A little over 2000 years ago, this tale was told to make a point. I can’t vouch for the original publication date but in any fashion, this tale has been around a very long time. We’re still not getting the point apparently.

The original tale: Matthew 20:1-16

20 “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^[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

³ “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace 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.”

The modern version 8-8-2025 Yahoo/AP Ray:1-3

1 “Retirement is 20yrs, not 15-18. However, something needs to be done because this isn’t right. A reduced retirement maybe?”

2 “I don’t know the answer, but the giving anyone a full retirement for less than 20 spits in the face of those of us that served 20+ for a full retirement.”

3 “I would have gladly taken a reduced retirement and be able to retire at 15. Again, not arguing with you, agree they better get something for the time they served”

Ray was referring to the ethical nature of breaking contracts and compensation, but he was really talking about how he, and his service, would somehow be lessened by being generous to others, who through no fault of their own, will suffer a breach of contract. I would surmise that if Ray had been subject to the same breach of contract, he would have felt that it was unfair.

Ray has his retirement. Ray will suffer no loss due to the generosity of another to others. Ray was content with his deal until he was informed that someone might be getting a better deal. It also appears that Ray believes that his making a 20 year commitment, not 19 years and 6 mos, somehow makes him more deserving. But Ray isn’t taking into account the ramifications for the people who need the generosity. Would Ray be willing to become a member of society that is seen as an outcast? Would it be a price he would be willing to pay for a few dollars more? He doesn’t include the idea in his statement, but from his statement, it would appear that Ray did not consider that possibility.

When we spend our time comparing our gifts to the gifts of others, we lose sight of how much goodness is already in our lives. If we expand those comparisons to anything and everything that may have already happened or might yet happen, we create a world of lack for ourselves out of nothing but self-deception. No one’s walk is the same as ours. Every day we will encounter people who seem to have all of what we want and that can lead to envy and despair. But when we encounter those people, we don’t really know what their walk is like. Maybe for us, we want the big house, the fancy car and the life of travel. But, it’s quite possible that the person that we envy for having those things, really didn’t want them. They might have wanted a farm with nothing more exciting in life than a quiet sunrise.

Back to Ray and back 2000 years or so, why did any of them agree to the deal in the first place? They could have negotiated for more if they felt they were worth more. Maybe we can start by asking ourselves simple questions and taking steps to be comfortable with our decisions..

1. If we feel that our worth is more than what is being offered, don’t settle.
2. If we feel they align, be content.
3. If we feel that someone else is treated better than we were? Learn from it and go back to step one.
4. If we’re content, be grateful.