one sentence sermon. Yet they responded with repentance; which disappointed Jonah immensely because he wanted them to be punished. He even admitted that was why he had not wanted to go to them in the first place. He was afraid that God would listen to their change of heart and not give them what they deserved. He said: “I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and relenting from punishment.” Jonah even managed to get upset over the shade provided from a bush that miraculously had been provided him. For it did not last long, only a day, giving him relief. Yet he still felt no compassion for the thousands of people and animals that God wanted to save from their ignorance of God’s character and benevolence. I’m afraid Jonah was one self-centered dude. Jonah could give us lessons on how to judge others and whine about all that is unfair in the world. He just did not catch on. 

Maybe this Arabian folk tale will explain to you God’s desire for us in a positive way. One that is a more welcome way for hearing it.

A man walking through the forest saw a fox that had lost its legs. He wondered how the poor animal could survive. Then he saw a tiger come into the clearing with game in its mouth. The tiger ate its fill and then left the rest of the meat for the fox. The next day God fed the fox by means of the same tiger. 

The man began to wonder at God’s great goodness and said to himself, “I too shall just rest here in full trust in the Lord that he will provide me with what I need.” So the man remained in the forest for several days. Yet nothing happened. The poor man was nearly at death’s door with hunger when he heard a voice:

“Oh, you silly fool. Open your eyes to the truth. Stop imitating the disabled fox and instead, follow the example of the tiger.”  (from “The Song of the Bird” by Anthony DeMello, S.J.)

The call God issues to us, to be disciples, is not based on what is true and fair. Limitless love and unconditional forgiveness are the ways of God. We are to be vehicles of God’s mercy and justice first, before we consider our own wants and desire for fairness.