Living in the Spirit
September 24, 2017
Scripture Reading: Matthew 20:1-16
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 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.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’—Matthew 20:8-16
When did associating personal worth with financial wealth begin? History suggests a very early onset. Jesus proposed a different measure. Personal worth is innate to all people, and he desired that all would have more than they anticipate regarding the characteristics of life many of which are of far greater value than financial success, such as sharing love, having a purpose, growing in spirit and truth. John 10.10 quotes Jesus as saying: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs indicates that people need to have basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter; and safety met before they can move on toward the abundance Jesus describe. Abundance for all involves working toward a world without poverty, crime, and war. It requires a shift in our priorities. Is our purpose in life to accumulate wealth or to live in a world where charity is no longer necessary, crime is obsolete, and we no longer practice war anymore?
If we extend our scriptural story today to tomorrow, the latecomers are now the early hires having to deal with the new guys on the block getting paid the same wage they received for longer hours of work. Sounds like the American experience of immigration, doesn’t it?
Prayer: Lord, help us see your priorities as the better way and help us adapt to them. Amen.