It's Not Fair

“It’s not faaaaaaaaaair!” When was the last time you heard this refrain? Was it one of your students? Or children or grandchildren? Was it that whiny kid in the grocery store as the poor frazzled dad looked defeated? If you heard a kid say that, what would be your response? Would you try to make it fair? Or would you smile and respond “Well, life’s not fair”? 

Read Psalm 105:1-6,37-45 and Matthew 20:1-16.

We can all too easily imagine a child whining ‘it’s not faaaaair.” But the truth is, we never really grow out of that attitude – it just hides away in our hearts, and only comes out with our close friends or our spouses, where we can truly confess that it’s just not right, and it’s just not fair. So it’s a little too easy for us to resonate with the earliest group of workers in Matthew’s story today. They show up early and are recruited to work in the vineyard. They have the longest day – and working in the vineyard in the scorching heat isn’t easy! Therefore, regardless of the deal they made with the vineyard owner at the beginning of the story, they expect the most pay, the most merits, their just desserts. How dare this vineyard owner ‘make them equal’ to the workers who did less! 

But Jesus tells us that this vineyard owner is not like other business owners. In God’s vineyard, we receive the same gift of grace. In God’s vineyard, there is an economy of abundance and not scarcity. In God’s vineyard, we all receive enough for our daily bread. In God’s vineyard, we are ALL treated as beloved children of God, who have a job to do.

For it is a gift to be called to labor in God's vineyard. This Sunday is Back to Church Sunday, so hopefully we will see some new and returning faces in the pews. This parable of the vineyard is Good News for those who worry that they haven't been to church lately, or ever. This parable tells us that it is never too late to respond to God's call; those who come every week and those who come once in a while are equally loved by our generous God. Those who came early and those who came late still had plenty of work to do in the kingdom of God.  For God loves us still, whether we are gratefully receiving God’s gifts, or whining that it’s not enough, that it’s not fair.

For it’s not fair. We are, in fact, undeserving of the gifts of God. It’s not fair that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It’s not fair that because of NOTHING we have done, God rewards us with eternal life. It’s not fair that no matter how far we wander away from God, God still loves us and pursues us and calls us home to the vineyard. It’s not fair – and that’s the best news of all. Thanks be to our God whose grace is unfair, unfettered, and unconditional. Amen. 

Grace and peace,
Pastor Kate

The Kingdom of Heaven: Here and Now in the Vineyard with Jesus

We continue our sermon series on "The Kingdom of Heaven: Here and Now" with Matthew's parable, often referred to as the Parable of the Wicked Tenants: Matthew 21: 33-46. A supporting scripture is Isaiah 5: 1-7.

The kingdom of heaven here and now can be envisioned as a vineyard, created by God on a fertile hill and planted with choice vines. This is a kingdom vision which should yield the best grapes. But if we look around us, we see a wasteland of briers and thorns, where bloodshed dominates rather than the justice and righteousness we hope for in God's kingdom.

If we are tenants given responsibility for harvesting the vineyard/kingdom to feed the hungry, what fruits of peace and justice for all are we producing? The question from Heifer International is: If there is enough for everyone, why doesn't everyone have enough? How can we co-create with God a kingdom of shalom and wellbeing so that the kingdom of heaven becomes more and more visible?

An answer to these questions centers on Jesus Christ in Matthew 21: 42 - "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes." Through Jesus Christ we bridge the gap between the chaos/violence/oppression/lack of peace all around us and the vision of the kingdom that is realized bit by bit in faithful discipling. On this World Communion Sunday, we Christ followers recognize and celebrate that we are a part of the greater Body of Christ for whom the Easter story of this parable is our very good news. In receiving Christ's body and blood in the sacrament of communion, let us re-commit ourselves - each to our own passion about making a difference in the world as we build on the foundation Jesus has laid for us.