Look Past Human Fair-Mindedness

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

–

Romans 6:23

Inequality is at the core of much of the news today, and possibly even an issue in the confines of your own home. People want fairness!

Jesus tells an interesting story in Matthew explaining that the Kingdom of God is like an owner of a vineyard that went out early in the morning to hire workers. He made a deal with the laborers for a denarius in exchange for their work. Throughout the day the owner continued to bring workers into the field. At day’s end, he settled up by paying them all, even the ones working only one hour, a denarius. Now, for many, this scene seems unfair!

Jesus was instructing His disciples to look past human fair-mindedness when approaching God. The Bible shows that regardless of the good humanity may do, the result of sin is separation from God. Yet He finds joy in offering something not earned, not deserved in any way, something infinitely better than fairness… Grace.

No one has earned God’s blessing of eternity in paradise with Him, but He welcomes all willing to accept His gift, even those humanly considered grossly undeserving, into His Kingdom. Never forget, as the owner of the vineyard, God’s grace is His to distribute.

Certainly, suffering in the world should be alleviated whenever possible but there is no form of government that will ever satisfy humankind’s desperate need for God’s grace.