[Mt. 20:1-16]
Blessings to you, forgiven children of God. Amen.
This text is not about economics or labour laws or work ethics or the fair distribution of wealth - however important these are! - but that’s not what this text is about.
This text is about grace.
We’re all sinners and we’re all in need of forgivenesses, and in his parental love and concern and compassion God forgives our sins and declares us justified and a new creation. We die with Christ and rise with him to new life, to newness of life.
Every time the priest or pastor absolves you of your sins, usually at the beginning of the service, you can be assured that your sins are truly absolved as from God himself. That’s a promise! That’s a certainty!
Our text today is about grace, and about how grace is given to everyone, at any time. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.
The kingdom is the vineyard and the landowner is God, we the labourers.
You might point out that the day workers only receive their wages after they’ve worked in the vineyard, and you might think that it means that grace is only given to those who’ve worked for it, those who’ve earned it.
In our western commercialised society, we’re stuck in a quid pro quo mindset, a mindset where we think that free is of less value, that free is dubious.
However, the emphasis in the text is not on the labour, else the text would’ve explained which labour exactly the day labourers where asked to do; it would’ve probably had more details about the place of work, the interactions between the labourers; and it very likely would’ve mentioned the sun and the heat and sweat sooner.
The emphasis of the text is on the wages, hence the repetition. And the author uses a simple trick to emphasise the wages by letting the labourers who were employed last to receive said wages first. The workers who were hired first then assume they’ll receive an extra bonus. But that turns out differently, and the landowner has to point out to them that he’s free to pay the wages he deems appropriate; “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
Grace cannot be demanded or bought, it’s given.
Grace is the way in which our relation with God, each other and ourselves is in constant interaction, almost like an electric current.
Grace is the manner in which God shows mercy and love for the sinner in the most public way, without any reticence or conditions.
Grace is God’s way of rectifying everything that’s askew in Creation.
Like the day labourers hired in the morning, we cannot be envious of the grace shown to others, who’ve seemingly put less effort in the relationship. Grace isn’t private property. Grace will not be claimed or colonised.
And grace calls for more grace, grace multiplies grace.
If we ask forgiveness and are forgiven, do we forgive others? Forgive us our sins as we forgive whoever sins against us.
The forgiveness, the justification that calls us to service also calls us to be merciful.
Grace is God’s way of restoring the interpersonal relationship.
Grace is a team sport, a community happening.
Grace is personal but never individualistic.
Grace won’t be wasted, it refuses to be negative, it’s the very opposite of ego.
This text isn’t about economics or labour laws or fair distribution of wealth, but it is about equality and about grace, God’s grace for everyone at any time. It is about human relations as much as the relationship between humans and God: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Jesus ends with, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” It feels rather unfair, doesn’t it.
Let’s look at it mathematically and replace ‘will be’ with the equal sign, = .
So, the last = first, and the first = last. Last = first.
This text isn’t unfair, on the contrary, it reminds us that all of us are equal; all of us have sinned and all of us are in need of God’s forgiveness, God's grace.