An Hour's Pay

I received an e-mail with a 1950’s Woolworth menu. Such nostalgia! It showed a bacon and tomato sandwich for fifty cents, a ham and cheese for sixty cents. There was a sundae and ice cream soda for a quarter each. A slice of pie or cake, only fifteen cents. And a king size Coca-Cola for a dime.

Wow, weren’t those the good old days? Such miniscule prices? Well, let’s take another look and compare with today.

Back then I was an entry level, freshman college worker in a department store and my entry level salary was fifty cents per hour. A few months later I got a nickel raise! So, I could, with my one hour’s pay, buy a bacon sandwich, but not the ham, and not a drink. That would eat into my next hour’s pay.

Today our entry level hourly wage cover a lot more lunch than a sandwich and part of a coke. And, at a much wider variety.

The “good old days” are great to look back upon, but let’s not pass up today’s pleasures. And, when we compare them, let’s look at percentages of income rather than specific pricing.

While we’re thinking about those pennies a day, remember how our Lord described the kingdom of heaven:

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. (Matthew 20:1-2 KJV)

No, we’re not talking about today’s pennies!! That day’s penny was agreed upon by both the householder and the laborers, but it wasn’t enough. More laborers were needed:

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. (Matthew 20:3-7 KJV)

At the end of the work day, it was time for payment. Suddenly, fairness was called into question:

So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. (Matthew 20:8-10 KJV)

Why did the first group expect more? Their original agreement was for the same penny as the last, why did they want more?

And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last even as unto thee. (Matthew 20:11-14 KJV)

And, the final question regarding fairness:

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? (Matthew 20:15 KJV)