Envy

Taylor Mertins

Matthew 20.1-16 Grace, when it is so freely offered to any and all comers, without any regard to merit, seems downright irresponsible. Even when the truth of the matter is that grace being offered to me is no more or less miraculous that it is to someone who walks through the door at the last second. Grace is only grace because it is given to those who don’t deserve it. Which, in the end, includes each and every one of us. Envy, on the other hand, is all about keeping score, holding on to the ledger book in our minds, noticing who did what and for how long. Whereas Jesus’ story, and every other parable for that matter, is the proclamation that God has gotten out of the score-keeping business forever.