I have a confession to make: in high school, was a math geek. I actually loved math and calculus—can't remember a thing about differential equations, now, though. There was a little friendly competition between a couple of us students to see who had the highest mark on the tests in grade 12. Does that say something about me, loving math the way I did?
So what does math have to do with worship this morning? Well, I have to say that it isn't my idea to relate the parable that Jesus told to math. The connection in mind comes when we ask how the landowner that Jesus talked about did his math. It would appear that the math is a little off. Everyone who was asked to work in the vineyard shouldn't get the same amount, should they? That's just simply not fair! We should get what we deserve.
Part of the problem is that we want a formula. Last week in the gospel reading, we heard that Peter wanted a formula for forgiveness; "I only want to forgive just a few times and then leave it alone," Peter thought. And then there was the rich young ruler who wanted a formula to get into heaven. Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give himself to the poor. This prompted Peter to ask about what he would get since he had given away everything he had. What formula can help me understand what I'm supposed to get? That's Peter's question. There is a certain basic need that we all have that looks for nice, neat packages—nice, neat formulas for living life. We need x number of calories each day and no more; we need to spend time in meditation or some spiritual discipline. We need to exercise well, get enough sleep, and practice mindful compassion. There are little formulas for all of this. Well, as Jesus so aptly demonstrated, it just isn't so! There are no neat formulas for life. We are human beings and we are subject to all kinds of challenges, joys and our all too human emotions. I know that I for one rebel against neat formulas that might be prescriptive for my life.
Jesus understood our humanity and the fact that have to figure it out as we go. We have to bring the mindful way of compassion and love to everything we do; I suppose if there were one formula that would work it would be about loving God and loving our neighbours as ourselves. Beyond these two simple commandments, the rest is up to us to figure out. It is really about our attitude and a change of heart and there is no formula for that; we all need to experience how to bring about, or how to work with God in bringing about a transformation from our hearts outwards. And this relates to an economy of grace—more about this in a minute.
Part of the background of this parable of the landowner and the workers is that there were three classes of people in the days of Jesus: landowners, who made up a kind of an elite group; those who worked for the landowner; and those who had no land. According to the laws of Jesus' time, no one was permitted to sell their land. All were to live on the land that God had promised them through their families. But the reality, due to an economy of greed and acquisition, was that there were many who were landless—they were forced off the land by ruthless land consumers. These landless folk were likely very poor, living just on the edge of abject poverty. So, the landowner went to the village square to hire workers and did so, paying all of them the same wage, even though some were hired at different times.
And this reality of hiring people on a daily basis isn't all that different today in many countries. People do hang around the marketplaces looking for temporary work; these are often people who are landless and poor. And as usual, a person looking for workers will take the youngest and best-looking workers first. The last to be chosen would have been those probably the most poor and the worst off but who needed the work the most. And so, the landowner in Jesus' parable, when the work was finished came to pay the workers. And lo and behold, each received the same amount, the exact amount for which the landowner contracted with each individual. Now, if you were there, and you were chosen first, what would you feel? Outrage would probably be the first feeling. Anger the second. And a desire to get back at the landowner might be the third thought running through your heads. And as usual, Jesus just left the parable there. What happened? Was there a riot? Was there a fight? Was there a celebration on the part of those who were chosen last and received the same pay?
Now, if you were the last to be hired and yet received the same amount as the others, you would feel a great deal of gratitude and joy. And you'd probably get out of there quickly so as not ruffle the feathers any further of those who were upset.
So, what is the mathematics of this parable? We are so used to the idea that we get what we deserve that we find it difficult to hear of a landowner who decides to settle accounts differently. The basis for receiving a wage isn't so much based on merit as it is on freedom. The basis for receiving a wage is not that we get what we deserve, but the idea that what we get is a gift.
Someone—and I don't know whom—once said: "When we get what we deserve that is justice. When we don't get what we deserve that is mercy. When we get what we don't deserve that is Grace." Sounds like a Lutheran!!
There is no mathematical formula to grace. You can't figure it out in your head. There are no formulas. You have to figure it out in your heart for it is based on love. We just have to live life with this gift of grace. We have to figure it out on a daily basis. And it is a gift. But the thing with this gift is that it has to be shared. The very nature of grace is that it must be shared; we can't hoard it. And I also believe that the very nature of grace is that it can't become some complicated formula for living life. It has to remain the gift that it is, simple, clean—just a gift.
And one of the very practical questions I have is an economic one. What would happen in our world if we got rid of the need to have economic formulas and applied the idea of grace? We are so used to talking about what is deserved that we often blame folk who are poor or on welfare or on some kind of assistance; we often end up blaming the victims because we are so used to the idea that we get what we deserve. But then, the whole idea of getting what we deserve is so skewed by the salaries of sports, entertainment and business people that we can't make any sense of it anyway—do they get what they deserve. What would an economy of grace look like?
Sharon Betcher spoke at Ascension Lutheran Church a year and ½ ago. She talked about an economy of grace and the difference it would make in the world. It would reduce the huge disparity between rich and poor; it would go a long way to ending the continual cycle of boom and bust, drought and fertility that places like the Horn of Africa experience on an ongoing basis. It would reduce the amount paid to entertainment, sports and CEOs of multi-nationals. It would shift our basic understanding of life from one of scarcity to abundance. An economy of grace would shift us out of our vengeance-seeking way of doing justice, too. An economy of grace would cause a huge seismic shift in our economic and social thinking.
God doesn't operate by formulas and neither should we. We are all entitled to life in its abundance, because the gift of grace is real. But we have to make it real. We have to live it out in practical ways. I like the idea of a worldwide economic theory based on grace. Grace is something we need a whole lot more of because it would remove the idea of deserving some reward. That's not to say we lose any incentive. The incentive is the desire to share the grace, and that is how abundance can grow.
It sounds simple, and it is simple. All it takes is for us to grab hold of the gift of grace and hold on for the ride. And it will be an abundant ride, a joyous ride, and a communal ride. God's grace, freely given. What difference can that grace mean for this world and for you, and how can we share in it together more fully?
Amen.
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