Septuagesima 2012
Rev. Stephen E. Stults
St. Barnabas Anglican Church
Feb. 5, 2012
Fairness and Grace
Mat 20:1-2
"For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard."
Matthew 20, from which our Gospel selection comes,is a powerful and purposeful statement about God. It tells us, in a way that is counter to our earthly mindset, how God operates. It also gives us a hint of the unspeakable glory and mercy of God. It may remind one of Isa. 55:8, when the LORD informed Israel: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” In fact, if a person does not possess the enlightening Spirit of God, it is possible that one might be tempted to judge God according to our standards, rather than the opposite.
In the parable, Christ tells us about the “the Householder” who hires workers for his vineyard. He hires some early in the morning, agreeing with them for a denariius, which was the standard daily wage in ancient times. He then returns to the marketplace and hires others until he has hired workers for the entire day, even up to the last hour of the day. Each time he hires workers, he tells them “Whatsoever is right I will give you.”
It was the custom in ancient Israel for the landowner or employer of day labor
to settle up, or pay his workers at the end of each day. If one did not to do so, this was considered a grievous offense. Even the prophets decried those who kept back the laborers due by defraud, or waited until the morning to pay their help. Recalling that most workers were living literally hand-to-mouth, this daily wage would provide funds for supper or for lodging for that day. Being unfair here was not only deceitful, but it was also cruel as an unjust employer might deprive his workers of their daily food.
Christ often used parable language to teach, as we all know. He did that so those for whom His word was designed would speak to their soul, while others, who did not have a mind for God, would simply disregard his message. I’m sure there is a message about predestination here somewhere, but that is a discussion we need not engage in at this time. Thus, as always in the parables, we need to examine the various characters in the story in order to gain the maximum understanding of it. We will also realize the genius of God’s Word and its ability to communicate with us on several levels simultaneously.
First, we recognize that the “Householder” is God, who manages his “vineyard” with great care, even seeing to its administration personally. This parable is proof text that tends to invalidate the concept of the Deist God. Recall that this idea, which was very popular in the 18th century, claimed that God created the world and then let it run, like a watch, while He gazed on it with benign indifference. We believe that this parable rather shows the opposite, as we see God intimately involved with the details of His world. Note however, that it still allows for the mysteries of free will at the same time.
Some time ago I went on a Thomas Merton reading binge. Merton, you will recall, was a prolific Anglican writer who became a Trappist monk. He wrote extensively about his own spiritual biography and the mysteries of faith. Early in his writing career, he also wrote about Mankind’s cooperation in this work of God through prayer. When he was a new monk and still very enamored with the monkish life, he wrote of the monk in his abbey supporting the world in a web of prayer. He thought that prayer works mysteriously with God’s sovereign grace in upholding the work of creation. There are many, like this preacher, who also shares a similar opinion, that somehow our prayers are caught up in the Mind of God to influence or carry out His outcome for reality. Be that as it may, our God cares about His Creation and about us. He is not some dispassionate deity, like the Buddha, but rather exhibits the kind of tender love that caused Him to give His only son as a sacrifice for our wretchedness.
We also note that the vineyard symbolizes this world. It also symbolizes, or at least encompasses, Israel. Our Lord often used the concept of vineyard allegorically to represent Israel, as in the two vineyard parables in Matthew 21. which also echo the first chapter of the prophet Isaiah. In Matthew 21, our Lord told the parable of the two sons assigned to work in the vineyard, and then He related the parable of the vineyard, created by a tenant king, who later sends his servants to receive its fruit.
The idea in presenting Israel as a vineyard was to demonstrate that it was something special and precious to the Lord, and it presented a stark contrast of Israel’s ingratitude in return. You all are aware of the great amount of work it takes to run a successful vineyard, as the grapes must be planted, pruned, tended and nurtured to maturity. After that, comes the laborious harvest and the processing of the grapes into juice. Then, the fermentation process and the long aging process which eventually produces drinkable wine. Obviously, it is very labor intensive and time intensive. Eventually, with good management and good stewardship, good wine is produced, the fruit of the vintner’s labors. Of course, we Christians see the obvious analogy to our lives. God the Great Vintner or Husbandman plants us, prunes us, and matures us over time with His Holy Spirit.
