The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard

So here’s a parable that pinches.

Labourers do some back-breaking work in the sun - some all day, some for part of the day, and some show up at the last minute. And they all get paid the same amount of money. How on earth is that fair??

This is a parable that I stumble over every time I read it. I get it in my mind, sometimes, but boy, my sense of fairness is stirred to indignation. Rather than being a story for ancient times, I think it is one that is more and more important for us these days.

As we grapple with our privilege, with immigration, with those left for centuries on the margins now insisting on an equitable place at the table, what is ‘fair’ is a challenging question for us. Please join us on Sunday with guest preacher Jennifer Swanson as she tries to wrestle this one to the ground.