Greatness: Matthew 14-20Sample

I love watching the TV show The Rookie. There is a character on the show called Smitty. The joke is that he hates to do work and will do anything to avoid it. He doesn’t want to be promoted as it is too much work. He prefers to sit in his police car drinking milkshakes rather than actually chasing criminals. He’s a slacker, and it makes for some good comedy.

When we come across slackers in real life, however, it is often not as funny. I recall some slackers I have worked with, and they drove me nuts for two reasons. Firstly, they were not pulling their weight. Secondly, I saw that they were a lot less stressed, and I just couldn’t be like that!

In the parable of the workers, the ones who had been there all day were understandably annoyed that the ones who had only worked an hour got paid the same amount. The slackers were getting equal treatment but not doing equal work. So what is this about?

God loves all of us unconditionally and equally—the believer who grew up in a Christian home and has followed Jesus all their life, and the born-again Christian who spent half of their life partying and doing whatever they wanted. As Jesus was dying on the cross, He told the thief beside Him that he would be in paradise, totally forgiven (Luke 23:43, ESV).

God’s economy is not like ours, and Jesus looks at our hearts over our actions.

If today’s parables tell us anything, it is that none of us are deserving of God’s grace. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV). We have no right to judge, and that can be hard when things seem so unfair. We all must come to God with repentant hearts.

Today, ponder this: When does life seem unfair? Take the time to thank God that we do not receive what we deserve, but that He is gracious to all of us—for all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.