Extracted from Spiritual Thoughts  28 September 2010  Maritta Terrell

Thought for the week from Jacquie Peal
In her sermon on Sunday, Kathryn was talking about grace (see, I do listen!!).
The Gospel reading was Jesus' story about the man who hired some people to work in his fields first thing in the morning, then went out later and hired some more. At the end of the day he paid all of them the same wage, which upset those who had worked through the whole day. (Matthew 20 v 1-16).
I must admit that my sympathy was, at first, on the side of those who had worked ALL day. But… But they had agreed to a fair rate of pay before they started which they received in full. Their problem was not so much with what THEY got as with what the late-comers got. It just did not seem fair.
It's not fair! A very human reaction but, when you think about it, is it really a fair reaction!? Why should they have grumbled because the land owner was generous?
Jesus was, I think, trying to make the point to his Jewish disciples that just being Jewish did not mean that God would give them preferential treatment on judgement day. It would be no good for me to say, "I have been a Christian all my life, as were my parents and grandparents before me. Of COURSE you have a place in heaven for me!"
 God's answer would be, "Of course I have got a place in heaven for you, because, in spite of all the times that you, your parents and grandparents have let me down my grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12 v 9). As it is also sufficient for … who became a Christian just 5 minutes ago."
In sign language the sign for 'grace' is the same as that for 'rain'; 'it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven' upon each and ALL of us. God's grace isn't choosy or judgemental. It IS 'patient and kind; … It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. It never ends.' Yes I am misquoting 1 Corinthians 13, but isn't grace, especially when we are talking about God's grace, another aspect of his love?
Please God, give me the grace, the love, to be patient, forgiving and kind. And PLEASE give me the grace not to envy or to judge others but to leave that to your living wisdom! Your grace.
Jacquie xx

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