At first glance, your reaction to the story might be the same as the hired hands who worked all day. It seems unfair for the guys who worked only an hour to get the same pay as those who worked all day. I confess, I'd be complaining myself. Yet, that is what they agreed to work for, so that should be good enough. However, it just doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem fair.
The story is about the grace of God. Grace isn't something you earn or deserve, that's why it's called grace. The story illustrates the generosity of God toward us. He gives us all the same ultimate reward, eternal life with Him. He doesn't measure out His grace to those who appear more spiritual than others. We measure people by looks, power, prominence, influence, performance, wealth, achievements, etc. Since God considers our righteousness as filthy rags, those things are irrelevant to God. One sin is enough to separate us from God and condemn us. So grace is grace.
Truthfully, I'm glad that God is a generous God. I'm glad God isn't fair. If God were fair, we wouldn't fair so well. I'm glad he lavishes His love and mercy and gifts upon us. I don't deserve His grace any more or any less than anyone else. I'm just glad I get to experience it.
You too can experience His grace. Since you can't earn it, it doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done in the past. You simply come to God and ask His forgiveness, calling on the name of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 21 are some of the richest passages in the New Testament. They state that if anyone is in Christ, has accepted Christ, been immersed into Him is a new creation. All the old stuff is gone. How does that happen? God made the perfect Jesus, who never sinned, be sin on our behalf. Bottom line: we assume the righteous of Christ or are considered righteous in Christ.
God, thanks for your grace and making it so easy to receive.
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