Jonah 3:10-4:11 Psalm 145:1-8
Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16
In the parables of Jesus, Jesus often liked to speak in riddles. Such cryptic speech was a method of training which required people to enter a new state of wisdom to be able to understand the message which is being taught by Jesus.
The riddle from today's Gospel parable is this: "The last shall be last and the first shall be first." Now this is certainly counter logic to our competitive natures. Can you imagine after an election, that it be declared, "The candidate with the fewest votes will be first and the candidate with the most votes will be last?" Can you imagine in sports, an end of season declaration: "Folks the teams with the worst record will be declared the first place winners and the first place team will be declared in last place?"
The parable of Jesus illustrates the riddle. Vineyard workers were hired for a single wage at different times of the day because the crop had to be picked. And when the workers got paid the same amount for those who worked all day and those who worked only a few hours, those who worked all day cried, Unfair." But the owner said, "no, the contract was honored with everyone."
The parable and riddle illustrate an important principle of justice: equality in difference. We understand this concept when it seems that there are "acceptable" differences. We think that children should not be required to do the same amount of work as adults. We think that elderly, disabled and others should not be held to the same standards of production as abled-body adults. And so even though people have different physical, mental, educational, age conditions, they need to be treated with the integrity of equality when it comes to justice.
Sometimes the wealthy, the powerful, the privileged, the healthy are not true peers with people in society. Our society is based upon equal justice under the law, but we know that does not always get affirmed in actual practice. We know the the wealthy, powerful and the privileged have more opportunities to the goods and services and the legal services of our society. When the differences are so stark, what kind of corrections and reparation can be implemented to even up so that true peer relationships can be practiced in justice? This is why the Black Lives Matter Movement matters. This is why we had the feminist's movement because it had to be declared that Women's lives matter. This is why we had to to have LGBTQ lives matter. This is why we had to have the American Disability Act, because lives of Disabled people matter. When equality in difference does not function, those who are neglected have to be lifted up from last place to first place, because their lives are equally precious to God and they should be equally precious to us.
The first shall be last and the last shall be first is the recommended correction to society that Jesus brought. Societies are dominated by the powerful and the wealthy in every age and that is why programs of distributive justice have to be instituted to promote the true dignity of every person. This is not socialism; this is the Gospel of Jesus, the practice of equality in difference.
And we need to begin in religion and in the church. The book of Jonah is a satire about equality in different. The Ninevites were aliens and foreigners to Israel; why should they have access to the Torah and the gift of God's favor? Jonah was like most Israelites in thinking that Israel is first in God's eye and God's favor belongs only to Israel. So God with a sense of humor says to Jonah, "Go to Ninevah and preach Torah repentance." Jonah essentially said, "God I can't go; I disagree with you giving the same opportunity of repentance to our foes." And after spending time in the belly of a whale, Jonah obeyed and sure enough these Ninevites who were last in the eyes of Jonah, became first in God's favor and they embraced God's message. And Jonah was ticked. He pouted and said, "See, I told you." He was angry that God was to be shared with all.
And this was the Gospel situation. Jesus found lots of people who were last. And what did he say? "I came to make those who feel like they are last in the eyes of the people of power and privilege, first and equal in God's grace and favor."
And this is the story of Gentile Christianity. We who have been last in favor have been made first in favor.
Remember the Gospel presentation of the nature of God. When too many people are made to be last in their social situation, Jesus came to inspire corrective programs to lift those people into first place. If you and I are not on board with this distributive mercy of God in our time and place, then we are not true practitioners of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Period.
Let us join the Gospel program of Jesus Christ to help lift those who are last through no fault of their own, into first place of equal dignity and favor in God's love and care. Remember when you and I, feel last and seek dignity. And let us go forth to offer the program of Jesus to make the last understand and know how they can experience being first in knowing God's love. Amen
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