It's not fair!

Sunday 18th September 2005

Trinity 17 | Year A | Proper 20 Track 1 | Ordinary Time Week 25

Exodus16.2-15  |  Philippians 1.21-30  |  Matthew 20.1-16

ICE CREAM

Here we have another Kingdom parable, designed to show us that our worldly expectations don’t always match up with the values in the kingdom of heaven. One of the first things children learn to say is “It’s not fair!” - they are very keen that justice should be seen to be done! Portions of ice cream, bedtimes, birthday presents, etc...

TERRIBLE JOKE

A husband and wife are travelling on a long journey by car. After almost twenty-four hours on the road, they're too tired to continue, and they decide to stop for a rest. They stop at a nice hotel and take a room, but they only plan to sleep for four hours and then get back on the road. When they check out four hours later, the desk clerk hands them a bill for £350. The man explodes and demands to know why the charge is so high. He tells the clerk although it's a nice hotel; the rooms certainly aren't worth £350. When the clerk tells him £350 is the standard rate, the man insists on speaking to the Manager.

The Manager appears, listens to the man, and then explains that the hotel has an Olympic-size pool and a huge conference centre that were available for the husband and wife to use.

"But we didn't use them," the man complains.

"Well, they are here, and you could have," explains the Manager. He goes on to explain they could have taken in one of the shows for which the hotel is famous. "The best entertainers from around the world perform here,"  the Manager says.

"But we didn't go to any of those shows," complains the man again.

"Well, we have them, and you could have", the Manager replies. No matter what facility the Manager mentions, the man replies, "But we didn't use it!"

The Manager is not moved, and eventually the man gives up and agrees to pay. He writes a cheque and gives it to the Manager.
The Manager is surprised when he looks at the cheque.

"But sir," he says, "This cheque is only made out for £100."

"That's right," says the man. "I charged you £250 for sleeping with my wife."

"But I didn't!" exclaims the Manager.

"Well," the man replies, "She was here, and you could have."

NEEDS, NOT STATUS?

The parable looks as though the best response is “It’s not fair!” - or maybe in the kingdom of heaven remuneration is linked to need, rather than to earning power: the labourers hired last still needed to support their families - those hired first got what they had negotiated to support their families. In the Kingdom of Heaven it is not possible to work one’s way to a status of superiority over others simply by having the opportunity of longer service.

Remember all those times when Jesus pointed to children as the model for discipleship? We are tempted to think that the Kingdom of Heaven should work in the same way as a business does. There should be a kind of career structure. Long service merits extra rewards. In church, serving on the flower rota for 200 years, or singing in the choir for ever, or faithfully coming week after week should entitle you to some extra perk - perhaps God’s first attention, or the right to be consulted over some matter of church life?

IS THIS ABOUT US - OR GOD?

To see the parable in these ways deflects the point away from God and on to us - how we feel about the situation. Although it is at first glance a parable about the reversal of fortunes in the Kingdom of Heaven, it’s more about the love and generosity of God.

6 odd points to note:

• The wage for the first hired labourers was just and agreed

• There is nothing to suggest that the last hired were lazy (in fact the opposite - they were prepared to wait until 5pm hoping for work): they were unemployed

• Did the boss “pay”, or count, their intention to work?

• Why did the boss not hire everybody at 9 o’clock?!

• The grumbling of the labourers is like the grumbling of the Israelites in our OT reading! Grumbling seems to be an unattractive facet of humanity...

• The parable doesn’t really address the suggested meaning about first being last except in the chronological order of payment! - the first to come are paid last, and the last first.

PARTY INVITE...

It’s a parable of invitation - the labourers are engaged, called, invited to take part in the work of the vineyard (the vineyard being a popular OT image for the Israel and the kingdom)

And perhaps the most sobering lesson it has to teach us people who have been coming to Church for years is that there is nothing we can do to make God love us any more than he does now... Serving him all of our lives will not entitle us to front row seats in heaven, we cannot earn our salvation - it is by the grace and gift of God, following his invitation. - If you want to use the language of this parable, salvation is the “reward” for our response to God’s invitation.

CLASH OF THE... PHARISEES

The parable actually makes a little more sense if it’s seen in the context of Jesus ministry and clashes with the Pharisees - like the boss in this parable, God dispenses his love, gifts, blessings and grace where he will: so when Jesus values and spends time with those considered worthless (sinner, tax collectors, women etc) he is doing what God does, and in this (social) sense the last (ie least social advantageous, those whom contemporary religion overlooks) will receive the same treatment (gifts, blessings, reward) as the more socially well thought of.

And so with us - we might have been Christians for squillions of years, and it can be tempting when newcomers arrive, to expected to be cow-towed to, to automatically have respect, to expect special treatment or privilege... Jesus warns his close circle of disciples that although they may have been with him from the outset, others will come and join the followers of the Way, but their treatment (the grace, gifts, reward showed on them) will be equal... The faith, the Church, does not belong to the disciples... St John’s is not “my” church suggesting that I own it: it is “my” church in that I have been called here to serve here. The Church belongs to Jesus, and under him to the bishop, and under him I’m here because the bishop can’t be everywhere on a Sunday morning! I’m just the care taker...

ARE YOU SITTING UNCOMFORTABLY?

But there is also an element of comfort in this parable to. No matter when we enter the kingdom - no matter when we respond to God’s invitation - we are equally precious to God. Whether we respond in our youth, in middle age or towards the end of our lives (the hiring times of the labourers).

JOBS FOR EVERYBODY!

There’s also an element of challenge to this: God calls us and has work for us to do. Whenever we were called - even towards the end of our lives on this earth, even if we think that we are useless or limited in our mobility or the time we have available, or feel that we are unable to contribute anything, God still has work for us to do. Vocation is about finding out what that involves. What has God called us to do in his vineyard? Is is a ministry of prayer? A calling to look out for others? A call to Reader Ministry? A role in welcoming and befriending new folks who come to St John’s? A role as priest or deacon? A vocation in music? The skill to be the Electoral Roll Officer...?!

IT’S GRACE, AND IT’S AMAZING...

The parable suggests that all service ranks the same with God - it’s not the amount of service given but the love in which it is given which matters. And God gives out of his grace - and grace is all about unmerited favour.

So, yes the parable shows us that life in the kingdom of God is “not fair” in the way we understand fairness... But, way way better than that, it also shows us that God’s justice is far far preferable to ours - the weak, the disadvantaged, the unfortunate - all get the same treatment of grace as we who have enjoyed God for longer.

Fr Andrew J Perry
Rector, St John the Evangelist, Pevensey Rd, St Leonards on Sea