Unlimited: The Importance of Saying “Yes”
Dec 5, 2019 2086
To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12, NLT).
Jesus told the parable of a landowner who went into town early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard (Matthew 20:1–16). We might understand this parable better if we think of it as a foreman who goes out to find labourers for his construction site.
The foreman hires workers throughout the day: some early in the morning, some in the middle of the day, and some late in the afternoon. And then at the end of the day, when they line up to get paid, everyone is shocked because he pays them all exactly the same, no matter how many hours they worked! What would the union have said?
The foreman says to the complainers, “What right do you have to be upset if I choose to be kind to others? It’s my money. I can do what I like with it” (Matthew 20:15, paraphrase).
God doesn’t give you what you’ve earned. Instead, he gives you full grace.
When it comes to the Kingdom of God, it’s not how much you’ve done that matters, but whether you’ve said “yes.”
So, whether you’ve been working on God’s construction site all day, or whether you’ve only just started, don’t boast. Just thank the Heavenly Foreman for the privilege. Because the privilege is itself the greater part of the reward.
– Eliezer Gonzalez
Eli’s Reflection: Think carefully and honestly about your own heart. Do you ever resent the blessings that others have received? Have you ever thought that you should receive more? Remember: it’s all of grace!
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