Dcn Tom Lindell

Dear Friends,

In the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, Jesus is inviting his hearers to an understanding of what the Kingdom of God is like. While his examples of the Kingdom are unusual, most would understand this parable because they could relate to the ethic of work. In a world of haves and have-nots, most would be working for someone else. In this case it is a rich landowner of a vineyard. His grapes are ripe and must be picked quickly to avoid spoilage (and bird damage). The major work is ahead to crush and ferment the grapes to produce wine. Therefore, he is compelled to hire as many as he can to complete the job of the harvest as soon as possible.

[I can personally relate to this as I was at one time—in the early 1980’s—a chemist for the first winery in the State of Arizona here in Tucson. The owner was a friend and needed help, and after all, I had the elemental chemistry needed to measure sugar level, acidity, and alcohol content of the finished product. While I did not pick the grapes, I was involved in the crush and initiation of fermentation. (No, we did not stomp on the grapes in our bare feet.) It was a messy job that needed to be done immediately to avoid spoilage, and the grapes would arrive at any time of the day or night.]

So, the landowner is to be lauded for his attention to the urgency of the situation. He did this by going out to hire pickers at multiple times of the day including the last shift of the day. When it came time to pay the workers, he told his manager to pay the workers beginning with the last to the first. Each would receive a silver coin, the standard for a day’s labor. When those who were hired first received the same wage as those hired last, the former became indignant that those hired last did not have to work in the heat and sun for a full day.

This means that those people who consider themselves the most important in the Kingdom of God because of their good deeds will be surprised; this is not how God’s grace works. 

People who come to Christianity later in their lives will still be given the same reward (entry into the Kingdom of the Eternal) as those who have been faithful all their lives. In this way this parable is similar to the parable of the lost sheep.

When you are stopped at a traffic light and a homeless person is there, will you offer a dollar? Or will you decline because you think this person will use the money inappropriately? I personally choose to simply give some money without question. You?

May your work in the “vineyard,” whether short or long, be acceptable to the God of your understanding.

—Dcn Tom