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First Century Socialism?

"The Red Vineyards near Arles"
Vincent Van Gogh (1988)
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow
Returning to stories firmly set in the agrarian setting of 1st century Palestine, the theory was that today at Holden Village I would be looking at the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard later in Matthew's Gospel, under the title of "First Century Socialism?" with the "s-word" always an interesting one in the context of the USA. For a change the dramatic introduction I planned to use would not be a new piece but one I wrote for my friend Micky Youngson's installation as President of the Methodist Church in Great Britain that year (hence MCGB News), and if I can crank my old computer into gear I may post the video we recorded for the event.
ps. I'm back to using Van Gogh images to illustrate, having failed to find an appropriate one for yesterday's Parable of the Leaven. This one "The Red Vineyards near Arles", was painted in autumn 1888 and is thought to be the only painting Van Gogh actually sold in his lifetime.

Reader:      The Gospel according to Saint Matthew chapter 20, beginning to read at the first verse…
For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers… (Interupted by the video Reader remains by lecturn and turns to face the screen…) 

VIDEO

Reporter:    Good evening, I am reporting this evening on an emerging story about unfair employment practices in the agricultural sector. And I am joined this evening by Matthew Levison local shop steward with the United Fruitpickers Union. Mr. Levison what seems to be the problem here today.

Matthew:     Well Sophie I am just astounded at the way that the labour force has been treated here today… This is an example of an employer, a local landowner, thinking he can ride roughshod over our members… Taking them and their goodwill for granted… Trample our workers underfoot like his grapes being turned into his cheap plonk…

Reporter:    There’s no need for that Mr. Levison… Could you tell us what happened exactly?

Matthew:     Well first thing this morning the vineyard owner took on some casual labourers to bring in the harvest. The job situation around here is so bad at the moment that the lads were desperate for work so they grabbed the jobs at the first opportunity.

Reporter:     Was there a problem with the rate of pay?

Matthew:     On no… it seemed reasonable at first…

Reporter:     Seemed reasonable? What was the problem?

Matthew:     Well as the morning went on it became clear that he hadn’t taken on enough staff… And you know what harvest is like, you need to get the goods in before they are past their best or before the rains come… But it was clear he just didn’t have enough men on the ground for the job in hand… So he took more on 3 hours later, then 3 hours after that he needed more, and 3 hours after that he took on still more… No workforce planning at all!

Reporter:     Sounds poor…

Matthew:     Poor doesn’t even do it justice… Even an hour before knocking off time he was still taking on more staff… Ridiculous…

Reporter:     And then?

Matthew:     And then when it came to paying up at the end of the day you’ll never believe what he did?

Reporter:     Please go on…

Matthew:     He only went and paid all the staff the same…

Reporter:     The same hourly rate…

Matthew:     No. The same in total. I can tell you Sophie that the staff who had worked all day were furious… There they were working all day in the blazing sun and they didn’t get a penny more than those who only started work an hour before knocking off time.

Reporter:     There doesn’t seem to be much justice there…

Matthew:     Justice! This guy doesn’t know the meaning of the word!

Reporter:     We approached the landowner for a comment and he said that he had already agreed a fair rate with the workers… and he paid what he promised.

Matthew:     It doesn’t matter what he promised, he also said to those who he took on later that he would pay them what was right… Well what’s right about paying someone who worked all day the same as someone who worked only an hour or two… I’ll tell you it’s not right… It’s not fair… And we won’t stand for it…

Reporter:     And so there you have it… Injustice in the vineyard. This is Sophie Wisdom reporting for MCGB News, Galilee.

Reader:     (Reader turns back to face audience and reads the final verses of the scripture passage.) 
… Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’
This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Selah
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