|
|
 Thumnail–
the full scene out of which our lesson comes is 19:16-20:16; it begins with the story of
the rich man and ends with the parable of the clusters of vineyard workers. Distinction
needs to be made between the "Matthean literary context" and the way that
"Jesus originally told it. Such distinctions, according to Boring, are with whom the
reader identifies in the parable. In Matthew’s recasting, we hear it mostly as an
allegory and thus, identify with God, while in the original setting the reader would
probably identify with the first groups of workers, and therefore, the parable would have
achieved it’s desired effect of surprise. [1]
NIB--
Both the story of the young man and the parable of the employer picture the triumph
of grace. The young man is a fine specimen who has it all: youth, money morality, a sense
that there is still something more, an interest in eternal things. Matthew resists the
temptation to make the disciples (and his own church) look the better by painting the man
in dark colors . . . with God all things are possible. Binding this pronouncement to the
call to discipleship keeps it from being cheap grace . . . The good employer is a picture
of the resentment of grace toward others by those who have worked long and hard
themselves. [2]
 What was your very first job? How
much money did you make?
- If you had been among the first hired workers and had bore backbreaking work in the sun
all day long, how would you have reacted when everyone got the same wage?
- What do you think is the "ah-ha!" here? What is the point? What is it about
this parable that is also true about the Kingdom of God?
 This week’s DPS homily features
this passage: "No Equitable Salaries in the Kingdom."
________________________________________
[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible VIIII (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), page
392.
[2] Ibid, page 394.
|
|
