In Matthew 20, Jesus gives us the parable of the laborers. We are told about a man who hires men at the beginning of the day, then more at noontime, then again almost at closing of the work day. When the men line up for payment at the end of the day, we find some disgruntled workers.
Matthew 20:8-15a says; "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.' When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' But he answered and said to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?'"
Yesterday at work, I received a reminder about what this parable teaches us. I was standing at my boss' door. She was on the phone with the owner speaking about someone they were about to interview. I heard her mention the wage they would start the person at. My blood pressure immediately rose. That figure was more than what I make.
For a few minutes, I acted like the men in the parable who worked all day and received the same wage as the men who worked only a few hours. Then, God reminded me of this parable. God took me to the wood shed on this one. I have a great job and agreed to work for the wage they give me. I'm so prone to compare my life to others instead of just God's standard for me.
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