Reflections on "Getting Paid" Matthew 20: 1-16

No reflections, just the content of the sermon posted before it's been preached due to my leaving town right after worship today.

“Getting Paid” June 14, 2012; FPC, Troy, Matthew 20: 1-16; Kirkmont Parables

Introduction: A fairly familiar parable. Often known as the parable of the "Workers in the Vineyard" because it is about workers hired to work in the vineyard.

What other titles might work for this parable?

Consider these title.

a. Parable of the Less than Brilliant Business person

1. These days we hear a lot about outsourcing work to other countries.
2. We may not like, but we understand it. If a company can send work to a factory in China or Mexico and the labor costs are considerably less, it makes the cots of the product less. What smart business person would not do that?
3. The owner in the parable does not get the need contain labor costs.
4. In fact, instead of containing costs, he implements a policy that will increase the costs.
5. The last persons hired will be paid the full wage, even though they will have very little time to any work.
6. I suspect this hiring practice is not being taught at the Wharton School of Business.
   Parable of the Less than Brilliant Business person
   
   
   b. Or Parable of the Workers No One Wanted:

1. I don't think Troy has a place, but I know several that have a corner where day laborers gather and people come by and pick up workers.

2. The small town in VA where my grandmother lived had a corner like that and there is a corner in my mother's town that has one as well (in fact, they have built something like a bus shelter there to provide cover from the weather for those waiting to get hired.

3. I assume that as people come by to hire day laborers, the one who look like the best workers get hired first (at least, that's how I would do it)

4. In the parable Jesus tells the owner asks the workers at the end of the day, “why have you been standing here all day.”

4. “Because no one has hired us.”

4. Maybe it was a numbers game. More workers needed that day.
5. Maybe these workers are the ones who look like they cannot handle the work or that they might be high-maintenance, so no one picks them.

4. All we know it that no one had chosen them to come work all day long.

9. Until this owner.

Parable of the workers no one wanted.

c. Or Parable of the Excited and Disgruntled Employees:

1. can you envision the scene and hear the conversation that takes place as the day ends and the workers line up to get paid?

3. they are being paid in reverse order of how long they have been working.

4. the first ones in line to get paid find out they get a full day's wage for almost now work.

4. How often do you get more than you expect?

5.They are the excited employees

6. Actually, the workers who have been in the fields longer must be pretty excited. If the ones who hardly worked got a full day's pay, they can only imagine what they will get paid for being there all day.

7. and then the surprise – they do not get a bonus; they do not get a pro-rata hourly salary based on what the last workers to arrive received.

8. they get the same pay. They worked all day long in the hot sun and have nothing to show for it.

These would be the disgruntled employees. Angry that they are not getting what they think they deserve.

10. Frustrated, I suspect because they cannot understand what the owner is doing.

11.  Admittedly, they get exactly what they agreed to get paid, but anyone can tell this is just not fair.

Parable of the excited and disgruntled workers.

c. Or Parable of the Unpredictable Businessperson:

1. In response to the complaints from the first workers, the owner basically says "I can do what I want, and besides, you received the compensation that you agreed to work for when I hired you."

Unpredictable owner gives some the fair, agreed upon wage. To others he extends graciousness and pays them more than its worth. And, he does not see anything wrong with that.


An unpredictable owner might be nice to have if it means bonuses; not so nice if it means less money than the worker thinks he or she deserves.


Parable of the unpredictable business person


How might you title this parable?

Move 2: I suppose the title we choose depends on where do we place ourselves in the parable.

a. Sam Riccobene story: I had one one-bedroom apartment for $425; Sam had three one-bedroom apartments for $425. Hardly seed fair. In fact, I had to move down to a kitchenette model of home to cut costs, while he and his family kept living in the three one-bedrooms. The idea that the seminary was trying to help out a family, or show concern to kids who had been uprooted, or were just trying to make it possible for a second-career student to make it, never resonated with me. Until the day we read this parable in class and I went “Aha.”

b. First ones. We like idea that we are hard workers. Maybe even like the righteous indignation.

b. Last ones – I would imagine that most of us don't claim that part in the story. In real life we might like getting paid more than we deserve, but we do not identify ourselves with those persons.

100. I read a blog WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 http://donteatalone.blogspot.com/2011/09/, Milton Brasher-Cunningham “Don't Eat Alone”)several months ago and the author referenced this parable and asked the question –w hat does it look like if we see ourselves as the owner.
     1. We generally give that role to God.
     2. But imagine for a moment what it might feel like to be the owner.
     3. To be the one who offers a fair wage to some and a gracious wage to others?
     4. Do we disavow that practice in our minds, or do we embrace it?

Move 3: The wage paid by the owner is a subsistence wage.

a. What do we make of all these thoughts about this parable Jesus told?

b. Key – the wage paid all the workers is a daily wage.

1.Enough to live for another day.

2.Whether you started work early in the day or were part of the last crew, the owner makes sure you have enough to live.

100. Reminds me of the Israelite in the wilderness.

1.Complaining about being hungry, thirsty, tied.

2. They tell Moses they would rather be back in slavery than wandering the wilderness.
3. In that moment, God sends manna from heaven. And doves. And Moses can strike a rock and water pours forth.
4. The Israelites discover again that God brings them life.

500. The owner in this parable Jesus tells is that God.
     1. The God who does not care about being fair.
     2. But the God who always extends grace and gives us what we need to live.

Conclusion: Maybe we should entitle the parable: the Parable of Our Gracious God – the one who finds us wherever we are, at any time fo day, or any point in life, and offers us life-giving grace.