Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' – Matthew 20:1

Today's Scripture Reading (December 10, 2020): Matthew 20

Mark Twain argued that "comparison is the death of joy." There will always be someone with whom we will feel that we don't measure up or who is wealthier or better, who has the things that we want. And often just the suggestion that there is someone who has more, or that maybe we think that they had all the advantages of life that had been withheld from us, is enough for us to be robbed of the enjoyment that we should get from the things and the wealth that we do have. But the reality is that the possessions of others do not affect me and what I have. Someone else's wealth does not make my money or possessions worthless. When we compare ourselves with others, we end up disappointed when the truth is that all of us, especially in Western Society, are uniquely blessed.

So, Jesus tells a story that is about a group of people who want a job. As the potential employer comes out in the morning, he gives them what they want; a job at an agreed-to rate of pay. But throughout the day, the employer returns to get more workers. As a result of the staggered start, when the time came to pay the workers for their toil, they had all worked a different number of hours during their time on the worksite. But the employer decides to give each of his workers the same pay for the time they worked, regardless of the number of hours they had been on the job. Those who had worked the entire day felt ripped off. They had toiled much longer but received the same pay as those hired late in the day. But the truth is that they would have been quite happy with the payment if the others had not been hired shortly before shutdown. It was the comparison that killed their joy. The employer argues that because it is his money, it is also his rules. There is no law against an employer's generosity.

I know that many people become Christians late in life, and one of their worries is that they wasted too much time for God to truly accept them as he has those who have lived their lives in service of their king. And Jesus includes this story directed explicitly to them. In God's timing, and with God's generosity, too late is a concept that loses its power. It is never too late. God's offer is freely given to all of us, regardless of whether we have much or little for which we need to ask forgiveness.   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 10