In Matthew 20:1 – 16 Jesus
tells a parable about the owner of a vineyard and his day laborers. Early in
the morning he hired a group of people to work in the vineyard and he agreed to
pay them $50.00; two or three hours later he saw some folks looking for work
and he hired them too, promising to pay them “whatever is right”; then three
hours later he did the same thing, and three hours after that he did the same
thing. Finally, two hours after that, with only one hour of the workday left,
he saw more folks standing around and he hired them too.
When the workday was over and
it was time to pay the workers, the owner had the workers line up beginning
with the ones who started last – and he paid the last group $50.00, and the
second to the last group $50.00, and the third from the last group $50.00 – and
so on until he came to the group that had started first thing in the morning
and who he had agreed to pay $50.00. When he paid the first group what they had
agreed on, which was $50.00, they had a duck fit complaining that they deserved
more than the group that had only worked one hour. The owner said, “I haven’t done
you any wrong, I’ve paid you what we agreed to. Isn’t it lawful for me to do
what I wish with my own money?”
This parable can be viewed
from the perspective of the owner, or of the workers who started first, or of
the workers who started last. I see some overlay here with the elder brother in
the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) and the workers who worked all day – resentful when
someone shows liberality to others who did not earn it. There is a lot of that in
our society, and I suppose in many of our churches. “If you didn’t earn it then
you don’t deserve it and if you don’t deserve it then I don’t want you to have
it.” It is as if we created ourselves and our abilities and our resources and
can attribute our success to ourselves and ourselves alone – we forget that
during the first few years of our lives that we could do nothing for ourselves.
We forget that we may have talents or abilities or influences in our lives, or
opportunities, that others do not have.
Why this anger when some
people display liberality toward others? For the Christian, our Father is beyond
liberality, giving until it hurts – see Christ on the Cross. If we are to be as
our Father in heaven it would do us well to learn His liberality. He sends His
sun and His refreshing rain on all – the good and evil, the thankful and
unthankful. If we are to live as his children, it would also be well if we learn to rejoice when those who only worked one hour are given the same wages
as ourselves – why we might even suggest that they be given more.
Who can I be generous to
today? Is there someone who needs a kind word, an act of service, money to help
them through a tough time?
What about you?
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