The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "IT’S NOT FAIR!" for Wednesday, 28 September 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 20:1 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who went out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the workers on a wage of one denarius, [the standard daily wage,] he sent them off to his vineyard. 3 Then, on going out at about nine in the morning, he saw more men standing around in the market-square doing nothing, 4 and said to them, ‘You go to the vineyard too — I’ll pay you a fair wage.’ So they went. 5 At noon, and again around three in the afternoon, he did the same thing. 6 About an hour before sundown, he went out, found still others standing around, and asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day, doing nothing?” 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ ‘You too,’ he told them, ‘go to the vineyard.’8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and ending with the first.’ 9 The workers who came an hour before sunset each received a denarius, 10 so the workers who came first expected they would get more, but each of them also received just a denarius. 11 On receiving their wages, they began grumbling to the farmer, 12 ‘These latecomers have worked only one hour, while we have borne the brunt of the day’s work in the hot sun, yet you have put them on an equal footing with us!’ 13 But he answered one of them, ‘Look, friend, I’m not being unfair with you. Didn’t you agree to work today for a denarius? 14 Now take your pay and go! I choose to give the last worker as much as I’m giving you. 15 Haven’t I the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 Thus the last ones will be first and the first last.”
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In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.[Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)]
“It’s not fair!” As a father of five, I have heard that a few times. I don’t think we ever grow out of that feeling. Jesus told a parable about fairness. At the end of the workday, the landowner paid the same wage to all the workers — the ones who worked one hour and the ones who had worked all day. That didn’t seem fair. The 12-hour workers were not happy. Why should the one-hour workers get paid as much as they? They were even angry at the landowner!
That’s not fair — unless I’m the one who began work at 5:00 in the afternoon. If I’m the 5:00 worker, I’m probably not too concerned about what’s fair; I just appreciate this gift of grace.
Maybe I’ve been standing all day waiting to be chosen for work, only to be passed up — again. Maybe I was feeling unworthy, unwanted — rejected time and time again. Watching other people be chosen may have made me want to give up and go home.
But we are all the 5:00 workers. We’ve been chosen and called to work by none other than God! The Creator of heaven and earth has called us to work for God’s kingdom and to share in the riches of God’s grace — not because we deserve it, but because we don’t. That’s not fair; that’s grace.
Read more from the author, here.
"Be of Good Cheer"
“These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
This is a verse from John 16:33 in the New King James Version translation. I normally don’t read or preach from the KJV on a regular basis, but most of the scripture that I memorized as a child was in this translation, and I love the poetic beauty, especially of the Psalms in the KJV. This verse, also, is great to read and compare.
Here is the same verse in the New International Version (NIV), which is the most widely used translation today in the United States:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
One big difference is the KJV says “be of good cheer” and the NIV says “take heart." Other translations may say “be encouraged” or “don’t lose heart." All the different translations say the same thing basically, it’s just how the Greek word “tharseau” can be translated in different ways.
I like the “good cheer” translation. I want to be of good cheer. And sometimes I am…when things are going good. But that isn’t really what Jesus was talking about here, actually that isn’t what Jesus was talking about here at all.
One of those “things” that Jesus had been talking about before this verse was the fact that he was going to die. But even though he would die and not be physically with his friends anymore, they would be better off because the Holy Spirit would come to be with us (and in us) forever. In the end this was going to be a good thing, so he told the apostles to be of “good cheer!"
This verse makes me look at my life. Am I of good cheer only when things are going good (or at least what I think going good looks like)? Do circumstances take away my good cheer? Do other people take away my good cheer and put me in a bad mood? Do finances, my job, my kids, traffic, illness, marital issues take away my good cheer?
If so, then I don’t really have good cheer the way that Jesus was talking about it.
Take a look at John 15:11 in the New Living Translataion: Jesus said “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
Joy and good cheer are not a result of our circumstances, they are a result of Jesus. We don’t have good cheer because of the situation we find ourselves in, we have good cheer because Jesus has walked into our situation. We are not dependent on other people or other things to bring us joy and cheer. It isn’t about what we are going through, it is about who is going through it with us.
