The parable paints the picture of a man who hires laborers to work in his vineyard. The vineyard owner hires laborers throughout the day, resulting in some workers being in the vineyard all day, some half of the day, and others just a few hours. When the day is over and it comes time for all the workers to get paid, they find the vineyard owner paying each one of them equally despite the amount of time they worked. The workers who had labored all day begin complaining, which results in the owner asking, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me” and “Do you begrudge my generosity?” At this the parable comes to a close and Jesus states, “So the last will be first, and the first last.”
From this parable David gave two lessons: (1) God always gives his children more than what they deserved, (2) God has the right to do what he wants with what belongs to him. With the first lesson came the question, “Are you happy with what God has given you, or do you feel like you deserve more?” My well formed theological argument says, “Of course I don’t deserve more, I don’t deserve anything. I am totally depraved and everything I’ve received from the Lord, specifically salvation, is by his grace,” and then I trust my knowledge of that will produce gratefulness for what I’ve received from God and absolute contentment. Yet, though I may know one thing in my mind, so often I feel in my heart a different answer. I know I don’t deserve more but I desperately want more. Being content is hard, and fighting for joy in all my circumstances is just that - a fight. I’d be lying to you if I told you it was a fight that I find myself winning more than I do losing, but I trust God will grow me. I can say that as I fight it’s the truth I find in the second lesson that I use for a weapon. God has the right to do what he wants with what belongs to him. I belong to God, and I’m very grateful for that, and because I belong to God I know that what he wants to do with me is for my good, because he’s working all things together for my good. God is infinitely more wise than me, plus he loves me, and it’s knowing and believing this that helps me to fight for joy in God over and above anything else. It also helps to be surrounded by people who are fighting the same fight with the same weapon.
--C3 College Minister - Justin Turner
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