Hello friends!
If you missed the first part of this blog, make sure you check it out here: Afternoon Journaling turned Sunday Sermon pt. 1.
This is the blog I originally wrote that I ended up preaching on Sunday, June 18th. (Happy Father’s Day, Donnie. Love and miss ya, pal.) (Unfortunately the people here in Myanmar don’t know what Chick-fil-A is, even though I talk about it at least twice a week with them, so I cut that part out.)
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Today, I was reading Matthew 20:1-16, the story Jesus tells of the laborers in the vineyard. To summarize, Jesus says the kingdom of Heaven is like a master who hires laborers in the morning and agrees to pay (I’m simplifying and Americanizing it) one dollar for the entire days work. The master hires laborers throughout the day and agrees to also pay them one dollar for their work for the day. So the laborers who are hired at the first hour all the way to the eleventh hour are to be paid one dollar for their work. You might be thinking, “Wait, so the guys who worked for 12 hours get paid the same amount as the ones who only worked 1?! That’s not fair!” And if not, I’m going to be honest, that’s what I was thinking. But Jesus humbled me real quick with the end of this illustration. The first hired laborers complained to the master about the unequal payment and the master’s response was, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for [one dollar]? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matt. 20:13-16)
Sometimes, I can totally relate to the morning laborers. To the world, I have a pretty clean record. I am by no means a rebel. I like to follow the rules and do what is right. So when I get what feels like unfair treatment, it can be frustrating. Now, I know what I am saying is wrong, but at times, my flesh can’t help but feel that way.
This passage and the feelings it brought up immediately reminded me of the story of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke (15:11-32). If you are unfamiliar with this story, I’ll brief you, but if you know it you can skip the next paragraph. This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.
There is a father who has an inheritance for his two sons. The younger son demanded his share from his father and left. Living recklessly, he spent every last penny of his inheritance and because of that, he had hire himself out to a citizen who sent him to the fields to feed the pigs – basically one of the lowest of the low jobs. He eventually found himself desiring to be fed the same food as the pigs because he was so hungry. One day, he realized that his father’s servants never went hungry, so he humbled himself and decided to go home and ask his father if he could work as a servant on his land. When he made it home, while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and ran to him and embraced him. The son apologized and asked if he could be a servant, but the father refused and demanded his servants bring out the finest clothes and foods to celebrate the return of his son.
This story is a beautiful depiction of the gospel. It’s absolutely incredible. But there is another part. Remember the father had 2 sons? Well the older son, who was always faithful and obedient to his father, returned from his work that day and saw all that was happening. They had prepared the fattened calf for the younger son (that’s like getting the biggest nugget tray from Chick-fil-A with extra Chick-fil-A sauce) and were celebrating his return. The older brother became angry and refused to go to the celebration. Verses 29-32 is their dialogue:
“Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!” And he [the father] said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”
Similarly to the morning laborer, I sometimes feel like the older son – bitter, jealous, or frustrated when I see other people receiving what I think is “more” from God. But as I was reading these passages and remembering these feelings, Jesus brought some points to my mind and I wanted to share them with you.
- Sometimes, I AM the younger son/the last hour laborer.
I am a sinful person. I think sometimes since I don’t sin in obvious ways all the time, I can get caught up in it, but I am by NO means perfect. I don’t trust in or rely on God for everything in my life. I am prideful and can be gluttonous. I am not always slow to speak or fast to listen. I can be quick to anger and slow to repentance. But every time I come back to Jesus and ask him for forgiveness, he forgives me, embraces me and celebrates me, just like the father celebrates the son.
- COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY.
This is something I have to remind myself every day. My relationship with God is independent from everyone else’s relationship with Him. Even if I see someone being blessed by God, it does not take away from any of my blessings or the love He has for me. Satan wants me to compare myself and my relationship with Jesus to those around me. It takes away any joy God has blessed me with and from the joy others experience when I radiate jealousy and bitterness. I need to be looking up to Him instead of around to others.
- God’s inheritance is not limited.
Going off of my last point, God’s inheritance for us is not limited. His blessings are abundant and will never run out. If I see someone else being blessed, that does not mean my heavenly inheritance or blessings will be any less. God is omnipotent. His power is greater than anything we could ever imagine and so is His love for us. He is not limited by anything and cannot be contained by a box or a maximum number. I should be rejoicing when others receive blessings, because they glorify God all the more.
So before you, I repent for my sinful, selfish, and judgmental ways and rejoice in the Lord for his goodness and His grace. I am so undeserving of the love and grace Jesus has for me, but Christ deemed me worthy when he sacrificed his perfect life on the cross for me, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Thanks for reading.
With love,
Baileigh
