Hours And Wages
Preaching
Preaching The Parables
Series III, Cycle A
1. Text
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. [2] After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. [3] When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; [4] and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. [5] When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. [6] And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' [7] They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' [8] When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' [9] When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. [10] Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. [11] And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, [12] 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.' [13] But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? [14] Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. [15] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' [16] So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Christ likens the kingdom of heaven to a landowner who hires laborers for his vineyard. He agrees to pay the usual daily wage to the first group, who came early in the morning.
Second Point Of Action
At about nine o'clock, at noon, and at three o'clock, the landowner sees others standing idle in the marketplace and tells them also to go to the vineyard and he will pay them whatever is right.
Third Point Of Action
At five o'clock, he finds others standing around. When he asks why they have been standing idle all day, they say no one has hired them. He tells them also to go into the vineyard.
Fourth Point Of Action
When evening came, the landowner instructed his manager to bring in the laborers and pay them. He said to begin with those who started work last and go to the first.
Fifth Point Of Action
He pays all workers the usual daily wage regardless of how long they worked.
Sixth Point Of Action
Those who worked the full day in the scorching heat grumble because the landowner had made them equal to those who worked only one hour.
Seventh Point Of Action
The landowner reminds them that he paid them the wage they had agreed upon. He wonders why they take issue with him. 1) Is he not allowed to do as he chooses with what belongs to him? Or 2) Are they envious because he is generous?
Eighth Point Of Action
Christ concludes the parable by telling that the last will be first, and the first will be last.
3. Spadework
First/Last
Numerous references to "from first to last" occur in 2 Chronicles; among them are 20:34, 25:26, 26:22, and 28:26. The Revelation concept of God as Alpha and Omega, first and last, appears as early as Isaiah: "Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am first, and will be with the last" (Isaiah 41:4). See also Isaiah 48:12.
Revelation texts read: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:13) and "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last' " (Revelation 1:17). See also Revelation 2:8.
Writers of the Synoptic Gospels use the first/last dyad. "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Matthew 19:30 and Mark 10:31). See also Luke 13:30. Mark also records, "[Jesus] sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all' " (Mark 9:35).
The difference between the "wants/must" and the "will/will" statements of being first and last spawns query. The earlier Markan passage, the "wants/must" dyad, offers Christ's response to an argument the disciples had about who was the greatest. In the later Markan passage and the earlier Matthean passage, "many" appears to be the more important word. When the disciples hear from Christ how hard it is for the rich to enter the realm of God, they ponder if anyone can be saved. Peter reminds Jesus of the sacrifice the disciples made to follow him. Christ reassures them that all who sacrificed would be rewarded later. His words, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Mark 10:31), reinforce this assurance and the disciples' choice to serve.
As important as the "many" of Matthew 19:39 is the concluding "so" or the "therefore" of the present passage, Matthew 20:16. This parable is the metaphor of the Matthew 19 discussion. Christ realized that some folk hear truth better with the left brain and others with the right brain. Nevertheless, Jesus tells the parable then pulls the disciples back to the Matthew 19 explanation with "So." Further, he restates the first/last dyad with the definiteness of the will/will: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matthew 20:16).
One might ask if the selfish aspect of wanting to be first is requisite to accepting that the last will be first. Then one gives one's self to service. Does servanthood grow from self--interest? When does the caring nature of the servanthood of a maturing Christian become an expression of gratitude and indebtedness to a generous God? We serve because we want to and choose to, not because we must.
Generous (Generosity)
From the beginning of the word, the poor are in trouble with the word "generous." Its French origin, genereux, means of noble birth or magnanimous. Its Latin origin is from a word meaning birth, generosus, from genus. However, none with noble and magnanimous heart is excluded from the list of the generous. The unselfishness of benevolent--spirited persons with a willingness to share or give transcends the measure of their financial means.
Did Moses presume that only those wealthy enough to bring God offerings of "gold, silver, and bronze" were "of generous heart"? (See Exodus 35:5.) What does this say today about whom we call upon to contribute? Survival in smaller, elder--populated churches necessitates gifts of gold, silver, and bronze from big--hearted folk who do not have it and threatens to apathize their participation.
