NOTES for Mat 20:1-16

We often want to impose on God our own earthly idea of justice, while His mercy surpasses our earthly ideas, however lofty they may appear to us. The workers of the first hour and of the last received the same pay, and in this is the mercy of the Father, who wants to reward equally all whom He loves. But we so want to be singled out for one merit or another, to have our length of service taken into account...

Yet in spiritual life the earthly notion of seniority has no force. Every day we stand before the Heavenly Father anew, and anew we are hired by Him as workers. The denarius with which He intends to pay us is so priceless that it exceeds any of our labors. Strictly speaking, our merits before Him are too insignificant for us to present them to Him, much less to set them above the labors of our neighbors. But He loves us not for our merits.