Proper 20 by: Seminarian Reginald Knight
Sunday September 21, 2014.
St. Mary’s Anglican Church (The Diocese Of Barbados)
Matthew 20: 1-16
………………………………………………………………………………….
Proper 20 by: Seminarian Reginald Knight
Sunday September 21, 2014.
St. Mary’s Anglican Church (The Diocese Of Barbados)
Matthew 20: 1-16
………………………………………………………………………………….
In today’s Gospel, Jesus expounds on the kingdom of heaven, saying it’s like a landowner who hired laborers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay each the daily wage, a denarius, and they set off to work.
But at 9:00, the landowner saw some folks hanging around, and hired them, agreeing to pay “whatever is right.” He did the same at noon. And 3:00. And even 5:00.
When evening came and all the workers were called together, the sweat glistening on the foreheads of the exhausted dawn-risers who had worked twelve hours. The vineyard owner told the manager to pay them all, beginning with the last and moving to the first.
And get this: he paid the ones hired last, one full denarius, a whole days wage!
But then the workers hired at 3:00 get paid the same. So does those at noon. And, finally, us hard-workers. All the same.
These last workers complained to the landowner, “What’s up with this! The last worked only one hour, but you have paid them the same wage as those of us who worked through the scorching heat of the day. That’s preposterous! It ain’t right.”
And the owner calmly replied, “But did I not pay you exactly as we had agreed? I have done no wrong; I just chose to give to the last the same as I give to you.” And then here’s the kicker, “Are you envious because I am generous?”
And we know the ending. Jesus says, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.”
According to Arland J. Hultgren
“The parable is a parable of the kingdom of heaven (or reign of Go). By means of it Jesus ILLUSTRATES God’s way of reigning in grace. It contains a surprise ending, in which there is equal pay for all of the workers, which is undeserved by those who had been hired later in the day than those who had worked all day. The parable surely does not make an economic prescription; its outcome is untypical of ordinary life, and that is what makes it memorable”.
In this parable we are confronted with a group of people who felt that they were superior to those who came after them. They wanted these others to be treated differently. They were angry when they saw that these others were receiving the same pay as they received themselves.
This is the kind of situation in which we often find ourselves. We all belong to some group or organization which is separated from the people of another group: in the school system, society and even in the church today. We are tempted to feel superior to those of the other group. Attached to this belief is the expectation of certain rights and privillages that others do not or should not have access to.
As much as we talk about all secondary schools being on the same level, there are those who will only feel a sense of achieving when their child attains a pass for what we consider to be more prestigious schools. This is further projected by the notion that the best or the highly qualified / skilled professionals would be found in these places, who will be the ones to deliver quality teaching.
In our churches there is this notion that only a certain class of person should attend a particular church eg; the parish church or the cathedral, that only a certain type of person should join a particular organization or a person whose naval string has been buried in the churches backyard, has the greater say in the church than the person who has been in the pew for only a short time and who in some cases believes that the priest is answerable to them and them alone.
Today’s gospel in so many ways, defines in a most gracious way God’s generosity and God’s justice which runs in contradiction to our own sense of generosity and justice.
All of us in here are very sympathetic to the workers who came early and worked hard. We are already mulling over the process in our minds and deliberating the fact that if our bosses were to pull a stunt similar to the one in the parable, we would go to our Union representative and demand that something be done about the matter.
But think about it. If we were in the position of the labourers who came late and were paid the same as the ones who had put in more time and effort, wouldn’t we be very grateful indeed? After all, wouldn’t we have just as many bills to pay or more than the ones who had arrived early?
The great Isaiah in Isaiah 55:8 encounters this God who declares to him:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways.
And
St. Paul further examines this complex nature of God in Romans 11:34 by asking:
Who has known the mind of God? Who has been his counselor?
Our jostling for position, our desire for prestige, incites within us envy, jealousy, malice, contempt, snobbery, resentment, anger. Such disables us in our ability in arriving at a process similar to that of God. Hence in many ways we struggle against God’s type of justice, or the course of action he may choose, where we are concerned. We think that God fails to act, is himself unfair, or is not capable of handling the chaotic situations we have to deal with.
