Matthew 20:9-16

Matthew 20:9-16

And after coming, the ones about the eleventh hour received a denarius apiece.  And after coming, the ones about the first hour reasoned that they will receive much more.  And they also received a denarius apiece.  And after receiving, they grumbled against the master of the house while saying, “These last ones worked one hour, and you made them equal to us, the ones who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.”  But the one who answered said to one of them, “Associate, I do not treat you unrighteously.  Did you not agree for a denarius by me?  Take your thing and go.  And I desire to give to this last one as also to you.  Is it not permitted for me to do what I desire in my own things?  Or are your eyes evil because I am generous?”  In this way the last will be first and the first last.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

These verses are hard for me to read because I love fairness.  I read this parable and I sympathize with the early workers.  They should be paid more, they did more work!  Or, at least that’s what I think.  That’s what we are all supposed to feel with respect to the parable.   This is why the parable is so powerful.  We are supposed to sympathize with the first workers and then realize Jesus’ point.  It is God’s kingdom.  The truth is that at the beginning of the day every one of these workers had no occupation.  They were simple idle workers standing in the square.  If they got what they deserve, they would have been left unhired and continued to be idle in the square.  Everything in the story is grace to these workers – including their opportunity to work.  They become entitled because they think they did more, forgetting that their opportunity was a gift in the first place.

Is it easy for you to sympathize with these workers?  Do you ever feel like you work and work at your faith and spirituality and don’t get the credit you deserve?  How do feelings like that really speak to your forgetfulness that your faith is a gift in the first place?

Second Thought:

I do think that it actually goes deeper than this.  Yes, the workers become entitled.  But they also become people that the master of the house doesn’t even want to be around anymore.  They are the first people to be welcomed into the vineyard.  But look at the master’s concluding words to these workers.  “Take what is yours and go.”  When the workers become bitter and entitled, they also become people that the master of the vineyard can’t use anymore.  He sends them on their way with their wage.  Entitlement is often the first step to being useless to God’s kingdom.  Everything we have is a gift.  When we take it for granted, what becomes of our testimony to His grace?

What is your testimony like?  Where are you in danger of being entitled?  Where are you in danger of being told, “Take what belongs to you and go?”

Third Thought:

But we’re still not done with these workers.  The master of the vineyard asks them a question as they leave.  “Are your eyes evil because I am generous?”  In other words, is their vision tainted because God demonstrates love to others?   This is a very significant question to ask ourselves.  Jealousy is a huge problem in most human beings.  Jealousy blinds us.  Jealousy even blinds us to what God is doing in our life and the lives of other people.  Often jealousy prevents us from seeing God’s hand at work because we want it to be at work the most in us!  This is a sad reality when it happens.  As human beings who are only in relationship with God through His grace anyways, we should by default celebrate when we hear that God has changed a life or been at work in the world.  But our eyes are often blind and where we should feel joy and hope we instead feel jealousy.

Where have you felt jealousy when you should have felt joy?  Why do you get this way?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 20:17-19