Generosity is a healthy state of being, a wellness of spirit: "It is well with those who deal generously and lend, / who conduct their affairs with justice" (Psalm 112:5). Is part of this well--being the contagion of a generous spirit? Do the generous somehow know they can afford to be generous? "The wicked borrow, and do not pay back, / but the righteous are generous and keep giving; / for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, / but those cursed by him shall be cut off" (Psalm 37:21--22).
What about the tenderhearted, naturally generous person who can ill afford the generosity? If we must wait to be generous until we can afford it, the spirit may shrivel. Consider making the choice to have or not have personally as the result of one's habit of sharing. Consider ways to exercise a generous heart that carry no monetary cost.
Three of the fifteen references to "generous" or "generosity" are proverbs. Proverbs 19:6 reminds us that the generous are vulnerable to exploitation (and may not mind this): "Many seek the favor of the generous, and everyone is a friend to a giver of gifts." However, two other proverbs speak of the internal benefit of being a generous person. "A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water" (Proverbs 11:25) contrasts the soul wealth of generosity with the soul poverty of the cheeseparing. Proverbs 22:9 invites pondering if the blessing that a generous person receives is the result of sharing or if it gives impetus to the act of sharing: "Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor."
Grumble
What brings on the grumble? Perceived inequity raises a grumble. Fear brings on the grumble. After representatives from the twelve tribes of Israel returned from looking over land that God provided, the rest of the folk were unwilling to go there. They refused to obey God. They "grumbled in [their] tents and said, 'It is because the Lord hates us that he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us' " (Deuteronomy 1:27). Moses responded: "Have no dread or fear of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you ..." (Deuteronomy 1:29--30), or in the words of the song, "Be not afraid, I go before you always." See also the storytelling of Psalm 106, especially verse 25.
Through Isaiah, God tells the rebellious house of Jacob, "And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction" (Isaiah 29:24). After warning that their iniquity will become like a break in a high wall, Isaiah concludes with the third "therefore": "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him" (Isaiah 30:18).
Indignation yields grumbling. When Jesus ate at Zacchaeus' house, not just one but "[a]ll who saw it began to grumble and said, 'He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner' " (Luke 19:7).
Impatience brings grumbling. The author of James speaks to those who weary of waiting for the coming of Christ: "Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!" (James 5:9) See also James 5:8.
The writer of Jude calls those "sinners" who have spoken "harsh things" against Christ "grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage" (Jude 1:16).
Idle
While six of the thirteen references to idleness occur in Pauline texts, two key verses from Hebrew Scripture give negative color to being idle. Read in Proverbs, "Laziness brings on deep sleep; an idle person will suffer hunger" (Proverbs 19:15) and the philosopher, "In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good" (Ecclesiastes 11:6).
"Idle" appears twice in the present parable. The landowner approached people standing idle in the marketplace and asked them why they stood there idle all day. Rather than ignore them, the landowner acted on their idleness and his need for workers. Did he recognize that they had possibility?
If the workers were there, ready to work, they were not avoiding work. Idle may have meant unable, not lazy. Someone or some circumstance may have caused them to be unemployed. To while away the day had they not needed or been willing to work, they would have left "[b]ecause no one has hired [them]." They remained in the marketplace by choice, but they were not unemployed by choice. Consider the persistence of waiting all day for work. Consider the rejoicing at being hired.
Equal
Of nineteen references to "equal" and its derivatives, the following offer a mix of occasions for parity:
If the father of a virgin seduced by a man to whom she is not engaged "refuses to give her to him, he shall pay an amount equal to the bride--price for virgins" (Exodus 22:17);
"But every other grain offering, mixed with oil or dry [that is, those baked in the offering or prepared in a pan or on a griddle], belong to all the sons of Aaron equally" (Leviticus 7:10);
Levites who left their towns in Israel to go minister to a place of God's choosing were to "have equal portions to eat, even though they have income from the sale of family possessions" (Deuteronomy 18:8); and
"You shall divide [the land for inheritance] equally; I swore to give it to your ancestors, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance" (Ezekiel 47:14).
Who is one's equal? "But it is you, my equal, / my companion, my familiar friend, / with whom I kept pleasant company; / we walked in the house of God with the throng" (Psalm 55:13--14). The workers in the present parable who worked a full day for a full day's wages saw those who worked only one hour for a full day's pay as unequal. It was the landowner whom they said "made them equal" (Matthew 20:12). Those who worked fewer hours made no wage demands.
