Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Jealousy

While reading Matthew 19 & 20 this morning, I came across the parable of the workers in the vineyard. This one has always bothered me (surprise, surprise). In this parable, the vineyard owner hires workers in the morning and agrees to pay them a denarius for the day's work. They agree. Then again, at the 3rd hour and the 6th hour and the 9th hour and finally at the 11th hour, he hires more workers and agrees to pay them a denarius for their day's work (or in these cases - partial day's work). When the workers are lining up at the end of the day to get their pay, the owner pays those who only worked 1 hour the same amount as those who had worked all day long. He doesn't distinguish between those who have worked hard all day and those who only just got there. So, the all-day guys - they start complaining that the landowner was unfair by not giving them more because they had done more work.

(And, I'll admit, my dander is getting a little bit raised by this time too. Why on earth would the owner not have paid the ones who served longer more money - or better yet, why wouldn't the owner have negotiated a lower wage with the ones who came on later - like 1/12 of a denarius for those who only worked one hour? Surely they would have worked for less, and it wouldn't have had to cost the owner as much as it did. It's not fair to those who had been there all day that the owner pays those who just got there the same amount as those who had put in a full day's work.) Being a first-born, I'm kind of a justice-girl - and this whole scenario just does not play well for me.

And then the owner makes the kicker statement in verses 13-15 that makes me frustrated and convicted at the same time... "Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or, are you envious because I am generous?"

I guess I would have to be honest and answer, "Yes, I guess I must be envious of your generosity, Lord, when I feel like that generousity has caused me to be overlooked." When put that bluntly, the question and answer seem to demand that I make a shift in my thinking. Who am I to question or be envious of the generousity of God? After all, I am also a recipient of God's generousity. It is His alone to determine to what extent that He gives grace and abundance.

My first thought is that Jesus is referring to salvation in this parable (which I think He is), but I think the same principle applies to life here on earth as well. With regard to money, to talents, to faith, to ease, to health... some have more than I have and some have less than I have, but it is not mine to be envious of what God has been generous with. Good reminder...

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