“...We assume that because people want more religion, they want more of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. WE assume that when they gather in our congregations and ask us to lead them in prayer, they want us to lead them before the throne of a Holy God. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The people in our congregations are, in fact, out shopping for idols. They enter our churches with the same mind-set in which they go to the shopping mall, to get something that will please them or satisfy an appetite or need....Congregations commonly see the pastor as the quality control engineer in the factory....They want God, in a way, but certainly not a ‘jealous God,’ not the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Mostly they want to be their own god and stay in control but have ancillary idol assistance for the hard parts, which the pastor can show them how to get.”p 80-81

“...it is characteristic of post-Eden human beings to try to be or get their own gods and that this characteristic is persistent, subtle and relentless.” p81

[After a congregation had developed and grown during the construction of the church building, and then had begun to decline, he writes)”I learned to my dismay that nothing at all was wrong, it was just that there was nothing now to do....I had suddenly awakened to the fact that what we can get our hands on is idols. I thought that we were there to worship God and love our neighbours, living into a holy mystery.”p83

“It turned out that far more people that I would have guessed had helped to develop and build the new church because it was a religious project, an idol that gave meaning and focus in the context of something worthwhile and suggestive of transcendence. They were not interested in God. Worshiping God was not emotionally exciting. Loving neighbours was not ego-satisfying. They drifted away and went on to get involved in other community projects.” P 83-84

“While everyone has a hunger for God, deep and insatiable, none of us has any great desire for him. What we really want is to be our own gods and to have whatever other gods that are around to help us in our work. We are trained from an early age to be discriminating consumers on our way to higher standards of living. It should be no great surprise to pastors when congregations expect us to collaborate in this enterprise.” P 84-85

Click here for the Text

Often called “The Labourers in the Vineyard” but a better title would be “The Generous Landowner” in the same way that “The Prodigal Son” is better titled “The Welcoming Father.”

First Questions:
- Who are the hired workers? Are we ‘ministers’ the hired workers? Are all Christians? Are all who point others towards God?
- I empathise with the workers who were hired first – as I do with the Elder son (Luke 15:11-32). What does that say about me?
- Greek text is fine – with a Class C question hanging over ‘Or’ (ή) at the beginning of Verse 15 which most modern translations now omit. Other than that it is clean.

Malina and Rohrbaugh remind us that “no-one goes looking for work. As befits honourable men, even peasants have to be approached and asked to work”[i] which fits in with what we can fathom about first century Mediterranean culture. Likewise we are reminded of the way that verse 15 have been ‘cleaned’ up by the modern translations in that it should read “Or is your eye evil because I am good?” so in preaching on this text we need to ensure that the idea of greed/envy/coveting are feelings that come from within – and the place of the ‘evil eye’ in Mediterranean culture – even today.[ii]

Schnackenburg reminds us that this parable “...is solely oriented to the conduct of God, and is an advertisement calling people to understand God in terms of goodness and mercy. God’s goodness ought to lead to a different relationship with one’s fellow human beings.”[iii]

In Sacra Pagina Commentary by Harrington, he raises some interesting questions that remain un answered by the text, including “Why did the householder not hire a full complement of workers? Why did he need more workers so late in the day? Was it because the work was so pressing or because the first workers were not working efficiently?.”[iv] He also goes on to implore the exegete to interpret the text in light of the eschatological implications, he writes that “With its vineyard (Israel)and harvest (last judgement) symbolism the parable of “the good employer” concerns the last judgement and should be so interpreted. The issue treated in the parable is why the latecomers receive the same reward as those who came earlier to work. The answer is that the kingdom of God’s gift to give and we must not begrudge God his generosity [as]...there is a balance between God’s justice and God’s mercy. Those who were hired received a just reward, one to which they had already agreed. The fact that the latecomers received the same reward can be credited to God’s mercy.”[v]

