Fairness, Grace, and Grumbling- Matt 20
In our Gospel reading today Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who hires people to work in his vineyard. People who had no other work would stand around and wait to be hired for the day. Kenneth Bailey is a specialist in understanding the New Testament through Middle Eastern culture. He spent 40 years in the Middle East and he has seen unemployed young men standing in certain corners of markets where they would hope to be hired for the day. As an example, he said that this would happen near the Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem. There,
“unemployed Palestinians gathered each morning at a spot on a major road. Employers, usually Israelis, would pull up in vans. As the vans approached, five to ten young men would rush into the street to see how many men the employer wanted, hoping to be selected” (Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, p.358).
They would usually work hard because they would hope to be hired again and maybe even get a regular job. If they weren’t hired by noon the young men would usually head home. It would be humiliating to head home to their families without having earned anything that day. It meant going back home to hungry kids with nothing to give them.
In the parable, the landowner went in the morning and hired people to work his land for the usual daily wage- a denarius. Strangely, though, he keeps returning to hire more. Surely, he knows how many people he would need. So the fact that he keeps returning is worth noting as odd. The vineyard owner went again at noon, and then 3:00 in the afternoon and then again at 5:00. Keneth Bailey says that by noon the young men he saw in the market would start heading home. To be waiting for work after noon showed desperation and showed that no one wanted to hire them. These were the leftovers. These were those people went out of their way NOT to hire. … Quitting time was around 6:00 or 7:00. Each time the vineyard owner went out he hired more people- Even though, he probably didn’t need them. And he doesn’t tell them how much they will be paid, he just says that they will be paid what is right. Only the first group hired is told that they will get the normal days wage of a denarius.
At the end of the day the landowner lines the workers up to pay them their wages. He begins paying the workers and starts with those who only worked an hour, which is an odd order. To their surprise he pays them a full day’s wage- a denarius. … They worked, so they maintained their dignity (This wasn’t just a handout), and they would be able to return to their families with a full day’s wage. This was the act of a compassionate man who cares about these unemployed men and their families.
Those who worked all day start getting excited because they start assuming that they will get more than they were promised. But when it comes to be their turn, they get paid the same as the workers who only worked an hour. Then we read,
In the parable, the landowner went in the morning and hired people to work his land for the usual daily wage- a denarius. Strangely, though, he keeps returning to hire more. Surely, he knows how many people he would need. So the fact that he keeps returning is worth noting as odd. The vineyard owner went again at noon, and then 3:00 in the afternoon and then again at 5:00. Keneth Bailey says that by noon the young men he saw in the market would start heading home. To be waiting for work after noon showed desperation and showed that no one wanted to hire them. These were the leftovers. These were those people went out of their way NOT to hire. … Quitting time was around 6:00 or 7:00. Each time the vineyard owner went out he hired more people- Even though, he probably didn’t need them. And he doesn’t tell them how much they will be paid, he just says that they will be paid what is right. Only the first group hired is told that they will get the normal days wage of a denarius.
At the end of the day the landowner lines the workers up to pay them their wages. He begins paying the workers and starts with those who only worked an hour, which is an odd order. To their surprise he pays them a full day’s wage- a denarius. … They worked, so they maintained their dignity (This wasn’t just a handout), and they would be able to return to their families with a full day’s wage. This was the act of a compassionate man who cares about these unemployed men and their families.
Those who worked all day start getting excited because they start assuming that they will get more than they were promised. But when it comes to be their turn, they get paid the same as the workers who only worked an hour. Then we read,
“And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 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.”
They grumble because the landowner made them equal to those ‘nobodies’ that no one wanted to hire.
Notice that the Vineyard owner also had a steward (like a manager) who was giving out the money. It would have been easy to send the manager out on the journey back and forth to and from the market to check on the unemployed. This is time consuming without a vehicle. But this employer chose to do it himself. There is genuine compassion in this man towards the unemployed men.
He replied to those who were grumbling,
Notice that the Vineyard owner also had a steward (like a manager) who was giving out the money. It would have been easy to send the manager out on the journey back and forth to and from the market to check on the unemployed. This is time consuming without a vehicle. But this employer chose to do it himself. There is genuine compassion in this man towards the unemployed men.
He replied to those who were grumbling,
“Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?'”
Only the first group was promised a wage, and they received what was agreed upon. A normal day’s wage. There was no injustice done to them. It was the landowner’s generosity that was offensive.
Those who only worked an hour did not have any work all day and they likely still had a family to feed. The generosity of the landowner helped them with what they needed for that day. The first group that was hired agreed to work for the usual day’s wage. He did them no wrong, but he wanted to be generous to those who had a hard time finding work and who probably had children to feed back home. Those who grumbled were paid what was agreed upon. Their complaint what that the landowner overpaid those who were hired after them.
