Episode 74: The Parable of the Laborers—Grace in Action
What is it about God’s generosity that’s so hard to trust? In this episode, Cynthia and Susan discuss The Parable of the Laborers, in which Jesus turns the idea of fairness on its head with a story that disregards the rules we insist are so important. It’s a reminder that the kingdom of heaven runs on grace, and all our careful scorekeeping and human expectations of scarcity will someday be confounded by God’s abundance, so we may as well get used to it.
Notes & Quotes:
Matthew 20:1-16, KJV
Matthew 20:1-16, NRSV
All Things New: Rethinking Sin, Salvation, and Everything In Between, by Fiona and Terryl Givens
Opinion: Christmas History: Was Jesus a Day Laborer?, LA Times, 12/23/2017
What Jesus Really Said: Laborers in the Vineyard, Faith Presbyterian Church PCA, by Faith Sermons, 08/07/2016
Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality, by Richard Rohr
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels, by Kenneth Bailey
The Seeds of Heaven: Sermons on the Gospel of Matthew, by Barbara Brown Taylor