‘All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ‘ Ephesians 1:3(NLT)
‘He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. ‘ Ephesians 1:7-10(NLT)
‘“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’ “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’ “The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’ “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’ “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”’ Matthew 20:1-16(NLT)
Have you ever considered the generosity of God? Salvation is the greatest demonstration—the dead receive life, the destitute receive eternal wealth, the sinful receive righteousness—all because God is generous with grace. He lavishes it upon us.
Generosity could not exist without a giver. The need for help, kindness, and benevolence exists in every setting of life—our communities, our churches, our workplaces … and especially in our homes. Without one who is willing to give, generosity would never take place. True generosity is one-sided, coming from the heart of the giver.
It is therefore a great mercy that God is generous, that He acts upon His loving nature rather than making us qualify for grace.
God’s generosity in salvation is illustrated through a parable in Matthew 20. Here a landowner goes to the marketplace one morning to hire some day workers. At 9 a.m. he hires several people who agree to work for the day for a certain amount of pay. At noon he goes back to the marketplace and hires more, and repeats this again at 3 p.m. At the end of the day, each worker is given the same amount of pay, regardless of when they signed on.
The workers who were hired in the morning were livid. How could it be fair to pay those who worked only a few hours the same as those who worked all day? Hear the landowner’s response: “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” (verse 15).
Put yourself in the place of a worker hired at 3 p.m. and you begin to get the point. The hours worked had nothing to do with it, only the generosity of the landowner.
Discuss:
How can we show generosity to each other—and to others—through our marriage?
from The Next Year Of Your Marriage