Australian theologian Brendan Byrne remarks that it is only natural that we share in the expectation of a greater reward and this the resentment when it is not forthcoming – which is comforting considering my earlier question. He goes on to explore the justice element of this text, “Does justice mean being paid the exact amount agreed upon? Or does it mean being paid what others are paid for the same amount of work?”[vi] A question that is easily answered by today’s standards of industrial relations (I wonder how we would have answered if Work Choices had continued??), but what of the biblical-kingdom answer that flies in the face of our culture? But then again, to be a Jesus follower is to be counter-cultural. Byrne concludes his reflections by saying “In the long run God gives salvation as an unmerited free gift. Whether human beings have ‘worked’ long or little for it is not ultimately decisive – which is a comfort for those worried about the ultimate fate of loved ones whose pattern of life has shown no outward sign of virtue or respectability.”[vii]

My favourite commentary series, which often provides the hook upon which to hang a sermon, reminded me that “the first group of workings is hired on the basis of an oral contract for the normal amount; the later groups are promised ‘whatever is right,’ thus raising, but not answering, the question of what is ‘right.’(δίκαιος)”[viii] Boring goes on to say that “when they (the workers hired first) receive the just fulfilment of their contract, they object not to what they have in fact received, but that others have been made ‘equal’ to them. They have what they have by justice; others have been made equal by grace [however] the parable, while affirming the sovereign grace of God, rejects presuming on grace. Grace is always amazing grace. Grace that can be calculated and expected (v.10) is no longer grace (cf. 22:11-14).”[ix]

Which begs the question on this Wednesday afternoon – where is God leading me in this sermon? I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

I have always thought that the suggestion that we are like sheep was a bit offensive. I always thought that the metaphor was a cheap shot at us, because I – probably like most people – always considered sheep to be a particularly dim witted animal. That is, until very recently.

Do not ask me why, but not too long ago I read an article where scientists had tested – and I cannot begin to imagine why, or how – but they tested the IQ of sheep, and it turns out that in the intelligent stakes, they are on par with cattle, and only slightly lower than Pigs. Anyway, what led to sheep being tested in the first place was that there was a flock in Yorkshire, England which over time developed problem solving abilities.

Do you all know what I mean when I talk about a cattle grid? Well these are those metal grids that are placed in the ground in place of a gate. The principle behind the grid is simple – the metal bars are placed far enough apart so that a the leg of an animal with hooves such as a cow or a sheep, would fall between the grids – the animals learn pretty quickly that this is not wise, and thus avoid them. They have been used all over the world to keep animals in certain boundaries – on the road to Alice Springs, which is where that photograph was taken, grids cross the highway to keep the cattle together. So back to this flock of sheep in Yorkshire; they worked out that if they rolled on their backs over the grid, that they could escape the paddock.[i] They could be set free from their fleeced, grass eating bondage. I imagine the situation to be somewhat like a Wallace and Grommet episode; the flock of sheep, under the cover of darkness, with dark lines painted under their eyes, approach the grid, crouching down in the dust, and one by one, on the given signal, roll their way to freedom, accompanied by the leader sheep whistling the theme music to ‘The Great Escape.’ All of a sudden, being compared to a sheep isn’t so bad.

In this day and age, the concept of Jesus being a Shepherd carries with it an entirely different meaning from the one implied in the text of John’s Gospel. Today, a shepherd, more often than not, is a generalist farmer – with sheep being but one of the many facets of the farm’s produce that keeps it all ticking over. Farmer’s these days drive dual cab four wheel drives, or ride off road motorbikes to keep an eye on their flock. We’ve all seen no doubt the expert farmers, with their highly trained sheep dogs, who can move a flock of sheep through gates, and around obstacles with a simple whistle and command. Although not riveting viewing, a well paired and practiced team of shepherd and sheep dog, moving a flock in harmony, is still a unique sight to behold. But that, with the exception of the sheep, has nothing to do with the concept of Jesus being a shepherd.

