FEBRUARY: NO FAIR! A STORY JESUS TOLD
Look Closer:
How many times do parents and caregivers find ourselves saying, “I know it doesn’t seem fair, but life’s not fair,” or some version of that? Children have an innate sense of fairness, and part of our task is to slowly help them understand the difference between what is fair and what is just. This strange story Jesus told is a great one to start telling when children are young - then keep telling it as they get older so that they, like us, can spiral deeper into the story.
Spiral Deeper: Jesus told a lot of parables. In our modern context, we are often tempted to treat them as fables, with a “moral of the story.” After all, these sorts of stories with a moral are the short stories we are most familiar with in our world. But parables are not fables. They are not simple stories. In his parables, Jesus took what 1st century Jews (his primary audience) knew - stock characters, story structures, and everyday things - and put a twist on them. He told stories to provoke thought and action. To make people question what they thought they knew. To poke and prod and disturb. To slowly reveal what the Jesus way looks like.
A modern day comparison might be the difference between the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare and an Elephant and Piggie book by Mo Willems. In this series, Willem playfully shows his readers what friendship looks like. He usually begins with a fairly predictable storyline, then somewhere along the way, there’s a twist. And it’s in that twist that true friendship is revealed.
As you, the grown-up, read this month’s story, and as you read it with children now and when they’re older, here are some things to ponder that will help you discover the twists and take you deeper into the story.
How many times do parents and caregivers find ourselves saying, “I know it doesn’t seem fair, but life’s not fair,” or some version of that? Children have an innate sense of fairness, and part of our task is to slowly help them understand the difference between what is fair and what is just. This strange story Jesus told is a great one to start telling when children are young - then keep telling it as they get older so that they, like us, can spiral deeper into the story.
Spiral Deeper: Jesus told a lot of parables. In our modern context, we are often tempted to treat them as fables, with a “moral of the story.” After all, these sorts of stories with a moral are the short stories we are most familiar with in our world. But parables are not fables. They are not simple stories. In his parables, Jesus took what 1st century Jews (his primary audience) knew - stock characters, story structures, and everyday things - and put a twist on them. He told stories to provoke thought and action. To make people question what they thought they knew. To poke and prod and disturb. To slowly reveal what the Jesus way looks like.
A modern day comparison might be the difference between the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare and an Elephant and Piggie book by Mo Willems. In this series, Willem playfully shows his readers what friendship looks like. He usually begins with a fairly predictable storyline, then somewhere along the way, there’s a twist. And it’s in that twist that true friendship is revealed.
As you, the grown-up, read this month’s story, and as you read it with children now and when they’re older, here are some things to ponder that will help you discover the twists and take you deeper into the story.
- God as a vineyard owner and God’s people as a vineyard were common metaphors for 1st century Jews. Interestingly, at the beginning of the parable this owner character is just called a “householder” (tying with humans), and it’s at the end that they are called a “lord of the vineyard” (tying with divinity). Could Jesus be calling us not just to associate this character with God, but also with ourselves?
- Notice that Jesus never says the householder needed more laborers. Just that he saw more people without work and invited them to come work. Also, the NRSV translation “standing idle” is not accurate. It’s more like “without work.” There’s nothing in the original Greek to suggest that these folks were lazy or didn’t seek employment.
- What’s a denarius? Our best guess is that a silver denarius would have supported a family of 3 for about six days. It would have been a just, but not exorbitant, day’s wage. The going rate. In other words, it’s what a laborer needed to support their family.
- Everyone was paid the living wage. The genius of the householder is that he paid everyone justly - if the first workers were going to complain, they would only be spreading tales about his generosity!
- This parable strikes an interesting tone - it’s not about charity, it’s about justice! The human/divine central character gives people the dignity of work while also meeting their needs.
Read It Matthew 20:1-16
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
Pray It
Jesus, you care about what we need. And you want us to care about what other people need. Help us to be generous. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jesus, you care about what we need. And you want us to care about what other people need. Help us to be generous. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Do It Tell the story.
- Try telling this one in different ways that use characters and everyday things your child recognizes. For example, I (Talashia) told my son this story, substituting a farmer, an apple orchard, and $150.
- Use stuffed animals or figures as props for the story.
- For very young children, it’s enough to just tell the story! If your child is ready, maybe ask questions like, “How do you think the laborers (workers) felt when they got paid?” “What did the laborers need?” “Why do you think the householder paid everyone the same amount?” These questions might lead to a conversation about fairness, and a great opportunity to talk about how God tends to prioritize what we need instead of just what’s fair.
Explore it: A Note from Tami
Children, like us, have an innate desire for life to be fair. The challenge is to understand what “fair” really means. Think of it as equity rather than as equality. Fair or equity means that everyone gets what they need or deserve while equal means that everyone gets the same regardless of need. So true fairness really is justice.
"Equality is giving everyone the same pair of shoes. Equity is giving everyone a pair of shoes that fits." — Author unknown.
Helping our children gain this understanding when they want life to be fair goes a long way toward helping them be secure and confident in themselves as well as in relationships. So, how do we help them gain that perspective from the time they are very young? If I remember correctly from my parenting experience, it wasn’t a one-and-done teaching and it could be challenging at times. I explored a variety of sources on these concepts. Here are a few you might find helpful. Do you want to delve into the concepts of fairness and justice more deeply? How we view justice and fairness can influence many of our own decisions and actions - from how we vote to how we focus on justice for our children. Process the concepts more deeply with this (1) article and (2) short video about different perspectives on justice.
Children, like us, have an innate desire for life to be fair. The challenge is to understand what “fair” really means. Think of it as equity rather than as equality. Fair or equity means that everyone gets what they need or deserve while equal means that everyone gets the same regardless of need. So true fairness really is justice.
"Equality is giving everyone the same pair of shoes. Equity is giving everyone a pair of shoes that fits." — Author unknown.
Helping our children gain this understanding when they want life to be fair goes a long way toward helping them be secure and confident in themselves as well as in relationships. So, how do we help them gain that perspective from the time they are very young? If I remember correctly from my parenting experience, it wasn’t a one-and-done teaching and it could be challenging at times. I explored a variety of sources on these concepts. Here are a few you might find helpful. Do you want to delve into the concepts of fairness and justice more deeply? How we view justice and fairness can influence many of our own decisions and actions - from how we vote to how we focus on justice for our children. Process the concepts more deeply with this (1) article and (2) short video about different perspectives on justice.