Sermon - 2014-09-21

Jesus is always one who speaks and teaches in parables.  The final line of the parable today is one that we often know and think about.  “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.”  It is one that we echo and remember, but it is this parable that we can learn so much from.  A parable that was spoken would help the listener understand this world in which they are apart of, but also the heavenly kingdom in which their Heavenly Father would welcome them into.

Within our lives, we are familiar with what it means to do a hard days work.  In fact, there are some of us who wake up early in the morning so that we can do our work just as the laborers spoken of today in the vineyard.  To work through the day, in the scorching heat of the afternoon, and finally be able to rest at the end of the day.  There are others among us who join in the work later in the morning.  Later on within the day, others join us in the work.  Even when the hour is late and the work is almost over, people gather with us, to finish the work.

Though this relates so much to our daily work lives, it also has tremendous meaning within the church.  There are those who join us at the very beginning.  At a very early age, people join us to do the work that God has called us to do.  We labor in caring for one another, teaching and reminding each other of the work and love of God.  We share in the joys and the sorrows.  We work when the times are great, like in the morning and we work in the heat of the day when things are difficult.  Though we get tired, others join us in the labor and we feel a little less tired.  Yet once that heat of the afternoon comes around.  The work just plain seems hard and difficult.  Then the work gets a little easier because we know that our time is almost over.  We are growing closer to the end of our labors, and we know that rest and love await us when we are done.  

When we come to the end and others receive the blessing and payment that we are expecting, we then think, “Well surely if they are receiving this, then we shall receive so much more.” However, when the manager comes to our payment, we receive the same gift, the same blessing, and the same payment. For many of us, we hear this and see this.  Then we get upset.  Like we are not being valued, or that we should have taken some time off so that we did not have to work so hard in order to receive the gift as well.  Yet doing the work of your Creator and Sustainer, we are enjoying the work that we were created to do so that it fulfills us and our desire for community, safety and security.

Whether we are part of the labors from the beginning, have recently joined the work of God within the world, we give thanks that we are part of the kingdom to continue the work.  We encourage and welcome others to share their gifts.  However, this parable also gives us insight into the Kingdom of God and how God truly views us.  We are all made workers in the vineyard and made children of God.  We are loved and cared for because God has has given it to us. God makes us all equal and all necessary for the work to continue to be done within the world.  For Lutherans, we declare this to be God’s unending Grace.  We are part of God’s Kingdom in this world and we are blessed to be a part of it.

As we live in this Grace, we give thanks that we are part of this work and continue in the labors that God has called us to do.  May we never abandon that work.  May we always be in God’s Kingdom, and grace within the world together being united by God’s calling.