If we are “good soil”, we are expected to produce good fruit, which is expressed in not only the time, treasure and talent we return to God in His Church, but in our daily outliving of the Christian existence here on earth.
The crux of the parable occurs when the time comes to “settle up.” In this case, each worker comes for his wage and each receives a penny. From the ones hired first to the ones hired last, each receives the same amount.
Here is where the parable runs exactly counter to our expectations as humans and our preconceived notions of justice. We all can identify with the workers hired first, as they have worked all day and yet see the ones hired in the last hour paid the same as they. They feel a burning sense of injustice and thus begin to rail against the householder. In the calm, immutable way of those who are just, the householder says to them, in Mat 20:13-14: “But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.”
Here, the householder does two things: first, he confronts the workers with the just agreement that they made with him at the beginning, “didst not thou agree with me for a penny?” Next, he declares his sovereignty over the situation by saying: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” This statement declares that God will do what He wishes with His Creation. As the great Victorian wit, Lord Acton, once said, “Man proposes, God disposes.”Thus, here we have man’s ideas of fairness contrasted with God’s benevolent despotism. That is, man creates ideas of justice, while God dispenses actual justice.
Looking deeper into this parable, it goes much farther than this. This story speaks to us about the very nature of grace and salvation itself. If it were not so, those who labor in the Christian way all their life and lead blameless lives would expect more salvation than those called in old age, or even on their deathbed. We must avoid that mindset, because we know that our works do not save us, only the mediating work of Jesus Christ. God in His mercy grants to all those called in His Grace and those who hear Him eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. As Christians, we must marvel at the fact that God does not merely mete out justice, but grants us true mercy. For, if God were to treat all of us fairly, even according to our own standards, Hell would be very, very, full indeed! Instead, through the merits and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are granted mercy and forgiveness to become not only inhabitants of heaven, but even called sons and daughters of the King.
This fact is amazing, that God calls us, even us, poor, wretched workers who have worked but one hour in his vineyard, into full fellowship with Him, forever. Beloved, this fact should baffle and amaze you, while at the same time filling you with joy and peace. If it does not, perhaps it is time to take a spiritual inventory. It is the fundamental truth of Christianity that we don’t earn our salvation, but that it is a fact accomplished solely by God’s Grace. We have a God who desires, deeply, fellowship with His Creatures. He is willing to live with us for all eternity.
On this Septuagesima Sunday, we are now on the threshold of that blessed and solemn season of Lent. There is no better time to get our spiritual house in order.
We have passed through the joyous and busy times of Christmas and Epiphany, celebrating the Incarnation and Birth of our Lord and Savior. Now, it is time to reflect on the deep mysteries of Christ’s ministry of salvation for us, accomplished on the Cross. We will reflect on our own unworthiness as well, while prayerfully making progress towards the solemn days of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Thus, let us not be like the workers who, having agreed with God for a just wage murmured against Him when they saw others compensated likewise. This emotion and similar feelings of “fairness” often have the nature of sin about them. Rather, let us be like those, who having escaped a sinking ship early, now welcome other late swimmers into the lifeboat. It is not us who save ourselves, but God’s overwhelming Grace and Mercy that grants us safe passage into Paradise. There is a good reason why we Anglicans call this sanctuary a “nave”, from the Latin Natus, or ship. The Church is our helper, ordained by God, to bring us safely into the calm waters of Heaven.
As Christ Himself promised us in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Peace is this world is an illusion. Life is a struggle. Yet, in the midst of all of it, we Christians can have peace, true, deep abiding peace, because He who is greater than we has already won the battle. In Him is our confidence, our joy, our rest and our eternal salvation.
Mat 20:16: “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to Holy Ghost, now and for ever.
AMEN
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