Talks, Sermons and Reflections

MATTHEW 20:1-16 I'm with the labourers here. It seems so unfair. Some of them worked 10 hours; some of them worked 1 hour - and they both get the same pay. We should clearly get the unions involved on this one. That is how we are meant to react: and yet Jesus, in telling this story, is challenging us. 1. Jesus challenges us to learn that God is sovereign It is the landowner's vineyard; it is the landowner's money and it is the landowner's call. The landowner is free to invite who he wants to work in his vineyard, when he wants and to give them what he wants. He is not unfair The landowner gives to the people who have been working for only one hour one denarius. He gives the people who have been working all day one denarius. They think: "Huh. We deserve to get more than them. It's not fair" And yet the landowner is being completely fair: Early in the morning, he had gone to the labour market - and in many economies you can still find this happening, the peo...