“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.