Generosity

 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.
Matthew 20:14 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.20.14.ESV

A farmer employed several agricultural workers throughout the day. He payed the ones who turned up at the end of the day the same as those who were up at the crack of dawn. Quite understandably, the long, hard grafters were annoyed that they didn't get more.

The farmer has a right to do what he likes with his resources. If he choses to be generous above and beyond expectations, who are his workers to question him? All very well, but what's the moral of the story?

I came to faith in Christ aged eight. I've lived for Him ever since (not perfectly at all of course!). Yet if someone was to believe in Jesus on their deathbed today, they would go to be with Him in paradise.

If I was feeling stingy, I might begrudge the deathbed convert for getting the same eternal life that I've spent a lifetime anticipating. Yet I should rejoice at the generosity of God that our salvation is not a product of our labours, but the result of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf.

'Generous God, forbid that we should begrudge Your generosity. Whether we're young or old, help us to trust in You alone for salvation. In Christ's name, amen'

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mercy

  For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. Deuteronomy 4:31 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.4.31.ESV Jesus Christ is Lord. That's why they crucified Him, for claiming to be God and King: blasphemy to the Jews and treason to the Romans. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. So the same Jesus of yesterday is the Jesus of today. He was merciful yesterday, and He'll be merciful today and forever. He doesn't just turn around and decide to destroy people He's lavished His mercy upon. If we've received God's mercy, or if we receive it now, or before Christ returns, nothing can separate us from the love of God. If we want God's presence in our lives, and we cry out to Him for it, He's not going to abandon us in the wilderness of our sin. If we claim God's Bible promises for ourselves in faith, we are safe in Him. God promises never t
Read more

Power

 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.Exodus 9:16 ESVhttps://bible.com/bible/59/exo.9.16.ESV  Secular historians point to the lack of extra-biblical evidence of Hebrew slavery in Egypt and ensuing exodus. But here in this verse, God describes how this anonymous Pharoah has been immortalised in the annals of the Hebrews, so that God is proclaimed in all the earth. The mighty men of the world might think they can stand against God and win, but resistance is futile!  The more stubborn Pharoah was, the more the Lord was able to display His power. The more insistent Pharoah was of keeping his slaves, the more unreasonable he appeared. It was a battle of wills, and the will of Yahweh prevailed.  In the end, Pharoah will have been broken by the plagues. In the final plague, his own firstborn son was killed, the next in line to the throne of the world superpower. He might have tried to put a brave face on it, but he
Read more

Follow!

 And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 ESV Early on in His ministry, Jesus was really popular. Even just earlier in this chapter, Jesus fed 5,000 men, plus women and children miraculously. But when He started making statements like this verse, He understandably became less popular. Basically, Jesus was asking those who would follow Him to go on 'death row'. Following Jesus in 1st Century Roman Palestine wasn't about pressing a button on social media. It was about changing the entire orientation of your life to live for the promised Messiah.  Understandably, not many people signed up to 'death row for Jesus'. As Jesus made His way inexorably to the cross, the crowds peeled away. They were no better than the Romans, hankering after 'free bread and circuses', and when Jesus didn't play ball, they turned away disillusioned. Note however that Jesus isn't simply ca
Read more