“Faithful – Once and Always”

Scripture: Luke 12:41-48

Jesus had just told a parable about being ready for service – it was a story about men who were waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast. They are to be ready to welcome him home, regardless of the hour, and while the parable itself isn’t actually a part of today’s text, it might be well to hear it to set the stage for our lesson.

Read Luke 12:37-40

The parable tells us that we are to be ready for the divine Master’s return to earth, regardless of when that may be. And in our text for today, Jesus tells us, not just that we must wait in readiness, but how we are to wait, and what being ready is all about.

Read Luke 12:41-44

Peter asks Jesus who the parable is intended for, and as usual, Jesus gives a totally unexpected, and seemingly unrelated, answer. And as the explanation unfolds, we discover that the answer is being given - that this story isn’t for any one person or even any group in particular. The parable is for both the Church and those who are still in the world.

And as Jesus continues, He begins to add more detail to the story, and the initial situation of a wedding is replaced with a focus on the staff at the Master’s home. And our initial thoughts that the parable is about the servants, we discover that it is more about the manager of the household than it is about those under his authority.
So more specifically, who is this parable about? The manager represents the leadership of the church, and not just those who are recognized as leaders, but all who others look to for guidance – small group leaders, Bible study leaders, lay speakers, Sunday School teachers, pastors, and others who are seen as examples and teachers of how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The manager’s responsibility, apparently, is not only to ensure that those under his authority do their work properly, but more importantly, to see that they receive that which nourishes and sustains them in their service. And the Church leaders of both Jesus’ day and our day has the same responsibility. In Matthew 7:7-12, the Lord tells about knowing the difference between goodness and evil when we deal with others we care about. It that passage, He asks “who among you, if your son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if a fish, would give him a snake?” Jesus is telling us that wisdom resides within us all, but we have the ability to choose between good and evil, and if we truly care about those who are under our responsibility, we will always choose the good.
That’s what Christian leaders are expected to do – to share the Lord’s best with others, and not to interject too much of ourselves into the mix. We wait patiently for the Master’s return, and are to keep serving those we have been given, in the Master’s way, until the time arrives.

Read Luke 12:45-46

And if we choose to think only of ourselves, and set the Master’s way aside, we will have chosen badly. The manager got tired of waiting, and may have even begun to doubt that the day of return would ever come! And instead of continuing to exercise the responsibilities given to him, he begins to go his own way.

He beats those in his charge, instead of caring for their needs. We aren’t told whether the servants had done something wrong, and we don’t even know if they had refused to follow the orders that the manager gave them – the truth of the matter is though, that the story has nothing to do with the servants’ disobedience – it’s about the manager’s disobedience. He has denied the charge given to him by his master, and has set himself up as an ersatz master.

His authority is no longer based in the master, it is only through his own misplaced and mishandled imagination. His ability to manage has evaporated, replaced only by his own distorted sense of what is right and wrong.

Some church leaders have fallen into this very trap. They feel that the Master’s coming has taken so long that His orders, His word, and His authority have all faded, so they think they have to make a substitution, one that is based solely in their own desires and standards. Drunkenness is a metaphor for confusion, for the inability to reason properly, for our failure to choose well. Are any of us living a “drunken” life in faith?

If we are, it’s a big mistake. The Master is still on his way, and His plan hasn’t changed one iota. And those who are being abused with lies, those who are no longer being fed from the Master’s storeroom, those who are being starved for the Master’s love and protection, will one day be avenged. The drunken manager will receive two punishments – the first is being cut into pieces, a sign of divided loyalties, and the second, that of rejection into the condemnation of unbelievers. This is not good news!

But you may be wondering why the one who failed without knowing or intent was also punished – it doesn’t seem fair, does it. But the truth is that God’s Law is absolute, and divine reality, divine truth is completely different than the earthly version. In God’s way, failure to follow His way, whether knowingly or not, is still a failure, but mercy demands different penalties. And so it will be.

Read Luke 12:47-48

The story’s interpretation now turns decidedly toward the Church. Verses 47 & 48a are about those who choose poorly in this life. Those who know the Lord’s Will but ignore it, will receive the harshest of penalties, and those who fail without knowing will still be chastised, but nowhere nearly as severe as the others.

