GOD AIN'T FAIR

Josh McDaniels

One of the most outrageous parables Jesus ever told is the one of the generous landowner who hired some men at six in the morning to work in his vineyard for the day. Around 9 am. he hired a few more and then some more at noon. The men were due to finish work at 6 pm., but at five o'clock the landowner found yet more men hanging idly around. 'No one has hired us,' they said, so they were sent to work as well.

The men who worked for only an hour were the first to receive their wages and when the others saw them getting a full day's pay they thought, 'Happy days! We're going to get more than we were promised too.' But they didn't. The deal was that they would get a Denarius, and that's what they got - everybody got a Denarius.

How would we feel if it was us? How do we feel when we see the grace of God in the lives of others? We live good, respectable and upright lives, and God is good, but these 'Jonny-come-latelies' are treated by God as well as we are, far better than they deserve! It's not fair, but it should remind us that God's abundant provision has nothing to do with our good works. It's the absurdity of grace.

And that's the outrageous thing about the parable, for Jesus began by saying, 'This is what the kingdom of God is like...' To be honest, I find comfort in the story. I know my heart, and I know I tend to ignore, and hope that God doesn't notice the things about me that I don't like, otherwise I mightn't get what I want. That's because I've been infected, as we all have been, by the meritocratic world system in which we live - you get what you deserve. I'm so grateful God's kingdom isn't like that. It means I can be up-front with him, don't have to pretend.

Outward appearances cut no ice with God. His desire is to pour his blessing and fruitfulness and peace upon us - not because we impress him but just because he loves us. And that's goes against the grain too; for we want him to love us because he thinks we're good.