SCRIPTURE
Matthew 20:13-16
13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?
14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.
15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."


OBSERVATION
The workers in this parable expected a different result from the one they received. At the end of the day, all the workers lined up to get paid in reverse order from their time of hire. Interestingly enough, it would seem that the master could have lined them up differently, but chose not to. So the men that had worked all day long stood and watched as those who had worked for only a couple of hours received the same pay as what they were promised.

I would guess that had I been one of these, I would have been thinking that perhaps the master had decided to pay me more! My hopes would have been lifted, but only for a moment. As soon as the next group of workers stepped up (they had worked a few more hours then the previous group) and received the same pay, my hopes would have been dashed again. At that point, I would start to get a little frustrated, starting to stew on the injustice of working all day and getting paid the same as those who had worked for only a few hours.

I can see myself being the man who objects to the master for this perceived injustice. Of course, the master's response is unanswerable — you agreed to work for the wage I have paid you.

APPLICATION
We are always worried that we are going to get the short end of the stick somehow. One of my sons is in a stage of life where he feels that he is always being treated unfairly. Somehow he perceives that his brothers are always being treated better and that his lot in life is somehow less than.

I think this tendency is innate in all of us. We constantly compare ourselves with what others are receiving and are constantly worried that we are going to be treated fairly. I think sometimes this expresses itself in the way we treat those to whom we are responsible — kids, employees, etc. We are obsessed with making sure we treat them equally because anything different from equal is unfair.

But this parable teaches us that this internal tendency is not a good one. If we compare the workers in the vineyard to those who have chosen to follow Christ and labor in His Kingdom, then we immediately begin to see how we are exactly like those who worked starting in the morning. We are constantly wanting to compare ourselves to each other and when we see what we perceive as an injustice in the way they are being blessed or recompensed or rewarded or whatever, we start to whine to God.

What we forget is that we are fortunate to be working in the vineyard to begin with! The reward of the Master is what we are working for, not to get more then our fellow laborers.

PRAYER
Lord, help me not to fall into the trap of comparing myself with others. Let me be concerned about my relationship with You first and foremost. Dig the root of comparison out of my heart. I find that this desire to outshine others is one that keeps creeping to the surface. Help me, my Lord!