First Shall Be Last and the Last First, It Just Isn’t Fair!

Sunday of St. Matthew Apostle, Evangelist (9-21-08)

Rev. Steven D. Spencer – Pastor Messiah Lutheran Church, Salem, OR

Matthew 19:30-20:16

But many who are first will be last, and the last first. "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. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 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?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' 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.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 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 a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last."

          Grace, peace and mercy from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

            Imagine for moment being stuck in a long line at the grocery store. For some of you I know this is very easy to do because I’ve seen you at the grocery store where we shop. It always has long lines. And inevitably if you find a short line and get in it soon you’ll notice that the person in front of you is trying to win the fullest shopping cart award. They’ll have the groceries piled so high that they have to make a food pyramid to keep things from falling out. I even saw a lady with 4 loaves of French bread, one in each corner of her cart extending the sides so it could be filled fuller. If you’re like me you’ll begin to look around for another line. Except, it seems as if everyone in the store decided to check out at the same time you did. So you smile, and wait. Now the line behind you has grown significantly and there’s no place to go. But it could be worse; you could be at the back of the line. Finally after some waiting they decide to open more registers. One of the clerks is heading your way; you’re next in line, it has to be you. But she goes right on by and picks the last person in line. It’s so unfair!

Imagine being at Disneyland waiting forever to get onto a ride. As you reach the platform to enter the ride the attendant stops you and allows someone from the back of the line to go ahead of you. It has happened to me more than once. And it seems so unfair. It just isn’t right. You do everything according to the rules, you do everything right and someone then someone else breaks the rules.

If you can relate to either of these examples, then you can relate to our parable today. It just doesn’t seem fair what the landowner does. Consider it from the viewpoint of the workers who are hired at the start of the day. We can empathize with them pretty quickly.

They're the ones who are up at O-dark-thirty in the morning. They’re at the market place ready and willing to work at break of day. The lord of the vineyard comes along and offers them the typical wage for a twelve-hour day: They'll work in the vineyard for a day, and they’ll receive a day's pay. So, they’re hired and go to work. They put in the hours, even through the heat of the day. As they labor and carry the burden of the work, the landowner keeps going back to the marketplace. Each time, he finds more who are idle; and each time, he calls them into his vineyard. The lord of the vineyard even goes back when there's only an hour left in the day.

The day ends, and it's time to get paid. Simple math: If someone works the whole day they get a whole day’s wage, it would stand to reason that those who worked half a day would get half a day's wage. And the ones who worked just an hour would get an hour’s wage. But when those who worked the least collect their pay, and they were the first to receive their pay, they got it all. Those who worked a half day collected full pay as well. Surely those who worked the whole day would get something extra, wouldn’t they? After all that's only fair. Yet, when it's time to collect, these weary workers only get what was promised, a day's wage, same as everyone else.

It's was then that the mutterings and grumblings began from the full-day workers. "It just isn't fair, what this lord of the vineyard has done. We worked longer, we did more, so we should get paid a lot more; but instead, all we got was what we were promised.

"Look at that guy who killed all but the last hour of the day before coming to work, walking around with a whole day's pay and a smile on his face. Maybe next time we'll just waste the day and come in at the last moment; it sure worked for him. If nothing else, we've still got our pride. We know who was here the longest; we know who the real workers are, we’re not the slackers. They don't deserve the same status that we do, and at least we can feel good about ourselves.”

"But still, it's so unfair that it just grates on us. We've got to punish the lord of the vineyard for what he's done. Let's form a union. Let's join together with workers from all sorts of other vineyards, and together we can prove to this landowner how unfair he has been. By the numbers of our union, we'll prove that we are right.”

"One thing needs to be made perfectly clear: The lord's way of running his vineyard isn’t fair!"   

Before I go any further I think it’s important to gain some context for our examination of the text. To whom was Jesus speaking this parable? What was the message about? We need to look at the words just before our text today. Please listen to the words from St. Matthew the 19^th Chapter verses 16 through 30.

And behold, a man came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Then Peter said in reply, "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Jesus wasn’t just speaking to the man that thought he had lived the commandments perfectly nor to just the disciples, nor just to Peter; He is speaking to anybody that thinks that by some form or work they can earn their way to heaven. Salvation is impossible for man, but with God all things are possible. By the way, did you notice Peter’s comment: "See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" Which group do could Peter be identified with in the parable? Those early risers, those first workers! Notice how he boldly asks: “What then will we have?” After all we left everything and followed you, what will we have? Peter has allowed himself to be directed by works. He was looking for the payoff. What’s in it for me? He wanted some prosperity theology. He wanted to be paid for his faithfulness. Peter had just allowed his sinful pharisaic nature to rear its ugly head. So Jesus levels this parable at Peter and all who would fall prey to works righteousness.

Notice in the parable it was the landowner, that owner of the estate, the owner of that vineyard, who went out at dawn to hire workers for his vineyard. This shows that he and he alone, took the initiative to bring people into his vineyard. Synergism, “works righteousness” is eliminated. And He tirelessly continued all day long to bring more and more into his vineyard. The workers didn’t seek him out, he sought them out.

When the end of the day comes, the workers are gathered for the time of reckoning, and here's the surprise: The lord of the vineyard does not pay them based upon their work. The lord of the vineyard pays them based on his own generosity.

It is fair? Not at all! But what troubles many is not that the lord is less than fair with those who worked the full day. He is fair to them, and faithfully gives them exactly what he has promised. No, what troubles many is that he is more than fair to those who didn't work that much; even though they haven't earned it, he still gives them the same reward. Therefore, many are mad at him not because he is evil, but because he is good; they are ticked off because he is nicer than they expected.

So, how would you assess this vineyard in the parable? It all depends how you look at it. If you measure the vineyard by the efforts and attitudes of the workers, it's a crummy place to be. But if you measure the vineyard by the efforts and attitude of the lord, there is no better place to be. This is especially true when you consider a factor that doesn't appear in the parable: The all-day workers complain that they deserve more because they have bore the burden and the heat of the day. They focused so much on their own efforts that they have missed the most important point. They have not born the greatest burden or the most severe heat. The Lord's Son has: He has born the burden of their sin to the cross; He has endured the heat of hell while suffering for their transgressions. The only reason they are even in the vineyard is because the Son had died to bring them in.

Because, you see, this parable is about the kingdom of heaven. If you are a businessman, don’t use this parable as a guide for conducting your business; there are few better ways to tick off your long-term, faithful employees than to reward the new guy in the mailroom with the same pay as management. This is not how things operate in this world; in fact, St. Paul declares, "If anyone will not work, neither should he eat" (II Thess. 3:10). This parable is not about business in this world; Jesus makes clear that He is speaking about the kingdom of heaven.

The kingdom of heaven isn't fair. And we thank God for that.

All are lost in sin, and the Lord desires to save sinners. Therefore, He sends His Son, Jesus, to establish His kingdom. He desires to save sinners, to bring them into His kingdom, to give them a place, security, and the reward of eternal life. The cost is steep for this royal vineyard to open: The Lord must sacrifice His only Son for the sins of the whole world.

This is how His kingdom works: He pays the price to bring you in. He keeps you in His kingdom by His generosity. He rewards you with eternal life because of the work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Is that fair? Absolutely not, and for this we give thanks to God. For if it was fair, we’d be lost. But because the Lord Jesus Christ has unfairly paid the price for your salvation. Because of His unfairness you can be certain, beyond a shadow of doubt, that all of your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name, Amen and Amen!

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen!