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I love to travel. One of the highlights of my life is discovering new locations and soaking in the beauty of the world that God has created. Sure, there are some parts more exciting than others. Moving through an airport security line is low on my list of fun activities, but arriving at the destination helps erase that anxiety.
During one vacation, I was particularly bubbly and upbeat, mostly due to the incredible savings we received when we booked our trip. Imagine paying for the janitor’s closet and getting the king’s quarters, and you get a clue of how I felt. I was walking around in paradise, determined not to miss a moment. I even told my wife, “I feel like one of those beggars that got invited to the king’s feast because no one else showed up.”
You’ll remember that Jesus told the parable of the Great Banquet in Matthew 22. The king had prepared a wedding feast for his son, only to be disappointed in those who ignored his invitation. When he realized those who were invited weren’t found worthy and did not treat his invitation with due respect, he filled up the banquet hall with random attendees.
While I enjoyed my moment in the sun, not everyone shared my enthusiasm. I could see it in their faces and even overheard random complaints. This place wasn’t quite as nice as they thought it could be or the service wasn’t as detail-oriented as they would have liked. I knew many would hit the Internet to offer scathing reviews while I would relate my own experience as glowing. We shared the same location and most likely identical accommodations, but our assessments were polar opposites. Why?
There are people who think they deserve the best and people who know that they don’t. I landed on the latter end of that, especially in that instance. It was a random blessing that placed us there, not anything I could have orchestrated on my own. I hadn’t invested the same amount of time or resources that some of them had, but I was enjoying the benefits all the same. It reminds me of another parable found in Matthew 20 of the workers in the vineyard.
“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? . . .’” (vv. 8–15 NKJV).
God never said this life would be fair. Things are not just going to “even out.” I’m glad because I’m at a loss for creating a winning and successful life plan that allows me access to eternal life. Left to my own devices and resources, I would surely fail.
It’s the grace of God that makes all the difference. I need to constantly remind myself of that to maintain the proper perspective and have an attitude of gratitude to the One who is giving me exactly what I don’t deserve.
