Yesterday, Steve Jobs announced the latest iterations of the iPod music player. New colors for the iPod Shuffle, bigger storage for the iPod Classic, and a new version of the iPod called Touch (based on the iPhone). Amongst other news was the announcement that the price on the current iPhone was being slashed by $200! The iPhone came out June 29th and has only been out for 65 days. Suffice it to say, Apple users on forums and blogs were furious! Many people were complaining of how Apple has no respect for its fanbase and price drop of 1/3 was a slap in the face for those who had paid $599 for an iPhone on day one. Both Apple and AT&T call centers were apparently flooded yesterday by angry early adopters who had waited in line overnight in order to buy an iPhone at full price, only to learn that the price dropped to $399 about two months later.

The thing is, as I read people's comments online, I couldn't help but think of the parable of the workers in the vineyard. Jesus tells this story in Matthew 20:1-16 regarding a landowner who hired workers early in the morning to till the ground and offered to pay them a denarius for their work. Later in the day, the landowner continues to hire workers even till the end of the day, with some workers only working 1 hour. At the end of the day, the landowner ends up paying everyone the same wage, one denarius. Those who had started working at the beginning of the day complained saying that the landowner was being unfair and that they should be compensated accordingly. To which the landowner replied:

"'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

'So the last will be first, and the first will be last.'"