Equality was also an issue of Jesus' adversaries: "For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God" (John 5:18). To understand the background of their conflict, consider these passages from Isaiah:
"To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike?" (Isaiah 40:18);
"To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25);
"I, the Lord, am first, and will be with the last" (Isaiah 41:4); and
"To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?" (Isaiah 46:5).
Justice
"Justice" and its derivatives are used 488 times in the Bible. However of those, 217 occasions appear as "just as." The present parable would have reminded the Pharisees of their "neglect of justice and the love of God" as Christ outlined in the Lukan woes to the Pharisees. (See Luke 11:42.) What is fair and morally right may appear to be an injustice when it is not understood, as in this turntable parable. Imagine how unjustified the 5:00 work crew felt with the wage arrangement, and how justified the long--suffering felt when paid a full day's wage.
Equity, justice, and righteousness are elements of strong leadership. (See Psalm 99:4.) As high as was the capacity for justice on the list of desired leadership qualities, one might surmise that justice was as hard to come by in the days of Hebrew Scripture as it is in our day: "All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice" (1 Kings 3:28). See also Job 31:6, Deuteronomy 16:20, 1 Chronicles 18:14, and Psalm 112:5.
God offers the model of justice:
"The Lord is just in all his ways, / and kind in all his doings" (Psalm 45:17);
"The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4);
"The works of his hands are faithful and just; / all his precepts are trustworthy" (Psalm 111:7);
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Genesis 18:25c); and
"The Almighty - we cannot find him; he is great in power and justice, and abundant righteousness he will not violate" (Job 37:23).
God instructs us to do likewise: "Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right" (Isaiah 56:1). See also Ezekiel 45:9, Hosea 12:6, and Micah 6:8.
God's perspective differs from that of most of us. God notices the happenstance of the less fortunate and knows what justice requires: "[Y]ou will incline your ear / to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed" (Psalm 10:18). See also Psalm 103:6, 33:5, and Psalm 37:28.
Trust in the integrity of God runs deep. The Psalmist, the writer of Proverbs, and the prophet Isaiah are strong on expressions of God's justice as it relates to the faithful oppressed, the rights of the lowly, and those who live in poverty: God "maintains the cause of the needy and executes justice for the poor" (Psalm 140:12). See also Proverbs 2:20.
In the present parable is no report of begging either for help or pay, yet the landowner hears echoes of the Psalmist's silent voice of need: "In your steadfast love hear my voice; / O Lord, in your justice preserve my life" (Psalm 119:149) and "Great is your mercy, O Lord; / give me life according to your justice" (Psalm 119:156). "The Lord is just in all his ways, / and kind in all his doings" (Psalm 145:17).
God knows the struggling who tarry and wait at the town gate: "Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate" (Amos 5:15). God champions those who persevere: "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him" (Isaiah 30:18).
God is persistent in establishing justice: "He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching" (Isaiah 42:4). See also Psalm 9:4, Psalm 72:2, and Psalm 82:3. God sets before us new ways of being faithful: "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice" (Proverbs 21:3). God guards "the paths of justice" and preserves "the way of his faithful ones." (See Proverbs 2:8.)
4. Parallel Scripture
From the present text, verse 8: "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' " and "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matthew 20:16). Earlier in Matthew is the benchmark "first/last" phrase, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Matthew 19:30). Both verses use the future tense. Mark records, "[Jesus] sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all' " (Mark 9:35). Again in Mark, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Mark 10:31).
5. Chat Room
Joshua: Excuse me, sir. Might I visit with you a bit? You were among the day laborers hired at 5:00 yesterday.
Ezra: I cannot compete in the marketplace. I have developed a disease that saps my strength. I still have to feed my family. Any work I can do for a short time helps.
Joshua: You stayed around town all day waiting.
Ezra: Waiting requires persistence, so does maintaining self--respect. For the most part, those who hire look beyond us as if we were not even there. I was surprised to be hired. What I found amazing was to receive a full day's wage for only one hour of work.
Joshua: Sometimes God pays us for the work of waiting.
