Granny gives tired student her seat.

Matthew 20:15b-16 NLT

"Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

(please take time to read the full exciting thought provoking Bible story below first)
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I love this story. I love how it makes us squirm and how we try to explain away grace. We really don't want to live in a kingdom of grace and kindness. It seems often that gone are the days when polite people gave up their seats on the bus to older people, women and children. So often I see students and others who sit in the best seat and would not give it up for a weak and frail granny. And don't get me started on queue jumping. We want to be first. We don't want to give up our place. And we want fairness to the point of denying others the kindness and grace of opportunity. The motto of the day seems to be 'if you didn't earn it you don't deserve it.' And to some extent that's true.
But even more true is that you can not earn any of the things you need most! You don't even deserve love, air to breath, or especially God's grace. All these are well and truly out of your grasp and should you enjoy them it is purely out of the kindness and graciousness of a generous gift giving God.
Works, repentance, and faith are all gifts from God. You can not congratulate yourself for conjuring up any of these. Love, hope, and an appreciation for the world are not able to be purchased, earned or worked for. You can not buy them. The best things in life are not based on a merit system. You will not be graded, tested, or examined and found successful in any area that can save you.
Unlike Eve,  deceived by the serpent and her greed and lack of trust in God, Jesus is reassuring us that God is good. He is withholding no good thing from us. God gives us more than we deserve.

So bask in grace. Give a round of applause to those blessed by God's kindness when they are so undeserving. Give a round of applause to such a gracious God.

You don't have to be the best. You don't have to be first. You don't have to earn your keep. You don't have to save yourself.

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Here begins a full exciting thought provoking Bible story! :

Matthew 20:1-16 NLT

“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard.  He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing.  So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.  So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’ “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’ “The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’ “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first.  When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage.  When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage.  When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,  ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’ “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?  Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.  Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”