last first again

Numbers 16:36-50; Romans 4:13-25;
Matthew 20:1-16


"Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" So the last will be first, and the first last.
(Matthew 20:15)

We have another story, or parable this time perhaps, of value, conflict and cost; the second passage in a row to end with the last first. In this case Jesus seems to be exposing conflict not among masters and servants, leaders and followers, men and women, husbands and wives, adults and children, or rich and poor... this time it's about old-timers and newbies in the kingdom movement, in the discipleship group, in the ecclesia - the church.

This may be the Jew-Gentile issue, which is one of the major themes underlying Matthew's gospel. Interestingly, in that John 3 reaading about Nicodemus, Jesus tells him he must be "born again," born from above, born of water and the Spirit... Very likely, what Nicodemus heard Jesus saying was something like, "you must become a proselyte, just like a Gentile convert to Judaism, if you are to enter the kingdom of God, if you want to be a part of my movement." The language in John 3 sounds like baptism, and in fact is similar language to what would have been used with regard to a non-Jew becoming a Jew in Jesus' day. One of the three requirements was to be immersed, preferably in "living water" and be reborn of the Spirit of God (I think this last part, about the Spirit, was not a primary thread in proselyte conversion teaching, but can be found some with regard to Jewish immersion practice in general).

This whole disquieting parable applies in many ways to us, however, who are not Jews with the history of covenant and call and promises from God, which could draw them into a sense of preference and priority in terms of their value in the kingdom. Robert has mentioned in his "Piece" in the e-newsletter about our "truth-o-meter", I think we also may have a "worth-o-meter" - whereby we place a value on people we encounter and our interaction with them somehow is reflected in where we see ourselves in relative worth to them... This ties in to our issues of pride and shame, of perfectionism and competition, of feeling good, or bad, about ourselves. [Read this as another confession of the Director of Spiritual Formation...] Thankfully, our "worth-o-meter" can be and is being redeemed as well as the rest of us! (A redeemed "worth-o-meter" has the indicator arrow immovably stuck on the highest value...)

This also speaks to to the church, our church in particular, valuing those who are newest in our midst, or perhaps not even "members" yet. Certainly, the church ought to value the elders, those who have history and experience in our midst. But we also need the input and perspective of the newest (even of those outside) to help us really see ourselves and to be able to perceive what God is doing among us.

To conclude, what I hear in this familiar story today is compassion. The footnote to verse 15 tells us that it literally reads "or is your eye bad (evil) because I am good?" Good eye / bad or evil eye is a Jewish way of speaking of generosity and stinginess or envy. The eleventh hour workers needed a day's wage to live and provide for their families, as did the all day workers. The master generously chose to provide what was needed to all, no matter length of service (or how long one has been sitting in this pew, or holding this ministry position, or been ordained...). This is how it is in the kingdom. Rather than about work and relative worth, about place and privilege, or status, blood-line, education or reputation, it's about gift and gratitude.
Thanks be to God.