I often used the parable of the workers in the vineyard as an example of God’s grace when teaching confirmation. In most cases, the students are quick to point out how unfair they think it is that those who only worked a few or one hour would be paid the same as those who worked all day. When I ask them to put themselves in the place of those workers who only worked a few hours or only one hour and received the same pay as those who worked all day, they agree that it is great that they were well-paid for the short work hours, he is indeed a generous employer, but the conversation tends to spin back to the question of fairness—this story isn’t fair! Often, some students in the group want to place themselves in the position of the dutiful workers who showed up on time and put in a full day’s work. Even though I emphasize that all the workers receive the same wage, no more and no less, it grinds against the grain of our human notions of fairness; one who has put in greater effort must be deserving of some overtime or reward. Surely the extra effort will be noticed and garner some extra blessing. Especially in a capitalist economy where productivity of a system and the human beings in it, is held as the highest virtue. Maybe he is saving the best for last with paying the late arrivals first. Even those who arrived late most likely expected a partial wage, with the twist being that still receive full pay. Indeed, he is saving the best for last in a surprise twist. It is a surprise for all the workers, but one that is not celebrated by them all. This can pose the question: can we celebrate such uninhibited grace given to others as much as when it is given to us? That we do not flourish in isolation but together. Can we join in the celebration? How far does that mutual flourishing and therefore that celebration extend?

I have thought of this parable as the absurd and offensive grace of God. Absurd because this doesn’t seem to be an efficient way to run a vineyard. Absurd because it turns everything we believe about fairness on its head. Offensive because it comes to those we may view as undeserving; offensive because it dares to come in equal measure to worthy and unworthy; offensive because we cannot control it. Just as the sun shines and the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous, on the “productive” and the “unproductive”.  Absurd and offensive because it challenges our western capitalist winner-takes-all mindset where resources are hoarded rather than shared, where value is placed on productivity and the capacity to generate more profit and wealth; where the Earth valued only monetarily as a collection of “natural resources”,  a means to an end for short term gain.  As God feeds the sparrows who neither sow nor reap, and clothes the lilies of the field in glorious colors, God cares for all life, for God takes delight in the Creation God declared to be “very good”.

The parable of the workers in the vineyard and Jonah’s reaction to God sparing the “wicked” people of Nineveh as well as the many animals may call us to take in a more panoramic view of the world around us. Take off the blinders of self-importance to see our shared humanity and our dependance along with all life on Earth on God’s grace. God’s consideration of the animals in Nineveh in the decision to spare the city calls us to consider the sacredness of all life, that God laments when Creation suffers under the burden of abuse and exploitation and the hoarding of resources. It also invites us to consider who are the innocent victims of environmental degradation and climate change, both human and other-than-human.

 To return to the confirmation lesson, I ask the students to consider why there were still people waiting around the marketplace even at 5:00 pm? Could it be that they have walked all day (remember, walking was the primary means of transportation) and had only just arrived? Or, what if they have been there all day, but have been passed over because they may be infirm or elderly, or strangers from another land. They wait in the hope that someone will give them a chance to work, even if only for a partial wage, so that they may have even a little food for another day for themselves and for their families. What amazing grace this is that they have received such generosity that will nourish them and their families in body and soul! As the landowner is generous to all workers, regardless of whether they worked 12 or 1 hour, can we see this as an example of how God does not see anything God has created as lesser value. God takes delight in the thriving of all life on Earth. Can we model this generosity in our relationships with one another and with the animals and plants we share the Earth in our congregations, communities, and neighborhoods?

Finally, I would like to compare this parable to another from the Gospel of Luke; the Prodigal Son. The elder son, the workers who have worked all day, is angered by grace and generosity shown to someone they deem undeserving of it. As the father keeps looking for the son to return, and runs to him as he appears in the distance, and as the landowner keeps returning to the market to bring calls more people to work in the vineyard, God’s grace and generosity seeks and finds us, longing for us to share with all that we may flourish together, especially those we are most apt to minimize or ignore, from mitochondria to mountain tops, from water cycles to winter, and the children, latecomers to the vineyard, who will not be able to ignore what we have minimized. May we open our doors of perception wide to God’s transforming grace for all people, for all Creation. And for us. This grace changes everything!