God’s justice and mercy isn’t fair… isn’t unreasonably gracious

Let me share up-front three things we can take home to think and pray about this week: our God is bigger than we are and larger than any particular passage in our Bible.  God’s compassion and mercy are beyond what we would consider reasonable.  And, the biblical examples we have of God’s extra-ordinary forgiveness compel us to greater acts of charitable love and reconciliation that we might tend toward on our own.

            Today’s readings, particularly the selections from Jonah (Jonah 3:10-4:11) and the Gospel according to Matthew (20:1-16), continue to reinforce themes we’ve been hearing each Sunday this month: compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation and restoration.  And, again, the message is delivered with an edge that is meant to surprise and unsettle us.  In each case, we are shown a God who acts not according to our expectations of fairness and justice, not according to our sense of entitlements based on good works, but on God’s own terms, exceptionally generous in grace.

JONAH’S FRUSTRATION

Let’s consider what we’ve heard of Jonah this morning.  First, a little context….  God has called the chosen people of Israel to be a blessing to everyone on earth, even those who aren’t Jewish (e.g., Gen 12:1-3). The book of Jonah is traditionally read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur (the holiest day of theJewish liturgical year - the “Day of Atonement” - coming up at the end of the first week of October) to encourage period of reflection and repentance.  Also important to call to mind is that the city in question, Nineveh, was the capital of an empire (Assyria) that had caused much suffering for Israel.  Jonah considers Nineveh an archenemy deserving of the full fury of God’s wrath.  Ironically, Jonah, a prophet of the chosen people of God, who presumably preaches a lot about the need for repentance and God’s mercy, is about to grapple unsuccessfully with both.  This is very humbling for those of us in the professional ‘professing’ business… and, frankly, should be for any Christian presuming to preach about the ‘good news’ to others.

Jonah is sent on a mission to warn the city that God has seen their evil and plans to deal with them accordingly.  From the beginning Jonah resists, we might imagine this is because he is jealous of his relationship with God and he is already aware that if he fulfills this mission, it might mean forgiveness for these folks who have harmed his own tribe.  The story before today’s reading recounts Jonah’s humorous and ridiculous journey of resistance (not that any of us can relate to how it feels to intentionally run from what we know God is calling us to do) before he finally ends up standing before the people to Nineveh to deliver his short-n-angry warning, “In 40days you will be destroyed!”   

The entire city, from the king through to even the animals heeds the prophet’s warning and turn to God penitently.  God has mercy on them and they are not destroyed.  And here’s where our passage today picks up the story. 

Jonah is angry at God for… well, for being God.  Jonah essentially says to God, ‘There you go again being the God I know you really are (referencing Israelite wisdom about God’s gracious character, like is revealed in today’s Psalm), unreasonably merciful to anyone, even the non-chosen and the most foul of folk, who simply turn to you.  What’s the point of me proclaiming your judgement?  You didn’t destroy them.  My credibility is shot and I’d rather just die than face the truth of what this all means.”  In a huff, Jonah goes off to pout under a tree. 

God provides some temporary relief from the heat for Jonah and then withdraws it in the morning, which Jonah reacts to with even deeper disappointment.  Jonah’s vision is so limited to his own needs and concerns that he seems to miss the point that God has to make clear in the final verses.  God basically says, “Jonah why are you’re so concerned about a little something that you really had nothing to do with?  How much more concerned should I, God, be about an entire city of my own creation that has gone astray?”

Let’s again hear part of our Psalm appointed for today (Psalm 145:8): “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness.”

UNFAIRLY GENEROUS LANDOWNER & THE LABORERS

Now what about the parable Jesus tells in today’s Gospel lesson?  Perhaps this one hits even closer to home in our time when we’re so attentive to the ethic of equal pay for equal work and so mindful of the disparities between those who labor so hard and receive so little and others who seem to do nothing but waste time and resources yet still seem to end up wealthy.  Today’s parable comes on the heels of other parables in which Jesus has described the kingdom of God as a place that ishard to get into if you’re clinching your fist tightly to hold onto materialwealth.  He says that the kingdom is whereoutrageously enormous debt is forgiven and people are set free of what enslavesthem.  Jesus has also been saying that the apparent order of things are reversed in a godly kingdom – those of previous worldly privilege will find themselves more empty handed than those who were considered poor in wealth by societal standards.  And, yet, as was the case with our ancestors wandering the wilderness who were provided sufficient manna each morning, or the multitude of hungry followers of Christ who were able to miraculous feed themselves with only a few fishes and loaves, this morning’s parable reminds each of us that we’ll our daily bread, no matter when we finally arrive for work in God’s vineyard.

But, this isn’t an easy economy to accept, is it?.  When we’re wrapped up in how hard we’ve worked, how much we’ve toiled in good faith, how much we believe we deserve our wages, it just doesn’t seem fair at all that an employer would find someone who hasn’t seemingly ‘done their best’ and reward them the just the same, making them equal to us.  In our economy, one person’s gains often come from another person’s losses.  But in God’s economy, there’s plenty for everyone.

And, this parable might be even more challenging when you consider that we’re told that the landowner actively reaches out, several times during the day, to those who were idle, inviting them into the vineyard.  Earlier in Matthew, it is Jesus himself who says that he came not to tend to those who believe they’re doing well, but to those who are suffering… “I desire mercy, not sacrifice… for I’ve come to call not the righteous but the sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13).  Jesus seeks out the outcasts and with extra-ordinary compassion invites them to join him, and us, in the godly vineyard – for us all to join meet him at his table.

We can imagine that the disciples were as troubled by this as anyone hearing the message.  I can imagine someone saying, “You mean to tell me that after all we’ve left behind, after all we’ve given for this cause, after all we’ve done for this mission… that people can come along at the last minute, perhaps even people who has been ignoring the truth, working against us or even against God, and that those people we receive the equivalent of all that we believe we’ve earned (the same grace) and will stand equal with us before God?!”

The short answer is ‘yes.’ 

This is so inappropriate by our standards – by our work ethic.  This seemingly undiscriminating generosity is almost offensive!  And that’s just it.  God’s grace is not based on what we believe we’ve ‘earned’.  God’s mercy is not doled out by our human standards of merit.  How God deals with us and our neighbors has nothing to do with getting what we (or they) deserve, at least not by human rules/standards – thanks be to God.  This is amazing grace, indeed – unearned and freely given… and that’s good news!

By the way, if this turn of events – that one seeming least deserving / the recalcitrant is invited in and rewarded – sounds familiar.  You might recall the almost identical dynamic at work in the parable known as the ‘prodigal son’ (Luke 15:11-32) where the father celebrates the return of one son who was thought to be lost, but who is now found, while the other son, who has remained faithful and done ‘good’ all along, becomes envious/jealous/bitter.  The father says to the envious son that his joy for the return of the one previous lost in no way diminishes the love the father has for both brothers.  Both children are equally loved in the parent’s heart.

            So, what is the Holy Spirit saying to us this morning?

Just Abraham’s ancestors were deemed God’s chosen people and were expected to bring God’s blessing to everyone (even non-Jews), it is also true of us who have been baptized into Christ’s body that we should serve as a light to the world, bringing hope to others, particularly those who might be living in dark places.  And when we do this, we should begrudge or envy the godly gifts bestowed upon our neighbors even in the final hour, perhaps in their time of greatest need.

In doing our work in the God’s vineyard, we shouldn’t presume to fully comprehend or the have the power to apprehend the true extent of God’s grace, which is extended even to those who we might deem least deserving.

The Bible is full of examples of God’s extra-ordinary forgiveness – may that evidence of how we are loved by our common creator compel us to greater acts of charitable love and reconciliation toward our sisters and brothers….

Remembering that God’s examples of compassion and mercy are beyond what we consider fair or reasonable.  

That is good news, indeed.

AMEN