Is life a comedy or a tragedy? Are we the hero or the victim? Or maybe the villain? Is the world descending into chaos and dystopia or are we on a path of ever-increasing prosperity and progress? The stories we tell orient us to our place in the world and our role in the story.
The Bible tells the story of a loving God and a messy people. There is a beginning and an end. Major themes of creation, redemption, and sanctification trace the arc of this grand narrative. And Jesus Christ is the center of it all – the great hero of the story who comes incognito to rescue and redeem his broken creation.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation
Risen Christ, by your death and resurrection you brought dawn to darkness. You have made a new way, from death to life, cross to crown, grave to glory. We are frail creatures in a world of change and decay. Rule over us in your resurrection power. Subdue sin and evil, disease and destruction. We have nothing apart from you, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen.
Confession
O Lord, I live a world of dead ends. There is always an end. An end to my energy. My time. My love. My patience. My money. My very life. I am trapped by limits. I am burdened by my frail, finite limits. I have exhausted all other options. Nothing else satisfies. You burst forth from the grave to give me life beyond the horizon. You are my singular hope, my only prayer. Risen Savior, have mercy on my dead ends.
Word: Matthew 20:11-16
“And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 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.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’”
Meditation: A Generous God by Pastor Nathan Schultz
This far, the master of the vineyard paid his workers what he had agreed. He gave them a day’s wage. In a wild turn of events, the workers who spent only one hour in the fields were given the same wage as those who worked in the scorching heat the entire day. At the end of the day, they were sour grapes to say the least.
And as the indignation of the workers begins, the master responds, “Do you begrudge my generosity?” Or in another way, “Do you not like how generous I am?”
When I receive generosity, I can be thankful to the one who was generous towards me. But if generosity is given to others seemingly at my expense, I will play the comparison game. Let’s be clear, the master’s generosity was not at anyone’s expense but his own. But the comparison games we play creep in all too easily.
But the issue here is where the workers’ eyes seem to look at the end of the day. It’s not enough they will have their pay, they need to check on everyone else’s bank accounts as well. The workers take their eyes off of the master who cared for them that day. The master has shown generosity beyond himself to more workers, and yet they begin grumbling among one another.
I imagine the anger only grows as they look at one another. They groan with every movement. They have sore backs and sunburned skin. They could have taken their pay and headed to the bar for their shift beer. But is it ever enough? Somehow, the dignity they were given through work isn’t enough when others get to share in that joy. The workers will climb over one another and argue who is more deserving.
What makes sense of all this is not the amount each was paid, but what is the character or nature of the master who does the hiring and paying. If the master is stingy or treats pay as something he must do to get work out of someone, the work he receives in return will be of poor quality. But if an employee is cared for, and knows their boss has the best interest of everyone at heart, then you might get somewhere.
It comes down to the nature of grace. Is grace a token or monetary exchange? Something begrudgingly given to cover the mistakes of humanity? Or is grace found in a person? To me, it is an emphasis worth making. Grace is a person. It is not a doctrine or idea, but the disposition of a God who dearly loves his creation and will do anything to get it back for himself.
Do I begrudge the master’s generosity? God forgive me for when I do.
Lord Jesus, the depths of your generosity are impossible for us to comprehend. In our attempts to understand your gifts, help us to avoid making comparisons with others. Forgive us for our covetousness and our discontent. You are all we need. Amen.
Benediction
The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (I Pet. 5:10-11)