The First and the Last
Psalm 86:11-13, Matthew 20:1-16
Pastor Tom Millner

I suspect that every one of us has a strong sense of fair play. After all, rules exist in our minds as a guide to how the game must be played. The one who has played by the rules should be honored for doing so. In this saying by Jesus here in Matthew it appears that the idea of fair play is turned on its head. To compound our head scratching the teaching begins with “for the kingdom of heaven is like”… To the ones who worked long and hard, the arrival and equal pay to the new comers seemed grossly unfair. To which group do we most strongly identify? I suspect with the group that was perceived to be so unfairly treated. After all, life HAS dealt us this awful blow, this burden we have to carry – while it seems that others just go merrily about the good gifts they’ve been given (so we mistakenly think). Are we to conclude then, that the Kingdom of heaven is unfair? Let’s look a little bit deeper.

In its context, Jesus is reminding the Jews who had spent a lifetime measuring up by the letter of the law, that there would be others who would be joining them who did not come in by the same method. These new comers would have a different contract – same vineyard – different contract. The one group has a contract based upon the Law – the others a contract based upon grace – both require the substance of the contract to be faith on our part, love on the part of God. Now, does that seem fair? It’s both fair and just viewed in this light, isn’t it? How often we look at other’s situations and draw judgments relative to ourselves. Not only is the covenant (contract) different for what was the time of the Law and that of Grace, but the contract with each of us is different as well.  I’ve heard people say “it’s not fair that some people seem to be treated differently than others – we should all be treated the same.” But if everyone were treated the same, everyone would complain about the unjust treatment. Let’s explore!

Alice, John, Meredith, and Joshua were students at COHSS University. Alice excelled at mathematics, but had difficulty walking owing to her somewhat clubbed foot. John excelled at virtually every water sport but had difficulty running because one leg was shorter than the other. Meredith mesmerized audiences with her singing voice, even as she was confined to a wheelchair because of her spinal defect. Joshua was an excellent sprinter, but lacked in cranial fortitude when it came to academics. Now, wanting to make all things equal, the requirement for graduation is that every student has to complete a sprint across the finish line within 10 seconds of the start location. But is this truly fair? The requirement is equal isn’t it? Who is sure to win? It looks like graduation is a shoo in for only one. God does not operate this way. We’re best advised not to expect such things from Him. What seems fair is not equal.

We make a huge mistake when we paint God and others with our broad brush of limited understanding. According to His Word, we are made in God’s image. So, we are a reflection of His very being. There are four distinct individuals lined up here before you. Each is Christian; each is made in God’s image. Is number 1 a true reflection of God’s image? Yes? How about number 2? Yes? Number three? Number four? – You mean each is a reflection of God? But neither of them looks the same – how do I get a vision of God? The aspects of God are as uniquely diverse as the individuals He has created. He cannot be explained nor contained with the one. That’s why the CHURCH is called the Body of Christ. Each individual forms a unique and different part – not the same part to be treated as the same part, but a unique and different part, created to work together with all the other parts to carry out one function – love. “But I want to be that part – I want to be more significant because I am more significant because He’s given me this gift or that gift!” Who gave the gift? To whose glory is the gift to be used? Who’s on first here?

The covenant of grace and mercy is the same for each of us. He died once for all. He didn’t die any more for one than for the other. He died for all of us and He died for each of us. Not that we might have glory and have it more abundantly, but that we might have life in Him to abundance. Abundant life in Him means less of my own stuff at the center. You and I were created for a specific purpose – a purpose defined by God and uniquely designed in each of us for His purpose. God will not perish without you or me, but His Body in this world is made stronger when we surrender to His lead to follow Him. He desires each of us – because He designed each of us for his unique and divine purpose.

Look around this Sanctuary. See the diversity and the uniqueness that God expresses in each reflected face.

God is not consumed in each one; He is reflected in each one. From the long time Christian who has all theological knowledge wrapped tightly in the cranial cavity to the one who has just today learned that the creator loves with a passion so strong that He gave His very life so that by faith, we may be held in His care for eternity, the same love of God is reflected, but not in the same way. Let’s not box God in. He’s bigger than any box we can contrive. He’s bigger than any perception that you or I can conjure up. An individual reflection does not constitute the whole of God.

When we misjudge, we stand to mislead. When we insist on an equal playing field, we have to understand that no such animal exists. Though not equal (the same) the playing field is just and fair for the individual. We need to be honoring the contract WE have with God and not be concerning ourselves with the contract of others.

Psalm 86:11-13 “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.”

Your reflection is your witness. I read this week that there are really five Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Christian. Most folks will never read the first four. They’ll only read individual YOU who is in front of them.

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.