Unfair Wages - sermon given on Sept 24th, 2017

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Newton, IA

In my "Children's Conversation" Sunday, I presented the scenario of hiring two of the children to do work for me.  One I wanted to hire to fold a single towel, and the other I wanted to mow the Church grounds (a total of a block and a half of ground).  When I told them that I want to pay the same amount for both jobs I was emphatically told, "That's crazy"!  And yes, that is CRAZY, but, that's just the kind of crazy that God is to us his children.

The parable of the "Workers in the Vineyard" is perhaps the second most important parable in understanding the nature of God that there is in the Bible. (First and foremost in my humble opinion would be the parable of 'The Prodigal Son') This isn't a story about justice, though some might confuse it as such, rather this is a story of grace.  The type and degree of grace that God extends to us does, in fact, seem 'crazy' in our human experience.

Ultimately, God's grace, God's capacity to forgive, God's desire for reconciliation, makes us exclaim "That's Crazy", but that's the radical nature of our all loving and all forgiving God.  The hour is not important to our God, what is important is that we arrive, that we accept the invitation to join the workers in the vineyard.  Praise be to God!

Please remember today and every day to...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In My Father's Grace,
Roy

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Newton, IA

Matthew 20:1-16  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Laborers in the Vineyard
20 “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,[a] 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.[b] 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.[c] 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?[d] 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?’[e] 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”[f]

Footnotes:
a) Matthew 20:2 Gk a denarius
b) Matthew 20:9 Gk a denarius
c) Matthew 20:10 Gk a denarius
d) Matthew 20:13 Gk a denarius
e) Matthew 20:15 Gk is your eye evil because I am good?
f) Matthew 20:16 Other ancient authorities add for many are called but few are chosen

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Newton, IA