The world's standards of fairness are not God's. If we desire God to be fair as we imagine fairness we are on the wrong path.
Our idea of fairness means equality. And that equality means in the following parable the man complaining is right. Read the following about the Kingdom of Heaven...
Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Do you see? The man said it's only fair they get paid more money, they worked longer, harder. They did work longer and harder, so do they deserve more? We want to say yes. But the truth was they agreed upon a set wage. That man was NOT cheated out of the agreed upon wage. They agreed to work for a penny and he gave them a penny. What he agreed with the others really, truthfully was none of their concern. They felt cheated when in truth there was no cheating at all. It wasn't any of their business if the man wanted to hire others and pay them the same. Their own selfishness demanded they resent someone working only a fraction of the length of time and getting the same pay. The cry, 'Not fair! Not fair!' ringing out loudly, and it would be the same today. Would you feel the same resentment? Answer honestly. Our flesh nature almost demands it.
The last shall be first.
The first shall be last.
Many will be called.
Few will be chosen.
The kingdom of heaven is like this man who hired laborers, many laborers and treated them all with fairness from the first hired to the last hired.
There is no special treatment in heaven. There will be no favored. The idea of such stuff is foreign to heaven. It's our fleshy sinful nature that demands to be first, that demands special treatment, special consideration. We somehow think we deserve to be treated in certain ways and when we are not we cry out- NO FAIR! NO FAIR!
We've been taught from our youth to indulge our selfishness. Maybe not in a deliberate way, but by society itself.
Satan wants us self centered, self motivated, self indulgent, self absorbed, self obsessed, you get the picture. As long as our minds are upon ourselves we are lost.
Christ came to save us, from the worst sinner to the least of sinners. Christ didn't come to find the most well behaved, Christ came to bring hope to the worst behaved. Christ wanted all to have HOPE and that HOPE is found in HIM.
By His grace may WE find our hope in HIM. May we look to Him and only Him and not to ourselves. Please Lord, take our selfishness from us, teach us to be more like you.
All by YOUR LOVE, all by YOUR GRACE!
Our idea of fairness means equality. And that equality means in the following parable the man complaining is right. Read the following about the Kingdom of Heaven...
Mat 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.
Mat 20:2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
Mat 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Mat 20:8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
Mat 20:9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
Mat 20:10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.
Mat 20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,
Mat 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
Mat 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Mat 20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Mat 20:15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mat 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Do you see? The man said it's only fair they get paid more money, they worked longer, harder. They did work longer and harder, so do they deserve more? We want to say yes. But the truth was they agreed upon a set wage. That man was NOT cheated out of the agreed upon wage. They agreed to work for a penny and he gave them a penny. What he agreed with the others really, truthfully was none of their concern. They felt cheated when in truth there was no cheating at all. It wasn't any of their business if the man wanted to hire others and pay them the same. Their own selfishness demanded they resent someone working only a fraction of the length of time and getting the same pay. The cry, 'Not fair! Not fair!' ringing out loudly, and it would be the same today. Would you feel the same resentment? Answer honestly. Our flesh nature almost demands it.
The last shall be first.
The first shall be last.
Many will be called.
Few will be chosen.
The kingdom of heaven is like this man who hired laborers, many laborers and treated them all with fairness from the first hired to the last hired.
There is no special treatment in heaven. There will be no favored. The idea of such stuff is foreign to heaven. It's our fleshy sinful nature that demands to be first, that demands special treatment, special consideration. We somehow think we deserve to be treated in certain ways and when we are not we cry out- NO FAIR! NO FAIR!
We've been taught from our youth to indulge our selfishness. Maybe not in a deliberate way, but by society itself.
Satan wants us self centered, self motivated, self indulgent, self absorbed, self obsessed, you get the picture. As long as our minds are upon ourselves we are lost.
Christ came to save us, from the worst sinner to the least of sinners. Christ didn't come to find the most well behaved, Christ came to bring hope to the worst behaved. Christ wanted all to have HOPE and that HOPE is found in HIM.
By His grace may WE find our hope in HIM. May we look to Him and only Him and not to ourselves. Please Lord, take our selfishness from us, teach us to be more like you.
All by YOUR LOVE, all by YOUR GRACE!
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