We live in a world that's simply unfair. People are abused, overlooked, walked on & ripped off. It's a crying shame. And if there's anyone we'd hope to be fair, it's God. But that's just not the case.
Surprised?
The truth is: God refuses to be constrained by fairness.
Therefore, the scandal of this week's scripture passage is that God is infinitely--extravagantly--generous, and God, without the slightest regard for how deserving we might be, showers us (and everyone around us) with unimagined blessings.
Why?
Because the Kingdom of God isn't structured on justice, what we deserve, what's fair, what's earned, balancing the scales. It's founded on extravagant generosity and love. Would we want it any other way?
Don't answer too quickly because the idea of a just & fair world has saturated our lives.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
God's extravagant generosity
In a reflection on the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16, the @ the journey writes:
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For a long time I've understood the Incarnation-Crucifixion-Resurrection of Jesus to be God's awesome, mysterious way of extending generosity and love to us, while satisfying justice and fairness through His atoning death: "The just dying for the unjust." Jesus dying in the place of Barabbas.
He is just, but He is also merciful to the point of humbling Himself to death on a cross.
Truly this all-giving love of God is at the heart of the good news of the gospel.
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