Gospel in Art: Why be envious because I am generous?

Commercial Instruction by Isidor Kaufmann 1912 © Art Renewal Center, New Jersey

Source: Christian Art

23 August 2023
Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus said to his disciples: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage." So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one has hired us" they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too." In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first." So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. "The men who came last" they said "have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day's work in all the heat." He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?" Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.'

Reflection on the painting

Most of us when reading today's Gospel reading identify with the complaint of those who, having worked all day in the heat of the sun, end up getting the same amount as those who have worked only for the last hour of the working day when it was much cooler. It offends our sense of justice. Especially in our culture of entitlement today, we feel that those who worked longer hours are entitled to receive more. Jesus knew that his parable would be highly provocative. So what was he trying to get at?

God does not give in exact proportion to what we have earned. God's justice is of a different order from our human sense of justice. But maybe the biggest point Jesus wants to make is to teach us that God relates to us on the basis of what we need rather than what we deserve. God's gift of grace is ultimately a free gift, unmerited. We can't have a transactional relationship with God - that if we pray more, he simply owes us more, or that those who pray less deserve less. This is not how God works.

Our charming painting by Isidor Kaufmann shows a father instructing his son in the art of business. Titled 'Commercial Instruction', the painting shows the father explaining at great length how the commercial world works. In that world, working harder and longer will result in your earning more, and paying for more will get you more. Jesus tells us this is not how our relationship with God works. Our relationship with him is not commercial or transactional. It is a relationship of pure, limitless love of the Father towards us.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-20-1-16-2023/