Exodus 16: 1-10; Matthew 20: 10-14

Our fair share

The well known popular songwriter Paul William co-wrote a song “My fair share” with Paul Fox. It was recorded by the singing duo “Seals and Crofts.” They are a duo from Texas who were popular in the late seventies. Seals and Crofts were kind of a blip on the musical radar. Maybe this was partly because they were so vocal about their Baha’i faith, a religion with about five million adherents that is headquartered in Haifa in Israel.  It came out of the Shiite tradition in Iran in the nineteenth century but it is heavily persecuted there. Its main values are the unity of humanity, the unity of religion and the unity of God. It comes close to Unitarian Universalism in the US. This is good background for why their songs are a mix of pop, rock and mysticism. But the harmonies and lyrics can be quite good:” Lost, lost as a child’s first thought I must have arms to hold me. Lost without loving care I will have my fair share Fair, fair is a changing word, Fair is an honored promise, Justice if you’re  still there, I will have my fair share, Justice is a lady, Lay me down with justice, In a long white gown, With a breath of love we can share…., Celebrate my fair share.” Now Seals and Crofts tried to make a comeback on several occasions, but were unsuccessful.  They wanted more of their fair share of the musical success I guess.  Crofts now lives on a ranch in the Texas hill country and Seals has a coffee farm in Costa Rica.

Friends, today we are encountering the text in Exodus once more. To me it doesn’t feel that long ago since this text popped up in the lectionary.  The people are distraught. They feel things are worse in the desert than they were in Egypt. They complain bitterly to Moses.  Then God announces a miracle and promises that they will remember that God heard them.  In Matthew Jesus tells the parable of the laborers who all contract to work on the land.  They all receive the same pay, even though some have only worked a few hours and others have toiled all day.  You and I too would be upset.   The land administrator confronts the workers who worked since sun-up and tells them that he has not broken any contract with them.  So why are they complaining? Of course the parable is not about work on the land, it is about anybody can come to faith in Christ at any point during their life without consequences. Jesus knows the issue is controversial and that He will get their attention with this parable.

Friends, getting our fair share.  That is a big question in our lives.  Getting our fair share of attention, getting our fair share of love, getting our fair share of fun, getting our fair share of money, getting our fair share of possessions, getting our fair share of land, getting our fair share of power. The list goes on.  As the song says: “Fair is an honored promise, justice if you’re still there, I will have my fair share.”   We all want to be able to say:” celebrate my fair share.”  But it also says:”fair is a changing word.”  Jesus’ audience sure felt that.   He turns the whole concept of fairness on its head, as far as they are concerned.

When you hear the story of young boy fatally ill on cardboard box on a beach in Liberia, by himself, shunned, because he has Ebola, then we might wonder: ”where is his fair share of this life?”  There is a discussion going on in Bombay, in India about putting air conditioners in commuter trains which carry millions of people a day to work.  The question does not so much have to do with the technology or the cost of it, but with how you close the doors. People are piling out of the doors and dangle off the outside handle bars.  People get pulled into the compartments through a process of sheer suction created by the sweating bodies and spit out again at their appointed station.  Not even a square foot for people to stand on.  How do the inhabitants of the great cities of the world’s developing countries get their fair share?

Perhaps, friends, we find an answer in both our Bible texts and the song.  Fairness and justice do no work and, do not come about without love.  Exodus speaks of God’s miraculous love that will give people their share on their long journey.  Jesus ties them together.  He says that as long as we get what we need it is God’s prerogative to act out of love toward humans.  The song ties in both and justice and love: “lost without loving care, I must have my fair share.”  This is what we can learn in our dealings with the people around us.  People have tried just fairness, communism being one great experiment.” But fairness without love is bound to fail.  We need both. This is perhaps why we can’t find a way to make our world a good place for all, even though we have the know-how. At most we succeed in patches.  We love only a few people, and fail to love the rest.  It is true, it is much to ask. It is a herculean task.   May God help us.