Kingdom of Heaven
I remember as a child, one of the main things instilled in me was that all of us humans were equals. That was the way it was meant to be in this country (again, I was under ten). And I was the daughter of a lawyer and a colonel in the JAG.
I was taught that this was our absolute founding value - "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal..."
Obviously, one day... I grew up.
Yet, when I went to church, I heard the same thing: all humans are equal before God. Be they kings or paupers. All will one day stand before the judgment seat.
Again, one day, I grew up. And I learned that our God is far more often about equity than equality. Because this world is very good at making sure that very few enjoy the pleasures of this life while the vast majority are consistently scrambling to make ends meet.
Yet the parable we come to this weekend presents us with an unusual picture for who we know our God to be.
The kingdom of heaven is like a landlord who hires day laborers for his vineyard. (Especially in our part of the world, a common enough concept). He goes out before dawn, at 9am, at noon, at 3pm, and at 5pm. The very first laborers agree on the usual daily wage and the very last are told they will be paid "what is right."
When the work is done, the landlord intentionally calls the last ones into the vineyard first and pays them the usual daily wage. Moving backwards, everyone gets the same thing. Even on down to those who worked all day in the heat.
Of course, they begin to grumble - why did we not get more? We deserve it!
The landlord answers, I have not wronged you. I paid you what we agreed. Are you jealous because I am generous with what is my own?
It is a picture of perfect equality before God. And it drives everyone absolutely nuts!!!
In this world, we live in a mindset of scarcity. That there will never be enough. No matter what we do.
And yet, with over 8.3 billion people in this world, less than 1% of that population owns nearly half of the world's wealth. Meaning the resources are there. There are just a bunch of people who never learned to share in kindergarten.
This also bleeds over into the way we think about other things. Rights. Compassion. Love.
We begin to think that if someone else has the same rights that I've always had, then I will lose some of my own. But rights are not pie.
Same goes for compassion - there is plenty to go around.
And as for love, if you think that there is not enough and it will cost you something - my friends, that is not really love. Love is infinite and unconditional.
The kingdom of heaven is a place where everyone has what they need. They can live life to the fullest. Become their best selves. And flourish.
That is what we are meant to bring here on earth.
Blessings,
Rev. Janie
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