Early in the day, a landowner went to the marketplace to hire some men to work in his vineyard for one denarius a day. He chose some, they agreed the wage and went off to start work. He went back during the day and chose some more from those who were still waiting.
At the end of the day, he told his foreman to pay the men, starting with those who'd been chosen last. When they realised they were all being paid the same, those who'd worked all day began, rather naturally we might think, to complain.
The owner reminded them that they'd agreed to his promised wage which would have been a fair price. ''If I choose to pay those who came last the same as you, don't I have the right to do what I waant with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?!''
My thoughts are that he was a wise and compassionate man who knew that each man would need at least one denarius each day in order to live. Those who were unhired would go hungry.
We might wonder why they weren't hired. Were they too old or did they look unfit? Were they foreigners? Was their skin the wrong colour? Were they overweight, underweight? If so, it might be understandable that most employers wouldn't hire them first.
Also, the fact that the men who weren't hired didn't give up must count for something. They carried on waitting and hoping for some work.
This is such a comfort for us. Jesus is telling us that he doesn't measure by earthly standards but by our needs, our backgrounds, our strengths and our weeknesses, our failings and failures, but also our desires, our efforts to try.
It must surely help us to hang on in there, to never give up trying to do our best and not to despair over our failings and failures.
Well I find it very comforting myself.
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