Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous? Matthew 20:15
We do not always appreciate the generosity of God…..especially when others are the recipients. One quick read through of Matthew 20:1-16 reveals an aspect of human nature that is uncomfortable to admit for oneself. The parable is told of a landowner who hires men to work in his vineyard. Some are hired first thing in the morning and others throughout the day all the way up to the last hour of the day. The first to be hired agree to work for a denarius. This was the usual pay for a day’s work. At first they were content with the idea but by the end of the parable they are grumbling and accusing the landowner of unfairness because he had the “audacity” to give everyone the same pay whether they worked all day or just one hour. Their comparisons to others, false assumptions, and lack of appreciation for generosity robbed them of joy and contentment.
The thing about the parables Jesus gave is they have a way of becoming a mirror for us to see ourselves. Sad to say, I can relate all too well to the feelings of the group that worked all day. If given the same circumstances in my life I would probably respond in the same way. We have a scale by which we weigh and measure the things in life and we mistakenly think God has the same scale. We cannot fathom the depths of God’s grace and the heart of His generosity.
When we live our lives comparing ourselves to others in the area of health, marriage, finances, friendships, gifts, talents, opportunities, positions, possessions, and popularity we set ourselves up for dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and even anger. We are fine as long as things seem even or if we are a little ahead of everyone else. But when another individual receives something we don’t have or is given an opportunity we do not get we can be filled with jealousy. I would venture to say this can even be a problem among ministries.
Yet, my perspective of this parable changed when the author, Phillip Yancey, pointed out the necessity for us to see ourselves as the workers who were called out to the vineyard during the last hour of the day. It is then that I realize God has been extravagant with His generosity to me in multiple ways! May I know that He has NEVER short changed me.
Father, Your generosity leaves me in awe! Amen.
