The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
The master went out again and again to the marketplace to find laborers for his vineyard. He went and recruited when there was still a full day of work to go. And he kept going back, recruiting even when there was only an hour of work remaining. It's hard to imagine that he had this level of commitment for the sake of the vineyard. It seemed, rather, that he was concerned when he saw people standing around idle all day, looking for an excuse to exercise his generosity. It wasn't so much that he needed their work as that he saw the difference it made to their self-perceived dignity when they were able to put their capabilities to use and fully engage themselves, rather than doing nothing and remaining apparently useless. It was good for the individuals he recruited to have this experience of working toward an important goal, of being caught up in a project larger than themselves. Those who were idle in the market were trapped within themselves, probably introspective about precisely why no one had hired them. But everyone who had been chosen, whenever they were chosen, could infer from that the fact that they were in some way worthwhile. Was this lessened if their work did not, in the end, contribute much? Not if what really mattered was not their output but their willingness to participate. If that was what the master truly valued then it accounts not only for his excessive eagerness in seeking out workers but also for his odd strategy for reimbursing them.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
If what the master truly cared about was the dignity of the workers, rather than the utilitarian value he gained through their employment, then it is not surprising that he wanted them all to receive a day's wage. He did not penalize those who were only recruited at the last hour since they still needed to in some way account for the whole day and make good on it. Yet he did not feel the need to pay those who began first with more, since what he agreed to pay them was fair, was enough for them to make good on the day. He was really looking to ensure that all of his workers received precisely what they needed. And that was, for all of them, a day's wage.
He could, perhaps, have simply given some money to those who were idle, rather than insisting that they join the team. Then the workers hired first wouldn't have had occasion to compare themselves with them. But he was interested in more than the end reward. He was interested in helping them make the most of their time, however much remained.
Are you envious because I am generous?
The problem arises when we begin to compare what we receive with what others receive. We tend to make the mistake of assuming that what we receive reflects the value we contribute. But we all have an intrinsic value that is not dependent on what we receive. That we are invited to join the project of the vineyard, and that we receive a reward in the end, are not from us, but rather, from the generosity of the landowner. He himself is generous, and free to dispose of his wealth as he pleases. It is only we who twist it in our minds to make it seem unfair.
However many hours remain, let us thank the Lord for the privilege of being invited to help him with his vineyard. Let us continue to labor until evening falls, knowing that our reward will come, not from what we achieve, but from his goodness. And his goodness is always more than enough.
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