(Read Matthew 20:1-16)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” I will continue in the vein of putting modern twists on old stories. Today, instead of sharing something from Phillip Yancey, I will attempt to come up with the modern twist myself.
It was 2010 and the economy had taken a turn for the worse. Many people were out of jobs, the real estate bubble busted, and most real estate developers had to slow down on their construction projects; some had to stop altogether. However, one developer had a diverse portfolio and he knew he could easily ride out the financial storm. Instead of slowing down his projects and laying off his construction workers, he decided to ramp up a few projects in order to higher day laborers who needed the work. He got the idea by looking at the crowd of day laborers who gathered the 7/11 he passed every morning on his way to his office. He thought to himself, “I am going to help these people out.”
The owner asked his foreman to meet him at the 7/11 at 6am the next morning where they offered everyone there an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. The men, 9 in all, were glad to get work and were thankful for the opportunity. The going rate for a day worker on a construction site was $80.00. Most of the men there were so much in need of money that the $80.00 would immediately go to groceries for their families. At 9am the owner and his foreman took a drive to another 7/11 where they picked up 22 workers. At noon they picked up 11 more at gas station close to the construction site. At 3pm the team went to the local UHAUL store, because they knew day laborers congregated outside of the location. Sure enough, they found 12 men there and offered them an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. The day was almost over, but the owner felt led of God to go back to the first 7/11 and there he found 3 men still standing around. It was 5pm and quitting time was 6pm. The owner asked the men why they had not found work and the 3 men gave him all sorts of excuses. The owner thought, “These men are probably lazy. If they had been here at 6am when I came through they could have been working today.” But, out of the goodness of his heart, he still offered them an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.
At 6pm the owner called his foreman in and said, “Call the workers in and give them their wages. Start with the last, and end with the first.” Those who had come in at 5pm were called in first and to their surprise, they were given $80.00 for their few minutes of work. Then those who came in at 3pm were called and they received their $80.00. The same happened for those who came in at noon, then 9am, and then finally, those who had come in at 6am received their $80.00. The men who came in at 6am and 9am began to protest to the owner. They said, “Wait a minute! These last workers only worked for one hour, yet you’ve treated us all the same. We have been in the blazing sun all day long and besides, we know the last three men and they are lazy. They were sleeping while we were working. They don’t deserve the same pay as us!” The owner said, “Friend, I’m not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me on a day’s wages?” “Yes” was their replay. The owner said, “Then that is exactly what I have given you. Take your wages and go! I want to give this last worker as much as I gave you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Why do you resent my generosity towards others?”
So what does this mean to you today? It means God’s grace goes against our culture and our natural tendencies. It’s easy to look down on those you think you are better than or those you know you work harder than. It’s not hard to imagine yourself receiving more from God than the person who received Christ in the last seconds of their life, while you have been working for God all your life. But at the end of the day, remember, you are not God. If God wants to give someone access to the same heaven you will receive, even though they were a Christian for a few minutes, while were have been a Christian for decades, then why should you be upset? Would you get upset with God because of His goodness and grace? No. Don’t look down on others, because none of us are perfect. Don’t get upset with God because of His grace, because His goodness towards you is immeasurable. At the end of the day, thank God for His goodness, kindness, mercy and grace towards you; and then seek to extend that same grace to others. You are not the judge, God is, so let Him do the judging.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your goodness, kindness, mercy and grace towards me. I acknowledge the fact that I am only able to do what I seek to do for You, because of Your grace. I can’t earn Your salvation, Jesus earned it for me. If it were not for Jesus I would be lost and condemned to hell. This helps me to keep a proper opinion of myself, I don’t think of myself more highly than I ought to think, and I refuse to look down on others. If You want to shower others with Your goodness, I am in no position to question your grace. If anything, I will celebrate with others because none of us are deserving of Your goodness in our lives. I declare this with sincere gratitude. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
