When Grace Fails

Or are you envious because I am generous? - Matt 20:15

Jesus said this at the end of His story about the land owner who took a stance of generosity and grace towards His employees. It didn't matter when they were employed during the day he paid them all the same.

Initially that doesn't sound very generous because our minds jump to fairness and the thought that its not right that a person working 1 hour should get the same as someone who has worked 10 hours.

That's when grace fails. When we think its about fairness. God's generosity and grace can not be measured in fairness. It is and always will be a scandal.

It's a scandal that God had to become a man.
It's a scandal that God had to suffer.
It's a scandal that that God the Father had to watch God the Son suffer and die.
It's a scandal that God had to pour his wrath for all our sin on His son.
It's a scandal God's son became our substitute.
It's a scandal that sinful people a pronounced holy and righteous without doing a thing.
It's a scandal that all our sins past, present and future have all been forgotten.

God's generosity and grace fails and produces envy rather that tear stained gratitude when we look at our selves as somehow deserving of it.

Lord let my mind and heart always live in awe of this marvellous, majestic free gift of grace that has crashed into my life and never to share it in fairness but in the same scandalous way it arrived on my doorstep.