Jealousy and Generosity - Feast of St Luke
There’s this parable Jesus tells about a vineyard owner, who goes to the market, hires some people looking for work, and agrees a day rate with them. Then he goes out periodically to get more workers, even an hour before end of day, hiring those who are still standing around because no one will give them work.
When they’re all finished, he calls the last hired over first, and pays them a whole day's wage. The first hired are furious! “That’s unfair, they only worked an hour! We’ve sweated all day!” They cry.
The owner replies, “It’s not unfair, friend. Didn’t you happily agree to work at that rate for a day? Can’t I do what I like with my money? Are you envious, just because I’m generous?”
Jesus concludes: the last will be first, and the first will be last.
There’s so much in this. But the thread I want to focus on is the way it confronts our preconceived ideas about fairness and the power perspective can have on our happiness.
We have drilled into us the prevalent idea that we must earn our keep, that reward should be proportional to effort, and that we are only valuable because of what we can do. This is baked into so much of our society, from our punitive benefits system to the way the media discusses refugees.
But that’s not how God see us. In reality, we all qualify for unconditional love and generosity just by existing. God does not stratify Their children on different subscription tiers. We are all loved equally, no matter how much we can or can’t give.
I’ve been so blown away by the generosity of this community in contributing to Indira’s fundraiser, who thanks to your help, can now safely submit her asylum application without fear of instant rejection and deportation. Thank you so much!
It’s a gift to the community to care for those in need. And, it’s a gift to the community to be in need of caring for. When we ask for help, our vulnerability is a kind of kindness to those who can help us. It gives them a chance to be generous, show friendship, feel valued and valuable, and see more clearly how much they have to give.
Which is another key message in this parable: the pitfalls of comparison and jealousy. If the first workers were the only ones hired, they would have gone home happy with their wage. It’s only when they feel that someone else has got it better that they’re unhappy!
How often do we miss the fact we’ve got what we’d always hoped for, because we see someone else getting more? Because we feel shortchanged, somehow? So much of our appreciation for the world, for God’s love, for each other, hinges around our expectations, and our ability to avoid comparison. Sometimes, jealousy can be helpful, and it gives us information about what we want for ourselves and our lives. But often, it is just a way of convincing ourselves that we are smaller and worse off than we really are.
I invite you this week to look for ways to be radically generous, Jesus style. And maybe to investigate more thoroughly any feelings of jealousy or covetousness that come up. Are they showing you helpful information about what you want for your life? Or are they just hot air, preventing you from enjoying what you have? Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to discern the difference.
Love,
Andy
