A way to live a mission in your church life.
When other church members do better in life than you, do not be envious of them; rather give thanks for the good things that come your way.
Based on Matthew 20:1-16
A way to live a mission in your church life based on Matthew 20:1-16, a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 9/28/17.
Jesus offers a parable. Life in God’s reign is like a landowner hiring workers for his vineyard early in the morning. He agrees to pay the usual daily wage. About nine o’clock, he hires more and promises to pay them what is right. At noon and at three, he hires more and promises the same. At five o’clock he finds more who had not yet been hire and sends them to work in the vineyard too. At the end of the day, he tells his manager to pay them beginning with the last ones hired first and then to go to those hired first. Each receives the same pay. Those hired first expect more because they have worked more and complain about it saying they have endured the heat of the day. The landowner says to them they have received what was promised so they should be on their way. He says he is allowed to pay what he chooses to pay. He should be free to do as he chooses with his own money. Then he asks if the complainers are envious because he is generous. The last are the first in appreciating his generosity and the first are the last in allowing the owner to be generous.
A theme: God sees that we get what we need.
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