Ezra: Indeed. For those who are older or physically unable, an hour or two of work takes the same toll as a full day for a stronger person. I am thankful for that hour of work, for the chance to do what I can.
Joshua: Pardon me, sir. I noticed that you were unhappy yesterday when the day laborers who worked only a brief time received the same amount of pay.
Thomas: You can bet I was mad. I still am.
Joshua: Would you work again for the same landowner?
Thomas: Why should I work a full day when I can get the same pay for working less?
Joshua: In my day, we call it the equity of a golf or bowling handicap so the game is fair for all.
Thomas: I call it passive idleness. If you cannot compete, stay out of my way.
Joshua: There you are, Peter. Thank you for agreeing to come online. I want to visit with you about your decision to pay all of yesterday's day workers full pay regardless of how long they were in the vineyard.
Peter: Motivated people accomplish more in one hour than others do in a full day.
Joshua: What prompted you to return repeatedly to the marketplace?
Peter: It is my habit to go out at nine, at noon, at three, and at five. I pass by the area where day workers wait. I recognize those who are there day after day and marvel at their tenacity.
Joshua: And today you rewarded them.
Peter: Today I rewarded them. I did what was right. Those who hire others always have a choice. We can remember the person behind the paycheck and be as generous as we are able, or we can squeeze the life and will out of the laborer until we ourselves are dry--boned.
Joshua: How did you reconcile the amount of payment with those who grumbled against you?
Peter: We meet injustice by doing something just. Have you ever known the reward of releasing justice? Have you known the satisfaction of being generous?
Joshua: But the full--day workers -
Peter: Those grouchy workers were not wicked, neither were they particularly righteous. They just had put in a good day's work, hard work.
Joshua: They felt cheated. Were they greedy?
Peter: I paid them the negotiated wage. The issue here is not of good and bad but of oblivion to the needs of others, particularly when they might feel competition. One might say that the full-time workers are unenlightened. They are ignorant of the struggle of those less fortunate. They cannot stand to see the struggle so they lack impetus to entertain a thought of compassion.
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. [2] After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. [3] When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; [4] and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. [5] When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. [6] And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' [7] They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' [8] When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' [9] When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. [10] Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. [11] And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, [12] 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.' [13] But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? [14] Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. [15] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' [16] So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Christ likens the kingdom of heaven to a landowner who hires laborers for his vineyard. He agrees to pay the usual daily wage to the first group, who came early in the morning.
Second Point Of Action
At about nine o'clock, at noon, and at three o'clock, the landowner sees others standing idle in the marketplace and tells them also to go to the vineyard and he will pay them whatever is right.
Third Point Of Action
At five o'clock, he finds others standing around. When he asks why they have been standing idle all day, they say no one has hired them. He tells them also to go into the vineyard.
Fourth Point Of Action
When evening came, the landowner instructed his manager to bring in the laborers and pay them. He said to begin with those who started work last and go to the first.
Fifth Point Of Action
He pays all workers the usual daily wage regardless of how long they worked.
Sixth Point Of Action
Those who worked the full day in the scorching heat grumble because the landowner had made them equal to those who worked only one hour.
Seventh Point Of Action
The landowner reminds them that he paid them the wage they had agreed upon. He wonders why they take issue with him. 1) Is he not allowed to do as he chooses with what belongs to him? Or 2) Are they envious because he is generous?
Eighth Point Of Action
Christ concludes the parable by telling that the last will be first, and the first will be last.
3. Spadework
First/Last
Numerous references to "from first to last" occur in 2 Chronicles; among them are 20:34, 25:26, 26:22, and 28:26. The Revelation concept of God as Alpha and Omega, first and last, appears as early as Isaiah: "Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am first, and will be with the last" (Isaiah 41:4). See also Isaiah 48:12.
Revelation texts read: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:13) and "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last' " (Revelation 1:17). See also Revelation 2:8.
Writers of the Synoptic Gospels use the first/last dyad. "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Matthew 19:30 and Mark 10:31). See also Luke 13:30. Mark also records, "[Jesus] sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all' " (Mark 9:35).
