The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 20
Originally posted on
General Comment: The
parable of the vineyard is a continuation of a single unit that begins
at MT 19:16, the story of the rich man who could not let go of his
wealth in order to follow Jesus. His fear that somehow he would lose his
identity, an identity that had been built upon a foundation of sand and needed
constant attention to avoid its dissolving out from under him, was greater than
his desire for the new life in God's Reign. MT 19:30 is the
connection verse, repeated at MT 20:16.
Matthew 20:1-16 Laborers in the Vineyard
The story line uses the familiar images of farm work.
In this case the tension - all parables carry the element of tension, is
between the Master of the House who owns a vineyard, and the day laborers
he has hired. The vast majority of farm workers were day laborers who lived
from day to day. In the time of Jesus there were increasing numbers of small
farmers who had lost their land because of debts to lenders who had loaned
money for seed, farming implements and equipment. A drought, flood or
simply a bad crop could lead to the small parcels being ceased and sold to
landowners who were amassing large holdings to satisfy the ever growing need of
Rome. It is in this context that Jesus includes in the Lord's prayer,
"Give us today our bread for tomorrow" [translated from Greek text].
The Master of the House begins gathering laborers at
the town gate at the start of day, at sunrise (not at a real gate but a
place for towns people to congregate). He agrees to pay them the
usual daily wage (The wage for one day's labor was the silver Roman denarius,
hardly enough for a family's daily survival). He returns to the gate and hires
more laborers at the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 11th hours, agreeing to pay them
"whatever may be considered right" (hours are counted from 6:00 a.m.
approximately sunrise, so the last group would have been hired at 5:00 p.m.).
At the end of the day the foreman of the vineyard calls the workers together to
be paid, according to Torah (Deut. 24:14-15; Lev. 19:13). To the surprise of
those who began working at sunrise and had worked 12 hours, they were
paid last and with the same amount as those who were hired at the end of
the day and who had worked only one hour, but were paid first. They complained
loudly, but the Master of the House reminds them that they had agreed to what
they have received. And besides, it's his money. Can't he use it as he sees
fit? Can't he be generous if he wants to?
On first reading we might identify with those who worked all
day: This isn't just. We ought to get a fair days pay for a fair
day's work. This looks like favoritism to me. We resent that last group who got
as much as we did. They hardly broke a sweat. Why are you treating them better?
No doubt Matthew's community understood the story as an allegory, with God as
the Master of the House; the first group of laborers those who had labored
long, obeying Torah, faithfully keeping the commandments and traditions;
and the last group as themselves, recently arrived, free from the yoke of
Pharisaic burdens. They would understand their payment as God's
abundant grace.
If we heed Jesus' opening words, "For the Kingdom of
Heaven is like...," we realize that the parable is about the coming New
Age of God's Reign. In MT 19:27-30 Jesus creates a poetic image in
which the newcomers -Matthews community, are sitting in judgment of the 12
tribes of Israel. Like the rich man of 19:16, they are the chosen
people, receiver of Torah, keeping the commandments, and a long, cherished
history of worshipping God. The community, like the disciples of 19:27,
have left everything behind - their past lives, to be followers of Jesus. They
have done what the rich man could not. They will be first, but those who are
not of their flock, who have entered by a different gate, are by no means shut
out of the sheep fold; and the words of Ezekiel are fulfilled, "...I
myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out...I will rescue them
from all the places to which they have been scattered...I will feed them with
good pasture...I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep...I will seek the
lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I
will strengthen the weak." (EZK 34:11-16)
In today's world, there are many people of different
religious faiths. They are not like us. They worship differently than we do.
Their customs are not the same as ours. They call God by other names. They have
different holy scriptures... And the Master of the house said, "I choose
to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I
choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?"
Matthew 20:17-19 The Third Prediction
Jesus' 3rd prediction of his fate follows a pattern similar
to the first two, MT 16:21-23 and 17:22-23. This last one is
given as Jesus and the disciples were getting close to Jerusalem.
Even without predictions, we can only imagine the anxiety of the disciples, and
of Jesus as well. All the traveling, the teaching and healing, the
admiring crowds will soon be over, and only bitter distrust, hatred and a
politically suspicious Roman Prefect will remain. It must take something few of
us have, to keep putting one foot in front of another. There was
something about his relationship with his God, whom he called
Father. Whatever it was, Jesus will need to call upon it very soon as he
enters into the last, earthly choice he will ever make.
Matthew 20:20-28 Another Plea for Greatness
In Chapter 18:1-5 we read about the disciples
questioning Jesus regarding who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Here the question becomes a request by the mother of James and John, the sons
of Zebedee. Speaking on their behalf, she asks Jesus to give the two
most important seats in the Kingdom, to the left and right of Jesus, to her
sons. I guess that could be called an early example of Chutzpah. Jesus
confronts the brothers and asks if they are prepared to face the same fate
as he will. They say they are and Jesus assures them that they in fact
will suffer as will he. However, the exalted positions they seek are not his to
offer, they are for those for whom God has prepared them.
We might have thought that the lesson of the child
in Chapter 18 would have been strong enough to help them
understand that power, prestige and seating arrangements have nothing to
do with being a disciple of Jesus. But the desire for importance is
strong and must be challenged more than once. Jesus will have to put it another
way. Using the tyrannical manners and hierarchical structures of
the Roman Emperor and provincial officials as his example, Jesus brings
the two brothers and all the disciples back to the reality of being his
followers. If you want to be great then be a servant to all. If you want to be
first be the slave of all. In this economy of relationships the first
shall be last and the last shall be first.
Perhaps there is a message to the church in these words.
What makes a church great? Stunning architecture, full pews, big budgets,
inspirational preaching and teaching? Not totally. True greatness arises from
service. Not service by the few, but by the many. And not to serve
only ourselves but to serve those who Jesus met in every town and on every
path that he traveled.
Matthew 20:28-34 Two Blind Men of Jericho
Jesus and the disciples were leaving Jericho, beginning the
last leg of the journey to Jerusalem. By now the road would be
crowded with pilgrims carrying their belongings, bedclothes, items for
shelter and cooking utensils, on their way to celebrate the great festival of
Passover. Beggars would line the road just outside the city, relying on the
almsgiving mood of the celebrants. Among the roadside denizens are two blind
men. As Jesus approaches they hear his name among the buzz of chatter.
They begin to call out to him, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of
David." The annoyed crowd tries to silence them but they call out all the
louder in a distraught persistence looking for hope. "Have mercy on us,
Lord, Son of David." Then there is stillness. Jesus stops, the crowd
quiets itself in anticipation of what Jesus might do. What he will do is
what he always does. This is not a distraction, this is an opportunity for the
budding Reign of God to emerge."What do you want me to do for you,?"
he asks. "Lord, let our eyes be opened," they reply with voices that
believe he could if he wanted. With a touch of grace, a touch we all long for,
they are made whole. They see, not only their surrounding world, they
"see" with an inner sight, through the eyes of the soul. So they
do what millions of others will do who gain such sight, they follow Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment