Text: Matthew 20:1-16
Lord God, we are poor servants, but you are pleased to provide abundantly for us each day. Help us to understand how dependant we are on your grace. May your holy Word create fresh gratitude and a spirit of humble praise in our hearts this day, for your glory, and our good, Amen.
In the Lord's prayer, we pray "Give us each day, our daily bread." This is what we need: bread for today. We are not to worry about tomorrow, let alone next year. Our Lord called us to bring our needs to him, one day at a time, and trust him to provide for us. Can you live like this? There is a place for forward planning. In the book of Proverbs we are told to take lessons from the ants, who store up food for later consumption. But as James 4:14 reminds us, we don't know what will happen tomorrow. We are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Verse 15 of James 4 says, "you should say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live, and do this or that."
In an age of fridges and deep freezers, kitchen pantries, cellars and sheds, most of us have no idea what it would be like to trust God for provision, day by day. But the plea for bread on a daily basis would have been real for the people of first century Jewish society, who heard Jesus' parable of the workers in the vineyard.
Frank McCourt, author of bestselling book, 'Angela's Ashes,' described how it was in Ireland and America during his childhood: if his father found work, they would eat. If not, they would go hungry, reduced to cups of weak tea and stale bread, with a bit of butter if they were fortunate. This was how it was for workers in Jesus' day, (and how it still is for many people throughout the world). Each morning, a hopeful trip to the village square. If there was work, they could earn a silver coin, which they could use to buy food for their family, for that day. If not, they would miss out.
The landowner in Jesus' story didn't want anyone to miss out. With only one hour to go in the working day, he signed on more workers. What value could the employer get out of them in such a short time? Very little. But he employed them anyway, and when the time came to pay his workers, he gave the same amount to each worker, regardless of how long he'd worked that day. What do you think of that?!
These days it's complicated to put on workers. There are forms to fill out, training, workers compensation and super' to take care of. There is always a risk. The worker may come with great recommendation, but will he or she fit into this job? Will they last? Will the business prosper and be able to sustain extra workers?
If Jesus' told this story today, I believe he would still tell it the same way. The landowner would have happily filled out the forms and taken the risks. But come payday, he wouldn't be looking to the award rates or enterprise agreements. His generosity exceeded all of that.
Not sure what the unions would say. If questioned, we know what the landowner would say: "Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money?"
The landowner in Jesus' story represents God. His method of employment and his scale of payments are different to those we use. Our eye is on the economics. His eye is on the person, and his or her needs. There are employers around who do care, and do their best to support their workers, but at the end of the day, they don't want to go out of business by going too far in looking after people. By contrast, God is an employer whose business is looking after people.
God doesn't need us to work for him. He has many angels. His voice creates and sustains things. He has no need of wealth or energy output or crops. But we need these things. So he employs us in our various occupations, to give us a way of finding provision. At every point, we are dependant on him. For the raw materials in the earth, the different kinds of crops, and the capacity they have to be refined and developed. The different kinds of animals, many of which can be domesticated, and are so useful for us. Fruit trees are pure generosity on God's part. Plants can reproduce without having sweet and edible pulp around their seeds, but God created fruit trees for our benefit.
If we say 'by the sweat of our brow' we earn our bread, we would be quite mistaken, because without such a simple thing as health, along with limbs and a brain that work properly, we couldn't begin to do anything. God provides us with health, strength, and understanding. Some seem to have better health than others. Some have more strength. Some can understand things more quickly. Should we be upset about this? No. Anything we have, and can do, is part of God's generosity.
Of course not everyone believes this. The sinful rebellion of Adam and Eve meant they thought they were wise enough to look after themselves. God let them try. He has let people try ever since. But all the while he's continued to provide for them. Before sending them away from Eden, God provided clothes for his rebellious children. Think of all the ways God supported the children of Israel in the desert. Thin about the ways he has provided for you.
In the face of God's generosity, how can we complain, and say he is being unfair? But we often do, don't we? We look at what others have, and think we're missing out. To our many sins we add suspicion and ingratitude. We think we know the portions of blessing and suffering we, and everyone else should have. But we've no idea. God's blueprint for eternity is hidden from us, and would surely be far more beautiful and amazing than we could begin to imagine. We build sand castles. He builds in marble and precious stone.
Matthew 7:7-11 gently reminds us what our heavenly Father is like:
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Since God is generous, we can be bold in our requests. But let's also be wise: first, let's ask God for the gift of forgiveness, for our discontent and our critical judgements. Let's ask him to take away our insecurities and pathetic jealousies. Let's ask for a new way of seeing, so that we don't focus on those things we think we deserve, but rather on all that our bountiful God has so lovingly provided for us.
(Let us pray:) Lord, forgive us. Lord, help us understand all that you do for us, and help us rejoice in the good gifts you shower upon us! Above all, grant us a quiet, confident faith, that worships you in the midst of all circumstances, for You have promised to use everything that happens to us, for our good. Transform our limited focus, so that we may truly see the things you are doing in our lives, and in the lives of others. Thankyou for acting in ways that are far better than what we call fair. Thank you for being so generous. Amen.
May the peace of God, which is beyond our human understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.