Pentecost 15

October 2, 2014 in Sermon by R0s3m@ry

Matthew 20:1-16

1 “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.”

“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” Jesus ascribed those words to the landowner in the parable thus providing an unmistakable connection to God. God is gracious, does what he wants with what is his and that is problem for us. God’s graciousness has been bothering people since the beginning. It sure got Jonah twisted in knots. He was willing to take his chances on a boat going west to Spain rather than head north east and preach to the Assyrians residing in Nineveh. Funny how things seem to never change isn’t it. You realize that Nineveh is still in the news today overrun with ISIS jihadist slaughtering people by the hundreds if not thousands. These are the very same people to whom God sent Jonah and they were doing then what they are still doing now. Perhaps you can begin to see Jonah’s problem with his assignment. He wasn’t afraid of the Assyrians. He was afraid that God would actually be merciful to them rather than give them what they deserved. And he was right. God spared Nineveh and it drove Jonah crazy, so much so that he just wanted to die. The first reading for this morning gives us Jonah’s comical reaction to God’s choice. Can’t you just see God’s prophet sitting up on a hill arms crossed, head down and pouting because he realized that he wasn’t going to see any God bombs dropped on the city. Other than location nothing much had changed in Jesus’ day. He told this parable about the generous landowner to a group of Pharisees and sinners, a mixed group if you will. These Pharisees were absolutely convinced that God’s favor could be earned by keeping the law. They were betting on it literally having devoted all their life to obtaining it. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the offense in Jesus’ parable. It’s not fair that the people who did the least received the same pay as the people who did the most. It’s not fair that the last will be first and the first will be last. It’s not fair that evil people continue to walk this earth doing their thing, eating and drinking and enjoying life without a care in the world while good people who are trying to do the right thing and play by the rules catch it from all sides. So when Jesus asks, “Are you envious because I am generous,” the answer is a resounding yes. So what are we missing here? Are we wrong to feel and think this way? Isn’t fairness and justice a normal way to live? The answer is yes to all of those questions. In this world we live by law which says that a person ought to get what he or she deserves. But what Jesus is talking about and helping us to see here is we aren’t talking about God’s law, we’re talking about God’s mercy and that is a wholly different thing. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (especially Jonah!!). Thanks be to God because that is the only chance we have. If we’re honest, what chance do we have, other than the mercy and grace of God? What chance do we have if all the laborers don’t get the same? Where would we be if we got what we deserved? So where does that leave us? It would be a cruel trick to come this far and simply talk about God’s mercy but nothing really is done with it. So once again we come to the heart of the matter. As undeserving as you are and as unfair as it is, God has chosen that his word of mercy be spoken to you. You are the chosen one and your sin is forgiven unconditionally by the Father for Christ’s sake. There is your promise and it is completely apart from any law and any work that you have done. Listen to it, splash water on your face and remember it, eat and drink it because it’s for you. So when God asks “am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me” then let us say right on Father your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen