Fairness & God's economy.
Dear friends and members of St. Matthew's,
Last Sunday, as we celebrated the feast of our Patron Saint, we heard the story of Jesus calling Matthew and saying to him, "Follow me." And the story goes that Matthew gets up that moment from his tax booth. He gives up what was and he chooses a new life with Jesus. It's a fabulous story, and it's important for us to learn more and more about him as a community as we journey together.
But what that means is that we also missed the Gospel we'd have heard on Sunday if we hadn't celebrated Matthew. The Gospel that everyone else heard. And it's...probably my favorite. Hard to pick just one, of course. But the passage we missed on Sunday is very likely my favorite (and if not, very close to being top of the list). So I can't help but share it with you now. You can read the whole passage by clicking here and scrolling down to the bottom of the page to read Matthew 20:1-16.
In the passage, Jesus tells a parable about the Kingdom of God. Jesus says, the Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And he finds some - and sends them into the vineyard to work. But later, he goes to look for more workers. And he sends them, too. And then finally, toward the end of the day, the landowner goes again looking for more workers. And upon finding them, sends them also into the vineyard. And at the end of the day, the landowner pays all the workers the same wage. A full day's wage. Even though quite a few of them didn't work the full day.
And as you can imagine, the folks who worked all day are...distressed by this. How is this fair? They worked all day, and they make the same amount of money as those who only worked an hour? Surely this isn't fair. But the landowner insists that he can do whatever he wants with his money, he is allowed to be generous. And Jesus wraps up the parable by saying, "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
We human beings have a keen sense of fairness. It's very present in us even as children. And try as we might, it never really goes away. We know when something feels unfair, when we think we've gotten a raw deal. But that's not the point of the parable. The focus isn't on us and what we determine to be fair - or not. Instead, the focus is very much on God's economy, on God's abundance, on God's wild generosity. God shows us time and time again that there is more than enough grace to go around. And we aren't in a position to judge who comes late to the work - who comes late to the party - or who should be showered with grace and blessings and who shouldn't.
Instead, what's clear is that there's always room for someone else. Always more work to do. Always a place at the table. Always enough grace to go around. And always enough for us all to have what we need. God's economy, God's sense of fairness doesn't work like ours. And there is rejoicing in heaven every time a new worker goes into the vineyard - no matter how late in the day it may be.
So, friends, have you gone into the vineyard yet to help with God's work? With the harvest of love? Have you put your hands and your back into the work of justice and equality? If you headed in early, do you resent those who's hands are less calloused and backs less strained? Or...if you haven't made your way in yet, maybe it's time to go? To make this relationship with God a priority? To claim that abundant blessing God promises to all of us. Don't worry - it's never too late to take God up on this, never too late to connect, dive in, engage, and participate in God's work at St. Matt's and in the world. It's never too late.
May you hear Jesus say to you - and to all those around you - you also go into the vineyard. You also go into the vineyard. Receive the gift of this work, the gift of love.
Faithfully,
--Marissa +
Tags: Welcome from the Rector