Introduction: Welcome, grace and peace to you my friends in Christ! Indeed our summer series of reflecting on our Colonial history has ended, and now we stand ready to shift our gaze back towards Scripture and our own storied understanding of God’s grace in our lives.

Today we will walk through Jesus’ parable about a Landowner who calls several groups of people throughout the day to work in his Vineyard. While I am sure the disciples thought this parable was going to be about just rewards for just work—meaning the disciples would obviously inherit the biggest piece of the kingdom because they were the first to be called, and had worked the longest and the hardest. But Jesus flips the tables on this merit based expectation, instead offering the lesson that in God’s economy, the first will be last and the last will be first. As we reflect on this parable as a community, I encourage you to consider what lessons this story holds for you and your journey of faith.

THE FIRST GROUP
We are told it is early in the morning, presumably before the heat of the summer sun could dissuade even the most eager.
The strongest and the most able in body, spirit and mind have gathered in the market, waiting to be chosen for work. If you have ever had the misfortune of lining up on the playground, hoping to be chosen by the coolest kid for the kickball team, then you know the type who were first to be chosen: tall, big muscled, and filled with that cocky confidence only their physical class of 5th grader could command. (As you might imagine, I was definitely not among the first to be chosen for anything too sporty or athletic.) Nevertheless, in Biblical times, we can expect this group of laborers were amongst those used to being picked first. They stood taller than those emotionally bent by a broken spirit, bad investments, or a failing body.

Perhaps it was luck, perhaps it was sheer tenacity, perhaps it was nepotism? The why isn’t as important as the reality that this group had it just a little bit better than others. .Not by leaps and bounds, but their experiences proved (in their minds at least) that hard work is rewarded with a bigger slice of the pie.  Therefore, when the Landowner approached these men with a contractual job offer—one they all agreed upon—they went eagerly into the field, motivated by a guaranteed wage. If you have ever worked an hourly job, or one that was exclusively dependent upon tips, then you know the relief there is in a guaranteed wage. After years of being comfortably salaried, I now have friends who shake with nauseous fear as they open their hourly paychecks–the only jobs they could find after the recession. They live week to week, exhausted by the daily choice between needs and burdens. Suzie Orman’s mantra of “needs over wants” falls painfully hard, when your choices are between gas for the car to work or the co-pay for childcare. Not only is it hard being poor, it’s hard not knowing how poor you will be when you open your next paycheck.

While the first group may have had the mental relief promised by a guaranteed wage, they certainly worked the hardest and the longest in the field. Afterall, they went to work “early in the morning”–the first of the five groups to be sent into the vineyard, and the only group to literally work from dawn to dusk. Therefore, you can imagine how angry and hurt they must have felt when the landowner gave the same wage to those who only worked “an hour”. The group who wouldn’t even qualify for a 10 minute break under the most generous labour laws, is given the same wage. How grossly unfair is that? I can only imagine how miffed my salaried employee would feel if I rewarded their loyalty and physical labor with the same wage I paid the intern for 60 minutes of air conditioned work. I am sure they would plot not only my demise, but the demise of my intern as well. I think it’s easy to look at the first group in their anger, and believe we are spiritually more evolved. That obviously we can see the forest through the trees, and understand the philosophical work of the Landowner taking place. However, if you have ever felt the bitter sting of being unfairly passed over, then you can imagine the burning hurt the “Firsts” must have felt as they saw the manager give the same wage to the “Lasts.”

THE LAST GROUP
Now we look to the reality of the “Lasts.” Returning to our playground analogy once more, we see our Lasts still waiting to be picked, but they are too broken by a lifetime of failure and misfortune. Remember, we are told the Landowner went out (1) early in the morning, (2) at 9am, (3) at 12noon, (4) at 3pm, (5) and then finally at 5pm! Let’s consider this, these poor souls had to experience not being chosen again, and again, and again. For at least 10 hours, they had to suffer the psychological turmoil of “am I good enough?” They had to experience the momentary high of hopeful expectation, only to suffer the recurring blow of exclusion. They feel their humiliation and shame collect into a painful knot around their throat, made worse by the tears that have already escaped their eyes.

We can imagine their shame isn’t even theirs alone. For a time in which able-bodied men were expected to provide not only for their immediate family, but their parents, grandparents and all those too young or old to work. That is a lot of people to let down.

Translating the bible from Greek into English isn’t an exact science, and in fact, the process relies heavily on social commentary and historical tradition. With that said, we lose some context when the NRSV bible translates ἀργός (argos) as “(standing around) idle” as opposed to “(one who is) without work.” To say someone is decidedly idle, is very different than to be situationally idle or “unemployed.” (Be careful when you pass judgment over another’s situation my friends, for we have all known the argos of sadness or depression.) And for those who still stand by the translation of argos as a “lazy idleness,” I struggle to believe that anyone in the late afternoon heat of the day would choose to jump up and go work in a field. Imagine this: your teenage son is relaxing on the sofa, playing that stupid game for the hundredth time, only to jump and voluntarily rake leaves in the middle of summer for the heck of it. For anyone who’s ever raised teenagers, you know how impractical this scenario would be. Your chances of the Twins winning the World Series and the Vikings winning the Superbowl in the same calendar year is only slightly more favorable than a teenager choosing hard labor for the fun of it.

