“It’s not fair!” Have you ever said those words? Be honest, now! When we say, “It’s not fair!” it usually means that something is not going our way, or we want something that someone else has or does not deserve. In our Bible lesson today, Jesus told a story about a landowner who was hiring men to work in his vineyard. He hired some of them early in the morning, some in the middle of the day, and some he hired just before quitting time. When it was time to pay the workers, he paid them all the same. Can you guess what the workers who were hired early in the morning said? Your right, they cried out, “Hey! That’s not fair! You paid the workers who worked only one hour the same as those of us who worked all day.” The owner of the vineyard said, “I am not being unfair to you. I paid you what I agreed to pay you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Are you jealous because I am generous?”
And yet, “Is God fair?” Of course, God is fair! And the Bible tells us that God is much more than fair. Does God love us because we love Him? No, God loves us because God is Love and God loves us so much that He sent Jesus, His only Son, to die for us on the cross, for our sins and to be justify before God. Even Peter, his disciple, in Matthew 16:21-23, Jesus told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and that “it was necessary for Him to be killed and on the third day to rise again. Peter began to rebuke him: No way, Lord! This will never happen to you! Thank you, Lord, for your generosity, for your justice and your unconditional grace even though we do not deserve it.
We will be praying for you and your family. Please include us in your prayers as well.
See you at worship!
Generous and loving God, you are the master of the vineyard, and your ways are not our ways. We thank you that your grace does not abide by human rules of fairness, but overflows with a love that exceeds anything we could ever earn. Expand our vision, Holy God. Remind us that your kingdom is built on mercy, not merit. Whether we have labored long through the heat of the day or have only just stepped into your fields at the final hour, thank you for welcoming us all the same. In your name we pray. Amen