The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

Jealousy/Envy/Covetousness is a sin we don’t hear much about, even though it made the top ten list of God’s commandments.  In this parable, the landowner agrees to pay the workers a denarius for the day.  They happily agreed and went to work.

But some workers came late in the day and only worked 1 hour, and yet the landowner was generous and decided to give them a denarius as well.   This was all well and fine until the those who bore the brunt of the work knew about this.  It didn’t go over with them.  Instead of being happy and content, they demanded “fair” according to their perspective.  But “fair” according to the landowner was that he paid them what was agreed upon.   He further rebuked them for their inability to accept his generosity towards others.  His generosity was a gift, and not a right to be demanded by the first-hour workers.

I think I too might have been a little grumbly if I were one of the workers who was there all day.  How often do we see generosity towards others and then believe it’s a right for us as well?  The evil with envy is that it robs us of the joy that could be ours, but because we’re looking at someone else’s favor, we are incapicitated to see the good we have.

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Memorized:  Matthew 20:5-10  (Mar 4)

(I’ve been so busy I’ve been clawing and crawling forward in memorizing, but clawing and crawling I will go.  I will not stop!)