There is an acronym in one of the books on economics that I make my children read: TANSTAAFL. The author refers to it again and again, TANSTAAFL, shorthand for “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!” His point, from an economic view, is that nothing of value is free. Someone must pay for it, if not with money, then with time or hard work.
I thought of tanstaafl when I read the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matt. 20:1-16) this week. Those who worked all day are having their sense of fairness violated. We pulled more weight for the same result as those guys who did so little! As humans, we don’t like it. We don’t like it in marriage or family, we don’t like it at work, we don’t like it in government policies, and to be honest, we don’t like it in the church either. But this is where we run up against the wall of just what the kingdom of heaven is like.
The kingdom of heaven is like the master of a vineyard who is giving out free lunches! The master of a house who says to those he hired first, “I am doing you no wrong…Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?” And that’s just the thing, everything belongs to Him! As Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7) Their answer is our answer — nothing. There is not one thing that has not come to me through the providence of God Himself, not even my very breath.
Of course, tanstaafl still applies in the kingdom of God, but it’s Jesus who has done all the paying. It was a steep cost, a grisly price, to cover what now comes to both full day and 11th hour workers. Why would I, as a recipient of such generosity, ever begrudge the Master for sharing it as He wills?
I think there’s a clue in the words of those first hired, “These last worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us…” How it grates that these loafers, who are clearly not equal to me, are being treated like they are! Sigh. How God must roll His eyes at the way we always manage to find someone to one-up, to feel better than, to look down on, or stand beside so we appear comparatively more worthy, at least to ourselves. But not to a holy God. No, not to a holy God.
In the parable, one group approached the work as, “I’m being paid what I deserve,” while later groups just knew they would be paid whatever the Master decided was right. “He owes me,” vs. “I’m just glad to be here.” God is going to spread His mercy to all kinds of people who I may not think deserve it because, as Romans says, “It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Rom. 9:16) God help me not to ever be standing there, holding my own denarius and crying, “Unfair!” Help me see that I am only here because You sought me out, and You chose to be generous to me. I stand on grace, not effort. And working in the vineyard is a privilege, just to be doing work that pleases You, as well and as long as I’m able to do it.
Appalachian Disciple 