The landowner said, “Are you jealous because I am generous?”   Matthew 20:15

Since I was a young child, I’ve been a Christian — and I fully intend to serve God until the day I die. Because of this, the people I’ve always identified with most in the parable of the vineyard workers are those who were hired early in the day. They were the ones who started the job early and did their best to get the job done. They were hard-working, diligent, and responsible, and after doing a full day of work they deserved their pay. I can understand why they would get upset if someone else started work as the day ended and got paid the same wage as for a full day of work. If I were in their position, I too would be jealous when the boss was generous.  That we find it so easy to identify with these workers is a main point of the parable, really. Nothing that we can do will earn us the right to spend eternity in heaven. It does not matter if we follow God for our entire lives or just in our last days; the only way we can enter heaven is through accepting the gift of salvation won for us on the cross by Christ Jesus. The God we serve is generous, no matter when we come to repentance.

God of all the world, we praise you for your boundless, generous love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.