Act JustlySample

One of the most difficult and the most beautiful parts of our faith is that God is so unlike us. In the book of Isaiah, God says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” We need the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us understand God’s ways.

The parable of the vineyard workers is a story that highlights how different God’s ways are from our own. The workers didn’t work the same, and yet they were paid the same. That doesn’t seem fair, right?

The problem with basing our understanding of justice on the idea of “fairness” is: Who decides what’s fair and for whom? Every person and group would set the scales differently. Understanding God’s justice means letting go of what we know to be “fair,” and, instead, trusting what God has revealed through his Word and through the Holy Spirit.

Reflection Questions:

In Matthew 20, the workers struggle with comparison. Is there an area of your life where you struggle with comparison? Ask God to change your perspective.

What does this parable tell you about God’s character? Spend time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to use this parable to shape your perspective so that it better aligns with God’s ways.