Title: Watching Others be Blessed/Topic: Resentment
Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalm 2; Matthew 20
Scripture: Matthew 20:13-15
13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
Observation: The workers that were hired at the beginning of the day get exactly what they were promised from the landowner who hired them, yet instead of being grateful they are resentful. Why? Others received the same wage they had received even though they had worked a far shorter time. It is hard for them to see others be blessed. The reaction of the workers hired first reminds me of the attitude of the prodigal son's older brother. He resents that he has stayed to work with dad while his brother was out being a “bad boy” and yet when his naughty brother returns home, dad throws a party for him.
Application: Why is it that we seem to have a difficult time watching others be blessed? Instead of focusing on the blessings we have received we seem to focus on what we still don't have, and we tend to envy or resent those that do have it. I think Jesus is warning us in this parable to guard our hearts against attitudes of envy, resentment and ingratitude. They produce a bitter crop in our lives. We need to rejoice with those who are blessed instead of envying them. If we indulge the tendency to envy it will eventually lead us to resent God, just as the first workers resented the landowner who hired them.
Prayer: Keep my heart pure, Lord. I do not want to give the devil a foothold in my life by allowing envy or resentment to enter my thinking. May I always focus on the good you have done for me and all the blessings I have had in my life as a result of your love and grace poured out to me. You are a good God, and I will rejoice when I see your goodness shown to others.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
4 Comments:
I can not stop thinking why a poor child will be born in Africa while a rich child will be born in Paris in a noble family?? They do not have any choice and it seems to me that God throw each of us in a part of the world. We do not have any selection about it although it effects our life a lot. I always wondering why???
God sends that "poor" kid to Africa with all those natural resources and treasures to be rich. That's us who draw lines between lands and insist this side of the line is good, that side is bad, and so forth and so on.
Zizi, I am a Christian and would like to share with you my perspective on your comments. Zizi, we live in a fallen world; the law of entropy is proof of that. And because we live in a fallen world, there will always be inequality and injustice. God has given us free will so we can choose to do good or to do evil. Unfortunately, the leaders of practically all poor nations have abused their power and/or squander the natural resources of those countries. Furthermore, poor and destitute people exist everywhere even here in the United States.
Jesus when he was here on earth knew poverty would always exist until the day of his return. He said in John 12:8 "You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." Jesus said this because a woman named Mary had anointed Jesus with expensive oil and the apostle that betrayed him (Judas Iscariot) complained and suggested that the money that was spent on the oil could have been given to the poor. With these words, Jesus was doing three things: (1) He was prophesying his death. (2) He was recognizing the reality of man's greed and hunger for power, and (3) He was encouraging those who have more to give to the poor.
Carl M.
Thanks my dears, Thank you for sharing your ideas...
Post a Comment
<< Home