Is life a comedy or a tragedy? Are we the hero or the victim? Or maybe the villain? Is the world descending into chaos and dystopia or are we on a path of ever-increasing prosperity and progress? The stories we tell orient us to our place in the world and our role in the story.
The Bible tells the story of a loving God and a messy people. There is a beginning and an end. Major themes of creation, redemption, and sanctification trace the arc of this grand narrative. And Jesus Christ is the center of it all – the great hero of the story who comes incognito to rescue and redeem his broken creation.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation
O Lord, your scars are your trophies, proof of your unfailing love for me. I am haunted by the guilt of my past, the sins of my present, and my fear of the future. Lord, at the cross you said, “It is finished.” So I stop my worry. I rest in you. You have done it all. Amen.
Confession
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Lord, forgive my fugitive ways. I turn and run from you. Forgive my criminal acts of hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Forgive my violations of arrogance and selfishness. Forgive me for denying you, ignoring you, and disregarding you. I am the one at fault. I have no other help but to turn my face to you and plead, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Word: Matthew 20:8-10
“And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.”
Meditation: The Master who Pays an Undeserved Wage by Pastor Nathan Schultz
When power shifted from employer to the employee, we were left with the “Great Resignation” as it would come to be known. All of a sudden, workers were empowered to ask for raises, better conditions, or give notice and find a new job entirely.
Whenever I see statistics on the number of people leaving their jobs, I do have to laugh on the inside. I don’t say it out loud but from October 2021 to January 2022, I worked three different jobs. I suppose I was a strong contributor to the “Great Resignation.”
But in the face of this power shift, some companies made it clear you were not meant to discuss salaries with coworkers. Other companies plastered on their “Now Hiring!” signs just how much they were willing to pay. Somehow, in the consciousness of my friends there was no reason to hide how much we were making. The majority of the time, a friend who had a higher wage made sense to me. They had an in-demand skill with a perfect fit in the tech world. A smaller number of friends who would disclose salary may have made their money through sheer mercenary will. They would lie and bluff with companies about previous salaries, causing recruiters to fight over whatever they could bring to the table.
But no amount of self-disclosure or transparency can quiet that small voice we all have when it comes to one another’s bank accounts. “I could do that job. I’m worth more than them. I helped that guy who makes double my salary open a PDF file last week.” If a job is who you are, your salary will reflect how righteous or good you are as a person.
As Jesus tells his story, there is no great resignation; rather, it is about people trying to get by on a living wage from day to day. The pay was just enough to feed the family and keep the house. No need for retirement, that was not a part of the first-century dream.
But as disparate as this account of the master settling up with his employees may be to your 2022 ears, one thing remains the same. There was bean counting and comparison among the employees. Some had worked more, presumably deserving more. Others had not proven themselves worthy of such a wage, but seemingly hired on at the same pay.
None of it is fair. But in the same breath, we would not want things to be fair. If we had what was coming to us, if we received what we actually deserved, would it be good? Forgive me, for at this point I may be speaking in a more spiritual sense. What good do we deserve? Do you want God to give you what is fair?
We can justify ourselves, fight, and yell until we are red in the face. But upon reflection, I’ll throw myself at the mercy of a God who cares for us and gives us exactly what we need. And this is where we get to what might be the point of Jesus’ story. Grace for everyone. No measurement or fighting over who would get more. Just grace, and if grace is Jesus, then will be sufficient for each of us.
Jesus, forgive us when we are fixated on what is “fair” instead of the priceless gift of your grace and sacrifice. Thank you for giving us more than we deserve. Amen.
Benediction
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21)