"Tight lines" is a blessing fishermen offer each other, a wish for lines taut with the weight of good fish. May God grant that the lines written here be taut with His blessings.
Wednesday, 17 September 2008 | |||
|
Fair Math | |||
|
"Equal pay for equal work," has been one of the
rallying cries of a healthy feminism that wants to see an end of
exploitation by employers who fail to pay women salaries equivalent to
men doing the same jobs. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus seems to turn the feminist slogan on its head by picturing God as an employer offering equal pay for unequal work. It's hard enough to know quite what to make of this story just in straightforward terms about fairness in labor practice. We have laws about minimum wage and non-discrimination, but is there any legal sanction on an employer who decides to pay an employee for hours that have not been worked, while simply paying others fairly for what they have actually done? Klyne Snodgrass's new book on the parables, Stories with Intent, has caused me to take a fresh look at this parable. As I began the week I was seeing it as I always had, as an image of the incredible grace and generosity of God. But Snodgrass argues that stupendous grace is not the focus of the parable. The wage paid is merely ordinary, a denarius a day was common wages for laborers. It's not that generous. And it's not grace. Everyone worked for what he got; none of it was a completely free gift. Instead it might be better to see the parable focused on envy, justice and the need to do good to everyone among the Lord's disciples. The immediate preceding context is the end of chapter 19, with Peter asking about rewards for the disciples, who "have left everything," seemingly in contrast with the rich young man who refused to leave everything for Jesus. Then it's followed pretty quickly by James and John and their mom coming to ask for the best places in the kingdom. So this parable is more focused on how we view each other in relationship to the gifts of God than on just how incredible and large are those gifts. This is a lesson in learning to rejoice in the blessings that others receive, without envy or resentment. It's a hard lesson for us white males who've lived through an age of affirmative action. It's a hard lesson for us baby boomers who competed against a much wider field than our parents did for achievement, recognition and success. It's a hard lesson for the American church as we watch God reap huge spiritual harvests in places like Africa and South America. It's hard for a small church struggling to be faithful, biblical and genuine, as large crowds flock to congregations where (we suppose) the message is more superficial and less challenging and the worship is more about producing a feeling than about expressing a faith that has content. So I'm trying to listen carefully to verse 15, and hear God saying to me, "Don't I have the right to do what want with my own [blessings]? Or are you envious because I am generous?" What do you hear God saying in this parable? | |||
|
Profile |
I am the pastor of Valley Covenant Church in Eugene, Oregon. I love to flyfish and hike along the beautiful rivers in our area. I welcome your comments as I share sermon work in progress and occasional other thoughts.
Thank you for visiting this blog. I invite you also to visit my web page.
|
Blog Posts |
Archives |
|
|
SurgeMail - Blog Server Software |
Windows Mail Server Software |
UseNet News Server Software