Green with Envy

As we're invited to pray for others, sometimes we're asked to support their grievance, either with someone else, or with God.  We live in an aggrieved culture, in some cases resulting in legitimate calls for justice, but in many other cases growing out of our being green with envy. 

Jesus tells a story that was no doubt offensive in His day, probably more so in ours, about a landowner who decided to pay those who had worked a few hours at the end of the day the same "usual daily wage" as those who worked the entire day.  Those who worked the long shift were aggrieved, and called for fairness. But the landowner got to the heart of their matter with this question:  "are you envious because I am generous?"  The landowner knew the real motivation behind the complaint, just as God knows the real motivation behind some of our own prayers for fairness and justice, as well as those we're being asked to pray for others.

Though Jesus does stand with those oppressed and marginalized, He nonetheless calls them and us to give account for the envy which may accompany our response.  As He deals with our circumstances, He also wants to uproot any root of bitterness in us so that it can be replaced with trust in Him Who has bought us with His blood, and Whose generosity destroys the envy of the proud.