Letter from the Vicar (March 2009)
Dear friends,
The Book of Common Prayer Gospel for Septuagesima is the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard.
Basically the story is this: five sets of labourers are hired to work by the owner in the vineyard starting respectively at 6:00 am, 9:00 am, 12:00 noon, 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm. At 6:00 pm, all receive the same pay - one denarius, which is what they agreed to. Not surprisingly those arriving earlier and doing more work are envious of those who did less, yet receive the same pay.
What is Jesus teaching us in this parable? Well essentially what he is saying is that any “labourer” who accepts the invitation to the Kingdom of Heaven no matter how late in the day, will receive an equal reward with those who have been faithful the longest. Though at first this sounds unfair, I believe it teaches a fundamentally important principle, which is that no matter how early or late we come to faith God will treat us the same. It is a theme that is present in much of Jesus’ teaching. He said that he came “not to call righteous people, but sinners,” and spoke of tax collectors and prostitutes entering the Kingdom of God ahead of religious people like the Pharisees.
I was reminded of this recently when reading a fascinating book called “The Suspicions of Mr Whicher” by Kate Summerscale. It is a true story of a notorious murder in Victorian England and the efforts of a famous detective to uncover the truth. It’s a good read in the tradition of Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Edgar Allen Poe. But one aspect of it which is particularly interesting is the confession of the female murderer.
She came under the influence of the great and famous Tractarian priest, Arthur Wagner of Brighton. His teaching and her association with the Sisterhood he founded at St. Mary’s Home in Brighton had a profound effect upon her. Through them she found the grace of repentance, and her contrition was proved by confession and the determination to make reparation to divine and human justice by surrendering herself to the law. Throughout the trial and subsequent imprisonment Wagner and the sisters supported her. Clearly they believed her penitence was real. After release from prison she went on to live a useful and selfless life, training as a nurse and working with lepers.
It struck me as I read it that this story illustrates the truth of Jesus’ teaching. It is possible for people to change, to repent and thus be welcomed by God into his presence, receiving the same love and goodness as those already installed in his Kingdom. No matter how bad we have been or how late in the day, God will receive us with open arms as his beloved children. This is surely a great message to take to heart, particularly in Lent when the theme of repentance is prominent.
May this Lent be a time when we all turn back to God and maybe for some an opportunity to receive his love and his blessings in full measure for the very first time.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Franklin
March 2009
