That's Not Fair!
A reading for Wednesday, January 20, 2016: Matthew 20:1-16.
This is one of those stories that reminds us of just how far most of us are from fully embracing the Kingdom of Heaven...
Truth is, most of us reading the parable from Jesus about the vineyard have a voice in the back of our head that exclaims, "That's not fair!" Why should those who only worked for an hour get the same wage as those that worked all day. We are the culture of equal pay for equal work. Hard work and self-sacrifice are part of the American story.
But Jesus isn't interested in hard work, at least not in this story. Jesus is interested in welcoming people into the Kingdom of Heaven and the truth is hard work does not qualify us for that. Only God's grace can usher in our welcome to the Kingdom.
It's important to work hard, but it's also important to recognize where our greatest blessings come from. Hint: It's not us. It might not be fair, but it's the best news most us can get...
I didn't earn it but God welcomed me in anyway!
This is one of those stories that reminds us of just how far most of us are from fully embracing the Kingdom of Heaven...
Truth is, most of us reading the parable from Jesus about the vineyard have a voice in the back of our head that exclaims, "That's not fair!" Why should those who only worked for an hour get the same wage as those that worked all day. We are the culture of equal pay for equal work. Hard work and self-sacrifice are part of the American story.
But Jesus isn't interested in hard work, at least not in this story. Jesus is interested in welcoming people into the Kingdom of Heaven and the truth is hard work does not qualify us for that. Only God's grace can usher in our welcome to the Kingdom.
It's important to work hard, but it's also important to recognize where our greatest blessings come from. Hint: It's not us. It might not be fair, but it's the best news most us can get...
I didn't earn it but God welcomed me in anyway!
Comments
Post a Comment