The difference between the "wants/must" and the "will/will" statements of being first and last spawns query. The earlier Markan passage, the "wants/must" dyad, offers Christ's response to an argument the disciples had about who was the greatest. In the later Markan passage and the earlier Matthean passage, "many" appears to be the more important word. When the disciples hear from Christ how hard it is for the rich to enter the realm of God, they ponder if anyone can be saved. Peter reminds Jesus of the sacrifice the disciples made to follow him. Christ reassures them that all who sacrificed would be rewarded later. His words, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Mark 10:31), reinforce this assurance and the disciples' choice to serve.
As important as the "many" of Matthew 19:39 is the concluding "so" or the "therefore" of the present passage, Matthew 20:16. This parable is the metaphor of the Matthew 19 discussion. Christ realized that some folk hear truth better with the left brain and others with the right brain. Nevertheless, Jesus tells the parable then pulls the disciples back to the Matthew 19 explanation with "So." Further, he restates the first/last dyad with the definiteness of the will/will: "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matthew 20:16).
One might ask if the selfish aspect of wanting to be first is requisite to accepting that the last will be first. Then one gives one's self to service. Does servanthood grow from self--interest? When does the caring nature of the servanthood of a maturing Christian become an expression of gratitude and indebtedness to a generous God? We serve because we want to and choose to, not because we must.
Generous (Generosity)
From the beginning of the word, the poor are in trouble with the word "generous." Its French origin, genereux, means of noble birth or magnanimous. Its Latin origin is from a word meaning birth, generosus, from genus. However, none with noble and magnanimous heart is excluded from the list of the generous. The unselfishness of benevolent--spirited persons with a willingness to share or give transcends the measure of their financial means.
Did Moses presume that only those wealthy enough to bring God offerings of "gold, silver, and bronze" were "of generous heart"? (See Exodus 35:5.) What does this say today about whom we call upon to contribute? Survival in smaller, elder--populated churches necessitates gifts of gold, silver, and bronze from big--hearted folk who do not have it and threatens to apathize their participation.
Generosity is a healthy state of being, a wellness of spirit: "It is well with those who deal generously and lend, / who conduct their affairs with justice" (Psalm 112:5). Is part of this well--being the contagion of a generous spirit? Do the generous somehow know they can afford to be generous? "The wicked borrow, and do not pay back, / but the righteous are generous and keep giving; / for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, / but those cursed by him shall be cut off" (Psalm 37:21--22).
What about the tenderhearted, naturally generous person who can ill afford the generosity? If we must wait to be generous until we can afford it, the spirit may shrivel. Consider making the choice to have or not have personally as the result of one's habit of sharing. Consider ways to exercise a generous heart that carry no monetary cost.
Three of the fifteen references to "generous" or "generosity" are proverbs. Proverbs 19:6 reminds us that the generous are vulnerable to exploitation (and may not mind this): "Many seek the favor of the generous, and everyone is a friend to a giver of gifts." However, two other proverbs speak of the internal benefit of being a generous person. "A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water" (Proverbs 11:25) contrasts the soul wealth of generosity with the soul poverty of the cheeseparing. Proverbs 22:9 invites pondering if the blessing that a generous person receives is the result of sharing or if it gives impetus to the act of sharing: "Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor."
Grumble
What brings on the grumble? Perceived inequity raises a grumble. Fear brings on the grumble. After representatives from the twelve tribes of Israel returned from looking over land that God provided, the rest of the folk were unwilling to go there. They refused to obey God. They "grumbled in [their] tents and said, 'It is because the Lord hates us that he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to hand us over to the Amorites to destroy us' " (Deuteronomy 1:27). Moses responded: "Have no dread or fear of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you ..." (Deuteronomy 1:29--30), or in the words of the song, "Be not afraid, I go before you always." See also the storytelling of Psalm 106, especially verse 25.
Through Isaiah, God tells the rebellious house of Jacob, "And those who err in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction" (Isaiah 29:24). After warning that their iniquity will become like a break in a high wall, Isaiah concludes with the third "therefore": "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him" (Isaiah 30:18).
Indignation yields grumbling. When Jesus ate at Zacchaeus' house, not just one but "[a]ll who saw it began to grumble and said, 'He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner' " (Luke 19:7).
Impatience brings grumbling. The author of James speaks to those who weary of waiting for the coming of Christ: "Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!" (James 5:9) See also James 5:8.
