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.”

Why do the enviable wicked seem to live such painless lives?

Psalms 73:1-28 NLT

Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me,
I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.

They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others. They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth. And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. “What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?” Look at these wicked people— enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply. Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. If I had really spoken this way to others, I would have been a traitor to your people. So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Truly, you put them on a slippery path and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction. In an instant they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors. When you arise, O Lord, you will laugh at their silly ideas as a person laughs at dreams in the morning. Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

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Are you green? Has envy stricken you? If it has you are vulnerable to slipping away from God.

It may appear now that life is not fair. Look at this Psalm. The writer is very honest. It doesn't seem right that evil, wicked, godless people look like they're getting away with it all. They've got nice tan healthy fit bodies and they live in huge homes with expensive cars. The godless appear to be getting one over on God.
And it doesn't seem fair. Why does God let them get away with murder?

It feels like, "I get nothing but trouble all day long;" and that "every morning brings me pain." Do you ever feel like that?

It doesn't stay that way though. God will make things right. We just have to be patient. God's apparent slowness to bring justice is motivated by his grace and mercy. It is the same grace and mercy you need to be saved.

And yet ultimately the wicked will slip off the cliff of justice! The godless will meet their destruction. All is not as it appears. It may seem like wicked people are making a mockery of God and his people but God promises that it is temporary!

But this envy you have misses the point and reveals an unbelief on your part. You and I need to get our focus off the wealth of the wicked and onto God.

God is offering us himself. And more than our health, more than our will to succeed, we can be in love with God.

Let God so captivate you that you are filled with all you desire. Look way into the future and see that nothing, not even death will separate you from God. A fall in the economy will not strip you of the wealth of His love, he is yours forever. Live threatening disease can not take away the strength of God's presence with you. Pain will only bring him closer. Suffering only serves to make him more glorious. Loss only reveals the great gain that is had in following him.
What the rich of this world have is fleeting,  empty and leads to certain destruction.

Tell everyone that God is better than anything this world has to offer!