In the ancient middle-east, shepherds had a very hard life, since they endured and faced all the hardships of the tough landscape through which they herded their flock. They literally ate, slept and spent all their time with their flock – it was their life. They faced head on, all the dangers and difficulties that the flock faced, and they were just as vulnerable – to the extreme heat of the day, the bitter cold at night, and to the many predators, both animal and human that haunted their paths. I am sure that shepherds lived with the reality of sleeping with one eye open. When they could sleep, without the fear of predators, they slept in the same location as their flock, and were therefore seen as poor prospects as husbands and fathers, since they had to leave families alone and vulnerable at night. If a shepherd were to be lucky enough to have found a wife, due to their being away from home, and being unable to protect the honour of their household they were considered to be dishonourable men – little more than common thieves. In terms of a career path being a shepherd, was right up there in Jewish society with being a ass driver, a tanner, a sailor, a butcher, or a camel driver – basically you were perpetually unclean and unfit for a relationship with God, which meant you were unfit for a place in general society, which meant you were literally a nobody. And yet this is who Jesus identifies himself with. Because that is the life Jesus lives for and with us.

Having been one of the most vulnerable, Jesus journeys with societies most vulnerable and takes on all of their vulnerabilities. He knows what it is like to be out in the cold. Jesus knows what he is saying when he calls people to leave their homes and villages, and even their families, since he had done the same himself. He knows what it is like to have people think less of you, or think you’re crazy or irresponsible because of what you leave behind and let go of, because people have said and still say those things about him and hopefully, his followers.

It is no coincidence that in Luke’s Gospel, God chose shepherds in the field, watching their flocks by night as the first to receive the Good News of the birth of the Messiah. As an expectant father myself, my guess is that you want to tell everyone of the birth of your child, yet God chose specifically who would be the first to know. These men, who were considered to be dishonourable, social outcasts, were the first to be told the Good News, because the coming of the Messiah was the best news to the vulnerable of society. This new king, this shepherd king would make for an upside down kingdom - a place where the first shall be last, and the last shall be first – the shepherds, who were the least in the kingdom of men, would be among the first in the kingdom of God.

All through the story of God’s revelation to humanity – all throughout the scriptures we find displayed in action, word and deed God’s heart for the vulnerable. The widow, the orphan and the stranger are the trinity of God’s concern for creation, because it was these three groups of people who were the most vulnerable in a society which was structured around the family unit. Without a family who would stand by you in solidarity, in the ancient word, you were nothing. The shepherd, who likewise was often without family connections, could identify must more easily with the orphan, the widow and the alien.

As sheep we will recognise the shepherd’s voice and follow him where ever he leads. Through the dangers, toils and snares of life, on the well trodden paths and the narrow sheep tracks of life, we are called to follow. Will it be safe, following this shepherd? Not all the time – with bandits and thieves at the ready – following the shepherd who calls us by name, means taking up our cross daily, and following his lead through this life.

However, this other life – this crazy life of being on societies outer – of not making sense to the rank and file of the world – this life of the shepherd, that he calls his sheep by name to follow is not an ‘other life’ – it is the call to ‘life.’ It is the life of modern society, of economics and investments, or globalisation and rationalisation that is the other life – the life that Jesus calls us to, is the abundant life – life live following the shepherd, in loving, caring relationship with God, with each other’s needs ahead of our own – that is the life of Jesus, the abundant life to which we’re called.

Last Sunday morning, I challenged us all to going into the week to share our stories of the ordinary of life, seeking for God in all things, and breaking bread as a sign of the Risen Jesus. Well, I did not know it then, but the very next day – bright and early in the morning, I was breaking bread with colleagues in the city. At very late notice, I was invited to attend a World Vision Church Leader’s breakfast with the Rev. Tim Costello and Professor Dr. David Batstone. The breakfast was held to launch World Vision’s latest campaign, called ‘Don’t Trade Lives.

