The Kingdom of Heaven Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 20:1-16
“IT'S NOT FAIR!”
“It's not fair!” It's the great cry of injustice echoed throughout the land – at least in the homes of those with kids still at home. Anyone with kids or grandkids ever heard them say that? Anyone ever say that yourself? Yeah, me neither. I never grumble, although I hate it when others do!
We've got one remaining kid at home, or at least it often feels like we do. That would be our dog, Tootsie. We some times like to imagine what she would say if she could speak.
She'll polish off her bowl of dog food but then beg for more, or some of what we're eating. 'Can I have some more? Huh? Huh? You're still eating! It's not fair! What about second breakfast?'
Or she'll bring me her stuffed toy,so I'll toss it, she'll retrieve it, reluctantly giving it back. So I'll toss it a second time and she'll just sit there, as if to say: 'I got it once. You threw it, you go get it!'
Or we'll get up to go get something to drink and she'll steal our seat, just like my siblings and I did growing up. When we return, she'll look up at us, as if to say: “What? Finders keepers, losers weepers! What? You warmed up the seat just right! Why do I have to move? It's not fair!”
Some times I'm not sure if she considers herself part of the family or part of the staff. Some times it seems that she's promoted herself to the branch manager, looking for an assistant....
Jesus' story ends with some of the staff complaining about their wages, 'It's not fair!', to which their boss says: “I'm not being unfair to you! Didn't you agree to work for that much?”
(Matthew 20:12-13)
So what's going on here? What is Jesus trying to convey? Surely he's not advocating unjust wages or that we shouldn't express our concerns to him. His teachings on prayer, after all, urge us to be persistent in our prayers. So what is he really trying to tell us?
Consider, for starters, the historical context of the parable. As he's done before, Jesus borrows a metaphor from Old Testament times : “The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel.” (Isaiah 5:7)
As in other parables he tells, Jesus taps into this metaphor and expands on it. The vineyard, rep-resenting God's people, becomes a metaphor for the Kingdom of heaven itself: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.”
(Matthew 20:1)
The parable's opening echoes not only Isaiah's vineyard song but also something Jesus has said earlier. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages..., proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness, telling his disciples: 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord, therefore, to send out workers into his field.'” (Matthew 9:35-38)
Jesus parable' recalls that statement, suggesting that Jesus is not merely talking about Israel, but about those who he is sending out, as he did the twelve, with the directions: “As you heal the sick, and drive out demons, proclaim this message: 'The Kingdom of heaven has come near you!'” (10:7-8)
So contrary to some who suggest Jesus' parable here is a rebuke of the pharisees and leaders of Israel, it's actually a parable directed to those who believe in him and seek to follow him.
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This is reinforced further by the parable's literary context. In the previous chapter we're told that “Jesus...left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan (River).” (Matthew 19:1) A glimpse at a map might help. Jesus' ministry in Galilee has concluded and Jesus is heading south to the capital. In the verses that follow we read: “Jesus was now going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem...'” (Matthew 20:17-18)
A few verses later we're told that “As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.” (Matthew 20:29) You can see the trajectory of his route, traveling along the east side of the Jordan, until he crosses the river again, to head thru Jericho on his way to Jerusaem.
Jesus is traveling with his disciples and a large crowd is following him. He's not speaking to his adversaries, as he will when he gets to the capital, but to those who're traveling with him, his followers. The parable is meant to help them better perceive and embrace his kingdom of heaven vision.
We also learn from the literary context, that the parable is told right at the end of his earthly ministry. The very next chapter tells of his Palm Sunday entry into the capital on the back of a donkey. Jesus' parable that tells of workers who are welcomed on to the staff of the vineyard owner at an hour before quitting time is told at the late hour of Jesus' ministry. The implications are clear in the final story told before the Palm Sunday account, that of his healing two blind men as he's leaving Jericho.
Listen to the reaction of his followers, those who he just told this parable to: “Two blind men were sitting by the roadside..., and they shouted, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!'
The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet...! But Jesus had compassion on them...”
(Matthew 20:30, 34)
So that's the context of Jesus telling this parable. He's trying to get through to his followers. There's a human tendency that once we think we've arrived, once we feel we're in, we behave in ways that keep those that are not yet, out. Our actions are reminiscent of that of Bob Uecker, baseball commentator and celebrity, who on Miller commecials would boast: “I must be in the front row!”
