Today in church, the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard was read (Matthew 20 v.1-16), in which Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a landowner who went out to hire workers for his vineyard. Some he hired early in the morning and others he hired progressively during the day, so that the last ones hired only worked for an hour. At the end of the day, when it came time to pay them for their labour, they each received the same amount. At first sight, that seems very unfair, even though the first hired get the reward that was agreed when they were hired. Translating this into heavenly terms, it reflects the different times in life when people turn to God and have faith in Him and in Jesus Christ. The fact that they get the same reward reflects the love and generosity of God. I did have a problem with verse 16, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last”, until I read the interpretation that this is really a caution to the first not to think that they are superior to or more deserving than the last. In faith terms, also bear in mind that the first have had the joy of faith for so much longer, whereas those who come later, and I include myself in those, realise how they have missed out all these years. As I reflect on my life, I can honestly say that it would have been better if I had had faith all those years, even if nothing else in my circumstances were different.
I believe that this works out in human terms too. There is real dignity in work, though that is easy to lose sight of when it gets on top of us and feels like drudgery. As Christians, we can usefully take note of Henry Royce’s saying “Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble”. It behoves us to do everything as well as we can and recognise the nobility of doing it. Of course, we do need to have a break, but lounging around all day is debilitating if we are capable of working or doing something useful instead. I can imagine that the latecomers to the vineyard were feeling pretty useless and unwanted as they hung around waiting for someone to give them a job. And they would probably have been willing to put in a full day’s work the next day.
That said, there are currently too many people in the UK who could work but are not working and not looking for work and who would not have the wherewithal to live without benefits. It is unfortunately damaging to them, to society and to our economy. Many reasons have been given for this state of affairs and many are plausible and likely contributors. And there are no easy answers. What I can say with confidence is that anything that we can do in word and deed to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ will chip away at the problem.
I am suddenly reminded of the saying “The devil finds work for idle hands” – something I haven’t heard or even thought of in many years, so I thought I should add it.