Who here saw ‘Amazing Grace’ when it was released last year? Who will admit to the fact that they teared up at the end, when William Wilberforce was told that his bill to end slavery had finally been passed, and that it was now only a matter of time before slavery was abolished? Wasn’t that a moving moment? Did you think to yourself in that moment, as I did, isn’t it a great thing that this evil blight is no more, and that it was brought about by a man’s firm belief in the Kingdom of God? This was the church, in certain parts, being as a shepherd to standing with the most vulnerable and walking them to safety.

The call is upon the church to once again stand in solidarity and give a voice to the most vulnerable in our world. More than 200 years have past since Christian reformer Wilberforce successfully campaigned for the end of state-sanctioned slavery, yet slavery still exists today. Today, slavery is referred to as ‘Human Trafficking’ and the estimates believe that their could be as many as 27 Million people bonded in this way. What that means, is that if those numbers are even remotely accurate, that there are most slaves in the world today, then there was in the entire 400 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

We were told, just in passing on Monday morning, that of the estimated 27 million slaves in the world today that four out of five are women, and three out of five are aged under 16 years. As it did for William Wilberforce many years ago, the modern slave trade of human trafficking calls us again to a gospel which is not just about what happens when we die nor how close we feel to Jesus in our worship; it is a gospel which seeks salvation from the systems of the world which would dehumanise people and promote an ever growing gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots.’ It is a gospel where our own salvation should be so rich and freeing – so abundant in life – that we are provoked into action. It is a gospel call to do justice, show mercy and walk humbly with our God. It is a gospel call to a new way of living, an abundant way of living which can change everything.

A primary focus of World Vision’s “Don’t Trade Lives” campaign is on the coffee and chocolate industries. To use the words of Tim Costello, “Chocolate is a luxury item that adds to our waistline and often makes us feel guilty. Yet if we were aware of the exploitation and dangers children in the cocoa fields of West Africa are forced to ensure, chocolate would also make us feel sick.” 70% of the world’s cocoa, which is the basis for the chocolate we enjoy, comes from the Western African Nations of Ivory Coast and Ghana, and there are over 600,000 children working in these Cocoa fields. The vast majority of these children will not be paid for their work, and over half will never attend a school. There are claims that in the worst cases children as young as six are being forced to work 80-100 hours a week. Evidence suggests that up to 12,000 children have been trafficked into West Africa to work in the Cocoa fields. Recently, Police in the Ivory Coast liberated 200 children from a farm, while capturing a convoy of fake ambulances which was being used to fool authorities to smuggle perfectly health stolen children into the country so become slave.

The Chocolate industry is worth countless billions of dollars annually to the world economies, and most of the profits are earned off the back of these children. The CEO of Mars alone is worth $10 billion. However, in 2001 after a great media furore, the head of the major chocolate manufacturers, agreed to a voluntary protocol which aimed to establish credible standards of public certification that ensured cocoa production was free of the worst forms of child labour practices and slavery in Ivory Coast and Ghana. This process was meant to be complete by July 2005. They failed to meet this deadline. In truth, they failed to even begin this process. They gave themselves a new deadline of July 2008 – a deadline which will go sailing past again, with no signs of the industry adhering to their protocol. And why would they, if people like us do not know what is going on, why would we care how the chocolate comes to us?

As sheep who follow in the well worn foot marks of the Good Shepherd, the Shepherd who came to preach Good News to the poor, and liberation to the oppressed and life abundant. What can be our response to this tragedy? Hopefully, I can hear you asking, “But what can we do, in the face of all this money, power and apathy?” We can do plenty. Never believe for one second, that one voice cannot make a difference. As the Dalai Lama is quoted as saying, “"If you think you are too small to make a difference - try sleeping with a Mosquito".

World Vision have a four fold strategy for confronting this problem, and they would like us, as followers of the Good Shepherd to join in at what ever level we feel called, and are able

• We must implore Local governments, particularly in Africa, but elsewhere around the world, to must enforce domestic and international laws which prohibit child exploitation and trafficking. They must also tackle corruption.