The writer of Jude calls those "sinners" who have spoken "harsh things" against Christ "grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their own lusts; they are bombastic in speech, flattering people to their own advantage" (Jude 1:16).
Idle
While six of the thirteen references to idleness occur in Pauline texts, two key verses from Hebrew Scripture give negative color to being idle. Read in Proverbs, "Laziness brings on deep sleep; an idle person will suffer hunger" (Proverbs 19:15) and the philosopher, "In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good" (Ecclesiastes 11:6).
"Idle" appears twice in the present parable. The landowner approached people standing idle in the marketplace and asked them why they stood there idle all day. Rather than ignore them, the landowner acted on their idleness and his need for workers. Did he recognize that they had possibility?
If the workers were there, ready to work, they were not avoiding work. Idle may have meant unable, not lazy. Someone or some circumstance may have caused them to be unemployed. To while away the day had they not needed or been willing to work, they would have left "[b]ecause no one has hired [them]." They remained in the marketplace by choice, but they were not unemployed by choice. Consider the persistence of waiting all day for work. Consider the rejoicing at being hired.
Equal
Of nineteen references to "equal" and its derivatives, the following offer a mix of occasions for parity:
If the father of a virgin seduced by a man to whom she is not engaged "refuses to give her to him, he shall pay an amount equal to the bride--price for virgins" (Exodus 22:17);
"But every other grain offering, mixed with oil or dry [that is, those baked in the offering or prepared in a pan or on a griddle], belong to all the sons of Aaron equally" (Leviticus 7:10);
Levites who left their towns in Israel to go minister to a place of God's choosing were to "have equal portions to eat, even though they have income from the sale of family possessions" (Deuteronomy 18:8); and
"You shall divide [the land for inheritance] equally; I swore to give it to your ancestors, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance" (Ezekiel 47:14).
Who is one's equal? "But it is you, my equal, / my companion, my familiar friend, / with whom I kept pleasant company; / we walked in the house of God with the throng" (Psalm 55:13--14). The workers in the present parable who worked a full day for a full day's wages saw those who worked only one hour for a full day's pay as unequal. It was the landowner whom they said "made them equal" (Matthew 20:12). Those who worked fewer hours made no wage demands.
Equality was also an issue of Jesus' adversaries: "For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God" (John 5:18). To understand the background of their conflict, consider these passages from Isaiah:
"To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, as though we were alike?" (Isaiah 40:18);
"To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One" (Isaiah 40:25);
"I, the Lord, am first, and will be with the last" (Isaiah 41:4); and
"To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?" (Isaiah 46:5).
Justice
"Justice" and its derivatives are used 488 times in the Bible. However of those, 217 occasions appear as "just as." The present parable would have reminded the Pharisees of their "neglect of justice and the love of God" as Christ outlined in the Lukan woes to the Pharisees. (See Luke 11:42.) What is fair and morally right may appear to be an injustice when it is not understood, as in this turntable parable. Imagine how unjustified the 5:00 work crew felt with the wage arrangement, and how justified the long--suffering felt when paid a full day's wage.
Equity, justice, and righteousness are elements of strong leadership. (See Psalm 99:4.) As high as was the capacity for justice on the list of desired leadership qualities, one might surmise that justice was as hard to come by in the days of Hebrew Scripture as it is in our day: "All Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute justice" (1 Kings 3:28). See also Job 31:6, Deuteronomy 16:20, 1 Chronicles 18:14, and Psalm 112:5.
God offers the model of justice:
"The Lord is just in all his ways, / and kind in all his doings" (Psalm 45:17);
"The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4);
"The works of his hands are faithful and just; / all his precepts are trustworthy" (Psalm 111:7);
"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Genesis 18:25c); and
"The Almighty - we cannot find him; he is great in power and justice, and abundant righteousness he will not violate" (Job 37:23).
God instructs us to do likewise: "Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right" (Isaiah 56:1). See also Ezekiel 45:9, Hosea 12:6, and Micah 6:8.
God's perspective differs from that of most of us. God notices the happenstance of the less fortunate and knows what justice requires: "[Y]ou will incline your ear / to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed" (Psalm 10:18). See also Psalm 103:6, 33:5, and Psalm 37:28.
