Today, I opened the Bible to Matthew 20 and read the Parable of the Vineyard Workers. Here’s the synopsis. A landowner hires a group of workers in the morning, a second group three hours later, and a third group two hours after that. At the end of the day, he pays the last group first, then the second group and finally the early birds. Every group is paid the same amount. The early birds cry foul, even though they were paid the wage they were promised.
What’s the lesson here? “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” Just in case these words were a little too cryptic, Jesus spelled it out for religious leaders in chapter 21, “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
On the surface level I get it. God’s reach extends beyond the inner circle of “good Jews.” Gentiles and backslidden Jews are offered a place at God’s table, as well. When I allow myself to mull over the story, however, I have to admit I’m a lot like the early birds who cry foul. I mean if the landowner wanted to be generous, fine. But couldn’t he have paid the late group last, after the early birds were paid and merrily on their way home? Why did he have to rub it in the faces of those who worked all day?
So here’s my confession. I have a hard time (okay, I have to fend off gale force storms of jealousy) with late bloomers – the ones who lived wild, self-indulgent lives. They retired at fifty, did a little life assessment and decided to follow Christ in the second half of their lives. Now they’re best selling authors, nationally known speakers and respected authorities on spiritual matters. As one who has known Christ since age 16, I often feel like the early birds. “It’s not fair!” Yes, I know my response is wrong. Yes, I know I should celebrate when lost sheep return home. Perhaps, that’s why my gut response disturbs me so much.
I think I know what the problem is. I’m not upset that God saved and uses the late bloomers. In fact, I really do rejoice with them. I’m upset that I didn’t get to sin as much. My issue is that I didn’t get to be greedy, selfish and materialistic (at least not guilt-free) and still considered “spiritually mature.” And that’s the ugly truth. That’s why “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” They understood sin for what it was – evil. So I am the one who needs cleansing. Perhaps, it’s fair after all.
~Joyce
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3 comments:
I'm sure you've heard "Life's not fair." My mother taught me that as a child. I, like you, have served God since my youth. I must admit I don't wish I had sinned more. But your admission is admirable. I think we wrongly make these people celebraties. We forget that these late bloomers get to go to heaven; but eternal life begins now and its an abundant quality of life that we've been experiencing for a long time. We have so much to praise God for. We forget that we're never more of a somebody than we are as a child of God.
I read your comment on Gifted for Leadership and would like to be able to contact you. I looked on your website but couldn't find a way. Contact me at uniquelyhis@comcast.net
We didn't miss out on all that fun "sin" we were given that much more time to Glorify God.
1 Pet.2:4-5 " -- in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
ps I want to serve God,not the other way around, its not about me. thankfully.
side note if you read this please have John S. e-mail me. rodjmaine@gmail.com
Based on the posts, I guess I should clarify.
I understand what God gives us is far better than what the world has to offer. Christ wouldn't have asked us to "deny ourselves" however if the world's enticements didn't seem good for a time. When a person doesn't know Christ, he or she may indulge freely in lifestyle choices that I, as a believer, have chosen to avoid. Let's be honest, not everyone suffers immediately from unrighteous choices. Why else would Jeremiah have filed this complaint with God?
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease? (Jer 12:1, NIV)
At times, I share Jeremiah's sentiments. When these sentiments taint the pure celebration I should feel as someone enter's Christ kingdom, I can draw only two possible conclusions: (a)I don't believe the person was cleansed and redeemed by Christ's work of forgiveness on the cross; or (b)I don't comprehend the gravity of sin from God's perspective.
I can honestly say I would never come to the first conclusion. I follow Christ because I believe he has the power and the will to redeem those who surrender their lives to him.
So that leads me to conclusion (b). When people appear to reap benefits from sin and suffer few consequences, I feel at best, uneasy and at worst, jealous. If I truly grasped how deeply sin grieves God, such feelings wouldn't, couldn't exist. And yet,they do. Apparently, I'm not alone. Paul wrote:
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:21-25, NIV)
~Joyce
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