But for those who continue to labor within the Master’s Will and Plan and Commandments, reward will be glorious. The New International Bible Commentary offers this thought – “God will seek much from those to whom much has been given. Leaders to whom the church has given responsibility will, therefore, be held to a higher standard of expectation.” (James 3:1)

But the rewards, just as the punishments, will be based in multiple levels, and in this text two are mentioned – first, those who have been given much, and second, those who have been entrusted with much. So what’s the difference?

The word “given” implies a gift, a blessing. It’s something we simply receive without expectations or demands attached to it. It’s like a birthday or Christmas present – it is given to us without a quid pro quo (or at least it should!), without a comparable exchange. While it is given to us to possess, and even though it has no demands attached to it, we still need to be grateful, and we respond in gratitude to the giver, but a comparable response is not required.

However, the word “trusted” implies a great deal more. The manager in our parable for today was “trusted” with the responsibility of guiding those he was given authority over. The result of a “trust” requires a response. But not just any response – it must be one that is expected by the one who has “trusted” us. It may allow some personal leeway in the execution of that trust, but it must closely follow the way and intent of the Giver.

In the Church, we are “given” and “trusted” all the time. By faith in Jesus Christ, we are given the gift of eternal life. For the new Christian, it requires nothing in return – we don’t have to earn it, and there is nothing that we can give back to the Life Giver. However, as we mature in the faith, we begin to be trusted with more and more. This is referred to as the Lord’s call on our lives, or the granting of “gifts of the Spirit”. As we read through those verses in scripture that list some of these gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-13), we discover that each one involves not only an ability, but action, and with it, responsibility to use the gift in God’s way. And as we respond to each “gift of the Spirit”, our actions must concur with the Giver’s way and call.

When we give our lives to Christ, and receive his gift of eternal life, we give our thanks and praise, and in that, our reward will be incredible. But when we are trusted with His gifts, in addition to His eternity, and when we execute those gifts in the way the Lord’s word tells us to, the rewards will dwarf even the joy and glory of the given Life. Remember the parables of Talents and Minas? Some will be faithful with the gifts they receive, and others will not, and each will be rewarded, or punished, beyond all expectation. (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27)

So the question for each of us, as we approach the beginning of this year’s Advent, is this – first, how do we show our gratitude to the Lord Jesus for the gift of eternal life that we now have, and second, how faithful are we to His call and in the Spiritual gifts that we have been trusted with? Those who have been gifted are the leaders of the Church, and these are the ones who have the greatest responsibility for faithful service.

Leaders, and that is a very broad based term, use them carefully and prayerfully.

“Who Do We Give Our Thanks To?” (Thanksgiving Eve)

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

The issue isn’t always about whether we give thanks or not – more times than not, it is about how and why we give thanks, and to whom it is given. In Luke 18:9-14 – the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector - the Pharisee was grateful that he wasn’t like other people, in particular, the tax collector who had also come to pray and give his offering. The tax collector, on the other hand, approached the Lord in a completely different way – he was humble and contrite and repentant, embarrassed to even come before God that day.

How about us? Why are we thankful? How do we express our thanks? And who do we offer our thankfulness to?

Read Luke 17:11-14

Lepers were the ultimate outcasts. They weren’t allowed to live in any city or village – they were required to remain completely away from all other people. And if, for some reason, they had to walk near others, they had to warn others that they were coming by constantly crying out “Unclean! Unclean!”. Lepers had practically nothing to be thankful for.

This passage also tells us that Jesus was traveling along the border between the Galilee and Samaria. Samaritans were ostracized almost as completely as the Lepers were. While the lepers were unclean in a physical way, Samaritans were unclean spiritually.

Lepers and Samaritans were both feared and hated by the Jews.

So the Lepers couldn’t even come near Jesus to seek his healing, but as we all know, distance was never a problem for the Lord. And this great healing was more than a simple miracle – it was a demonstration of the depth and breadth and power of God’s kingdom. And in a not-so-common way, Jesus doesn’t even pronounce the healing – he simply tells them to go and show themselves to the priest. In Israel, if a leper was healed, which didn’t happen all that often, their cleanliness had to be certified by a temple priest before they could return to inclusion in the community.

