Work - Gospels (Synoptic)

Ok, so I'm worried about not getting my sermon done on time, so I am going back to work stuff. Psalm will just have to wait.

Matt 9:37-38 / Luke 10:2

Both Matthew and Luke make it clear that what Jesus is talking about is the crowds of people, or many towns of people, that surrounded the area. You can certainly draw from this passage that where there is a situation where people are thirsting for the word, we should pray that Christians will go there and give it to them.

But anyway, the focus of my study here is work, and Jesus describes the crowds of people (or the surrounding towns) as a harvest field, and those who preach the word that the Kingdom is near are like workers in a field. Jesus described others as "fishers of men" - it's the same thing. Jesus sees the Kingdom as something to be gathered up, and sees that there needs to be people for whom this is a priority.

Matt: 10:10 / Luke 10:7

The guiding principle of these verses is that 'a worker deserves his wages'. Before we look at anything else, chalk that one up right away regarding a theology of work. In the last couple of generations, Christian organisations and churches have begged work from Christians tradesman either for free or on the cheap, seeking it to be a donation from them. While I'm not saying that's wrong, I am saying that if someone works, they should get paid what they deserve. That, to me, says "the going rate". I think any Christian organisation (including churches) that pays people less than a market wage (and I'm not talking about a corporate wage, I'm talking about a NFP wage) could conceiveably not be giving the worker the wages he deserves.

Matt 25 / Luke 19

There are several parables that talk about work or workers, (like the parable of the workers in the vineyard, or the parable of the two sons) but they aren't really about work. However, this parable, the parable of the talents (or minas) is about working faithfully with what you have been given, and not towards your own ends.

It's almost a shame that we don't have slaves anymore, and that we don't put our kids to work in profitable industry, because we miss out on an important symbolic lesson which simply doesn't hold up as well in a free market. We are like slaves to God. Slaves don't get a cut of the profits. If they work harder, they don't get a commission. They have a job to do, and they do it because it's their job. Their work, whether harvesting in the field or investing cash for their master, is for the benefit of their master. They are provided for, with food and shelter, so they can keep working. The reward they get, if any, is the positive favour of their master. Sure, they might have the ambition of being the head servant, or of one day getting their freedom. But their future wellbeing relies far more on the mercy of their master.

Children are similar, and if anything a better example for us. If you put a child to work in the fields, you don't pay them like a worker. They are your child, and they are working towards the benefit of the family. You feed them, clothe them, give them shelter. But you don't reward them with food and clothing and shelter based on the work they do. You do it because they are your children. However, you can still get productive work out of them. We are children of God. Of course he is going to provide for our needs. But it's not because of the work we do. You may feel like quoting 2 Thess 3:10 at me, but woah do I have a surprise for you when I get to that verse.

Looking forward to John tomorrow - he has a very different view of work, which might also shock you.