Unvarnished Jesus: A Lenten JourneyEjemplo

Saturday, March 16

Matthew 20:1–16

Jesus Gives the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

This is a scandalous parable, and it probably reveals how unlike the kingdom of God we tend to be in our thinking — especially as Americans formed in the cowboy myth of rugged individualism. Jesus says that His kingdom is like a situation where a person who worked only one hour is paid the same as a person who worked all day. We call that unfair, but Jesus calls it the kingdom of heaven! The vineyard owner was more interested in giving people what they needed than giving them what they deserved — and he was willing to do so at his own expense. Think of it like this: If you fear that someone you deem as less deserving will be made equal to you based on their need and God’s love, you’re still operating according to an economy outside the kingdom of heaven.