This story is also about authority. The 10 cry out to the Lord “Jesus, Master ..” Scripture seldom reports a non-disciple referring to Jesus as Master, but these lepers do. They may have been excluded from the community of Israel, but they had never been excluded from the community of God. They knew who Jesus was, and they showed him the proper respect. And what did they ask of the Lord? Pity, mercy. Not from the priests, not from the Pharisees, not from their former friends and relatives, not from society, but from the Almighty “Master”. They sought God’s power and presence and mercy for their wretched and miserable lives.

Read Luke 17:15-19

They left for the temple, trusting that they would be healed by the time they arrived a week or so later. And as they went, it happened. Can you imagine the joy that swept over them, to realize that their bodies had suddenly been renewed and restored? I expect that the rest of the trip was going to be quite an event!

But one of them, in his joy, was also reminded of why he was healed – it was by his trust in the authority and power of the one he had called “Master”. He “saw” that he had been healed, but what was he to do about it? Follow the others? Seek the proclamation of the priests? Rejoice that he could become an active member of his family and friends once again?

His “seeing” was similar to that of the Good Samaritan. Remember that not only did he see the injured man, but so did the priest and the Levite! And what did each do about the “seeing” that they had? Two decided to do nothing, and only one was prepared to act in a positive and Godly way.

The man in our story “saw” in that same way – a way that the other 9 apparently did not. What was the difference? Some only “see” the physical, the worldly side of life, while others are able to sense the greater event – the presence and working of God in this life, and the opportunity to become part of that glory and mystery.

And the man turns around, no longer intent on being restored to the community through the priests, but now intent on celebrating God and the work that has occurred in his life. And long before he arrives back where Jesus was, he immediately begins praising the One who had worked this incredible and blessed change in him.

He comes to Jesus, and throws himself at the Lord’s feet. In most of the gospel stories, this is a sign of seeking God’s mercy, but here, it is a sign of honor to the One who showed the mercy. And we also discover that this man was a Samaritan – rejected for who he was by society, but loved mercifully by God in Christ.

And then there are the 3 questions that Christ asks which form the lesson for us on this Thanksgiving Eve.
1. “Were not all ten cleansed?” All of the lepers were healed, but only one seemed to have the insight to recognize the source of the healing.

2. “Where are the other nine?” Aren’t they going to praise God for the mercy shown to them? Are they so caught up in their good fortune that their only thought is to get the priests’ blessing so they can become part of society once again?

3. “Was no one found to return to give praise to God except this foreigner?” The only one who sang praises was the Samaritan - the one who Israel had denied, who enjoyed no respect or privilege from them, who would never receive acceptance from Israel or her priests, but is loved dearly by his Almighty God.

And the healing, Jesus says, is because of the man’s faith.

The Samaritan shows us that we must never presume to be worthy of the Lord’s mercy, but that when we seek it, and when we receive it, our response should be unbridled, unlimited, undying praise and joy for our merciful and awesome God.

May it be so with us.

“A Parable on Loving God AND Neighbor”

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Our parable today begins with these words – “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.” One occasion? This was just one of many times - they were constantly testing Jesus! These experts – the Pharisees – were, indeed, experts in the law, as well they should be. They, and their predecessors had taken the Law that the Lord handed down to Moses at Sinai, and had expanded it with their personal thoughts and details until it was nearly unrecognizable!

And at every opportunity, they challenged Jesus as to why he was so intent on changing everything that they had come to depend upon for over a thousand years. But their dependency was on their own interpretation of what God wanted from them, and not on God’s desire itself. And their test today would be oriented toward their understanding of the law, with the intent being whether Jesus would acknowledge their authority in this matter, or if he would continue on his rampage against their truths.

But as we know so well, Jesus was never tied to their agenda!

