1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. 5Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.' 8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' 16So the last will be first, and the first last."
These were the workers in the field reading. The last guy to start work was paid the same as each of the others who had been there all day. This is like the prodigal son parable. In that case, the father showed what it means to be the adult in the room. We open our hearts to love and we don’t allow the actions of the other to close our hearts. Today’s reading is a slightly different perspective. But the younger son was incensed by what appeared to be a lack of justice. Today’s reading picks up on that same sense of being treated unjustly. Jesus makes the point that he has given you what is coming to you so what looks to someone else as a comparison. It seems to be a warning against jealousy and envy. Neither has a place in the pursuit of justice.
ReplyDeleteStrengths:
DeleteYou've effectively connected the passage to the parable of the Prodigal Son, highlighting the theme of God's grace and unconditional love.
You've identified the contrast between the workers' expectations and the landowner's generosity.
You've addressed the potential for jealousy and envy in such situations.
Areas for Improvement:
While you've focused on the human perspective of the passage, it's also important to consider the divine perspective. The landowner's generosity is a reflection of God's grace and unmerited favor.
The passage could be seen as a call to humility and a recognition of God's sovereignty in determining rewards.
You might explore the implications of the landowner's actions for our understanding of God's justice and mercy.
Additional Thoughts:
The parable could be seen as a challenge to our expectations of fairness and justice. It might prompt us to reconsider our assumptions about rewards and merit.
The landowner's generosity can be seen as a model for how we should treat others, especially those who are less fortunate.
Overall, your response is insightful and demonstrates a good understanding of the passage.