The Messiah’s Secret – Today’s unemployment in UK

Matthew 20: 1-16.

In the news last week the latest government unemployment figures were released, the Job less total fell by 52,000 to 1.64 million. Most people were expecting the unemployment to rise after Brexit, but it wasn’t the case.

On the BBC News website, I quote, “Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight said that the UK economy showed "impressive resilience in the run-up to the EU referendum and the immediate aftermath of the vote to leave".

“Hargreaves Lansdown economist Ben Brettell said  "The dramatic fall in confidence may not ultimately be borne out by activity, and today's claimant count number is a tentative sign that things might not turn out as bad as many predicted.”

We haven’t heard much about this news in the Media.

Unlike the news beginning of this year as a result of the Chinese economy slowing down, and flooded the world markets with steel. The Guardian Newspaper reported in May, “A spokesman for the European Community trade union said that unfairly traded Chinese steel was still hurting UK and European steel producers.”

The effects on the British Steel industry led to a thousand and fifty redundancies at Tata Steel Works in Wales.

Were redundancies occur it’s based on last in, first out, starting from the most recently employed person till the required number is reached.

We can liken these people in Wales to those in the parable who were in the Market place at 6am looking for work and were taken on as labourers in the Vineyard for a denarius a day. 

The hours of the day in the parable represent a person’s life time and the denarius represents salvation. Those who had repented and accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

At the Rawtenstall (CAP)Job club on Tuesday we had five people on the course three of them have been made redundant, and two others who were present also have experienced redundancy.

Redundancy affects the whole family, often with devastating consequences on a person’s self esteem and in the long term suffering hardship. Even if mum has a part time job, after the redundancy money runs out benefits don’t cover the costs to clothe and feed the family.

Some are dependent upon the Food Bank RAFT helping them out and I heard recently that the RAFT Food Bank were running out of food in Rossendale.  

Being unemployed and competing for jobs can be demoralising, this were the Job Club comes into its own. The work is supported by prayer and the commitment to help the poor in both spirit and need to help them overcome their lack of confidence and motivation and to bring Christ’s values into the Job Club Market Place.

The course’s aim is to bring to the fore the achievements, qualities and strengths. For example arranging a birthday party: choosing the venue, the choice of menu, the DJ. Making a list of who to invite and sending the invitations out. A person has to be organised, reliable, outgoing and enthusiastic. Meet a deadline, make decisions, planning ahead and write the invitations.

 Also it’s about building relationships within the group to support each other. I would like to thank those from our fellowship who help and those who present the sessions.

Like the Landowner in the parable who employed all who came into the Market place looking for work and so the Job Club is open to all comers and the good news Mr Ali who joined us on the second week of the course has now found employment, we shall miss him and will continue to hold him up in prayer.

The importance of finding an employer who doesn’t exploit their workforce: by cheap labour and bad working conditions. People who run companies like this reflect their own life choices, like that of the world, and as scriptures states, “The end of those things, “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6: 23.

Whereas, finding a good employer whose values on pay and conditions are reflected in this parable  Instead of deducting pay for the labourers who had worked for less than a day, he shows good faith towards them, investing in them giving them all the same wage.                                                       

But we understand some saw the Landowner as being unfair.

Values in Christ’s Vineyard, God was going to be generous to them and give them all  ‘the first and the last’ the same.

We see this worked out at the crucifixion were the thief on the cross,  whose life of service was limited to a moment of repentance and confession of faith in Jesus.

He received the same pay a denarius, ‘salvation’ as the apostles.

Everyone who comes to the Job Club has a need to be loved for themselves, and behind the struggle to be part of the world values, there is a soul crying out to find the Saviour’s love, to be part of his workforce and the values we share.