Read Luke 10:25-28

And the test question is this – “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In Matthew and Mark’s gospels, the question is regarding the greatest commandment, but this one is more to the point – in that, the Pharisees believed that strict adherence to the law was required if you desired to live eternally. And Jesus plays to the legalist’s perspective by saying – “You know. What does the law say?” And the Pharisee bites when he responds with the two greatest commandments in all of Israel – Love the Lord your God with every ounce of your being, and love your neighbor as you would be loved.

For Israel, every commandment was founded on these two. As a matter of fact, the first – Loving the Lord their God – was so important that they were called to literally tie those words to their hands and foreheads, and to write them on the doorposts of their homes and on the gates into their property. They were to love these words to the point that they would teach them to their children, and discuss them with others wherever they were. (Deuteronomy 6:3-9) Nothing was to be withheld from their God.

The Pharisee knew the written law, but did he truly know the truth behind it? Did he know and live the depth of love that God deserved from him? Did he show that love to others? Did he love his neighbor as completely as he wanted to be loved? Did he understand that loving God and loving neighbor were interrelated? Did he know that “love” was more than simple adherence to some legalistic concept or demand?

Read Luke 10:29-35

For Israel, much of the law was about how the people related to others – Jews to Jews, Jews to Gentiles, Jews to Samaritans, men to women, the people to the priests and vice versa. It was all about individual and unique boundaries for each category. But what about their relationship with God? Notice that the parable, at first glance, is all about human relationships, and doesn’t specifically address our relationship with Almighty God. So let’s take a look at both the depth and the shallowness of love that becomes evident in this story, and how it may define the need to love the Lord.

1 – the “Victim” - an unidentified, non-specific, unfortunate and innocent man who falls among thieves, and who is stripped of any love that he may have left home with that morning.
2 – the “religious” officials – a priest on an undefined mission, and a Levite, who is also journeying to an unknown destination. These two should be the epitome of love for the people, but instead, even though they see the dying man and recognize his great need, intentionally avoid even coming in contact with him, and leave him to his dying.
3 – An “outcast”, a “sinner”, a “racially mixed” and “unclean” man who, as far as Israel was concerned, was about as worthless as anyone could possibly be. This was a man who was not only unloved by his countrymen, but was actually hated for who he was.

Jesus, in his usual mode of turning the tables on normalcy, upsets all of the expectations that the Pharisees had as he began the story. The Victim not only doesn’t die, he also receives one of the greatest gifts of love. The Religious Men are shown to be uncaring scoundrels. And the Outcast become the hero and the Loving Neighbor in the parable. Preconceived notions, traditional stereotypes, and personal boundaries have all been smashed – all in the name of true neighborly ways.

The Samaritan did everything that the righteous men didn’t do. He saw the man, and stopped to help him, putting his own plans and destination on hold. He cleaned and bandaged his wounds. He lifted the bloody man onto his own donkey, and took him to a nearby inn. And while this could be seen as meeting all expectations, it didn’t end here. The man, even though he may have had pressing business elsewhere, remained with the injured man all night long, caring for him and making sure that he was going to survive. And even this wasn’t enough – the next morning, he paid for the night, and gave the innkeeper money to pay for the man’s care until he was able to continue on toward Jericho, and he even offers to pay more if the innkeeper’s expenses are greater to get the man back on his feet!

The Samaritan places no expectations and few responsibilities on the owner of the inn except to ensure that the man is cared for. He places no condemnation on the righteous leaders who failed in their duty to care for those in need. And he refused to surrender to the prevailing attitudes among the Jews regarding Samaritans and Gentiles. He didn’t even seek recognition for the great service he had performed to the wounded man. He simply did what the Lord led him to know was right.

Ephesians 3:16-19 – (excerpt) – “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”
The Samaritan had a firm grasp on that incredible love.

Read Luke 10:36-37

Jesus, again, turns the intent back onto the Pharisee. “Which of the three do you think was the neighbor..?” What could the lawyer say? There was only one possible choice, and the other two couldn’t even be considered as runners up! But the man was a Samaritan, unworthy of any credit and honor! So he simply replies that it was the man who “showed mercy”.

And this is the very definition of a neighbor – they show unqualified, unlimited, unrestricted mercy to all - ALL. And this is what faith in Christ demands. And this is the relationship that the Lord wanted Israel to accept - one that was based in faith, and not just in legalistically based actions.