So be of good cheer my brothers and sisters, whatever you are facing today is NOT going to overcome or overwhelm you, because Jesus has already overcome it all for you. Face today with strength, love, grace, and passion.[Michael Vaughn, Check out Michael's blog at http://michael-vaughn.blogspot.com/.]See the author and his family, here.
"Link2Life for September 28, 2016"
Front row, left to right: Emily, Heather, Ashley. Middle row left to right: Anthony, Hannah. Back row, left to right: Dylan, Michael
The Author: Michael Vaughn (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: God generously offers grace to everyone.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the grace you offer us and each of your children. Forgive us when we resent your gracious love for others. Amen.
Prayer focus: MIGRANT WORKERS
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In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.[Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)]
“It’s not fair!” As a father of five, I have heard that a few times. I don’t think we ever grow out of that feeling. Jesus told a parable about fairness. At the end of the workday, the landowner paid the same wage to all the workers — the ones who worked one hour and the ones who had worked all day. That didn’t seem fair. The 12-hour workers were not happy. Why should the one-hour workers get paid as much as they? They were even angry at the landowner!
That’s not fair — unless I’m the one who began work at 5:00 in the afternoon. If I’m the 5:00 worker, I’m probably not too concerned about what’s fair; I just appreciate this gift of grace.
Maybe I’ve been standing all day waiting to be chosen for work, only to be passed up — again. Maybe I was feeling unworthy, unwanted — rejected time and time again. Watching other people be chosen may have made me want to give up and go home.
But we are all the 5:00 workers. We’ve been chosen and called to work by none other than God! The Creator of heaven and earth has called us to work for God’s kingdom and to share in the riches of God’s grace — not because we deserve it, but because we don’t. That’s not fair; that’s grace.
Read more from the author, here.
"Be of Good Cheer"
“These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”This is a verse from John 16:33 in the New King James Version translation. I normally don’t read or preach from the KJV on a regular basis, but most of the scripture that I memorized as a child was in this translation, and I love the poetic beauty, especially of the Psalms in the KJV. This verse, also, is great to read and compare.
Here is the same verse in the New International Version (NIV), which is the most widely used translation today in the United States:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
One big difference is the KJV says “be of good cheer” and the NIV says “take heart." Other translations may say “be encouraged” or “don’t lose heart." All the different translations say the same thing basically, it’s just how the Greek word “tharseau” can be translated in different ways.
I like the “good cheer” translation. I want to be of good cheer. And sometimes I am…when things are going good. But that isn’t really what Jesus was talking about here, actually that isn’t what Jesus was talking about here at all.
One of those “things” that Jesus had been talking about before this verse was the fact that he was going to die. But even though he would die and not be physically with his friends anymore, they would be better off because the Holy Spirit would come to be with us (and in us) forever. In the end this was going to be a good thing, so he told the apostles to be of “good cheer!"
This verse makes me look at my life. Am I of good cheer only when things are going good (or at least what I think going good looks like)? Do circumstances take away my good cheer? Do other people take away my good cheer and put me in a bad mood? Do finances, my job, my kids, traffic, illness, marital issues take away my good cheer?
If so, then I don’t really have good cheer the way that Jesus was talking about it.
Take a look at John 15:11 in the New Living Translataion: Jesus said “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
Joy and good cheer are not a result of our circumstances, they are a result of Jesus. We don’t have good cheer because of the situation we find ourselves in, we have good cheer because Jesus has walked into our situation. We are not dependent on other people or other things to bring us joy and cheer. It isn’t about what we are going through, it is about who is going through it with us.
So be of good cheer my brothers and sisters, whatever you are facing today is NOT going to overcome or overwhelm you, because Jesus has already overcome it all for you. Face today with strength, love, grace, and passion.[Michael Vaughn, Check out Michael's blog at http://michael-vaughn.blogspot.com/.]See the author and his family, here.
"Link2Life for September 28, 2016"
Front row, left to right: Emily, Heather, Ashley. Middle row left to right: Anthony, Hannah. Back row, left to right: Dylan, MichaelThe Author: Michael Vaughn (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: God generously offers grace to everyone.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the grace you offer us and each of your children. Forgive us when we resent your gracious love for others. Amen.
Prayer focus: MIGRANT WORKERS
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