Wouldn't you know?

I had just written about grace well, mentioned it.
and then i decided i should go through a devotional.
so i found one online.

and today's hit the topic of grace and "fairness" from matthew 20.

i don't know if we can ever truly describe God as "fair". he's just, righteous, honest, true...but what does fair really mean?

does it mean having some sort of standards/guidelines, and consequences?  and then "fair" falls within those parameters?

so back to grace.
the workers from the first group of men rounded to up work agreed to terms, and then hoped for the terms to be changed, as they waited for their pay.  they saw "generosity" from the land-owner, as he gave those who worked only one hour a full day's pay.  so of course those who'd been there all day expected more.  that would of course, be fair.  never mind the agreement they made earlier.  :P  work more=get paid more.  ???

but grace is something undeserved.
i think it comes after you're ready to receive the consequences of your actions, to be fair.  and that requires humility.
grace works with humility.  and that is something pride will never understand.
you can't demand grace.  if you demand it, you're in a position to believe that you deserve it.  and grace is undeserved.

the land-owner gave the men who worked the full day what they deserved.  what was fair.
he gave those who worked just an hour what they didn't deserve, what they didn't expect.  but like it says in matthew 20:15--"am i not allowed to do what i choose with what belongs to me?"

if he had given those first men more, no grace would have been shown.  it would be just fairness all around.  but grace, grace...

If you want to read the devotional click on the website here and go to may 21 if it's already a different day.  http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/

i'll be mulling over the last thought given in the devotional:
"if people judged God by my actions, what would they know of grace?"