So it's on the road to Jerusalem, surrounded by those who love his stories of God's kingdom coming alive on earth, that Jesus tells this story of vineyard workers to. Some are hired early in the morning, others at noon, still others mid-afternoon, and some just before the bell rings signaling the end of the day, and all receive the same pay, and the early birds are not happy.
“When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner,(saying,'It's not fair!')” (Matthew 20:11-12) They grumbled, in effect, “What's with that?! We deserve more!”
Calvin: Hey mom! This piece of pie is awfully darn small!
Mom: Life could be worse, Calvin.
Calvin: Life could be a lot better, too! (storms off) ...But worse is more likely. (pouts)
Mom: (pause) Alright, Calvin, it's time for bed.
Calvin: What?! Why can't I stay up late? You guys can! It's Not Fair!!
Mom: The world isn't fair, Calvin.
Calvin: Don't I know it - but why isn't it ever unfair in my favor?
If we're honest, there's something about Jesus' parable that jars us. When we look around us, and see who God lets in after us, our piece of the pie seems awfully darn small. Interesting how when ever we play the comparison game we always wind up feeling it's unfair, asking, 'what's with that?'
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Christian author, Phillip Yancey, commenting on this parable, writes: “I have heard precious few sermons on this parable, and for good reason. The boss's actions contradict everything known about employee motivation and fair compensation. It's atrocious economics, plain and simple.
Without question its a story to teach us about God's grace, but surely such grace sounds a shrill note of unfairness. What employer would pay Johnny-come-latelies the same as his trusted regulars?
Jesus' story makes no economic sense, and that was his intent. We receive grace as a gift from God, not as something we toil to earn.” (Phillip Yancey) As the boss makes clear: “Friend, I'm not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a day's wage? Take your pay and go. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:13-15)
His point? The full day workers got precisely what they were promised. Their discontent arose from the scandalous mathematics of grace. The late-comers got more than they deserved but the truth is none of us gets paid according to merit, for none of us comes close to satisfying God's requirement for a perfect, sinless life. If paid on the basis of fairness, we'd all wind up on the outside looking in!
Calvin's discontent blinds him to the truth that he is fed, clothed and loved, not based on being such a good boy, but out of the grace of unconditional love. Unfairness has always been in his favor!
Jesus gave us these stories about God's grace in order to call us to step completely outside our tit-for-tat world of ungrace and enter into God's realm of infinite grace. We're taught to fight for our rights, and we assert that people get what they deserve, yet if I care to listen I hear a loud whisper from Jesus' parables that I did not get what I deserved. I didn't get what was fair; I became a kingdom heir!
How does that play out? How can we swim upstream, against the flow of those shouting at the blind in our midst to shut up and be quiet? Consider the example of Dr. Francis Collins, famous for his work directing the Human Genome Project and who gives his testimony on the Alpha Course.
Some of his colleagues have derided him for his faith. He's been accused of suffering dementia or for being a clown. In an interview with Bill Maher, atheist Richard Dawkins said, 'he's not a bright guy.' Since then Collins has met with Dawkins and invited him out for tea, and began getting together with another militant atheist, Christopher Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great.
Upon learning that Hitchens had terminal cancer, Collins spent hours with his family going over options for treatment. During the next year Hitchens wrote articles for Vanity Fair, quoting hate mail that he had received from Christians, rejoicing in his terminal condition and warning of hellfire.
But in his final article he paid tribute to Francis Collins: “Collins is one of the greatest living Americans, who in his book, The Language of Love, has set out the case for making science compatible with faith. Francis has been kind enough to visit me in his own time and has embodied compassion to me and my family. He has offered to us the quiet service of love.” (Christopher Hitchens)
Francis Collins offered Hitchens, in word and deed, the priceless gift of grace, and in doing so, fulfilled the command in Hebrews: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God!” (Hebrews 12:15)
The rest, as they say, is in God's hands. In a nutshell, that's Jesus' point, and it may seem unfair unless you see that you're also just another thief on the cross, dying to hear Jesus say to you, “I'll meet you (one) day in paradise!” (Luke 23:43) So, my friends, our calling is clear:“See to it that no one misses the grace of God!” (Hebrews 12:15) In this way, let us practice the generosity of God!