Fair

 Matthew 20:1-16

It's not fair. A parable should make us uncomfortable and this one does. It is just not fair. Where is the justice in those who come later getting paid the same amount as those who worked all day. It isn't right. Right?

We know Jesus does parables to teach us something. In Matthew it's about the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is like a city on a hill, the kingdom of God says go and sell everything to find the pearl of greatest price, the kingdom of God is hidden like yeast, well you get the idea. All these represent this kingdom of God. Maybe it should be glimpses of God's kingdom because if we really knew and understood it Jesus wouldn't have to give us so many stories about it.

This is just one of many in Matthew, so glimpses is what makes sense. Jesus knows we'd be overwhelmed the kingdom of heaven/God is not like how we would set it up. It's not fair, it's not apparent, it's not one thing but many. Here today we look at it in the face of giving each the same wage, no matter they didn't work all day. Yes, wouldn't you question it and ask what God was thinking?

It reminds me of C. S. Lewis' work called The Great Divorce. In it the character doesn't realize fully they have died. They kind of start to get it as the day unfolds and they observe others encounter people they knew in their life telling them the bus has taken them to heaven that morning. It is interesting to watch each person struggle with what they are being told. In the end it comes down to fairness, or believed fairness. 

One of the group has a person who was murdered by someone in their life. The murderer is the person God sends to greet this one into heaven. They don't believe it. They believe they are being lied to. It is impossible, unfair God would send the one who did the killing, why isn't it the one who was killed. You watch all this take place from the eyes of the observer and you will see how the observer finally decides whether this is truly heaven or not.

In the bible there is a scripture which says God's ways are not ours. This parable really highlights this. It is not fair, but it is God's way. God is generous, overly so, God is expansive, so the kingdom of heaven is also, and I think it is hard for us to understand this. It is something which doesn't depend on how many works we have done, or when we came into this knowing. We get the same as everyone else. Not more and not less, the same.

It is not a message which goes over big or well. It is the kingdom's message. Debts canceled, work doesn't matter. When you come in your life, doesn't matter. How well you did the work, doesn't matter. All are the same. Imagine who this is good news for. Then go and tell it.