Loving God, you offer us so much more than we either desire or deserve, and yet so many times we fail to see it.  Grant us new vision this day by the power of your Spirit, helping us to rejoice in your blessings; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

 If you have ever lamented that things are not fair, you’re right!  Many things in this world are not fair, life is not fair, and God is not fair.  If God were fair, each one of us would receive exactly what we deserve.  However, instead, God gives us far more than we deserve.  And Jesus told a parable in order to help us to see this.

 In the parable, it is early in the morning, and the men who are hoping to find work for the day have gathered in the village square.  Most of them do this every day, hoping to get hired so they can make enough to feed their families.  On this particular day, a landowner comes along who needs some workers for his vineyard.  He picks out some of the strongest looking men, agrees to pay them 100 denarii (which is the usual daily wage), and sends them out to work in his vineyard.

 Around nine o’clock that morning, this same landowner goes into the village to run some errands.  As he approaches the village square, he sees that there are still men there who are waiting to be hired for the day.  So he picks out a few of them, tells them he will pay them what is right, and sends them out into his vineyard to work.  Around noon, and then around 3 o’clock, and then around 5, the same man goes into the village, sees men standing there in the square, and hires them to go and work in his vineyard.

 When the end of the day comes, the landowner instructs his manager to pay the ones who were hired last first.  As each one comes forward, they are given 100 denarii - the usual daily wage - while the other workers look on.  Then the ones who were hired at 3 o’clock are called, and then the ones from noon, then 9 am and then early morning.  Each man who comes to the manager for his pay receives the same amount - the usual daily wage, which is enough to feed his family.

 Of course, the ones who have worked the whole day are not impressed!  “These deadbeats worked only one hour, and you’re going to pay them the same as us?  What gives?  This is ridiculous!”  However, the landowner stands by his choices.  They agreed with him for 100 denarii, and that’s exactly what they got.  What should it matter to them if he chooses to be generous to these others?

 I have a suspicion, though, that most of us can identify with their complaints.  How often do we complain about “those welfare bums” – people whom we perceive as doing nothing and yet receiving free handouts?  How often do we complain about everything that first nations people get, in spite of the fact that some of the worst conditions in Canada are on reserves?  How often do we complain about people who just take, take, take all the time and never seem to give anything?

 Truthfully, we could probably come up with a pretty long list of things that just don’t seem to be fair.  Do we find it to be a good thing when somebody who has committed a serious crime is forgiven or pardoned?  Would we be right there with Jonah, pouting, if God forgave a bunch of people rather than punishing them?  Do we envy others who seem to have more than us, or have it better than us, or receive more than they deserve?

 It is frightfully easy for us to focus on everything that is wrong both in our lives and in the world.  We can come up with lots of reasons to resent what other people have.  We can come up with lots of examples where people simply do not get what they deserve.  We want fairness, and we want people to be punished for their misdeeds, and we don’t want people who don’t deserve it to receive things they don’t work for.

 However, have you ever noticed how our notions of fairness change when the shoe is on the other foot?  If we return to the parable from today’s gospel, the people who had worked the entire day and yet got paid the same as the others felt that the whole thing was extremely unfair.  Yet, if you were to ask any of the workers who were hired later in the day, they would tell you that the landowner was more than fair.  After all, he had given them enough to feed their families, even though they didn’t work the entire day.

 In the same way, if you were to talk to Jonah about going to Nineveh and preaching there, he would lament how unfair the whole thing was.  After all, what kind of a prophet must he be when what he proclaims doesn’t come true?  He had told the people of Nineveh how God’s judgment was coming upon the city for their wickedness: “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jon. 3:4).  And what did the people do? – They repented!  They turned away from their wickedness and turned toward God, and “God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them” (Jon. 3:10).  And Jonah felt that it was most unfair that he was sent to proclaim something that never happened.

 However, once again, if you had asked the people of Nineveh, they would tell you that God is more than fair.  God is gracious and merciful, “slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Jon. 4:2).  God does not give to others, or to us, what we deserve, but so much more: forgiveness, life and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

 Truthfully, for the most part, we have no problem with God’s grace and mercy when it is given to us.  Our problems come when God is gracious and merciful to others who simply do not deserve it!  Yet, how easily we forget that we do not deserve God’s favour, either.  We are saved and forgiven because of Jesus Christ, and not because of anything that we have done.  God gives us so much more than what we deserve.

 Every day, we have a choice as to what we are going to focus on.  Are we going to count our blessings or our misfortunes?  Are we going to live by gratitude or by envy?  Are we going to give thanks or complain?

 While we might well sympathize with those workers who were upset that the others got paid the same as them, they, too, had a choice.  They could have been thankful that somebody had hired them for the day and had given them enough to feed their families.  They could have been thankful that other, weaker people got hired as well, and also got enough to feed their families.  They did not have to be jealous of what others were receiving.

 The thing is that we really can’t do both.  We can’t be thankful and envious at the same time.  We can’t be aware of God’s blessings and resentful at the same time.  We can’t give thanks for God’s abundance and hold a grudge at the same time.  We need to give up either one or the other.

 Yet, only one of these options is life-giving.  Only one of these options is part of a life-giving relationship with God.  Only one of these options takes seriously how gracious and generous and merciful God has been and continues to be to each and every one of us.

 God gives to each and every one of us so much more than we deserve.  Let’s take some time today to be aware of God’s grace and mercy, to give thanks for the gift of salvation, and to worship the God who is not only for us, but for others.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

 

Lectionary 25(A)       Matthew 20:1-16
September 18, 2011      Jonah 3:10 - 4:11
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison