QT 2/11/2022 Matt 20:1-16, We were the enemy

Matthew 20:1–16 (ESV) —

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

 

NOTE: We have a concept of fairness that is rooted in our image of God, but is distorted by our worldview and previous decision. Yes, life should be fair (that comes from our creation in God's image). But since we fail to see ourselves as created by God, fairness is only a social contract to most. Certainly life is not promised to be fair in a world view dominated by random evolution (in this case, unfairness is to be expected -- where we live, what we look like, and so on). So, we believe we must enforce fairness in our social settings because life does not promise it otherwise.

 

But turn it around and accept that we are created, but rebelled against the creator who gave us life. We rebelled and chose to be our own gods -- do we have any right to demand fairness from the creator when we are his enemies? (The new testament [Rom 5:10; Eph 2:15] calls us enemies of God). Do we have any right to question why God shows mercy to one and not to another? Do we have any rights vis-a-vis the creator as created things? Rather, should we not be grateful for anything the creator has done or is doing?

 

PONDER:

1. Do I believe I have rights before God (I don't)?
2. Do I recognize that I am created by God and can just as easily be destroyed by God for any failure or imperfection? And if I realize that, do I then realize I do have one right -- the promise given to me by Jesus' obedience and death to be a true child of God?

John 1:12 (ESV) — But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you so much for my salvation. I was your enemy without any rights. I was deserving of eternal damnation. And yet, you showed grace to me and saved me through your son. Thank you for the precious gift of salvation.