barely Sunday

Silence. Early and dark. Navigation lights blinking, a planet, a geostationary satellite, a boat across the way heading for the Pass and out into the Gulf. A monster mug of fresh brewed coffee, a thin strip of cornbread cut into five bites each lightly buttered. No sounds of water lapping ashore, meaning we're between tidal shifts, Tyndall's beacon flashing white white - green - - white white - green. A shore bird's shriek breaks the peace. It's how Sunday begins: not with the Sabbath's setting sun, but sneaking in at midnight.

Now and then there's a breath of air moving, and Splash: now and then a mullet jumps.

The attention from Singapore continues, which makes me uneasy, so I'll continue while taking care to avoid anything that might make me the target of some crackpot, which, judging by America these days, is half the world's population. Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me, eh?

Good old Sunday school Bible stories in our lectionary for Sunday. In Exodus, traveling through the wilderness with Moses, the children of Israel give him and God fits with their constant whining. In Matthew, Jesus tells another parable about the kingdom of God, only Matthew calls it the kingdom of heaven, which unfortunately makes us think think the kingdom is somewhere we go when we die. It isn't, it's working in the vineyard here and now. Come in and enjoy, or stay outside, it's your choice.

Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same.

And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’

When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’

But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

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So, is today's theme about whiners? It certainly reveals that whining angers our host, so best not complain about poor service.

While the parable makes clear who is in charge, what happens may be legal, but it obviously isn't fair, and it's an upside-down take on agape, which is lovingkindness, consideration, generosity, mercy, thoughtfulness. The parable may be a lesson about gratitude v. expecting more grace just because we went to church every Sunday; but agape that wanted to pay a full day's wage to those who worked an hour, would with equal generosity and kindness want to pay more to those who worked all day. A little bit iffy, it jerks the chain of theologians who say salvation is Grace Alone, that you don't have to work in the vineyard to earn your salvation.

In the parable, over against the day laborers, the landowner is the power figure. What is his right is not necessarily the same as what would be good, kind and generous of him. A shaky likeness of the kingdom of God.

One wonders whether an employer would get away with it in today's labor market? Truth, though, no employer would be so "generous" in the first place.

What are we to make of it? In forty years, I preached on this gospel reading any number for Times, each Time a different take on it. But I am years out of date and happily years beyond a weekly pulpit. Even more happily, not in the pulpit today. Let us see what is said from pulpits this morning. We can pick it apart at home later, while sipping a martini.