The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
The landowner was driven to spend much of his day searching in the marketplace for those who were idle. He seemed to be motivated, not so much by his own need for workers, but by his desire to see such individuals be given purpose. He went at nine, at noon, and even at five when there was only about an hour of work remaining.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Have we experienced feeling idle in the marketplace, directionless and unfulfilled? The landowner is seeking such people, has plan, purpose, and direction he wishes to bestow (see Jeremiah 29:11). He does know what our needs, and thus he agrees to the daily wage, no matter whether we start toward the beginning of the day and bear its heat, or whether we start almost at the end make a much lesser contribution in terms of our effort. But we are not called because the landowner needs us, but rather because he sees our need and desires to utilize us, desires to see us fully alive in a way that those left idle in the marketplace are not.
It is no ordinary landowner who is so concerned to share the labor of his vineyard with as many others as possible. This landowner is deeply convinced that those who become laborers in this harvest are elevated to be, in a small way, like the landowner himself. They are no longer unemployed, perhaps even destitute but, because he himself provides for them, experience something of his own self-sufficiency. It thus ought never devolve into being only about what can be earned through human effort. Yet those who bear the heat of the day sometimes forget that they stand just as in dependent on the generosity of the landowner as those who come later.
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
The ones who started work early are like the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son, convinced that those who are late too work should receive less than themselves, and in the case of the prodigal, certainly not a party and a fattened cafe. But this envy at the good of others stems from a lack of understanding about what the individual had already been generously given.
And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours" (see Luke 15:7).
Those who worked longer received the privilege of sharing more in the life of the landowner himself, but a faulty perspective made them see it only as a burden they were forced to do to earn the daily wage. This parable is good news for those like the good thief who repented during his last hour on the cross next to Christ. And it also means that it is never too late (while this life lasts) for anyone to partake in the joy of the Kingdom. But what about those of us who have been in the vineyard for longer? Do we begrudge the work given to us by the landowner, not realizing that in it he is sharing his very self with us?
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
When we seek first the Kingdom all the rest that we need will be ours. But if we start comparing Kingdom benefits with others, blessings, consolations, gifts, and strengths, we may find ourselves becoming dissatisfied. We should trust that what the landowner gives is not a judgment on our lack of worth, but rather a sign his compassion and generosity toward all mankind.
God knows how to draw from every tree the fruit it is meant to bear. Olive trees will produce rich oil to anoint priests, prophets, and kings. The fig trees will produce fruit fitting for the messianic age. The vine will produce wine that will gladden the hearts of those who drink. We must follow his guidance in order to avoid attracting weeds like buckthorn and the prospect of consuming fire. We already see such weeds in the hearts of those who grumble against the landowner, and in the prodigal's elder brother. Only the Lord himself can unite his people in harmony, making us one body, one spirit in Christ (see Ephesians 4:4).
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