Years ago, I ran in a road race that was using a “graded” scale to “level the playing field”. In road races the runners are lined up at the starting line, the gun is fired, and everyone takes off to see who will finish first. It is every person for him or herself and may the fastest person win. Typically, the fastest people come in first with all the slower runners following behind. In a “graded” race the runners are lined up from the slowest to the fastest. When the gun is fired the first wave of slow runners takes off followed by each group until you get to the fast runners. The idea is that everyone will finish the race at the same time which gives everyone a chance to win.
At least that was the idea. Needless to say, these races did not last very long on the road racing circuit. The primary reason was that those fast elite runners did not want to share the spotlight with the slower recreational runners. To them it did not seem right that they busted their butts to run fast and was getting the same reward as those who just jogged along. It was un-American!
Imagine what those elite runners would say if they had heard our scripture reading this morning. Jesus shares a parable. A landowner goes out to hire workers early in the morning and promises them a denarius for their labor. Later in the morning he does the same thing with another group of workers telling them that he will pay them “whatever is right”. Two more times—around noon and three o’clock—and repeats the hiring of even more workers. And then, shortly before quitting time, he does it one more time.
At the end of the day the landowner gathers all the workers together to be paid. Now common sense and the American way would think that those who worked the longest would be paid more than those who were hired last and worked the least. At least that is what one would think in today’s terms of employment and labor; but that is not what happens. What happens is that the landowner starts with those who were hired last . . . and pays them a denarius! In fact, each person the landowner hired was paid a denarius.
You can be certain that this caught the attention of those who had worked the whole day and did the most work. This did not make them happy and they grumbled . . . they complained . . . they cried, “Foul!” It didn’t seem right, and if they had been American, they would have called the actions of the landowner “un-American”.
In our culture this parable makes us uncomfortable. I imagine that it does not rank too high on our list of favorite parables of Jesus. Primarily it is viewed that way because it goes against our values as we view our culture as a nation. We believe that it a competitive society that we live, work, play, and die in . . . that people earn what they deserve through their own effort . . . that everything is equal and it is what one makes of it that determines his or her place in the hierarchy of society. It just doesn’t jive with our experience in the world we are living.
Isn’t it a little offensive to hear the response of the landowner to the complaining workers? “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
Even those of us who call ourselves “Christian” or “followers of Jesus” have a difficult time with this parable. Whether we want to admit it or not, it rankles us. Think about what they call “fox-hole conversions”. In our theological understanding of conversion, no matter how terrible or rotten the sinner, if he or she confesses their sinfulness to God and asked for salvation, God grants it. Poof! It is done . . . they are saved. Their reward is the same as it is for a person who was born with a bible in their hands, raised in the church, and have lived the most virtuous life imaginable. Both get to go to heaven. Right?
That’s right.
That’s right whether or not we agree. Whether or not we think that it is fair. The worse sinner who converts gets the same reward as the most beatific saint. That is God’s choice . . . that is God’s grace. Should be no argument from the faithful, right? Well, we all know better. We know that there will be those who argue against that sort of understanding of God’s grace and forgiveness. Argue because that doesn’t seem fair . . . doesn’t seem right. Argue and grumble as the faithful may, God says that God can do whatever God wants to do with grace . . . after all, it is God’s to give and God chooses to give it freely and generously.
As a people of faith, we know that this is true. God’s grace covers it all no matter how big or small it might be . . . the forgiven are forgiven and there are no “If, and, or buts”! We know this within our heart, but it clashes with our heads . . . clashes with our heads because it doesn’t seem fair. Yet, the grace of God accomplishes exactly what it is meant to do . . . it levels the field so that all are included and participate in God’s family . . . in God’s kingdom.
Maybe you have seen the illustration that I used for previewing this morning’s sermon . . . three boys of different ages and sizes attempting to view a baseball game through a fence. Each of the boys have a box of equal size. The oldest stands on his box and easily sees over the fence; the middle aged child also can see over the fence while standing on his box; and the smallest child—even with the box—has to look through a knothole because the box isn’t high enough. All three are given equal sized boxes to use.
That is the first picture. In the second picture the three boys still have the three equal sized boxes, but they have done something in order for all of them to see the game. The oldest realizes that he is tall enough to see the game without his box, so he gives it to the smallest who stacks the two boxes allowing him to see the game. Now all three can see the game.
In the same way God’s grace levels the field.
Equal does not always make it fair.
Again, I go back to the fact that we know in our hearts that God’s grace—no matter how it is doled out—is fair. In theory I think we can live with that. The problem and where the grumbling come in is when we are called upon to practice grace as it has been practiced upon us by God. That is what Jesus asks us to do . . . be grace filled as we live our lives. That is where it gets difficult. That is why we grumble. At least until we need it ourselves.
One of the quotes on our church’s Facebook page recently stated: “Grace doesn’t seem fair until you need some.”
We all need grace . . . especially now. As we look around the world it does not take long to see the inconsistencies and injustices taking place in our nation and the world. It is not hard to see the way that people are treating one another. We can see that those on the outside are getting shoved further back to make room for those of us who are losing ground. And, it doesn’t matter how active in the game we are . . . we are at a disadvantage . . . the field isn’t level. Trust me, those who are winning and in control are not in favor of leveling the field to make it fair.
God wants the field leveled. It is the only way that the family can be restored to the way God intended it to be. As long as we continue to do things the way we have always done them . . . as a competition meant to separate and divide . . . we will never all be able to be included to participate. We will be buried way in the back . . . remember, unless you are the lead dog, the scenery never changes. Only through grace can it be achieved . . . as unfair as it might seem. Grace changes everything.
Anne Lamott writes: “I do not understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us where we are—but does not leave us where it found us.” No, it leaves us better than we were . . . better because God only wants the best for all of us. It is not for us to say, it is God’s grace. And God says, “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own grace? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
Thus, it is that Jesus tells us at the end of the parable it is going to be a “graded” race. Jesus declares: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” God wants everyone to finish the race. Amen.
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