Are You Jealous Because God Is Generous? By Sharon Musgrove #devotional

 

Are You Jealous Because God Is Generous?

By Sharon Musgrove

 

In the 1980s, a tv commercial for Pantene shampoos and conditioners became famous for its line, “Don’t hate me because I am beautiful.” In the ad, supermodel Kelly LeBrock claimed that using Pantene’s hair products turned her hair from being lack luster to strong, shiny, and full. The message of the campaign was that there is no need to be envious of what someone else has when everyone has access to the same thing. 

This advertisement came to mind while I was reading Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers recorded in Matthew 20. This allegory reveals the generosity and fairness of God, who wants all people to receive the benefit of partnering with Him. 

The story Jesus tells is of a landowner who went out one morning to hire workers for his vineyard, agreeing to pay the standard wage for their day’s work. So, his deed was done, right?  He wanted help with his fields, and he employed laborers. Period. But that’s not how this guy behaved. This employer continued looking at the people in his community. He noticed that many were unfruitful. So, like an ongoing infomercial, all day he added to his staff, as if to communicate I would love you on my team.

Don’t we all want to be chosen? And isn’t it crushing when we’re left standing...passed over by the team captain? But Jesus reveals that God’s kingdom is inclusive, where everyone gets the invitation to be a player. He sees those left behind, returning to bring them in.

The parable continues to the end of the day, when the time comes to settle wages. The boss does something crazy...all laborers hired received the same pay! Of course this made those who were first hired angry. They believed they should receive more for their work than the individuals on-boarded later. 

The anger seems justified, right? That’s how the world works...the more time you put in, the greater the pay off. But we do well to remember that God’s kingdom is not like this world. Our planet excels at hierarchies of wealth, power, and fame, whereas God’s currency is relationships, love, and acts of kindness. 

Here in the story a pivotal question is posed by the landowner.

“Are you jealous because I am generous?” (Matthew 20:15b GNT).

God uses questions like these to give us the opportunity to examine the state of our hearts and love for other people. It is human nature to look out for our own best interests, as the workers hired early do. But God is looking out for the good of all, and as this parable attests, He attends to the needs of the overlooked, disadvantaged, and marginalized.

Jesus concludes the parable saying, “So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16 GNT).

Here we get to the beauty of God’s kingdom and the reason behind His open-ended invite. This is the part where we all look gorgeous and split ends are no more. 

While many interpret this final scripture to mean that the hierarchy in heaven will be flipped, with the bigger rewards going to those who sacrificed more on earth. But that analysis is not cohesive with the message on works within the whole of this parable. Rather as the Meyer’s NT Commentary on this passage states:

“So...in the Messiah’s kingdom, the last will be on the same footing as the first, and the first as the last....”

On the same footing! Imagine, living in a community where your input is as valuable as that of the biggest influencer, or your contribution is treasured the same as the wealthiest giver. In this realm, the stay-at-home parent gets the same highlight as the successful entrepreneur. Everyone has, not just great hair, but a life that is strong, shiny and full.

So, when we are jealous of what someone else has going for them, we are not thinking about what God has given us. Remember those in the parable standing idle in the marketplace? It’s as if we have Pantene hair products but are not using them, keeping, not our hair, but our spirits lack luster!

Jesus wants you to know how deeply you are loved, how well you are seen, and how God is redeeming broken systems as well as broken souls. He has already given you the good stuff; you just need to believe in the beauty it produces when you put it to use. There’s no need for jealousy of God’s generosity to others, my friend, believe in your equal footing!

Author Bio:

 

Sharon has been writing and teaching biblically based curriculum, Bible studies, and devotionals since 2007.    

 

She has had the unique position of writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served women in the homeless community.

 

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to speak in Leadership camps intended on encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young women.

 

Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

 

Sharon and her husband, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown children. 

 

Currently, Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing face to face. Additionally, she is working towards a degree in Ministry. 

 

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Connect with Sharon:

Website: Sharonmusgrove.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonmusgrove_untethered/