September 20, 2020

“Why do you stand here idle all day?"

This week’s Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard offers us a straightforward invitation into a whole new world of Grace, a world beyond the rules of fairness we have been taught, to a world of overflowing generosity as practiced by the Master of the Household.

But how does this spirituality of grace work when there are moments of painful loss and suffering? To be honest, I can’t say I’ve ‘arrived’ yet at the fullness of living in a world of such grace, so that not even moments of great personal loss could extinguish the grace. I only glimpse God’s grace and hope that I will be far enough along on this journey to survive life’s greatest losses. And even if I’m not yet far enough along, I have experienced deeply enough the Crucified God in Christ to trust that God will be present with me in my times of greatest suffering, and then can help lead me out on the other side. We have spoken the following words many times: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me.”

Martin Buber, an Austrian Jewish and Israeli philosopher, once said, “He who ceases to make a response ceases to hear the Word.” Jesus is real to us, not just a fad, a crying-post, a pious notion. Because He is real to us, we listen to his voice of invitation, respond to his call, and head for the vineyard in which to serve.