Grace Isn’t Fair

Matthew 20:1–16 NRSV

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 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?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 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.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 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.’ 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?Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Grace isn’t fair.

These last few weeks, we’ve been working through some of Jesus’ teachings from the book of Matthew. We’ve talked about forgiveness, about being the body of Christ here and now. We can see the way of the cross coming, even now, as Jesus prepares his people to live in the kin-dom of heaven beyond just this moment.

Today we hear about the kingdom of heaven being like a landowner who doles out generous, equal wages. That’s the teaching — grace isn’t fair, in as much as grace, abundance, generous care — it is equal and shared freely. God’s grace and our subsequent welcome into union with God is extended to all.

Over the last couple of weeks, as we’ve looked at forgiveness, I’ve spoken with a number of you about how difficult it is to offer such radical grace. Of course, there are some certain people that we find most difficult to offer that grace to. The fraudsters, the abusers, the politicians, pick your category. To offer grace to such people seems wrong, right? For the harm they do, is there no justice?

So we understand the grumbling response from the workers who started the day in the fields. They made an arrangement and they abided by the rules. They earned their pay. And yet, the landowner has the money and the landowner can ultimately do what they want with it.

What if the owner stiffed the first workers and gave them less than the ones who worked an hour? What if the landowner didn’t abide by the rules?

Would that be a good kingdom? Would that be a place we’d want to belong to?

I mean, no. That’s an upside down way of economics, but it’s not fair or just or right.

The ones who have done great harm deserve great punishment. The ones who have worked hardest deserve the greatest reward. Let’s settle the accounts and see who finishes with the most.

I want to talk about the idle workers for a minute. What’s going on there? Why are they idle, why didn’t they go to the vineyard earlier, maybe follow the first group? Or did they show up late?

I’m sure you’ve seen day laborers lining up at Home Depot or something. I have. I can remember along Aurora Avenue in Seattle, near the cemetery, where day laborers would queue up by the entrance to Home Depot, hoping to get hired for work that morning.

Did some of these workers just show up late? Why didn’t they follow the first workers to the job site? And what, did the landowner just go back to the market repeatedly through the day? I suppose that makes some sense, he’s hiring, not working, so he has the time.

But what of these idle workers?

Grace isn’t fair. In the kingdom of God, even the last workers get paid in full.

I’ve been a Christian all my life. I remember praying in elementary school, sincerely. I’ve had encounters with God’s divine presence that I can only explain as such. I believe this stuff and want others to know the good life that comes in God’s church.

I’ve also put in the work. I’ve studied. I continue to pray. I try to live rightly and I hope I’m helping a community of people follow Jesus.

Grace isn’t fair.

Isn’t this the point in the conversation where we start to question whether we believe in grace, whether we value this kind of lavishness or whether we want to clutch onto our achievements and merit.

We want grace and God’s abundance to have some standards, right? Like, at least some basic level of effort to get in. Like, you have to fill out the paperwork, at least.

I think it’s really interesting that the landowner manufactures the scenario the will lead to the grumbling. It’s like he’s the teacher posting the grades outside the classroom — everybody gets an A!

The landowner calls the workers in and starts paying them, last first.

Remember last week, when we talked about forgiving debts and how one servant was basically relieved of a ga-gillion dollars of debt?

For the sake of illustration, let’s just say that the workers start seeing that everybody is being paid a ga-gillion dollars. The last ones, all the way to the first ones.

Sweet! If those guys, who got here late, are getting a ga-gillion dollars, them I’m certainly going to get 2 ga-gillion dollars!!

And here’s where I get to the idea of fair. What’s fair? In the story, fair is that each worker gets paid the same amount, a day’s wage. Fair? I guess. Who decides what a days wage is? Who controls the economy of day laborers?

So what is fair? The workers complain to the landowner, hey, we’ve worked a lot harder in the hot sun than these folks who just got here. Remember when the wind kicked up around 11am and the dust got unbearable and we kept on working? Those kids didn’t do that.

What’s fair?

The landowner gets to decide what’s fair.

I’m going to assume that all of the workers needed the work. Like, they wouldn’t be out waiting in the marketplace if they didn’t need the cash. Families to support, rent to pay, groceries to buy. We’ve all got them.

Do you know someone who has struggled to keep stable work? Like, someone in your family who has not been able to keep a job or has been underemployed, not able to earn enough to live?

I’m sure you do. I do. It’s not a fun situation.

People want to work, to contribute, to participate in a thriving community. I’ve known some of you who have gone through seasons of underemployment — it’s not fun!! We want to be a part of something that matters, to show up and do something with our lives.

This teaching brings us to a reconfiguration of our economic realities and displaces merit or achievement. What Jesus is saying is that in God’s way, the kingdom of heaven, that grace is offered abundantly to all, as much as they need and more. This particular text doesn’t get into need, but really, if we think about these workers, everybody is showing up to work, everybody is doing a part of the job. Some are equipped and able to work all day. Others, slackers or not, are late.

Everybody gets paid.

The grumbling workers say to the landowner — hey, that’s not right, we are owed more. If the standard of wages for those who worked 1 hour is such, we expect to have that math play in our favor — I’ll take 8 hrs worth, please.

The landowner’s reply is key — Friends, I’m doing you no wrong. We agreed on this, didn’t we? Take what’s yours.

But that’s not fair.

Yeah, true.

….

But we don’t need fair. We need good. We need just. We need to care for one another. And in God’s kingdom, everybody has what they need.

Not in some idyllic make believe.

In God’s kingdom, we are all given what we need. In the healthiest, free-est expression of Church — everyone has what they need.

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

There is no longer first or last.

There is only unity and abundance.

Even in the face of trials.

Even when our lives hurt and are completely unfair.

The work of God’s church is to reflect this grace-filled story. Let’s be happy that God is generous. Let’s rejoice that God relieves our debts, so we can forgive others. Let’s give thanks that the last ones, with no degree of fairness, can be first. And the first ones, in the abundance of being provided for, may we yield our place to those in need, those who hunger, those who seek meaning. May we make space in front of ourselves to welcome the worker who truly needs the grace-filled paycheck. May we love one another in response to being loved by the Creator of all things, regardless of merit, achievement, and solely because we are called beloved children of the Most High.

Amen.