Reformation Sunday (G)

Matthew 20:1-16
1 “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.”
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 20:1-16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Jesus tells us another parable. The Owner of the vineyard calls Laborers to come and work for him. He does not run out of work for people to do. He goes out early in the morning and calls all that were there to come work for a denarius in his vineyard. Then about three hours later, more people are standing in the marketplace. He calls those people to come and work for him. This can lead to a couple of questions.

First, how come there are still people standing in the marketplace? In our day, we can easily think of people who show up late to work. We can think of people who do not want to do hard labor. But don't these people need work. He goes out every three hours and still finds more people who have not come to work in his vineyard. People can make many excuses but are these not people who have decided that they are too good to work for him.

Second, how can he afford this or does he really have that much work? Most of the time you would expect the owner of Vineyard to come get a couple of people. Those people would work that day and the rest would be sent home. I think of work on the docks in the early 20th Century. But there is only so much that one can do in a vineyard. How many people can pick grapes and how many can process the grapes? But this guy must have a huge Vineyard to be able to hire all these people and still need more people to work. Then he pays the one who works only one hour the same as the one who worked all day.

This is truly and example of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus shows us not everyone is willing to come when they are called. Everyone is treated equally. Your deeds do not buy you a better place. But Jesus Christ has forgiven you all your sins. He still comes to us every hour calling us to come and follow him and receive his forgiveness.