It's Not Fair

It's not Fair

(Mt. 20.1-16)

Need to bring

- £1 monopoly notes

- 2p coins

Introduction

Ask children what a vineyard is.

What sort of work would you do in a vineyard?

- picking grapes

- treading grapes

- weeding

- pruning

I'm the owner of a vineyard, and I need some children to come and help me.

Explain that the going rate for a days work is one dinarius (show it). If they work hard, they'll get a fair wage.

Who is interested?

Select half the children and give them tasks to do.

Tell the others that he had hired enough, and that he didn't need them. Suggest that they sit down in the market place, and wait to see if another landowner needs some workers in the vineyard.

It's a hot day, (the sky is blue), and the labourers work hard all day long, ...picking, treading weeding.

About 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when it's nearly time to finish work for the day, the landowner happens to be passing through the market place.

What are you all doing here?

Did no one hire you?

Well go to my vineyard, and you can work there until tea time.

At the end of day tell workers to stop. Who has been working all day? Thank them for working so hard ...give them one denarius as agreed.

Who has been working for just one hour. Explain that they haven't done very much, ...but give them a tenth of a denarius. Is that fair?

But he story could have had a very different ending.

Collect money back.

Go back in time to 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Ask children to take seats in the market place.

Someone comes on with a clapper-board "Take 2 - action".

About 5 o'clock in the afternoon, when it's nearly time to finish work for the day, the landowner happens to be passing through the market place.

What are you all doing here?

Did no one hire you?

Well go to my vineyard, and you can work there until tea time.

At the end of day tell workers to stop. Who has been working here for just one hour? Well I know that you only deserve a tenth of a denarius, ...but I've decided to give you a whole day's wages.

(Give them one denarius).

Now you've been working all day long, how much do you think I should pay you?

Thank them for working so hard ...give them one denarius as agreed.

Do you think that's fair?

Well let's ask the adults.

Which ending was the fairest, ...the first ending, or the second ending?

Take a vote.

And which is God most like?

Is God more like the landlord in the story with the first ending, or the second ending?

Take a vote.

Well let's listen to our gospel reading.

Read Mt. 20.1-16

Jesus often said things that sounded unfair. For example, take that last verse in our gospel reading:

"The last will be first, and the first will be last".

On the surface that sounds very unfair doesn't it?

Rather like the January sales at Harrods, and some people have been queuing all night so as to get the best of the bargain, ...and in the morning the store manager says "This year we are going to do things a little different, the last will be first, and the first will be last!"

If that happenned you might have a riot on your hand. That's not fair, people would shout.

And if the store manage changed the rules at the last minute it would be unfair.

But God isn't like that. He doesn't change the rules. But many people don't take the trouble to understand God's rules in the first place.

On the day of judgement some people will think they deserve to be first, and find they are last, ...and they'll complain that it's so unfair.

And what about other stories in the Bible. Are they fair?

What about the story of the Prodigal Son? One son stays at home and works hard for his father, the other is a lazy good-for-nothing who squanders all his money. ...But when the second son comes home his father holds a banquet in his honour, gives him his best clothes and his ring. And the first son complains, "It's so unfair!"

Or what about the thief on the cross, ...I guess he had led a pretty bad life, he certainly reckoned that in being crucified he was getting his just deserts, ...but then at the last minute he turns to Jesus and says, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom". Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise".

Now, was that fair?

Well our gospel reading tells us that there is more than one way of deciding if something is fair.

One way is to compare our lot in life with that of others. That's the way that the first group of labourers looked at things:

"We've been working all day, and deserve to be paid more than that other lot who only turned up an hour ago."

And there's no denying that they do have a point.

But if we always see things from that perspective we will never enjoy life, ...because no matter how well turn out for us, our enjoyment will always be spoiled by the fact that things turned out even better for someone else.

So instead of going home content with a good day's wages for a good day's work, the labourers went home miserable ...grumbling about those other men who had got just as much for doing less.

But there's another way of deciding if something is fair. Simply forget about everyone else, and ask: "Have I been treated as I deserve?"

From that perspective, the first group of labourers would have to say "Yes", ...the owner had given them the wages that had been agreed. They therefore had no grounds for complaint.

And the last group of labourers would have to admit that the owner had been unfairly generous, but it was his money, and he was entitled to be generous if he wished.

And that's how God deals with people, ...he deals fairly with some, and he is unfairly generous with others.

Those he deals fairly with have no grounds for complaint. Those with whom he is unfairly generous, have grounds only for gratitude.

So how do you see life?

Do you go through life comparing your lot with that of others, and feeling peeved that others have done better. You might not say so to others, but that's how you feel.

Or do you forget about everyone else, and ask "Have I been treated as I deserve?"

For if you are a Christian, from that perspective you will see that God has been unfairly generous to you. He has given you his gift of forgiveness, eternal life, and so much more, ...and not one of us deserves it.

So let us thank God for his great generosity.