Nevertheless, even though the Lasts must have been so thankful–relieved even to be chosen, the Landowner has made no contract with this group. Their desperation has driven them into the field to work for an unknown wage, and an undeclared amount of time. They are at the mercy of the landowner. Where the Firsts had the assurance of a fair wage, the Lasts could only hope the work and the wage would be worth it. All they could hope for was to return to their families with something, rather than nothing.Therefore, you can imagine their sheer joy when after only an hour of work, the Landowner walked past the Firsts to pay the Lasts the same, full day’s wage! Just a short period of time ago, they were wondering how they would go home empty handed…again. Now they are going home with a full day’s wage! What a relief to walk through one’s front door, knowing that the blessing you received will go on to bless the others under your care. Sadly, the Firsts could not see the beauty in the Landowner’s generosity. Instead, they were envious of the grace the Lasts received. It’s sad that they couldn’t celebrate the incredible gift of mercy their fellow workers received. It’s sad, but I think we all know what it feels like to miss the point of God’s grace and feel sorry for ourselves.

THE LANDOWNER
Finally, and most importantly, we come to the work of the Landowner. Similar to any large vineyard today, landowners typically aren’t involved in the daily task of hiring workers. They certainly aren’t known for going out, day after day to find workers–no, that job is for the manager, the hired hand. But in this Parable, Jesus tells us it is the Landowner himself who goes out searching for his laborers. I can’t help but think of another parable—one involving a lost sheep. In both cases, nothing separates the owner (God) from the one they are searching for. It’s an easy task—any green hand, rookie or intern could find a lost lamb or hire a temporary day laborer. But here, it is the Landowner himself who sets out to find his people. The work is too important, and the stakes are too high to entrust the search to someone else.

You see, parables are these wonderful tools that allow us to think critically about Scripture from a number of angles, each time coming back with an evolved understanding to challenge our beliefs. However, I can see no clearer stand-in for the Landowner than the merciful God who loves us. No matter if they were among the First group to be chosen, such as the disciples (to whom he is speaking). Or the Last group, who could represent a number of different people (such as those who become Christians late in life, or perhaps those who are broken by a life of being passed over). Either way, the Landowner’s grace extends equally to all. Deserving or not.

GRACE IS A GIFT, NOT REWARD
And to me, this is the real point of the parable: salvation is an infinite gift to which nothing compares. While God celebrates when we choose to live faithfully to his love and teachings, it’s essential to know that God’s gifts are distributed not because they are earned but because he is gracious. I certainly was raised with the belief that the harder you work, the greater your reward will be. The 4.0 GPA, the letters after your name, the amount in your bank account, the size of your house are the obvious rewards of hard work. However, in the kingdom of God, the principles of merit, time and ability may be set aside so that grace may prevails.

Simple lessons aren’t always simple to receive, but I am challenging you to sit in the magnitude of this truth. In God’s economy, nothing makes us more or less deserving of his freely given grace. I certainly believe we have a responsibility to choose love and kindness, and to faithfully carry out Jesus’ teachings–to be that light in a dark, dark world. But God chooses us, all of us, because he loves us. No resume, report cards or merit based star charts are needed. His mercy is the free gift offered to all. Therefore, don’t be envious if you see another receiving the blessings you feel you are more entitled to. Instead, be thankful that God has been so generous with you, with me, with all of us. There is no need to feel jealous, because there is no reality in which God will take back what he has lovingly given through the life, death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ.

THE CHARGE
In closing, as you have been reflecting this day, do you find yourself standing among the Firsts or the Lasts? If you are among those Firsts who experience the peace, safety and comfort of a blessed life, how will you share what you have with those who only know isolation, poverty and failure? While we often think of blessings in monetary terms, Scripture tells us that blessings come in many forms. From social availability to wise counsel, to skilled work, to gifts of treasure, there are many ways to “pass the plate” throughout God’s earthly kingdom.

But if you are among the Lasts, I offer you this truth: God has not forgotten you. I know you may feel like you have spent a lifetime hoping to be seen, hoping to be healed, hoping to be freed from the painful weights of anxiety, shame and depression. But I am telling you, not only does God remember you, he is with you. You, the one who is lonely, brokenhearted, critically ill, under employed, overly worked, emotionally exhausted, grief stricken, spiritually lost—the God of all mercies is with you and chooses you.
I know many of you are hurting or love others who are hurting, but God sees you in your pain, and he has a place for you in the vineyard. You may not have been the first to arrive, but you have a place of honor at the table. You are loved, and you are enough—just as you are. For the “first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Amen