Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

Today Jesus opens with a metaphor about the kingdom that might seem kind of frustrating.

He compares the kingdom to a vineyard and its workers.

The owner of the vineyard brings in workers at various times throughout the day but pays

them all the same amount, regardless how long they work.

So once you work longer, get upset.

But he says, hey, that was the deal we made.

Stop comparing yourselves to those who work less time than you.

Take what I'm giving you.

This is probably shocking to the people hearing the parable because it goes against their societal

norms.

This parable reminds me of a few things Jesus seems to drive home repeatedly.

First, it shows us the tremendous amounts of grace God pours out.

If you are with us in the Old Testament, this will be a bit of a refresher.

If you're new here, we want to define the difference between grace and mercy.

They're a pair of opposites that work in tandem.

Grace is when you get what you don't deserve.

And mercy is when you don't get what you do deserve.

So when the owner pays the late hires a full day's wages, he's showing immense amounts of

grace, unmerited favor.

Second, this reminds me that entitlement has no place in the heart of a child of God.

Because everything God gives his kids is undeserved, then it's all blessing and generosity.

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