Hence a lot of our decision making, a lot of our opinions are not necessarily in sync with God’s. So a lot of us might be thinking that the priest should be getting more diamonds in his crown than the sexton when they get to heaven, or that the person who has been in church all his life should be getting more favours, more rewards, or even a bigger mansion in heaven than the person who spent a short time as a Christian. (this of course raises other questions which Fr. Von will certainly address some other time).
Now, having said all of this, where do we go from here? For in truth, these sacred discourses are not merely an exercise for the mind- they have as their intention, some opportunity for transformation of the heart which should then become evident through action taken.
If we are to make the Kingdom of God real and functional, we must be willing to exchange our thoughts for God’s thoughts and we must be willing to do things his way.
To assist us in achieving this I borrow from John Hargreaves who asks the following questions:
1. Do we who are Christians plan our church services only for church members or do we prepare also for those who are outside the church? (Pause)
2. Do new comers receive a warm welcome when they come to church?
3. Do people who are not well dressed receive as good a welcome as the richer people?
4. Can newcomers understand what is taking place in a service?
My question to you is: Do we judge these “other” people, or do we help to change their circumstances?
It is indeed human nature for us to judge or be tempted to judge them. However, it is our responsibility as Christians as the church militant – to fight against the things that make their lives poor and bad, e.g. unjust laws, disease, ignorance, lack of work, the wrong kind of education, lack of houses, deliberate and calculated sinful acts. Of course people can live good lives in spite of such things. But it is more difficult for people living in bad conditions to live the lives that God meant them to live.
The way in which we behave towards ‘these other people’ is important for our own lives. If we make the right choices in these situations, we are sharing in the way which Jesus took. If we make the wrong choices, it is our own lives which we are spoiling. The parable is, indeed, a warning.
For further reflection on this most important message this morning, I suggest we do the following:
Obtain a copy of Rowan Williams’ book entitled; ‘Tokens of Trust.’
While he invites the reader to explore with him the deeper meaning of the Apostles Creed, the opportunity is also presented to consider in a more profound way, Gods grace freely offered to humanity. See how this message heard today is closely echoed in his book.
Second: for those of us who are more tech savvy you can download a copy of that timeless classic ‘Les Miserables’. Or if you prefer to hold a book in your hand, you can purchase it or even rent the movie. Whatever your choice, after reading or viewing, discuss with a friend the highs and lows, and note how God’s grace moves through the literature and at a point where one would least envision or imagine.
Answer the question; how does the church as represented by the priest in the story show compassion, mercy, understanding and care to a man who is penniless, has no form of employment and is filled with rage – how is his life transformed? How is this visible?
Also, how are we in a similar position? How might our response be to apparently unfair, unjust structures?
How do we allow God’s grace to change us? And in so doing allow his work of salvation to occur through us?
In today’s world, the notion of self-importance is pushed to such heights that love and concern for the others-especially if they do not fit our social, political, educational and even religious profile- are diminished or non-existent. Hence Matthew’s reminder by way of this parable is timely.
The Rev. Marcus Braybrooks stressed that:
‘this parable was an answer to the criticism of the Jewish religious leaders who questioned why Jesus welcomed sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, Samaritans and other cast offs of the society. Jesus replied that God showed the same generous mercy to all who turned to him at any stage of their life.’
So we are reminded that
‘….everyone depends on Gods mercy. Those who have spent a lifetime in the service of the master should have done so not in hope of a greater reward than those who converted late in their lives, but as a fitting response to God’s goodness and mercy.’
As we continue this morning to engage in the sacramental right of the Holy Eucharist, let us remember that it is an experience which highlights God’s grace, loving kindness and mercy in a most remarkable way. All of us, young and old, rich and poor, from the heights, terraces and villages, whether we drive a BMW, ride a bicycle, catch bus or walk, whether we wear Michael Kors or No Name Brand, matter to God. He loves every single one of us so much that he pursues a relationship with us and pours out that love even when we are unwilling and rebellious.
The Eucharist – the church at worship does not first of all celebrate what its people do for God but celebrates God and what God has done for them- it is a reminder of the great benefits to be derived when we participate in that relationship he offers. The Eucharist is, indeed, like that balm in Gilead. Our lives become richer and we become more resourceful and more productive members of the society. We discover that we have the capacity to care at a very deep level, and moved by the stirrings of the Holy Spirit act in ways which at times will seem strange or even crazy to the world, but which will capture the heart of God.