In a recent open letter to a TV evangelist, Greg Garrett – an author, professor, and Episcopal pastor - described this very issue to a “T”. He wrote:

You and other prosperity gospel preachers advance a vision of God that is transactional: if you do this, then God will do that. He has to, in fact. Because a verse here or there in the Bible says so, however little it reflects God's actual redemptive work in the world.

And I'm here to tell you, sir, in the same language I use with anyone who imagines we can be in a transactional relationship with God, that this isn't what Christian faith is. Praying the right prayer often enough to get what you want, believing really hard in Jesus to get what you want are not true to the Christian story, or to logic. To imagine that you, or your followers, or the person out in the bookstore or TV land who is exposed to your message somehow influences the God of the Universe, the Creator of All That Is, by his or her personal actions is not belief in God.

[This is simply a] belief in magic. Put your hands together, say a few faithful words and the Universe will give you what you ask.

--Greg Garrett, "An open letter to Joel Osteen," Patheos.com, June 1, 2011. patheos.com. Retrieved December 14, 2016.

Live faith, not acts. Live in Jesus’ way, not in the law’s. Live in loving mercy, not out of self-justification.

“Go and do likewise.”, and both God AND your neighbor will know your love.

“A Parable on Using God’s Gifts”

Scripture: Luke 16:1-13

Today’s parable is one of the most controversial of Jesus’ ministry. Even the translation of the title would indicate differences of thought – some refer to this as “The Parable of the Shrewd Manager”, while others call the parable “the Dishonest Manager”. But personally, I don’t think the point is made in the title, regardless of how it is translated. The point of Jesus’ parables is always to show us what it means to be his disciple.

So what is today’s parable about? What are we to learn from it? The story is about a master’s expectations of his servants, and a servant’s obligation in his or her life of service. The story primarily revolves around 2 men – a rich man and the manager of his estate, or in other words, an absentee landlord and the servant who was charged with the administration of his wealth.

It’s rather difficult to put the lesson of this story into the context of today, as we seldom experience this arrangement – at least not in our own country. So we will simply examine the story to discern the truth that Jesus is conveying.

Read Luke 16:1-2

A manager’s responsibility is always to the owner’s desires. So our first question is “how was the manager wasting (or squandering, depending on the translation) his master’s possessions”? At first glance, it would seem that he wasn’t actually stealing from the rich man – he just wasn’t managing in a way that the master approved of. It is interesting to note that in the previous chapter, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), in which the son also “squanders” the inheritance that he had demanded from his father.

So in this context, the manager is administering the property in a reckless way – one that has no beneficial purpose, and puts the owner in a less than positive light with his other servants, as well as with his peers throughout the region. The problem for us is that Jesus doesn’t give any information as to what standard the manager should have been following, nor are we told what he did to violate the trust. Regardless, the difference must have been rather significant, for the manager was required to explain his actions, after which he would be removed from his job for incompetency.

The manager who had held a very respected and responsible position as a servant, was probably not being fired, but rather was being demoted to a very low and subservient position.

Read Luke 16:3-4

The servant had gotten used to a pretty cushy job, which was about to vanish from his life. But what would be waiting for him? Would it be common, every day labor, which in that day would typically be working in the fields, or would he have an even more demeaning job, which would pay practically nothing, and he would have to beg to just get by? Neither option appealed to him – he didn’t have the physical ability to do the first, and he was too proud to resort to the second.

But he must have had some intelligence if he had been assigned to manage the estate, so he comes up with a plan to ensure that he would be cared for. He would do a favor for the others who he had a working relationship with, so that they would feel an obligation to help him out. Deceitful? Perhaps, but let’s see how it works out.

Read Luke 16:5-7

In those days, rental for the use of property wasn’t paid monetarily – it was given in produce. And judging by the amount of oil and wheat that was owed, these must have been very successful tenants that the manager had been dealing with. But what right did the manager have in reducing his master’s income? Was he, after all, cheating his employer? Or was the issue totally different?
Is it possible that the master had decided to tack on interest for unpaid debt, which, by the way, was forbidden by the law (Deuteronomy 23:19-20), and the manager was just righting a wrong? Or was the steward eliminating his own commission from the debt that was owed? Or could it even be possible that the manager was finally treating the tenants exactly the way that his master would have, by reducing the standard rental price to a more manageable level?

