unhired

Jesus' Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in Matthew 20 is irritating on several fronts. First, there's the landowner who says, "Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money?"  He could have been the lead character in Jesus' Parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12.  And then there's his seemingly unjust payment of a full day's wage to latecomers who only worked an hour. So much for management.  But then we have the early workers who gripe about not getting more than the wage they previously agreed to, and those idlers who, when asked why they've been standing idle all day, reply, "Because no one has hired us."  So much for labor.

The heart of the parable, however, is the Generosity of God, Who gives all who agree to work in His Vineyard the best Wage ever, both in this life and the Life to come, and even sends messengers to invite us into His rich harvest.  There's no better job, no better Boss, no better benefits than being with Him.

So it may be that Jesus' intent in telling this parable here is that my snarky reactions (and maybe yours?) would surface, exposing how little we know of the Great Grace we've been given in God's employ.  I'm like the elder brother in Jesus' Parable of the Prodigals, who thinks of his service to his Father as slavery and has zero generosity for his slacker brother who has waited too long and wasted too much before returning to the Father's employ.  

I wonder how many around us aren't coming to work for The Father because "no one has hired them"?  Have we who serve at the Pleasure and in the pleasure of God called others to join us in laboring in God's Fruitful Fields of Harvest?  Thank God for those who called us into His gracious Hire.  May we become like them, first in praying for those yet to be employed by God, and then fanning out as holy recruiters for His Business.