Trust in the integrity of God runs deep. The Psalmist, the writer of Proverbs, and the prophet Isaiah are strong on expressions of God's justice as it relates to the faithful oppressed, the rights of the lowly, and those who live in poverty: God "maintains the cause of the needy and executes justice for the poor" (Psalm 140:12). See also Proverbs 2:20.
In the present parable is no report of begging either for help or pay, yet the landowner hears echoes of the Psalmist's silent voice of need: "In your steadfast love hear my voice; / O Lord, in your justice preserve my life" (Psalm 119:149) and "Great is your mercy, O Lord; / give me life according to your justice" (Psalm 119:156). "The Lord is just in all his ways, / and kind in all his doings" (Psalm 145:17).
God knows the struggling who tarry and wait at the town gate: "Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate" (Amos 5:15). God champions those who persevere: "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him" (Isaiah 30:18).
God is persistent in establishing justice: "He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching" (Isaiah 42:4). See also Psalm 9:4, Psalm 72:2, and Psalm 82:3. God sets before us new ways of being faithful: "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice" (Proverbs 21:3). God guards "the paths of justice" and preserves "the way of his faithful ones." (See Proverbs 2:8.)
4. Parallel Scripture
From the present text, verse 8: "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' " and "So the last will be first, and the first will be last" (Matthew 20:16). Earlier in Matthew is the benchmark "first/last" phrase, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Matthew 19:30). Both verses use the future tense. Mark records, "[Jesus] sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all' " (Mark 9:35). Again in Mark, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" (Mark 10:31).
5. Chat Room
Joshua: Excuse me, sir. Might I visit with you a bit? You were among the day laborers hired at 5:00 yesterday.
Ezra: I cannot compete in the marketplace. I have developed a disease that saps my strength. I still have to feed my family. Any work I can do for a short time helps.
Joshua: You stayed around town all day waiting.
Ezra: Waiting requires persistence, so does maintaining self--respect. For the most part, those who hire look beyond us as if we were not even there. I was surprised to be hired. What I found amazing was to receive a full day's wage for only one hour of work.
Joshua: Sometimes God pays us for the work of waiting.
Ezra: Indeed. For those who are older or physically unable, an hour or two of work takes the same toll as a full day for a stronger person. I am thankful for that hour of work, for the chance to do what I can.
Joshua: Pardon me, sir. I noticed that you were unhappy yesterday when the day laborers who worked only a brief time received the same amount of pay.
Thomas: You can bet I was mad. I still am.
Joshua: Would you work again for the same landowner?
Thomas: Why should I work a full day when I can get the same pay for working less?
Joshua: In my day, we call it the equity of a golf or bowling handicap so the game is fair for all.
Thomas: I call it passive idleness. If you cannot compete, stay out of my way.
Joshua: There you are, Peter. Thank you for agreeing to come online. I want to visit with you about your decision to pay all of yesterday's day workers full pay regardless of how long they were in the vineyard.
Peter: Motivated people accomplish more in one hour than others do in a full day.
Joshua: What prompted you to return repeatedly to the marketplace?
Peter: It is my habit to go out at nine, at noon, at three, and at five. I pass by the area where day workers wait. I recognize those who are there day after day and marvel at their tenacity.
Joshua: And today you rewarded them.
Peter: Today I rewarded them. I did what was right. Those who hire others always have a choice. We can remember the person behind the paycheck and be as generous as we are able, or we can squeeze the life and will out of the laborer until we ourselves are dry--boned.
Joshua: How did you reconcile the amount of payment with those who grumbled against you?
Peter: We meet injustice by doing something just. Have you ever known the reward of releasing justice? Have you known the satisfaction of being generous?
Joshua: But the full--day workers -
Peter: Those grouchy workers were not wicked, neither were they particularly righteous. They just had put in a good day's work, hard work.
Joshua: They felt cheated. Were they greedy?
Peter: I paid them the negotiated wage. The issue here is not of good and bad but of oblivion to the needs of others, particularly when they might feel competition. One might say that the full-time workers are unenlightened. They are ignorant of the struggle of those less fortunate. They cannot stand to see the struggle so they lack impetus to entertain a thought of compassion.
