The Reverend Canon Michael D. H. Farr, B.A. Lth., Grand Prior

The Blessing of Unity

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:13; Psalm 133 & 134; St. Matthew 20:1-16


In the reading from Matthew today we read that the Kingdom of God is like a landowner who hired workers from his vineyard at various times during the day. And at the end of the day ordered his paymaster to pay a days wages to each regardless of how long they had worked. Naturally those who had worked all day felt they should be paid more than those who had worked for just one hour. There are two stumbling blocks for us in this reading. We immediately see the unfairness of the pay scale. And we hit another stumbling block when we realize that the story is about the Kingdom of God and that God would act like the landowner. If the story were told today it is not hard to imagine that the workers hired late in the day would have been illegal alien workers, or add your own prejudice.….

In our world today we meet much unfairness in the work place. People doing the same job for different rates of pay. We meet people who are not able to find work in their field of expertise and training and must work for much less pay as unskilled laboureres, etc., etc. We meet people who are discriminated against because of their customs and or religion, and how often these differences produce fear and conflict in our communities. Sometimes the fear and conflict is able to reach a near global scale as is happening in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It may appear in the story that God is not fair yet there is a realization that a full days wage is needed to live and there is fairness in that concept. The idea that in the Kingdom of God all people are treated generously is a comforting idea to me and I hope it is for you also. There is a sense of unity that realization of God’s generosity. Psalm 133 reminds us of how great a thing it is to live together in unity with God and each other. When the priests (Aaron the 1st) and kings of Israel were ordained heaven and earth are symbolically joined together by the precious oil of ordination as it is poured on the head and runs down into the beard.

The unity that we share and experience together of course comes from our faith in God and the realization that we are all children of God, Brothers and Sisters in the one great human family under God. Our faith in God allows us to draw closer to each other. It is as if you and I are at the bottom points of an equilateral triangle and God is at the top. As you and I move toward God in faith we move closer to each other on the triangle. The blessing of unity growing as we move toward God in faith.

Let us overcome any fears that we may have of each other and of the unknown as we make every effort to understand those who differ from us. May we all come to accept each other as children of God-By Faith. Amen