• Big Chocolate manufacturers and exporters bear a lot of the responsibility in tackling this issue. We need to demand that they:

· Reassess their supply chains so that the products we buy are child labour- and human trafficking-free and guarantee farmers a fair price for their cocoa

· Publicly outline a time-bound Plan of Action to ensure their products are free of human exploitation. We call on them to do this by Christmas 2008 and to engage a wide group of stakeholders in the development of this plan.

• Retailers should stock ethical, or what is called “Fair Trade” chocolate. Retailers should convey to manufacturers that the Australian public will not tolerate buying goods made by exploiting children.
• You and I should not boycott our favourite chocolates, since this only hurts poor farming families even more. Instead, we should use our voices to demand ethical chocolate from manufacturers, and our purchasing power to support Fair Trade Chocolates and Coffee.

I have not given this sermon in order to make us all feel guilty, nor to make a political statement. Buying chocolate is such an innocuous thing in this country and I always feel guilty about indulging because it adds inches to my waist line, and only harms myself. But the simple facts are, that buying and consuming chocolate does not just affect me, it seriously and dangerously affects the lives of countless children in Africa.

The Good Shepherd knew what it was to stand with the world’s most vulnerable people. And as a response to his leading, as a response to his voice, the voice of the Good Shepherd that calls his sheep, that calls us to have and share abundant life and to love our neighbour as ourselves, how will we respond when children, the most vulnerable of our world are being exploited for love of money and chocolate. Will we be like the traditional sheep and follow the leader, follow the crowd who shops without a second thought or will we be more like those smart cattle grid rolling sheep and consider the impact of our day to day living on the most vulnerable of the Good Shepherd’s sheep?

Who knows how she, and the other women spent their Friday evening and Saturday. We can assume that she would have been in a daze – a mind and senses numbing daze – her grief would have been overwhelming – it was easier not to think about it – the pain was too much. But the ever practical Jewish Mary, would have been mindful that the body of Jesus probably still needed to be embalmed correctly, or at least checked that it has been done the proper way because she was confident that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wouldn’t have done it right – never trust a man to do those sort of jobs right the first time! So, early in the morning, on the first day of the week – Sunday – she heads off to the tomb, where only 2 days earlier her world had been destroyed, to find that the new stone that covered the tomb, not yet covered with moss because it was so new, had been rolled away. Without actually going into the tomb to look for herself she raced back to the disciples to tell Simon Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved what she had seen.

This revelation jolts the boys into action, and they ran together towards the tomb. The faster of the two, Jesus closest disciple arrived first, stuck his head in to the empty tomb saw the burial clothes, but no body – then Simon Peter, no doubt puffing from the early morning exertion of energy, bursts – in try true Peter style – into the tomb and feels the emptiness – a feeling he had no doubt been experiencing since his denial on Friday – and he sees the grave clothes lying there. The other disciple enters, sees and believes – then they returned home – which for me, is an odd response.

Mary who had followed, was left all alone – now over come with grief again – and she wept openly at the empty tomb – when all of a sudden she sees two angels sitting where the body once lay. “Woman, why are you weeping they ask?” to which she responds with her suspicions about grave vandalism. During her response she most likely sensed movement behind, and turns around to find a fairly agricultural looking bloke, who asks her the same question as the now absent men in white. Her response, to a man whom she believes to be the gardener, is at the same time part accusation and part pleading for understanding, but when he spoke to her again, when he said her name – her eyes were opened to the truth. The Good Shepherd spoke, and one of his closest and dearest sheep heard and recognised his voice.

“Rab boū̕ nī!” she exclaims. Can you see the tears filling her eyes? Can you see all her worries evaporating? She had thought things were always going to be different now that Jesus has died – but he isn’t dead – he’s back! The one that we had lost is now found! Our lives can continue as they were – our relationships, our journey, our lives as disciples – it can all go on – Jesus is back. I wonder whether Mary’s future life flashed before her eyes – she could see the disciples and the followers travelling around Judea, preaching, teaching, healing – but now with more impetus – because Jesus is back – but it is so good that Jesus is back! Oh happy day!

