That’s Not Fair!… Or is it? – Matthew 20:1-16

Lectionary Readings for September 20, 2020
Exodus 16:2-15           Israel grumbles, but God sends them food from Heaven
Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 v1 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.
Psalm 78 v4 … we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.
Philippians 1:21-30     v27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.
Matthew 20:1-16         The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

Peace Quotes

“I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they're stones that don't matter. As long as you're breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.” ~ Maya Angelou
We have all been given today, and that hold plenty of opportunities for each of us “do good” in our ongoing work for peace.

“The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.” ~ Carlos Santana

Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me.           God loves me.            God has plans for me.

Let’s open our ears, minds, and hearts to today’s reading.

Read Matthew 20:1-16

Margie Meserve delivered today’s excellent message; thank you Margie!

That’s not Fair!!!! Every teacher or parent has heard this complaint from kids. I worked so long on this assignment but Linda hardly spent any time on it and she got a better grade then I did. It’s not fair! You’re going to give us a pop quiz? That’s not fair!!! But MOM, all the kids are going. It’s just not fair that I can’t go!!

Even as adults, we campaign and work for equal rights, equal pay for doing the same job, equal voting rights, equal access to housing, and equal protection under the law. We take offense if we find someone is not treated in the same way as others. In today’s world, the first workers would probably report the vineyard owner for unfair employment practices. We are a society that believes in equality and fairness.

In this parable, we see the owner of the vineyard going several times during the day to the marketplace to hire workers. Today we would see them as farm or day laborers. Even though he hires them at different times during the day, he pays them all the same wage. Is this Fair? We want to side with those who were first hired in their complaint that they should be paid more because they were hired first and worked all day. The last ones hired worked one hour and got paid the same wage. How is that fair? We had a very good discussion in Bible Study as to why the last ones were not hired until the end of the day. Were they lazy? Did they show up late? The story doesn’t tell us, and it is not important to the overall message.

Jesus further complicates matters when the owner of the vineyard has the manager pay the workers in reverse order. The last hired is paid first, a denarius. The workers hired first are then anticipating getting paid more because they worked longer. However, when they also receive a denarius they become angry. If the owner had paid them first and dismissed them, they would never have been aware what they others were paid and the entire point of the parable would have been lost.

Like Paul Harvey, we need “the rest of the story.” Jesus placed bookends around this story. The parable opens with “The kingdom of heaven is like …” He is not talking about fairness or equal rights. He is trying to teach the people about something new, The Kingdom of Heaven.

Like most of his parables, Jesus uses common and everyday things that the people could relate to or understand. In the parable, the vineyard owner represents God. The believers are the workers. The vineyard is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is trying to let those who feel they have a superior position or who have spent a lot of time with him (the first hired) and the new believers (the last hired) know that all are welcome into the Kingdom of Heaven by God’s grace and not just how long they have followed Jesus or followed the law. God welcomes everyone any time to the Kingdom of Heaven by His grace.

In verse 15 the landowner tells the first workers who complained, “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” Are we envious of what we think God gives to other people? Are we jealous of what others have and what we don’t have? This parable speaks to us today. It doesn’t matter when we accept God, it only matters that we do. We can’t let our envy keep us from rejoicing when someone accepts God’s call.

In my church in Barstow I had a friend and neighbor who also attended the Methodist church. Ruth had been a long-time member of the church, and she raised her sons making sure they attended church. Her husband Earl was not a believer, but would come to church on special holidays with the family. Earl was a scientist and worked for the Jet Propulation Laboratory on the military base Fort Irwin studying deep space activities. Just about the time he was going to retire at age 65, he made the decision to become baptized and join the church. His reasoning was that he had come to the conclusion that the universe was too perfect. Everything down to atoms worked in a logical and connected way. Everything was related and rational. There was no chaos. Therefore something (God) had to have created this order. Were we envious or jealous that God accepted Earl at the age of 65 while many were with the church from childhood? No. We celebrated. God had another believer and another member of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Verse 16 is the end of the parable and the other bookend. “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Jesus uses this phrase in several of his other parables. (Mark 10:31 and Luke 13:30) In using this phrase, He brings hope and love to all people, especially the poor. He is also letting them know that possessions and status will be ignored in the Kingdom of Heaven. What is important is their commitment to Jesus.

This parable is letting us know that everyone, no matter when they come to believe, is welcome in the Kingdom of Heaven. They come not by their works or how long they have believed, but by God’s Grace. Do we rejoice or are we envious of new members? Many people we don’t expect to see in the Kingdom will be there. The criminal who repented as he was dying (Luke 23:40-43) will be there along with people who have believed and served God for many years.

Do you resent God’s gracious acceptance of the despised, the outcast, and the sinners who have turned to Him for forgiveness? We need to guard against some of our own feelings. What God, in goodness and generosity, gives us, we are likely to assume is our due, something we have earned, a goodness we have fabricated for ourselves. We need to focus on God’s gracious blessings to us and be thankful for what we have. When we look at God’s generosity to others, we can see His love at work. We can spread the love by being His hands and feet in the world.

We are all God’s beloved children, no matter how old we are.
Amen? Amen!