Imitating the Master

Is the parable of the vineyard (Mt. 20:1-16) a tale of injustice? Was it justifiable for the Master to pay the 12-hour worker and the one-hour worker the same wage? Depends on who you ask.

If Fox Network’s Sean Hannity assembled the parable’s key players for The Great American Panel this evening, he would be delighted with the lively exchange of opinions. Those who worked from sunup to sundown would be heated in their protest, “Unfair! Unfair!” Those who joined up halfway through would be defending themselves vociferously. And the objects of their scorn, those hired at the eleventh hour, would keep interjecting, “Hey, you got what you were promised! What’s your beef?” Hannity might get his best ratings ever!

But I’m guessing the owner of the vineyard wouldn’t put in an appearance, wouldn’t even be available for comment. He’d had his say, and he did it mostly through his actions. No one was cheated. The only crime was grace. The only logic was love.

I by nature want to live by the Law – an eye for an eye and everything neatly balanced and meted out equally (like little children who check to make sure their siblings weren’t given a bigger piece of candy), but Jesus melted that Law into two commandments, the Laws of Love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The first commandment I understand – God has a right to our all-consuming love. But to love my neighbor as I love myself? What might that lead to? It might make me care about someone who’s considered worthless. It might distract me from the goals I’ve set, take a chunk out of my savings, lead me to lend or give something away that’s precious to me…

That kind of love might even make me say, “So he came at the eleventh hour. I’m sorry, for his sake. He missed the best part of the day. The sun was bright, the breeze was cool, and we had a great time in the fields. The Master worked right alongside us, and sang us through the hard parts… so hey, give him the denario. It’s what I’d want done if I were in his workboots.”

It might make me act like the Master Himself.