We see this kind of situation come up over and over in the gospel. Jesus tells another parable about a Father and two sons (Luke 15). The younger son dishonors his father by asking for the inheritance he would get when his father dies. He then takes his money off to another country and uses the money to party. Eventually the money runs out and he finds himself on the verge of starving. Repentant, he goes back to his Father and is received with open arms. The older son who stayed behind and worked with his father is indignant. He stayed and did what was right, his younger brother who wasted the family inheritance on partying is received back with open arms and a party. It’s not fair. … Like the landowner, the father’s generosity is seen as being unfair to those who did what was expected.
We might feel this inside ourselves when we read about Jesus’ interaction with the criminal on the cross beside his own. One of them says to the other criminal,
Those who only worked an hour did not have any work all day and they likely still had a family to feed. The generosity of the landowner helped them with what they needed for that day. The first group that was hired agreed to work for the usual day’s wage. He did them no wrong, but he wanted to be generous to those who had a hard time finding work and who probably had children to feed back home. Those who grumbled were paid what was agreed upon. Their complaint what that the landowner overpaid those who were hired after them.
We see this kind of situation come up over and over in the gospel. Jesus tells another parable about a Father and two sons (Luke 15). The younger son dishonors his father by asking for the inheritance he would get when his father dies. He then takes his money off to another country and uses the money to party. Eventually the money runs out and he finds himself on the verge of starving. Repentant, he goes back to his Father and is received with open arms. The older son who stayed behind and worked with his father is indignant. He stayed and did what was right, his younger brother who wasted the family inheritance on partying is received back with open arms and a party. It’s not fair. … Like the landowner, the father’s generosity is seen as being unfair to those who did what was expected.
We might feel this inside ourselves when we read about Jesus’ interaction with the criminal on the cross beside his own. One of them says to the other criminal,
“… we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:41-43).
Isn’t there a little part of you that goes,
“what the…? How’s that fair? Life as a criminal then a deathbed repentance?” Over and over again Jesus tells us that we will be shocked (even scandalized) by the generosity and mercy of God. Jesus often gave his attention to the marginalized- those who were on the outside edges of the community, rather than to the Pharisees who gave their time to learning the law and trying to live it.
Perhaps this was the feeling between long-time disciples and new converts. No doubt this was happening between Christian Jews and Gentiles. The Jewish people were chosen by God to enter into a special covenant. God worked with them through prophets, and poets, and priests, and philosophers to help shape them into God’s special people. Suddenly, these non-Jewish Gentiles want to join up. The Jewish Christians had generations of ancestors following God, living with Scripture, and waiting for the messiah. The Gentiles didn’t have the family history, if they were Romans then they were a part of the people who were oppressing their people. So it would be tempting for Jewish Christians to treat Gentile Christians as if they were second class. It was as if they didn’t deserve as much because their families and ancestors hadn’t worked for God as hard.
Over and over again we are told that God’s generosity is so great that people will be offended by it. If all the workers were paid secretly, there would have been no grumbling. It’s just that the workers who were hired first saw what the others were getting paid. They were comparing themselves to the others, rather than focusing on their arrangement with the landowner. … Ultimately, their grumbling lacks compassion. Does fairness mean that those worker’s children should go without food? Do they care nothing about the workers who no one wanted to hire? … The landowner showed compassion and generosity to those who were unwanted, and that was what was offensive.
This is perhaps a warning those of us who give our lives to serve the church. We can maybe assume that we are special, but God may very well be out in the market looking for the unwanted and the ignored. And we may be shocked, and even scandalized, by the love and generosity God shows to them. AMEN
Perhaps this was the feeling between long-time disciples and new converts. No doubt this was happening between Christian Jews and Gentiles. The Jewish people were chosen by God to enter into a special covenant. God worked with them through prophets, and poets, and priests, and philosophers to help shape them into God’s special people. Suddenly, these non-Jewish Gentiles want to join up. The Jewish Christians had generations of ancestors following God, living with Scripture, and waiting for the messiah. The Gentiles didn’t have the family history, if they were Romans then they were a part of the people who were oppressing their people. So it would be tempting for Jewish Christians to treat Gentile Christians as if they were second class. It was as if they didn’t deserve as much because their families and ancestors hadn’t worked for God as hard.
Over and over again we are told that God’s generosity is so great that people will be offended by it. If all the workers were paid secretly, there would have been no grumbling. It’s just that the workers who were hired first saw what the others were getting paid. They were comparing themselves to the others, rather than focusing on their arrangement with the landowner. … Ultimately, their grumbling lacks compassion. Does fairness mean that those worker’s children should go without food? Do they care nothing about the workers who no one wanted to hire? … The landowner showed compassion and generosity to those who were unwanted, and that was what was offensive.
This is perhaps a warning those of us who give our lives to serve the church. We can maybe assume that we are special, but God may very well be out in the market looking for the unwanted and the ignored. And we may be shocked, and even scandalized, by the love and generosity God shows to them. AMEN
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