Mmmm, Yeah... I'm Gonna Need You To Come In On Saturday, mmm K?!

It's a Friday afternoon. You've shut down your computer, and start heading for the exit, when you run into your boss (think deer in headlights look) and he asks you to come into his office for a minute, ugh. Your boss explains there is a last minute project that needs to be done before Monday and asks if you would be willing to come in tomorrow (Saturday), work from 9:00am -9:00pm, and in return get paid $1,000. Although you will have to cancel all your Saturday plans, you decide to accept your boss's offer because you could really use the extra money in these economically unstable times. So the next morning you show up bright and early, work your butt off for 12 hours straight, and get your assignment done promptly at 8:59pm. Although exhausted and worn out, you are content. You feel accomplished. You worked hard, and earned the money. You start doing the victory "i'm the man" dance while waiting for the elevator, when suddenly your co-worker Bob appears out of no where. You ask Bob what he's doing here on a Saturday. Bob says the boss called him last minute and asked him to come in at 8:00pm and work for an hour to help on a last minute project. Bob also reveals that your boss offered to pay Bob $1,000 for his work. WTH (heck). Bob continues to talk saying how generous he thinks your boss is and how grateful he is for such a sweet opportunity, but you don't hear Bob. You are angry. What once left you feeling content, now leaves you feeling disgruntled. You feel robbed, schooled, played, juked. You are jealous of the generosity displayed towards Bob and are thinking "IT'S JUST NOT FAIR" . To make matters worse, Bob says that the boss actually also had people come in at 12:00pm, 3:00pm, and 6:00pm and paid them $1,000 also. GOO! You contact your boss expressing your anger with his unfair treatment saying `Bob worked only one hour, and you have made him equal to me who has worked all day'. Your boss says "Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to Bob 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."

Now what if I told you that the above illustration is exactly what the kingdom of heaven is like. What if I told you that some people will spend most of their life being devoted to God and will have the same reward (eternal life/heaven) as those who come to God later on in their life?! In fact, what you just read is a modern day version of 'the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard' from Matthew 20:1-16. Jesus often spoke in parables so that it would be easy to understand his message. What I take away from this parable is

#1 Getting to heaven is not based on merit, but rather on God's grace/generosity. God's love for us disregards our levels of obedience, performance, or achievement. He loves us no matter how long we have been working (i.e starting at 9am, 12pm, 3pm, etc) God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour. [Note: even though our works don't change God's love for us or affect our status in heaven, someone who does have a personal relationship with God and loves God would follow his commands and be obedient to Him as a way to show love for God ]

#2 God is sovereign. He created the world! He created you and I ! He is the ultimate ruler who owns everything. He can bless who he wants and often blesses those most undeserving , in our example Bob (can we say "grace"?! )

#3 Go on brush your shoulder off! Don't begrudge God's generosity to others! Instead of grumbling about blessings we didn't receive and felt were owed to us, and instead of getting jealous when we see grace being given to others, such as Bob, we should be content with what we have (1 Timothy 6:6, Hebrews 13:5)

And finally, if you would like to read the actual story from the bible, you may do so below !
Matthew 20:1-16
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.' 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12 saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' 13 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first last."