MATTHEW 20:1-16
We are left to ponder why God would punish the most upright person on earth, according to the author of the book of Job. Why would God reward people who are so undeserving is a question that the Psalmists and some other biblical authors ponder.
Jesus confronts this matter head-on in His parable of the labourers and their notably unfair wages. A landowner hires some people who have been hanging around idly at “the eleventh hour” (Matthew 20:6-7). When everyone receives the same pay after serving him all day, the other workers are startled. Who in their right mind would pay a labourer for one hour of work the same as for twelve?
Jesus’ parable defies economic logic. He was using the concept of grace, which cannot be measured like a day’s pay, to teach us. God does not give us wages, but gifts.
In the realm of grace, the word “deserve” is meaningless. Let us operate in that realm.
🙏🏼Lord, help us always to remember that our efforts cannot earn Your love or grace or forgiveness.
