SCRIPTURE:
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.”
Matthew 20:8-10
OBSERVATION:
In this parable of the vineyard workers, equal pay is doled out. Regardless of how much you worked, you got the same amount. Though they agreed to their pay, those who were hired first must have watched as those hired last received their wages, and thought they were going to get MORE. We know this because we read this in the next few verses:
“When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’” – Matthew 20:11-12
That is what pride and entitlement will do to you. Even though you signed the contract so to speak, and you agreed to what you would receive, the minute you perceive that you deserve more than others you are walking on dangerous ground. The owner reminds them of this:
“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” – Matthew 20:13-15
APPLICATION:
There was a point in my life that no matter where I was or what I was doing, if I felt like I was doing more than everyone else, then I felt like I should be compensated accordingly. Monetary, praise or otherwise, I felt entitled to receive more for what I saw as just and due to me.
I do more, so I deserve to get more.
This space of entitlement (and pride) is a bad place to be. Once you get there, it’s tough to get out because everything now becomes performance and results based. No longer are you thinking about the journey and getting better, but you get hyper focused on success, achievement and compensation. You are constantly looking at everyone else, instead of staying locked in to where God is calling you to be and what He is calling you to do.
The solution?
A daily dose of removing our crown of pride and replacing it with the garments of humility. I must regularly check my heart, that I am operating from a place of walking in the Spirit and not the flesh.
PRAYER:
Father Almighty. Forgive me Lord for times when I have allowed my pride, self-righteousness and entitlement to get in the way of what You were trying to do in my life. Thank You Lord for the reminders of the danger that my pride can bring. May I do my best to walk in The Spirit and not in the flesh, this I pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
