Are you envious because I am generous? Matthew 20:15
Does it ever hit you that God is kind of eccentric? (I take great comfort in this! ;) In this parable, God pays everyone for a full day's work even though some of the workers only got to it during the hour before sunset...and they were probably hoping to make enough money to eat that night.
Would this tick me off, being the responsible worker that I am? For a while. But the story is a window into what God and his kingdom are like...and he doesn't function on human terms.
God is generous with grace. It flows freely to all who seek him--whether they seek him early in life or late. And when we complain about that (because we do), he reprimands us despite the cost we have paid to follow him. Interesting, eh?
The story shows how concerned God is about producing generous and compassionate people. He rewards everyone the same, and he expects us to be happy about it! The times and places in our lives where we think this is unfair are the parts of our character we haven't yet submitted to him.
Comparing ourselves to others often makes us think we deserve more...when in God's economy none of us deserve anything at all. God's idea of fairness goes way beyond ours. He is generous to everyone.
God, help us let go of stinginess and faulty comparisons. Make us gracious and kind like you. Amen.
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