Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Matthew 20

There are always at least two ways to look at a situation: from your own selfish perspective and from the perspective of others. When the workers in the vineyard saw the owner pay those that came later in the day the same as those that worked all day, they immediately assumed a selfish perspective and blamed the owner for shortchanging them on their wages. In fact, the owner had paid them the exact amount that they had agreed meaning that he was honoring his commitment to them. On the other hand, he paid that same amount to workers that had been there less time, and they declared that to be unfair. The owner again showed his integrity by agreeing that it was not fair; it was generous.

Life is not always fair, and we don't really want it to be. Sometimes we see that inequity in our favor, and we praise it. Sometimes we see it move against us, and we curse it. The problem is that most of the time we only see it from our own selfish perspective and so it's wrong both ways. When inequity is in our favor and it harms others, should we not condemn that in favor of the one that is hurt? And when we perceive it as unfair to us should we not check again, like the workers in the parable, to see if it is indeed unfair or if it is generosity on the part of the landowner?

There are angels in heaven that have never sinned against God and have never had an opportunity to have a true relationship with the Father. There are saints that walked through more trials than I will ever see. Praise God that He is generous enough to pay us all equally in terms of salvation.

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