We don’t know for sure, as Jesus never offers an explanation of this story. But the next few verses may give us some insight into Jesus’ intent.

Read Luke 16:8-13

With this reading, we begin to see that the parable has a purpose other than relating the events surrounding the manager’s attempt to improve his lot in life. “The master commended the dishonest manager…” He had been entrusted with the master’s property and income, and had, indeed, reduced his income without authorization. But he was also complimented “… because he had acted shrewdly.” Apparently, the master approved of the manager’s actions.

Originally, we read that the manager “wasted” the master’s possessions – he had expended them for no good purpose. But now, realizing that he had been given, not only authority, but responsibility for these gifts, he was using them for a specific and beneficial purpose. His actions would cast a good light on the master, as he, unknowingly, has reduced the rental agreement for the tenants, and it guarantees that the manager will have friendships to help him through the lean times. And that is truly a shrewd and effective transaction – everyone involved comes out ahead!

But then in verse 9, an additional thought is revealed – that we are to use our worldly wealth to gain friends and to help them during this lifetime, with the express purpose of using it up so that we can enter the kingdom without all that excess baggage! Jesus is telling us that the riches of earth – those that we see as God’s blessings - are simply there for us to use in a wise and “shrewd” way – ways that actually become a benefit - and not to just squander them on meaningless things!

The Lord implies that the way we use, and share, our worldly possessions is more of a test than anything else. Do we use them for our own selfish pleasures, or do we use them in a Godly and appropriate way? Remember the parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) and the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)? The servants who faithful used the master’s wealth (which represents our worldly wealth) were granted authority over true and heavenly riches of God, but the ones who failed to use them in a beneficial and appropriate way lost everything!

Where is our loyalty? Is it in the gifts that come to us from the world, or in the riches that can only come from our Almighty and All Gracious God? Jesus tells us that we can only show loyalty to one or the other, and that we need to choose wisely.

How do we use the gifts of earth that have come into our possession? Is it in pleasurable but wasteful ways, or do we use them for valid and constructive purposes? Do we use our worldly possessions and human abilities for our own benefit, or do we look to bring a benefit, a gain, a blessing to someone else’s life? Do our lives serve to raise another person up in this life, or is our entire focus on what we can get and try to keep (Luke 12:16-21)?

How will you respond when the Lord asks you about the use of your worldly possessions? He is watching, you know!

“A Parable of the Called”

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Today, we begin a series on Jesus’ teachings – those things we call “parables”. Parables aren’t, of course, stories of actual events – rather, they are allegories that define or offer a message of Godly truth. They aren’t always easy to understand, or at least they aren’t when considered within our present day cultural basis. But the people of Jesus’ day knew exactly what he was telling them, because they lived the lives that he offered up as examples.

Today’s parable is not as much about God and his ideals as it is about our human view of what is fair and what is not. Take a moment and consider what society tells us about being fair toward others. Cultural truth seems to have taken a 90 degree turn a while back, and the world view doesn’t seem to match God’s view any more. Truth has become a relative term, with everyone being granted the right to put their own set of rules of life in place, and those who disagree with them, regardless of their right to personal truth, is violating someone else’s principles.

But Christians know that our truths are seldom on track, and that Jesus is the only Truth that we can depend on to never change. (John 14:6) Today’s parable addresses that very problem – the conflict between our concept of what is right and wrong, versus the way of truth that Jesus has put in motion.

Read Matthew 20:1-2

Jesus begins with the thought that this story, and the Godly message that is inherent within it, will give us a glimpse into the ways of heaven. As we read through these verses, though, we will discover that it is actually more about the differences that exist between the ways of earth and those of God. This will be a parable that is intended to make people think about the way they live, as well as the way in which they see and treat others.

The story is about the owner of a vineyard who has some work that must be done, so he goes to the local gathering place, possibly the gate to the town, and offers work to a few men. He offers them the standard wage for a day’s work, and apparently, they accept it.

