My wife is a classic introvert but
that should never suggest that she doesn’t know how to throw a party. When we
were first married, she always loved to throw me strange parties for my
birthday. Strange as in - come in costume and my husband will try and figure out
what the secret theme of the party is. One year everyone came as characters of
my favorite musical: Into the Woods. That was easy to figure out. Another
year everyone came as separate philosophical problems – that was a bit more
difficult to figure out and immensely more nerdy but fun. In a way, we’ve been
learning that Jesus’ parables are also a lot like Marianne’s parties. They are invitational,
puzzling, and leave everyone asking, “Who are you? Who am I supposed to be? What’s
the theme of this party?” – well, I guess it’s a “work party.”
What’s the
invitation? The invitation is to understand and live out the kingdom of heaven
(on earth).
We’ve already learned that the
parables are all about the kingdom of God – God’s rule and reign that we are
invited to enter into, inhabit, live out, and look forward to. It’s a reality
that Jesus teaches and tells stories about that is both now and not yet, both
present and future, both breaking in and to be patiently accepted, and thus demands
our heads, hearts, hands and feet. It is to be a state of affairs and not a
place. Matthew, however, translates Jesus’ kingdom of God to “kingdom of
heaven.” Don’t be fooled – they mean the same thing. The problem for us is that
many of us have been told that “heaven” is a beyond thing, an after-life place,
a grand ole by-and-by event when you die. And yet that’s not what Jesus is
inviting us too – or, that’s not the only thing we’re invited to. Jesus’
parable in vs. 1 is inviting us to see and accept what the kingdom is “like” –
not simply what will be – which is akin to saying, “Let me tell you how God wants
the world to be now and forever. We know this because already in Matthew’s
Gospel Jesus taught the disciples that we are to pray regularly – “on earth as
it is in heaven.” This is a prayer for the present. If this parable is an “on
earth as it is in heaven” story then it is both about an eternal future and a
present ethic, not only about outer expression but inner transformation. It’s a
joining of two realities that we must never separate. It’s a mobius strip (So
here’s our visual parable about what the kingdom is like that you can make at home! It’s a geometric shape joins
the inner and outer dimensions). Click here
For those who might only wish to ask, “Are you
saved?” Jesus would also add, “Do your kids have enough to eat?” To those who
might only worry about economic concerns, Jesus would add, “Do you want to
receive forgiveness? Do you long for acceptance and inner transformation?” Salvation,
friends, IS the kingdom “on earth as it in heaven” and reflects what you think
of Jesus and how you treat others in the present or it is not the salvation of
the Gospels. And that means money is to
be determined by kingdom mercy, and that generosity is a term to be applied to forgiveness
and grace. And the invitation to this kingdom work party is once again “the
disciples” and not “the crowds” or “pharisees” (Matt. 19:23). But we will see
that the invitation isn’t without its problems – apparently, even disciples
“grumble” and complain.
What’s the puzzle/challenge
of this work party? The kingdom of
heaven seems unfair but still is just.
The parable teaches not the
reversal of order but the abandonment of every form of ordering. All is
determined by grace. In God’s Kingdom reality, generosity and grace are to be
something we both strive and wait for because all is based on mercy and everyone
is paid the same. And we’ve seen that this reality should inform how we
interact with others now. And the funny thing to recognize is that it’s
believers who struggle with that fact. Jesus’ story reminds us that we often want
good and bad Christians, we like saints and sinners, we appreciate a Church
that’s like the show Survivor where we can vote people off the island, and a
philosophy of “God helps those who help themselves”. We want fairness. But the
spiritual qualifications and economics of the Kingdom, Jesus suggests, are that
God wants justice and not necessarily what we think is appropriate or fair. In
vs. 4 we are told that the owner promises to “pay [workers] whatever is right”.
