Perhaps you remember when Jesus tells the parable of “the workers in the vineyard.”

It’s a fascinating story.

The Master goes out where laborers gather, bright and early, to hire people at 6 AM to come work in his vineyard. They are glad for work and he offers to pay them a denarius (a common laborers wage for a day). The master also goes at 9 o'clock, noon, 3 o'clock and even at 5 PM, with one hour to go, and keeps adding to the workforce until the workday ends at 6 PM.

Then, you recall, it's time for the foreman to pay them, and the master asks that those who joined the workforce last, be paid first. Then he gives them a denarius. Well, when those who had worked for 12 hours saw that, they must have been delighted, doing their calculations in their own head. “If we worked 12 times as long, then we are in for a windfall!” But when it was time for them to be paid, they got the agreed-upon wage, one denarius, just like the others had.

How did they respond? They were scandalized. They were incensed. And, in essence, they said what every four-year-old knows how to say: "It's not fair!"

What do you think? If you're like me, you probably shrug your shoulders and say, "Well, they have a point." Maybe they feel like that older brother in the story of the prodigal son who had worked long and hard for his father, and he is scandalized when his ne'er-do-well brother comes home and his dad throws him a party and kills the fattened calf.

Is it true? Is God "not fair?"

Well, the master (representing the Lord) asks three questions:

1. "I have done you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?" They had to acknowledge that the master had kept his word.

2. "Am I not allowed to do what I want with what is mine?" They had to acknowledge that it was his vineyard, and his money, and he could do what he wanted with it, especially since he had kept his promise.

But here's the kicker:

3. "Or do you begrudge my generosity?"

What a question! They are scandalized that he has not satisfied their sense of entitlement. But the master says to them, "You are really scandalized by my grace. And, yes, I am extravagant in my grace to those who are undeserving." On one level Jesus is answering the shock and disdain the Jewish leaders have as he includes the unwashed, the unclean, and the Gentile into his kingdom because that seems unrighteous and unjust to them. But on a broader level he is clarifying the hardness of heart endemic to the fallen human being who gets upset, jealous and disappointed because God is generous to someone else.

Do you want to know how to make a child happy? Give him a toy!

Do you want to know how to make a child instantly unhappy? Give his sister two toys!

With the first toy, he is so happy and maybe even grateful.

When the sister gets two toys, he is upset, indignant and calls you "unfair and unjust."

You know, God is gracious, but that grace ultimately comes to us out of his execution of his justice. Did you know that? God is just. The blessing of his grace comes to us through the reality of his justice executed on Jesus Christ on the cross, as he dies in your place.

When was the greatest injustice in the history of the world? It was on that day when "Judgment Day" came early for us as God's just punishment of our sins was poured out on Christ where he purchased for us this scandalous grace of God. Forgiveness – rich and free. Glorious grace! But he also purchased grace for others - even for people you might think are undeserving. But guess what? You and I are undeserving, too. And if we don't see that, we don't understand his scandalous grace.

So whenever we feel indignant because The Lord in his providence has not given us what we think we deserve, let's stop. He is not the scandalous one who has failed us. He is the Scandalous One who suffered the greatest injustice ever, and then has poured out his kindness in a multitude of ways (please, count your many blessings), and lavished his grace on us.

Musings from Pastor John, September 13 , Click to Email Pastor John

Click Below for Pastor John’s sermon from September 20, “How Do You View the Scandal of God’s Grace?” Matthew 20: 1-16