Kingdom rules

Matthew 20 : 1 - 16

Do you begrudge my generosity?

We seem to be born with a strong sense of what seems fair and what seems not. Perhaps this goes all the way back to our first parents Adam and Eve who also felt it was 'not fair' for God to withhold a certain fruit from them. Well, they took their own way out of that and brought about consequences that remain to this day.

I'm sure if I were one of the first employed workers I would feel some envy that the last to begin work got the same wage as myself! It doesn't seem fair on the surface of things. We humans can be quite calculative. And even feel justified when it is something not wrong in itself. I worked harder - so I should get paid more.

This parable of Jesus (like so many other parables he told) turns human expectations upside down. Well, not so surprising because he is talking about the "kingdom of God" - a realm that works by a different set of rules. This realm coexists with the 'earthly kingdom' that is our natural 'home'. And the earthly kingdom plays by the rules we are all comfortable with. So, to live in the "kingdom of God" demands a vision that goes beyond the tangible.

In the end, it tells us about the way our God operates. It may not give us security in the earthly realm, in fact it may even seem foolish. But God's generosity surpasses our deepest desires. His willingness to give equal shares to the undeserving should remind us that maybe we need to see ourselves possibly as the latecomers! I know I have been a 'latecomer' into the kingdom in many ways. There are many struggles that come up again and again, hindering my walk. And yet, God who is generous does not use these against me, as if I deserve less of his gifts than others who have entered the kingdom earlier.