The word used is the very word used for “righteousness” and “justice” throughout
the New Testament. And that’s the challenge! If this parable is a mobius strip
and isn’t simply about crowns in heaven but also dollars on the earth then a
serious point of the parable is not that those who have “get more” but that spiritually,
physically, socially, whatever-ally, those who don’t have “get enough,”
regardless of time or efforts. “Fairness,” Jesus story challenges, is not the metric
of the kingdom. Fairness is imagining that everyone should get what he or she
deserves. Justice, righteousness,
however, is about people getting what they need. The problem is that once we
begin to hear that, we imagine that someone has to lose. But in the parable no
one loses anything. No one receives less, but some receive far more. Friends,
Jesus is telling us that there is no scarcity in God’s kingdom. You can let
people cut in line. So the point of the parable might best be expressed by the
slight but critical difference between equality and equity. Equity
is giving everyone what they need. It’s evidenced by the owners relentless
activity of generosity – calling people to work and paying them the same
regardless of time spent. Equality is treating everyone the same. But,
the complainers are right – the owner of the vineyard does not treat everyone
the same because some worked far more and other far less for the same pay
(Matt. 20:12, N.B. I know that the word is “equal” but I am making a meaning
point, which captures the whole of the story). Equality aims to promote
fairness (you get what you give, you get paid for what you work), but it can
only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same help. The
parable acknowledges, however, that all of us don’t start from the same place
and does so without blame – there are 6 am workers and 5 pm workers. And Jesus
story blames no one for where they find themselves (c.f. Matt. 20:7). Maybe
this image will help.
The goal is for
everyone, like the the three in the image, to gain access to the “game,” to
kingdom benefits. But some have more, were hired earlier, have greater history,
easier access like the dad and others are like the toddler with greater needs
and fewer helps. That one needs more in order to gain access.
Caveat – Jesus doesn’t give a 5-point
economic plan. He tells a story that was meant to be puzzled over. So if you
imagine that there is a clear step-by-step economic kingdom blueprint let this
parable puzzle you. Let the storied nature of God’s kingdom fire your
imagination but also make you humble enough to listen well to others. And if
you imagine that generosity is simply a spiritual practice without economic
implications - think again and let this parable challenge how you spend your
money, pay your workers, imagine charity, and consider the poor. Let this
parable puzzle you as you wrestle with God’s recurrent mandate to care for the
poor, like in Deut. 11 There will always be
poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your
fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. (Deut. 15:11). To
be openhanded is to recognize that none should go “empty handed.”
Who am I? Who
am I supposed to be? Part
of our ability to understand a parable has to do with where we find ourselves
in it.
Are you a
grumbler? Remember that the “grumblers” are believers.
Are you someone who struggles with the generosity of God? Do you prefer
fairness rather than God’s justice which gives people not rewards but gifts of
grace based upon what they need. Always remember this – work in the kingdom is
already a gift and the promise of God is always just. You will be rewarded – so
you can let others cut in line, God’s love and provision will not run out.
Are you the
last? Of course, one of the reasons that
people grumble is that most imagine they are always the 6 am workers. So one of
the ways to recognize God’s grace is consider the possibility that you actually
aren’t the hardest worker, the most dutiful, early riser – perhaps today you
actually overslept, or tomorrow felt sick, or depressed, or too-tired, or
couldn’t find work. That’s okay – God is more generous than your failure and
more generous than your greatest success.
Finally, you
should be a “householder.” The term
“householder” employed by Jesus is an interesting one and is our Greek of the
Week [oikodespotes]. The word is compound word formed by: oikos,
meaning “house” but also where we get our word for “economy” and despotes,
which means “master.” This word is only found in the Gospels and appears to be
a word that Jesus liked to use. Now, I imagine that practically all of us if
asked the question: “Who is the “master of the house” or household?” – would
reply, “That’s easy. It’s God.” And that’s right, of course. In fact, in vs. 8
it moves from oikodespotes to describe the owner as ὁ κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος “the lord of the vineyard.” But, that should not detract
from an equally true answer – the “master of the house” should also be you.
Jesus also loved to use this word to refer to “disciples.” In Matthew 13:52 it
refers to a “disciple in the kingdom.” In Matthew 24, it refers once again to “disciples”
(cf. Matthew 24:3; 24:43) but also to God (Matthew 24:45). So the householder
is both analogous to God and a model for followers of Jesus (e.g. the sermon on
the mount). It is in part a warning to disciples that they should act as God
does, rather than as “some rich guy” (e.g. Luke 12:16; 16:1; 19:22). There is
no justice of God that isn’t also justice for us or by us. There is no
generosity of the Lord that shouldn’t also transform our generosity. Disciples,
Jesus taught us, are always enjoined to repent so that they may “be . . . as your
heavenly father is . . . “(Matt. 5:48).
So be eccentric, be generous, be
“just” – be like God and get to work.
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