Slices
Prepare
Spend a few moments in wonder at your personal experience of God’s grace.
Bible passage
The parable of the workers in the vineyard
20 ‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 ‘About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the market-place doing nothing. 4 He told them, “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” 5 So they went.
‘He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”
7 ‘“Because no one has hired us,” they answered.
‘He said to them, “You also go and work in my vineyard.”
8 ‘When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.”
9 ‘The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 “These who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”
13 ‘But he answered one of them, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
16 ‘So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’
Explore
Grace isn’t fair! That’s the central point of this parable, told as an illustration of the kingdom principle that ‘many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first’ (19:30; 20:16). This simple, but brilliantly crafted, story contributes to the education of the disciples in the ‘new world order’, which was arriving in and through Jesus’ ministry. As listeners and readers, they and we are led to expect that those hired first to work in the vineyard will receive substantially more than those who were hired only late in the day. Then, to discover that all the workers receive the same wage (vs 9,10) seems like an outrage, at least from a secular employment point of view. The divine storyteller has very effectively teased out our inherent capacity for making God in our own image.
It’s not that grace is unjust – all the hired workers received at least a fair wage – it’s just that grace doesn’t conform to the rules of a world where efforts dictate rewards. Rather, grace creates a new world. One in which a proper appreciation that each and every blessing flows forth from God’s lavish generosity towards people who are all equally undeserving, leaves absolutely no room for disgruntled envy (v 15).
Respond
Bring before God those whom you (secretly) consider to be less deserving of his grace than you. Ask for his forgiveness, and for his help to become yourself an open channel of his grace to them.
Deeper Bible study
What an honour it is to serve God. Thank him for his lavish care and generous provision. ‘...if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.’1
Jesus next tells a parable. The picture would be familiar to Israelites in a land of vineyards and from scriptures like Isaiah 5:1–7. The wealthy landowner needs workers for his fields. He goes to the marketplace and employs the unemployed. The wages are agreed: one denarius, a day’s working wage (vs 2,13). More workers are always needed, for
‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few’.2 So, through the day, more workers are hired and promised a fair wage (vs 3,4). Even as the day draws to a close, more people are employed (vs 5–8).
When the day is done, each receives their denarius, enough for their basic needs. The reaction of those who had done more work is at one level natural: they worked longer and feel hard done by. Yet they knew the deal and their complaint fails to acknowledge the vineyard owner’s generosity, in his preparedness to provide work and provision for the unemployed, who would otherwise be destitute.
The parable is full of lessons. The field in which we work, the church and world, is God’s property. When we are called to be disciples, we are summoned to labour for God in his mission. More workers will join us, for ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few’.3 God delights in inviting the unemployed to work for him. The story also tells us that God takes care of us, his workers, rewarding us evenly and generously, giving us what we need to survive. Ultimately, all his people receive the denarius of eternal life as a free gift. In the meantime, we work hard, content, for as God clothes the flowers and feeds the birds, he provides for us.4 We delight that others join us, even to the last minute, to receive eternal life.
Pray for forgiveness where we have lapsed into grumbling and failed to acknowledge God’s generosity. Rejoice that we are employed by God. Continue to work hard for him.
1 1 Tim 6:8 2 Matt 9:37 3 Matt 9:37 4 Matt 6:19–34
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Genesis 9–11; Matthew 4
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for the Board as they prepare to meet later this month. They will be looking at the budget for 2022–23 and setting objectives. Pray that as they think about the agenda items they will sense God’s leading and direction for the future of the movement.