“Rab boū̕ nī!” she exclaims. Which means much more than simply teacher – the word Rabbi means teacher - “Rab boū̕ nī!” means Greatest One. Then Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me.”

One of my favourite quotes, comes from the 20^th century philosopher Jagger, who is remembered often and in many ways as saying, “You can’t always get what you want.” You may be more familiar with his work as lead singer of The Rolling Stones. I bet you never thought you’d see the day when a sermon would contain a reference to Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones – but I am going somewhere with all this – trust me. There is another saying, which although we can’t directly attribute it to Mick Jagger, it has always reminds me of him and his group of mates – the quote is ‘A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss.’

Are you lost? Here is the connection – Jesus said to Mary, “Do not hold on to me” and what does Moss do to a rock? It holds on. But in its holding on to the rock, it begins to break it down. Its roots grow into the tiny fissures, which allow water to enter, which with changes in temperature expand and contracts, beginning the process that will inevitably destroy something that was once strong, and slowly over many, many years it will turn the stone into dust.

Jesus said to Mary – “Do no hold on to me” – I’m different, you’re different – what has come before, cannot be again – we cannot go back to the way things were – do not hold on to me.

If we hold on too tightly to a living thing, it will die – those of you who remember reading George Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, will only remember this too truly. If we hold on to tight to Smartie, it will melt in our hand – and despite the advertising about M&Ms, they will melt in your hand if you hold on to them long enough. If you hold on to the edge of the swimming pool – sure you’ll be safe, but you’ll never experience the thrill and freedom of swimming. If we hold on to tightly to a belief, we may miss exposure to a new truth. If we hold on to tightly to what we know, we may never find out how much we have yet to learn. If we allow moss to hold on to tightly, it will break it all down into dust.

Jesus said to Mary, “Do not hold on to me – I am alive, but am going back to the Father – you go and tell the others what you have seen and heard – do not hold on to me” Jesus calls Mary to go and bring others along on the journey.

Do not hold on to your petty differences, or squabbles – do not hold on to your need to always be right – do not hold on to the way things have always been done – do not hold on to what you think you know about me – do not hold on to your belief that you have nothing left to learn. Do not hold on to where you are, and allow comfort and familiarity cover you like moss covers a stone – slowly, and surely, breaking it down into dust – to be blown away with the first breath of wind. Do not hold on – let go, and get out there. Do not let Moss, be the end.

And that is a big part of the Easter message – Jesus is far too big for us to hold on to, and keep safely for ourselves. Often, we are more inclined to hold on to the edge of the pool – stay in the safety of the church, a place where we feel we have a good handle on who this Jesus character is, and what he is always on about – But Jesus says to us, “Do not hold on to me” – get out there, where the rubber hits the road, explore with each other and with your neighbours around you – who perhaps do not know anything about me, what it means to be a disciple – and love others as much as you love yourself.

I think Jesus knew the danger that faced Mary, and the disciples and us – she had found her Lord and Saviour again. No longer was the body missing, no longer did she need to face a future of tending a grave of a loved one, she had Jesus back – she had her life back – but Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me – go and share with others what you have seen and heard” In the immortal words of that 20^th century philosopher, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.”

Jesus said to the disciples earlier, that “I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” The resurrection is all about new life, new opportunities – it is a time to stop holding on to the past, and take that first step out into the future, following the Risen Lord Jesus towards the heart of God. We serve a Risen Saviour who is in the world today – let’s make sure that everyone we come into contact with, knows – without us even having to say a world, they know by our actions, and by our attitude that we have heard the words of Jesus, we’re not a group of people covered in moss, stuck in our ways we are the people of God, the people of the Risen Jesus and are no longer holding on – but we are venturing out into the great unknown as humble disciples.