Joel M Bradshaw

13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?14Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?–Matthew 20

Many people read this parable and bemoan what appears to be a lack of fairness or injustice. But underneath those desires here would simply be jealousy and envy. Jesus’ point was that everyone got what was deserved or earned. It was all fair and equitable regarding outcome. Jesus’ main point was that God chooses.

The Bible is clear that each of us has sinned (Romans 3:23) and those sins have earned each of us a paycheck of death (Romans 6:23). If God chooses to give grace to some and not to others, that is God’s business. None of the workers in that parable deserved more, but God chose to be generous with some. None has a right to complain, for all got what they deserved. Some received what they didn’t deserve.

Regarding my sins, I don’t get what I deserve. Remember, I deserve death. If not in this life, then in an eternal separation from God. The fact that I have sinned puts me in the same category of Adam and Eve whose sin resulted in them being kicked out of the Garden of Eden and given a death sentence. I was instead the worker who got grace. I not only didn’t receive what I deserved, but because of Jesus am receiving what I don’t deserve.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

If salvation was simply a matter of God paying a wage, then it wouldn’t be grace. Grace cannot be earned or deserved. The good news is that God has chosen to be generous with the ones he has chosen. That choice is not my business, but God’s. It’s his ‘money’ after all. I therefore rejoice in God’s choice. I like to think that the ones who received the full payment in Jesus’ parable rejoiced, even though they only worked a couple of hours. The way God handles his business results in my gratefulness. When other attitudes creep in like jealousy and envy, time to repent. Grace is God’s business, not mine. I should celebrate God handling his business! How about you?–JMB