Monday 30th January
Read Genesis 2:15-17
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” (NIVUK)
Although God rested on the seventh day, He worked the first six. Humanity, made in His image, is also created to work (v15). Work is not an alien task. Work is part of God’s purposes for humanity and for creation. If the argument is sound that creation is presented as God’s cosmic temple we should expect to see ‘work’ and ‘care’ as part of the tabernacle/temple processes. Indeed, the same Hebrew phrases are found in Yahweh’s instructions to Moses concerning the Levites. “They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle.” (Number 3:7-8) (NIVUK). Working and caring on behalf of the community, the new humanity.
One can’t help but reflect on this instruction ‘to work’ and enjoy the benefits of the gracious gifts God abundantly provides when considering Jesus’ parable about the nature of the kingdom of God.
“‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3 ‘About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the market-place doing nothing. 4 He told them, “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” 5 So they went. ‘He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?” 7 ‘“Because no one has hired us,” they answered. ‘He said to them, “You also go and work in my vineyard.”
8 ‘When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.” 9 ‘The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 “These who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”
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?” 16 ‘So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’” (Matthew 20:1-16) (NIVUK)
A garden in which work is required. That is what the kingdom of God is like. Jesus helps us understand, just a little more clearly, just how generous and gracious God is by placing us in a garden to work and offering us the fruit of that garden freely and equally. Are we able to cope with such generosity, a generosity that is not remotely dependent on our work at all, but simply requires us to accept the gift given in love? For that is what God’s kingdom is like. Undeserved and unmerited grace. A grace that is fair beyond measure, because Jesus is fairer than all.