A tough parable?
Like I suspect a lot of people, I have recently finished viewing Season 4 of ‘The Chosen’, the multi season Christian historical drama series based on the life of Jesus and those that knew Him, which continues to entertain, move and inspire people and is on course for 1billion people to have watched the series-equivalent to 12% of the world population -quite extraordinary.
Anyway, as we approach just over the half way point in the series, we encounter Jesus as he starts to become frustrated with his disciples’ inability to understand and act out his parables. He teaches perhaps one of the most difficult of his 40+ parables, that of the Workers in the Vineyard that is only mentioned in Matthew 20:1-16.
So let me set the scene: Jesus is in the house of Martha, Mary, Lazarus with his disciples and he teaches those present this major parable. It goes like this:
“The kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard, recruited some and agreed to pay them 1 denarius a day. Three hours later he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, he told them “you, go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you, so they went. Another three and six hours later the master did the same. After 11 hours he went out and found others standing. He said to them “why do you stand here idle all day?”-they said “Because no one has hired us”. The master said “you, go into the vineyard too”. When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman “Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last up to the first”. So when those hired after 11 hours came, each of them received 1 denarius , and those who were first hired thought they would receive more, but each of them received just 1 denarius. They grumbled at the master of the house saying, “these workers who have just started working and you’ve made them equal to us who’ve been here all day in the scorching heat. The master replied “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree to work for me for 1 denarius? Take what belongs to you and go-I chose to give to the last workers the same. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me or do you begrudge my generosity?”. So, the last will be first and the first, last”.
Now the disciples struggle with this concept because they think either a) the master has been cheated and/or b) it suggests that heaven is unjust.
To our human eyes and mind the parable suggests heaven is run on different terms to what we expect, and we would be right. Heaven does not do human ‘justice’ as we would understand it – as Christians we would not be paid or rewarded based on the amount of time we have been Christians, or the amount of good works that we perform. ‘11th hour Christians’ will get the same reward -of everlasting life – as those who have been in the faith for decades. Take as an example the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43)- his interaction and faith in Jesus can probably be calculated in just a few dying moments, but Jesus promised him he would be in paradise with him. That is God’s generous choice. We become Christians with the promise of forever being with Him, and we need to let go of the idea that we or others are more or less worthy of that wonderful offer.
It is about God’s grace and His measurement is not an earthly one for it is a truly Heavenly one- but as the disciples found out, none of this is easy to understand. Jesus and heaven have a different value system to what we currently have on earth and Jesus’ frustration is that they (and we) quite often ‘don’t get it’!
To see ‘The Chosen, there are a variety of ways to view it -all free!- a) on ‘The Chosen’ App, b) online at https://watch.thechosen.tv/ or c) on ‘The Chosen’ You Tube channel-happy viewing!
Tags: Binge on Jesus, You Tube, Jesus, martha, mary, lazarus