Parable of Last Worker

On the rare occasion, I read the bible.  I limit my reading to only the parts that I believe are loving and wise.  I could read the other parts, but I think, why bother?  It's not taking me to where I want to go.

There are some bibles that have portions marked in red to denote the times that Jesus speaks.  Those are my favorite parts.  I love the parables.  I love the metaphors of the parables.

The only parable that stumped me, and that I actually didn't like until I understood it, was the parable of the labourers in the vineyard - the section in St. Matthew, Chapter 20 that was the inspiration for this website LastWorker.com.

To be truthful, for years, that parable picked my butt.  A regular prickly thorn so to speak.

For years, I thought it was so unfair that the guys working all day long in that vineyard, -scorching heat and all, - got paid the same amount as the guy that came and worked for only 1 hour.  Like how unfair is that?!?!?

If that were me, I'd frickin' form a union and tell my boss to shove it where the sun don't shine.

And then to make matters worse:  "The last shall be first, and the first last:  'for many be called, but few chosen."

So not only is lazy Joe Schmuk, who worked 11 hours less than I did going to get paid the same amount as me, he's going to get preferential treatment and may be the first in line for something really big.  And I'll be last!  The nerve of that boss of mine.

In my own life, I have had that feeling of indignation many times.  The most prominent example that comes to mind, was regarding my career.  At that particular time in my life, I actuallly compared myself to the First Worker in this specific parable.  

As an alternative medical professional, I obtained a university pre-med degree for 3 years, then spent another 4 full-time years studying naturopathic medicine.  The cost of tuition for all of those schooling years was quite high.  My husband and I even sold our home to put me through school.

When I first started practising naturopathy, I would see all of these practitioners (who I used to call fly-by-nighters), hang up their shingle stating that they practised holistic medicine of some kind or other.  They had taken a short inexpensive correspondence course without hands on training, in order to advise clients with their health.

In this scenario, I was the first worker in the parable and the "fly-by-nighters" were the last workers.  At the time, I thought that this situation was unfair.  The unfairness in my mind had to do with how much more extensive training I went through (plus my high cost of tuition), as compared to these "fly-by-nighters", and potential clients most often never knew the difference.

I thought it unfair until I realized something.  It didn't really matter how healing and great health was facilitated.  It didn't matter how much my tuition cost was or how many clinic hours I interned.  It didn't matter whether the other practitioners' correspondence courses were bird courses, weekend courses, or comprehensive insightful courses.

I finally understood the parable.  It didn't matter who was doing the facilitation of healing. What mattered most, is that people were being helped; that people were experiencing healing; that people were achieving optimal health; and that people were living better quality lives.

When I understood what mattered most, all of my other complaints did not matter one iota.  Unfairness was no longer an issue.  The bigger picture of a wonderful life for all people was what really mattered.  What did it matter how that was achieved?

In my life now, I experience an even deeper and richer meaning of the parable.  When I am doing what I love to do, - whether it be playing basketball, snowboarding, scrubbing floors while I'm dancing to 70s tunes, working on LastWorker.com, or hugging my beautiful family, - whether I am first or I am last, I feel shere gratitude. 

And when I feel that, I feel a momentary glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven.