“You have made them equal…” – Matthew 20:12
Americans are an interesting sort of people. We claim that we love equality – it is a catch phrase for some politically, even. Yet, so often we really don’t – at least not in real things that count. In school, group projects where the freeloading kid either drags down our grade (or gets a good grade even though he didn’t work) tend to annoy us. We hope to get raises and promotions at work. We like to be recognized for our strengths and successes. Even in the politics of the day, we might say we like equality, but we LOVE proving that we are better than “them”.
In the parable of the vineyard, the owner is straight forward. Work today, and I’ll pay you a denarius – a day’s wage. Think around $100 or $120 bucks. That’s enough to live off of – that’s not bad if you are a day laborer with no prospects for that day. Then the owner pulls in more and more people over the course of the day. And what does he do? He pays them all the same thing – even the folks who just worked an hour – they all get that full daily wage. And there’s anger – how dare you! You have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!
The master isn’t bothered by the complaints. I was straightforward with you and I was generous with them. What’s the problem? Why does the fact that I show kindness and goodness to them make you so upset? Because that’s where the rubber meets the road in our desires for elevation and promotion and more and more – we so often get upset when we see others receive kindness or good things that they didn’t earn. That they didn’t… earn.
Except, what we remember is that we don’t receive from God what we have earned. If we did, it wouldn’t be a day of hot labor in a field; an eternity in hell is what we’ve earned with our sin and hatred and callous disdain of our neighbor. Instead, God chooses to give the salvation won by Christ upon the Cross to us, and to us equally. My works won’t get me a better Jesus – nor will the fact that I’m not as good as you get me less Jesus. Instead there is one faith, one hope, one baptism, one Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Savior. And this really, really is better for us. God doesn’t give us what we deserve – He gives us life and salvation because He is good.
