The Most Explosive Parable In The Bible?
We had technical difficulties with the livestream for our Bible study on Wednesday—my apologies. I’ve posted the video below. Be sure to watch all the way to the Q&A and hear the amazing questions our middle and high school students are asking!
The handout is available here.
Matthew 20:1-16
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 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.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES
I remember the first time I really heard the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. I was in seminary, and it was the first time I understood the explosive nature of the teaching of Jesus. This parable does not make you feel good, and the more you think about it, the more disturbing it seems. It just seems fundamentally unfair that the people who have labored all day in the hot sun get paid the same as those who only put in an hour of work at the close of the day.
Maybe that's the point: there is something about the kingdom of heaven that just doesn't fit with how we think things should be. And, considering what a mess we've made of things, maybe that's very good news.
Peter has implied that Jesus owes them for following him:
“See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” [19:27]
Jesus explains that though God will reward as he has promised, he will also be abundantly generous as he sees fit:
“I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” [20:14-15]
Toward whom can you be abundantly generous today?