Living in the Spirit

September 19, 2020

Scripture Reading: Matthew 20:1-16

‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” 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.’

I heard many sermons on this scripture over my years. Does a deathbed confession merit eternity in heaven, and what about that prodigal son? Dr. Fred Craddock was my Introduction to the New Testament professor in college. He was trying to reach a room full of freshmen who were required to take the class. I do not recall the scripture Dr. Craddock addressed, probably something from Paul, but I think what he illustrated applies to this scripture. He drew a long horizontal straight line at the top of the blackboard. Under it, he drew what essentially looked like a bell curve with its top center resting just a hair below the straight line. He noted that the straight line was salvation and the bell curve was where diverse people with varied backgrounds might be charted based on human measures of outward righteousness (my words, not his). The space between where one was located on that curve does not matter; salvation is dependent on God’s gift of grace, which fills any void.

We humans seem to need to meet some external measure of our worth, often allowing society to dictate who is right and who is not. Our culture does tend to caste wealth as a measure of worth. My guess is everyone who reads the above scripture, at least those who live in the USA, squirm a bit, thinking that is not fair. In our cultural worldview, we would be correct. Jesus is calling us in this scripture to share his worldview. He wants us to love and want the best for all with no strings attached. God created a diversity of people, and it would be extraordinary for them to all think and act alike. I think what Jesus is saying is we must see our cultural worldview through the lens of Christ’s worldview and make any adjustments necessary to assure that Christ’s worldview dominates.

Prayer: Lord, help us take the time to consider how you would view every situation we encounter, whether it is something we find strange or something we take for granted. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.