The Last, First, The First, Last

13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ Matthew 20:13-15

This is the end of a parable started in verse 1. I invite you to read the entire parable. In it a landowner hire three groups of workers. Some work all day and some don't, yet they are all paid the same. Those who work the most complain about this unequal treatment. Here in these verses is the landowner's response.

Most commentators say this parable addresses service for God and the rewards it "generates". It is startling to our sense of justice that the pay scale for these workers isn't based on how long they labor. Imagine working for an employer, punching a time clock -- well, this treatment defeats the purpose of having a time clock! Compensation is earned, and supposedly according to the workers' contributions to their employer.

My own takeaway from this is to recognize that our sense of justice is sometimes askew as far as God looks at things.  He operates on grace rather than on strict wages. God will reward us for His service, but beware of expecting He will do it along the lines we expect. Spoiler alert! The servants who are late coming to God's party may go home with surprisingly nice party favors! Also, God looks at needs, not merits. The landowner may have paid the last group of workers generously because he saw what they needed to live on. Third, God is not bound to play by our rules. We might complain, but he is God and is totally independent of our supposed manipulations.

This parable contains the phrase "the last will be first and the first last." I had a professor in college who raised the test scores on an exam. He raised those with lower grades more than those who had higher grades. When students questioned what he was doing, he quoted this phrase from the Bible. The professor, in his generosity, may have been closer to God's ways than we may have imagined.
beanscot's husband