This passage relating the parable of the householder who hires laborers throughout the day to work in her/his vineyard today might result in a complaint to the union shop steward or labor relations board. The "householder" goes to the marketplace five times in the course of the day and hires laborers to work in her/his vineyard. The first group works the whole day, while the last but an hour. When it's time to pay the laborers at day's end, s/he not only pays them all the same amount, but does so by starting with the group hired last. I confess I have sympathy for those who worked all day, they receive the agreed upon wage, but feel cheated since they "have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat"(v.12). Jesus explains in the voice of the householder that all receive what was promised, and that indeed the "last will be first, and the first last" (v.16). Where's the shop steward when s/he's needed? The parable's text and a brief explanation by Mike Harrison can be found here.
Scripture scholars and theologians believe this parable addresses a need for understanding (and probably cause for argument)among the members of Matthew's community of the place of Jewish and Gentile members of the church. The Hebrew people have labored centuries in the vineyard while the Gentiles have only recently joined the people of faith. Shouldn't one who labors long receive a greater reward than one who works but an hour? To our minds, it seems only natural and just that this be the case, but Matthew's Jesus says it isn't so. All receive the same reward in return for their assent to the faith (in Christ) professed by the community.
Channel surfing on any give day, especially Sunday will expose one to dozens (sometimes it seems hundreds) of televangelists preaching (often screaming) that "ALL" must believe as they believe and act as they direct. The theme of just who will be saved seems a constant in the electronic pulpit. At times their messages seem to fly in the face of this gospel parable. "If you think you're going to be saved by listening to those other preachers, well let me just set the record straight". Pressing mute and changing the channel NOW!
Just as in Matthew's day, people today arrive at their differing beliefs and spiritual understandings and at times may (and almost certainly do) disagree. To my mind, getting caught up in arguments about who's "right" is a waste of time and almost never causes anything but further division. Who can count the number of christian denominations each often claiming to be the only way to salvation? People of good will can and do disagree, but we can find hope in this parable which promises all laborers the same reward. Wars have been fought (Reformation and Counter-Reformation and round it goes) over how we are "saved" with an uneasy armistice landing on FAITH (just don't get too specific about a definition of just what that means or you'll start another war).
Faith, however we define it seems to be the nature of the work we've been assigned as laborers in the vineyard. Resisting the temptation to be RIGHT, perhaps we should try to remain TRUE. That may mean something different to you than it does to me, but I'm fine with that. Trusting in the "Householder's" ability to read the intentions of the heart, I'm standing in line for my pay. We may disagree on the specifics of our labor, but I'm going to try not to grumble over the size of my paycheck. Lets talk about the weather as we wait. Are they calling for rain?
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