Fair?

Fair? – Matthew 20: 1 - 16

Intro: The story is told of a young Jewish man who applied for a job at the First International Bank of Israel. The bank asked for a letter of recommendation. The young man asked his rabbi to supply the requested letter. The Rabbi wrote, “His father comes from the distinguished Goldburg family. His mother is from the respected Abraham family. Further back in his ancestry there is a blend of Rosenburgs, Steinburgs and Levenburgs. In other words, this young man is from good Jewish stock.” Several days later, the First International Bank of Israel sent the following note to the Rabbi saying: “The information supplied is altogether inadequate. We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just for work.”

I In life, there are questions that may have more than one answer. For example: What is justice? What is enough? What is faithfulness? What is true? What is fair? All these questions can be answered in varying ways depending on the person to whom the question is asked. This parable is only contained in Matthew.

A The parable begins with a familiar practice. At the time of Jesus, workers were normally hired at sunup and paid at the end of the day.

B VS. 2 – “He (the landowner) agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.” We should note that this is an oral contract between workers and the landowner.

C The minimum payment of wages for a 6-hour day of labor was set by Rome at one denarius. This was the normal pay of a Roman soldier. At the time of Jesus, this would be worth about 15 cents. This would be considered a fair wage. I don’t know many people who would work today for that amount.

II When subsequent workers are hired, there is no mention of the salary amount to be paid.

A VS. 4 – “He (the landowner) told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So, they went.”

B The Greek word used here for RIGHT is dikaios / d??a??? which can mean equitable / just / right.

C How do you think those hired later interpreted the word, right? What would you anticipate? If it were you, would you expect to be paid the same as those hired first? The narrative here does not indicate those hired later were lazy. VS. 6b – He (the landowner) asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing.” VS. 7 – “Because no one has hired us.” They did not have the good fortune to be hired first.

III VS. 8 – “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’”

A It appears as if this parable challenges the sense of justice and fairness. Was it fair for those hired last to be paid the same amount? Should those who were hired first have received more?

B VS. 10 “So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each received a denarius.” Were they right to expect more? The objection of the first hired is the fairness of equal payment for unequal work.

C The first hired were given what was promised by justice. Those hired later received equal pay by the grace of the landowner. It was not just a matter of justice but of generosity.

Concl: This parable is about God’s generosity. It is not about equity or disbursement of wages but about a gracious and undeserved gift. --- Yet, how often are we envious of the good fortune of others?

This parable makes clear that there is radical equality before God. God’s reward comes not from each worker’s individual merit, not from the quantity or even quality of our labor. Rather, our reward is from the gracious covenant offered by the one God who does the hiring.

VS. 16 – So the last will be first, and the first will be last.