A denarius was not a lot of money – it would be barely enough to provide for a family’s most basis needs, but at least it was something. They were being hired in the morning for one day’s labor, and they would be paid at the end of that day – no guarantee that the job would continue, no hopes for a raise the next time they are hired, no benefits, and probably not even a “well done” at the end of the day. All they were being promised was a single day’s minimum, if not substandard, wage. And it was enough to make them say “yes” to the offer.

Read Matthew 20:3-5a

By mid-morning, the landowner goes back to town and offers a few more men a job. But this raises a question – why weren’t these men hired earlier – there certainly was more work to do? Were they weaker, less impressive, shorter in stature, older, younger? It’s also interesting that the owner goes to town for some unknown, or at least unstated, reason – and when he goes, he sees some men just standing around idle, and gives them a job. He doesn’t ask if they want to work – he tells them to get to work.

And this time, notice what he offers to pay them! It isn’t a specific amount – it is “whatever is right”. In whose mind? Based on what standard? And could they trust this bossy man to give them anything at all? We don’t know, but this second group of men goes, just the same.

Think about the relationship that must exist, between the landowner and these men. He must be well known for either his fairness or his authority and power. Either way, he is obeyed without question, and the men who had no job accept whatever is being offered, at whatever wage will be given at the end of the day.

Read Matthew 20:5b-7

For some other unexplained reason, the owner is making the rounds every three hours or so, and at both noon and mid-afternoon, hires more men, again with no contracted amount of pay. And then, at an hour before quitting time, he finds one more group who still aren’t working, and he strikes up a conversation with them.

But this time, it isn’t so much about offering them a job as it is about their lack thereof. “Why are you just standing around?” the man asks. It’s almost as though he is chastising them for not being gainfully employed! As it turns out, though, they would have liked to have been hired, but were overlooked by every other employer for the entire day.

Remember that an entire day’s pay was hardly enough to get by on, and here it was, nearly at the end of the day, and still no job at all. How much could they possibly earn for only an hour’s work? Would the money even be worth giving such a small amount of their time and energy?

But the landowner wasn’t about to accept any excuse for unemployment, and sends them to work – without any promise, or even indication, that they would receive anything for their hour’s work. They did as they were told, even without any promise of compensation.

Read Matthew 20:8-16

At the end of the day, the foreman is told to organize the workers into groups relative to the amount of time they spent working, with the newest additions at the front of the line. And here is where the parable takes on an unexpected, and even strange twist – the ones who only worked for an hour receive a full day’s wage, but the rest only get a day’s wage, too! Isn’t compensation supposed to be based on your personal contribution to the overall effort? Apparently, logic and conventional wisdom has just flown right out the window!

So what is actually fair now? What happened to the law? What happened to the societal standards for fair compensation? When we are called to serve and labor, what should we expect in return? In the parable, the first group – the ones who gave a full day’s work for the promised wage – received exactly what they had been promised, but they thought that their pay should be made in relation to what the others received. But here is when the focus of the story changes.

The parable had been about the ways of earth until now, but at this point, the story shifts to a new standard for our lives. The old “truths” no longer hold, for a new Way has entered into the world, and that Way is Jesus. Isaiah 55:6-9 reminds us that the new call to serve is a newness for all – even for the sinner - that all might accept this new call on their lives, and that it has nothing to do whatsoever with what we have always called “fair”. God’s ways are so much greater and truer than ours that we can’t even make a comparison between them – we are to simply accept the new call, and trust the Caller, without any reluctance or hesitation. It is no longer about what we will get for our service, but rather about what we are being called to give and do.

Jesus is telling us that this is a new day, with new ways, new truths, new standards, and new opportunities. 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” The call is new, the promise is new, the Master is new, and by accepting his call to serve in his way, we, too, will be made new.

Do you hear the Lord calling you? He is, you know. Answer his call - to walk with him and serve him - in his new way, and rejoice in the fact that the reward for faithfulness is the passion and love that comes from Almighty God, and it is the same for everyone who becomes that “new creation” in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for his “true fairness” that is offered to all who will accept him.