Undeserved Grace

I am a rule follower through and through. I am always on time. I follow instructions exactly as told. I read the assigned pages, complete the assignments, and meet the deadlines I see the world as black and white. Right and wrong. Those who do right should be rewarded, and those who do wrong should be punished. So, I have a difficult time when, after all my hard work and rule following, someone else is prompted ahead of me. The green-eyed monster inside of me screams “But I did everything you asked! I deserve it, not them!”

Maybe you can see why the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) is a tough pill for me to swallow. In short, this parable tells the story of a landowner who is hiring workers for his vineyard. He hires workers at various times of the day—some in the early morning, some about nine, some at noon, and more at five. At the end of the day, the workers who were hired last received the same amount of pay as the workers who were hired first. The ones who had worked the vineyard all day complained to the landowner, questioning why those who worked only an hour were made equal to those who worked all day.

I question it, too! How is that fair? The first workers had done all that was asked of them and worked hard all day, while those hired last had just shown up. They didn’t have time to prove themselves. They couldn’t have earned the same pay! But the landowner responds with this,

“Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?” (Matt. 20:15b, NLT)

Ouch. The conviction sliced through my heart like a knife. I had let my flesh rule my feelings. I let my jealous become judgement. I thought I knew what was fair and right. I thought I could be judge and jury, deciding who should be entitled to God’s blessings. Zechariah 7:9 tells me to “render true judgements, show kindness and mercy to one another,” but in my heart I wasn’t showing kindness or mercy.

I had missed the true meaning of salvation. His love, grace, and mercy cannot be earned or deserved. Instead, He has gifted eternal life to us all—no matter our past, our future, our short-comings, or our triumphs. Praise God for His graciousness and the truth that is found in James 2:13.

“Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

 How do you show mercy and kindness to those around you? 

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