Back in the 90s, when I first started seriously developing my faith walk, I used to listen to Dr. Fred Price’s Ever Increasing Faith television series. I respected him because although he was a specialist at interpreting the Word, being a preacher and all that, he still encouraged everyone to “read the text for yourself”. This is what started my habit of not taking preacher’s at their word but directly cutting out the “middle man” by reading the Bible for myself and asking God for the correct interpretation for my own life. The Bible is subjective and can be interpreted differently by every single person on earth based upon their life experiences. This is why I find it best to simply ask God what I am supposed to glean from whatever I read, because I have already experienced negativity based upon others interpretations.
Which brings me to my reading today, Matthew 20:13–15, the parable about the workers in the vineyard. Jesus tells the story of a vineyard owner who hired people to work in his fields at different times of the day but he chose to pay them all the same wage. Although some of the workers put in 8 long hot hours and others only put in an hour or so of work, they all got the same amount of money. This caused the longer workers to cry unfair and complain to the owner that they were cheated and deserved more than those who did less. To which the boss replied, “Friend, I didn’t cheat you. I paid you exactly what we agreed on. Take your money now and go! What business is it of yours if I want to pay them the same that I paid you? Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Why should you be jealous, if I want to be generous?”
(https://bible.com/bible/392/mat.20.13-15.CEV)