A New Justice System
December 9, 2008
Matthew 20:1-16
1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5 So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 7 " 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' 8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' 9 "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' 13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
How would you define justice? If we look up the word justice in the dictionary we might discover that justice is defined as: fairness, reasonableness (especially in the way people are treated), even handedness, and fair dealings. Many of us would define justice as doing unto others and they have done unto us or basically giving people what they deserve based on what they have done. Many Christians have the understanding that God helps those who help themselves. Even the most compassionate of us believe that needy people have to prove their good intentions in order to receive help.
In the scripture today, Jesus is talking to his disciples about the justice system in heaven. He tells them a story about a landowner who paid all his workers the same wage, no matter how long they worked. Jesus tells his disciples this story because they are similar to the workers that labored in the vineyard the longest. Jesus warns them that their tendency will be to place value judgments on others who follow Christ later on. Jesus wants his disciples to know that God will treat them the same.
God’s grace doesn’t operate on a merit system. If we want God to administer grace based on our actions, then some of us will be sorely disappointed, while others will be relieved. God’s justice system is based on grace and grace cannot be earned. God’s grace is given equally to all, no matter if we have been Christians our whole lives or are just getting to know Jesus.
This scripture should convict those of us who feel we deserve special privilege for our extended faithfulness to God. When God gives the same grace to those who haven’t given nearly as much, we must remember that God has not cheated us. We have not lost anything. Remember, God is the executor of justice and chooses to pour out his mercy in countless ways on all of us who don’t deserve it. Be thankful!
Prayer: Merciful God, you are the great giver of mercy and grace. I pray for your grace in my life. Forgive me for valuing my faith over another’s. Shatter my jealous heart and instill in me a generous heart that celebrates your love given to all. Amen.
For more information
Rev. Leigh Martin
College Chaplain
Hasty Student Life Center, Room 308
lsm@reinhardt.edu
O: 770.720.5634
F: 770.720.9105
